Chapter 53 - Blindness
Translator's Note:
Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.
Here you go, and I wish you a good read.
And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.
Between Omegas
The next day, Ren finally returned to his estate.
Though it was merely his own home, he couldn't shake the awkwardness that came with his return. Accompanied by Mikado, Ren quietly made his way back.
However, it was impossible for the many servants not to notice his arrival. Seita, stationed in the butler's room near the entrance, immediately stepped out to greet him with a deep bow, "Welcome home, sir." He then glanced meaningfully at Mikado standing behind Ren, adding, "Welcome as well, Lord Mikado."
Faced with Seita, Ren was unsure how to explain the situation, making him act unusually awkward. But since Mikado was ostensibly a guest, retreating to his room immediately would be inappropriate.
Following Seita's suggestion, Ren headed to the living room, where tea was served. Just then, Aoi, dressed in a suit, casually appeared. Ren, who had been gazing out at the garden, was visibly startled.
"Brother, Mikado. Welcome back."
"A-Aoi… I'm back. What about work? Weren't you in any meetings today?"
"That was this morning. Everything went smoothly."
"I-I see…"
As Ren stammered, avoiding Aoi's gaze, Aoi approached him and suddenly pulled him into a tight hug. Caught off guard, Ren stood frozen as Aoi pressed his face into Ren's neck and let out a deep sigh.
"…I'm glad."
"Huh?"
The softly spoken words felt almost like a soliloquy, causing Ren to shift uneasily. Aoi raised his face, revealing his beautiful navy-blue and golden eyes, glistening with unshed tears. He smiled, relieved.
"I'm so glad you finally found someone to rely on."
"Aoi…"
"I was always worried… that if things kept going the way they were, you'd eventually break."
"Break?"
"You've always fought alone, for the family, for me. I kept hoping you'd find someone with whom you could truly be yourself."
Aoi smiled warmly, a rare, sincere expression that reminded Ren of the lively younger brother he used to know. Feeling a wave of tenderness, Ren returned his smile and hugged Aoi tightly, gently patting his back.
"…Thank you, Aoi."
"No, I didn't do anything…"
"You didn't have to worry about my private life. You're too kind."
"How could I not worry? And… well, I heard a lot from Mikado."
Aoi glanced toward Mikado, who was sitting on the sofa. Mikado gave a sheepish smile, watching the two brothers embrace.
"You've got it good too, Mikado."
"…Yeah, thanks. Honestly, it feels like a dream. I never thought I'd be with someone I thought was out of my reach for so long."
"Good thing you didn't rush into anything. You were even seriously considering that rumor about a country where you could get a sex change to become an Omega."
"...Hey, don't bring that up in front of Ren."
"Oh, come on, it's funny now, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah, I guess."
Mikado's awkward chuckle made Ren laugh as well. Mikado had mentioned being shy around Aoi because of all that he confided in him, but Ren hadn't realized he had considered such drastic measures. As Ren chuckled quietly, so much his shoulders shook, Aoi's gaze turned back toward him.
"Brother, you can smile like that now, huh?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You look so happy. Before, even when you smiled, there was always a bit of sadness behind it."
"Was there?"
"There was. But now… I'm so happy for you."
Aoi smiled brightly and pressed a light kiss to Ren's cheek.
"Yuto was worried too, you know. He kept saying, 'I wonder if Mr. Ren will ever notice Mikado's feelings.'"
"Did he? …Speaking of which, where is Yuto?"
The mention of Yuto brought back something Ren had been meaning to address. He'd been thinking it was time to have a proper conversation with him.
"Yuto's in the rose garden. I saw him at the entrance earlier, and he said he was going to study at the gazebo."
"…I see. I'll go talk to him. There's something we need to discuss."
"Huh? I'll come too. What's the matter?"
"No, you're not coming."
"Huh!? Why not?"
Aoi's face briefly clouded with confusion, but then his expression shifted as if he had realized something. Reluctantly, he stopped blocking Ren's path and said, sulking a little, "Fine, but don't scare Yuto too much."
"What are you talking about? When have I ever scared Yuto?"
"Sigh… You really don't get it, do you, brother? You've always given off such an intimidating aura."
"Intimidating…?"
"Hey, hey, Aoi, that's going a bit too far," Mikado chimed in, stepping between the brothers. "I know you care about Yuto, but you should learn to soften your words a bit."
"Shut up."
Aoi pouted at Mikado's teasing, while Ren let out an exasperated sigh, amused by his brother's childish reaction.
"I'm not going to reprimand Yuto," Ren said. "…I'm just going to talk about the struggles only Omegas can understand."
Hearing Ren refer to himself as an "Omega," both Aoi and Mikado fell silent in surprise. Ren gave Aoi's shoulder a reassuring pat and tilted his head slightly, offering a gentle smile.
"So don't worry. Yuto is my younger brother-in-law. I won't do anything to hurt him."
"…Brother," Aoi said, his face lighting up with joy at Ren's words.
+
"Oh… Mr. Ren…"
Just as Aoi had said, Yuto was sitting in the gazebo in the rose garden, reading a thick book. He seemed to have dozed off, but the moment he noticed Ren, he quickly straightened his posture. Ren couldn't help but smile wryly at Yuto's sudden alertness.
"W-What brings you here!? Alone…!"
"…Relax. I'm not here to scold you."
"…I see."
Yuto, looking uneasy, closed the book on his lap with a quiet thud. He kept stealing glances at Ren, who had seated himself on the bench across from him, crossing his legs.
"Um, congratulations… on everything with Lord Mikado," Yuto said hesitantly.
"Ah… yeah."
"It's truly wonderful news. I'm happy for you."
"Thank you."
"But, um… you're not announcing it publicly yet, right? Not until you switch roles with Master Aoi…"
"That's the plan. …Why are you so nervous? I didn't come here to scold you."
"…I…"
Yuto took a deep breath, then finally looked straight at Ren. His eyelashes fluttered with every anxious blink, his expression filled with uncertainty.
"I… I'm sorry. Dr. Ayase told me that… my body might not be able to conceive…"
"Ah, I've heard about that. It's been on your mind, hasn't it?"
"Of course… it bothers me. You expect me to fulfill that role, don't you? To give birth to an heir for the Kunishiro family…"
Yuto trailed off, lowering his gaze in guilt.
Ren also felt a pang of regret. It was his own words, pushing the urgency of an heir, that had burdened Yuto so much. Ren stood and went to sit beside Yuto, who was slumped over, looking defeated.
Yuto stiffened at Ren's proximity, clearly growing more anxious, but Ren ignored this and gently placed his hand over Yuto's clenched fists.
"M-Mr. Ren…"
"I'm sorry. Until recently, I was so focused on hiding my identity as an Omega that I could only rely on Aoi for the succession. But since he kept dragging his feet about finding a partner, I kept bringing it up repeatedly."
"P-Please, don't apologize! I understand how you felt, Mr. Ren…"
"I'm sure you do. After all, you've been hiding your Omega status too."
"Ah… yes."
Though Ren wasn't blaming him, Yuto's body remained tense. Ren was a bit taken aback, wondering if his tone really came off as harsh. But now wasn't the time to be discouraged. He leaned closer, gazing into Yuto's eyes, and in a soft voice, he said:
"Look at me."
"Huh…? O-Okay…"
Nervously, Yuto met Ren's gaze, their faces mere inches apart.
Yuto's light brown eyes were clear, filled with youthful innocence and purity. As Ren stared into the eyes that Aoi so cherished, he softened his gaze and offered a gentle smile.
"What I want from you, Yuto, is simple. I want you to love Aoi wholeheartedly and be his support. That's all."
"…What?"
"There's no need to dwell on the past or rush anything. Just keep smiling like you always have and stay by Aoi's side."
Yuto's eyes shimmered with emotion at Ren's words. In moments, tears welled up, and soon, they spilled over, silently tracing his pale, smooth cheeks.
Ren gently pulled Yuto close, letting the tears soak into his shoulder. Yuto trembled, quietly sobbing for a while.
"I'm… I'm sorry…"
"There's no need to apologize. Besides, you're both still young, and you have Dr. Ayase, the best doctor to guide you. You'll be fine."
"…Thank you… s-sniff…"
Through Yuto's tears, Ren could feel the weight of his suffering. Holding him tightly, Ren rested his cheek against Yuto's soft hair. As he did, a new feeling, one he hadn't considered before, quietly surfaced within Ren's heart.
—What do I really want from here on?
From what Aoi had told him, Yuto genuinely wished to have a child with Aoi, beyond any societal expectations. And yet, because of the excessive use of suppressants, Yuto had been diagnosed with a body less likely to conceive, leaving him deeply regretful and self-blaming.
—Could I ever want to bear a child for Mikado?
For now, Ren only felt happiness in being bonded with Mikado. Someone who had long kept his distance from romance, Ren was now filled with a sense of irreplaceable affection, both emotionally and physically, after forming a deep connection with Mikado.
But beyond that, he couldn't yet imagine what the future would hold.
"…Oh no… I got snot all over you… what should I do?" Yuto suddenly pulled away, flustered and embarrassed. Ren chuckled and shook his head.
"It's fine," he said.
"... Why do you want to have children, Yuto?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well… how do I put this…"
After a brief hesitation, Ren decided to share his own thoughts, which had just been running through his mind. He was curious how Yuto, who had also once rejected his Omega identity and tried to embrace his masculinity, had come to change his heart.
Yuto furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before replying.
"…Honestly, I don't really know."
"What? Really?"
"It's like… I just naturally started to feel that way. There wasn't a specific moment or reason… Sorry, that's not a very helpful answer, is it?"
"You started to feel that way naturally, huh."
"I mean, you've only just come out to Mr. Mikado, and you've worked so hard as an Alpha all this time, so it's understandable that you wouldn't feel the same way right away…"
"You have a point."
"I don't know what kind of relationship you and Mr. Mikado are aiming for, but as you spend more time together, maybe there'll come a moment when those feelings will arise naturally for you too."
"…I see…"
Ren touched his chin thoughtfully, causing Yuto to grow flustered once more.
"Ah!! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to sound so presumptuous!"
"You really don't need to worry about things like that. I just told Aoi this, but you're my brother-in-law. If you don't relax a bit, it makes it harder for me to talk to you too."
"Br-brother-in-law…?"
Yuto blinked in surprise, then his face flushed bright red. Ren raised a curious brow at his reaction.
"What's wrong? You don't like it?"
"N-no, not at all! I just… I never thought you'd call me your brother… It makes me so happy…"
"Well, if that's the case, then good."
"Thank you so much… I'm really happy."
"That's good to hear."
Seeing Yuto smile warmly, filled with joy, Ren found it endearing and gently ruffled his soft brown hair. Yuto blushed even more but smiled even more cheerfully, clearly flattered.
—Naturally, huh. Come to think of it, I wonder if Mikado wants me to play that kind of role…
As Ren continued to stroke Yuto's fluffy hair, his thoughts quietly wandered in that direction.
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