It was a good thing he hadn't handed over the letter back then. And it was a good thing that man never found out what was written inside. The man who was his first love— Alric von Wittenheim.
He no longer had feelings for that man. That experience had likely been so traumatic it left him incapable of liking anyone again. It was an event that drove Silas to focus obsessively on his studies and avoid alphas entirely. Thanks to that, he had spent his life single, never even dating anyone, only to end up being arranged to marry that very same man—a man who despised omegas. He could already predict it: this would be hell. He would be nothing more than a lifelong concubine, never knowing what it felt like to be in a mutual, loving relationship.
The sound of a knock on the door startled Silas, and he rushed to open it. He was even more surprised when he saw his stepsister standing there, holding a set of clothes for him. "Father asked me to give these to you. You didn't forget we have a dinner tonight at the Wittenheim mansion, did you?"
Hearing his stepsister speak was rare enough that it briefly caught Silas off guard. Their relationship wasn't particularly good, but it wasn't bad either. They had minimal interactions, even when Silas was a child. Still, Silas was grateful that his stepsister had never done anything cruel to him.
"Ah, thank you, Adelina."
Taking the clothes from her hands, Silas unfolded them and felt the fabric. It was smooth to the touch—definitely high quality materials.
"Are you nervous?"
"Huh?" Silas tilted his head. He heard her clearly, but he hadn't expected Adelina to ask him anything. He had assumed she'd leave as soon as she handed him the clothes. Scratching his cheek, he let out a sigh. "Of course I'm nervous."
"Do you always have to obey everything Father says? Why are you so obedient?"
"...."
Silas didn't reply. He bit his bottom lip and glanced at Adelina, whose eyes were eerily unblinking. Her expressionless face gave no hint of what she was thinking, and it didn't seem like she expected an answer anyway. Without waiting for a response, she simply turned and left, leaving Silas holding the clothes in both hands.
He inspected the outfit again. The waistline looked a little tight, but the long sleeves and simple embroidery on the chest didn't leave much to complain about.
Running a hand through his hair, Silas glanced at his reflection in the mirror. His striking violet eyes distracted even him, and he chuckled softly at himself. Looking at his face, he admitted he was handsome—maybe a bit pretty for a man, but he knew his personality was anything but delicate. No matter how many times his father urged him to behave gently, deep down Silas knew he couldn't always behave softly like a noble. Still, he'd have to embrace every lesson in etiquette his father drilled into him once he officially became the consort of the Grand Duke's son.
A life where he couldn't be himself—it made Silas wonder if there had ever been a single thing he had done purely out of his own desires.
'Do you always have to obey everything Father says? Why are you so obedient?'
Silas snorted. His stepsister's words replayed in his mind, and he realized he had the same question for her.
During their childhood, they rarely interacted, but Silas often overheard their father lamenting how unfortunate it was that he didn't have a son and how troublesome daughters could be. He repeatedly told Adelina to find a partner from high ranking noble, claiming that was one of the few uses of having a daughter. Adelina never protested. She attended the same etiquette lessons as Silas and never complained, unlike Silas, who was often scolded for failing at something as simple as holding a spoon, knife, or fork properly.
Still, Adelina's obedience seemed to pay off. She managed to marry her first love, a nobleman, a young count who genuinely loved her in return, and they eventually moved in together in a neighboring territory of the Lichtberg Empire. Now, the two of them had come here to attend the dinner banquet at the Wittenheim mansion.
Ah, I'm an omega. I should know my place. How fortunate it was for me to be adopted by a wealthy baron—had I remained on the streets, I'd likely have ended up as a slave.
A shiver ran down his spine at the thought. Yes, it was true. He was incredibly lucky to have been adopted into the baron's family, even if his father concealed the fact that Silas was adopted. Instead, he claimed Silas was born of a woman he'd had a relationship with during the war, with custody granted to him afterward.
Silas imagined what would happen if the Grand Duke's family discovered the truth. He and his father might very well be executed for deceiving them. While that might seem extreme, no one could predict what would happen when a noble family's wrath was unleashed—they were capable of anything.
Grand Duke of Lichtberg— his wealth would remain unshaken even if he were stripped of his title. Controlling vast territories with pure gold mines and being a leading producer of jewelry for the nobility, he also owned a company that produced premium silk. Even without the title of Grand Duke, he would still be the wealthiest man in Lichtberg. It wasn't surprising that Silas's father was so insistent on arranging this marriage with the Wittenheim family, regardless of the fact that Silas would only be a consort.
The agreement Silas had read in the letter from the Grand Duke was clear: Silas would need to produce two sons to secure 8% of the profits from Wittenheim's gold mines and some vacant lands in the eastern territories. That amount was significant, especially considering that his father, the baron, was an outsider. Typically, only those related by blood to the Wittenheim family would be entitled to such territorial privileges.
Yes, thinking about it again, it would be disastrous if they ever found out that Silas wasn't the baron's biological son.
Producing two sons? That would undoubtedly be an incredibly difficult task. He doubted Alric would even be willing to touch him, let alone enough to achieve such a thing. It all seemed utterly futile. However, this marriage had already brought his father significant advantages, including many permits to expand his hotel business, with the Grand Duke himself providing assistance. His father was overjoyed by this and couldn't stop counting the endless flow of money coming in.
Silas also read in the agreement that once he gave birth to two sons, he would have the freedom to either stay or divorce, on the condition that custody of the children would belong to the Wittenheim family.
"...."
It wasn't that he had any cruel intention to abandon his future children, but wouldn't their lives be far better and their futures more secure if they were raised by the Wittenheim family? Unlike him—a lowly, orphaned omega—it would be shameful for them to live with a father like him, someone who married to gain something.
— .... What would he truly gain from this marriage?
As Silas thought about it, his heart grew heavier. He repeatedly reminded himself that this was the only way to repay the baron, who had saved him from his unfortunate fate as a male omega. Male omegas were rare, often sold as slaves at high prices. Only omegas from noble families were respected—and throughout his life, he had avoided harsh criticism solely because he carried the baron's name.
It's fine, he told himself. I'm fine. He should be grateful for the chance to marry into the Wittenheim family, even as a consort. It didn't matter; many others would envy his position and use the opportunity to their fullest advantage.
In noble society, it wasn't uncommon for married men to have multiple concubines. even the Grand Duke had five women as his concubines, and his wife, the Grand Duchess, was fully aware of it. However, as long as the she still held her position, it seemed that she had no complaints.
Noblemen always knew which women were to be their wives and which would only occupy the position of consort—they each knew their place.
Peering at the bright sunlight, the night still seemed far away. So, Silas tried to calm his heart by continuing to read the book he had already started. He still had plenty of time to forget that tonight was his last night in this house.