The whole family was of one mind. Valentin felt touched to see his family members standing up for him.

“That’s right. We absolutely cannot push our precious only son into such a position.”

That’s why we have all been acting this way since 5 years ago, the Viscount said resolutely. The Viscount’ final concluding words completely brought a tsunami of emotions to Valentin’s heart.

“Dad, Mom…! Uncle…!”

As Valentin called everyone’s names with tears in his eyes, moved, the family members all sharply turned their heads and looked at Valentin.

Cold.

This isn’t the kind of look I was expecting…?

The whole family was uniting and pooling their strength for Valentin. He thought the emotion would come flooding in and everyone would share in it, but what returned was an icy coldness that wasn’t welcoming at all.

All his guardians opened their mouths in a stern voice.

“Valentin.”

“We’ll see you later, son.”

“It won’t end briefly this time.”

Ice or the flames of hell swayed in their voices. Is it possible to go from one extreme to the other like this…? They had faces saying the next turn is yours once this story is over.

Did you forget…?

‘I should have just stayed quiet….’

With an immediate poker face, Valentin tightly closed his mouth like a clam, shrugged his shoulders, and shriveled up.

“Yes….”

Dalton started asking the Viscount about what had happened at the imperial palace while scooping up the cold pea soup that had just been served on the table.

“So what was it about today? Did they come out saying we were being rude?”

“No, rather, such talk didn’t even come up.”

Even the Viscount explaining had an unexpected expression.

This morning, an urgent imperial envoy had come and requested that he share time with Empress Beatrice today.

On the surface, it was an invitation saying there was an urgent matter to ask about regarding a business deal with the Hedderfield ducal family, so please visit swiftly, but both the empress and the Viscount knew the real intention wasn’t that, and even the imperial envoy who brought the telegram knew.

The business deal in question had already been recently scrapped after several meetings.

Since that day 5 years ago, Viscount Brandon Wiche had been subtly withdrawing from and not participating at all in any national business projects that the Hedderfield ducal family and Empress Beatrice were involved in.

As he had discussed with Valentin back then, he had been thoroughly preparing in advance for all matters that could unknowingly get him in trouble without even knowing they were involved.

Of course, not cooperating with the most influential noble family in the empire, the ducal family, caused great losses, but that was also something he had already decided to bear initially. The capital of the Wiche Viscount family, which was spreading not only throughout the empire but also overseas as the days went by, was rolling well on its own.

No matter how hard the Duke of Hedderfield tried, he couldn’t keep up with the speed at which money was rolling in various directions. Moreover, the Hedderfield ducal family, which could not be involved in all of the Viscount family’s businesses that were smoothly operating even outside the empire, had no choice but to watch quietly like an old lion that had lost its prey.

Moreover, even if there were some parts they were dissatisfied with, they weren’t originally hostile towards each other.

To use an analogy, it was like that. A trivial conflict like a child frowning upon discovering an annoying part and making a fuss a few times. As time passed, even such things had long faded. 5 years was short but in a way, it was a longer time than expected.

“As soon as I received the telegram, I had a feeling it was definitely related to Valentin’s engagement.”

The Viscount explained eagerly, even shaking the hand holding the spoon, about how the imperial envoy who brought the telegram looked so impatient and desperate.

“I felt there was no more pushing and pulling, no more time to waste, so I hurriedly packed and rushed over.”

With a face saying ‘Everyone must have seen what I did and knows’, the Viscount nodded to the Viscountess and Dalton, seeking agreement. Somehow, Valentin was blatantly left out of that gaze seeking agreement.

‘Everyone has made up their minds….’

Valentin shook his head, anticipating that he would be severely scolded after this story was over, and waited for his father’s next words. He had already given up on the expectation of getting through without being scolded.

And he was so curious about the ending of the story that he could easily ignore the slight feeling of alienation, so he held his breath and listened attentively.

The Viscount took a sip of water, then looked at his family members meaningfully and continued the story.

“And after hearing that they were waiting so desperately, I went to the place but couldn’t even catch a glimpse of a single strand of the empress’ hair.”

Clack.

The water glass was set down on the table with a loud sound.

The Viscount said the key point was that in the reception room he was guided to, he couldn’t even see the empress and instead talked with a lawyer who was the empress’ proxy.

“They said to turn all the engagement talks that have been happening so far into a blank slate.”

The Viscount clicked his tongue, saying that even though they had wanted to turn it into a blank slate for a long time, they arrogantly acted as if they didn’t know that at all and rather wanted it themselves.

“Saying they’re turning it into a blank slate is not accurate. The nuance of their proxy and lawyer was as if they hoped this matter would never surface even in the future.”

He explained that they even made him sign a non-disclosure agreement, saying to be careful of even making a statement like “I almost married the Third Prince.”

A moment of silence flowed over the dining table. Everyone needed time to digest this unbelievable story.

“I don’t know how this suddenly happened.”

Dalton replied as if it was truly strange.

“I know…. Clearly it turned out well as we wanted, but… I can’t imagine this being the behavior of the side that was so actively sending invitations until just a few days ago.”

The Viscountess also expressed doubt, narrowing her brow.

“It’s not like the world suddenly changed, I have no idea what caused this complete reversal in attitude.”

The Viscount explained that he had to urgently summon two of the family’s lawyers to check if there were any traps in the documents.

Valentin nodded his head pleasantly while listening to all those stories.

‘I knew my letter must have been delivered!’

The small Valentin in his heart danced and cheered, shaking his butt until the small room of his heart almost broke. He was doing in his heart what the real Valentin couldn’t do.

‘This is all because my strategy succeeded!’

Although he was shouting “Yes!”, “Great!” in his mind, Valentin, who couldn’t bring himself to explain in detail what bizarre actions he had taken for this – it was truly fortunate that he had that level of tact – could only laugh ominously alone, twitching the corners of his mouth.

* * *

“Which lawyers did you take?”

“I summoned Norman and Jonathan.”

“If you looked at it first, brother, and those two went through the verification process, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah. They seemed to want no more engagement talk to come up in the future and to keep quiet about the stories and rumors that had been circulating in the past, so it’s rather fortunate for us.”

The Viscount added that he wouldn’t have been able to forgive it if that label had continued to follow and cast a shadow on the future of Valentin, an omega.

“I don’t know why this suddenly happened, but anyway, the result turned out well.”

At the Viscountess’ concluding remark said with a pleasant smile, the whole family nodded.

“Now you can feel at ease, Valentin.”

The Viscountess’ friendly yet powerful voice was directed at Valentin.

“Yes, Mother! My lost appetite will return.”

Dalton shook his head back and forth with eyes looking at a troublemaker at the reply that sounded as if he had been abstaining from food and drink for the past 5 years.

“You’ve been eating and living too well to say such a thing….”

“Dalton! It’s just a figure of speech, a figure of speech!”

“……”

“And since we’re really on the topic, I’m telling you, eating wasn’t eating and sleeping wasn’t sleeping all this time.”

Valentin muttered inwardly that they were saying this because they didn’t know the agony of a reincarnator like himself who knew the original story and had been thinking and working hard every day to avoid it to the point of his head exploding….

“Valentin, since we’re on the subject, Mom is saying, now that the worrisome issue is finally resolved, how about getting yourself together and properly going about your daily life?”

The Viscountess’ always warm face turned stern.

“I allowed you to lock your door and stay in bed since you returned, and I also allowed you to attend balls separately, right?”

“……”

“Even though I granted you such autonomy, staying out overnight twice is beyond the normal scope, don’t you think?”

“Yes……”

He had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths. It was truly an action that was not only far from the typical life of a 20-year-old noble omega, but even to the point of being dissolute. Even if he had already shed the nickname of little devil, his notoriety in high society as an oddball due to his seclusion and escape remained the same.

Moreover, his parents had entrusted everything to their son, from studying abroad to everything else, believing in him…. Although he had lived diligently there, if his appearance after returning was this much of a mess, it was even more unspeakable as it would make them doubt his previous life as well.

“I don’t want to scold you harshly about staying out overnight since you’ve become an adult. I don’t think spanking your butt like a little child will make you realize and change on your own.”

“Yes….”

Thank you for protecting my butt, Mom….

“Of course, your father and uncle are of the position that they should scold you until tears run dry for staying out without permission, but I understand. I’ve experienced myself how suffocating it is to frame and constrain your life as an omega.”

“Yes….”

“Moreover, you’re a boy unlike me, so how frustrating it must be for you.”

It was fortunate. No wonder no one was guarding at the time he returned home today.

From now on, I’ll call you the “Butt Guardian”, Mom. Not knowing that his mother, who would not be happy at all to actually hear that title, Valentin expressed his respect in his heart.

“But don’t think that just because I overlooked it a few times, I’ll freely allow it from now on.”

“I know that very well…. I’ll make sure this never happens again.”