The Married Alpha Who Refuses to Be a Heartthrob (A/B/O · Alpha POV) - Chapter 11

In the blink of an eye, it was the day to welcome the Third Prince.

The midday sun scorched the docks, casting long shadows beneath the crowd. Two ships arrived, flying royal flags. Kaes stood at the pier with his entourage, while Lanqi’s citizens gathered in the square and rooftops, eager to catch a glimpse of the prince.

The scene looked more like a king’s coronation than a routine arrival.

Kaes scanned the crowd—no sign of Keith.

Keith said he wanted to come. Did something happen? Kaes felt a flicker of worry. Maybe he was just running late.

A dozen mages in black robes disembarked, parting to reveal a man in regal red: Prince Erlan.

He had long, curled black hair, a handsome face with narrow, melancholic eyes, and a small ruby pendant at his chest.

Behind him walked a man in armor—tall, broad-shouldered, with a rugged face and cropped hair. Easily over 190 cm.

The outgoing inspector stepped forward to greet them. “Your Highness, the inspector’s post is now yours.”

Kaes added, “Welcome to Lanqi, Prince Erlan. I’ve heard many things about you.”

Erlan smiled. “”I wish the former Inspector-General a smooth voyage… But I’ve heard more about you, Governor Kaes.” Erlan walked over, his red cloak fluttering in the sea breeze.

After a round of formalities, the old inspector boarded the ship. Kaes had arranged several carriages to take Erlan and his party to the inspector’s estate.

Still no sign of Keith.

Erlan paused before boarding, glancing around. “I heard my cousin Keith has been staying in Lanqi. Why isn’t he here?”

“He’s been unwell the past few days,” Kaes replied, masking his concern.

Worry mixed with irrational thoughts. Did I scare him off with that kiss? Kaes thought to himself

“I see. Let him rest. I’ll visit him another day,” Erlan said, stepping into the first carriage.

Kaes joined him. The armored man rode alongside on horseback. Behind them, a convoy of carriages rolled through Lanqi’s streets, watched by curious townsfolk.

Kaes wrinkled his nose. The carriage was cramped, and Erlan reeked of roses. If it were Alpha pheromones, Kaes would’ve instinctively reacted. But there was no effect—just an overwhelming amount of perfume.

Seriously? A male Alpha wearing this much rose scent?

Erlan asked, “How many days has Keith been unwell?”

“This is the third day. “

“Then he should be getting better. I’ll go see him tomorrow. Keith traveled with my mother to expand the colonies, fighting battles in the south and north. It’s a shame he was injured… But, Governor, how do you know all this so clearly?“

“I happened to visit his house recently, and I learned of it.“ Kaes was suffocated by the heavy perfume and wished they’d reach the Inspectorate sooner.

Kaes glanced at the knight-like follower. Erlan had brought a Mage squad of thirty or forty people, making the single close-combat specialist stand out.

“Your Highness has a knight as an attendant?”

“I forgot to introduce him. This is the captain of my personal guard, who is also the captain of my Mage squad. His name is Shu. He holds a knight title and a noble rank.” Erlan said, peering out the window.

Shu nodded in acknowledgment.

A knight leading mages? Kaes couldn’t make sense of it.

“Unusual,” Kaes commented. It was the first time he’d seen such a setup. Something felt… off.

Upon arriving at the Inspectorate, the former Inspector-General’s nearly sixty-year-old style permeated the furnishings, giving the place an “old official” vibe.

Erlan disliked the style. He ordered all the furniture and decor to be replaced. He also demanded the garden be filled with roses and that red roses in vases be placed on every coffee table and cabinet inside the house.

At this rate, Lanqi’s entire supply of roses would be sold out today.

Shu followed Erlan like a shadow.

Servants rushed to clean the dining room. A few vases of roses were placed on the long table, and the tablecloth was to have a red-and-white floral pattern. Kaes wondered about the Third Prince’s obsession. Is he a rose maniac?

Suddenly, Kith seemed completely normal.

Kaes watched the servants bustle in the dining room. Erlan and Shu went to the garden to supervise the removal of the existing plants. Besides roses, Erlan wanted to plant some climbing roses too.

Seeing that the dining room was almost ready, and lunch needed to be addressed, Kaes went to find Erlan in the garden. The maze-like plants were still intact. He heard the two talking on the other side.

Erlan: “Why the long face? Keith didn’t come, and you look disappointed.”

Shu: “Me? I’m not.”

Erlan: “I think you are. When I go to visit him, do you want to come?”

Shu: “I won’t.”

Kaes paused. Shu knew Keith? His tone was heavy, reluctant.

The two emerged from behind the plants and bumped right into Kaes. Shu looked slightly awkward and quickly walked away, hurrying into the house.

“My apologies, I accidentally overheard your conversation,” Kaes said.

Erlan smiled indifferently. “It’s nothing serious. Shu just doesn’t want to visit Keith with me.”

“But isn’t he your bodyguard? Anyway, the dining room’s ready. Would you prefer to eat here or go out?” Kaes had assumed their relationship was simply master and bodyguard.

The estate was still a mess. Kaes had arranged for lunch here, but with the chaos, only one room was usable.

“Who knows what he’s thinking? Let’s check the dining room.” Erlan walked into the dining room first.

Servants stood in formation, hands folded, awaiting inspection. Erlan eyed the wall art. “Replace all these paintings with roses.”

The current paintings were fine—still lifes and food. Replacing them with flowers felt… excessive.

Erlan said his home wasn’t fully organized and decided he wanted to eat out. Kaes had no choice but to take him to the largest restaurant in town.

Shu had disappeared somewhere. In the large restaurant, only the two of them ate, attended by over a dozen servants.

After the meal, Kaes took Erlan on a tour, feeling like a glorified guide.

By late afternoon, half the estate was renovated. The office and living quarters were usable. The rest would be done tomorrow.

Kaes finally dropped Erlan off and left, relieved. His nose still buzzed with rose scent. He needed fresh air.

He was constantly worried about Keith. After leaving the Inspectorate, Kaes went straight to Keith’s house.

The sun was about to set. Kaes knocked on Keith’s door, but no one answered. He tried again.

“Who’s there?” A squeaky voice came from inside, it was Xiaolu.

Kaes stated his name. “Xiaolu, is your master home?”

Xiaolu: “I am the master, caw-caw-caw! Kiss went out. Said he was going to greet his cousin. No one’s feeding me.”

Kaes had no birdseed and couldn’t get in. He had to say goodbye to Xiaolu. “You can find bugs to eat in the garden.”

“I am the master! Caw-caw-caw! Master!” Little Green pecked at the door in frustration.

Keith said he was going out to greet the Prince but never showed up. Where could he be?

Kaes didn’t wait for his subordinates to search. He drove around the Inspectorate area.

On a hill near the Inspectorate, there was a café. He found Keith there, looking out over the Inspectorate.

Keith stood by the café railing, looking down at Kaes walking up the stairs. “Kaes, why are you here?”

“Why are you here? Didn’t you say you were going to greet the Third Prince?” Kaes asked. “You’re not avoiding me because of what happened the other day, are you?”

“It’s not that…” Keith blushed, remembering the incident. The flow of people coming and going at the café door made it difficult to speak. “Do you want some coffee? Let’s go inside and talk.”

Kaes figured Keith had something on his mind. As long as he wasn’t avoiding him, it was fine. Kaes followed him in.

They found a secluded spot and ordered two coffees.

Kaes: “Are you still in pain today?”

Keith: “I’m fine now.” Keith stirred the sugar in his coffee, looked up, and smiled at Kaes. “Thank you for worrying about me…”

Neither of them brought up the reason for the sudden kiss. Each was secretly wondering, afraid that speaking would bring awkwardness.

Keith: “Actually, I went to the docks today. I saw my cousin. He had someone with him—his name’s Shu.”

“And what does Shu have to do with anything?” Kaes took a sip of coffee.

“You remember I told you I had a close-combat Alpha fiancé? That’s him. Shu.” Keith lowered his eyes, continuing to stir his coffee. The small spoon bore the weight of his anxiety, making a shushing sound against the cup.

“…Cough, cough, cough!” Kaes choked on his coffee.

“Drink slowly,” Keith pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Kaes. He was just as shocked and helpless. He had no feelings for his ex-fiancé, but running into him was awkward. “After seeing Shu, I suddenly didn’t want to show up… I just felt that seeing those two together… I find it hard to talk about.”

What are the odds?

Keith suspected that his cousin and his ex-fiancé were together.

Kaes felt like he’d stepped into a soap opera. Keith barely knew Shu, but Erlan was family.

He tried to reassure him.

“Maybe you’re just overthinking it.”