Chapter 74

There was stubbornness mixed in, saying that his words were true whether Valentin agreed or not, and to follow them. Reynard chuckled at Valentin’s request to be treated as a healthy adult man and whispered in his ear again.

“In that case, I won’t have to be considerate of your circumstances in bed from now on.”

This man really… Even if it’s a whisper, in this broad daylight with people passing by. No, and look at him talking as if he had ever been considerate. Valentin’s face burned again, remembering the past days when he felt like his waist would break. Reynard kissed Valentin’s cheek, looking at his face that had turned as red and glossy as mountain strawberries from the Remsi Mountains.

“I can’t resist when you’re embarrassed.”

His shamelessness shines again today, implying that it’s your fault for inviting the kiss.

“Ugh!”

Valentin stepped on his foot in frustration, but it was Reynard’s secret that there was no impact on his foot due to the sturdy navy duty shoes he was wearing.

Their bickering and embrace looked like a close couple to anyone watching.

They were already too noticeable with their unusually beautiful appearances.

It was natural that the two of them, having a serious conversation, then smiling at each other, whispering something in each other’s ears, and embracing while looking at each other, attracted a lot of attention from people on the street. Moreover, it was rare for a great noble to express affection so openly on the street. It was as if they had become the protagonists of Queen’s Road today. Or perhaps clowns.

Valentin sighed in Reynard’s embrace and said,

“It’s just as Reynard wished.”

“What is?”

“You wanted to advertise our relationship, didn’t you?”

Reynard chuckled at those words. Valentin also giggled as if the laughter was contagious, hiding his face in Reynard’s chest. He couldn’t bear to lift his face out of embarrassment. Especially at times like this when he could feel the gazes without even turning his eyes.

“Shall we advertise a bit more?”

After finishing those words, Reynard gently lifted Valentin’s face from his embrace. Preciously, as if trying to let a flower meet the sunlight.

And he leaned in to softly kiss the pink lips.

The moist, warm mucous membrane alighted like a butterfly and then flew away again. Smiling sweetly and contentedly as if having stolen honey from a flower.@@novelbin@@

“Ah…”

Valentin’s face turned red again as he realized what had just happened. He could even see people who had stopped walking to watch them.

“Shall we walk?”

Reynard naturally escorted Valentin, pulling his arm as if he hadn’t wanted to walk until just now. And so, the strawberry-like youth was held by his fiancé’s hand.

They started walking again on the flat stone path laid out in a fan pattern. The gazes of women in puffed crinoline dresses like peacocks and gentlemen holding canes and wearing silk hats brushed past them. Valentin just lowered his flushed face and moved his steps as he was led.

It felt new to walk in the busy street like ordinary lovers.

“It’s the first time we’ve taken such a long walk together outside like this.”

Looking back, the place he was always with him was almost always on the bed. Whether to share the night or to take care of a sick person, it was on the bed or in the room. It was the first time they were aimlessly walking the streets like a proper date. That fact felt good.

‘It feels like we’re actually dating, in a way.’

It felt like they had become real lovers, not just two people choosing marriage because of a child.

After slowly walking past a few other dress shops and two or three glittering jewelry stores, Reynard said affectionately,

“I apologize for treating you as an excessively fragile person until now, Valentin.”

Valentin slowly nodded at those words. Reynard continued speaking while stroking the hand resting on his arm.

“But I want my omega to be safe. I want you to be protected from any threat from anyone.”

The alpha’s strong instinct to protect his omega was once again prominent in those words. Perhaps because his face looked somewhat anxious or uneasy. Valentin wanted to reassure him. He took Reynard’s hand that was stroking his own and rubbed them together.

“You are protecting me well enough now.”

Reynard smiled brightly at those words. Valentin suddenly liked that smile. That smile he always gave only to him. The prominent brow bone that seemed to contain both strength and beauty. And below that, the kind face shown by slightly creasing his deep eyes. And the pleasant curve drawn by his manly beautiful and clear lips, reassuring him.

Everything was exclusive to him.

Because it was an excessively handsome and beautiful face, the influence that smile held was tremendous. Even more so now, knowing that he was the only one shown that smile. Valentin looked at his fiancé, who had now become his alpha, with somewhat entranced eyes. Sweet words flowed from his mouth, just like his smile.

“You are precious and unique to me. I want to protect you in any situation where you might get hurt or be in danger, even slightly.”

“Hurt?”

“Whether it’s your heart or body.”

He was clearly referring to the fight with Evener earlier.

Well, he must have heard the harsh words exchanged as they came in. And Reynard would certainly know that Valentin was someone whose heart could be hurt even by small arguments. Valentin also knew that the tender parts of his heart were not well hidden from others. After all, Dalton, who had educated him, often said, ‘A noble should know how to hide their heart. Especially if it’s fragile.’

Surely Reynard must have noticed such things too. The alpha’s gaze turned to the omega’s scratched red neck.

‘Body and heart…’

He understood his intention, but there was a discrepancy in those words.

How can everyone in the world be safe from threats to body and mind? Is that possible as long as one lives as a human? Valentin opened his mouth calmly, staring emotionlessly at the swaying green of the street trees.

“That’s impossible, Reynard.”

Even if he understood that heart, it wasn’t possible for people to live that way.

“No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to completely protect me from people’s sharp gazes. That’s unavoidable as long as we’re human.”

Reynard shook his head in response to Valentin’s firm words as he shook his head.

“Valentin, when you marry me, no one will dare to treat you carelessly. I have enough ability to protect you from people’s gazes.”

Yes. He actually had that ability.

Who would openly give disrespectful looks and speak rough, pointed words to someone from the imperial family or a grand ducal family? His way of thinking, born of his noble birth, was showing. Moreover, who could openly speak ill or criticize in front of his superior, even top-tier alpha traits and the pinnacle of strong masculinity? The fact that he had lived a life never experiencing rudeness or shame from anyone was revealed like this through his unconscious.

But Valentin knew well about people. All the ugly things in people’s inner selves. Just because everything doesn’t show on the surface doesn’t mean its reality is hidden.

“That’s not it, Reynard.”

Just as he had unknowingly spoken his way of thinking out loud just now, inner things tend to be revealed unconsciously. And such inner workings of people are not the kind that can be restrained by someone intimidating or ordering. Of course, as he said, they might not be able to speak openly in front, but there exist expressions and hearts that cannot be hidden from anyone.

“You might be able to tell people not to speak ill of me.”

It would be a really ridiculous order, but the current him could do that and more.

He was someone who could show through sufficiently elegant words and actions not to treat Valentin carelessly in a place full of socialites. For example, by declaring something like ‘I will not stand idle if rumors about my fiancé circulate from now on.’ Valentin shuddered thinking of such a situation. Just imagining it was unpleasant.

“But you won’t be able to control people’s hearts.”

As you know, human hearts aren’t something that can be controlled at will just because someone orders it. Valentin added.

“I don’t want to cause harm to others as much as possible. And I don’t like being talked about negatively by others either.”

“You seem particularly so.”

“Yes. I’ve had a very embarrassing experience with something similar in the past.”

Reynard probably knew what little Valentin’s nickname in high society was and what rumors had circulated.

In fact, these traumas weren’t formed just from facts that occurred before going to study abroad.

The compulsion of reincarnation and the flow of the original story that couldn’t be told to anyone, the ending where he and his family were ruined. All of this started from here.

He knew too well how people’s negative gazes and rumors snowballed, turning trivial incidents into fatal changes. Though it was as good as indirect experience, it was the future and ending he would have faced if he had remained as he was. How could a person not change while knowing about such terrible destruction and death? Valentin self-deprecated, thinking about how all his ways of thinking had changed from the moment he became aware of his reincarnation.

But these thoughts and changed personality were absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. He was proud, even if he had become a little timid.

‘I haven’t done anything shameful as a human.’

Valentin raised his head and looked straight into Reynard’s eyes.

The omega’s eyes looking at the alpha shone with both gentleness and strength.

“You might think I’m not befitting of a noble of the great Heston Empire.”

Valentin mentioned the ‘great empire, noble aristocrat member’ ruling the continent, as the aristocrats themselves often say.

Knowing the original story, it was natural to be particularly sensitive about these aspects. Even if he couldn’t make others understand the reason, it was something he wanted to thoroughly avoid for himself.

“You might think I’m pathetic, but I struggle when people’s attention is focused on me.”

“You’re not pathetic.”

“Especially if it’s negative attention.”

It might seem frustrating to others, but Valentin was confident, knowing the clear cause. And he had his own firm beliefs about his personality and tendencies.

“But that doesn’t mean I want to order them to view me favorably.”

“……”

“I want to naturally show people that I’m not someone who harms them, not order them.”

“But…”

“Or preach to them either.”

Valentin said, pointing his index finger at Reynard’s face as he tried to argue.

“Don’t go around telling people unnecessarily. And don’t do things like bribing the press to make up stories, like someone we know.”

Reynard’s mouth shut tight. Was he really thinking of spreading stories about his good deeds to the press?

“Those are just things I need to build up as I live my life from now on. Anything unnatural will eventually be exposed.”

“I agree with that.”

He clearly knew who Valentin was talking about.

“And very fortunately, this isn’t made up.”

Valentin concluded, shrugging his shoulders as if it was a very natural thing. A slightly confident expression flashed across his beautiful face.