I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 34

Crowds had gathered on both sides of the street. They held white cloths and flowers, waving towards the carriage.

“What’s going on…?”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t find the words to speak.

“Congratulations!”
“Welcome back, hero!”
“Cyril, best wishes to you and the prince!”

I heard many voices full of blessings. It felt like we were already in a wedding parade.

“What’s happening? The people are celebrating me…?”

As I was confused, Adrian explained.

“Actually, the mood in the capital has changed a lot in these past few months. The truth about Prince Kyle’s scandal came out, and people started losing trust in the royal family. In the middle of all that, your story—Cyril—saving Princess Lydia on a quick impulse, and protecting Prince Leon from a poison arrow a year ago, has spread.”
“My story…?”
“Yes. Now you’re seen as a hero by the people in the capital. They think of you as the brave knight who protected the prince and the hero who saved the princess, and you’ve gained a lot of support.”
“No way…”

It was hard to believe. Just a few months ago, when I became an Omega, everyone looked at me coldly. How did this happen…?

“Well, the knights and Prince Leon himself have been spreading your story deliberately. Also, the people are angry about Prince Kyle’s betrayal and admire Prince Leon and you, his lover, for exposing Kyle’s crime.”
“But… I’m an Omega, and yet…”

Adrian smiled and answered.

“The world changes. Of course, some still criticize, but most people now support your relationship. Also… this country needs a new symbol. The anger at the former prince who betrayed the people has turned into hope and support for you.”

I looked out the window. Indeed, the people’s faces were smiling. Children and elderly waved their hands at the carriage. They really seemed to be celebrating us.

“This feels strange…”

I felt happy and a little embarrassed. I was prepared to be hated by this country, but being celebrated like this honestly made me very happy.

While listening to the words of celebration, the carriage arrived at the palace’s main gate. The knights I knew were lined up waiting there.

“Hey, why are all the knights here…?”

Peeking through the carriage window, I saw my former comrades dressed formally, standing in a row. And standing before them was…

“Luke!”

The moment I got off the carriage, my former junior Luke jumped at me.

“Cyril-senpai! You finally came back!”

He was so excited he looked like he was about to cry. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hey, why are you crying? Did you miss me that much?”
“Of course! It’s been so lonely without you!”
“You’re still as honest as ever.”

Ruffling Luke’s head, I felt my heart warm. Meeting old friends like this was truly joyful.

“Luke! Cut it out!”

A voice called from behind, and Luke finally let go of me. It was my former comrades. When they saw me, they all gave a formal salute.

“Welcome back, Cyril.”
“Oh, you don’t have to be so formal.”

It felt a little awkward to be saluted by them. We used to sleep together in the knight’s dorm and act foolish, but now…

Still, they quickly dropped their formal stance and started smiling cheekily.

“This feels strange, right?”
“Hey, how dare you talk like that to the future wife of Prince Leon?”
“Come on, it’s Cyril. Asking us to treat him like a princess now is impossible!”
“You guys are ridiculous…”

Hearing my old comrades talk like this relaxed me instantly.

“Cyril, long time no see! I’m really glad you’re back.”
“Yeah, while you were gone, Prince Leon was in a terrible mood. You better cheer him up soon.”
“Hey! What are you saying?!”

I blushed and scolded them. What if others heard such bold words!

But I was really glad they treated me like a normal friend, not special because I’m an Omega, and not looking down on me either. Just old friends talking casually.

At the eastern fortress, there was some distance between us, but after everything, they chose to go back to how things were, and I was grateful in my heart.

“They really haven’t changed at all.”

I felt deep relief. My place was still here. That made my chest warm.

“Cyril.”

Turning around at the call, I saw Edgar standing there. The steward of Prince Leon seemed to have a softer expression than before I returned to the capital.

“Edgar…”
“Welcome back to the palace.”

From Edgar’s face, I could truly feel his warm welcome. Looking back, Edgar probably understood better than anyone how much Prince Leon cared about me.

“First, I’ll take your family to the waiting room. This way, please.”

Edgar ordered the maids to guide my family to another place. The knights saluted me once more, then went back to their posts.

“Well then, Cyril, please follow me.”

The crowd around us dispersed, leaving only Edgar and me. He bowed quietly and began leading me inside the palace.

As soon as I stepped in, the palace was busier than I expected. Servants hurried back and forth, carrying decorations, preparing food, cleaning— the whole palace was in chaos.

“The palace feels more hectic than usual, doesn’t it?”
“Of course. A royal wedding was decided suddenly, so the palace has been very busy preparing.”

Hearing that, I felt a little guilty. Even if this wasn’t exactly my fault, I was involved somehow. Seeing so many people rushing around made me feel awkward.

“It’s alright. Everyone is happy to prepare. It’s been a while since a good event like this.”

Edgar seemed to notice my feelings and said this kindly. His words made me feel a bit better.

As we walked down the hallway, Edgar headed in a direction I didn’t expect.

“Um, this isn’t the way to my old room, is it? And it’s not the office either…”
“No. From today, your place will change.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You’ll see when we arrive.”

Without explaining further, Edgar led me to the end of a long corridor.

At last, we stopped in front of a large door with simple carvings.

“We’ve arrived. Now, please open the door.”
“O-okay.”

Nervous, I reached out and touched the door handle.