Oliver stood frozen in his spot, looking straight into Alrain's face, who was still glaring at him sharply with a clenched jaw. However, in his mind, the prince felt utterly frustrated.
Does this person truly think that politics is as simple and easy as he assumes? Oliver thought to himself, trying to suppress the turmoil of his emotions. Sometimes, remaining silent does not mean turning a blind eye or not caring. Acting recklessly without having a sufficient foundation of power at the academy would only trigger conflicts among the noble factions. That would instead bring about even greater destruction, not only for my position, but also for the commoners I'm trying to protect.
However, Oliver chose to swallow all those explanations. He realized that no matter how strongly he argued tonight, the green-haired youth in front of him was already blinded by a deep-rooted hatred toward members of the royal family.
As the atmosphere between the two of them grew increasingly tense and seemed ready to explode at any moment, Allen, who had only been observing from the doorway all this time, realized that the direction of this conversation had veered too far off course.
He stepped forward, approaching them with very calm strides.
"Stop this commotion!" Allen stated firmly.
In all of their eyes, Allen's figure standing there to mediate suddenly looked incredibly identical to Arvin. This was especially true for Alrain, Ordion, and Alrian. The invisible pressure exuded by Allen instantly reminded them of a moment when their husband had stopped a fierce argument that nearly ended in a physical fight between Alrain and Ordion, all over a trivial matter regarding the cooking lesson schedule.
What just happened to him? Alrain thought, startled by the sudden change in Allen's demeanor. Why have his pressure and presence suddenly become so similar to our husband's?
On the other hand, Ordion hid a faint smile on his lips.
Hahaha. he laughed wryly in his heart. Allen is truly worthy of holding the title of the first spouse in our household. I genuinely did not expect that behind his relaxed attitude all this time, Allen possesses the capacity to perfectly replace our husband's position when he is not here.
Allen focused his gaze on the green-haired youth.
"Alrain, can you truly not hold back even a little bit of that hatred of yours toward Prince Oliver, who is a member of the royal family? At the very least, let him come inside first before you bombard him relentlessly like that at the front door!"
Allen then slowly turned his head. Now, his eyes stared sharply at Oliver.
"And for you, Prince Oliver! I expect you to provide an answer that can satisfy Alrain so he can accept your presence here!"
"Hahhh..." Alrain let out a long sigh, venting his frustration which was now mixed with an undeniable sense of reverence. "Damn you, Allen! I don't know why, but just now you looked exactly like our husband!"
"Is that so?"
In the blink of an eye, that aura of dominance evaporated without a trace.
"Even though I just didn't want to stand around here for too long and wanted to return to the dining room immediately!" replied Allen, who was now whining and acting as relaxed as usual. He rubbed both of his arms. "Do you not feel cold standing out here for so long? It's better for us to go inside and talk about everything indoors!"
Seeing that drastic change, Alrain fell silent for a moment. He realized that Allen had unleashed his dominant aura purely unconsciously, entirely driven by an instinct to protect the harmony of their family.
However, at the same time, Alrain also admitted that his husband's choice to make Allen the first spouse was a profoundly correct decision.
Thanks to him, I could pull my sanity back and restrain myself from taking things any further. Alrain pondered in his heart, staring at Allen's back. Moreover... like it or not, Oliver is one of the people my husband consciously wants to marry, even though he comes from the bloodline of the Astoria Royal Family that I absolutely despise.
"Just do as you please." Alrain replied in the end. His tone sounded resigned. He glanced at Oliver briefly before looking back at Allen. "Even though you said that, Allen, I must emphasize that it is still very difficult for me to trust that prince, who suddenly came here on his own accord."
"Okay, okay, okay, I understand." Allen replied soothingly.
On the other hand, Oliver, who was still standing near Victor, silently let out a breath of relief that had been stuck in his throat all this time. He felt incredibly fortunate that the commotion cornering him just now could be stopped right then and there.
I finally understand why Allen became his first spouse. Oliver thought, unable to hide his amazement at the charisma possessed by the pink-haired youth. If Alrain, who is his second spouse, has an aggressive, sharp demeanor, acting without hesitation exactly like Arvin's brutal side, then Allen, who is his first spouse, is the true manifestation of Arvin's own calm and wisdom. The two of them are truly a perfectly balanced combination when he is not here.
However, that small discovery only made Oliver's curiosity about Arvin's other spouses grow even wilder.
Then, what about Ordion? What is his role within the structure of Arvin's household? he pondered again, glancing briefly at the red-haired youth standing calmly near him. He felt so impatient to delve deeper into his new family. I'm increasingly certain that Arvin must have a very solid reason for deciding to marry many men, which is highly abnormal even for any noble.
"Prince Oliver, let us go inside!"
The friendly invitation from Allen instantly shattered the swirling thoughts in the prince's head. He immediately shifted his gaze to the pink-haired youth.
"Y—Yes, thank you very much."
And then, the group stepped inside, crossing the main doors. However, while walking inside the mansion, Alrain kept his gaze lowered. Behind his harsh attitude earlier, a profound sense of guilt toward Arvin now surfaced. He felt like a failure for being unable to suppress his personal ego the way his husband had previously wanted him to.
When he returns later, I will immediately apologize to my husband, and I'm willing to accept whatever punishment he gives me for my insolence today.
Upon arriving at the dining room, everyone began taking their places and sitting in their respective chairs. However, the formation was incomplete. Alvein, Kaydan, and Calverd were not there.
For the sake of Kaydan and Calverd's safety, and because he did not yet fully trust the intentions of Oliver, a newcomer from the royal family members that Alrain hated, Alvein had deliberately taken portions of food for them and brought the two youths up to the second floor to eat their dinner separately up there.
The same went for Ordion, Dylan, and Victor's group. Realizing that their clothes and bodies were covered in sweat and dirt, the three of them felt uncomfortable sitting directly at the dining table. They decided to take a bath first.
However, up until half an hour later when Ordion, Dylan, and Victor finally came out of the bathroom, they were greeted by a sight that made their steps halt.
Not a single one of the people sitting at the dining table had started eating their dinner.
"Why haven't you all eaten yet?" Victor asked in confusion as he pulled out his chair next to Arion. "Why didn't you just eat dinner first instead of going through the trouble of waiting for us to finish bathing like this?"
"What are you questioning, Victor?" Allen replied casually. "Of course we are all going to eat together!"
Hearing that incredibly simple answer, Ordion could only shake his head.
"Good heavens..." he muttered as he seated himself in a chair, looking at his family members one by one. "I truly cannot fathom your actions, willingly enduring hunger just to wait for us to finish bathing."