* * *
“I decided to handle it quietly for the family’s sake, ending it with discreet exile. And yet… it seems the rumors are still spreading.”
“People don’t care about how someone was exiled. They’re more curious about why they were thrown out of the castle.”
The Emperor gave him a look, as if to ask, ‘And what about that Omega young man?’
“That Omega youth you treasure so much—why didn’t you bring him along today?”
“…He knows nothing about hunting. He’s spent his life studying, so there was no reason to bring him. He’d only get in the way.”
“Oh? So it’s not because you’re hiding him away like some precious treasure?”
The Emperor leaned a palm against a tree, his blue eyes gleaming sharply.
“Don’t make it too obvious that you care for him. If you shield him too much, it might actually put your Omega in danger.”
At those words, both Isaac and Chester’s brows tightened slightly.
The Emperor smiled, as if amused by their reaction.
“Wasn’t he brought here just to bear children? But from the looks of it… he’s become something far more than that.”
“…Is that how it appears to you?”
“Yes, Isaac. That’s how it appears to me.”
The Emperor tapped the tree trunk with his palm a few times.
“And that’s why I’m concerned. There are far too many people who envy and want to break you two. They might see him as your weak point.”
Isaac and Chester quietly scanned their surroundings.
A few nobles in the distance were sneaking glances their way—pretending not to look, but their curiosity was plain.
Clearly, they were dying to know what the young Emperor and the Dukes were discussing.
“My uncle, Duke Fetchwig… an ambitious man. And he knows full well that to realize that ambition, he must bring many others down.”
“…”
“He seems hearty and likable enough, doesn’t he? And yet, with that very face, he’s spent years flattering anyone stronger than himself. Once an obsequious courtier, now he’s the Emperor’s uncle. Intrigue is in his blood and flesh—schemes are little more than a hobby to him. So be careful. Don’t get bitten by a snake’s fangs.”
Chester, who had been listening quietly, raised the corners of his lips.
Bowing slightly, he called out gently, “Your Majesty.”
“I’m deeply moved by your concern. I will take it to heart.”
“Haha, forgive me for meddling the moment we meet.”
“How could you call it meddling? You’ve enlightened us, cured us of our ignorance and stubbornness.”
Chester’s violet eyes sparkled.
“Duke Fetchwig is Your Majesty’s uncle—a noble man indeed. But even if he were to sink his teeth into us… I wonder if we could treat him as we would any other snake—pulling out the fangs and stripping the skin.”
“Haha.”
Even at Chester’s violent remark, the Emperor showed no surprise.
If anything, his eyes curved in amusement as he laughed.
“That almost sounds like you’re asking for my permission! Sadly, I can’t approve of your snake-hunting. Before he’s a snake, he’s still my family. Imagine how grief-stricken my late mother would be if she knew.”
“…”
“But…”
The Emperor stepped closer to the two brothers.
Unlike the broad-shouldered Carlisle siblings, the Emperor’s frame was lean and elegant—but despite his smaller build, he radiated the dignity of the nation’s ruler.
He placed a hand on each of their bowed shoulders.
“I am curious, though. When his power finally crumbles, how will our dear uncle overcome the despair that inevitably follows?”
His grip tightened briefly before he patted their shoulders a few times, then stepped away.
His voice was light and cheerful as he called to his attendants.
“Let’s join the game! I’ll show them I’m no slouch myself, haha!”
As his laughter echoed, Isaac and Chester turned away.
Chester’s eyes stayed fixed on the Emperor’s retreating figure.
“He refuses to give permission, but still wants to watch… His words are like a riddle.”
“For a riddle, the answer’s pretty clear.”
“Clear?”
“Yeah.” Isaac moved his lips barely enough to speak.
“He’s saying he won’t involve himself in a power struggle. Which also means—if one breaks out—he won’t punish anyone for it.”
“A battle among nobles… he’ll use the chaos to cement his own power. Truly a wise ruler.”
“You’re not upset, are you?”
“Me?”
“That the Emperor didn’t take our side.”
“Haha, brother, you know me better than that. The fact that he’ll let us do as we please—that alone is taking our side.”
Isaac nodded.
He’d been thinking the same.
Chester’s smile deepened as he looked out toward the lake, where purple petals floated on the surface—clearly blown there by the wind.
“Adam would’ve been amazed to see this. I’ve never met anyone who loves flowers as much as he does.”
“…”
“Ah, I just want to go back and see Adam’s face. Hold his hand… maybe give him a kiss. Just the thought of it is bliss, isn’t it?”
“Just a kiss?”
“Hm?”
“I want to do more than that.”
Chester blinked several times before bursting into laughter—loud enough to startle the people nearby.
Isaac stood there quietly, as if he’d expected the reaction.
“Ahahaha! I never thought I’d hear you say something like that. Where’s the man who once wouldn’t even lay a finger on me?”
“Laugh all you want. I find this version of myself surprising, too.”
“You should.”
Chester’s voice was light, but the image of Adam’s face back at the castle became even clearer in his mind.
The urge to see him spread warmly in his chest, melting the tension that had been tight as steel while meeting the Emperor.
“You surprise me too, Chester,” Isaac said, watching him.
“My face?”
“You look like a boy hopelessly in love. The Emperor was right—we’re all making it too obvious how much we treasure him.”
Isaac brushed back hair that the wind had tousled.
“When we return, we’ll have to assign more guards to Adam. Just in case.”
“There’s a more effective way, you know. We could simply care for him less.”
“You think that’s possible?”
“No. It’s just a figure of speech.” Chester shrugged.
“For His Majesty to notice, the rumors must be huge. There’s no helping it.”
“Yeah. No helping it.” Isaac’s voice dropped lower.
“So we’ll take this chance to show them—that if anyone dares raise a sword against House Carlisle, we’ll twist their extended wrist without hesitation.”
At that, Chester gave an elegant bow—playful, but carrying a clear meaning.
“I’ll follow your lead, brother.”
The hunt began early in the morning.
Around Fetchwig stretched a vast forest.
Deep inside, waterfalls and valleys roared, and wild berries grew in abundance.
It was the perfect place for deer to fatten themselves.
Several men entered the woods with rifles in hand.
It was a grand hunting event in which even the Emperor himself took part.
He climbed into a carriage, seized the reins, and drove it himself.
“His Majesty is truly remarkable. Imagine—driving without a coachman.”
“That’s why he dislikes incompetence. You know, don’t you? If you’re bad at hunting, he won’t even speak to you.”
Nobles who hadn’t departed yet glanced toward Fetchwig’s eldest son.
He was barking at the coachmen, complaining that the carriage wheels were faulty, that they didn’t know how to drive—picking at every little thing.
But everyone knew the truth: he simply lacked the skill to depart at all.
“Tsk.”
Gordon clicked his tongue and frowned.
By then, he had already ventured deep into the forest.
* * *
