Valentin’s cheerful voice, as if about to hum a tune, entered the office along with a knock as the door opened. The way he pushed in before permission was granted after knocking resembled his husband exactly. The couple had grown similar to each other in this short time.

“Is your conversation not finished yet?”

At his question, asked while peeking in with just his head through the doorway, the three alphas welcomed him enthusiastically, waving their hands vigorously.

“No! We’re all done.”

“Come in, come in.”

“My nephew coming all this way in his delicate condition! You should have called us over instead.”

A bright smile spread across the omega’s face at the alphas’ intense reaction of doting on Valentin.

How long had it been since he’d seen such a bright smile? Reynard thought it was a hundred, a thousand times fortunate that they had moved to the capital, just for that bright face alone. He only regretted not thinking of it sooner. It was truly a good choice. That lovely smile alone was enough to make him feel full for ten days even if he starved.

“I ate a lot after a long time, so my stomach felt heavy. I just took a walk to digest.”

Valentin waved his hand towards the alphas, saying he was fine.

Reynard, not wanting to leave him alone even for the short distance from the door to the sofa, jumped up. As he approached with long strides, Valentin took his hand and said in a whining tone:

“I wanted to wait until your conversation was over, but… I’m too tired and want to go home now.”

Home… Reynard’s eyebrow raised on one side at those words. He was moved but also puzzled.

“You’ve come home after so long, won’t you stay the night?”

He thought he’d want to sleep in his original home where he’d lived his whole life. Or want to chat and catch up with his family. Isn’t this the bosom of his beloved family? While feeling a bit lonely that he couldn’t fill that role himself, he was also grateful for the existence of family members who could help Valentin shake off all his bad feelings. With his face so brightened, so at ease, what did it matter?

With that in mind, he had thought they would stay overnight here today.

But his beloved husband was far more admirable than Reynard had thought.

“This isn’t my home anymore, you know.”

Valentin said, hugging Reynard’s arm.

It was natural for his heart to be touched by that response. How much did he intend to knead and manipulate his heart at will…

Reynard carefully lifted Valentin, trying to suppress the feeling that his heart would not survive every time he looked at his husband. Very naturally, as he always did when he was tired. Not even thinking about his in-laws watching with wide eyes. Well, he wasn’t the type to be constrained in his actions by anyone watching anyway.

“Valentin says he’s tired, so we’ll be going now.”

As soon as he mentioned leaving, the Viscount and Dalton pushed the newlyweds’ backs with fussy words like: Sorry for keeping you so long when you must be tired, hurry back and rest, come visit anytime, don’t hesitate to freely come and go from your family home, etc.

Valentin blew a kiss to Dalton, who was personally closing the carriage door, reluctant to part with his nephew he’d met after so long.

“I’ll come again, Dalton!”

“Don’t lean out the window! Travel safely!”

Worry-filled to the very end.

“We’re departing now.”

The coachman’s report and the sound of the whip cracking were heard. At the same time, the carriage moved as the wheels rolled over the familiar stone pavement.

Inside the comfortable and sturdy black carriage, Valentin was nestled in Reynard’s arms. When they had moved a suitable distance from the mansion, he raised his head.

“Reynard.”

“Yes?”

Along with the response, lips descended on his brow. Accepting that affectionate gesture with a smile, Valentin said quietly:

“…I know you sacrificed for me.”

His gaunt face was full of apology.

“We agreed not to say such things.”

“Still.”

“And I’ve never once thought of it as a sacrifice.”

“……”

“Really. What’s this mere position? Don’t worry, the end of my path is already set, Valentin. This is really nothing. So you don’t need to feel sorry either.”

It was a tone full of confidence.

In reality, it wasn’t at all a choice made with reassurance of a definite ending to that path, or with internal calculations. But seeing him unable to raise his head, he wanted to ease his worries by saying so. In fact, Reynard wasn’t much concerned about his own future.

“Now there’s nothing pressuring you. There’s no one applying unspoken pressure to fulfill various duties, and there are no vassals to lead here either.”

“…Is that so.”

“Yes. So just do whatever you want to do. If you want to stay at the mansion and only go back and forth to your family home, you can do that. Or if you want to do other social activities, if there’s anywhere you want to go… you can do anything.”

Valentin raised his hand to stroke Reynard’s cheek as he listened to the rapidly spoken words. Had he noticed the alpha’s desperate feelings in those words?

“So you can do whatever you want to do, and not do whatever you don’t want to do. There’s nothing binding you. Live freely…”

Reynard spoke of ‘freedom’ while recalling Valentin’s gaze when they climbed Ronwood Hill a few days before their marriage.

Yes. He came here to give freedom to his pitiful and lovely husband.

It was something that Valentin, who deserved everything in the world, should be able to easily have at any time, and something Reynard wanted to personally give him. He could no longer bear to see that tired face.

“Thank you.”

Valentin expressed gratitude as he watched Reynard speaking earnestly to reassure and please him. Then he raised his body a bit more and met his lips.

“Mm.”

It wasn’t a light kiss for everyday affection between them.

The kiss, starting with a small pink tongue, conveyed intensity.

“Ah…”

Valentin licked Reynard’s lips and let out a small moan as he was licked in return.

White fingers habitually ruffled his alpha’s hair. Just as they had done before when sharing their passion. A rather sudden pheromone of sexual desire began to fill the carriage.

The alpha, who had gently sucked on that small piece of flesh, barely managed to say as he painfully pulled his lips away:

“You’re not well right now.”

After feeling so good, why did he stop… Valentin burst out laughing at the face that looked like it was wearing a heavy crown of worry. No one else would know this person could make such an expression. The omega’s joyful laughter, thoroughly enjoying the pinnacle of uniqueness and intimacy, rang out in the carriage.

“I’ve lost weight because I couldn’t eat well, but I’m not sick.”

Valentin shook his head as he stroked Reynard’s cheek with his hand.

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m really fine now. I won’t sink into depression like that again!”

His appearance, looking up with sparkling eyes saying he could be reassured, shone with brilliance and loveliness. It was hard to believe this was the same person who had been so depressed until recently.

Valentin looked straight into Reynard’s eyes and slowly licked his own lips.

In that moment, a bright yet intense fragrance spread from Valentin as if a thousand roses had filled the carriage. It was the omega’s seductive pheromone that could make an alpha’s skin and brain tingle, one that no one could resist.

“So I’d like you to kiss me again quickly…”

“Valentin.”

What Valentin was saying with his pheromones was clear and transparent. As if embarrassed by his own blatant expression of intent, the underlying meaning was conveyed through shyness, blushing and avoiding the alpha’s gaze.

But also the implication that it wasn’t wrong for him to desire the alpha like this.

They were each other’s only one, a lawful and natural relationship.

The omega’s hands caressing and fondling the alpha exuded pride in such a relationship.

‘You are mine, and I am yours.’

It was a complete certainty of possession.

Valentin raised his fluttering eyelashes like butterflies and explored his alpha. Then he pressed his face close along the path his hands had traced and moved his lips.

“Ah!”

A small tongue came out to timidly taste Reynard’s earlobe as he let out a gasp. Then with a small giggle, he explained to him:

“Here… it’s like my tongue.”

“…Like your tongue…?”

“Yes. It’s small and soft, unlike any other part of you.”

He was giggling about how it was the only part resembling him among all the big, hard, and strong parts of Reynard.

Reynard was in a state similar to a bomb that had barely suppressed and contained desire lately. But as if someone had suddenly ambushed it, he couldn’t come to his senses from the stimulation and shock. Just being licked by the tongue was maddening enough, but the tickling sensation reached its peak at the words spoken while his earlobe was in Valentin’s mouth. Not just a tickling that was hard to endure, but a tickling that stimulated nerves and made his heart race. That sexual nuance…

Valentin continued to encourage him.

“Come on, Reynard. Yours too…”

“Haa…”

The alpha, who was the best at controlling and regulating pheromones, let go of the string of reason he had barely been holding onto at that one word from Valentin.

That was how their relationship was.

An alpha and omega pair who couldn’t resist each other’s pheromones, feeling the utmost attraction and excitement for each other above anything else. A rare combination said to have a very low probability of meeting each other.

A relationship where they could easily break each other down with just a little sexual stimulation.

Add to that a relationship where they shared emotional certainty of affection, and how much more so would it be.

Reynard’s heavy yet intense alpha sexual pheromones spread inside the carriage, mixing with the omega’s.