SPW 13

Except for the fact that he was the same secondary gender as Kim Sarang, he had no connection to him whatsoever, so his offer to be a guardian caused a huge stir at the time. In fact, that impact had continued for the three months since. For the royal family, the partner of Florian—the grandson of the 5th Duke, who was extremely cherished by the royals for his numerous meritorious deeds during his lifetime, and the only current heir—was a very important matter, and for the public, it was bound to be a hot topic.

After becoming an adult, Florian had changed partners several times. The number of partners who had passed through Florian’s life in the last nine years was exactly nine. All were children of aristocrats, were dominant alphas, and had agreed to keep the partnership secret. It wasn’t really an agreement. The basic principle was that if you didn’t agree, you couldn’t even be a candidate for a partner.

The first partner lasted for three years, the second for two years, then one year, then six months. Over the course of nine partners, from the first to the last, the duration of the partnerships grew shorter. The most recent six had been changed with each cycle. The number nine over nine years was quite small compared to other secondary genders. This was because most secondary genders preferred and practiced changing partners with every heat cycle. It was the reason the stereotype that secondary genders were promiscuous and promiscuous had become entrenched.

There were several reasons why Florian had gained great favor with the public and people of various nations. His impeccable background, his ability as a businessman, his outstanding looks, and his non-promiscuous and non-promiscuous sex life also played a significant part. Florian, who was treated and loved more like a prince than an actual prince by the people, had never once occupied the news columns with bad gossip.

But this time, with the guardianship controversy, he stood in the middle of gossip for the first time. And he had done it himself.

Secondary genders usually married and formed a bond with a partner who had a high matching rate. This was especially true for dominant secondary genders. This was because the higher the matching rate, the more stable the heat cycle became and the more perfect the pheromone control was.

Hence, many secondary genders changed their heat partners countless times until a partner with a high matching rate appeared. If a partner with a high matching rate was a minor, they used loopholes like adoption or guardianship systems to legally bind them in order to claim them first.

This was the background to why Florian’s declaration of guardianship caused such a great controversy. The royal family called so much that his cell phone grew hot, and the Wellington family also sent people directly to assess the situation. Shaking off the clinging media alone cost a considerable amount in human resources. People did not accept Florian’s offer to be Sarang’s guardian as a simple act of goodwill.

Preemptive claim.

Guardianship was a system commonly used to preemptively claim a minor. And there was only one reason to use even loopholes to claim a minor. A high matching rate. A secondary gender who found a partner with a high matching rate would use all sorts of illegal and extralegal methods to tie the person down, to the point where one could say they lost their reason. Florian and Sarang’s matching rate was 92%. That information had not leaked anywhere, but public speculation naturally concluded it was about the matching rate.

However, Florian had never been particularly fixated on matching rates. As long as it was over 50%, his heat cycle and pheromone control became easier, and he had actually been partners for nearly a year with someone who had a rate close to 95%. Florian preferred a clean relationship over the matching rate. He was polite yet merciless to partners who presented destiny based on the matching rate or appealed to emotions just because they had spent a heat cycle together.

But as the number of heat cycles they spent together increased, they would express their feelings for Florian or crave his affection. Florian immediately terminated his contracts with those who violated the clauses. Mesmerized by Florian’s ever-deepening pheromones, they would regret and resign themselves, beg and cling, refuse and become enraged.

Since most partners reacted emotionally, the frequency with which Florian changed partners grew shorter and shorter. Even amidst that, not a single bad rumor spread. This was because they were bound by a powerful penalty clause in the tens of billions of won. Of course, a small rumor did spread in the beginning. It was very easy for Florian, who did not have many partners, to specify the source of the rumor, and he held the party who violated the contract thoroughly responsible.

To be precise, after that incident, no rumors about Florian, good or bad, ever spread. Even if gossips made things up and spread them, no one listened seriously. The people were proud of the Dietrich Duchy’s lovely and dignified heir as if he were the trophy of a lifetime.

And this pretty little Asian kid had put a scratch on Florian’s reputation. Neil, looking at Sarang who was about the same height as him, started a light chat.

“You’re on the small side for a football player. What’s your height?”

“176cm.”

“You’re still growing, so you’ll get taller, right?”

“Yes. I wish I could grow another 20cm.”

“Haha, football is a sport with a lot of rough physical contact, isn’t it?”

“Much more than you think.”

Sarang, who had been turning to look at Neil as they talked, asked with a somewhat relaxed face.

“Do you like football?”

“I’m not at the level of buying a season ticket, but I guess you could call me a Rhino. A pub, beer, and a football match make for a great weekend.”

“Are you from Canton City?”

“Yes, I spent my entire teenage years in Canton City and then went to university in the United States.”

“Wow.”

“Football is fun, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

As Sarang readily answered, his eyes seemed to sparkle.

He’s at that age.

“Studying isn’t much fun. Shall I tell you a secret, Kim?”

“A secret?”

“If I had an outstanding talent like you, Kim, I would have quit studying a long time ago.”

Even without Sarang’s reaction, he already knew that Sarang had only completed middle school. In a country with a large football population and equally high competition, there were not as many kids as one might think who ran with their eyes set only on football. The reality was that one could never survive without considerable talent and effort, so most pursued both academics and sports.

But Kim Sarang was different. As soon as he finished his compulsory education, he quit his studies and focused only on football. Perhaps a kind of sense of responsibility had been at work. Colin Debussy, his guardian, had not been a financially well-off person, after all. He probably wanted to debut as a professional as quickly as possible to repay him. It was a common story.

“This may sound presumptuous, Kim.”

The elevator was almost at the underground parking garage.

“Please do as Mr. Wellington wishes.”

Neil added with a grin.

“I am a person who gets paid in exchange for presenting a method that is advantageous to you, Kim. I am fulfilling my responsibility for that.”

He meant that moving according to Florian’s wishes was the most advantageous method for Sarang at present. Sarang, who was a quick study, nodded his head obediently.

“Okay.”

Florian was better than Matthew Kaia, and a guardian was better than a spouse. Above all, it was safer to be under the protection of the same secondary gender rather than a beta. Needless to say, if that person was Florian, who received the trust and love of the entire nation. But something kept bothering Sarang.

Why is he showing me such goodwill? He said that there’s no such thing as a reward without a reason.

Only Colin, who had said that it was good to trust people but that it was always necessary to be cautious and suspicious, had given him unconditional love.

“It looks like we’ll be seeing each other often from now on, Kim.”

“Yes. See you again next time, Neil.”

Florian provided a car for the ride home as well. I could have gone by myself. Neil’s advice made Sarang get into the car.

“You’ve become a celebrity, unintentionally, haven’t you, Sarang? Of course, I am aware that you attracted attention as a prospect. But it cannot be compared to your current fame. The nature of it is different, too.”

Naturally. Who could have imagined a situation where the news of his guardianship designation would be broadcast all over the world? It happened because the guardian was Florian.

“That means you are exposed to far more danger than before, Sarang.”

“Danger?”

“The Kaias are not such a gentlemanly family, Kim.”

Suddenly, Sarang looked at Neil with eyes that seemed to have realized something. No one was explaining the current situation, but Neil was different. It seemed he would explain things to a reasonable extent if Sarang wanted him to.

“Are you saying that Matthew Kaia is after me again?”

“Yes, because Matthew Kaia is in desperate need of a secondary gender, especially a dominant alpha.”

He didn’t seem like he would tell him the reason, and Sarang’s guess was not wrong.

“Then what is the reason Welling… no, Florian is helping me?”

“He said he had a bad dream.”

“…”

It was the same answer Sarang had heard. Neil, noticing this, smiled lightly and said.

“He probably wanted to screw over Matthew Kaia. They recently got entangled in some messy business dealings. Actually, I am only guessing. He is a very tight-lipped person, so he doesn’t reveal his inner thoughts even to his close associates. Or maybe, he genuinely developed an interest in football.”

Neil did not explain everything, and Sarang did not expect much information either. Was it because he’s on bad terms with the Kaia family, and he just wanted to interfere with the marriage? Neil’s guess was the most plausible. Because once a guardianship relationship was established, it couldn’t be terminated carelessly without the consent of both parties.