Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A man who he could never forget could be seen through the transparent window of the carriage without a single handprint. The man, with his dark auburn hair compactly slicked back, cradled a happily smiling blonde child on his lap. The blue eyes of the child collided with that of the hobo watching.

Oh.

He knew that child. That lovely angel. And the man who held the child very affectionately. He knew those two beautiful people and that he, who was crawling at the bottom, couldn’t reach them no matter what.

* * *

Aelock was in an extremely bad mood. The hall of the Count’s mansion, where a grand banquet was being held, was full of people laughing with hahas and hohos, but none of the merry-looking faces had what Aelock wanted. The person he was looking for was a man with creases in the middle of his forehead and a blank expression that made him look like he was a little angry.

“Aelock, you look especially beautiful today.”

“Excuse me.”

A man who seemed to recognize his face at first glance approached, pretending to be friendly. Even from a few steps away, he gave off such a strong odor that made his nose rot, and he blatantly flirted with Aelock with a fishy smile. He didn’t care that he was an alpha as well, or that they were both males, which no longer had any meaning, and was once taboo set by God.

Rather, he was an awfully crude man who followed the vulgar trend of hooking up casually with the same alpha or omega without having to take any responsibility. The other person’s pride was not hurt at all even when Aelock pushed him away with a cold smile. Instead, he approached an omega the same way he did previously with the same relaxed and vulgar eyes, as if he were enjoying himself.

Immediately after seeing him say the exact same thing he had just said to the omega, Aelock left, feeling like vomiting for even breathing the same air for a few seconds as they stood together. Even so, the gaze did not stop scanning people. Fịndd new updates on n(o)v/e/lbin(.)com

Where the hell are you?

In his hands gathered behind his waist as she wandered around, he held an invitation that he had written with a pounding heart a few days ago. The invitation, which was especially handwritten, was retrieved from the entrance. It meant that he had come. However, he could not be seen for several hours. He couldn’t let go without saying goodbye. This banquet was all just an excuse to meet him.

The man’s smiling expression became serious again. To the point Aelock wondered if he had a chronic illness that was worsening as he looked at him. However, since he had just confirmed that it was all just a front, he thought it would be okay to take it off little by little over time. Aelock approached Klopp, naturally invading the polite confines of his personal space. He was thinking of asking him if he was interested in the <First Edition of the Interpretation of the Bill of Rights>, which he had recently purchased at a high price.

But he didn’t. It was because he belatedly realized that he was not alone just as he was about to grab Klopp’s arm without losing his smile.

Beyond, obscured by alpha’s large frame, stood a small man with blond hair and blue eyes similar to Aelock’s. He was a little embarrassed when he saw Aelock but greeted him in a rather polite manner.

“Hello, Count Taywind. Thank you for inviting me to the party.”

Aelock knew him. He was the son of a distant relative whom he had only seen once when his father died. The eldest son of Viscount Westport, a cousin to Aelock. His name was probably Rayfiel. He didn’t remember inviting him, but it seemed he was on the Count’s basic list of guests starting from the funeral.

The omega leaned against Klopp’s waist with his hand. Also, the alpha’s sturdy arm was wrapped around his small shoulders. It was only after looking at them alternately that Aelock noticed. Klopp’s smile was directed at the omega, not him, and his frown right now was not a pretense, but the truth.

In an instant, an unbearable sense of shame and contempt soared. Aelock looked at the two of them alternately, opened and closed his mouth, then quickly turned around. Though he was the owner of this mansion, he ran away to avoid the guests.

* * *

Aelock’s head was filled with unreachable fantasies. It was a remnant of the person he had forgotten at some point while rolling around on the cold stone ground. The fantasy was as beautiful as it was ephemeral that it made him forget time. He crouched down with his knees up and placed his hands neatly on them. He pressed his cheek to the back of his hand again.

He tried to imitate the happy smile of the man who left an unforgettable mark on him and the child who inherited his blood. Even in the midst of such misery, an overwhelming feeling leaked out from his heart. Could life be a blessing once more? Will it lead us to the light again?

Will I ever see him again under those cedar trees?

Someday again. Yes. That’s why.

Let’s live.

T/N: hello! i forgot to add this note in the first chapter but i would like to request those who are reading this to also read my comment under this novel on NU (novelupdates) as i have listed out a few pointers for the readers. it’s mainly for your own sake since the first volume could get... quite overwhelming for some. that’s all, thank you for reading. take care^^