* * *

Though it was reassuring that Edwin wasn’t a broken Alpha, not all questions were answered.

“You do know how imprinting works, correct?”

It was a sensitive topic, as imprinting required a deep emotional and physical bond.

Henry’s face grew redder at the implication, but Edwin met the duke’s gaze, unfazed.

“We imprinted without any physical contact.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Yes.”

The duke seemed incredulous, but Edwin insisted it wasn’t strange.

“It was an incomplete imprint. Since it wasn’t intentional, we needed the Marquis Carian’s treasure to break it. Only something created by someone who had experienced an incomplete imprint themselves could help.”

The mention of the Marquis Carian put to rest any doubts about Edwin’s story.

“Edwin, you’re good at this,” Henry muttered.

Edwin’s skillful way of connecting the situation to Carian was impressive.

Henry, however, had no intention of correcting any details.

Duke Lorenz carefully considered everything.

In the end, Edwin had always been a proper, dominant Alpha.

It was only the incomplete imprint that had led to misunderstandings.

Now, the truth had come to light.

Of course, there were still many questions he wanted to ask.

How the bond had been formed in the first place, why Edwin hadn’t mentioned it until now, and when Henry had become an Omega.

But the rest of those discussions would be better saved for later.

For now, Duke Lorenz intended to address only the most important one.

Duke Lorenz looked across the table at Duke Timothy.

As if sharing the same thought, Duke Timothy nodded.

“When do you plan to break the Imprint?”

Regardless, they were already Imprinted each other.

It was better to ask openly and settle the matter publicly.

Moreover, if Henry used a treasure to break the bond, no one could demand it from him.

After all, that was supposedly why the treasure had been brought in the first place.

“I’m not sure.”

But Edwin’s response was unsatisfactory.

It wasn’t like him to give such an ambiguous answer after usually making his points so clear.

Edwin looked down at the hand he had been gripping tightly until now, then glanced sideways at Henry, who was pressed close against his shoulder.

Henry was clinging to him to hide from the stares of others, unaware that the more he tried to disappear, the more attention he drew.

And there he was, trying to hide like no one could see him if he couldn’t see them, looking adorably oblivious.

“I don’t want to break the bond, but Henry and I haven’t come to an agreement yet.”

People looked at Edwin in disbelief. And their suspicions solidified into truth when Edwin spoke again.

“Since I haven’t won Henry’s heart entirely yet, let’s leave this discussion for another time.”

“Edwin!”

Henry’s outcry was practically a shriek, serving as final confirmation that everything Edwin had said was true.

Henry shot Edwin a resentful glare.

“Why would you say that out loud?”

“The moment you revealed you had the treasure, you should’ve known this conversation was coming.”

Edwin deftly shifted all the blame to Henry.

“You shameless…”

Who was it that confessed his feelings?

As Henry’s lips moved soundlessly like a fish, Edwin tapped them gently with his forefinger.

Henry quickly swatted Edwin’s hand away, but it was too late.

Everyone had already seen just how close he and Edwin were.

“If I collapse here from embarrassment, it’s your fault. If I faint, make sure to carry me out.”

“I could carry you out even before you faint.”

“Just stop talking.”

Normally, Edwin was a man of few words and even fewer expressions.

But now, he was responding playfully, which only made Henry feel more frustrated and trapped.

Henry, flustered by how Edwin had exposed everything, was still holding onto his hand without realizing it.

He tried to cool down his flushed face, only for his cheeks to turn even redder.

In the end, everyone around could only see them as an ordinary couple in love.

Edwin, who seemed incapable of smiling, was smiling at Henry, while Henry, who usually exuded elegance, was now at a complete loss.

“So, the treasure…”

While everyone was still preoccupied with watching the squabbling couple, Jake alone muttered longingly.

He had been brave enough to confront Henry to claim the treasure, but now no one paid him any attention.

It had been a mistake to drag Kayla into this, even if blocking Henry for the treasure had seemed smart.

If he hadn’t done that, Edwin wouldn’t have intervened.

Meanwhile, someone else who had quietly watched from the sidelines, Kayla, stared at Henry with a complicated expression.

He envied Henry’s imprint with Edwin.

Kayla had wanted to be Henry’s friend, and when he accepted his offered hand, he was overjoyed.

But he had foolishly misread everything.

While he struggled just to be his friend, Edwin had become Henry’s partner.

“Kayla.”

Crown Prince William approached silently and placed a hand on Kayla’s shoulder.

“I didn’t know Henry wasn’t a Beta either.”

“It’s fine.”

“I hope it continues to be.”

With the prince’s words of comfort, all Kayla could do was offer a bitter smile.

People lingered, still unwilling to leave, eagerly watching the playful arguments of the couple.

And what they saw quickly spread far and wide.

The heirs of Duke Lorenz and Duke Timothy imprinted each other!

Within days, the capital buzzed with tales of the incident.

---

Henry stepped into the nearest available room after leaving the scene.

Fortunately, it was one of the guest rooms prepared for visitors.

He checked to ensure no one else was present, then went out to the terrace to measure the distance to other rooms before closing the terrace door tightly and even shutting the windows, making sure no air could escape.

Only after his overcautious behavior did Henry finally seem satisfied, making his way across to face Edwin, who sat quietly on the sofa.

Seeing Edwin just sitting there somehow made Henry even angrier, and he let out a deep sigh.

As he searched for the right words, a mix of expressions crossed Henry’s face: resentment, resignation, worry, and frustration.

Edwin watched with interest, entertained by the show of Henry’s emotions.

“I never expected our secret to come out like this… but congratulations. At least you can clear up all the previous misunderstandings.”

Henry decided to start with a congratulatory comment.

It wasn’t a bad opening.

Edwin nodded in agreement.

“It’s all thanks to you.”

“What did I even do…”

Henry couldn’t believe Edwin’s reply.

But thinking it over, it was true.

Henry had insisted on exposing himself by carrying the treasure, and before that, he’d said it was important to clear Edwin’s name.

So yes, it was all due to his own actions.

“Yeah, it’s my fault.”

Henry muttered, rubbing his forehead.

It was true, but what happened next was even more important.

“So what’s the plan now?”

“You already heard it earlier. I’ll decide after consulting with you.”

“And what are we supposed to discuss?”

Henry snapped, feeling wronged.

They had just exposed Edwin’s feelings in front of everyone without even consulting him.

“No, seriously, how could you say that in front of people…”

At that moment, Edwin placed something on the table.

Henry gave him a suspicious look, wondering what he was up to, then slowly lowered his gaze.

When Edwin pulled his hand back, Henry was surprised.

“Why do you have a pheromone stone… Wait, have you been carrying it around? You should’ve kept something that important safely stored. What if you lost it?”

As Henry scolded him, Edwin leaned back slightly.

“It’s up to you.”

“Up to me to do what?”

“Whether to use this stone to break the bond or keep it. The choice is yours.”

“I’ve been saying we should break it all this time. Did you forget already?”

He hadn’t handed over the stone before, but now he was saying Henry could decide however he wanted.

“Things have changed.”

Edwin remained unfazed by Henry’s sharp glare.

* * *