* * *
A weekend in full bloom.
The garden of the Wesley estate was decorated more beautifully than ever before.
The arch adorned with white flowers made it clear what kind of day it was.
White lace, draped with delicate blossoms, fluttered in the breeze, while Virginia Road was covered in scattered petals.
As the once-empty seats began filling with guests, Remy sat in his room, idly waiting.
After all that fussing in the morning to get him dressed up, all he could do now was sit around and wait until the ceremony began.
“Ugh, why am I so nervous? This is ridiculous. It’s just a simple ‘I’ll live well’ speech, exchange rings, and that’s it. What’s there to be nervous about?”
Logically, there was no reason to be.
A wedding was nothing more than a formality, yet for some reason, his hands were trembling.
Feeling suffocated, Remy tore off his damp gloves and gnawed at his fingernails.
The white tailcoat he wore, which matched Ashton’s, seemed to shine obnoxiously bright.
Was it really the sunlight reflecting off it, or was he just too self-conscious?
“Young Master, may I come in?”
A voice called from outside the door.
Thank god.
Remy was on the verge of dying from boredom, so he welcomed the distraction.
“Oh! Yeah, come in!”
The door opened, and Chandler stepped inside.
But he wasn’t alone.
“Rex?”
Remy blinked in surprise at the unexpected visitor.
He hadn’t seen Rex in quite some time.
After his formal engagement to Ashton last fall, Rex had practically vanished from high society.
And now, he had reappeared—on the day of Ashton and Remy’s wedding.
“May I have a moment?”
“H-Huh? Yeah, sure.”
An unrelated Alpha visiting an Omega’s waiting room on their wedding day was unheard of.
Yet Chandler, knowing the situation, hadn’t turned him away.
And so, Remy, thinking it must be important, allowed him in.
Rex approached slowly, while Chandler quietly closed the door behind him.
Left alone with Rex, Remy watched him warily.
“It’s been a long time, Remy.”
Rex took his hand and placed a light kiss on the back of it.
“I suppose this will be the last time I can call you that. Soon, you’ll be the Duke’s consort.”
Though a bit awkward, Remy simply shrugged in response.
“How have you been? You disappeared so suddenly.”
It was a polite question, but not entirely meaningless.
He had been curious about Rex’s whereabouts.
“I traveled. Needed to clear my head, sort out my thoughts.”
“I see.”
So much had happened since Remy came back from the brink of death.
First, there was Allen.
Once all his crimes were exposed, the Allen family had been stripped of their noble status.
Allen’s father, Count Aylesford, had been thrown into prison, though Allen himself had managed to avoid a sentence.
Still, that didn’t mean he was free.
With his wealth confiscated, he had been reduced to nothing more than a commoner.
Of course, there were still noble families willing to take him in as a spouse.
After all, he was an Omega of noble lineage—someone they could see value in, despite everything.
However, Allen did not accept anyone’s proposal.
After that, he disappeared without a trace. Rumors spread—some said he had gone to live with distant relatives, while others claimed he had married a merchant and moved to the New World entirely.
With the fall of the Aylesford family, the royal family also suffered a blow.
The Frederica dynasty had to work tirelessly to quell the furious public.
In the end, the king was forced to sacrifice his most beloved prince, Hayward, by sending him off to war.
It was an attempt to divert the empire’s attention through war.
In truth, contrary to rumors, it was Hayward who volunteered.
He surrendered to Ashton without resistance, acknowledging the grave mistake he had made in trying to violate Remy.
At the same time, he willingly gave up on Remy, choosing to step aside for Ashton, the man Remy had chosen.
Having no choice but to let Remy go, Hayward threw himself into the harshest of battlefields.
He personally requested to join the war, leading an army to the treacherous northern continent.
“Is your journey finally over?”
Rex, too, had disappeared, burdened by the guilt of being the one who had driven Remy to his death.
He completely withdrew from high society, though it seemed he had still heard of Remy’s wedding while on his travels.
“No, not yet. There’s something I need to take care of, so I stopped by for a moment. And… I wanted to congratulate you and Ashton on your wedding.”
“Yeah, thanks. I appreciate you coming all this way.”
An awkward silence settled between them.
Not knowing what else to say, Remy narrowed his eyes slightly and gazed off into the distance.
It was Rex who broke the silence first.
“Oliver.”
At the mention of the name, Remy’s face noticeably brightened.
“Oliver? You’re still in contact with Oliver? Where is he? Where is he now?”
As soon as Remy had regained enough strength, he had gone searching for Oliver.
But Oliver, too, had vanished without a word.
According to Chandler, he had disappeared one day without any explanation, and no one could track him down.
“He left Hicks Road and has been wandering with his two younger siblings. I still don’t know exactly why. I asked him multiple times, but he wouldn’t answer.”
“Then where is he now? Did you meet him?”
“Yeah. He’s with me now.”
“What? Then why didn’t you bring him with you?”
“Oliver refused. He said he’s not ready to see you yet.”
“What…?”
Remy couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
Oliver had once asked if he would meet him again when he was grown up.
Yet, he hadn’t even come to the wedding. Remy couldn’t understand why.
“Remy. I… I plan to adopt Oliver.”
Remy’s eyes widened in shock.
“What? Are you serious?”
“Yeah. I already talked it over with him. I’m taking in both Oliver and his younger siblings as my own.”
“But… you’re still unmarried.”
“That’s fine. I don’t plan on getting married anyway.”
For some reason, those words struck a painful chord in Remy’s heart.
He couldn’t help but wonder—was it because of him?
The thought brought back memories of a rainy autumn day, the kiss they had shared.
Maybe… maybe it was because of him.
“Don’t worry. It’s not just because of you.”
Perhaps noticing the look on his face, Rex reassured him.
“Rex…”
“I haven’t completely forgotten about you. But I’m not the kind of person who covets another man’s spouse.”
At that, Remy let out a small chuckle. He knew Rex well. He was always a gentleman.
“Yeah. Thanks for saying that.”
“Don’t mention it.”
As if he had said everything he needed to, Rex extended his hand first.
Remy placed his hand over Rex’s, and Rex pressed a brief kiss to the back of his hand.
Though their lips parted in an instant, Rex lingered for a moment, unable to lift his head.
“Truly… congratulations on your marriage.”
“…….”
“Be happy, Remy.”
With that, Rex turned away.
Just as he was about to leave, the door swung open, and someone else stepped inside.
“Rex?”
It was none other than the man of the hour—Ashton.
The empire’s most distinguished and noble Alpha, and now, Remy’s husband.
“Hah. What the hell are you doing here…?”
“No need to glare at me like that. I just came to congratulate you two.”
“…….”
“Anyway, congratulations. Take good care of Remy, for my share as well.”
Rex gave a short nod before walking past Ashton and out of the room.
Ashton watched him go, then turned to look at Remy.
Seeing him dressed in a white tailcoat matching his own, Ashton couldn’t help but smile.
“You know, I really do have a good eye.”
Remy let out a soft chuckle, finding Ashton’s teasing not entirely unpleasant.
Ashton stepped closer and extended his hand toward Remy.
“Shall we head down? The ceremony’s about to start.”
“Yes, let’s go, my dear husband-to-be.”
Remy placed his hand over Ashton’s, and Ashton pressed a light kiss to the back of it before guiding him forward.
Hand in hand, they walked toward the wedding hall.
The warm spring sunlight illuminated their path, casting a golden glow upon them.
* * *
