Hiding That The Damn Prince Is An Omega

Vol-2: Chaptet 10.3

“Are you cold?”

Sensing Étienne's trembling, Richard hurriedly took off his jacket. Then he slung it over Etienne's shoulder.

Étienne tightened his lips at the slight trace of Richard's warmth on the jacket. Éttienne himself couldn't be seen agitated by his scent.

“How about your arms? Are you sick?”

Richard couldn't shake off his worries easily. His gaze caught on Theodore, he turned to Étienne's arm.

Only then did I feel the pain I had forgotten about.

I'm bruised.

Étienne glanced down at his throbbing arm and clicked his tongue lightly. He was, after all, a needlessly weak body.

“How did you know this place?”

Étienne chose to divert his words from the answer. He didn't want to show his weaker side here, and he wondered how Richard could have shown up here at such a good timing.

“I saw you go to the balcony alone and I followed you.”
“.....what about the people? What about father emperor?”
“I asked for his understanding to come after a little rest. Even Her Majesty allowed it.”

Richard, who had been tormented by people all day, replied with a tired expression. Then he looked at Etienne and folded his eyes.

"Anyway, now it's just the two of us, brother."

Older brother.

Étienne was overcome with a complicated feeling as he watched Richard, who naturally called himself his older brother.

His face, voice, and size were different from what he remembered, so it felt unfamiliar, but seeing that he smiled while calling him big brother, he looked like the Richard he knew.

“A little while ago, you were polite to ask me as the prince, so why are you my brother again?”

"Hmm…...? It's just the two of us right now."

He tilted his head to one side with his face that Richard was asking him for granted. It was Etienne who was speechless when he saw what was wrong.

“I want to call you big brother in front of other people, but you’ll hate it…...”

“I also hate it when the two of us are together. Please continue to be polite from now on.”

"Apart from saying that, you're talking comfortably to me right now."

Oops.

Richard's point made Étienne aware of his mistake. When asked to be polite to Richard, he realized that he was habitually speaking informally.

“Hmmmm. From now on, I will call you Grand Duke.”

Embarrassed, Etienne coughed and used an awkward honorific. Then, Richard's brow wrinkled slightly.

“…...I feel weird when my brother does that. Just make it as comfortable as before.”

“I don’t like it.”

Richard's face turned sullen at the harsh refusal.Etienne's heart tingled for no reason at his dejected puppy-like appearance.

Why the hell is he like this?

Étienne thought seriously about Richard.

I thought about it before, but he only followed me well.

When he was younger, he used to enjoy Richard's blind affection, but not anymore. Things have changed since then.

Contrary to personal feelings, Richard and Étienne were now in a politically confrontational position.

I don't know if it was when I was young, but now that I'm an adult, I have to be careful with each other.

But Richard didn't seem to think so. Even 3 years ago, even now when we met again.

“Did you receive the letter I sent you? I sent it whenever I had free time, but I couldn’t tell if it arrived safely to my brother.”

“…...got it. Until last year.”

Étienne, who was stubbornly glaring at Richard, who was called his older brother, answered with a sigh. No matter how much he grappled with him, the only thing that got him tired was himself.

“Oh, it’s true that I couldn’t send it this year. Sorry."

At Etienne's words, Richard put on an apologetic expression. He added as if to excuse himself.

“I wanted to send this year too…... Things turned around in a hurry. I was a little distracted.”

"I know. No need to apologize. It's nothing to apologize for. It is not strange to write letters on the battlefield where battles are fought every day.”

"Anyway, I'm glad it went well. Since there is no reply, I don’t know if it arrived properly or if it was lost in the middle.”

“I said I wouldn’t reply."

Étienne deliberately replied bluntly. When he thought of Richard's letter, his mood rapidly sank.

Richard has stayed true to what he said three years ago. He wrote to Etienne every season.

<‘I am doing well. Is my brother doing well? Until we see you again, I hope you are healthy and do not get sick.>

The content of the letter was nothing special. It ended with saying hello and asking how I was doing.

“The content is always the same…..”
“You read my letter.”

At Etienne's words, Richard's face brightened. He looked very happy.

No, it's a word I brought up to give you a face, but why do you like it?

Étienne was a little taken aback by Richard's reaction.

Perhaps aware of Etienne's embarrassment, the excited Richard held his hand with a smile on his face. Etienne flinched at the sudden action, and his shoulders trembled.

“I missed you. older brother."

Richard took Étienne's hand to his side and lowered his head. Suddenly, warmth touched the back of his cold hand.

“Being able to see you again like this..... I'm so glad. What about you, brother?”