Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Aelock’s legs trembled and his hands became tense as he passed the short corridor. The sound of shoe heels was much faster and louder than usual. Perhaps, if his father were still alive and had witnessed this scene, he would have dragged him to the study even now as an adult and swung at him with a cane.

The carriage was ready just in time. Aelock quickly jumped into the carriage with the coat put on his shoulders by the servant of Viscount Derbyshire. The carriage, which started right away, accelerated a little more when Aelock gave the signal. In the shaking carriage, Aelock was finally able to lower the corners of his twitching lips.

It occurred to him belatedly that this might be his own illusion. Aelock’s pride was so hurt that he almost lost his reason.

Even when Klopp accepted the Count’s invitation, he was with Rayfiel. Klopp wouldn’t show up without Rayfiel, so he had to invite him. Seeing the two of them stroll together affectionately and hug each other, he couldn’t come to his senses with jealousy. How could this be?

It was prevalent at the time, but under the pretext of a trend that he despised so much, Aelock made Klopp an offer that was worse than that of a pig in heat. Obviously, he expected to be rejected. However, he thought that if he appealed this far, Klopp would show some sympathy. He wanted him to the point he was complaisant with even his pride being shattered.

However, the merciless Klopp, without a doubt, trampled on the offer with cruel words, which led Aelock to experience the strange sensation of trembling and burning under and around his eyes. He thought he could humiliate him a little with his refined approach, but he never imagined that he would be criticized so starkly.

He didn’t understand the situation at all and hated Klopp and his lover for making him feel this misery. Aelock decided never to act as if he knew them again. He walked along the cedar trail to control the jealousy that boiled even if he stayed still, but it didn’t help to stabilize his mind and body. Rather, it was painful because the bitter and cool scent resembled the body scent of someone he didn’t want to think of.

For a while, he shut himself up at home, engrossing himself in music, reading, horseback riding, chess, and anything else that could distract him. In the library, he read classics over and over again with strong tea, and later even read gardening books that he rarely read. After spending a few months close to domiciliary confinement, the things he had forcibly filled his head with finally drove away the memories he didn’t want to recall.

Aelock was able to smile smoothly again and held the tea party he had been putting off. It occurred to him that it would be better to do his duty as an aristocrat and have a good conversation with a comfortable group of people than be alone. As he exchanged casual greetings and talked about things in and out of the country, he felt like he was back to being the way he was before everything.

No, he was mistaken for that. An alpha who liked to spread nonsense around heard the news that Klopp and Rayfiel were engaged. The slightly hardened smile soon grew wider.

It should have stopped then. If it was difficult to pretend not to see them, he should have gone on a long cruise to avoid seeing them at all. But Aelock didn’t. The ugly jealousy was not removed by months of confinement. On the contrary, it seemed that he was dissatisfied with what he was trying to suppress, and what seemed like a subtle lump of charcoal was engulfed in explosive flames and burned roaringly.

The young couple, who had got engaged and married before the end of the year, was called to many gatherings. Klopp, who had become in charge of the family, started a personal investment management business, so it was only natural for him to strengthen his connections. It was also because many people liked the newlywed couple very much. Aelock had to suffer the pain of his guts being burned as he watched the happy couple.

To begin with, he didn’t have a bad appearance, but after getting married, Rayfiel shone more brightly than ever before. Even Aelock had to admit that. Seeing him naturally leaning in the arms of his husband, who embraced him very affectionately, with his cheeks flushed as if he were dreaming, people called him lovely rather than impudent. A terrible sense of defeat and humiliation rose up. He knew all too well that even if he had been an omega and had become a couple with Klopp, he would never be able to do it like that.

Something he could never have.

It was the first setback he had suffered. It was disappointment and anger toward himself. The first time in anything was unfamiliar and hard to handle.

The vicious feeling, which was barely being controlled at a certain level, finally began to encroach on Aelock when he saw Rayfiel, with a large belly that could not be hidden, surrounded by everyone and receiving blessings at Viscount Derbyshire’s tea party sometime later. It broke the dam of rationality that had barely been blocked and began to pour down fiercely.

The alpha, who was soon-to-be the father of the child, kissed the top of the omega’s head, as he sat down exhausted as if he couldn’t help himself any longer, then sneered at the man looking at them from a little distance, who probably had an extremely ugly complexion on. That act had gobbled up the Count, who was already deluged with overwhelming emotions, from head to toe.

Only then did the other person open his eyes wide as if surprised by the call that came out unexpectedly easily.

“Aelock?”

Klopp stiffened a little as if he was shocked, then immediately raised the corners of his mouth. And he slapped Aelock’s hand, which was holding the hem of his clothes, rather roughly. After patting the somewhat creased hem several times, he let out a familiar sneer.

“It appears that you have not died yet, have you?”

Oh.What are you hurting for? Aelock was a little surprised that his inner sense of pain was still functioning. He thought it was completely dead, but it seems that it wasn’t. Instead, he was able to smile quite easily because he had lost the ability to leap out of control altogether. He had nothing to answer to the question of whether he was still alive, so he just replied with an ordinary greeting.

“It has been a while.”

He was not flustered as he had peeled off another layer of his tattered heart when he happened to see him and the child. As if he had been waiting for this moment, Aelock naturally looked closely at Klopp. He had no idea how many years had passed, but at least it didn’t seem to bring any change to this strong alpha. Klopp was still as strong and as beautiful as a mythical hero. Not to mention, the obvious sneer on the lips that he once believed to be emotionless.

“Right, as you said, it has been a while. I never expected to meet you in a place like this.”

“It is a street that I happened to pass by.”

“Oh, I see that you were out. I could not recognize you at all since you are so lightly dressed.”

Klopp, with a deliberately exaggerated display of delight, blatantly looked down at Aelock’s bare feet. Aelock looked down at the same time, moving his feet slightly with a flushed face. Then, he quietly hid his hands behind his back. Seeing that, Klopp smiled a little.

“Does Count Teiwind have a lot of worries these days? To the point you forgot your shoes and went out for a walk at night. As someone who was once treated to delicious tea and snacks, I apologize I could not reckon. I want to take off my shoes and clothes right away, but they will not fit, so it will only hurt the sophisticated Count.”

“That.”

He was going to refuse. It was because he was afraid of what would happen if he received clothes that were full of Klopp’s body scent rather than the insults. The body that was born as an alpha was changed into an omega just for him. He didn’t know what would happen to his body, even if it was broken and unable to experience heat properly, if he smelled a more enticing body scent after not being able to get close to him for a fairly long time. Just the thought of going through heat at the bottom was dreadful.

Klopp let out a small chuckle when his complexion, which was originally not so dark, turned pale. Then he took something from the inside of his coat and threw it at his dirty feet.

Clink.

It was a silver coin that gleamed terribly even in the dim light. When Aelock looked up at him in bewilderment, Klopp projected scorn with his eyes, with not even a hint of a smile in them.

“Go and buy some clothes. Only then would anyone believe that you were a Count.”

Before he could say anything, he turned around and strode toward the light without the slightest hesitation. Aelock was nailed to the spot until the shadow of the elongated figure gradually faded and disappeared altogether.