* * *
“Welcome, Marquis Karl Rooster.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“I’m grateful you accepted the invitation.”
As Zeroth had intended, a few days later, Marquis Rooster visited the ducal estate.
Not only that, but the newly acquainted Count and Countess Holt were also invited.
They had already arrived and were waiting in the drawing room of the duke’s residence.
Upon hearing of the marquis’s arrival, Sylvian, the lady of the house, came down to greet him.
It was Zeroth’s instruction for him to play the role of the hostess directly.
“You’ve become even more beautiful.”
“Thank you. And you’ve become even more dashing, Marquis.”
Thinking of it as a mere exchange of polite words, Sylvian returned the compliment.
When he extended his arm, the marquis naturally accepted his hand.
“Everyone is waiting in the drawing room.”
“Did my letters suit your tastes?”
“Yes, thanks to you, I’ve been able to read a variety of books. I’ve learned a great deal thanks to you, Marquis.”
Sylvian conversed with him rather calmly.
Nothing was particularly unusual about this exchange.
It was simply etiquette to flatter the other person and be a little more considerate with one’s words.
In reality, he had always been socially adept, so he could survive in most environments with ease.
“I’m relieved to hear that the duchess found them helpful.”
Karl glanced down at Sylvian, who was chatting away beside him.
The smaller man barely reached his shoulder, draped in a thin coat, which somehow suited him.
Seeing him tilt his head at his words made Karl chuckle.
It seemed the duke was showering him with love.
Unlike the last time he had seen him at a party, Sylvian’s cheeks now had a healthy glow.
People who were loved always had a certain radiance.
The marquis felt pleased knowing that Duke Graham had not simply placed Sylvian in the position of duchess as a mere stand-in.
The more this small, lovely thing broke, the deeper the duke’s despair would be.
Karl Rooster’s smile deepened.
“You’re quite adept at controlling your pheromones today.”
As they ascended the stairs, Karl tilted his head and whispered softly into his ear.
Sylvian’s eyes widened before he quickly averted his gaze, as if he’d just heard something embarrassing.
The guards followed a few steps behind them.
“I’ve gotten better now. It’s my first time being in such a crowded place.”
Muttering in an embarrassed tone, Sylvian felt Karl gently pat the back of his hand as if in reassurance.
‘Why is he swerving into my lane without signaling?’
Sylvian subtly pulled away from Karl’s unexpected display of affection.
No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason for the marquis to bring up his past struggles with pheromone control or casually stroke his hand like this unless he was trying to seduce him.
The original story was already straying off course—or rather, he wasn’t even sure if he still remembered the original correctly anymore.
Just because Karl was a marquis didn’t mean he could be blindly trusted.
That was dangerous thinking.
“Thank you for your concern.”
“I assume Count and Countess Holt were also invited so you could extend your gratitude?”
That was correct.
He had invited them both to verify how closely they resembled their depictions in the original.
From what he had seen at the party, they seemed similar.
Kind people who enjoyed helping others.
But he couldn’t be too reassured just because they had responded to his letter with a heartfelt reply.
“And also to thank them for assisting Zeroth.”
Acting as if it was only natural, Sylvian maintained his composure and opened the door to the drawing room.
As he entered alongside the marquis, Zeroth and the count and countess rose from their seats.
Standing beside the duke, Sylvian accepted the marquis’s greeting.
“Thank you for inviting me.”
Everyone he needed to observe had now gathered in one place.
A satisfied smile curled at the corner of Sylvian’s lips.
“As expected of the Marquis. My, how did you manage to prepare something this wonderful?”
“Haha. Well, it’s not every day I get invited to the Duke’s estate.”
After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, the invited guests began presenting their gifts.
The Count and Countess brought an expensive bottle of wine, while the Marquis Rooster had prepared earrings and cufflinks resembling Sylvian’s eye color.
“We can’t even begin to express how grateful we are to be invited to the Duke’s estate like this.”
“Oh, but it was Lady Holt who showed me such overwhelming kindness at the last party.”
Sylvian gave a shy smile at Lady Holt’s gratitude.
After all, if he wanted to avoid his death as per the original story, he needed to get closer to Yuri.
The first objective was to assess the Count and Countess’s personalities and figure out how to approach Yuri.
Maintain a proper relationship with Zeroth, maximize intimacy with Yuri!
And, of course, keep a few flirty Alphas around who could be of use to him.
If it meant surviving, he could lick not just Zeroth’s boots but anyone else’s as well.
Thus, it was crucial to identify the key players.
The Countess’s letters were always filled with warm and affectionate words.
“I should be the one thanking you for seeing something so trivial in such a positive light.”
The Countess Holt shook her head as if embarrassed, though her gaze never left the Duke and Duchess.
‘It’s so obvious that the Duke truly loves the Duchess!’
Opinions among the noblewomen had always been divided.
Many believed the Duke’s love was nonexistent, citing how he deliberately paraded around a general store, seemingly flaunting his wealth.
But that belief had been overturned at the last party—his gaze toward his wife had been so intensely warm that all the Omegas secretly aiming for Duke Graham had sighed in unison.
The Countess was on the side that believed in the Duke’s love.
Watching Sylvian flourish felt almost like watching her own son succeed.
“You two seem so affectionate.”
At the Countess’s comment, Zeroth and Sylvian’s eyes met.
At the same time, a smile crept onto both their lips.
“Well, we are newlyweds. This is the best time, isn’t it?”
“Even so, the two of you look truly wonderful together.”
Zeroth spoke as if stating the obvious, while the Count shook his head, remarking that not all couples were like that.
“Then, it must be because your wife is so lovable.”
At Zeroth’s words, the Duchess blushed, flustered. ‘He should actually show love if he’s going to say things like that.’
Sylvian, losing interest in the conversation, turned his attention to the silent Marquis.
“Marquis Rooster, you don’t have a fiancée yet?”
“No. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the luck to meet someone like the two of you.”
At the Marquis’s response, the Count and Countess’s eyes widened.
Did the Marquis actually prefer free romance?!
* * *
