“Not Easy”

(3rd PERSON POV)

Lloyd looked back on the elders who attended the meeting. Before this, he was forced to marry someone for the sake of succession. Lloyd seemed to follow them obediently, but he plans to cleverly hit them in the back of their heads. Him bringing a female beta over wouldn’t have been the kind of twist they expected.

They assumed he’d bring a Dominant Omega with him. However, he got himself tangled with a female Beta instead. How will this turn out?

Lloyd didn’t hide his intriguing look and tilted his head crookedly.

“That Dominant Omega, you’re questioning why I didn’t get engaged with him instead?”

Lloyd’s voice, which replied to them about his engagement as he brought a mate with him, was disgusted but calm.

Calyx forgot what he was about to say and just smacked his lips. In the Claudia family, when Ethan emerged as a dominant omega, a meeting was held like today. It was good to make both families acquainted especially since the both of them are at the right age. There was also a discussion asking if the marriage was necessary.

However, the previous Archduke said that he would omit it because he never forgot his promise. He did not expect Lloyd to fulfill that promise for him either.

‘You’re going to hit the back of my head like this?’

For now, Calyx threw facts to smack some basic common sense to him..

“A Dominant Omega is the best match for a Dominant Alpha.”

However, Lloyd responded formidably.

“Elder Calyx has been saying Dominant Omega since earlier. Do you not know his name?

“Of course I know. Ethan Claudia. Is there anyone who doesn’t know the name?”

“I thought you didn’t know because you keep calling him Omega.”

At Lloyd’s shameless answer, Calyx squinted his eyes and asked back.

“Then, does his highness know the name of the woman he brought?”

Calyx looked as if he was really curious.

Ethan Claudia was a name anyone knew if they were in the Archduke’s Residence. They spoke as if he was someone they would serve, who would give birth to the Archduke’s descendant, and who would be the hostess of the Archduke’s resident.

The archduke knew it well. Despite being a meticulous person, he still brought another person contrary to their expectations. However, he was known to be indifferent, making them wonder if he actually knew the name of the person he brought home.

When asked by Calyx, Lloyd’s eyebrows twitched, resisting himself from clapping,

That’s right. It was a proper question. How could the Archduke, who doesn’t even know the names of his vassals, know the name of the person he seemed to have brought back half-assessedly? And they watched with excitement, with the intention of pushing forward when the Archduke faltered.

They had an edge this time, they wanted to push ahead with it…….

“Eileen Claudia.”

Lloyd had a confident smile dancing on his lips. Calyx, on the other hand, had an ugly expression on his face. He barely suppressed the desire to tear his head off.

“How…”

“I’m getting married soon, of course I have to know the name. She is still a chosen partner after all.”

Lloyd remembered the woman who confidently said her Omega brother wasn’t home and looking at him as if he were to kill her. His eyes danced amusedly to the people who didn’t know what circumstance occurred and was caught off-guard.

Calyx swallowed a sigh and glanced toward Elder Alan, the seniors’ representative. The wrinkled eyes, that seemed to look down at Lloyd, were observing how to reverse the situation.

As of this moment, Archduke Lloyd Rihast intends to marry the Beta woman he had brought home. However, the participants of the meeting wanted him to bring the Dominant Omega over. Perhaps this meeting might end longer than what was expected.

“I feel like we haven’t thoroughly explained the value of traits to his highness yet.”

“Is that so?”

Calyx was going to persuade him to somehow choose the Dominant Omega. As an alpha himself, he deserved to talk about traits. Lloyd’s attitude is a difficult problem because he is insincere.

“It would be good to talk about second gender characteristics to the Archduke.”

“Is it?”

“Let’s have an in-depth conversation until we understand it properly.”

Calyx spoke resolutely as if he would never stop until Lloyd bends his will.

“Do whatever you want.”

A wider smile crossed Lloyd’s lips as he accepted it.

Eileen, wandering in the room, was impatient; waiting for the never-ending meeting. Contrary to what the Archduke had suggested, she never slept.

“If Ethan had come, this meeting wouldn’t happen in the first place.”

However, she needed to be here. With a worried face, she paced back and forth.

“No matter how great the title of the Archduke is, some factors cannot be considered.”

If everyone agreed to reject her, it was clear that the Archduke would be pushed back. Eileen had a hard time finding stability because she was worried.

Not knowing that everyone is actually struggling to persuade the Archduke.

When Eileen inadvertently turned around, she made eye contact with her reflection in the mirror – an ordinary brown hair and brown eyes. It was because she was seeing this same color and image that she first realized the manifestation of her previous life.

Later on, when she manifested as an Omega, her plain brown hair had transformed into a golden color. Albeit, it was still ordinary as of this moment. Having thoughts of deceiving the masses by dressing up as a man, she couldn’t possibly do so as she cannot imitate Ethan’s blond hair and blue eyes.

“We are different from the beginning.”

Eileen let out a helpful self-talk. Unlike Ethan’s high nose, Eileen’s nose drew a finite curve, and unlike Ethan’s cool open lips, Eileen’s lips were dense and thick.

The part that resembles Ethan would be the diamond-shaped eyes and white skin.

“What if I bring oppa back to where he should be?”

Then Eileen’s worries deepened as to whether it would lead to the original flow when she already hid him away.

She looked around the door nervously before moving her attention to the window. Even though the sky turned red before she knew it, there was no sign of it being opened.

“I can’t wait any longer.”

Eileen approached the door. Nervousness wafted her heart and didn’t let go.

“I need to know a little bit about what’s going on.”

Up until now, the butler had only visited her room a couple of times to ask if there was something that she needed. It was frustrating because she was never given an answer despite inquiring about the Archduke’s meeting.

“Let’s find out for a second and come back right away.”

After pondering for a while, she immediately opened the door. Once in the quiet hallway welcomed her, Eileen immediately leaned toward the trinkets. She thought about wanting to hear even just a little bit of the meeting and paced towards that direction.

“So I suggest you think about it again.”

Calyx lightly wiped the sweat from his temple with his sleeve.

He spent quite a long time telling his nephew about traits from alpha, to omega, and to beta. Before they knew it, a red sunset was dyed on Lloyd’s face.

Lloyd, who had been patting the armrest of the chair with his finger, slowly started speaking.

“It’s been a long time since I had class. Humans are born with their first gender, either male or female. The second gender is determined during the second gender test. The second gender, also called special traits, differs between individuals. It usually appears at the age of 16 and 17. At that time, everyone who was not awakened as an Alpha or Omega is considered a Beta.”

Those who attended the meeting focused on Lloyd’s calm voice and listened without realizing it. Obviously, what he said was easier to understand. Perhaps, it was also due to Lloyd’s low-pitched voice.

“It is common for Alphas to mate with an Omega and for Beta men to meet with Beta women. The biggest reason for separating them is due to pheromones. The pheromone that only an Alpha or Omega has.”

“Betas could not feel pheromones at all. In addition, pheromone communion between traits makes the relationship between the two stronger and at the same time affects the traits of its successors.”

Lloyd pruned Calyx’s story mercilessly, and as a result, a fairly neat arrangement continued.

“Beta men and Alpha women can make children. It would be the same for Beta women to give birth from an Alpha male’s children. Men can get pregnant if their second gender is an Omega. In a Beta’s case, if the mate is an Alpha, most of them give birth to Beta child, and the chances of having an Alpha child…….”

While Lloyd’s words stopped for a moment as he breathed in. It meant that he was focusing on what he said.

“…. Is less likely.”

“That is correct.”

Calyx stood up and applauded loudly. As if it were the heart of a teacher praising a great student, he even acted as if he was moved that Lloyd understood everything he said.

“The Archduke is not just an ordinary alpha, but a dominant alpha. So, you need to mate with a dominant Omega so that the next successor will most likely be a dominant-“

“Elder Calyx.”

Lloyd raised his hand and cut him off.

“Didn’t you say Beta women can give birth to children?”

“Archduke, you’ve summarized what I’ve said so far. What are you trying to say?”

“Moreover, you can have a child with a trait once the child’s second gender manifests.”

“But the chances are quite low.”

“It’s not impossible.”

Calyx glanced at Lloyd with bewildered eyes. He said the possibility was so small, but he seemed to say he was wrong to persuade Lloyd unless it was impossible.

They’re back to where they started.

Lloyd looked around leisurely while Calyx put his hand on his chest in frustration. 

Now that he was done watching because he was curious how it’ll turn out, Alan began stepping out of the meeting room.

Watching everything made him realize that it was meaningless to mention traits and change the direction of the question.

“Did the beta woman follow you on her own volition?”

It is said that the Archduke went directly, but it must have been like lightning in the dry sky. Did she really follow him on her own volition?

(TL/N: I think he meant to say that he came and threatened her to do his bidding.)

At Alan’s suspicion, Lloyd smiled brightly, revealing his teeth.

“Of course.”