A child... one similar to Raniel, but with Ilyan’s eyes.

Vincent didn’t need to think twice to understand that the two people standing just a few steps away were a pair of father and son.

"But it was supposed to be dead..." he muttered to himself.

The last time he saw Raniel, his stomach was flat. When a male omega was pregnant, his bump was barely visible, but it was not unnoticeable. And Raniel’s stomach had looked like that of an average man’s, as if he had already given birth or miscarried, just like his first child.

"Hey, you! Bring me a glass of wine right now!" a noble shouted from afar.

The man didn’t need to think nor turn to know that the order was directed at him. He simply took one glass from among the countless others and turned on his heels.

He didn’t need to react. Not yet. If that boy was truly Raniel’s son, surely he wouldn’t be running away. After all, it was always hard to escape when someone weaker than us was dragging us down.

"Ren, what are you doing here? Zayden is searching for you," Enzo, who had made his way toward the silver-haired young man, beamed.

"Where is Yusha?"

Enzo narrowed his gaze, pouting.

"Shouldn’t you at least greet me before asking about him?"

"My apologies..." Ren’s voice was barely audible.

"I was just messing with you," the other man blinked, unsure what to say. He was trying to lighten the mood before announcing Yusha’s absence. After all, Ren was bound to get upset.

He must have looked forward to it...

Enzo sighed.

"Your friend isn’t here," Zayden appeared from behind Ren, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

The silver-haired man’s crimson gaze flickered upward.

"You already know?"

"Well, unlike you, I did not disappear right after the wedding vows were exchanged."

Ren lowered his head slightly. He couldn’t reveal his encounter with Vincent...

He bit his lips hard. He was still hiding like a coward. Inhaling softly, he slowly lifted his head, looking up at the man gazing down at him with his soft and gentle eyes. If these eyes were ever to look at him with hatred, rage, or anything else, Ren wouldn’t be able to take it. It would most likely shatter him in ways he couldn’t even imagine.

"Hey, I am not scolding you. Why the long face?" Zayden, panicked, cupped the young man’s cheeks in his palms. His eyes filled with concern.

"He must be sad that his best friend isn’t coming. Why are you acting like this?" Enzo forced a laugh, trying to ease the strange atmosphere.

"Right?" He turned toward Ren, who nodded immediately.

"If you say so..." Zayden smiled gently, removing his hands from Ren’s face. He could tell there was something else bothering his lover, but he couldn’t ask.

What if Ren felt pressured? He had told himself, a silent vow, that he would let the omega open his heart, and for now, whatever they had was more than enough—more than he had imagined or could have ever dreamed of.

Ren loving him itself was no less than a miracle.

"Can I kiss you?" Leaning closer to the slightly shorter young man, Zayden whispered.

The silver-haired man, lost in thought, immediately flinched, his cheeks flushing a dark shade of red.

"Y-You—" He couldn’t bring himself to utter a word—his mind had gone blank.

Just then, the doors swung open, and the music, the dancing, the conversations—everything faded into the background. All gazes shifted toward the man who strode into the hall, his steps pressing, clicking against the bare marble floor. The sound of his footsteps stopped only when he stepped on the carpet, heading toward Zayden. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

It was Zion. It had taken him longer than expected, encountering some monsters on his way to the capital. He heard of the Imperial Crown Prince’s wedding and rushed here as soon as he could before missing the Imperial General.

"Zion?" Zayden said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The man didn’t look at his friend; instead, his gaze was fixed on Ren. Although his eyes were not blindfolded, his skin tone and the lower part of his face—his lips, his sharp jawline, although not as bony as those he had seen in the portraits—remained the same.

Clenching his fists, he swallowed hard before parting his lips.

"Is it urgent?" Soren, making his way through the crowd as it parted to make way for the Imperial Crown Prince, asked.

Beside him, Rihaan followed suit with a soft smile. Gentle. Polite. Yet the irritation in his gaze couldn’t be ignored.

"O-Oh, surely not," Zion forced a faint smile, kneeling on the ground.

He offered his congratulations to the couple, followed by an apology for arriving late and causing a disturbance to their event.

Soren, kind as always, simply returned a smile, dismissing his worries and stating that it was alright.

"Do stay until the end." Having said so, he turned, but then halted before glancing at the knight. "Also, let my brother enjoy my wedding. I doubt I will be getting married again."

Rihaan’s lips twitched into a faint grin upon hearing his bride say so.

Noticing his reaction, Zayden couldn’t help but tease, "Really? You know, you are allowed to have more than one consort—like our father."

The groom’s jaw dropped, stunned.

"Y-Your Imperial Highness, you wouldn’t, right?" he demanded of Soren, his eyes filled with worry and panic.

"Zayden!" Soren scolded, frowning at him. "Behave yourself."

The Imperial General simply laughed.

Zion lowered his head, unable to say anything until the end of the banquet. Rather, he couldn’t bring himself to ruin his friend’s happiness. If he revealed what he had discovered, there would only be chaos.

Perhaps it was a good thing that, even if unintentionally, the Imperial Crown Prince had stopped him from saying anything.

This way, even if only for a single day, Zayden could enjoy himself... until the actual storm befell him.

***

Laying on the floor, an open book on his face, he appeared no different than a dead person. Still. Unmoving.

"Why are you here again?" Vincent groaned as soon as he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Woah! I was sure I was being careful this time," the lavender-haired young man laughed, pulling the book away from Vincent’s face.

The other young man glared at him, crossing his arms.

"I didn’t get enough sleep because of the battle yesterday, Ilyan."

"Battle?" Ilyan blinked, as if he didn’t expect this reply.