Chapter 788: The Fake Heir Lived Happily Ever After

Micah watched them go, amused. "They scattered like startled birds," he commented, tilting his head slightly. "One mention of Clyde and they ran for their lives."

When no response came, he turned toward Darcy again.

"Hey," Micah said, frowning slightly. "What’s with that face?"

Darcy pressed his lips together, his face still shadowed.

Micah leaned forward, bending slightly to catch his gaze. "Seriously," he said, softer this time, "why do you look like you’re sulking?"

Darcy held his gaze for a moment, then sighed quietly. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

Micah straightened, folding his arms thoughtfully. "You’ve been acting weird since earlier," he said. "Is something wrong with Xiao Ming?"

"No," Darcy replied immediately.

Micah hummed, unconvinced. "Then why were you glaring at him like that?" he pressed. "And why did you suddenly leave the table?"

"You’re overthinking it," Darcy said.

Micah raised an eyebrow. "Am I?" he said slowly. "Because you walked off right after I said Ilyas and Xiao Ming looked good together." He paused, tilting his head as a thought suddenly struck him. "...Wait a second." A slow grin spread across his face. "Don’t tell me..." he said, his tone turning teasing. "You’ve got a crush on one of them?"

Darcy flinched. It was subtle. But Micah caught it immediately.

"Oh?" Micah’s grin widened. "Is it Xiao Ming?" He deliberately picked the wrong name.

Darcy’s shoulders relaxed just a fraction. And he did not deny it.

Micah’s eyes sparkled with amusement. "Really?" he said, clearly enjoying himself now. "Xiao Ming is adorable. You’ve got good taste."

Then he casually pointed over Darcy’s shoulder. "But are you seriously okay leaving him alone with Ilyas?" he added. "They seem to get along really well."

Darcy’s heart skipped. His head snapped around instinctively. His gaze landed on the table, only to freeze.

Ilyas was not there. For a brief second, panic flickered across his face.

Micah’s grin turned knowing. "Little brother," he said lightly, "you can’t fool me."

Darcy slowly turned back, his expression conflicted, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.

Micah stepped closer, his tone softening. "You keep saying you don’t need romance," he said. "That you’re fine being alone." He tapped lightly against Darcy’s chest. "But your eyes say something completely different."

Darcy stilled.

"I’ve seen that look before," Micah continued quietly. "Clyde had the exact same one." He smiled faintly. "You’re both the same," he said. "Wanting something... but being too afraid you’ll hurt the other person."

Before Darcy could react, Micah reached up and pinched his cheek lightly.

"Take it from your older brother," he said. "Don’t do this to yourself." He let go, his expression turning more serious. "Do you know how long it took that helpless fool to finally confess to me?" he added. "Lifetime after lifetime." He shook his head. "Do you really want to end up regretting it like that?"

Darcy’s throat tightened slightly.

Micah gave him one last look, then jerked his chin toward the direction of the garden. "Go after him," he said simply. "He didn’t look okay."

Darcy swallowed hard. The hesitation lingered for only a moment. Then he nodded.

"...Thank you, brother," he said quietly.

And without another word, he turned and walked away quickly.

******

Ilyas made his way out toward the garden. The moment he stepped outside, the atmosphere changed completely.

The air was cooler, fresher, carrying the faint scent of blooming flowers that softened the edges of his restless thoughts. The distant sound of crickets filled the silence, their steady rhythm almost soothing compared to the overwhelming noise inside.

Ilyas exhaled slowly, his shoulders lowering slightly as he took in a deep breath. For a moment, he simply stood there, letting the night settle around him. But even that did not fully calm him.

His eyes stung faintly. He closed them briefly, pressing his lips together. He knew it. This awkwardness of his... one day it was going to ruin everything.

He let out a quiet, frustrated breath. He had been avoiding Darcy. Avoiding conversations. Avoiding eye contact. Avoiding anything that might make things complicated.

And now... Now it felt like he had pushed things too far.

"Maybe I actually made him angry," Ilyas murmured under his breath.

A light breeze passed through the garden, brushing against his skin and making him shiver slightly.

Then suddenly Something warm settled over his shoulders. Ilyas startled faintly and turned his head.

Darcy stood behind him. He had taken off his coat and draped it over Ilyas without a word, leaving himself in just his black shirt. The fabric clung lightly to his frame, the simplicity of his appearance somehow making him seem even more imposing.

"You’re going to catch a cold," Darcy said quietly. "Go back inside."

Ilyas frowned slightly, his fingers lifting to grasp the coat. "I’m fine," he replied, attempting to shrug it off.

Before he could remove it, Darcy’s hand came down on his shoulder, firm enough to stop him. "Just listen to me for once," Darcy said, his voice low but insistent.

Ilyas tilted his head, his brows knitting together. "Why?" he asked.

There was a hint of something in his tone, something raw, some unintentional grievance. He didn’t even seem to realise it himself.

Darcy did. For a moment, he simply looked at him. Those eyes. The same eyes that had been haunting his thoughts again and again.

Darcy swallowed slightly, his throat tightening. "Do you really not understand?" he asked quietly.

Ilyas looked away. "Understand what?" he said, his voice quieter now. "Are you just doing this because your brother told you to? Like I’m some kind of burden?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he froze. He had not meant to say that.

"Is that what you thought?" Darcy whispered.

Ilyas could hear the hurt in just those few words. In panic, he opened his mouth. "No... I mean, I know I’m not a warm, easy-going person to get along with. You’d rather be around someone like Xiao Ming, right? Someone easy... someone cute...Looking after me must’ve been a pain in the ass..."

Darcy let out a soft chuckle. The sound made Ilyas’s heart skip unexpectedly.

Without warning, Darcy stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Ilyas from behind, pulling him into a firm embrace.

Ilyas stiffened instantly.

"I wanted to... no one made me watch over you." Darcy paused, leaning forward. "Give me another chance," he said, his voice low, close, almost vulnerable. "I’ll do better this time. I won’t run away again."

Ilyas’s heart began to race. His ears burned red. He did not respond.

Darcy leaned even closer, his breath brushing lightly against Ilyas’s ear. "Please," he murmured.

A quiet sound escaped Ilyas’s throat, barely audible. "Mmm..."

Darcy tightened his hold slightly, resting his head against Ilyas’s shoulder, as though unwilling to let go.

Not far away, partially hidden from view, Micah stood with Clyde.

"I told you something had happened with them," Micah whispered, watching the scene with warm eyes.

Clyde hummed softly in response, his arm sliding around Micah’s waist in a relaxed manner.

"Mmm, you were right, even playing cupid for them," he said quietly, "now you can stop worrying. Looks like he finally found someone who can melt that frozen heart of his."

Micah squirmed slightly, wrinkling his nose. "Why do you smell like a winery?" he asked, glancing at Clyde. "How much did they make you drink?"

Clyde leaned closer, his voice soft. "A lot," he admitted.

Micah frowned. "Why didn’t you refuse?" he said. "You do know you are allowed to say no, right?"

Clyde shook his head slightly. "I didn’t want to," he said. "I liked what they were saying. All those wishes... about us, wishing my wife and me a long and happy marriage."

Micah’s expression softened, though he sighed helplessly.

"God, you’re so cheesy," he muttered. "Come on. Let me take you home before you collapse somewhere."

The word home warmed Clyde’s heart. From now on, Micah would be by his side, sharing everything with him.

Micah cast one last glance toward Darcy and Ilyas. A small satisfied smile formed on his lips. Then, he guided Clyde toward the exit.

"Your wife is so awesome. He can even match the most aloof stubborn person with someone."

Clyde laughed, eyes flashing with a spark. "Mmm... I’m blessed. I’d better cherish him or he might leave this old man."

Micah rolled his eyes. "Your friends are so loose-mouthed. Ha! Snitching on me? Are they tired of living?"

Clyde’s fingers stroked Micah’s sensitive waist. "Well, they were worried about me. They even gave me tips on how to show my vigour so I wouldn’t disappoint you." Then he whispered into Micah’s ear. "Baby, I promise I’ll work hard."

A chill ran down Micah’s back, regretting stepping on a dormant lion’s tail. Inwardly he wailed, pitying his poor waist.

Tonight, he would be eaten for sure!

The End.

Author’s Note:

Hi, my lovely readers,

Thank you so much for sticking with me on this journey. I started writing this story over a year ago, and honestly... a lot has happened in my life since then. There were times when things felt overwhelming, especially when I was dealing with worries about my family’s safety, things that were completely out of my control.

But through all of that, your support really kept me going. Seeing your comments, your excitement, and just knowing you were here reading meant more to me than I can properly put into words. It gave me the push I needed to keep writing even on the hard days.

I know everyone has their own struggles in life, and I truly hope this story was able to give you even a little bit of comfort or escape.

Now that we have reached the end, I am thinking about writing some side stories. Since I can only publish once, I wanted to ask for your opinions first. What kind of setting or genre would you like to see Micah and Clyde in?

I already have one idea in mind, an omegaverse setting, but I will wait a bit before all of you finish the main story.

Feel free to share what you would love to see!

Thank you again for everything.

Love you all.

Kiss, kiss 💛

Your (very grateful) author,

Akina