Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 23.1 The little sunshine clears away dark cloud

The eventful rutting season had passed. Kloff, certain of Aeroc’s pregnancy, immediately moved into the mansion. It was a matter of course. No Alpha would leave a pregnant Omega alone at a distance.

The mansion had plenty of unused rooms, so there was no immediate inconvenience. However, a few servants who were slow to grasp the situation were called by the butler and given various precautions. No one questioned Kloff’s frequent visits to Aeroc’s room or his sharing a bed with the Count. Instead, the maid, Massa, was surprised to learn that the Omega her master brought was, in fact, the famous Count.

“So, that person is Master’s…?”

“That’s how it turned out. Only the directly employed servants know that he’s an Omega, so please ensure the information doesn’t leak elsewhere.”

“No, what’s the point of keeping quiet? You said he’s pregnant, right? It’ll show.”

“That’s a problem for later. For now, I’d like Massa to look after him. There aren’t many people I can trust with this.”

“So, I’m on my way to the Count’s estate now?”

“Hmm, the Count’s estate also had a housekeeper, but after she retired two years ago, they couldn’t find a suitable person, so the butler managed everything. But an Alpha butler can’t look after a pregnant Omega. I also have my own duties. Especially since Aeroc is a unique case, having changed from an Alpha to an Omega, he won’t have much experience himself, so I hope Massa can help him well.”

As Kloff made his request in the carriage, Massa covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.

“Don’t worry. It was my dream to serve such a high-ranking beauty as the lady of the house. Hohoho. And how beautiful will the baby be when it’s born? I’m already excited.”

“Don’t be too excited. Aeroc is easily startled and cries easily. He eats all food well, but he absolutely won’t eat raisins. He also won’t eat any dried fruit that looks or tastes similar to them. He likes reading, and he’s deeply knowledgeable in music and art. He has strong pride. But he’s not rude, so I hope you get along well.”

Massa nodded.

In fact, she wasn’t the problem. When the topic of moving into the mansion first came up, Aeroc had replied, “Isn’t that obvious? We’ll see each other every day. Don’t bother commuting tiredly; just use the room next door or across the hall. I’ll tell Hugo.”

“…The room next door, not the same room?”

As Kloff turned around while tying his tie, Aeroc, sitting on the bed and sipping juice, blushed slightly.

“We have to use separate rooms.”

“Is that the Count’s family tradition?”

“Any noble does that.”

“Hmm, I don’t like that much.”

“We’ll be sleeping together at night anyway, so it doesn’t matter if we have our own rooms during the day.”

“Can we sleep together at night?”

As he put on his vest and jacket, Kloff’s gaze met Aeroc’s in the mirror. He nodded slightly.

“Only in my room, though.”

“You mean you won’t come to my room?”

“Only concubines sneak into an Alpha’s room when he has a spouse. I’m not a concubine.”

“Of course not.”

“You can always come to my room, so you come.”

Kloff chuckled slightly at how Aeroc was meticulously adhering to tradition and etiquette. Yet, he had broken the great ancient law of Alpha primogeniture, pretended to be an Alpha, and was now pregnant with a child who was legally no different from a bastard. He was an accomplice, yet he spoke with such confidence and straightened shoulders that he was too cute to scold. Instead, Kloff left a short kiss on his red lips and asked,

“Then I should organize my house. Massa is the only employee, so it won’t be difficult.”

“What about Massa?”

“I was going to ask you anyway. You don’t have an experienced Omega to help you during your pregnancy. There’s no housekeeper at the mansion either. Can’t we bring her?”

Aeroc was silent for a moment. He looked at Kloff, pondering, then asked, “Do you want her to be here?”

“I’d like her to be. Even if she nags a lot, she’s meticulous and comforting. Honestly, there’s no one on my side at the mansion. But you’re the master of the mansion, so I’ll follow your wishes.”

He had no intention of forcing him. Although it would be a bit disappointing to part with Massa, it wasn’t more important than Aeroc. But Aeroc soon agreed.

“…Okay. As you said, there’s no housekeeper at the mansion, and we’ll need a nanny to look after the children who will be born. She will definitely raise our children well. Beautifully, without a wrinkle. And boldly, so they can speak up confidently even if you get angry.”

Kloff, sitting on the bed, stared at Aeroc, who was only wearing silk pajamas.

“Have you heard Massa nagging me? When did you come to my house before?”

“No, just by her appearance, I assumed so.”

“Still, we’re raising them. Even if Massa expects a blond, blue-eyed young master and nags me to win over a beauty. She’s a nanny, and we’re the parents. Especially since you’re the mother, don’t think of leaving it to someone else.”

As Kloff took the hand neatly placed on the bedsheet and kissed its tip, Aeroc nodded as if realizing an obvious truth anew. After kissing his softly flowing blond hair, Kloff abruptly stood up. Today was the day he had an appointment with the Minister of Finance. It would be troublesome to be late. After checking his attire for any issues, he quickly drank the lukewarm, cooled tea and was about to leave when Aeroc called from behind.

“Ah, I should tell Hugo in advance.”

“I’ll leave that to you.”

“How can you leave such a difficult task to me?”

“Hugo is your responsibility. I… can’t. You know that, right?”

Kloff fled without listening to Aeroc calling from behind. And he left the mansion before a blade-like gaze could strike him from somewhere.

It was a slightly early evening after he had finished all his necessary errands. First, he went home to explain the situation to Massa and told her to pack only the essentials immediately. As they were on their way to the mansion together, he already felt uncomfortable in his seat.

“Massa. There’s someone else we need to be careful of besides Aeroc.”

Massa, already excited, blinked her round eyes and asked in a slightly higher voice, “Who?”

“Hugo. There’s a butler who has served the mansion for 30 years. A meticulous, truly obstinate old man who seems to have been born for the profession of a butler.”

“He must dislike you, then? As the bad guy who touched the precious master.”

Massa was quick-witted, as expected. When Kloff confirmed it, Massa burst into loud laughter again.

“Don’t worry. I don’t just take things lying down either. What’s there to be afraid of when the next Count is Master’s child anyway? Don’t worry about such useless things and just focus on your career. If the Master does well, I can live comfortably too.”

His spirit was already spread so wide that there was no more room to expand, and if it spread any further, it would be unmanageable. But Massa’s words somehow reassured Kloff. Indeed, Massa was the only one he could trust.

As soon as they stepped out of the carriage, the mansion door swung open, and the butler, with his usual composed expression, came out to greet them. He slightly narrowed his brows and twitched the corner of his mouth when he saw Massa following Kloff, but he said nothing. It seemed Aeroc had handled the conversation well during the day. Footmen, instructed by the butler, carried Kloff’s and Massa’s luggage inside.

As they followed the silently leading butler, Massa whispered softly,

“He doesn’t seem easy to deal with at all, does he?”

“That’s why, Massa, please survive. If something happens to you too, I’ll have to live alone in this house forever.”

“Don’t be such a drama queen, soon-to-be father. But I’ll do my best.”

The butler cleared his throat, as if he heard their whispering. The two were soon separated and guided to different parts of the mansion. Massa followed the maid who was guiding her, marveling at the luxurious corridors, while Kloff was led by the butler to a room quite far from Aeroc’s.

“…The room next door or across the hall…”

“The countesses have traditionally used this room.”

Kloff felt as if an ice storm was blowing from the butler’s mouth.

“I’m not the Countess.”

“Of course, it would be absurd to call Lord Bendyke, whose burly physique is no less than a naked bandit’s and whose conduct disgraces his noble body no less than a pirate’s, a Countess. However, I am faithfully following the Count’s command to treat him with equivalent respect, given that he is the genetic provider of the future heir. Since the Count uses the Count’s private bedroom, Lord Bendyke has naturally been escorted to this room.”

Kloff, standing dazed, enveloped in the ice storm, gritted his teeth and said, “Butler. If you keep throwing punches like that in front of a criminal who roams mountains and seas, and something goes wrong, Aeroc will be sad.” But the butler ignored him and pulled back the curtains.

“To refine one’s rough demeanor, beautiful nature is indeed the best. From this room, you can see the rose garden cherished by the former Countess. Please purify your mind and body by gazing upon that garden.”

The garden outside the window, faintly lit even at night, felt very familiar. It was similar to the room he had used when he visited the mansion as a guest before, but the view was better. By the window, there was an old, comfortable armchair facing outwards.

While he stood silently by the window, gazing out, the butler had already vanished. Indeed, he still lacked something to defeat the wily fox. Kloff tapped his forehead with his finger and then sat in the armchair. Purify his mind and body, he said. It was ridiculous, but somehow, looking at it, he really felt at peace.

In the dark room, a silver-haired man sat in an armchair. His gaze, unmoving like a stuffed animal, was fixed on the garden outside the window. He watched the green and red garden sparkle under the bright midday sun, as dawn broke and orange sunlight began to illuminate it. He watched endlessly until dusk fell and the purple rays gave way to darkness, his vacant eyes seeing only the garden and the dilapidated shack standing like an eyesore within it. From the spring day when the snow melted, through the fresh early summer, into the desolate autumn, and until the quiet, snowy winter night arrived, the man did not leave that chair.