How the Sidekick Prince Lives Again - Chapter 67

“Young lord of Cecil County? Ah, that sassy dominant Omega?”

“Yes. He has been making a fuss that his highness is handsome and his type from earlier as well. A while ago, he heard the dating rumor and said it was nonsense. So he bravely went to try to seduce his highness, but after a few minutes, he came back with a pale face, then went home.”

“Oh my, really? Just what’s going on?”

Young lord of Cecil County? Renato pricked up his ears to hear their conversation, tracing the memories in his head. He remembered exchanging greetings with a man with that name earlier.

I also thought he was unusually affectionate to Khalid, but was that seducing him?

Renato stuck out his lower lip as he recalled lord Cecil smiling with his eyes at Khalid. No wonder why Khalid’s expression wasn’t good at that time.

It was rude to openly seduce someone who was with their partner. There was no way the son of a Count would not know that.

Nevertheless, seducing Khalid with his pheromone was clearly an act of looking down on Renato. Especially since he did that using the fact that Renato was a Beta who couldn’t smell pheromones.

Was it only lord Cecil?

As soon as he had that thought, his mood became bad. At least dozens of people had come to greet Renato and Khalid today. Naturally, the ratio of Alphas and Omegas was significantly higher.

In other words, besides lord Cecil, there may have been other people who shed their pheromones to seduce Khalid. No, there were definitely people like that.

If I were able to smell pheromones, I would have known who did that kind of trick.

Feeling some kind of resentment, Renato bit his lips. He didn’t even know people were using pheromones to flirt with Khalid and just smiled like a fool. For the first time after a very long while, he was frustrated by the fact that he was a Beta who couldn’t smell pheromones.

“So he is someone that can’t be swayed by a dominant Omega’s pheromone temptation. Isn’t he amazing? As expected, dominant Alphas are different.”

“Because they are both dominant, he is immune to it, right? Ah, it’s such a shame even when I think about it again. Why does it have to be that sidekick Prince?”

Renato’s body flinched when he heard his nickname. He stood up and listened with a nervous expression.

“That’s what I think too. And he ignored numerous Omegas and stuck with a Beta? His highness surely has a very unique taste.”

“He was originally an illegitimate child and wasn’t in a good position in his country, so maybe he is trying to hit on the Prince to live in the Empire?”

“Ayy, what’s wrong with being an illegitimate child? Even a commoner who has a dominant trait can become a noble, and illegitimate children have no faults either. He had good abilities as well. His face is handsome, too.”

“Hmm, that’s right. Honestly, it’s a waste for him to be the deformed Prince’s partner who doesn’t even have succession right.”

“True, true. A dominant Alpha and a Beta…… Can the two of them even spend a rut properly?”

“Haha, that’s true as well, I guess? In any case, a combination of a sidekick Prince and an illegitimate grand prince…… It’s quite amusing. What will happen next?”

Renato clenched his fists until the backs of his hands turned white as he heard them happily giggling among themselves. Normally, those words would have gone in one ear and out the other, but today, he was strangely angry.

But he shouldn’t be angry with them here. Didn’t people have a saying that ‘when he is not present, even His Majesty is spoken badly of’?

They didn’t insult him in front of him, so it was Renato who would get in trouble if he complained about a private conversation behind him. A fuss caused by a mistake could fail to create an image of falling in love with Khalid.

So he clenched his teeth and held himself back. However, it was difficult to keep listening to people making fun of him and Khalid, so Renato quietly moved to the fountain on the other side of the terrace. He wanted to keep a distance so that they wouldn’t realize he was here.

Fortunately, the young ladies, unaware of Renato’s presence, spoke a few more words and went inside again after saying it was cold.

“Haa……”

Renato let out the breath he had been holding back only when the back garden became quiet again. Standing in front of the fountain, he took a deep breath. When the cold air rushed deep into his lungs, his heated stomach seemed to cool down a little.

I’m glad Khalid didn’t hear that.

Renato thought it was fortunate that Khalid wasn’t here. At the same time, his heart felt heavy. Had it not been for him, Khalid would not have had those insults directed toward him. At that moment, a shadow cast over Renato’s head.

“Why are you listening to things like that?”

“……Your highness?”

When he raised his head, the face he saw made his violet-colored eyes shake. Khalid had arrived at some point and was now in front of him. Seeing the man’s smooth forehead slightly frown, he realized Khalid was in a bad mood.

“Did you hear that?”

“Those rude humans’ voices were so loud that I could even hear them from the corridor.”

Khalid motioned at the corridor located diagonally across the terrace with his chin. Glancing at where the man was coming from, Renato had a dismayed expression.

Knights had better five senses than ordinary people. If it was Khalid, he could definitely hear it from that distance. Renato’s face turned pale in an instant, and he apologized to him.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“I mean, you heard those useless talks because of me……”

“It’s not because of you, Your Imperial Highness. It’s the fault of the people who spouted nonsense with their mouths. Please take this first.”

Khalid interrupted Renato’s words and gave him a mug with hot steam in his hands. The heat seeped into his frozen palms, warming up his cold skin. Pulling up the jacket that had slightly fallen from Renato’s shoulders, Khalid bluntly opened his mouth.

“Please don’t mind the arrogant words of uneducated people who just want to say whatever they want. Once again, it is not your fault, Your Imperial Highness.”

“Pardon?”

“You were, no, we were just born. It’s not a sin to be born into this world.”

Khalid emphasized every word. It was his words to Renato as well as himself. He firmly fixed the collar of the jacket and made eye contact with Renato.

“So, please be confident. Both you and I never did anything wrong, Your Imperial Highness. There is no need to listen to that.”

The light purple eyes widened in response to the man’s resolute words. In an instant, something hot swelled up in his chest. Feeling his emotions surge up, Renato tightly seized the mug in his hands.

Blanche said that he was unhappy because Renato was born a Beta. Marquis Medus also clicked his tongue, saying that Renato being born as a Beta messed everything up. Renato’s first friend, Maximo, also changed his attitude after knowing that he was a Beta.

Until now, the only people who had told Renato that it wasn’t his fault for being born as a Beta were Ludmilla, his nanny, and Louis siblings. But today, there was one more person.

Maybe it was because Khalid, who had the same pain as him, said it. His eyes were burning just like the day he cried in Ludmila’s embrace as a child.

I shouldn’t cry.

Feeling his vision become blurry, Renato lowered his gaze. After struggling to hold back his crying sounds, he mumbled his thanks.

“Thank, you. For saying that……”

“You don’t need to thank me. I was just saying something obvious.”

Khaled curtly answered and slowly raised his hand. Perhaps because of the night dew falling in a short while, the silver hair that touched the man’s fingertips was slightly wet.

“No matter what others say, we just have to be confident. Next time, please don’t let it slide and say something as well. Don’t keep it to yourself and get hurt because of that. Okay?”

“……I will.”

“Good.”

After getting the answer he wanted from Renato, Khalid bent his eyes. He brought the silver hair strands in his hand to his lips to compliment Renato for having done a good job.

Smooch.

Khalid kissed the tip of the hair softly shining in the moonlight and wrapped his arm around the slender waist. Then, he pulled Renato closer.

“Your, your highness? What, are you.”

Renato, suddenly embraced by Khalid, stammered in embarrassment. He almost dropped the mug in his hands.

Khalid moved the hand on Renato’s hair to caress the corners of his reddened eyes as if to appease the startled person. Even though he didn’t like how Renato’s eyes were moist just like rain-soaked petals, a strange thirst arose. Wetting his lower lip with his tongue, he softly whispered so that only Renato could hear.

“I think we should show this to the people who are blabbering about our rumors.”

“What does that mean-”

“After all, the purpose of attending today’s banquet is to induce rumors, right?”

There were only two of them in the back garden now, but the terrace and corridor connected to the banquet hall were places where people often appeared. Renato and Khalid could also easily be seen from the balcony on the second floor. In fact, he could already feel three or four people on the balcony. Quickly sensing his surroundings, Khalid gave strength to his arm around Renato’s waist and bowed his head.

“Wouldn’t it be very effective if I show them that I am completely obsessed with you to the point that I don’t even mind the place, Your Imperial Highness?”

Khalid bumped the tips of their noses together and whispered. Renato held his breath when the man’s hot breath tickled his lips. Only Khalid’s breath touched him, but his back stiffened and his shoulders reflexively flinched.

Not taking his eyes off Renato, Khalid took the mug he was holding in his hand. Clang, after roughly putting the mug on the fountain, Khalid slightly turned his head. Then, just before their lips touched, he commanded in a low voice.

“Close your eyes.”