* * *

Ah, I knew I was going to get an earful.

Reading the displeasure in his master’s icy voice, Ferden quickly resigned himself and closed his eyes tightly.

Although he had expected this ever since he spoke to Etienne, facing his master’s frosty demeanor brought a slight twinge of regret.

“I overstepped my bounds.”

There was no need to elaborate; he could guess what his master meant.

It was likely that mentioning Alpha Hieron to Etienne had displeased him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Lucian, who was always gentle with Etienne, ordered in an exceedingly cold tone.

It was a high-handed attitude befitting a noble at the pinnacle of power.

“Let Etienne do whatever he wants, freely… That’s how he deserves to be treated.”

“…”

“Don’t let him get tangled up in old customs or be concerned about the opinions of fools.”

Lucian’s stern and resolute voice rang clearly.

It was a fierce emotion solely dedicated to one person.

Was his master always someone who could care so deeply for someone?

Despite having seen it often, Ferden still felt a fresh sense of Lucian’s transformation.

A master who would go to such lengths to protect the purity of a single Omega youth.

A master who cherished and adored the most humble being, the Omega, with such blind devotion.

If someone had predicted a few months ago that Lucian would change like this, Ferden would have scoffed.

But the sight before him was an undeniable reality.

Unbelievable, yet true.

“But, sir, he should still know some things. He won’t just stay at the estate forever.”

Had the situation been any less severe, Ferden would have bowed low and begged for forgiveness, but he decided to take a risk and speak frankly.

In his view, Lucian’s current behavior, seemingly oblivious to anything but Etienne, was excessive.

He was genuinely worried.

How long could this approach of shielding Etienne from reality with sweet comforts last?

And was it truly in the best interest of the innocent Omega youth?

“He knows too little about the ways of the world. I only wish for both you and Etienne to avoid any trouble.”

“What is there to worry about with me around?”

However, Ferden’s sincere advice had little effect.

Lucian simply smirked arrogantly, like the noble he was.

“No matter what happens, I’ll protect him. Etienne doesn’t need to know anything.”

Etienne just needed to shine brilliantly, as he always did.

To illuminate the dark and filthy world.

If anyone dared to extinguish that light, Lucian would cut off their hands and sever their necks.

That was Lucian’s conviction.

A conviction so strong that a few words from a butler could not shake it.

“…Understood, sir.”

Ferden reluctantly bowed his head, realizing that his words were futile.

“If you understand, then leave. And make sure the others keep their mouths shut as well.”

“Yes, sir. Do you need anything else?”

“That will be all.”

“You skipped dinner today. Shall I have something prepared for you?”

“No, that’s fine. I need to head to the lab.”

As if ending the conversation, Lucian rose from his seat, dismissing Ferden.

He seemed ready to spend the night in the lab without eating.

Though not surprising, as it happened often, Ferden, ever the dutiful butler, tried to dissuade his master.

“You’ll harm your health this way.”

“This is nothing.”

However, once again, Lucian didn’t pay any heed to Ferden’s concerns.

Despite waking up at dawn to visit the palace and skipping meals, he seemed to find comfort only by staying up all night in the laboratory.

Etienne, meanwhile, was overly protective, acting as if a slight breeze could blow Lucian away, yet showed complete disregard for his own health.

The servants, watching this, could only feel a mix of frustration and bewilderment.

“Take care, Ferden.”

“…Yes, Master.”

Though grumbling inwardly, Ferden didn’t hold back his master any further.

To be precise, he didn’t have the guts to hold back his master, who was infamous in the empire for his ruthless nature.

“Then, have a peaceful night.”

Bowing deeply, Ferden retreated from his master’s side.

No matter how robust an alpha might be, he held back the urge to nag Lucian to take it easy.

And it was a wise decision.

Lucian was not someone who could be stopped by mere words.

Besides, today he had a compelling reason to stay in the laboratory, so Ferden’s resignation was indeed wise.

‘The sample Etienne was examining earlier…’

Lucian’s hands moved busily throughout the night, checking and recording the samples that Etienne had cultivated.

Even after the entire mansion had fallen asleep, Lucian remained immersed in his experiments, showing no signs of fatigue in his vibrant violet eyes.

For a long time, the only sounds in the laboratory were the clinking of tools.

It was several hours later, as birds began to chirp outside and a ray of sunlight peeked through the window, that Lucian finally left the laboratory.

After spending an entire night in the lab, he had managed to achieve satisfactory results.

“Duke!”

Just as he returned to his room and had barely put on a shirt after a quick wash, Etienne burst into his room.

Anyone else who dared to do so would have faced dire consequences, but Lucian simply gave a faint smile.

“Duke, Duke Leondine.”

“Etienne.”

Etienne’s hair was a mess, as if he had run over immediately after waking up.

Lucian couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his tousled hair, resembling a cute puppy.

Of course, the servants attending to them silently screamed in disbelief at the bold omega’s actions and the master’s unexpected reaction.

“Good morning.”

“What’s good about it! Because of you, I couldn’t finish checking the samples yesterday!”

Etienne exclaimed, eyes wide with frustration.

He was the only person in the entire empire who could speak to Lucian this way.

“I must be crazy, sleeping until this hour…”

The small omega, completely oblivious to how fearsome the alpha before him was, grumbled about not being able to finish checking the samples because Lucian had put him to bed early yesterday.

Looking down at Etienne, Lucian spoke in his usual confident tone.

“Don’t worry, Etienne. I did it for you.”

At those words, Etienne’s anger vanihed, replaced by a bright, beautiful smile.

“Really?”

“Yes. Have you forgotten? I’m a co-researcher too.”

The annoyance etched on Etienne’s face melted away in an instant, replaced by a warm smile as bright as the sunlight streaming in.

The servants, watching Etienne’s reaction with disbelief, saw Lucian looking at his partner with a deepened smile, silently praising himself for his hard work last night.

“I recorded it in the experiment log. Check it later.”

“Wow, Duke…”

Lucian reached out to brush Etienne’s hair back.

The sensation of the tousled hair in his hand was satisfying.

However, before he could tidy up Etienne’s hair completely, Etienne suddenly hugged him tightly.

“Duke, I really love you!”

Soft arms wrapped around his solid body, and gentle cheeks brushed against his collarbone.

The warmth of their skin touching through the open shirt made Lucian’s chest tingle, but Etienne, completely innocent, looked up at him with wide eyes.

“You’re the best, Duke. I take back everything I said earlier.”

“…”

“I’m really lucky to have such a great partner, right?”

Lucian, who had been momentarily frozen, smiled and patted Etienne gently.

“Same here.”

Despite his appearance, his touch was gentle and affectionate.

* * *