‘I must have misjudged something,’ Niall pondered deeply.
‘Sure, the kiss was good, but….’
What could have been the problem? Was it when Duke said Omegas can’t live without a man and Niall silently agreed? Or when he mentioned touching himself while thinking of Duke at night? Or perhaps it was the implication that if Duke continued to neglect him, he might seek out other men? Maybe it was all of it. Niall groaned in frustration, clutching his temples with both hands.
“I understand you,” Duke said the evening after the kiss incident when he summoned Niall to the dining table, cutting straight to the chase.
“As you know, Omegas have a promiscuous nature and a lecherous temperament.”
Before Niall could refute, Duke added, “You admitted it yourself.”
He did. Since it was an admission, Niall had to endure it despite feeling unjust. He had no intention of dispelling Duke’s misunderstanding. Thanks to that misunderstanding, he had kissed Duke until spring seemed impossible to come. This method seemed to be working.
“But you are under my roof and came here to serve me,” Duke’s tone turned stern.
“I have no intention of just letting your debauchery slide. As long as you are under my roof, you must maintain decorum and have no contact with any man.”
Niall listened to Duke’s words, which deviated from his expectations, feeling a sense of injustice. He had just wanted to see Duke’s cute blushing face, but why was the man scolding him?
The words Niall had intended to provoke Duke with were now completely stuck in Duke’s mind. That was fine. They were in the midst of a temporary fake relationship anyway.
After that day, Duke’s misunderstanding deepened, and he began to believe that Niall threw himself at every man he encountered.
Because to Duke, an Omega was a creature devoid of restraint, with strong sexual desires, and capricious, unable to control themselves.
“Behave quietly,” Duke kept repeating those words every time he saw Niall.
“Don’t tempt men. Don’t go into heat just by looking at men. Behave quietly. That’s what it means.”
Niall had never heard the word “quiet” so many times in his life. How far did Duke’s misunderstanding go? Now, Duke didn’t even want Niall to speak casually with others.
“He gave flowers to the girls.”
This was Shiralund Duke’s estate, and the people residing here were deeply loyal to the Duke of Shiralund .
Even the garrison commander. Despite his foul mouth and bad jokes, and his love for alcohol and gambling, even that man was worried about Duke’s marriage. He hoped Duke would marry safely and receive the Emperor’s approval to continue his lineage. Niall had never seen a lord so loved by his subjects.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
That meant if Duke wanted to know something about Niall, he could easily find out more than just by lifting a finger.
Rljii’r rqlcf mtliifv ktfc Gexf wfcalbcfv atf lcmlvfca klat atf oibkfgr ulnfc ab atf ulgir.
Qtfcfnfg Rljii kjr lc atf ujgvfc, atf ulgir kbeiv rbwfalwfr jrx tlw ab qlmx eq jcs ojiifc oibkfgr. Qtfc Rljii mjwf bea bo atf ujgvfc joafg obbilcu jgbecv, vlrjqqblcawfca kbeiv mibev atf ulgir’ fsfr, jcv rfflcu atf vfpfmafv Rljii, atfs kbeiv fnfcaejiis jrx obg klivoibkfgr ugbklcu ja atf fvuf bo atf ujgvfc.
Those flowers had no names. When rare seeds entered the garden and were lucky enough to bloom, they either flourished or perished due to the gardener’s carelessness.
Niall took those flowers and made rings to distribute to the maid girls. The girls were delighted just by that.
That incident happened around lunchtime, and within a few hours, Duke knew what Niall had done. The children probably hadn’t spread the word. They understood the significance of bringing flowers from the garden.
“They like flowers.”
“Aren’t they a bit too old to be called children? There are fifteen-year-olds among them, aren’t there?”
“Ah….”
“If you’re thirteen, engagement is possible, and if you’re fifteen, marriage is perfectly plausible,” Duke propped up Niall’s chin with the cane he was holding. Niall looked up in confusion.
“Behave quietly.”
“….”
“Being an Omega, it might not be easy, but keep your demeanor modest. Don’t wander around. It’s unclean.”
And with that, Duke clicked his tongue, brushed past Niall, and disappeared. Niall was left behind, dumbfounded.
Now Niall could no longer play soccer with friends or go sledding. Duke had caught wind of the incident where Niall tried to take Ferredin to his room to undress him.
In a belated attempt to justify his actions, Niall tried his best to argue, but Duke’s misconceptions and prejudices were too deeply ingrained to be swayed.
Unable to socialize with beta males, let alone alpha males, Niall found himself being accused of “wandering” for simply being kind to beta girls.
Afraid he might not even be allowed to meet Mr. Phil, Niall became extremely cautious. Not that he didn’t resist Duke’s moodiness.
Since returning from the New Year’s celebration, Duke had kept his promise to dine with Niall every evening. One day, arriving a little early, he found the dishes still being carried out.
As the man who was setting down plates met Niall’s gaze, he slightly lowered his head, and Niall nodded in acknowledgment. Soon, the preparations were complete. The man, having placed all the dishes on the table, politely bid farewell before disappearing behind the curtain.
“That man just now is an Omega.”
As Niall pondered what to eat first due to his hunger, Duke’s words made him raise his head. Duke rested his head on clasped hands and stared intently at Niall.
“Do you like him?”
“Who?”
“I asked if you like that man.”
Niall put down his spoon and looked puzzled. He couldn’t figure out whom Duke was referring to.
“Why pretend not to understand? That man, the cook, is an Omega.”
So what? Niall wondered what inappropriate action the man had taken. Frustrated by Niall’s apparent cluelessness, Duke finally provided an answer.
“He’s kind of the Omega man you like.”
“….”
“Do you have a crush on him?”
Duke scrutinized Niall’s face closely. Niall shuddered slightly under his penetrating gaze.
“Do you like him?”
“No, um, Duke.”
“That man is the widowed omega you’ve been longing for so much. You were exchanging glances, did you like him?”
Niall’s mouth fell open, and he blinked rapidly. He couldn’t utter a word out of disbelief.
The chef who had just served the meal was an Omega. Niall hadn’t known, but if Duke said so, it must be true.
An Omega husband. Of course, Niall liked the Omega husband. But wasn’t there a limit to everything? The man seemed to be at least fifty years old. His hair was gray, and he looked quite mature.
If he was that old, did “husband” mean a child? Wasn’t the husband possibly around Niall’s age? Why couldn’t Duke consider that possibility?
Feeling perplexed and unable to offer any excuses, Niall swallowed hard. Then, very slowly, he spoke as he met Duke’s gaze.
“I prefer younger ones.”
“….”
“And besides, that gentleman… isn’t he… like a father figure? I never even thought about it.”
“….”
“Please, clear up the misunderstanding. I have no interest in any other man.”
As Niall’s calm voice flowed steadily, Duke’s sharp demeanor gradually softened. The tension in the air, which felt like needles pricking the skin, dissipated, and Duke’s stern expression softened little by little. Niall watched patiently.
“Hmm.”
Finally, as Duke let out a light cough, Niall breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Duke had cleared up the misunderstanding.
“You prefer younger ones, huh?”
“Yes.”
“No interest in older ones?”
“No, that’s correct.”
Whether older or younger, Niall didn’t really care, but he answered like that to avoid creating such situations again.
Duke picked up his fork again. Niall, now completely at ease, pierced his portion of the meal with his fork.
“Were you six years older than me?”
Duke asked just as Niall was about to take a bite. Mentally, Niall calculated Duke’s age. He was twenty-one, and Niall was twenty-eight.
“I am seven years older, Duke.”
“I see.”
Hahahaha😂😂😂 Duke is soo funny, love how he reacts to MC’s actions hehe
Thank you for updating 🥰😘
“behave quietly” LMFAO
Man I love the duke, the way he was happy that Niall preferred the younger ones 😭