beta
A while ago I praised this MC for being strong, stand for himself and his people, not to submit to the manipulation and treats from the ML and I was afraid he would change like in so many works - just accepting a "sad past" as justification, forgiving all ML mistakes and ending up with a toxic partner because this has been the rule in several bls. And I'm so impressed this is totally not what is happening here. He had glimpses of ML's pain, but he didn't become a fool because of it; he just understood better and did his job better. It was the ML that started to change and becoming a better person for him (at least it looks real for me, not pretending), and because of that, that change, that the MC is giving him a chance little by little. He's acting totally reasonable and with a brain, the ML is also not being an asshole to get what he wants, but changing for the person he's interested, in good way for both of them. With both of them communicating about things and respecting each other more. This is a so damn satisfying romantic development to see.
Thank you for verbalizing it so well I heavily agree!!
It's interesting to see how in this timeline Aeroc was not meant to fall in love with Kloff. He didn't fall for him when he saw him in the rose garden (like in the fisrt timeline) and it will take a lot of effort in this one from Kloff until Aeroc develop some feelings. I wonder how would be if Aeroc was like this in the fisrt timeline. Kloff would have married Raphiel and Aeroc wouldn't give a shit about it; but in the novel is said that the reason why Kloff chose Raphiel was because he resembled Aeroc. Kloff couldn't admit he was attracted by an alpha, so married an omega that looked like that alpha. I wonder if in some point he wouldn't be able to resist anymore, and even married, would try to make Aeroc his secret lover. If Aeroc didn't agree, what he would do about it. I'm very curious to what would happen with his supressed feelings in the first timeline if Aeroc wasn't interested in him.
I got carried away, and it's cliche' but he'd most likely do what he's doing now. Sabotage the hell out of Aeroc where he has no choice but to give in to the affair. Because he has Rapiel and cares about his reputation, he won't seize the Teiwind name, but in his sick way, would most likely come up with an excuse to move his office into the Teiwind estate. He'd plot a way to move Rapiel back into his family's estate to basically become a single mother, and use work as an excuse to basically rarely ever see them.
Aeroc would most likely still become an omega, and Kloff has them lie to the world that Aeroc is still an alpha who secretly had a lovechild abroad, hence his year long absence from society. This sick person would happily raise this child and Aeroc fully falls in love with Kloff when he shows this softer loving side of him that his father never gave him. All the guilt and disgust and resentment just goes away, and that selfish Aeroc who plotted against Rapiel in the original timeline comes back.
Aeroc doesn't do anything to Rapiel and his child, of course, because he actually has Kloff unlike the original timeline. Instead, he waits until Rapiel's child is old enough for him to find an amazing match who happens to live in a whole other country, but its just too good of a match to give up that Rapiel gets Kloff's blessings to move into this other country with their child.
And that's how Kloff stops dividing his attention between the families. Only ever seeing his and Rapiel's child every few years to see how they're doing.
On a kinda happier tone since this is making me vomit, Rapiel caught on to their affair through Wolflake, and this vulnerable omega father starts an affair with him, and Wolflake happily helps him raise his child. Kloff does catch on when Rapiel becomes pregnant and the two haven't had sex since Kloff began his affair. Wolflake privately reveals that he's the father, and they discussed the possibility of divorce. But Wolflake didn't want the divorce to affect Rapiel's first child, so the two agreed that the two will announce their separation when the first child is old enough.
Kloff, of course, doesn't reveal any of this to Aeroc to test his feelings. This was before Aeroc was pregnant so he's only further disgusted by the situation he's forced in. But after he discovers the truth after sending Rapiel and the child away, he's relieved and so incredibly pissed off by Kloff that he threatens to follow Rapiel and Wolflake to start a polycule since all three were victims of Kloff's dumbassery.
Kloff gets jealous at the idea which makes Aeroc happy, letting the manwha end in a happier tone despite how incredibly fucked up it was for Rapiel and Aeroc.
Haha I can see almost all this happening. Who knows, the auhor came up with the last side story years after what we would thought that would be the actual last side story. So, they might try a new timeline with this "what if" situation and end up being very similar to your guess.