It has been three months since I encountered with Laurence. Not only is his research going well, but I also made some money investing. With my plans proceeding so smoothly, I let myself relax a little.

To commemorate my first time making money, I decided to give a gift to my little angel.

“Evan! Look at what your brother bought to you~”

“Bwother!”

As soon as I called, a small, cute thing came running and hugged me.

I took the plush toy I had hidden behind my back and showed him.

“Look, Evan! Didn’t you want this before?”

“Bunny!”

He hugged the toy and then gave me one of his angelical smiles.

“Thank you, Bwother!”

‘Bump’

Evan uses the move angelical smile! The attack was super effective!

“Bwother? You okay?”

Oh dear, he’s just so adorable.

He’s an angel.

“I’m fine, Evan. Did you like the gift?”

He nodded with a smile.

“Uh!”

Why is he so cute?

I petted his head a little more.

“Don’t show the bunny to mother, okay?”

He looked at me with a puzzled face.

“Why?”

If our female egg donor knew it, she would destroy the bunny in front of Evan while saying something like alphas don’t play with such useless toys’.

Yes, that woman definitely would do something like this.

She had already forbidden us from eating sweets inside this house because, according to her, “True alphas don’t eat sweets.”

She grounded me for a week three months ago when she found cookie crumbles on my clothes.

But I couldn’t say this to Evan.

“Because mister bunny is ve~ry shy. If you show him to the grown-ups, he might hide somewhere very difficult to find”

His eyes got teary. My heart hurt from the guilt of saying it.

“I don’t Wanna mister bunny two hide...”

“It’s okay, Evan! Don’t cry! Mister bunny will be friends with Evan and brother, okay?”

“Fwiends?”

“Yes! He’ll be our secret friend, okay? Only brother and Evan can be friends with mister bunny”

“Okay. Then mister bunny will be fwiends with Ebby, bwother... And mommy and daddy too!”

“N-no Evan, remember? Mister Bunny is very shy. You can’t show him to mom and dad, okay? Promise me.”

“Pwomise bwother...”

Evan didn’t seen to understand very well, but he still promised. I sighed in relief. Although I didn’t like them, I didn’t want to break Evan’s expectations towards his parents when he’s so young. I wanted him to have a happy childhood. I wanted Evan to smile and play like a child his age. And if I had to lie or hide some things from him for it, then so be it.

“Let’s play bwother?”

I was going to say yes when I heard hurried footsteps approaching us.

“Sorry, Evan, we’ll have to play later. Go hide mister Bunny, okay?”

“Okay!”

I went out of Evan’s bedroom. Just as I closed the door, my parents’ steward appeared in front of me. His face was red and beads of sweat dripped from his face.

Usually, the steward always kept a composed countenance. That was the first time I had seen him like that.

“Young Master, you have a guest.”

“A guest?”

How strange.

“The Madam is waiting for you at the lounge.”

That woman? Waiting for me?

Something was fishy. I took a better look at the steward’s face. He seemed a little nervous, but his eyes also shined with anticipation.

Are we receiving an important guest? But who in the world would look for me and not for my parents?

A certain person came to my mind.

I froze.

No, no... It couldn’t be him. I mean, that incident happened almost two years ago. Why would he be looking for me now?

Was it too late to pretend to be sick?

I took a deep breath. Calm down Nolan, everything will be fine.

“Take me to my mother”

***

“Don’t you know how to look presentable? Why are you wearing those rags?”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how my mother greeted me. I should comment that I am wearing a tailor-made outfit for outdoor activities made by one of the most famous designers of the Federation. Well, I guess if I went to a sleepover party this outfit would be rather inappropriate. I also don’t think it would be very comfortable to sleep with it.

I smiled at her instead of answering.

“Tsk. Whatever let’s go”

She took me to the parlor we used to receive guests. The path to it was short, but for me every second of the trajectory was agonizing. My heartbeat sped up, my hands were trembling and sweating.

Please, just tell me it’s not him. It can’t be him.

But as soon as my mother opened the door of the parlor, my hopes were shattered.

“I’m sorry for the wait, My Lord.“

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Riverstone.“

A deep yet still childish voice greeted us.

“We meet again, young Nolan.“

Sitting lazily on the sofa was Sebert Rosenwood. A sly smile adorned his face as he stared at me the same way a cat does to his prey.

D*nm.

I’m f*cked.