Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 16 I should

“You look very tired today. You haven’t overexerted yourself, have you?”

“I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

Cloff replied as if it were nothing, in response to his lover’s concern. It wasn’t a lie. What did it matter if he missed a night’s sleep when he was in his prime? But this Omega, sensitive to others, seemed to feel differently.

Raphiel kept checking his complexion, and only after Cloff re-emphasized, “I’m really fine,” did he turn his gaze forward. Then, without a word, he gently took hold of Cloff’s sleeve. That small gesture was so cute that Cloff chuckled. He then pretended to look away, twisted his wrist back, and firmly grasped the soft hand.

“Um, if other people see us…”

A flustered, small voice came from a step behind him, but he pretended not to hear.

“That way.”

He headed towards the luxurious restaurant across the street. It wasn’t crowded, but there were quite a few amused glances directed at the passionately in-love couple holding hands in broad daylight.

Times were slowly changing, but still, holding hands in public was frowned upon by many adults, especially among the aristocracy, as being promiscuous. However, young people, always rebellious against the old system, were busy recounting holding hands in public as a heroic tale. Today, Cloff was putting that into practice. He knew, without looking, that Raphiel’s face would be burning. He would surely be flustered by the surrounding gazes, but he didn’t pull his hand away.

“Too fast. Let’s go a little slower.”

“There’s something I need to talk about when we get there.”

Walking a little faster and crossing the street, Cloff held that warm hand even tighter. He wasn’t simply excited or thrilled. Lately, he felt guilty for not being loyal to Raphiel, and he disliked the very idea of having other thoughts in his head when he had such a good person by his side. Starting with the nightmare he had yesterday, Cloff concluded that marrying Raphiel quickly and resolving his frustrations was the best course of action. The Alpha’s steps, rushing towards a luxurious restaurant with the hand of a beautiful Omega, were even solemn.

Upon entering the restaurant, he gave his name to the manager and found their reserved table. As he had specifically requested, it was a table slightly tucked away in a corner. Decorated with partitions and indoor plants, it gave a cozy, secluded feeling. It was perfect for carrying out today’s plan.

“It’s a quiet and beautiful place.”

“The food’s good too.”

Soon, appetizers and wine were served. The two leisurely enjoyed their meal, asking about each other’s well-being during the time they hadn’t met. Raphiel, who wasn’t good with alcohol, had his face turn peach-colored after just one glass of wine and kept smiling with his eyes. Cloff felt his fatigue naturally dissipate at such loveliness.

A sweet body scent even emanated from the relaxed Omega. It seemed his heat cycle was approaching. Unlike someone’s contradictory blue eyes, which were cool yet seemed to burn fiercely, Raphiel’s slightly wavering and shimmering blue eyes looked incredibly wistful.

Warm breaths escaped through lips reddened by the fermented red fruit juice, stimulating the Alpha’s instincts. He wanted to taste those lips immediately, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the courage for a public kiss. Not because he wasn’t Alpha-like, but because he didn’t want to be grabbed by Raphiel’s father by the collar. For now, it was bearable. Cloff crossed his legs and covered his thighs with a napkin. He then toyed with Raphiel’s hand, which was resting on the table. The blonde Omega smiled with his eyes again.

‘I’m going to die here at this rate.’

Cloff crossed his legs the other way again and began to change the subject.

“Anything new lately?”

“As you know, I’m practicing cooking. And a while ago, I burned a shirt while ironing. I’m having a bit of trouble controlling the temperature.”

Raphiel began to chatter, and Cloff listened to his stories. Soon, the main course arrived, and they debated whether it was worth its reputation and price. Cloff felt at ease with Raphiel. There wasn’t as much excitement, but wasn’t marriage about stability anyway?

After swallowing a mouthful of tender, juicy meat, Raphiel spoke.

“Haven’t I been talking too much? How have you been, Lord Cloff?”

“Always the same. Meeting clients, meticulously breaking down their absurd delusions, then kicking their butts to guide them onto the right path. Plus, dealing with endless paperwork.”

“That sounds very interesting. Is that why you couldn’t sleep?”

“No, that has nothing to do with it.”

In fact, he didn’t even want to bring up the dream, which he only remembered right after waking up and barely recalled afterward. Even if one had to be honest with their future wife, there were some things that didn’t necessarily need to be revealed. A dream would end as a dream, and he had no intention of letting it interfere with reality.

Honestly, he barely remembered the dream he had early this morning. All he recalled was blonde hair, blue eyes, and that the other person was a very sensual Omega.

It was probably Raphiel. Compared to his appearance in the dream, he seemed a bit underdeveloped in reality, but he was still growing and would surely become a mature beauty within a year or two. And the very thing that had been troubling its owner just now proved it. Cloff smiled nonchalantly and drank his wine.

“I want to know about your daily life too, Lord Cloff. We’ll have many things to discuss in the future, so I’m diligently explaining my work, but you don’t explain anything. It’s not fair.”

Noticing that he was trying to change the subject, Raphiel pouted a little, which was so cute that Cloff finally surrendered.

“It won’t be interesting.”

“Anything about Lord Cloff is interesting.”

“If you insist.”

Looking into those two sparkling, jewel-like blue eyes, he began to tell stories about his clients and experiences with nobles, picking only the interesting bits. Raphiel was completely engrossed. Watching him nod, sometimes gasp in surprise, and occasionally even clap, Cloff began to open up more and more. His most recent headache, the Count, inevitably came up in conversation.

He grumbled that the Count, despite his brilliant mind and boundless artistic and humanistic knowledge, had no financial sense and only committed foolish acts, and even after setting boundaries, he would torment people as if trying to drive them to death. At this, Raphiel’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Count Teiwind?”

“Yes. That Count. He’s a real headache. Nothing goes smoothly with him. Even if I offer polite advice as his representative, he has no intention of listening and just spouts arrogant nonsense at every turn.”

“I can’t believe it. I thought he was a very polite and considerate person.”

“If that’s polite and considerate, then I’m the embodiment of courtesy.”

When Cloff snapped, Raphiel laughed, saying, “You just sounded like a child badmouthing a friend.”

“Let’s stop talking about that annoying fellow.”

“Annoying fellow? I’ve never heard anyone call the Count that before.”

“You’ll be seeing it often from now on.”

He said that with a frown, but Raphiel didn’t take it seriously and laughed even harder. He seemed to think it was a joke. Though, if he took it seriously, Cloff would have disliked appearing petty.

“If he’s that annoying, then I suppose it can’t be helped. I received an invitation from the Count’s family, so I’ll have to go alone or with my sibling.”

“An invitation? You don’t mean the concert?”

“Ah, you must know. Yes. They’re holding a concert in the rose garden this time. A master I like is coming, so I really want to go. I was originally going to ask you to come with me, but…”

He didn’t need to hear the rest. But that wasn’t the problem. Cloff wondered how Raphiel had received an invitation from the Count’s family. After Cloff had visited and warned him, the guest list had been halved again. To Cloff’s question, Raphiel gave an unexpected answer.

“He’s a relative. A cousin, if you count it. We’re not that close, so we haven’t had much interaction, but the Count has been sending me invitations regularly lately.”

“A relative?”

To Cloff’s disbelieving re-question, the blonde Omega nodded with an innocent smile.

“Yes, don’t the Count and I look alike?”

He couldn’t believe it. No, he didn’t want to believe it. Sometimes they looked similar, but he thought that was natural since they had the same hair and eye color. In fact, Raphiel was an Omega through and through, and the Count didn’t look like an Omega at all. He wasn’t overflowing with Alpha-ness, but he certainly wasn’t confusing. Only after hearing that did Cloff recall that annoying face and scrutinize Raphiel, and indeed, they did seem quite similar.

But Aeroc Teiwind and Raphiel Westfort were completely different people. Leaving aside the Alpha-Omega difference, their mannerisms, attitudes, and even their body scents bore no resemblance. Cloff twisted his lips peevishly and leaned back against the chair.

“You don’t look alike at all.”

“You’re very strange today, Lord Cloff. Other people think the Count and I look very much alike. In fact, people who don’t know us well often mistake us. Either they call me ‘Count’ or they follow the Count around thinking he’s an Omega.”

“Everyone’s blind. To me, you’re completely different. You could put hundreds of similar people in front of me, and I’d still tell you apart.”

At that, Raphiel blinked, then smiled a little shyly and drank some water. Cloff still leaned back in his chair, in a slightly unrefined posture, watching him.

‘Yes. I’d tell them apart no matter where they were. Raphiel and Aeroc are truly worlds apart. More importantly, who’s the bastard who hit on the Count thinking he was an Omega? Was it that guy from before? Seeing them flirting, it seems it wasn’t just a one-time thing. They think I’m serious when I get serious? What a joke.’

Cloff suddenly felt parched and gulped down the half-empty wine in one go.

“But you said you had something to tell me earlier.”

Raphiel, who had raised his head at some point and was staring at him, spoke cautiously, a hint of tension in his voice. Cloff, who had just put down his empty wine glass, snapped back to attention.

‘Ah, I had a plan today. This useless Count. He’s just a hindrance, whether he’s here or not.’

He fumbled inside his jacket and pulled out something he had carefully prepared before leaving the office. It was an invitation made of high-quality white handmade paper. Raphiel, who had been staring only at his fingertips with sparkling eyes, let out a disappointed “Ah.” At that, Cloff quickly straightened his posture and handed the invitation to Raphiel.

“Actually, I received this invitation too. I was going to ask you to come with me, but since you’ve already received one, it’s a bit anticlimactic.”

“Oh, no, it’s not. The evening concert in the rose garden is a very romantic event. I wanted to go with you too, so our hearts are in sync. I’m happy.”

Raphiel’s voice was a little subdued as he said that. His smile wasn’t as bright as Cloff had expected either. Cloff knew well enough that he had been expecting something else. Perhaps a beautiful platinum ring with a sapphire, or an Alpha kneeling and presenting that ring to him.

But Cloff’s thoughts were different. He couldn’t create a grand scene, but he wasn’t so desperate as to do it in a crowded restaurant like this. A once-in-a-lifetime proposal needed to be romantic. Although it was the Count’s family event, he had played a significant role in many ways, so he certainly had the right to use it for his private purposes.

“I don’t know all the ins and outs of noble family events. But I heard that the concert in Teiwind’s rose garden has a special meaning, doesn’t it?”

“Ah.”

Only then did surprise and anticipation spread across his crestfallen lover’s face, brightening it. Cloff chuckled at the distinctly different expression from before.

“Do you know?”

“It was traditionally the center of high society, so there are many legends. Among them, a tradition revived through the efforts of the former Countess is the evening concert. There’s a fairy tale-like story that love pledged in the mansion’s rose garden on a full moon night lasts forever. So many people on that day, specifically…”

Raphiel’s ears were already completely red by the time he finished speaking. Cloff had to forcibly suppress his laughter. If he laughed now, Raphiel might turn completely red and even faint.

“It’s the concert on this full moon. Can you come with me?”

“Yes.”

Raphiel replied in a small, barely audible voice and nodded. He was incredibly cute and lovely. Considering the cost the Count demanded, the concert that day would undoubtedly be incredibly luxurious and memorably beautiful. And it would also be the perfect day to propose to his future wife.

The dinner at the restaurant concluded smoothly. They finished an entire bottle of wine by the time dessert arrived. Cloff drank most of it, but Raphiel also drank a little more than usual. Unlike usual, Raphiel seemed very happy today, and that made Cloff happy too, so both of them had a bit too much to drink. So, when they left the restaurant in the evening, instead of taking a carriage immediately, they decided to walk to sober up.

In fact, it was time to send him home right away, but if he sent him off like this, he had no intention of being grabbed by the collar by his future father-in-law and accused of being a ‘shameless criminal who touched an Omega before marriage’ before he even proposed.

One might ask what overdrinking and speeding have to do with each other, but anyone who had met Viscount Westfort, who had greatly contributed to Raphiel growing up as pure as a flower, wouldn’t think so. It was best to be cautious before an important event. After walking a bit and letting the smell of wine dissipate, he planned to send him off in his favorite reckless carriage. The experienced coachman would deliver Raphiel precisely to the Westfort Viscount’s residence at the time Cloff specified.

“This is my first time walking around so late at night. My father is very strict…”

“I know that well enough. You’ll trip if you keep walking backward like that.”

When Cloff reached out his hand out of concern, Raphiel, very shyly, took it. It was a gesture to walk straight, not to take his hand, but what did it matter? Cloff held his hand tightly and walked. Raphiel leaned his head on Cloff’s arm, saying he felt a little dizzy. He must have had too much to drink.

The main street was quite crowded with people out for evening strolls. There were couples with children out late, and many lovers like Cloff and Raphiel. There were also groups of Alphas who seemed to be friends, and Omegas accompanied by guardians. Walking among them, Cloff savored the leisurely atmosphere. ‘Yes, this is what stability is.’

It was then. Raphiel, who had been walking crookedly, half-leaning on Cloff with his head tilted, suddenly straightened up and pointed to one side.

“Isn’t that person, Lord Teiwind?”

“What?”

Why is that name coming up again all of a sudden? Cloff immediately frowned and looked in the direction Raphiel was pointing. Unlike his usual light suit, the man was dressed in dark clothes, wearing a hooded cloak, and walking quickly alone somewhere. He kept turning his head to look around, pulling the slightly open edge of his hood to cover his face. As Raphiel said, he had a physique similar to Aeroc’s.

But there was no reason for the haughty Count to be walking alone at this late hour, in such suspicious attire, without any attendants, and entering a dirty, dark alley. Moreover, Aeroc always stood with his shoulders back and his head held high; he wasn’t the kind of person to walk timidly, hunching his shoulders and bowing his head, as if he had committed some crime, constantly looking around.

“Where could he be going?”

“I don’t know. But is it really the Count? He’s not the kind of person to wander around alone at this late hour. Without a carriage or servants.”

“Right. Did I see wrong?”

“Probably. That’s the way to a very disreputable place, and there’s no reason for the Count to go there.”

The place Cloff mentioned was the path leading to the capital’s worst slum, commonly known as ‘the Bottom.’ He knew it well, as he often used it as a shortcut when returning home and had dealt with a few mad dogs there. At his words, Raphiel tilted his head.

“Perhaps. I think the Count would be playing an instrument or reading at this hour. If he didn’t have a lover, that is.”

“True. Or plotting how to spend money.”

Cloff nodded lightly in agreement.

“I wasn’t feeling well that day, so I went to bed early. Why do you ask?”

“No. Just curious.”

“I didn’t realize I had to inform you of every detail of my private life. Or are you going to suggest a limit on sleep or something?”

A few days later, when Cloff visited to discuss the concert expenses and casually asked, Aeroc replied very irritably. He got so angry over nothing that Cloff also got annoyed and just stopped talking. That day, the unusually strong perfume scent gave Cloff a headache, so he only said what was absolutely necessary and left. Aeroc didn’t even give him a formal goodbye.