The Dignity of the Omega

#5

“Because I’m too expensive for that.”

Prince Enrique whispered seductively into the ear of the Crown Prince of Baron and then smiled. Whether it was because of Enrique’s breath or his alluring scent, the Crown Prince of Baron drew in a sharp, urgent breath. As he hastily stepped back, his face showed intense greed and excitement. Enrique raised one corner of his mouth as he watched the Crown Prince of Baron struggling to suppress his primal urges. He then slightly bowed his head gracefully and brushed past him.

Enrique naturally picked up a glass of wine and moved elegantly among the people. He then naturally slipped out to the balcony in a corner of the banquet hall.

As he left the banquet hall filled with various pheromones and scents, the fresh outside air invaded his nostrils. Enrique walked listlessly and leaned against the balcony railing as if collapsing.

As he released the tension he had been holding back with all his might, the hand holding the wine glass twitched slightly. It was the aftermath of being directly exposed to the Crown Prince of Baron’s pheromones. Enrique swallowed a few sips of wine to moisten his parched mouth. Then he took several deep breaths of the outside air. As the effects of the pheromone exposure gradually subsided, Enrique’s tense expression relaxed.

It was while he was enjoying this brief moment of respite.

Suddenly, there was a presence felt from the direction of the balcony entrance. Enrique turned his head, his relaxed expression once again armed with a flawless smile.

“I hope I’m not being rude by interrupting your rest?”

The one who entered the balcony and spoke was a black-haired boy in his early teens, still with a youthful air about him.

“Ah, it’s the Prince of Ruben.”

At the appearance of the still young boy, Enrique slowly relaxed his tensed body. His lips naturally loosened at the boy’s still youthful face and voice, and his small stature.

“Anture.”

The boy with black hair and black eyes said briefly. When Enrique blinked, not understanding what he meant, the boy spoke again.

“It’s my name. I would be pleased if you called me Anture.”

Despite his youthful face and voice, the boy was extremely polite. His manner of speech, gestures, and expressions were impeccable, befitting a prince. Perhaps because he was still young, even the characteristic alpha pheromones were extremely faint, not feeling threatening at all.

Enrique observed the young prince of Ruben, who gave a harmless impression, while somewhat relaxed. The still immature boy had flawless white skin and pretty features. His bone structure and proportions were good, allowing him to carry off the potentially overly ornate royal uniform excellently.

“May I approach you?”

Prince Anture asked politely. His excessive politeness made him seem a bit like an old man in a young body, but it was also somewhat cute.

Enrique tilted his head to the side, allowing the boy to join him. The boy’s black eyes sparkled with apparent joy. The boy began to approach with slow, careful steps as if worried he might startle Enrique. It was hard to tell who was worrying about whom, given how young he still was.

A gentle breeze passed by the two of them. Carried on the breeze, the boy’s scent tickled Enrique’s nose. The boy’s uniquely fresh scent, not threatening at all, further softened his mood. Enrique gave a faint eye-smile to the boy who had carefully approached and stopped at an appropriate distance, instead of his usual artificial smile.

The boy who had come close looked a bit nervous. He was trying not to show it, but Enrique could see it.

“Enrique, may I call you Enrique?”

The prince asked politely, trying to maintain a calm face.

If it had been another suitor… the King of Monta or the Crown Prince of Baron, he would have refused and played hard to get at least once. But Enrique gave a small nod. The boy’s appearance, unable to completely hide his nervousness as he asked, looked too harmless and cute for a suitor.

“Thank you, Enrique.”

The boy smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling. He looked extremely pleased.

It was an excessive reaction for just being allowed to use his name, but considering the boy was also one of the suitors, it was understandable.

“You must have had a difficult journey coming from so far.”

Enrique threw out an appropriate comment to the young suitor.

Although the Ruben Empire and Shamier shared a border, even so, there was a considerable distance from the capital of the vast Ruben Empire to the capital of Shamier.

“It was indeed a long journey, but it wasn’t difficult. It was enjoyable to travel outside the capital for the first time and…”

The boy paused there, then added while looking directly at Enrique with sparkling eyes:

“It was a journey more than worth coming here for.”

Enrique felt passion in the boy’s gaze as he looked directly at him. Although Enrique was sick and tired of the passionate gazes of men, especially alphas, somehow the young prince’s gaze didn’t feel unpleasant at all. Rather, it was like looking at an unopened flower bud and anticipating its full bloom.

When Enrique smiled faintly, the boy slightly averted his gaze and blushed.

In fact, the Prince of Ruben had been at the bottom of Enrique’s priority list. This was due to his young age. If he were to make the boy before him the first priority, he would have to wait at least a few years until he came of age, and that time seemed too precious to waste just waiting for the boy to grow up. Wouldn’t it be just right to have children with the other two suitors who were already of age first, and then have Ruben’s child last?

‘What a shame.’

Enrique muttered inwardly. Of course, it was impossible to know how the prince before him would change after passing through adolescence and becoming an adult. But at least the prince before him was quite likeable. Perhaps it was because young animals of any species tend to look pretty and cute. But in any case, if the prince had been of age, given the empire’s power and wealth, he probably would have been able to have Enrique’s first child.

“You must be tired from your long journey. Wouldn’t it be better for Prince Anture to go in and rest now?”

Enrique said as he straightened up from the balcony railing he had been leaning on.

“Ah, but I’m not tired at all yet…”

The boy mumbled, unable to hide his disappointment. Although he was still young and harmless, he was nevertheless one of the suitors. It wouldn’t be fair to allocate more time to him.

“Then please enjoy the party a bit more, Prince. I’m tired, so I should be going in now.”

Enrique slightly bowed his head in courtesy and brushed past the boy.

“Um, Enrique.”

Just as he was about to open the balcony door, passing by the boy, a small call was heard from behind. Enrique slightly turned his head to look at the boy.

The boy was sending a heated gaze with a slightly reddened face. He hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a determined expression.

“Is there really no possibility of you changing your mind about having children with all three countries?”

At the boy’s question, Enrique thought for a moment and then turned around. He gazed at the boy and smiled.

“Of course not. I was born as the prince of Shamier. I accurately understand the value of my existence, and maximizing Shamier’s national interests by using it is a duty I must naturally fulfill as the prince of Shamier.”

After saying this, Enrique changed his gaze and asked with a cool smile towards the boy.

“Does the prince also want to have me exclusively?”

“That’s…”

The boy’s expression showed slight bewilderment. Enrique quietly gazed at the boy who closed his mouth tightly and showed various expressions in his eyes. After hesitating for a moment like this, the boy finally spoke.

“Of course, I do.”

It was the answer he had expected. But why did an unnecessary feeling of disappointment wash over him? This is why one shouldn’t let their guard down because of a young and harmless appearance. Enrique armed himself with a cold and elegant smile while smiling brightly.

“But that’s just my personal desire, it’s not the reason I asked you the question.”

The boy said this and then continued, looking straight at Enrique with a slightly hardened face.

“I just wondered if that method… if giving birth to children for three countries and maximizing Shamier’s national interests might be too harsh a method for you, Enrique.”

“…Harsh?”

Enrique raised one eyebrow at the unexpected word and statement. The boy nodded.