“Phew.”
The moment they stepped out of the drawing room, Ruite let out the sigh he had been holding back.
His legs gave out, and he slumped down onto the floor.
“I was scared to death. Why is the Duke’s gaze so terrifying?”
“That’s why I used to get scared every time I saw my father when I was a child, too.”
Chester took Ruite’s hands and pulled him up.
As soon as Ruite stood up, wobbling slightly, Chester pulled him into a tight embrace.
“Hey, what if the servants see?”
“So what? Everyone in this mansion already knows about us anyway.”
Chester held Ruite close and gently stroked his hair.
“Ruite.”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
Ruite didn’t add any unnecessary words; he simply patted Chester’s back slowly.
Just then, he felt eyes on them.
Turning his head, Ruite spotted Ethan peeking out from around a corner.
Ethan was watching them with a shy, private smile.
Realizing they had been caught, Ruite quickly pushed Chester away.
“Why…?”
Chester, looking thoroughly disappointed now that the warmth was gone, stared at Ruite with a pout.
Ruite didn’t say much and simply let out a fake cough.
Only then did Chester notice his brother standing by the corner.
“Brother, what are you doing hiding there?”
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Ethan just laughed at his younger brother’s scolding—pointing out that he had already interrupted regardless of his intent.
The three of them left the drawing room area and headed into Ethan’s office for a moment.
“Did the talk with Father go well?”
“Yeah. Ruite did most of the talking, but I said everything I needed to say. I don’t know how Father will take it, but it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Hmm… Chester, a few days ago, Father actually gave me permission to go out.”
Ethan told them about how Benger had allowed him to leave the mansion for two days when Ethan had asked for three.
Chester looked surprised, finding his father’s reaction quite unexpected.
“He even asked me why I left the Knights. But thinking back, that was right after Father had met with Count Everhart.”
“He met my father?” Ruite asked.
Ethan nodded.
“I don’t know what they discussed, but… I suspect it was about you two. Regardless, Father won’t change easily. He’s a man who has devoted his entire life to the Dukedom.”
The Callaway family had never wavered, always maintaining its immense prestige and power.
In fact, many said it had become even more formidable after Benger took over as the head.
Chester knew this well—that his father had sacrificed his whole life to build this house.
“But seeing you two today, I can’t help but think that maybe a day will come when Father truly understands your words.”
Chester nodded slowly.
It would be wonderful if such a day came, but even if it didn’t, it no longer mattered to him.
“By the way, when did you two get so close?”
At Ethan’s blunt question, both of them coughed simultaneously.
Seeing Ruite and Chester’s ears turn red with embarrassment, Ethan gave a mischievous grin.
“Anyway, it’s great to see. I assume you’re on vacation—will you be staying here?”
“No, we’re going to the Count’s estate. Given the conversation we just had with Father, it would be uncomfortable to stay here for a while.”
“Yes, that’s for the best. You should head out then. I’m sure the Count and Countess are waiting for you.”
Before they left, Ethan insisted on showing Chester the frame he had made.
Inside the gold-bordered frame was the carefully clipped article highlighting Chester’s achievements.
Ruite couldn’t help but be a little shocked.
When he had heard about it earlier, he assumed it was a joke.
Realizing that Ethan’s love for his brother was quite intense, Ruite left the Duke’s residence with Chester.
Ethan followed them out to see them off at the carriage.
“Ruite.”
As Chester climbed into the carriage first and Ruite was about to step up, Ethan called out to him.
“Thank you. He’s a bit of a handful, but please take good care of my brother.”
Ruite’s lips curved into a soft arc.
“Yes, don’t worry about that.”
With that, the carriage carrying the two slowly pulled away from the Callaway estate.
As soon as they entered the Everhart mansion, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from within.
Ruite squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself.
Sure enough, Blue came flying out, lunging at Ruite’s face in a violent welcome.
“Blue, have you been good?”
Ruite pulled Blue away from his face and stroked his glossy fur.
Meow.
Blue basked in Ruite’s touch, acting cute, but kept a wary eye on Chester standing nearby.
However, while the cat avoided Chester’s cautious hand, he didn’t scratch him this time.
“Ruite, you’re here!”
“My son!”
“Young Master!”
Following Blue’s greeting was the exuberant welcome from the Count, the Countess, and Ruite’s personal attendant, Kio.
Raina and Teian hugged their son from both sides, showering him with a barrage of questions: ‘Are you hurt? Have you been eating well? Has anything upset you?’
“Mother, Father, I can’t breathe. And Kio, you too.”
Chester watched the four of them with a warm expression.
Then, Teian approached Chester and suddenly grabbed his hand, patting it.
“Welcome, Chester.”
Slightly flustered by the warm touch, Chester bowed politely.
It was the first time he realized that the words “Welcome” could sound so heart-warming.
After their boisterous greeting, the five of them headed to the drawing room.
Once seated, Ruite and Chester informed them that they had visited Benger first to declare their intent to officially begin wedding preparations.
“So, I would like to formally tell you both as well. I want to marry Ruite as soon as possible.”
“Well, since Ruite has adapted well to the Knights, I see no reason not to proceed.”
Teian said with a benevolent smile, nodding.
He added that once the Callaway family—as the Alpha household—sent a formal proposal, he would meet the Duke to discuss further details.
“Oh, Chester. I saw the article in the paper. It was truly wonderful.”
Raina even went so far as to bring the newspaper she had been keeping to show him.
“You flatter me. Ruite was a huge help in solving that case. I didn’t do it alone.”
“My… how humble. I feel so at ease knowing Chester will be Ruite’s partner.”
“Mother, I don’t think that’s something you should say in front of your son. Also, he’s not actually that humble.”
Ruite complained while finishing off a plate of cookies.
Chester took a cookie from his own portion and popped it into Ruite’s mouth, whispering that he didn’t need to say such things.
Observing the clear change in the distance between the two compared to when Chester had first visited after joining the Knights, the Count and Countess exchanged knowing smiles.
“But you know parents always worry, right? You must both be careful at work.”
Raina didn’t just say this to Ruite; she made eye contact with Chester as well, conveying her concern.
“By the way, since you’re staying here during your break, I’ve prepared a separate room for Chester.”
After more conversation, Chester and Ruite followed Raina out of the drawing room.
At the mention of separate rooms, the two exchanged an awkward glance.
“It’s right next to Ruite’s bedroom, but…”
Noticing the look they shared, Raina covered her mouth with her hand, let out an “Oh my,” and smiled meaningfully.
“If you’d like, you could just share Ruite’s room. What do you think?”
Ruite’s lips quivered in embarrassment.
Seeing his mother’s eyes crinkle with such a suggestive look made his face flush even redder.
“S-share? What are you talking about! We’ll use separate rooms, obviously!”
Ruite shouted and bolted into his bedroom.
Left alone in the hallway, Raina shook her head at her son’s disappearing back.
“I’m sorry. Ruite is just not very honest with himself.”
“It’s fine. He’s cute like that.”
Unaware of what Chester was saying to the Countess, Ruite dove straight onto his bed.
He was so moved to be lying on his own bed after all this time that he felt like he might cry.
At any rate, the meeting with Benger had gone as planned.
He had said everything he wanted to say, and though he didn’t know how Benger would ultimately react, he felt as if he had crossed a major hurdle.
“My body feels unusually heavy.”
Ruite massaged his stiff shoulders while lying down.
Come to think of it, he felt sluggish and drowsy.
Was it because he was on this soft bed after so long?
Or was it just the tension leaving his body?
Perhaps it was the accumulated stress from worrying about the meeting with Benger for days before the vacation.
Ruite dismissed it as a simple reaction to stress, unaware that this exhaustion might be a sign of something else entirely.
