* * *
Ashton, Hayward, and Rex quickly arrived at the outdoor ballroom, where a crowd had gathered.
Thanks to their brisk pace, they moved far faster than Remy could have on his own.
They blended into the sea of people cheering as fireworks exploded in the sky.
Ashton subtly observed the situation, waiting for the right moment to separate from the two Alphas and head toward Remy.
He was almost certain of where Remy was going—toward the garden.
There was no doubt about it.
‘He’s probably going to meet Allen. The possession records stated that the two were supposed to talk in a secluded place.’
As Ashton patiently waited for the right time to slip away, he noticed a sudden shift in the crowd—an unusual movement that hadn’t been there before.
He watched as nobles, after receiving messages from their attendants, hurriedly unfolded slips of paper and turned visibly pale.
At first, only one or two people reacted this way.
But in the blink of an eye, everyone in the vicinity was reading similar messages, their expressions hardening.
The recipients, their faces drained of color, clutched the papers with trembling hands, immediately sharing the contents with those beside them.
A murmur spread.
The ballroom, once alive with celebration, turned into a hive of uneasy whispers.
The breathtaking fireworks illuminating the sky were all but forgotten.
Each person gripped their paper as if it carried a plague, passing it from one to another until everyone in the ballroom had the same reaction.
“What’s going on?”
Rex, still at his seat, excused himself and turned to a nearby noble, requesting to see the paper.
The noble, his face flushed red with anger, reluctantly handed it over.
“This is outrageous. What the hell is going on?”
Even after giving the paper to Rex, the noble couldn’t contain his fury.
Rex, after observing the noble’s reaction, shifted his gaze to the slip of paper in his hand.
“This is…”
His pupils dilated in an instant. What he held was a dangerous leaflet.
The very one Allen had warned about—the one Remy had been making.
“…!”
As Rex froze in disbelief, the uneasy murmurs among the crowd escalated into full-blown outcries.
“What does this mean? The Aylesford family is involved in some kind of scheme?”
“The royal family already knows? Could this be true?”
“We need answers immediately! The ball isn’t important right now! Do you know how much money we’ve invested in the New Continent excavation project?!”
“We must confront the Aylesford family at once! We can’t just let our investments vanish into thin air!”
“I heard the Aylesford Viscount is attending the ball tonight!”
The enraged crowd shouted in unison.
Now, they were all focused on finding Allen.
As they moved in a frenzy, Rex also disappeared from his spot.
The only thing left behind in his place was the incriminating leaflet exposing the Aylesford family’s corruption.
“How could you?”
Allen took a step back from Remy, his voice accusing.
“How could I?”
“We grew up together. We’ve been friends for years. How could you even think of doing something like this?”
“Friends, huh…”
Remy seemed lost in thought for a moment before a small smile played on his lips.
“Were we ever really friends?”
Allen’s face twisted at Remy’s innocent expression.
“What… did you just say?”
“I mean, I don’t really know.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“To be honest, it never quite made sense to me. Everyone keeps saying we were close since childhood, but I don’t really feel it.”
“Remy.”
“If we were really that close, you wouldn’t have pushed me down the stairs, would you? And then made up some bullshit excuse about slipping.”
“No, that was—!”
“You didn’t seriously think I let that slide because I believed you, did you? Even an idiot would’ve figured it out.”
“…”
“The way I see it, you always treated me like a background character in your story. Keeping me by your side only made you shine brighter. You were the exceptional one—the male Omega who manifested first. Compared to you, I was nothing but a convenient contrast.”
“That’s not true!”
“Is it?”
“Remy, you haven’t forgotten, have you? When everyone else turned their backs on you, I was the only one who stood by your side. And now you’re saying I treated you like some accessory?”
“No, no. That’s exactly why you helped me. The kinder you were to me, the more people would compare us. I was the troublemaker, and you were the angel. Isn’t that the story you wanted?”
“Stop spouting nonsense! Are you paranoid or something? Do you have some inferiority compRex? Stop assuming things!”
Allen’s anger reached its peak.
His shoulders trembled as he gasped for breath, his beautiful face flushed red with fury.
Remy watched him for a long moment, then finally spoke again.
“Allen.”
This time, Remy stepped closer.
His face was now inches away from Allen’s, the warmth of his breath fanning over Allen’s flushed skin.
“You’re right. I did feel incredibly inferior to you. You could even call it paranoia. That’s how much I resented you.”
Allen’s gaze darkened. He furrowed his brows, glaring at Remy with sharp eyes.
“But.”
Remy tilted his head slightly, lowering his gaze. His lips curled into a slow smirk.
“Not anymore. Maybe I did in the past, but now? I don’t care about you at all. Whether you see me as a background character or not, it doesn’t matter. I feel nothing.”
“…”
“If anything… the one feeling inferior now is you.”
“What?”
Allen’s eyes widened.
“Ever since I manifested as an Omega, you’ve been the one spiraling. Isn’t that right, Allen?”
At Remy’s words, Allen recoiled.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Me? Feeling inferior to you? Allen Aylesford, jealous of Remy Wesley? Just because you’re an Omega?”
“No. You got that wrong.”
“…”
“The only reason you stood above me was because of that. Because you were a male Omega. Because it was rare. But now… that title isn’t yours alone anymore. That must have scared you, didn’t it? And on top of that, all the Alphas who used to hover around you have started looking my way.”
“Shut your damn mouth.”
Allen gritted his teeth, but Remy remained indifferent.
“Or better yet, why don’t you tell me the truth? Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“On your birthday. Why did you push me down the stairs?”
“I told you—it was an accident.”
“Then what about the hunting trip? When you spiked my lemonade?”
“…!”
At Remy’s words, Allen’s face visibly darkened.
His lips trembled as his complexion turned ghostly pale.
Meanwhile, Remy simply watched him with an unreadable expression, his face void of emotion.
“If it wasn’t true, then go ahead. Defend yourself. Tell me why you tried to poison me.”
“W-who… Who said that?! Poison?! That’s absurd—I don’t know anything about that!”
“It was Adeline extract, wasn’t it?”
“What…?”
“The poison you tried to use.”
“…Remy.”
“You don’t have to bother denying it. I’m not planning to do anything about what you’ve done. I just thought… it’d be nice if you knew. That I already knew everything you were scheming.”
“…….”
Remy stepped back from Allen.
Standing with his arms crossed, he smirked as he spoke.
“Alright, I’ll ask you one last time. Who’s the one feeling inferior right now? Who’s the one consumed with hatred?”
Allen’s expression turned blank for a moment.
He was genuinely confused. It was true that he had always found Remy’s antics irritating, but he had never once thought it was because he felt inferior or jealous of him.
But now, hearing it from Remy himself, Allen couldn’t help but feel a crushing sense of humiliation.
‘Me…? Jealous of Remy Wesley? Of all people, Remy Wesley…? You’re telling me I’ve been feeling inferior because of him…?’
* * *
Ughh it’s so sloww, I need moree