"He'll reject..." Savier absentmindedly repeated the words like a broken recorder, with how many times he had done it. His body drooped further where he sat, looking so weak.
For a dominant alpha like him acting like this, it was truly a sight to behold.
"You okay, bro?"
"Wow, did someone dump you?"
"Hey," a voice scolded them, but suddenly turned 180 and also curiously asked. "Sav, someone turned you down? Who?"
Savier, who was wallowing in the last memory of him and Sir Rylan, could not help but snap at them. "No one. I'm not dumped."
His response still lacked energy and obviously was not convincing. Savier glared at them, but their curiosity was not dampened because of this.
Unlike the usual, they did not feel intimidated; instead, this caused their interest to grow.
"Who's blind to turn down the enigmatic crown prince of our empire?" He even magnified the tone of his voice to sound more dramatic, earning laughter.
Savier rolled his eyes and only snatched a glass and immediately gulped it down, without asking what it was. As a result, he almost chose how strong it was, but he only clenched his teeth and let the hotness spread around his body from his throat.
"Whoa! You're really heartbroken?"
This time, their surprise was truly evident.
Seeing him like this was rare to almost unheard of. They had known Savier since they were young, and they barely saw him show his raw emotions.
Perhaps, only when the late mother empress passed over ten years ago, did they see Savier express his grief and cry.
Of course, Savier was not on the verge of crying, but his distracted demeanor was enough to know something was on his mind, and he did not even mind suppressing it.
The moment Savier asked to hang out, they were already curious for a reason. Savier was the most responsible of them; no one could even compare.
"I'm not." Annoyed, Savier blurted out. Then, continued in a much lower voice. "How can I be rejected... I haven't confessed yet."
However, he might not have gotten a chance to confess ever. Not only was he an alpha wanting to pursue another alpha, but that said alpha even boldly declared that he would reject anyone who confessed to him.
Savier lost his appetite afterwards, and even his enthusiasm to hang out with the other waned significantly.
The three exchanged glances and saw the same shock in their faces.
Big news! It seemed the crown prince was really in love!
Savier's eyes gleamed as he looked at the three.
"If I heard any rumors about this, see that you'll be seeing me at your doorstep."
The three coughed simultaneously, guilty. And quickly shook their heads.
"Don't worry, we're tight-lipped here."
"Really."
Savier did not believe them at all. Still, they were friends since they were young, and a sense of propriety was there. The three also hailed from important noble houses and were respective heirs.
While they were friends and could be casual with each other, they were already at a time when even they needed to be mindful of Savier's position. This had yet to taint their friendship, but all of them were aware that as soon as they took the position delegated to them, it was only a matter of time before something would change between them.
They were luckier than others, being friends with the heir to the throne, and no one was stupid enough to ruin that relationship over a mere rumor. It was not worth it.
In reality, Savier did not take it seriously. Not like, they would know who he was in love with. Yet, he did not like rumors like that reaching Sir Rylan's ears.
Or even his parents. Most especially, Arle, the blabbermouth.
"Say," Savier spoke after a few drinks, his face already flushed. The hard liquor was truly designed for alphas, and so he was becoming drunk faster. "How can we pursue someone we don't have a chance since the beginning?"
His demeanor changed, and the way he spoke lacked the usual edge.
"How low is your chance?" The voice sounded confused, perhaps thinking about how an omega possibly refused Savier's confession.
Savier turned and looked beside him. Cas was sitting there. An alpha and the eldest son of a Count. Then, the two alphas, Divino and Hylos, also came from a count and a viscount noble houses, respectively.
The corner of his mouth twitched, and he lowered his gaze, answering in a murmur. "Negative chance."
"What?" The three were so shocked that a deafening silence followed.
Frustrated, Savier did not want to elaborate. As what he was feeling towards another alpha was already hard to accept even for him, and he spent years running away from it, to share it with others.
If ever, the first one he wanted to tell his feelings to was Sir Rylan.
"Ahem, Sav..." Cas weighed in his words, exchanging glances with others. In their friend circle, he was actually the most associated with omegas the most, being a playboy. "Bro... is this omega aware of your true identity? Did you..."
The corner of Savier's eyes twitched. Seriously, this one was now trying to conjure a dramatic plot. And he could not argue that they were not talking about an omega here. Before his imagination grew, Savier stopped his nonsense.
He bit his lips and sighed.
"Yes," He nodded. Precisely as Sir Rylan knew of his true identity, that made this a hurdle. And with his physique, no one would ever think he was an omega, much less a beta.
This time, Divino was the one who caught the baton and continued. Hailing from a military noble background, he was more strategic and active in the approach he suggested.
"Why don't you probe this omega and pursue them without their knowledge?" Savier looked up, and his attention was caught. The other two also looked at him.
The next responsible alpha of their group was Divino. Cas had the lowest reputation, and Hylos was in the middle.
"You mean..."
"You said your chance is basically negative. And confessing is out of the question for now. Why do you test their bottom line? Subtly show your feelings and pursue him secretly." At each word, Savier's eyes lit up. Divino nodded at his expression, relieved of his lightening mood.
"With this, you can also cultivate feelings. Who knows, you might capture their heart this way." He ended, not saying anything more, as Savier had gone silent, but there was a flicker of light in his eyes.
The three exchanged glances again and let Savier become lost in thought.
Pursuing secretly... Express his feelings without confessing... Cultivate feelings... Savier thought of this as he drank a shot.
Maybe... it was worth a shot?