* * *
“…We are acquainted, so of course.”
The woman swallowed hard as she looked at Sylvian, whose eyes had softened into a gentle curve.
How did such a mild-mannered son come from that crazy woman?
Unable to resist the faint pheromones emanating from the Duchess, she responded with a reasonable answer.
She had assumed the Duchess had deliberately released her pheromones at the party, but it seemed she simply lacked control.
“Sylvian, your pheromones are leaking.”
“Gasp!”
When Elizabeth pointed it out in a small voice, the Duchess turned pale.
“I-I’m sorry!”
Sylvian hurriedly retracted his pheromones, his head drooping low.
“I keep making mistakes.”
Hearing his tearful mumble, the noblewomen looked at him with pity.
“It’s alright. With consistent practice, you’ll get better.”
“Of course! It’s your first time in front of so many people, isn’t it?”
Watching the Duchess on the verge of tears, the noblewomen began to understand why Sylvian, who had been confined to his home, had managed to captivate the Duke.
“Elizabeth and… you know who Elizabeth is, right?”
Having returned from the gathering and eaten a hearty dinner, Sylvian was walking in the garden with Zeroth.
He was a little tired, but since Zeroth had permitted his outing, he needed to spend time with him as well.
“She gave me permission to use her name!”
“And you?”
“I-I did too.”
His face shone with pride at having a friend to share names with.
Zeroth pressed a kiss to his upturned cheek.
“The people I met at her gathering were all kind and considerate.”
“Were they?”
“They all spoke to me.”
They had spoken a great deal.
Thanks to that, he had learned about things Zeroth and Elgana had not told him.
No one knew that he and Zeroth had a contract marriage.
He discovered that both Zeroth and the Viscount had been hiding the truth.
The noblewomen had been dying to ask how he had met Zeroth, but Elizabeth had cut them off, saying it was impolite to ask such personal questions so soon.
‘She seemed to know my situation quite well.’
It appeared that the Crown Prince had shared a lot of information with his fiancée.
Sylvian could tell the Crown Prince saw Elizabeth as the future Empress.
Throughout their conversation, she had watched over him attentively and subtly provided context whenever an unfamiliar topic arose.
“Getting close to Elizabeth is the best part. We’re going to write letters again tomorrow. I hope I’m not bothering her.”
“Of course not. She’s a kind person.”
Zeroth couldn’t bring himself to dampen Sylvian’s excitement over making his first friend.
Even though he knew how busy the Crown Prince’s fiancée must be, he chose to feign ignorance.
“She reminds me of you.”
“That doesn’t mean you should fall for her.”
“She’s an Omega, you know.”
At Zeroth’ words, Sylvian burst into laughter.
Their intertwined hands swayed lightly.
As Sylvian walked along, chattering about everything that had happened that day, Zeroth resisted the urge to pin him down.
It was getting harder and harder to hold back.
Even the time Sylvian spent writing letters and going outside felt like a waste.
He could just lock him up at home and keep him all to himself.
But when he saw those eyes brimming with starlight, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
‘This is serious.’
It seemed he was finally coming down with a severe case of love.
Zeroth couldn’t stop smiling the entire time he listened to Sylvian’s endless chatter.
“E-Elgana. I’ll be able to do well, right?”
“Of course! The Duke said he would drop by as well.”
Elgana reassured Sylvian, who had checked the Duke’s greenhouse multiple times.
With her help, he was hosting his very first gathering.
Unlike the light tea times he had previously held with the Holt couple and the Marquis, this was a formal gathering exclusively for noblewomen, just like Elizabeth’s.
“H-Haa…”
“Don’t worry.”
It was common for a newly instated matron of a noble house to make mistakes—people would simply find it endearing.
Besides, since it was an invitation to the Duke’s estate, no one would dare say anything careless.
“I’ll skip lunch.”
At Sylvian’s words, Elgana’s eyes widened in alarm as she shook her head.
She pleaded with him not to skip his meal, promising to prepare something light, and he eventually relented with a nod.
Even so, Sylvian barely touched his soup, merely pretending to eat, which worried the servants.
‘I should have invited more people.’
Including Elizabeth, the Countess of Holt, and a few noblewomen who had left a good impression at the last party, he had barely managed to gather ten guests.
He had sent invitations purely based on whom he liked, but they were also individuals who knew how to navigate social circles effectively.
Zeroth had likely received reports that those women had been particularly kind to Sylvian at Elizabeth’s gathering.
Whether they were fond of him or had hidden motives, he was willing to accept anyone who could provide him with useful information.
“Countess Holt arrived a bit early. Shall I escort her in?”
“Really?!”
Sylvian, who had been resting in the parlor after his meal, shot to his feet.
“Marlene!”
“You finally called my name!”
Countess Holt was deeply moved after countless requests had finally led to Sylvian addressing her by name.
“You said it was a sign of familiarity.”
“Sylvian, you look stunning today as well.”
She clasped her hands over her mouth, mesmerized by the sight before her.
It was clear that Sylvian had put in great effort for his first official gathering as the Duchess.
Dressed in a deep purple suit, he resembled a sacred flower offered at an altar.
“The other ladies won’t be able to help but compliment your beauty today.”
Embarrassed by the continuous praise, Sylvian blushed and offered her his arm.
“You’re getting quite good at escorting now.”
“I’ve improved a lot, haven’t I?”
Though women usually didn’t extend their hands to each other, Sylvian, as a male Omega, was in an ambiguous position.
So, when guiding women, he opted to offer his arm instead.
“You truly are charming enough to make anyone fall for you.”
If he weren’t an Omega, the Duchess would have broken countless hearts.
His soft, well-groomed hair swayed gracefully as he walked.
Who had taught him? Most likely the Duke.
His pace naturally matched that of a lady’s, and he engaged in polite conversation throughout the escort, his gentle expression never wavering.
Though small for a man, he was still taller than most women.
To Alphas, he might have seemed unimpressive, but even fellow Omegas found him utterly captivating.
His green eyes were so full of warmth that they lifted the spirits of those around him.
“That’s only because you see me in such a favorable light, Marlene. Of course, I like you too.”
“Yuri is dying to meet you, Sylvian.”
“Really?”
“Of course! I couldn’t stop boasting about how kind and beautiful you are.”
Her own son, Yuri, was an Omega and undeniably beautiful, but Sylvian was truly breathtaking.
“I’m looking forward to it, too.”
To Yuri seducing Zeroth.
Or rather, did Zeroth even need seducing?
* * *
