Chapter 84

His fingertips, tracing the contour of Elwin’s fingers one by one, grew heavy with a sudden, suggestive intent. The motion carried a phantom weight, as if his mind had wandered back to that first, feverish night they had shared at the inn in Addlington.

“Standing in court was a half-calculated risk, but I realized it provided an ideal stage to command the public’s attention. I wanted to unveil my status and our true relationship before as many witnesses as possible, ideally with the press documenting every moment.”

“…”

It suddenly dawned on Elwin that Leon’s question in the glass conservatory—asking whether Elwin harbored any desire to become a count—had been far more than a playful probe. He had meticulously orchestrated every detail to pave the way for Elwin to inherit the title.

Elwin felt utterly adrift. His intellect grasped the logic of Leon’s words, yet the reality remained impossibly distant.

To gain the qualifications to inherit the title.

He had spent his entire existence laboring to extinguish that very ambition, resigning himself to the biological reality that, as an Omega, such status remained forever beyond his reach. The title of Prince Consort seemed equally spectral, a phantom concept he could barely reconcile with the man before him.

“And… I wanted to declare, with a finality that allowed for no retreat, that you are mine. That sentiment is not merely my own one-sided delusion, is it? You are mine. Are you not?”

Those words pierced straight through to Elwin’s heart. It was a matter he had been contemplating with profound seriousness as well.

“Leon. Please, tell me if I have misunderstood. Am I meant to interpret your declaration in court as a formal proposal?”

At the question, Leon—who had spoken with such unwavering confidence only moments prior—abruptly ceased. His gaze shifted with the slow, dawning realization of a man who had suddenly identified a critical error he had completely overlooked.

“No, ah, it is not that my words were empty. I never once called you my betrothed without sincerity. My heart was entirely genuine, but, ah…” Leon, rarely known to falter, whispered with a tone of profound self-disappointment. “You are right. It was a woefully unromantic proposal. I was so consumed by the desire to shock you that I neglected the most fundamental of gestures.”

Watching Leon succumb to such uncharacteristic despair did not feel foreign to Elwin. After all, he had once blurted out that he would take responsibility for Leon, only to later suffer in a fever of doubt over whether it constituted a proposal and whether it had been grossly inappropriate.

As if offering a lifeline to the despairing prince, Elwin quietly pivoted the topic. “…If you are not satisfied with that moment, could we simply decide that you have not yet proposed?”

“How wise you are. To begin with, those words were never formally addressed to you as such. Now, then…” Leon’s eyes ignited with a sudden, sharp intensity. He lifted the back of Elwin’s hand, pressing a kiss to his skin just as he had during their first meeting. But now, his gaze held a much deeper, more haunting gravity. “Shall I do it now?”

“Now?”

“I have already laid my heart bare before you. Is there any reason I should compel you to wait further? I have no desire to endure another moment of silence.”

“But…”

“Ah, you are right. I have arrived empty-handed once again. No, wait for a moment.”

With a flicker of excitement, Leon reached into the deep inner pocket of his jacket and withdrew a small, circular object.

“It is not a trinket meant for such occasions, but for now, let us settle for this.”

Even as he spoke, Leon began to slide the band onto Elwin’s finger, prompting Elwin to gasp in alarm. “Leon. Is that… is that the royal signet ring?”

“It is.”

“How could you possibly bestow something so sacred upon me?”

“You are the soul to whom I intend to entrust my life. Is a single ring of such trivial concern?”

Leon guided the ring onto Elwin’s trembling finger before brushing a lingering kiss against his knuckles.

Without a flicker of hesitation, he declared, “Elwin Somerset Hetherton. My light, my love.”

“…”

“Will you spend all the days of your life with me?”

Leon’s lips moved with such exquisite grace that Elwin sat paralyzed, momentarily forgetting the necessity of a reply. When he belatedly realized his lapse and attempted to speak…

“Um… Leon. I…”

“What is it, Elwin? Could you answer me quickly? My heart is hammering far too violently at this moment.”

“Mine is as well. But, um, I do not yet know your full name. Leon, ah…”

Even in the midst of his restless impatience, Leon offered a tender smile, clearly cherishing the sight of Elwin’s flushed cheeks.

“Leonhart Albert William. That is my name.”

“Leonhart Albert William.”

As Elwin echoed the long, melodic name, Leon’s jaw tightened as if he were battling the urge to claim his lips instantly. Had he not been held captive by the anticipation of Elwin’s answer, he surely would have bridged the distance between them.

Under that searing gaze, Elwin answered with newfound courage. “I, too, shall gladly entrust my life to you.”

There were surely more words he ought to have uttered, but Leon swiftly claimed his lips, sealing his mouth in a sudden, breathless collision. Since the intensity of the kiss sent his thoughts scattering like white mist, perhaps the rest was of little consequence.

Leon pressed their lips together repeatedly, drawing away only to return, as if physically incapable of parting. Elwin found the shared intimacy intoxicating, yet as the kiss persisted, a flicker of confusion took root.

“Mm, Leon. Should you not be returning to your own quarters now…?”

Even with his vision clouded and his lips damp with the sheen of the kiss, Elwin maintained his reason. This was the guest chamber assigned to him, and within the vast sprawl of the palace, there was undoubtedly a separate wing designated for the third prince.

For some inscrutable reason, however, the libertine prince showed no inclination to rise, despite the perfect logic of Elwin’s point. Instead, he pulled Elwin into an even tighter embrace. His hands, tracing patterns over Elwin’s waist and spine, were heavy with undeniable intent.

Finally, Leon dropped the bomb.

“Um, Elwin. There is one final matter I must confess.”

“…What is it this time?”

“The truth is, I informed Her Majesty a short while ago that you are currently carrying my child.”

“What?”

Elwin was struck by a shock akin to the revelation of Leon’s royal heritage in court. He recoiled instinctively, attempting to leap from the bed, but the lingering exhaustion from the kiss robbed his legs of their strength, and he collapsed back against the mattress.

“Oh dear. At this rate, you shall surely collapse again.” Leon spoke with brazen charm, effortlessly lifting Elwin into his arms and beginning the short trek toward the bed.

“L-Leon. What do you… Did you truly say that? What on earth were you thinking?”

“I did. So, what choice remains? I cannot very well lie to the sovereign, can I?”

Before Elwin could manage a protest, he was settled firmly onto the bed. Leon loomed over him, his eyes dancing with a wicked, triumphant light as he broke into a broad grin.

“What if we simply make that story a reality from this moment forward?”