Valentin put strong force in his legs and hips and stepped on the floor. 

Was it a mistake to move too quickly to hide his body in the bathroom out of embarrassment and nervousness? As soon as he stepped down from the bed forcefully, he tumbled and fell stupidly and unsightly due to the creaking joints and muscle pain all over from last night’s events.

“Valentin!”

Reynard shouted loudly and quickly embraced the fallen Valentin.

My goodness… Shouldn’t speed or agility be lacking when the body is this big and heavy…? Valentin gaped not only at the immediate pain but also at the alpha’s nimbleness in running over too quickly and scooping him up.

“It seems too much for you alone after all.”

“Uh uh…?”

No…! That’s not it! 

That’s not why…!

He picked up the stammering Valentin like last night, tucked him under his arm, and entered the bathroom, showing off his solid naked body.

It was obvious that the omega who was carried into the bathroom like that would receive a lot of affectionate torment from the alpha for the second time before coming out.

* * *

“No, you should nicely wrap up and send home a person who says they’re in pain, what in the world is this…”

Valentin muttered while rubbing his waist.

Although they didn’t have direct intercourse, after receiving a lot of things similar to last night in the bathroom – actually, it was hard to say he received it since he also gleefully enjoyed it together intoxicated by pheromones -, he said his pride wouldn’t allow it if he sent him back hungry, so Valentin finished the meal he prepared until he was full before returning to the mansion. Once he ate, the food went down so well…

Recalling earlier when he was stuffing meat pies in his cheeks like a squirrel storing acorns for hibernation and mumbling happily, he felt so stupid…

He was sent off in a carriage, patting his belly that became chubby like that.

And he had just come up to his room after being scolded a lot by his father and Dalton who were waiting in the mansion lobby like a nightmare.

‘Oh dear… It’s great but I’m so dead tired.’

It was truly a day he greatly burned his one body.

Valentin laid on the bed, hugging his stinging thighs and groaning from the things in the bathroom.

Since the plan succeeded in the first stage, the thought of somehow doing something about his suffering body first dominated Valentin. He really urgently needed rest.

Knock knock.

“Young master, it’s Dawson.”

This timing of an obstacle coming like a ghost just when he was about to rest…

Is this the law of the universe that comes to all lazy people…? Valentin barely raised his head with a hollow heart.

Seeing him coming in as soon as entering the room, was it an urgent matter? Unable to get up, he answered lying down like a patient and groaning.

“…Come in….”

The faithful butler somehow understood the powerless, aged voice well and entered with a disciplined appearance, holding out an envelope on a silver tray.

“A messenger from the imperial palace came in the morning.”

From the imperial palace?

‘Has my misconduct last night already been conveyed?’

His heart pounded with some positive anticipation.

Valentin hoped that yesterday’s incident had already been conveyed to Empress Beatrice and a message had arrived saying, ‘We refuse a loose kid like you,’ as he received the envelope, pulling himself up despite his aching body.  

He tore off the thread engraved with Empress Beatrice’s personal emblem of lilies and wagtails and checked the contents.

Dear Valentin Wiche,

I saw your healthy appearance well at the imperial ball yesterday.

I am delighted to confirm you have recovered your health.

I have formally arranged a tea time with Prince Clifton Herbert Leopold, so please be sure to attend.

“Ahhhhh!”

As soon as he read the contents, Valentin screamed and threw the letter vigorously, shaking his whole body as if he was holding a disgusting bug. How shocked he was that he even forgot the fact that his body ached like it had been beaten at that moment.

Far from his misconduct being conveyed, it contained an increasingly persistent message.

Dawson hurriedly picked up the letter from the imperial palace, which was also an invitation from Empress Beatrice, one of the current powers of the empire, that Valentin threw away cursing in seven or eight colors. It would be a big problem if strange rumors spread that his master was irreverent.

Truly a creepy person…

‘I didn’t even see her face at the ball yesterday, how did she know I came and went…!’

He had guessed that the Hedderfield ducal family and the empress’s lackeys were spread out everywhere, but actually experiencing it was another matter. It was utterly creepy.

Valentin snatched the letter Dawson was holding while trembling all over and checked the contents again.

The invitation specified the same place as last time.

The central rose garden of Adellon Park, a place where imperial family members publicly and officially court, was clearly written in large letters, and the date and time set again were accurately written.

Certainly, during the past few hundred years, it was generally and traditionally where imperial family members courted.

After the engagement talks were perfectly exchanged between the families with prior consideration, it was something publicly announced to the media.

Reporters from various newspapers and magazines publicly disclosed the tea time of the prospective couple that took place in Adellon Park with romantic articles and pictures, and the imperial family’s engagement was officially completed, including the legal procedure of exchanging certificates. It was a kind of pre-arranged show, and this was the official courtship of the imperial family.

This was treating Valentin like a fool. Or disregarding him as someone who would still come running if coaxed like this. Whichever it was, it was clearly seen that they wanted to settle it somehow before it was too late.

‘If not, there’s no reason to insist on this place.’

If Valentin stupidly or gladly ran to that place and even had tea with the 3rd Prince, reporters who were prepared in advance would spy on it. And a lot of articles would come out in newspapers or magazines. It was clear even without experiencing it that the articles would also be crafted to make it seem like an official courtship.

As if the imperial family members of previous generations always did that after discussing it in advance and taking their places there.

As if they were just carrying out the final formal procedure after all the engagement talks had already been exchanged under the table.

The empress would officially announce Valentin and the 3rd Prince’s engagement like that.

It was something all parties to the engagement didn’t want, but if such a thing actually happened, they would inevitably be dragged along according to that scheme.

Valentin looked down at the invitation again, gnashing his teeth in frustration.

I am delighted to confirm you have recovered your health.

She imitated a very kind tone as if soothing a small child, but that was an order. It was no different from a declaration that she clearly confirmed with her own two eyes that he was walking around healthy and fine, so stop pretending to be sick and if he didn’t pop out right away following her orders, she wouldn’t leave him alone. Valentin glared at the 3rd Prince’s full name written in a very fancy handwriting and trembled with anger.

“Really, me.”

A clicking sound naturally came out.

The 2nd Prince Roman Leopold’s mouth is tighter than I thought? Or is the empress doing this even after hearing that fact?

Valentin grabbed his confused head and thought over and over again.

No, the thought that worrying only delays the timing brushed over his head.

‘I’ll have to take action myself after all.’

Whether the story was conveyed from the 2nd Prince or not, he felt the need to make the incident a bit bigger so that the story wouldn’t just circulate among them and end.

Although he was startled after accurately learning Reynard’s identity and status that he had touched someone much bigger than expected, the incident had already happened, and he had to use that already committed incident as efficiently as possible. If not, where could he find the reason and worth of causing such a big incident? Valentin decided to bury the past and be bold.

‘Where else do I have to fall from here?’

It was already too late to go back, so let’s go all the way.

Plus, although a bit scary, isn’t the other party that Colonel Dennox? The empress wouldn’t want to match an omega who slept with another big shot with her son either.

Valentin made a resolution trembling without knowing Dawson was watching him with narrowed eyes and a reluctant expression.

‘But first, I should think about it after taking a nap…’

Perhaps because of the relief that he had come up with a solution at the same time as the resolution, the fatigue he had been rapidly forgetting rushed in. No matter how healthy the body, it couldn’t win against being tormented like that.

Dawson sighed and watched the young master crawling back under the blanket, vowing to resolve it as he thought after recovering his badly tormented body first.

A sigh is a sigh and work is work.

Although a bit trivial, strange, and pathetic, he was the young master he had watched and served since childhood.

Dawson placed the tray with the letter on the table with a concise motion, carefully drew the curtains so that the one he served could sleep comfortably without glare, then quietly closed the door and left, greeting.

“Rest well, young master.”

He couldn’t be anything but a truly loyal butler.

______________________

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

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