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“I have heard some interesting things about you these days, Your Imperial Highness.”
Marquis Medus, who had finished drawing blood as usual, mentioned something else in passing. Renato immediately realized what interesting things the man talked about were. But he asked back, deliberately pretending not to know.
“About me? What are you talking about……”
“I’m talking about the rumors related to his highness the grand prince. Everyone is saying that the relationship between you and his highness is unusual, Your Imperial Highness.”
“Ah.”
“Rumors are often exaggerated, but…… it’s so noisy that this old man is curious too. Can I expect good news?”
“That, uhm, I don’t know for sure.”
Renato hesitated and bowed his head. Marquis Medus squinted his eyes at him. Then, Blanche, who was sitting next to the Marquis, interrupted their conversation.
“What do you mean that you don’t know for sure? Does it make sense to say that you don’t know when this is your own matter?”
“My apologies. I think his highness has good feelings toward me, but…… this is the first time someone ever……”
Renato continued to timidly mumble in response to Blanche’s rebuke.
“He has good feelings toward you? Are you sure about that?”
Blanche frowned, unable to believe Renato’s answer. He had heard about the relationship rumors related to Khalid and Renato a few weeks ago. After hearing the rumors about the two, the nobles came to Blanche to ask for the truth.
Back then, Blanche snorted, saying it was nonsense. What kind of talent did Renato have to seduce a dominant Alpha? He thought it would be something that happened just once.
However, the situation turned out differently from what Blanche had thought. Rumors about the two grew day by day and became a topic of discussion in the social circle. Meanwhile, there was an article saying that the two were physically affectionate in the Marquis mansion’s back garden.
When this kind of situation unfolded, Blanche was no longer able to ignore the rumors. So today, he went directly to the Prince’s Palace to find out the truth. It was the day Marquis Medus drew Renato’s blood, so he thought it would be good to talk together.
With this situation, the rumors about Khalid and Renato were highly likely to be true, but Blanche didn’t think the rumors would be true until just a few minutes ago. To be exact, he had hoped it wouldn’t be. He didn’t want to admit that Renato could be loved by anyone.
However, Blanche’s hope was shattered by Renato’s reply that the rumors were close to the truth. He muttered with an incomprehensible expression.
“What does the grand prince lack that he has those feelings for the likes of you……”
“Oho.”
Marquis Medus, who was organizing his doctor’s bag, frowned and interrupted Blanche’s words. He scolded him in a stern voice as if dealing with a young child.
“As I have said before, I think it would be better for you to be careful about your words and actions, Your Majesty. How could you use the word ‘the likes of you’ with His Imperial Highness?”
“But…… It doesn’t make sense! The grand prince is a dominant Alpha, father. What does that kind of person even lack to court a Beta? This must be some kind of conspiracy……”
“Traits are irrelevant to love. Alphas and Betas can also like each other if they are of one mind. Even though I am a Beta, I married my dominant Omega companion and gave birth to you like this, Your Majesty.”
Toward Blanche’s remarks that disdained Betas, Marquis Medus’ face turned cold. Only then did Blanche realize that he had made a slip of the tongue and seem perplexed. The Marquis didn’t mind Blanche’s disdain toward Renato, but he hated seeing Betas being despised. Because he was also a Beta.
“Other people might be different, but you shouldn’t say that, Your Majesty. How could you say that in front of me……”
“My apologies. I was so surprised that I made a mistake.”
Blanche hastily apologized. What he feared the most in the world was Marquis Medus getting angry with him. Despite Blanche’s apology, the Marquis did not relax his expression.
“How can you be so immature at this age? As the days go by, your words are getting more and more extreme, tsk. I can’t scold you like I used to either……, this is why I can’t entrust you with my work, Your Majesty.”
Blanche’s face turned pale because of the harsh scolding. In the past, Marquis Medus had thoroughly educated Blanche from an early age so that he, a dominant Omega, would not look down on him. As a result, Blanche was afraid of the Marquis, yet relied on him for everything. Maybe that was why he couldn’t stand being scolded like now.
“I was wrong, father.”
Blanche was restless and once again apologized to the Marquis. Although the other person was his father, Blanche right now didn’t look like someone occupying the noblest position that a person not having fairy blood could climb to.
“Your reputation is not good these days, Your Majesty. Please pay attention to your words and actions. Please also use kind words to His Imperial Highness.”
“Yes……”
Hearing Marquis Medus’ request, Blanche answered in a small voice. Feeling his cheeks burning, he bit his lower lip. It was very shameful for him to be scolded in front of Renato.
“……”
Renato quietly observed Blanche holding his temper and the Marquis who looked at him with a pathetic gaze. In his previous life, the two were closer and more affectionate than anyone else. No, that was what he thought.
But now, they didn’t seem like father and son with a good relationship anymore. Renato easily noticed the discontent and disappointment that Blanche had toward Marquis Medus. With that, he could realize the two were not in a relationship made up of affection and trust, but a relationship made up of oppression and obedience.
Did the situation change because of my actions?
Renato stared at Blanche, who couldn’t hide his disheartened expression toward the Marquis, and was immersed in thought. He thought he could create a rift between the two if done well.
“It seems like His Majesty and I have shown a bad side to you, Your Imperial Highness. My apologies.”
“Pardon? Ah, not at all.”
Renato was wondering how to drive a wedge between the two, but when Marquis Medus’ attention turned toward him, he smiled to say he was okay with it.
“Did you just say that his highness seems to have good feelings toward you? Can you tell me why you feel that way? I would like to hear a little more detail.”
“Well, his attitude changed after I was caught up in his highness’ matter. I guess I can say he was more affectionate than before? He invited me to dinner, sent his greetings from time to time, and asked me to show him around the capital first.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“I thought it was an opportunity to build a close relationship with his highness, so I didn’t turn down his offers and actively accepted them, so we naturally spent more time together. Then he said he had to attend Marquis Kyle’s banquet and that he hoped I could become his partner……”
Renato brought up the story he had prepared in advance when Marquis Medus asked him what happened. He had already expected something like this to happen, so he was able to talk without any problems thanks to matching his words with Khalid in advance. Since truth and lies were moderately mixed, even if the Marquis and Blanche investigated separately, they wouldn’t find anything strange.
“……That day, in the Marquis mansion’s back garden, I received, a confession from his highness.”
Renato, who was continuing his words, momentarily stuttered. Everything else was fine to him, but he couldn’t casually say the lie that Khalid had confessed to him.
Fortunately, Blanche and Marquis Medus did not find it strange. Renato’s pause in the middle seemed to add to the credibility of the story.
“What? Confession? Did the grand prince confess to you?”
Blanche, who had been listening to Renato’s story with a blunt face, jumped up. Startled at that ferocious attitude, Renato grandly shrank his shoulders and nodded his head.
“Yes, it somehow happened……”
Renato trailed off his words, recalling the kiss he had shared with Khalid. With that, the dizzying sensation of that time revived. His face inadvertently flushed up. At this moment, there was no need for him to act shy or embarrassed to deceive Blanche and Marquis Medus. Just recalling the sensation when they kissed made his body heat up and his chest pound.
“The secret love affair in the article probably refers to that time. It seems that someone saw it and reported it to the newspaper.”
After finishing his words, Renato lightly coughed. It was Arche who published the newspaper article stating that the two had a secret date in the Marquis mansion’s back garden. She was faithfully carrying out Renato’s order to make the rumors as grand as possible and to create favorable public opinion toward his marriage to Khalid.
“Why do you only say this now?! If something like that happened, you should have told us right away before the newspaper article came out!”
Bang, Blanche struck the table with his hand and shouted. Then, Marquis Medus glared at him with a stiff face. The Marquis seemed annoyed with Blanche who kept interrupting the flow of the conversation.
“Your Majesty. If you keep behaving disgracefully like that, please go back to the Empress’ Palace.”
“N, no, father.”
When Marquis Medus said so, Blanche became well-mannered as if he were never angry, and sat down again. At that moment, they could hear Louis’ voice along with a knock on the door.
“Your Imperial Highness, sir chamberlain of His Majesty the Emperor wishes to have an urgent meeting with you.”
“Chamberlain?”
Everyone in the reception room looked puzzled when hearing about the unexpected visit.
“Let him in.”
After Renato granted his permission, Caleb entered the reception room. When he saw Blanche and Marquis Medus, he did not panic and greeted them politely as usual.
“I offer my greetings to His Majesty the Empress and His Imperial Highness. I didn’t know you two were together.”
“Why? Should I not be together with the Prince?”
Blanche crossed his arms and sarcastically said to Caleb. Caleb did not lose his gentle smile despite Blanche’s quarrel.
“How can that be? I only said so because I didn’t know you were here, so I have sent another person to the Empress’ Palace.”
“What does that mean……”
“His Majesty the Emperor is urgently looking for you two. I will take you to the main palace as soon as possible.”
“Wait, His Majesty is looking for me too? For what reason?”
Blanche asked with a slightly perplexed expression. The number of times that Tristan looked for him first could be counted on one hand. Caleb answered his question in a calm voice.
“A little while ago, Khalid Nur Hakan, the grand prince of the Khan Kingdom, sent a marriage proposal letter stating that he would like to have His Imperial Highness as his companion. His Majesty the Emperor would like to discuss this matter with you two.”