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The three servants had gathered in one of the quieter sitting rooms near the eastern corridor, the afternoon sunlight spilling through the tall windows and warming the polished wooden floors beneath their feet. The older man sat with a cup of tea balanced carefully in his hands while the two women folded fresh linens nearby, their work slowing as the conversation drifted toward a subject that seemed to occupy everyone's thoughts lately.
"I saw Yuuji-sama in the garden again this morning," one of the women said softly. "He was helping the younger servants carry flower pots. The poor boy should not be doing that himself."
The second woman nodded immediately. "He is always like that. Last week he carried boxes to the storage rooms because one of the workers had injured his wrist. I have never once seen him speak harshly to anyone."
The man let out a quiet sigh. "And he is so young."
"Far too young," the first woman agreed. "Whenever I see him, I wonder how he ended up married to someone like the clan head."
Nobody dared say Megumi-sama's name disrespectfully. He was the most respected man in the entire clan, a leader whose wisdom and authority had guided the Zenin family for decades. Yet even so, the sight of his beautiful young omega wife always stirred sympathy within the servants. He couldn't be more than twenty.
The second woman carefully folded a pillowcase before speaking again. "Yuuji-sama always smiles, but sometimes I think there is sadness behind it. Have you noticed how tired he looks in the mornings?"
The older servant grimaced slightly. "I have noticed."
"He is soo beautiful," she continued. "Honestly, every time I see him, I feel as though he belongs in a painting. His skin is flawless, his face never seems to age, and he is always so polite. Even when people make mistakes, he simply laughs and helps them fix it."
The first woman lowered her voice despite knowing nobody else was nearby.
"And I hear... Megumi sama beds him every night."
A heavy silence followed. The older man rubbed the side of his cup thoughtfully.
"I know it is not our place to discuss such matters," he said carefully, "but I cannot help feeling sorry for him. Megumi-sama is old enough to be his grandfather."
"Exactly!" the younger woman exclaimed before catching herself and lowering her voice once more. "Every time I see Yuuji-sama walking through the estate, I think about it. He is always smiling, always kind, always helping everyone, and then I remember he returns to the clan head's quarters every night."
She shook her head.
"I cannot imagine he is happy."
Neither could the others.
The first woman glanced toward the hallway as though expecting the omega himself to appear at any moment. "The saddest part is that he never complains. Not once. If he were angry or bitter, perhaps I would worry less. Instead he keeps smiling and asking everyone if they have eaten. He remembers birthdays. He sends gifts when servants have children. He thanks people for things that are literally his responsibility as the master's spouse."
"He deserves someone his own age," the second woman murmured.
The older servant stared into his tea. "Perhaps," he said. "Or perhaps he simply deserves peace."
The room fell quiet again. Beyond the windows, the estate gardens stretched beneath the afternoon sun, and somewhere outside Yuuji-sama was undoubtedly brightening another person's day with that same gentle smile that had won over the entire household. None of them could understand why fate had paired someone so young, kind, and beautiful with an elderly alpha, and each time they saw him walking through the estate they found themselves feeling the same thing, pity.
The older man leaned back in his chair and lowered his voice even further. "You know," he began, "there was that morning three months ago."
Both women immediately looked interested. "What morning?"
"I was sent to wake Megumi-sama before a meeting with the branch families. Normally I would never enter the private chambers, but the meeting was important and everyone was waiting."
The two women exchanged glances. "What happened?"
The servant cleared his throat awkwardly. "Nothing inappropriate. I only opened the door long enough to announce myself. But they were asleep."
The younger woman blinked. "Together?"
"Of course together."
The older servant looked embarrassed just remembering it.
"The clan head had one arm around Yuuji-sama's waist and Yuuji-sama was practically curled against him. They were tangled together beneath the blankets as though they had fallen asleep holding each other....after..well...."
The first woman covered her mouth.
"Oh no."
"And before I looked away, I noticed marks along Yuuji-sama's neck and shoulders. Not injuries. The sort of marks married couples leave on one another."
Both women immediately looked horrified. "The poor thing."
"I know," the man sighed. "I spent the entire day feeling bad for him."
"See?" the younger woman said. "That is exactly what I mean. Megumi-sama is a wonderful leader. Nobody can deny that. He is fair, intelligent, respected by everyone. But whenever it comes to Yuuji-sama..."
She shook her head. "That is where I judge him."
The others nodded in agreement.
Another servant might have spoken poorly of the clan head behind closed doors, but none of them truly disliked Megumi. If anything, that made the situation worse. Megumi-sama treated servants well, protected the clan, and had earned the respect of generations. Yet every time they looked at his youthful omega wife, they could not help wondering whether Yuuji-sama had sacrificed his entire youth for the sake of the clan.
The first woman sighed dramatically.
"And then the keeps him even when he is working in his office!"
Whenever Megumi-sama worked from his office, Yuuji-sama was often there as well. The omega would sit beside him for hours while documents were reviewed and meetings were conducted. Sometimes he read books. Sometimes he drew pictures. Sometimes he simply chatted.
And somehow Megumi-sama always listened.
"I passed by last week," she continued. "Megumi-sama was reviewing financial reports but Yuuji sama was talking and they seemed so interested in each other...."
The older servant frowned. "What were they even talking about?"
"I have no idea."
The younger woman snorted."Honestly, I think Yuuji-sama is simply being polite. What could someone his age possibly find interesting talking to such an old man?"
The three of them laughed.
"Every time I pass the office," the older servant said, "Megumi-sama is talking and Yuuji-sama is smiling at him like he is hearing the most fascinating story in the world."
"Poor thing."
"Exactly."
"And then there are the clan head's friends too:"
The room immediately filled with sympathetic groans. "Oh, those poor dinners."
The first woman nodded. "Every month Yuuji-sama sits through dinners with Maki-sama, Yuuta-sama, Nobara-sama and the others.They are all respectable people, but they are the clan head's old friends."
"What young omega wants to spend his evenings listening to old people talk about things that happened before he was even born?"
"Exactly."
Yet despite their pity, Yuuji never appeared unhappy. If anything, he seemed delighted. That only confused them more. The younger woman folded another towel and smiled faintly.
"You know what bothers me most?"
"What?"
"After everything, he is still kinder than anyone in this estate."
The others nodded. Every servant had their own story. When her son had fallen ill, Yuuji-sama had personally arranged transportation to a specialist doctor and paid the expenses before she could even ask for help.
The older man remembered when his wife had passed away several years earlier. During the funeral preparations, Yuuji had visited his home carrying food, blankets, and flowers. He had stayed for hours helping prepare everything despite technically being one of the most important people in the entire clan.
The second woman remembered crying in a storage room after making a costly mistake with ceremonial decorations. Instead of scolding her, Yuuji had sat beside her on the floor and spent nearly an hour helping fix everything.
None of them had forgotten.
"He deserves to be enjoying life," she said softly. "Going out with friends his own age. Traveling. Having fun. Not spending every day attending clan functions."
"Exactly."
"Instead he spends his time taking care of everyone else."
The older servant stared thoughtfully out the window.
"And the strangest thing is that he never looks trapped."
"I still feel sorry for him," he admitted. "Probably always will. But every time I think he must be miserable, I see them together and they just look...happy:"
The way Yuuji would immediately look for Megumi when entering a room. The way Megumi's expression softened whenever his omega spoke. The way they always seemed to drift toward one another without thinking.
The servants still could not understand it. And so they continued feeling sorry for Yuuji-sama.