Ruite relaxed his grip, but he didn’t pull back his suspicious glare.
Noticing this, Harrison let out a deep sigh and scratched his head.
“Honestly, I think most knights our age think that way. Oh, for the record, I’m with the Western Branch of the Knights.”
It seemed Harrison had also joined the Ferwin Knights immediately after graduating from the Academy.
It made sense, as he had been one of the top students in the Magic Department at the time.
“I heard he’s even being mentioned as the next Vice-Commander?”
“Well, that’s a bit far off, but…”
Ruite rubbed his nose and nodded. In reality, Chester boasted the most achievements and the highest skill level among the current Knight Commanders.
There were already whispers that if Elka, the Vice-Commander of the Combat Department, ever retired, Chester would be the one to step up.
“Somehow, you look more proud than he would.”
“Who wouldn’t be proud when their husband is being praised?”
Harrison muttered, “Hu—husband…” and turned red like a total innocent.
During the monster subjugation battle, Ruite had thought he was just a jerk, but talking to him now, he seemed surprisingly normal.
“So you guys really did get married. That’s kind of surreal.”
Harrison scratched his head again.
“Why?”
“No, just… even if it is an arranged marriage, finding the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with at such a young age.”
Ruite didn’t think it was particularly early.
In noble families, people usually got married around this age.
“If you can spend your life with the person you love, isn’t it stranger not to do it?”
“There’s no guarantee that feeling will last forever.”
“……”
“They say love isn’t eternal. Isn’t it a bit contradictory to commit to a lifetime when feelings are bound to change eventually?”
Ruite suddenly remembered the scene at the plaza earlier that day.
The woman’s voice screaming about eternal love and the citizens clicking their tongues, saying there was no such thing, echoed in his ears.
Why did that have to come to mind right now?
“As expected, you’re a bit annoying.”
“Huh? Why, why…?”
“I don’t know. I’m going.”
Ruite gave Harrison a brief wave and moved away.
He continued to wander the banquet hall looking for Chester when he finally spotted familiar black hair.
Chester was also looking around, seemingly searching for him.
“Ches—”
But Ruite couldn’t finish calling his name.
Chester had spotted someone else and approached them with a bright expression to start a conversation.
The person was a young noblewoman.
Seeing Chester engage in conversation with the elegant, refined lady—he looked, well, rather proactive.
Ruite’s face turned sour.
Suddenly, his throat felt parched.
Unable to help himself, he grabbed a glass from a nearby table and drained it in one go.
“I will contact you as soon as the items arrive.”
“Yes, I look forward to it.”
After a brief conversation with the young lady of the Marquis Seyrin family, Chester instinctively looked for Ruite.
Was he still playing with Colin’s little sister?
He wanted Ruite by his side now.
Finding Ruite in the crowded banquet hall wasn’t too difficult.
Chester took a deep breath.
Amidst the typical smells of a banquet and the pheromones of others leaking out in the excitement, he caught a familiar, lovely scent of soap.
Following the trail of that scent, Chester easily found Ruite’s back.
“Ruite.”
He approached and wrapped an arm around Ruite’s shoulders, but something was off.
Ruite’s body was uncharacteristically limp.
“Hm? It’s Chester?”
Ruite looked up and leaned his head heavily against Chester’s shoulder.
The distinct scent of alcohol hit Chester’s nose.
Only then did he notice several empty glasses rolling around on the table.
Apparently, Ruite had been drinking the alcohol here and gotten quite drunk.
With hazy eyes, flushed cheeks, and a silly grin, he was unmistakably intoxicated.
Chester thought he’d been playing with Colin’s sister; he had no idea Ruite had been drinking alone.
But that wasn’t the main problem right now.
Chester snapped his head up and scanned the room. Just as he thought, the Alphas in the area were stealing glances at Ruite.
As Chester grit his teeth and glared back at the instinctive stares directed toward a drunken Omega, the Alphas quickly looked away.
“Ruite, stand up straight. We’re going back.”
“Huh? Why? The banquet isn’t over yet.”
“Don’t argue, let’s just go. Careful not to fall.”
He could just talk to Colin later.
Right now, he had no other thought than to get the vulnerable, drunken Ruite out of this place as quickly as possible.
Once outside, Chester immediately called for the coachman.
He settled Ruite into the carriage and ordered them to depart at once.
“Ruite, how long were you by yourself? Why did you suddenly start drinking?”
Chester held Ruite firmly to keep him from swaying with the carriage.
“I don’t know. It was sweet, so I just kept drinking it.”
‘So he didn’t even realize it was alcohol? Then how much did he drink? How long had he been standing there alone? Did any Alphas approach him while I was gone?’
The more he thought about it, the more suffocated he felt.
“Why would you drink when I’m not even there?”
Ruite didn’t particularly like alcohol.
Chester had always been relieved that while Ruite loved food, he didn’t care for drinking.
Even when Varen invited them out, Ruite would only have a glass or two or skip it entirely.
This was the first time Chester had seen Ruite like this since a gathering Varen organized shortly after Ruite joined the Knights.
He had let his guard down because he knew Ruite wasn’t a drinker.
He simply couldn’t understand it.
Why would Ruite, who usually hated the feeling of being drunk, drink until he was in this state?
In the midst of his brooding, he felt a slight sting on his forehead.
“What was that for?”
Ruite had flicked Chester’s forehead with his finger.
His pouting, resentful gaze made it look like he was harboring a massive grievance.
“It’s because of you.”
Just then, the carriage pulled into the mansion grounds.
As soon as the coachman opened the door, Ruite hopped out first.
“Wait, Ruite! You’ll get hurt, come here!”
Worried he might stumble and fall, Chester hurried after him.
‘Because of me? What on earth does that mean?’
Ruite was surprisingly quick, making it into the bedroom before Chester could properly catch him.
After reassuring the confused and worried servants, Chester followed him in.
Ruite was already sprawled out on the bed, not even bothering to take off his formal attire.
“Sigh.”
Chester approached him with a sigh.
He was annoyed that Ruite had gotten drunk recklessly, but why did he have to look so cute like this?
“Ruite, you should change before you sleep, okay?”
But before Chester could reach out to help him change, Ruite sat up abruptly.
His face was still the picture of discontent.
“Chester.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think love is eternal?”
“……”
Chester’s hand, which was about to caress Ruite’s cheek, froze.
Despite the slight slurring from the alcohol, the question was delivered so clearly that Chester felt his heart sink.
Why ask that so suddenly?
‘Do I think it’s eternal?’
Had something changed in Ruite’s heart?
‘I worry that one day, Ruite might start to find my feelings… burdensome.’
Chester instinctively bit the inside of his cheek.
But then, Ruite grabbed Chester’s hand and pulled him down.
Caught off balance by the sudden strength, Chester fell forward onto the bed.
“Wait! Ruite…!”
When he opened his eyes, Chester was lying on the bed with Ruite straddling him.
“I do! I think it is!”
“……”
“I get why people say love isn’t eternal. But our love is never going to change.”
Chester blinked slowly.
Despite his face being bright red from the booze, Ruite was shouting more loudly and clearly than anyone.
“Am I wrong?”
Chester shook his head.
“No, it won’t change. I’ll be by your side until the day I die.”
At that, Ruite beamed.
Seeing that full, satisfied smile, Chester let out a low, shaky breath.
Ruite collapsed into Chester’s embrace.
“Yeah, I like that. I want you to be greedy for me forever. Because I’m doing the same.”
Chester stroked the back of Ruite’s head and held him tight.
Only then did he realize what Colin meant about “seeing the tree but missing the forest.”
He had been so worried about his own feelings being too heavy that he had missed part of the absolute, pure affection Ruite was giving him.
It was Ruite, and no one else, who had changed the man named Chester Callaway, giving him courage and the strength to move forward.
“Ruite, I love you so much.”
Chester buried his lips in Ruite’s hair. Suddenly, Ruite snapped his head up.
Their chins collided, and Chester rubbed his aching jaw, staring blankly at Ruite.
The mood had been so good just a second ago.
But for some reason, Ruite’s expression had turned sour again.
