After the aide left, Reynard was intently re-reading the report on Valentin.

‘A height of 175 centimeters. How utterly adorable.’

Reynard chuckled, comparing it to his own height of nearly 2 meters. 

‘Weighing a mere 62 kilograms, he’s so light.’

Although his frame wasn’t as narrow and slender as a woman’s, apart from his not yet fully slimmed cheeks, lean muscles, and flesh on his buttocks, he had no fat on his body.

Reynard chuckled, recalling the straightness of the linear shoulders he held, the ivory-like slenderness of his ankles, and the clear, soft skin under the swaddling cloth like a baby’s.

Then, discovering again the excessively irksome phrase written on the very last page that he had skimmed earlier, he mercilessly crumpled the smiling expression he had. It was like the face of his aide Shane, who had been standing in front of him just a moment ago.

Unofficial, but marriage talks have been ongoing with 3rd Prince Clifton Leopold from 5 years ago to the present.

‘Marriage talks. Who decided that?’

Until the morning of the previous day, it was a pretty omega who came undone in his arms without mercy.

At a glance, it was a pure person like a white snowfield that had never been conquered by anyone, and he had taken them.

There should never be a time when they enter someone else’s arms, even if it means death.

‘If it’s the 3rd Prince, the one pulling the strings behind must be Empress Beatrice.’

Reynard lightly deduced who would be pulling the strings above that marriage talk. It was too obvious for anyone with a brain to call it an inference in a grandiose way.

“Hmm…”

Reynard carefully took out the portrait of Valentin’s childhood that he had tucked into his breast pocket earlier. The boy brightly smiling, painted with clear colors of watercolor on thick Whatman paper.

Although it didn’t fully capture his beauty, not knowing who painted it, it was a painting that properly captured the unique loveliness of childhood.

“Engagement, how ridiculous.”

An omega that caught his eye being engaged to someone else was unacceptable.

“It makes no sense.”

Reynard felt the need to give a clear warning.

Now that the target has been acquired and he knows a bit about them, it’s time to make a move.

Tucking the portrait back into his breast pocket, he stretched his stiff body that had been crouched at the desk until the aide came back, after approving and putting away the reports he had been finishing up. His appearance was like a lion, the king of beasts, grinning leisurely as it waits after spotting its prey.

Colonel Reynard Dennox.

He had never once lost the upper hand in battle.

No matter how difficult and drawn-out the battle, with his sharpness in grasping the enemy’s weaknesses, meticulous tactics, eye for timing, and tenacious alpha-like will to win, he ultimately led his forces to complete victory.

Those who persistently gave him headaches afterward were all dealt with without a trace.

He was a tenacious hunter, a soldier, and a commander.

And he would probably be the same this time as well.

Until the very last moment when he obtains victory.

When he met him

‘How tiresome.’

For Reynard, balls were always, at any time, tedious.

If this day hadn’t been the day Reynard first met Valentin, it would have passed by in his life as just another insipid day, average and cumbersome.

The loud and boisterous start of the ball and the grandiose medal award ceremony to raise the prestige of the imperial family.

It was matched in its tediousness and boredom from the beginning.

Reynard, who received a medal, crossed the stage covered with smooth silk in heavy military boot steps.

More medals were crammed onto his ceremonial military uniform, but it wasn’t something that greatly moved him.

Having been born mighty and noble, everything he possessed placed him at the pinnacle of the pyramid, so even if his own merits were added a few more, nothing would change.

He had simply done what he had to do in battle, and just imagining having thoughts of widely making his name known in history for a long time was annoying.

Anyhow, with this, all the official proceedings were over.

As his expressionless face was the default, it was rare for him to force a smile even on the stage, but anyway, all the things where he had to listen to the aide’s tedious nagging beside him to pay attention to appearances were over.

‘It should be fine if I avoid it moderately.’

He intended to hastily get through the utterly boring event.

But what on earth was so unlucky… Someone he didn’t even want to see the face of anymore was approaching.

As soon as he came down, furrowing his brows while looking at the emperor who, as if having tossed away his dignity somewhere today of all days, was following after him with his solemn gestures.

‘Why is that person acting so urgently today of all days?’

It was rare for him to approach and speak first to the always expressionless Reynard or his father at such official events.

It was unknown whether he was doing that to mind the faces of the members of the great noble faction occupying most of the parliamentary seats, or to protect his own private sense of self-esteem that he alone greatly cared about. He always minded such things. And the person who deliberately held his nose high to hide that he was being mindful was the emperor.

“Reynard.”

Calling him familiarly by name instead of surname or rank, it seemed he was fully determined today.

‘What’s the purpose?’

He was getting slightly curious about the reason why the old fox, who was always in a hurry to protect his self-esteem, approached so urgently in an undignified manner at such an official and crowded event.

Although they were 5th cousins, uncle and nephew, as Reynard’s great-aunt had been the previous empress, there was never a time when they called each other familiarly at any significant event. It was strange today. It wouldn’t be that he had missed him so anxiously while he had gone to the battlefield and fought to the death at his command.

‘Ridiculous.’

Reynard scoffed inwardly.

The emperor also knew, as he did, that they weren’t on such terms.

Although they were related by blood, they were more distant than strangers.

If they had familial affection to the point of calling each other familiarly and privately, when he was surrounded by the enemy’s tactics and barely holding on with his life at the Turcentina coast for those several weeks, he should have already sent additional fleet of allied forces by spending more military expenses that he cherished and treasured so much.

Before hundreds more of his precious subordinates died in vain like stray dogs.

Before those young bodies were miserably and brutally destroyed.

‘I thought too much.’

Reynard recalled the not-too-distant past and put his expression, which had almost turned ugly, back in place.

‘Without knowing, I expected more than I should have from a greedy old man.’

Anyhow, they both clearly knew that they were just on superficial terms, so for what reason did he approach so urgently in a private manner like this?

The reason for approaching while excessively acting familiar was absurd, but still, as an imperial soldier following the emperor’s orders, it was only right to show respect to the highest commander-in-chief.

Reynard bowed deeper than usual in the most textbook-like manner.

“Your Imperial Majesty.”

It was a formal greeting purposely expressed more formally to give distance to the one calling him familiarly.

“The official event is already over, so you don’t have to do this.”

The emperor placed his hand on Reynard’s shoulder, chuckling as if they had been a close uncle and nephew until just before. As if believing this small skinship would make them truly close like family.

“How could I do that to the great Your Majesty? All my subordinates are watching my actions.”

It was a tone as if saying, I actively understand your familiarity, but as I also have subordinates, don’t I have to show perfect respect for the top-down system?

‘You have to deal with a fox like a raccoon dog.’

He too was someone who had been at the peak of power since birth.

Political gestures were also too simple, easy, and ridiculous for Reynard.

“They also know what kind of relationship we have, so there’s no need to do that here.”

The feeble emperor’s pathetic attempt at maintaining his attitude and the consequent decisiveness almost made him laugh.

“Torrington.”

The emperor, who seemed to be in a hurry for some purpose, didn’t notice Reynard’s true thoughts at all and snapped his fingers to call the head attendant who had been waiting by his side.