That year, the capital was gripped by the harshest winter it had seen in over a decade.
As March approached and spring should have been near, the north wind still howled relentlessly. Feathery snowflakes drifted in dense flurries from the overcast, towering sky, covering most of a secluded estate on the outskirts of the capital in a thick white layer.
The branches of several half-dead old trees were also bent under the weight of the thick, white snow in front of the gates.
From afar, it appeared nothing more than a desolate, crumbling, and long-abandoned courtyard.
Yet inside the residence lay an entirely different world.
The fragrant, warm pavilion was as balmy as spring, and a sweat-slicked, fair arm reached out from beneath a wool blanket.
“You really are useless now.” A hand reached out and poked the firm lower back of the Alpha who was sitting at the edge of the bed dressing himself, while a languid voice drifted through the crisp scent of burning frankincense left lingering in the air. “To debate such an inconsequential bill, you actually still have to wait for that Omega to return from the south.”
Shao Cheng turned his head, casting his eyes down at the face that showed not a single trace of time, and repeated, “Inconsequential?”
Then again.
To a Beta, this bill was indeed of no consequence.
Not to mention his unique identity, which exempted him from any worldly judgment.
Shao Cheng put on his boots, his tone so cold it dropped the temperature of the air by a few degrees, “You have been away from the Holy See for nearly a month now. Is that not somewhat inappropriate?”
“Spreading the gospel and praying for the blessings of the believers in each diocese is a…” Wen Yan stretched his hand forward, saying softly, “…undeniable, sacred duty bestowed upon me by the Lord.”
Shao Cheng pulled away the hand that was making mischief on his thigh.
Ever since the matter of the bishop stationing the infantry camp had been easily vetoed by Bai Heting, Bai Yi had summoned Bai Heting to attend every single imperial council meeting thereafter, right up until the end of the year when Bai Heting personally went south to suppress the rebellion.
Bai Yi’s decision to recall him from the front lines this time was essentially equivalent to stamping the imperial seal upon Bai Heting’s right to speak in affairs of state.
Shao Cheng said in a deep voice, “You were too aggressive.”
“Is that so?” Wen Yan tossed aside the wool blanket, sitting up against the headboard, and let out a careless laugh. “Perhaps. Or maybe… I overestimated the positions you and Zheng Yunshang hold in Bai Yi’s heart.”
“My position?” Shao Cheng found it amusing. “What position could I possibly have?”
He stood up and walked over to the small table where the incense burner sat before blowing out the scented candle used for burning resin in one breath, and added, “You had best change your habit of addressing him directly by his full name. There is no wall in this world that doesn’t leak wind.”
“Is there not?” Wen Yan blinked, looking at him with a serious face as he asked, “Could it be that your walls were built too shoddily, which is why you so easily let an Omega find a loophole?”
Omega。
He didn’t even deign to use Bai Heting’s name.
Shao Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose firmly. “Why do you think he placed an Omega in a position where he can stand on equal footing with me?”
Wen Yan had no interest in the affairs of the palace, responding perfunctorily, “Why?”
Yet Shao Cheng did not answer.
The heavens had played a twisted joke on Damasen. The new king had donned the crown but had lost his fertility. If Bai Jiashu hadn’t been indulged in hedonism since childhood, Bai Yi would never have been forced by circumstance to bring that wild brat back from the slums.
But no one could have anticipated that the boy would turn out to be so exceptionally useful.
Shao Cheng said nothing more, only stating solemnly, “You should be glad that he differentiated into an Omega.”
His evasive attitude instead piqued Wen Yan’s curiosity, “So, is he actually Bai Yi’s son or not?”
Shao Cheng still did not answer.
This reaction of his confirmed the suspicion Wen Yan had harbored for a long time. Wen Yan let out a bored yawn, “So what if he is? An illegitimate son has no right of succession, and besides, he is an Omega.”
Shao Cheng reminded him, “There is not a single statute specifying that an Omega has no right of succession to the throne.”
“But he is…”
Wen Yan swallowed the words “illegitimate son” back down his throat.
Mulling over Shao Cheng’s ambiguous reply, his eyes gradually widened in shock, “Are you saying…”
Shao Cheng remained silent, merely looking at him without a word.
This untold royal secret was like a sudden thunderclap, leaving Wen Yan unable to recover his senses for a long while.
After a long pause, he murmured, “If the Queen found out…”
“Even if she knows, what difference would it make?” Shao Cheng shook his head. “This isn’t thirty years ago. He no longer needs the support of the Queen’s family. You’d do better to think about Pei Ming’s fate. He’s quite adept at discarding those who have served their purpose.”
Pei Ming. At the mention of this name, Wen Yan’s teeth still itched with hatred.
He let out a cold scoff, “Pei Ming? He got what he deserved.”
Immediately after, as he recalled how Pei Ming’s entire family had met their end, the corners of his lips curved into a faint, almost pleasant smile.
“I hear Bai Jiashu is deeply infatuated with that Omega.” He imagined the reaction of that naive Crown Prince upon finding out about this, unable to stifle a laugh while feeling intensely gratified. “Truly, he is endearingly foolish.”
“Even that word ‘royal’ in ‘Royal Father’ is not without meaning,” Shao Cheng said, his expression remaining unchanged as he spoke calmly. “In the royal family, there is no such thing as ordinary father-son bonds. A loving father and dutiful son, fraternal affection; none of that exists in the face of royal power.”
He picked up his mink coat from the armchair. Wen Yan instantly sat straight up in bed, saying in disbelief, “You’re leaving just like this?”
He had traveled thousands of miles from the Holy See in the south to this freezing place to wait in this private residence for a month out of sheer boredom, yet this man wouldn’t even spend the night with him.
“Stop constantly sending your personal attendant to my mansion,” Shao Cheng said as he dressed. “Too many eyes and ears breed trouble easily.”
“If I didn’t send him, would you ever come on your own initiative?” Wen Yan looked at the fully dressed Alpha and let out a cold laugh. “It seems I really have grown old and withered; inviting you over is harder than scaling the heavens. If it weren’t for the heavy snow today making it hard for anyone to notice, you wouldn’t have come either, would you?”
His words struck right at the heart of Shao Cheng’s intentions, but the latter also had no intention of covering it up, “Which is exactly why I need to leave before the snow stops. It is for the good of both of us.”
Wen Yan stepped out of bed, taking a few steps barefoot.
“I truly miss the way you used to be.” He wrapped both arms around the Alpha’s waist, burying his face in the soft, thick fur, breathing in longingly. “Simple-minded, full of compassion, back when you were just a minor adjutant…”
Shao Cheng frowned.
This was the topic he detested most.
Yet Wen Yan pressed on regardless, “So full of vim and vigor in bed, nearly biting my neck to pieces.” He tilted his face from Shao Cheng’s chest while standing on his tiptoes to affectionately graze his lips. “It’s a good thing I’m a Beta. Otherwise, I don’t know how many children I would have borne for you by now.”
Shao Cheng looked down at him.
This stark-naked man was the supreme leader of the Westly Church.
He was the spokesperson of the lord and should be the lord’s most faithful servant.
In public, he was the embodiment of ten thousand virtues; beautiful, gentle, abstinent, and holy.
Yet in private, he possessed a completely different face.
For over a decade, this inviolable pope had been having an affair with an Alpha.
“You have been blessed by the Lord with an ageless countenance; the one who is old and withered is me,” Shao Cheng pushed him away, turning around to grab his cloak. “If you feel I can no longer satisfy you, you are free to find a young and strong Alpha.”
Wen Yan’s smile vanished silently.
He stared intently at Shao Cheng, and after a moment laughed soundlessly again.
“I see no difference between you and Bai Yi; both of you are experts at discarding those who have served their purpose.”
Shao Cheng remained unmoved by his sarcasm.
He glanced back and asked Wen Yan, “Aren’t you cold standing there naked?”
Wen Yan did feel a bit cold now.
“Stop burning this garbage.” Shao Cheng tied his cloak, casting a contemptuous glance at the already cooled incense burner. “It smells nothing like my pheromones.”
