* * *
Even so, he wasn’t wrong—he had paid Hook enough in commissions to buy a mansion.
“If that’s the case, here’s your answer. I didn’t tell you because there was no need.”
“So you’re saying I don’t deserve to know?”
“That’s not it…”
Hook sighed, meeting Henry’s gaze only to see the slight pout on his face.
“I’ve always kept it hidden. Not that it matters—dominant traits like yours can’t be concealed for long anyway.”
Even after Hook’s explanation, Henry still looked unconvinced, prompting Hook to elaborate further.
“What kinds of requests do you think I get?”
“Ah, I see. It could be dangerous.”
Henry nodded as though understanding, but his half-hearted tone betrayed him.
“Should I explain more about why I’ve kept it a secret?”
“Will you?”
Henry perked up, and Hook massaged his temple in frustration.
Most people would back off by now… but Henry wasn’t most people.
After some deliberation, Hook carefully chose his words.
“Ever since my traits were revealed, people have confessed to me, asking me to become their personal Omega under the guise of commissions. After rejecting them so many times, I got tired and stopped sharing altogether.”
“So you’ve never accepted anyone?”
“That’s… correct.”
Hook trailed off mid-sentence, sensing something was off.
The voice replying wasn’t Henry’s.
It was deeper.
When Hook turned toward the source, his frown deepened.
Standing where Henry had been moments before was someone else entirely.
“What if I confess?”
Crown Prince William asked.
Hook faltered momentarily, caught off guard by the abrupt question, but as he opened his mouth to respond, the prince raised a hand to stop him.
“I’m not done speaking yet. As the Crown Prince of this nation and the future Emperor of the empire…”
The longer William spoke, the more Hook’s expression soured.
His face screamed displeasure, as though he found William far more imposing and irksome than any Alpha he’d ever encountered.
His increasingly sharp glare seemed to beg the prince to stop.
But oblivious to the signs, William continued.
“So, as someone who has nothing he cannot obtain and no one he cannot conquer…”
“Your Highness, let’s leave it at that.”
“If I were to give up everything and approach you, would you accept me?”
“…Give up everything?”
“Yes. If choosing you meant I had to abandon it all.”
Hook stared at William, bewildered by this unexpected confession.
While the change of approach caught his attention, the content itself was dubious at best.
“Why would I accept Your Highness if you’ve lost everything? That would make you less appealing than any Alpha who’s confessed before.”
“…Then what if I confessed without giving up anything?”
“I’d still refuse.”
Hook’s resolute rejection wiped the anticipation off William’s face.
The excitement he’d nurtured since anticipating Hook’s presence at the ball began to wither, leaving only disappointment behind.
Watching William’s downcast expression, Hook let out a small laugh.
“In that case, I could at least consider being your friend.”
“Friend? I already have friends—annoying and useless as they may be—but still…”
“I’m saying we could start as friends.”
At Hook’s pointed look, William’s disappointed expression brightened.
“And now that I’ve received this token from Your Highness’s friend to prove our friendship, I’ll gladly spread the word. Surely, Your Highness won’t mind?”
Hook raised the token he’d received along with the invitation.
“That’s…”
“I was told it was unnecessary and to take it.”
William let out a dry laugh, knowing exactly who must have said that.
Henry’s voice echoed in his mind, muttering that the whole world already knew William and Hook were friends, so what use was a token?
That troublesome yet endearing friend.
“Well then, we’ll start as friends. And since friends are meant to understand each other better, wouldn’t you agree?”
“You already know me better than anyone. Do as you wish.”
Hook turned his back on the prince, his actions seemingly dismissive.
Yet, with the token in hand, he subtly showed it to William as he clasped it behind him.
Then, he strode toward the terrace.
William watched him leave, chuckling in exasperation before following.
Observing this, Henry smiled softly, though the man standing beside him, Edwin, frowned.
“Why did you give that token to Hook?”
“The Crown Prince seems completely clueless.”
Henry, who hadn’t even realized William, the Crown Prince, might be interested in Hook, now brazenly acted as though he understood every detail of their romance.
“If there’s anyone who knows Hook best, it’s me. He’s always been someone overly wary. The more you approach, the more he pulls away. That’s why I created an opportunity for them to start as friends.”
Henry, looking refreshed, met Edwin’s gaze.
“Consider this my repayment for the grand gift we received.”
“Agreed.”
Edwin wrapped an arm around Henry’s waist, pulling him close.
Henry leaned into him with a contented smile, grateful for the support after a long day of dealing with everyone approaching him.
‘Still, I’ve got one more thing left to do.’
The most significant task was yet to come.
Summoning strength, Henry forced himself to stand upright.
Amidst the soft music and the dancers swirling across the ballroom, Hena was watching idly when her frequent companion, Rose, approached.
“Hena.”
“Where have you been?”
“I just met your brother. Henry Timothy.”
Rose smiled with a mix of pride and joy, as though meeting her brother was some extraordinary accomplishment.
“You’ve met him plenty of times before. What’s the big deal?”
“Well… back then, could I have even said hello? Your brother used to be a bit scary.”
“True. He used to ignore us even when we were standing right there.”
Hena couldn’t find the words to defend her brother and simply sipped her wine.
To be fair, even she had found Henry difficult to approach in the past.
He had been arrogant and prickly, even to her, his younger sister.
How much worse must he have been to others?
But at some point, Henry had changed.
He was still curt, but oddly, there was a warmth to him now.
He might grumble, but he no longer dismissed people outright.
Many, including Rose, began to see him in a new light.
Watching her friend, Hena shook her head in exasperation.
“My brother is an Omega.”
He might have had a chance as a Beta, but now that he was an Omega?
Hena clicked her tongue as Rose, instead of retreating, raised her chin proudly.
“Who doesn’t know your brother’s an Omega? Everyone also knows he’s the fated mate of that Ultra dominant Alpha.”
“And?”
“Just look at them. Standing together, they’re stunning, like a painting. Your elegant brother and the dashing Lord Edwin—they’re a perfect match. That’s why I couldn’t resist trying to talk to him.”
“Sure, sure.”
Hena waved her hand dismissively as if giving up.
Rose, placing her hands over her heart, gazed dreamily at the pair until something struck her, and she tilted her head.
“But your brother… does he seem unwell?”
“Oh… well.”
Knowing why Rose might think that, Hena decided not to explain.
As his sister, even she found it awkward to watch, and Rose would find out soon enough anyway.
“Hmm?”
Henry, catching Hena looking at him, made a noise, drawing Edwin’s attention.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hena’s staring at me weirdly.”
“What do you mean by ‘weirdly’?”
“I don’t know. Just… weird.”
If he could explain it, he would’ve done so already.
Henry turned away from Hena and looked back at the ballroom with Edwin.
As the music reached its peak and began winding down, the moment he had been waiting for drew near.
“Edwin, listen.”
When Edwin turned to him, Henry hesitated, gathering his thoughts.
“In the past, I used to resent you. You knew how I felt about you, didn’t you? And yet, instead of even gently rejecting me, all you did was push me away.”
Edwin’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the memory.
“I’m not saying this to blame you now. You were at fault, yes, but I wasn’t blameless either. I didn’t confess because I knew I’d be rejected. I stayed silent, circling around you, pretending I didn’t care, because I knew you’d push me away.”
Strictly speaking, the Henry of that time wasn’t even the same person as the current him—the original Henry, not himself as he was now…
“But still, we were destined to marry.”
In the original story, Henry and Edwin had become a married couple, even if their life together had been far from happy.
Henry had wanted to escape that fate—no unhappy wedding, no miserable marriage to someone who despised him, no tragic death.
That’s why he had fought so hard to avoid it, keeping his distance from Edwin.
Yet here they were, back where it all began.
“I just wanted to say… our marriage was always meant to be. I went on a bit, didn’t I?”
Henry, who had been speaking seriously, suddenly smiled and tugged on Edwin’s arm.
As Edwin turned his head, Henry cupped his face and looked directly into his eyes.
“I love you.”
With a radiant smile, Henry leaned in and kissed him.
Lips intertwined, he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, savoring Edwin’s taste.
Before long, Edwin responded just as passionately.
Gripping Henry’s chin, Edwin parted his lips and slipped his tongue inside.
Unbothered by their surroundings, the two poured every ounce of focus into exploring one another.
“Why am I being subjected to my brother kissing someone?”
Hena’s complaint echoed faintly, but neither of them paid it any mind.
Henry clung to Edwin, as if every breath he took came directly from him, losing himself entirely in the kiss.
When they finally pulled apart, both still lingered in the warmth between them.
Pressing a final kiss to Edwin’s lips, Henry turned to face the ballroom, addressing the crowd of stunned onlookers.
“I’m pregnant!”
His bold declaration echoed throughout the hall.
* * *
