[BL] The Rascal Prince Hides that He is an Omega <Slow Update>

Chapter 3

"...Ahem."

The Empress, lost in old memories, was brought back to the present by a shallow cough. She looked at Etienne standing there like a guilty party with indifferent eyes. As she glimpsed the sparkling aquamarine eyes beneath long eyelashes, her feelings became complicated for a moment.

It had been over twenty years since the decision was made to raise the child as a beta rather than an omega.

It was a game where everything would be over if his omega status was revealed.

For the past two decades, every moment had been like walking a tightrope, but so far, Leona had managed to navigate it well. With the help of Duke Herace, she had expanded her influence and gained control of over half of the palace. Her power and influence continued to grow stronger with each passing day.

With newfound confidence, Leona, along with the Duke, had been pressuring the Emperor to fill the position of the Crown Prince since two years ago. However, they encountered more resistance than anticipated.

To make matters worse, the situation took a sudden turn. Not only were they faced with opposition from the Emperor's faction, but nearly half of the military and neutral factions also stood against Etienne's candidacy for the throne.

They deem Etienne unfit to be Emperor and are supporting Duke Eckhardt as the next Emperor.

"..."

Leona furrowed her brow as she recalled the seemingly unsolvable problem.

"He's coming back, huh?"

Etienne involuntarily stiffened at the Empress's words, clearly identifying "him" as Duke Eckhardt.

"Why? Are you pleased that he's returning?" The Empress, keenly aware of Etienne's unease, narrowed her eyes.

"No." Etienne replied calmly, careful not to betray any emotions in his expression. Thankfully, his voice remained steady. To avoid arousing any suspicion from the Empress, he quickly added, "I wouldn't be pleased at all."

"Alright. It shouldn't be."

Finally, the Empress smiled satisfactorily. Her lips, reminiscent of crimson rose petals, formed a delicate curve.

"If he returns, there will be a serious dispute over the position of the Crown Prince."

The Empress's voice lowered. She seemed to grind her teeth as she became increasingly agitated.

"The Emperor intends to appoint him as the Crown Prince."

As expected.

Etienne nodded without showing any surprise. It was a well-known fact that the Emperor held a special regard for his distant cousin, Richard.

In the past, the Emperor had taken it upon himself to look after Duke Eckhardt, who lost his parents at a young age, until he entered the imperial military academy. He personally took care of every detail from start to finish.

While the Emperor seemed to be a cold breeze to his own son Etienne, he was like a warm spring breeze to Duke Eckhardt, leading to various discussions and rumors.

Some courtiers, who enjoyed gossiping, joked that it seemed like the children had been swapped. Some nobles even speculated that it was because Etienne was a beta while Duke Eckhardt was an omega.

Given that the Emperor himself was born an alpha and rose to the throne by trampling over his siblings, such claims were somewhat believable.

The Emperor did not deny the rumors surrounding Etienne and Duke Eckhardt. Furthermore, even some of the Emperor's loyalists supported Duke Eckhardt as the next Emperor.