* * *

If he wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, he shouldn’t have let his face turn that color.

“Should I pretend it’s from all that hard training?”

As if Henry’s teasing didn’t faze him, Edwin’s face only grew redder. He said nothing.

“Ah… Edwin.”

Henry buried his face in his arms, overwhelmed.

How had he missed all these honest reactions on a face he thought expressionless?

Edwin didn’t hide his face. Instead, he stood straighter, looking directly at Henry.

The sword he had dropped scraped against the ground, making a harsh sound as he stepped forward.

Henry winced, glancing at the sword, but Edwin didn’t lift it.

Finally, standing before him, Edwin tilted his head slightly upward.

Their eyes met.

“Why are you dragging that thing around?”

“For intimidation.”

“Wow, that’s scary.”

Henry responded weakly, but Edwin didn’t even crack a smile, just looked at him steadily.

His gaze traveled from Henry’s forehead to his eyes, nose, and lips, making Henry’s face itch with nervousness.

He brushed his cheek with the back of his hand, and Edwin’s deep voice echoed in the space.

“Since you came to see me, can I take that as you’ve made a decision?”

Edwin’s serene eyes were filled with clear emotion, as if he would accept nothing less than Henry’s answer.

“You came here dragging that sword, knowing everything, just to threaten me….”

“Then say it. I’d prefer the answer I want.”

Edwin’s gaze was firm, showing he wouldn’t accept anything else.

Even though he knew Henry had tried several times to break their bond using the pheromone stone, Edwin never gave up.

Was this some kind of courtship?

If Henry voiced his thoughts, would Edwin laugh or confirm it seriously?

Whatever happened, their relationship would hinge on Henry’s next words.

Henry leaned back against the steps, closing the distance between him and Edwin, close enough to kiss.

Smirking playfully, Henry winked.

“Let’s do this.”

In the end, Henry decided not to break their bond.

If he hadn’t seen Edwin today, he wouldn’t have said those words.

Letting go of everything he thought he knew, he finally saw the choice before him.

He didn’t know everything about Edwin, but Edwin had always kept showing his heart.

It wasn’t the Edwin from the original story but the real one who had stayed by Henry’s side, who had watched him with steady, genuine eyes.

“If that’s the answer you wanted, put that sword down. You’re scaring me.”

Henry awkwardly gestured towards his sword, trying to mask his embarrassment.

When had he begged so desperately for the pheromone stone, only to now insist that they shouldn’t break the imprint and just see it through?

The sudden shift in his stance made him feel a little self-conscious.

But Edwin remained unresponsive.

Henry’s face gradually turned red. It was laughable—just moments ago, he had been teasing Edwin, yet now his own face was flushed too, creating a scene that anyone else would find amusing.

“What’s this? Both of us turning red like this…”

Henry attempted to brush off the awkwardness with a lighthearted remark.

However, before he could finish, Edwin reached out and grabbed the back of his head.

Startled by the sudden pull, Henry reflexively stretched out his hands to steady himself, gripping Edwin’s shoulders.

Just as he was about to protest, asking what Edwin thought he was doing—

Edwin pulled Henry closer and pressed their lips together.

No, it wasn’t just a light touch—it was forceful enough to feel like an accident rather than an intentional kiss.

Their lips connected, and though Henry kept his mouth closed, the impact made his front teeth tingle.

He frowned slightly, thinking, ‘I agreed not to break the imprint, but I didn’t agree to kissing like this…’

He shot Edwin a look of protest but saw a playful smile in his eyes and gave up.

With Edwin smiling like that, well, what could he do?

Henry soon closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the kiss they were sharing.

---

Duke Lorenz strode purposefully into the imperial palace, heading straight to find someone.

He entered a study designated for official business, where Duke Timothy, busy with paperwork, looked up in mild surprise at Lorenz’s sudden appearance.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

Without answering, Duke Lorenz settled onto the sofa.

His face was still full of dissatisfaction, prompting Duke Timothy to cHookle.

Despite Duke Lorenz’s reputation for being the epitome of composure, moments like this made Timothy want to laugh.

“Shouldn’t we start preparing to unite them?”

It was a question without preamble, but Duke Timothy set his documents aside and nodded.

“I suppose so…”

This was a conversation they had to have sooner or later, ever since they learned the two had imprinted on each other.

“It’s surprising, though. I didn’t think Edwin would ever desire Henry…”

Timothy, sitting across from Lorenz, remarked on the unexpected turn of events.

He had long since noticed Henry’s affection for Edwin, but it always seemed one-sided.

Most importantly, Edwin had shown no interest in Henry.

In fact, Timothy had thought it would be better for Edwin to choose someone like Hena, who approached relationships logically.

At least Hena wouldn’t be heartbroken if Edwin didn’t return her feelings.

But now things had changed. Edwin wanted Henry.

The child who had always hidden his emotions was now acting so boldly, leaving both dukes taken aback.

Meanwhile, Henry, despite realizing Edwin’s feelings for him, couldn’t seem to accept it without reservations.

The situation had grown so tangled it was hard to keep track of everything.

“Did you manage to talk to my son?”

“He seems to have understood. But if Henry still pushes Edwin away, there’s nothing more I can do.”

Recalling Henry’s confused expression, Duke Lorenz frowned.

He had spoken harshly to ensure Henry would seriously consider his feelings, but the outcome remained uncertain.

“And to think my son turned out to be an omega. We really didn’t know our children at all.”

Timothy let out a bitter laugh.

He had believed he was attentive to his son, yet he had failed to notice the shift in his secondary gender.

He had told Henry it was fine to live as a beta, but how had Henry taken those words?

Likely, Henry had secretly known he was an omega all along, trying his best not to let it show.

Wasn’t it exhausting to keep that hidden?

Duke Timothy felt a pang of guilt but took comfort in the fact that Henry didn’t seem overly disheartened by his situation.

Knowing his son’s usual temperament, Timothy figured Henry wasn’t dwelling on it too negatively.

The real issue wasn’t between him and Henry, but rather the father and son sitting across from him.

“So, what’s your plan? You and Edwin don’t exactly get along.”

Timothy prodded, referencing Lorenz’s poor treatment of his son when Edwin turned out to be a “flawed” alpha.

It was foolish to judge Edwin’s worth based solely on his incomplete manifestation—he was still the duke’s capable, only son.

Yet Lorenz hadn’t hidden his disappointment.

Watching that unfold had made Duke Timothy click his tongue.

Now that Edwin had fully manifested as a dominant alpha, he couldn’t help but ask what Duke Lorenz intended to do.

Duke Lorenz leaned back against the sofa, completely unbothered.

“I’ll just fix things from now on.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

Edwin wasn’t the type to look back once he’d turned away, much like his father.

Especially not after being dismissed by the same father.

Duke Timothy’s skepticism was evident as he glanced at a small family portrait on the table, showing the members of House Timothy.

“The one who caused the mess should take responsibility.”

“Don’t tell me you mean Henry.”

Duke Timothy frowned, clearly displeased at the mention of his son.

But Duke Lorenz remained unshaken.

* * *