* * *
Robert rushed around the coffee table, grabbed Joel’s hand, and pulled him back into his seat.
“Joel, listen to me. This is not the time to be acting so relaxed. It seems like you’re still in the early stages, so if you want to protect your reputation, you have to get married immediately. Does Count Lucas know?”
“I’m not planning on getting married.”
Joel yawned after casually dropping that bombshell.
At first, Robert tilted his head, not fully understanding—but once he did, his expression turned ice cold.
“Then…?”
If he was pregnant but not planning to get married, there was only one possible answer: he planned to get rid of it.
Robert, who’d known Joel since they were children, had always been on Joel’s side no matter what.
And if Joel had decided to terminate the pregnancy…
Abortion was illegal in the Empire, but if someone was truly determined, it wasn’t hard to arrange.
All it took was finding a doctor willing to perform an underground procedure—there were even alumni of the Royal Medical School who did that kind of work under the table.
As Robert began mentally sorting through potential contacts, Joel looked at him with an exasperated smirk.
“Forget it. I’m not getting rid of it.”
“What? Then what are you going to do?!”
“Jeez, stop yelling. You’re gonna stress the baby out.”
“Are you seriously joking right now?!”
“What? I didn’t say anything.”
Joel shrugged like it was nothing.
His composure made it clear: not only had Joel known about the pregnancy for a while, he probably had a plan, too.
If he wasn’t going to terminate it and he wasn’t going to get married, then what?
Was he planning to run away with the baby’s father?
Running away? That was even worse. So, so so so SO much worse.
No decent man would make someone like Joel—noble, wealthy—throw everything away and flee.
Which could only mean the baby’s father was a criminal or absolute garbage.
‘Joel, you absolute idiot…’ Robert grabbed the back of his neck.
“You’ve lost your mind.”
“Didn’t have much of it to begin with.”
“That’s not something to brag about! Ugh. Fine. Joel, who’s the baby’s father?”
“No idea.”
“Joel!”
“Seriously, I don’t know. You do know how messy I am.”
Joel shot back sarcastically, then abruptly stood up.
He was going to have a baby without even knowing who the father was?
What the hell was he supposed to do with him…
Robert felt the strength drain from his body as Joel cheerfully strolled toward the door.
“Oh, right.”
Joel suddenly stopped, spun on his heel, and flashed Robert a dazzling smile—so light and breezy you’d never believe he was pregnant.
“If you tell anyone, I’ll rip your mouth open.”
] That “anyone” includes Count Lucas. Got it?
He added that last part in a lilting, elegant tone.
Meanwhile…
Aaron, the Crown Prince’s loyal attendant, looked at Joel with open disdain.
It was almost impressive how someone could be this detestable.
Joel was acting even more arrogant than usual today.
Despite being summoned to the imperial palace by the Crown Prince himself, he’d dawdled around catching up with his old friend, the palace physician, and arrived in the drawing room ten full minutes late.
He should’ve been early and waiting!
This cocky behavior was a recent development.
During all three years at the Imperial Academy, Joel had been obsessed with the Crown Prince—but now, right before graduation, it was like he’d been struck by lightning and suddenly lost all interest.
And somehow, he’d been keeping up this aloof act for over two months.
Some said Joel had finally given up on the prince.
But Aaron didn’t buy that for a second.
There was no way that clingy barnacle of a man was letting go that easily.
If anything, it made more sense that he’d picked up some dumb dating advice somewhere.
You know the type—“Act like you don’t care so they get desperate.”
Luckily, the Crown Prince, always one step ahead, hadn’t shown up either.
It had been 30 minutes already.
Served Joel right.
Still, Aaron couldn’t hide his annoyance.
Just the thought that Joel had dared make the Crown Prince wait made his blood boil.
Worse yet, Joel—apparently forgetting he’d been the one to arrive late—had been whining at Aaron non-stop because the prince still hadn’t appeared.
“Hey, the tea’s gone cold.”
Joel jerked his chin toward Aaron like he was expecting him to pour another cup.
It was a gesture you’d make to a servant—rude and demeaning.
And for Aaron, who wasn’t adopted into a noble family thanks to his secondary gender but was born the legitimate heir of the prestigious Scott Viscountcy, it was downright insulting.
Aaron forced a smile, barely holding back the urge to snap.
“I’ll prepare a fresh pot for you.”
Without waiting for Joel’s response, Aaron hastily fled the drawing room.
His excuse was that he needed to fetch better tea leaves, but the truth was, his insides were churning too much to stay and keep humbling himself before that idiot Joel.
If only he could say just one thing to that smug face of Joel’s, maybe this pent-up frustration would ease a little.
But unfortunately, Joel was a dominant omega, and Aaron wasn’t in a position to speak carelessly to someone like that.
In the Empire, most nobles were trait-bearers.
However, dominant traits were rare—especially dominant omegas, who were treated with extreme reverence.
Within the Empire, it was customary for royals to marry other royals, including foreign royalty, and nobles to marry nobles.
Marriages between royals and nobles were often deemed mismatches—unless, of course, the noble in question was a dominant omega.
In that case, objections would vanish instantly.
Aaron, an inferior omega who harbored a deep complex over his secondary gender, found Joel’s arrogant behavior—fueled by his own dominant traits—all the more insufferable.
If Joel had at least shown some humility to match his low birth, Aaron wouldn’t have disliked him so intensely.
But Joel was well aware of the power his status gave him, and he made no effort to hide it.
For example, the number of times he’d humiliated his peers with his dominant pheromones was far too many to count.
And back at the Imperial Academy, Joel had the audacity to show open interest in the Crown Prince.
At every party and ball, he’d badger his adoptive father into securing him a spot as the prince’s partner, and if the prince so much as glanced at another omega, Joel would all but tear them apart in jealousy.
Considering Joel was adopted into a count’s household purely because of his dominant traits despite his low origins, that sort of behavior was completely out of line.
Trying to set his sights on the Crown Prince when he didn’t even know his place was bad enough.
But Joel had gone further—he let his jealousy blind him and mistreated kind-hearted Lord Benjamin.
Benjamin, heir to the Duke of Melfis, had long been considered the most suitable partner for the Crown Prince.
Though not a dominant trait-bearer himself, Benjamin lacked nothing in looks, lineage, or character. That single “flaw” was negligible at best.
If he had one weakness, it was that he was too kind for his own good—too naïve to navigate political intrigue.
But even that innocence only made people want to protect him more, turning it into a charm in its own right.
In other words, Benjamin had no flaws.
He was someone who deserved to be loved and respected by all.
Just as Joel Lucas was someone who deserved to be loathed and ignored by all.
Most of Aaron’s peers supported the relationship between the gentle, warm-hearted Benjamin and the handsome young Crown Prince.
Aaron was one of them.
He couldn’t deny that Benjamin’s pure noble bloodline played a part in that, especially in contrast to Joel’s.
But even setting lineage aside, Benjamin’s natural charm was undeniable.
Aaron had spent their entire time at the Imperial Academy watching Benjamin suffer under Joel’s harassment.
And despite everything, kind-hearted Benjamin always tried to defend Joel.
Saying things like, “I’m sure Joel didn’t mean it that way,” or “Deep down, he’s actually a good person.”
But Joel had never once thanked Benjamin for shielding him.
On the contrary—he did everything he could to make sure Benjamin couldn’t even exchange pleasantries with the Crown Prince.
Aaron, watching it all unfold from the sidelines, had been outraged.
So really, it was only natural and completely justified for Aaron to detest Joel as much as he did.
In fact, anyone in the Empire would likely agree with him.
Aaron was certain of one thing: there wasn’t a single person in the entire Empire who actually liked Joel.
* * *
