114: 3.54 Oliver Will Be Your Priority

3.54 Oliver Will Be Your Priority

1Time flew by so fast for Oliver. It seemed like it was just yesterday when he became a bonded omega and in a blink of an eye, two months had passed. The presence of Empress Gemma and Emperor Vincent in Alaze meant that the cooperation between two kingdoms proceeded smoothly and the three in-laws had all the time in the world to talk about their children's wedding reception. After a prolonged discussion which almost escalated into full blown argument — Empress Gemma wished to do the wedding as per Versatine's tradition whilst Emperor Bernard insisted that the ceremony was mandatory in Alaze. Oliver was eager to please both sides which somehow managed to make the situation worse. Lu Yizhou truly had had enough — they finally decided to carry on with the ceremony in both kingdoms, first in Alaze and then Lu Yizhou would bring Oliver flying to continue the ceremony in Versatine.

It was months full of chaotic preparation that seemed to never end; sending the dowry, choosing the location and decoration, handing out the invitation, welcoming respected guests from afar ("We must spread the invitation to neighboring kingdoms. They are a rare fated pair, people must be so curious about them!" Emperor Bernard insisted), and most importantly, tailoring wedding suits. 

Without Oliver realizing, the time finally arrived. The biggest and most important event in his life. The day he would be tied to the love of his life under the law's eyes. Oliver felt his gut twisted, nausea coiling in his stomach, rendering him unable to swallow anything. It had been going on for days with no signs of getting better anytime soon. Bile rose in his throat as he bent down on the sink, retching. His stomach was empty except for stomach acid and it made him feel worse. Tears sprung up his eyes from the exertion. He was struggling not to stain his suit, not this outfit which he would use to say his wedding vow. Oh how he wished that he wouldn't mess up his big day. This was supposed to be the happiest day in his life. He shouldn't have spent it like this; weak, pallid and messy. Oliver suddenly got the strong urge to cry. Seriously, why was he so emotional lately?!

Behind him, Lu Yizhou was holding his hair back and massaging his nape. His frown deeper as seconds ticked by. 

Oliver shot him a weak smile. Tried to. He hoped that it would alleviate the Alpha's worry but it seemed to be unsuccessful because as soon as he was done emptying the content of his stomach and slumped back into Lu Yizhou's embrace, he heard the Alpha said, his tone firm and final. "We will postpone it."

"No!" God, he sounded awful. Oliver grimaced inwardly as he scrambled for Lu Yizhou's hand. "We have talked about this last time, remember? I am okay. I'm just nervous about all of this." The Alpha's caresses on his hips was a soothing presence. Oliver felt himself relaxing deeper into the winged beastman's embrace, his lashes fluttering in drowsiness. He hated how he always felt tired lately. This was but the consequences of having a fragile health, he lamented. Oliver had always been sickly, fever came to him twice as easily than normal beastman. He thought that he had gotten better with the Alpha in his life, but it didn't seem to be the case. He was lethargic and his mood was all over the place. All he ever wanted was to find an empty room and had his Alpha cuddle him but he promptly shut the idea down.

This is your wedding, Oliver. He told himself over and over again. You aren't allowed to mess it up.

Lu Yizhou hummed, not saying anything. He merely filled a cup of water for the omega to wash his mouth. His brows were still knitted deeply and Oliver knew then that he hadn't succeeded in persuading the Alpha.

"I will be better soon." He grinned and drew circles on the Alpha's arm. "I promise, if I can't bear it anymore, I will tell you and you can bring me away, okay?"

[He's really fine?]

[666: Yep, there's nothing wrong with his body. Blood pressure normal, hemoglobin level normal. No virus or infection detected. He's as fit as a fiddle. It's just anxiety and nervousness, like he said. And nope, we can't feed him Body Nourishing Pills. It's only reserved for Hosts. Oliver is not from this world so the system's item won't work on him.]

"Don't worry." Oliver coaxed, his hand reaching out to smooth the lines between Lu Yizhou's brows. "You will always be with me along the way, won't you? You will know as soon as there's something wrong with me."

Lu Yizhou pressed his lips together. His eyes sought Oliver's and the omega returned the stare with the same intensity, trying to convey the underlying message. He had gotten thinner over the course of a few days, Lu Yizhou noticed with a degree of displeasure. He rubbed his thumb across Oliver's cheek and the omega leaned closer into his touch, his dense eyelashes painting thin shadows over his face. His skin was paler too as a result of not sleeping well lately. No matter from which angle Lu Yizhou looked at him, he didn't look fit enough to stand and socialize with a bunch of good-of-nothings. But he knew better than to voice it out loud. Oliver had been waiting for this day. Lu Yizhou could sense his buzzing excitement and anticipation through their bond and the last thing he would ever do was to destroy it. 

If that's what Oliver wanted, then he shall get.

"As soon as you're unwell, I am taking you home." The wedding be damned, he added inwardly.

Oliver giggled as if he could perceive the words unsaid. He always could. "Alright, you worrywart. Let's go back to the lounge before people start looking for us."

Lu Yizhou placed his palm on the small of the omega's back, the movement that had come naturally over him. As Oliver had expected, the wedding staff let out a collective sighs of relief as soon as they spotted them. The make-up artist fussed over Oliver's pale complexion and pressed him down on the seat to apply some blush and faint glitter across his cheekbones. Lu Yizhou leaned on the wall behind him, his gaze never straying far. His icy demeanor kept the staff away, even the make-up artist that was assigned to him was dismissed first thing in the morning. He didn't need it, he said. After that, no one dared to approach him anymore except for one time when they were leading him to change into the tailored suit. 

And Lu Yizhou needed no touch up, indeed. Altair was naturally gorgeous with honey bronze skin and attractive features that didn't require any enhancement. He had combed his hair backward, some strays escaping to fall over his forehead. An immaculate three-piece suit encased his tall and proportional body, its top two buttons undone. The design was measured to fit him perfectly, highlighting his broad shoulders, slim waist and long legs. After helping Oliver to clean up, he had rolled up his sleeves, displaying a pair of toned and masculine forearms. He sensed an intense stare his way and lifted his eyelids in time to see Oliver hastily averting his gaze, the faint blush on his cheeks deepening in color. The corner of Lu Yizhou's mouth twitched. Oliver had been acting like a shy maiden ever since Lu Yizhou changed into this outfit. It had been hours already and he still hadn't gotten used to it? Did he really look that different from usual?

[666: *whisper* Sheesh, Host's denseness knows no bounds.]

[What did you say?]

[666: N–ope! Nothing at all! 666 is just taking pictures of Host as usual. You know, for showing off to other systems hehe. Oh, Host, on your eleven o'clock. It's Derek!]

From Lu Yizhou's peripheral vision, he saw Derek approached with a grave look on his face. The Beta inclined his head. "Your Highness," he whispered.

Lu Yizhou met Oliver's inquiring eyes through the mirror. I will be back, he mouthed. After that, he led Derek to the balcony, the evening wind gently caressing his face. He directly got to the point. "How is it?" 

"A few Elite Guards that are supposed to patrol today are taking leave for various reasons. I have been investigating the reasons behind it and as you have expected, they are all involved in numerous…strange accidents." Derek scrunched his nose. His eyes flickered with a strange light. "And the guards that are assigned to replace their shifts, they are all serving Princess Rosemane, or at least used to. Some of them are from dubious backgrounds, accepted only because of the Princess' formal recommendation."

Lu Yizhou let out a huff, lips curling into a chilling smile.

"What's wrong? Do you suspect that Princess Rosemane will crash the wedding?" Derek shook his head. "That can't be. No matter how stupid she is, this is a national event, after all. The royal members' reputation is in line and she won't be able to escape punishment from the Emperor." Lu Yizhou gave him a pointed stare and Derek blinked, eyes slowly widening in disbelief. A soft curse slipped out of his mouth. "Fuck, it can't be, right? Is she that desperate to ruin her own life?!"

Lu Yizhou's gaze trailed to Oliver's side profile across the room. The omega was currently conversing with his make-up artist, his smiles bright and radiant. "No matter what happens tonight, Oliver will be your one and only priority."

"But—"

"Derek."

Both of them stared at each other before Derek relented with a frustrated sigh. "As you wish, Your Highness."

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