Reynard, the heir to the Grand Duke, suddenly went to the Dennox Grand Duke and declared. He said he had found an omega he wanted to marry, so please make a formal marriage proposal in the family’s name. When he made that request, the bad timing was the start of the trouble. As it happened, three or four of the closest aides gathered in the Grand Duke’s office for a meeting heard those words together, and because of that, the matter grew enormously.

In fact, the Grand Duke’s vassals were so surprised to see the “young master,” whom they thought would live alone his whole life, boldly demand a marriage proposal in front of everyone. They all cheered as if their racehorse that they had bet a bag of gold coins on had won first place at the racetrack. The old men were so excited that even the Dennox Grand Duke, upon hearing his son’s request, opened dozens of bottles of his favorite vintage Dom Perignon champagne that day. And he celebrated with his confidants, drinking heavily.

Shane was shaking his head, recalling the flushed face of the Marquis of Willgrave who had drunk with the Grand Duke until his nose went crooked that day. Of all times, for everyone to be in a meeting then…

“It wasn’t perfectly wrapped up.”

Thanks to the strong and intimidating voice as usual, Shane was abruptly awakened from his reminiscence.

“Pardon? Did Viscount Wiche reject the marriage proposal?”

It was hard to believe.

It was an official marriage proposal from the Grand Duke’s family, comparable to royalty. Moreover, it included the Emperor’s signature as witness and recommender. In other words, the union of the two families was no different from what the Emperor wanted and guaranteed.

“The Viscount didn’t reject the proposal.”

“Of course he couldn’t reject it. Unless the whole family is going to emigrate to a distant foreign country, leaving the empire, how could they refuse? It’s a marriage that can’t help but happen unless there’s already another fiancé or a fatal reason.”

It was a marriage the Emperor and Grand Duke wanted. An ordinary refusal was impossible.

“But Valentine asked for time to think about it himself,” Reynard said amidst the sound of carriage wheels rolling on the road.

“And the Viscount said he would do as his son wanted.”

“Ah…”

It seemed the family’s official stance was close to permission, but the consent of the person concerned hadn’t been given.

If it had been a conservative family that valued tradition, the opinions of those involved wouldn’t have mattered in a political marriage, but the Wiche Viscount’s family was not like that.

Shane, who had thoroughly investigated the Viscount’s family over several days, knew best that it was a family that greatly valued their only son’s opinion.

“The Viscount certainly threw a proper move that could stop you, Colonel.”

Shane’s face turned savage as he laughed with a bit of schadenfreude.

The Wiche Viscount’s family was, to put it bluntly, a somewhat unusual family. They had a quite democratic family tradition with an egalitarian family system that valued the opinions and voices of each family member. Of course, it couldn’t be said that the Viscount’s influence was small in making important decisions, but he had heard that when disagreements arose, everyone discussed and deliberated together to try to reach a result that everyone could be satisfied with.

‘They’re the family best accepting the changing society.’

They were thriving by predicting and accepting the changing times and even using it in business…. Shane nodded, recalling the face of Viscount Wiche, who had an excellent sense for seeing and accepting the future.

And such a family tradition seemed to stand out when raising their son as well.

‘Well, what family wouldn’t love and cherish such an omega son.’

It wasn’t just referring to the rumors of him being the most beautiful in social circles.

The Valentine Wiche that Shane learned about through his investigation was indeed a bright and lovely person. To put it bluntly, a person with a flower garden in full bloom in his head. And such a bright and unrestrained personality seemed to be a factor that made him very likeable among the servants.

[The young master? He’s really lovely. He even picked up the broom I was moving once.]

Mary explained with sparkling eyes that her hands had been full of luggage at the time. She was a 7-year maid of the Wiche Viscount’s family that Shane had bribed after much effort.

[A broom?]

It was indeed unusual. He looked like someone who had never even tied his own shoelaces, let alone a broom.

[Yes. Not just the broom, but he can’t easily ignore when servants are having difficulties or struggling. He always listens and helps.]

[Listens?]

[Yes. He likes talking with people like us.]

Mary answered with a giggle.

[This is somewhat different from the rumors I’ve heard?]

[Ah! You mean that.]

Mary looked around the interior of the old cafeteria mainly frequented by commoners and lowered her head. Was it the caution befitting a servant who had sold her conscience for 5 gold to reveal even a little about her master? She had come out to this place claiming ‘He said not to ask about bad stories or private matters!’, and used the term ‘that’ to hide the specific story. It was referring to Valentine’s nickname ‘little devil’ that had been famous in social circles 5 years ago. Both Shane, armed with a ridiculous fake mustache and strange fedora as a disguise, and Mary, bribed for a mere 5 gold, knew this well.

[I think it was just typical teenage recklessness back then.]

It was a very trivial reason, hard to say it came from a throat hunched as if about to give tremendous information.

[Teenage years?]

It was even trivial to ask again.

[Yes. All boys and girls are like that at that age. Thinking they’re the best in the world. Ignoring others’ words.]

Well… Come to think of it, isn’t this exactly the story of ‘being 15 years old’…? He’s a genius…?

No, this isn’t right! Shane shook his head hard, trying not to be subtly persuaded by Mary. Barely coming to his senses, he continued questioning.

[Don’t you think the rumors were too severe for just that…?]

[No! Rather, when the servants working at the mansion learned of such rumors, everyone was surprised!? The young master may have had some arrogant aspects then, but he wasn’t like that to the working people.]

Mary shook her head, awkwardly unfolding a newspaper to cover her mouth, saying it was nonsense.

[Is that so?]

[Yes. And after that adolescence passed, how kind and lovely he was…. Of course he’s still lovely now, but since he’s an adult now, it’s a bit disrespectful to the young master to speak like this.]

[I see….]

It seemed that manners had already been thrown away at the point of coming out to sell stories about the young master after receiving money, but Shane swallowed his words so as not to upset the precious informant he had worked hard to recruit.

Was it because he felt like a detective, secretly investigating someone else’s background while even in disguise? Shane had expected some dirty secrets or shameful and intimate stories to come out. But contrary to expectations, as only cute and kind impressions kept coming out, he started to deflate. Moreover, he had already heard nothing but good stories from several servants he had bribed earlier, so it was even more so.

And thinking of the face of his pervert-like superior who would be slightly twitching his face in pleasure while receiving this report, even more so! Shane shuddered again, recalling his tedious time of spying and investigation.

Anyway, in such a democratic family, it was clear that the opinion of Valentine, the person concerned, was most important for the marriage, as he monopolized their love. And the superior looking out the window of the moving carriage with an unpleasant smile was undoubtedly thinking the same.

“So what do you plan to do?” 

Shane, having finished his reminiscence, asked Reynard about future plans, and the answer came quickly.

“He asked for a week to think it over.”

“And you gave him the time?”

“Yes.”

“What if he thinks about it and says he wants to refuse?”

“He won’t refuse. Rather, as time passes, he’ll come to realize completely.”

It was somehow a confident statement. Shane frowned as he looked at Reynard smiling meaningfully.

“Somehow that young master seemed to have a knack for running away…”

The information that he had chosen to study abroad as an escape to avoid marriage to the 3rd Prince was also something he had dug up. Hearing him mutter “I’m a bit worried…”, Reynard smirked.

“No, there’s no way he can run away.”

Reynard recalled Valentine’s face looking very comfortable while smelling his pheromones. That face quickly regaining stability.

“He absolutely won’t be able to leave.”

There will surely come a time when he needs these pheromones. He had been informed by the doctor that pregnant omegas commonly feel stability from the alpha pheromones of the child’s biological father. And Valentine seemed to be unusually more affected by it than others.

So Reynard, knowing all this, fully released his pheromones as soon as they met. And he deliberately left quickly without leaving more pheromones when saying goodbye.

‘He needs to be made more desperate.’

He needed to definitely experience the comfort given by alpha pheromones, and be made to need them more desperately. So that he would eagerly and desperately seek out Reynard on his own.

So now was the time to pretend to let go while gently herding the rabbit towards the trap.

‘He needs to believe he thought enough and chose on his own so he won’t regret the marriage.’

“Just carry out well what I’ve instructed for the next week.”

Reynard threw only that one line to Shane, who still had a questioning look, and closed his eyes.

It was now time for the hunter to quietly herd the prey and wait.

Until the rabbit walks in on its own.

* * *

How frightening human prejudice can be.

Valentine, thinking their meeting was just a one-night stand, was completely unable to realize that he had fallen in love, even shallowly.

He was completely beating down his own heart like the lightest feather, thinking ‘We met for such a short time? Moreover, it was a means chosen in the midst of trying to achieve a goal, how could this be love.’ Besides, he had been so focused on avoiding the engagement with Clifton according to plan, without time to realize his feelings, that he had missed it.

In his inner heart, which he had worked hard to deceive himself, only impressions like ‘I met an ideal alpha, felt attraction, and shared a good night’ remained.

‘We met for such a short time and don’t know much, how could this be love?’

‘Isn’t love something that comes from knowing each other well in a deeper relationship?’

‘Isn’t love something more reverent and noble?’

‘Could this really be love when the meeting was artificially initiated for a purpose?’

‘Shouldn’t it not be called love from the start since the beginning wasn’t pure?’

Such thoughts filled his small head.