* * *
Horses were grazing peacefully across the wide-open plain.
“We’ve prepared the gentlest horse, but if it’s too much, you can just watch.”
Emily energetically pushed open the riding field gate.
“Is this the temporary lounge?”
“There’s a magic device for automatic temperature control—it stays cool even in midsummer.”
A large building stood alone near the field.
“Everyone! The Duchess is here!”
Sylvian, about to bow politely, blinked in surprise at Emily’s sudden squeal.
Everyone stood and gave polite nods of welcome. Just like she said, there wasn’t a single older face in sight.
“Sir Sylvian!”
“Yuri?!”
Surrounded by the others who had arrived earlier, Yuri waved at him.
“You two must be really close.”
“I’m twenty-six. We met at the last party—”
“Hello! Duchess! I saw you at the party!”
Regardless of title or status, everyone flocked to Sylvian.
“E-everyone?”
“Yes!”
Was this… kindergarten?
With a faint smile, Sylvian glanced at the “children”—no, his peers—who were all desperate to talk to him.
“First time in this kind of atmosphere, huh?”
“Please have a seat. You’re making the Duchess nervous.”
A few ladies who seemed to be taking charge calmed the group.
Yuri, seeing Sylvian in a daze, pulled him over to sit by his side.
The gathering was hastily arranged for the two of them anyway—no one was going to step out of line.
“You two sitting together really brightens up the room.”
“You’re all beautiful too,” Sylvian replied with a laugh, brushing off Emily’s enthusiasm.
With mixed bloodlines, many of them had striking features.
“Oh my, so modest!”
A lady with pink hair fanned herself and giggled.
When the Duchess first appeared last year, everyone had been shocked by her looks—and Yuri’s appearance at this year’s New Year’s party had stirred up even more of a buzz.
Some even whispered whether the two had mistakenly manifested as Omegas instead of Alphas.
That’s how exceptional the two of them looked—far more so than most Omegas.
Some said maybe it was because they were male Omegas, but it couldn’t be helped that people were drawn to charms different from the usual Alpha allure.
“How’s married life with the Duke?”
The room had settled into easy conversation when one of the ladies shyly raised a hand, her eyes filled with excitement.
“…It’s good.”
As the Duchess’ cheeks turned red, everyone exchanged looks and let out collective “Oooohs!”
To win over the infamous cold-blooded Duke—what a feat!
Their admiration was mixed with a bit of regret that they hadn’t met Sylvian sooner.
“Did the Duke teach you how to ride?”
Bolstered by Sylvian’s response, the girl asked again. He gave a vague reply, deftly deflecting their curiosity about his marital life.
But as the conversation went on, Yuri’s expression began to fade.
Hearing about the Duchess’ blissful newlywed life with the Duke was giving him a stomachache.
Clap clap.
“Alright, let’s head out to ride! The ground might be slippery, so be careful, everyone!”
Before it got darker, Emily herded the group outside.
“The Count’s stables are definitely trustworthy.”
As Sylvian stepped outside, he thought this riding field was the perfect place to showcase his skills.
“Come this way.”
As everyone rose and headed out, Yuri stayed close to Sylvian.
A few Alphas eyed him carefully.
Their attention was fixed on Yuri.
“What do you think?”
“With looks like that… hmm.”
He was tempted to propose on the spot.
But he wasn’t the Duchess—could he really handle that big frame?
If only Yuri had a bit of softness to him… but the way he held you was just—
“Allow me to help you up!”
Just look at him now.
He was helping the young ladies mount their horses while the Duchess stood beside him.
Their laughter rang out so loudly, it reached even this far, as if everything he said was amusing.
It was almost a wonder the horses weren’t spooked by the noise.
“Don’t you think it’d be tough even being the Duchess’s lover?”
“They don’t exactly look… normal together, do they?”
Others nearby, tending to horses, whispered while watching Yuri help the Duchess onto his horse.
“Did you see just now?”
“His arms—wow. Way better than that weakling over there.”
Some of the young ladies stole glances at Yuri, then scoffed at the alpha who had been trying to flirt with them earlier.
He had a good build too, but he wasn’t like Holt.
Yuri’s solid muscles—impossible to hide even beneath his outerwear—drew the eyes of the young ladies effortlessly.
“Aren’t they a little too close?”
“Well, both Sir Sylvian and Yuri are kind. They don’t speak out rudely even when others ignore proper etiquette.”
A few alphas asked teasing questions, but both men responded with dignified, polite answers.
Because of that, the ones who asked the questions ended up getting sharp looks from others, silently warning them not to ruin the mood.
“I heard he just started riding. Should we mess with him a bit?”
“What if he gets hurt? If anything happens here, Emily would probably murder us.”
The Diacy family’s riding grounds always prioritized safety.
The large estate, well-maintained landscaping, and secure environment made it a favorite spot for guests.
“We’re just going to spook him a little. It’s good to learn caution early on, right?”
The young noble grinned as he nudged his horse closer to Sylvian.
“For someone who just started riding, your posture is quite impressive.”
“Thanks for saying so, Young Lord.”
“Feel free to speak more comfortably. May I invite you to another gathering sometime?”
“Thank you, but I’ll take my time getting to know everyone. What kind of gathering would it be?”
As the other noble’s horse drew closer, Yuri smiled and warned him that he was getting too close.
The young noble simply said he couldn’t hear well, using that as an excuse to create some distance again.
“I’ve heard His Grace is an exceptional horseman. I wonder how he learned?”
Zeroth was good at everything.
Sylvian flinched as he remembered Zeroth’s teasing during his heat cycle—how he told him to imagine himself as a horse.
He’d climbed on top, gripped with his thighs, and thrust his hips so many times he’d lost count.
“He started from the basics. He taught me step-by-step how to care for a horse.”
“He didn’t teach you any… techniques?”
“Hahaha! Young Lord, please—Sylvian is still a beginner. As if His Grace would teach something so risky.”
The other noble kept sidling closer until their horses shifted awkwardly.
It was getting annoying—Yuri struck with a sudden burst of laughter.
Sylvian quickly calmed his horse to prevent it from getting startled, but the loud laugh spooked the other noble’s horse, which reared and dashed forward.
“W-Whoa! Whoa!”
The startled rider tried frantically to get the horse under control.
“Young Lord! Be careful!”
He shouted sharply, glaring at Yuri, but Yuri only shrugged.
His mischievous smile made Sylvian bite his lip to stifle a laugh.
“Hahaha! My apologies!”
Yuri burst out laughing again, not sounding sorry at all.
This time, the horses didn’t react.
‘What the… how does he do that?’
Sylvian stared at Yuri in amazement.
Yuri caught his gaze and winked.
“Shall we take a ride?”
He led Sylvian toward the beginner’s course.
“Your posture really is amazing.”
Even Zeroth had praised it.
Yuri looked at Sylvian with visible pride.
“Yuri, I’m older than you.”
Sylvian said quietly.
“Oh, I know.”
Yuri scratched his cheek as he replied.
* * *
