Wife? I'm a man! Can you see that I'm male in every way?
To be fair, he is indeed an omega, but "wife" is not the right term to describe him, and his status is that of a consort. Although he would fulfill the duties of a wife, he is merely a consort.
It was strange. Why was Alric talking as if he didn't recognize Silas?
Silas fell silent. His mind suddenly raced. He looked again at Alric, who was eating politely, sitting upright with no trace of food on his lips. His appearance exuded the elegance of a pure-blooded aristocrat, flawless in every way.
Could it be that indeed Alric didn't recognize him? It was possible he had forgotten Silas. After all, the last time they interacted was when they were in middle school. If he tried to calculate, that was more than 10 years ago. They were both nearly in their 20s now. Alric must have gone through a lot. After leaving middle school, he attended a royal school, whereas Silas went to a school far from that. Alric then went to a university only accessible to nobles, a place where omega and women were forbidden to study. After that, he went straight into the military—so many things must have happened in his life, and Silas surely wasn't someone special enough to be remembered after all that time.
Their interactions were brief, so it was impossible for anything to have made a lasting impression.
If Alric didn't remember Silas's failed confession to him back in school, should Silas feel relieved? That was a painful and embarrassing experience that often haunted his dreams. It was probably better that Alric didn't remember it—the moment when he called him "disgusting omega."
Silas glanced back at Alric, then at the food on his plate. A few shrimp lay there, and he hesitated before directing his fork toward them. He had never eaten shrimp before, so he prayed he wouldn't have a natural reaction to disliking it.
Bringing the shrimp to his mouth, Silas took a small bite. The sweet and savory flavor of the tender meat made his eyes light up, and he devoured all the shrimp on his plate, feeling a little disappointed that Alric had only given him a small portion. Though he tried hard not to show his "greediness" at the dining table.
After their dinner was over and the servants cleared all the plates from the table, the ceremony of their formal agreement began. At this moment, Silas's stomach churned with regret for having eaten so much.
Alric and all the family members from both sides stood up, as did Silas, who now stood directly in front of Alric.
"Silas, your hand."
"Uh... um, yes?"
He reacted like a fool and almost raised the wrong hand.
Alric gently took his hand and whispered for him to wait a moment, so he released Silas's hand briefly and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small box, and everyone who saw it knew what was inside.
But since Silas was only a consort, there was only one ring inside. Alric wouldn't be wearing one.
Silas wondered why Alric hadn't looked for a wife first but had instead chosen a consort. Wouldn't it have been better to officially marry and find a candidate for a spouse first? Alric would soon become a Grand Duke once his father reached the designated age, and that was certain. So why had he taken a consort first?
Nobles having consorts before wives wasn't uncommon, but it was somewhat frowned upon.
Alric took Silas's hand, squeezing it briefly before softening his grip. His eyes lingered on Silas's hand, which looked embarrassingly small compared to his own, with an expression Silas couldn't quite describe.
There was something like sadness reflected in those crystalline eyes.
He turned Silas's hand over as if inspecting it, then, as if realizing what he was doing, he let out a soft sigh and slipped the ring onto Silas's ring finger.
Applause broke out, and Silas could hear his father half-shouting emotionally, "Ah, my child is all grown up now. I'm so sad to let him go." The Grand Duchess tried to comfort him, saying that all Silas' needs would always be guaranteed.
Alric still hadn't let go of his hand, his gaze fixed on the finger now adorned with the ring.
"I will do better, I promise."
"Huh?"
Their eyes met, and on Alric's lips was a smile that made Silas's heart feel tight. It might have been an illusion, but Alric's eyes seemed to glisten with unshed tears—though, of course, no tears actually fell, not even a single drop.
"Um, we need to sign... the paper."
Silas slowly pulled his hand from Alric's grasp. The man reflexively reached for it but stopped, as if realizing he was acting strangely, and exhaled, "Ah, you're right."
Though officially titled as a consort, their wedding had been a mere formality—an affair of ink and paper, devoid of celebration.
After they signed the paper, both parties would keep a copy. Silas raised his hand and looked at his ring finger, which felt heavy—though the weight was more psychological than physical.
"..."
He laughed inwardly—a wedding with two brides in white dresses in a church would never happen for him, not even once in his lifetime. Even his own saliva tasted bitter now.
"Silas."
When Alric called his name, Silas immediately smiled—he didn't want the sadness he was feeling to show on his face.
"Hm?"
"I... I'm sorry if the ring isn't as nice as you expected. I can buy a new one."
"Uh?"
He had almost forgotten. Too caught up in his own thoughts, Silas hadn't even had a chance to look at the ring he was wearing. It wouldn't be good if Alric thought he wasn't impressed with the gift. Quickly, Silas inspected the new accessory on his ring finger. His eyes widened at the sight of the gleaming gold band adorned with three small diamonds. The craftsmanship of the gold seemed to be the work of a master, and... wasn't this too extravagant to give to a consort?
"I can buy a new one. Maybe we can pick it out together."
At Alric's words, Silas immediately shook his head. "What? Are you insane?" Silas quickly covered his mouth with his hand—him and his habits. He shouldn't have spoken so rudely. He quickly corrected himself. "I mean, this is far too good for my finger. Only a fool wouldn't like this... ah, I mean, it's really beautiful, and I love it... thank you."
The longer he spoke, the more his words became a jumbled mess.
Hearing Silas try to explain his thoughts about the ring, Alric smiled faintly—it wasn't good for Silas's heart. Really, could going to military and experiencing war change someone's personality so much? Why did it feel like he was talking to a stranger?
Alric smiled a lot. Saying "a lot" might be an exaggeration, but Silas thought so because, throughout his life, whether watching Alric from afar or attending the same school, Alric had never smiled. Not once. Not even a single smile to his own peers. Alric also wasn't someone who liked to be touched or to touch others, so what he was witnessing now was something that could only happen in a dream.
Was this a dream?
Silas pinched his own hand, feeling the sharp pain on his skin. It was clear he wasn't dreaming.