RHFTY chapter 57

* * *

“Hey there. I don’t recognize you.”

Chaeyi suddenly sensed someone approaching from the side and heard an unfamiliar voice.

He turned around to see a muscular man standing there.

“Are you new?”

He eyed Chaeyi up and down, wondering if this was a new hire he hadn’t noticed.

Meanwhile, Chaeyi was at a loss for how to explain himself, his mouth opening and closing in hesitation.

Telling him he had been kidnapped seemed like a bad idea—it would definitely make things worse.

“Um… I’m a friend of Aelan’s.”

So, he came up with a hasty excuse.

It was a bizarre situation, needing to come up with an explanation for someone else’s behavior.

“Oh, Aelan’s friend?”

What was even funnier was that the man knew Aelan.

He acted as if this place was familiar, and it hit Chaeyi: Aelan had really brought his to a place he often frequented.

If he had wanted to scream for help, he might have been heard.

It was a strange kidnapping indeed.

“What are you doing standing around?”

Just then, the kidnapper he had to make excuses for appeared, holding a tray loaded with an impressive spread: thick cuts of meat, two large loaves of bread, two eggs, a jar of jam, and a cup of milk.

Narrowing his eyes, Aelan glanced at the carpenter, who burst into laughter and pointed at Chaeyi.

“So, you actually do have friends! That’s a surprise! How could you keep someone hidden after all these years? You should introduce us sometime.”

“…Friends? Who said?”

“Huh? he did. Said you’re friends.”

Aelan shot a quick glance at Chaeyi, then responded brusquely to the carpenter.

“Mind your own business.”

Normally, a comment like that would have hurt someone’s feelings, but it seemed Aelan was always like this.

Instead of getting offended, the man leaned close to Chaeyi and whispered playfully.

“He may be grumpy, but he’s not a bad guy. Deep down, he’s got a soft spot. Isn’t that right?”

Chaeyi hesitated, unsure whether to agree, and Aelan’s glare grew more intense.

With a loud exhale, the man waved his hand and turned to leave.

“I’ll have to meet your friend properly next time. And if you’re going to eat, don’t do it in some dusty warehouse—head back to the dorms.”

When the man left, silence filled the space.

Aelan, looking slightly uncomfortable, hesitated before heading toward the dorms.

“Follow me.”

Chaeyi silently followed behind.

The dormitory bore Aelan’s nameplate—it was essentially his home.

“Just eat.”

The food, which was too much for one person, was placed on a small table in front of the sofa.

Aelan had even prepared a fork, acting as though this was a casual meal.

Though simple compared to a noble feast, it looked quite appetizing.

Chaeyi dipped his bread in the jam and spoke.

“Earlier, you said you didn’t want to reconcile with Leo… Honestly, I don’t understand what you’re trying to do.”

Aelan, who had pulled up a chair opposite Chaeyi and rested his chin in his hand, observed his eating with a complicated expression.

Despite trying to have a serious conversation, the scene felt anything but serious.

“Stop playing around and tell me the real reason. What is it you’re trying to achieve?”

Chaeyi met his gaze head-on.

Aelan sighed softly.

“Leonard probably treasures you more than anything, considering he raised you from the brink of death. You saw how he reacted during the succession battle, right?”

“…….”

“And since I’ve messed with someone he values so much, he must be feeling pretty horrible right now. He’s probably anxious, knowing you’re in a place that takes days to reach. Serves him right.”

Aelan mumbled bitterly, staring into the distance with hollow eyes.

Watching him, Chaeyi hesitated before speaking.

“So, the purpose of this kidnapping is just to mess with Leo? You want him to suffer?”

“…….”

“Is that really it? Do you hate Leo that much?”

“I do. I despise him.”

Aelan drew a firm line, but Chaeyi, who had paused his eating, set down his fork and shook his head.

“No, you don’t really hate him. If you truly hated Leo so much that you wanted him to suffer, you would’ve killed me and sent my head to Lancaster by now.”

After all, killing someone precious to your enemy is the cruelest way to plunge them into eternal despair.

Though Chaeyi had never experienced it firsthand, he had seen it happen enough times to know. Aelan looked utterly shocked.

“How could you even think of something so horrific…”

It was as if such brutality had never crossed his mind.

And now, it seemed like Chaeyi was the strange one in this situation.

It was hard to tell who was the real villain anymore.

He couldn’t help but be dumbfounded by how innocent he appeared.

“…Anyway, if you keep dragging this out, you’ll end up getting yourself hurt. If you want, I’ll pretend this never happened, and you can just talk things out with Leo….”

“If he wants to kill me, let him.”

Chaeyi hesitated, staring at Aelan.

He seemed genuinely indifferent to his fate. Calmly, Aelan continued.

“When I lost the succession battle and was expelled from the family… Leonard spared my life but imposed three conditions.”

Though the sudden statement surprised him, Chaeyi stayed silent, sensing that this story had a purpose.

“Leave with nothing. Never use my status again. And never set foot on Comvest land.”

“…….”

“Back then, I thought it was mercy. But he just wanted me to endure the same suffering he went through when he lived among commoners.”

“…….”

“I went through a lot because of it. There were times I wanted to die. But I was too scared to actually do it. Honestly, it would’ve been better if he’d just killed me back then. I’m doing better now that I’ve settled here, but Leo’s revenge still succeeded in the end.”

Aelan let out a bitter laugh.

Chaeyi remained silent, watching him closely. Suddenly, a realization dawned on him.

“Do you… want to die?”

It was as if he had been yearning to let go of his painful emotions all along, perhaps even seeking death as a way to find peace.

While he didn’t fully understand those feelings at first, Aelan’s next words revealed everything.

“If none of that had happened, if I had rebelled against the family’s traditions, maybe things would be different now. But I guess it’s pointless to ask. You wouldn’t know anyway.”

Chaeyi didn’t know all the details of their past, but one thing was clear.

“You regret it.”

He regretted everything.

His impulsive actions, born from a mix of regret and guilt, were his way of seeking an escape from his torment while also wanting to lash out at Leonard.

“Maybe. But it’s too late. Things between Leonard and me are far beyond repair now.”

Aelan’s face hardened for a moment, but soon after, he let out a bitter laugh.

However, he quickly concealed his emotions behind a cold exterior and stood up.

“I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. In any case, Leonard and I don’t have the kind of relationship that can be mended. Don’t get any funny ideas.”

“It’s not too late.”

Chaeyi, who had been silently listening, firmly refuted Aelan’s claim.

Aelan, halfway through standing up, paused and stared quietly at Chaeyi.

But only for a moment—then he shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the dormitory, leaving the door unlocked as usual.

“…Hmm.”

After finishing his meal, Chaeyi pondered his next move, casually borrowed the bathroom, and sprawled out on the bed.

Since Aelan didn’t return for a long time, a bored Chaeyi started browsing through Aelan’s bookshelf, eventually selecting a book to read.

Suddenly, Chaeyi wondered if his actions were too brazen for someone else’s house.

Feeling a slight pang of guilt, he quickly justified himself, thinking, ‘If he didn’t want me to do whatever I liked, he should’ve tied me up or something.’

Although, even if Aelan had tied him up, Chaeyi might have freed himself out of sheer boredom.

With that thought, Chaeyi fully embraced the comfort of Aelan’s room as if it were his own, playing around until he dozed off.

It wasn’t until late at night that Aelan returned, only to find Chaeyi sound asleep on his bed, having claimed it for himself.

“Hah.”

Though it was partially because Aelan had deliberately refrained from restraining him, the sight of his “captive” resting so nonchalantly was almost absurd.

Does this guy have no sense of danger? Aelan thought.

He couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What would’ve happened if Chaeyi had fallen into the hands of someone worse than me?’

Even Aelan, the one who had abducted him, found himself oddly concerned.

Chaeyi’s nonchalance, however, stemmed from his confidence that he could survive no matter where he was.

If Aelan had approached him more aggressively from the start, there was a chance that Aelan himself would have ended up tied and helpless by now.

Even though Chaeyi hadn’t been hunting monsters lately and had lost some muscle mass due to less activity compared to his village days, his years of experience and honed instincts from his previous life were not something to be underestimated.

So in truth, his relaxed demeanor came from his own strength.

Thankfully for Aelan, he hadn’t yet realized this.

‘…Looks like I’ll be sleeping on the sofa tonight,’ Aelan sighed internally, grumbling as he squeezed his tall frame onto the couch.

And so, a brief moment of peace continued.

* * *