* * *

When news of Henry’s recovery reached the Timothy household, the Duke Timothy sent a summons, making it clear Henry had to return.

A carriage was even dispatched to ensure he couldn’t linger any longer.

Neither Edwin nor Henry could delay the inevitable.

After spending one more day together, Henry prepared to leave early the next morning.

Before stepping into the carriage, Henry turned to Edwin.

“Come visit whenever you want.”

“I plan to.”

Edwin clasped Henry’s hand, pressing a kiss to his fingers.

The ticklish sensation made Henry laugh.

Over the past few days, he had fully recovered, looking as though he had never been ill.

The bond he had formed with Edwin played no small part in that.

With Edwin, there was no room for the unease that had plagued him before.

Suppressing the pang of regret threatening to surface, Henry instead put on a playful face.

“But don’t think about showing up every day.”

“I might come tonight.”

Edwin revealed his reluctance to let Henry go even now.

He knew Henry’s family was waiting for him, but deep down, he wanted to keep Henry by his side.

The desire to monopolize him burned within Edwin, and he couldn’t bring himself to let go of Henry’s hand.

“Henry.”

Edwin gently caressed Henry’s long and elegant fingers.

Unlike small, delicate hands that might fit snugly into his own, Henry’s were the hands of an ordinary man—if one had to describe them, they were slender, with elongated joints, and refined, almost aristocratic in appearance.

And yet, Edwin liked that. These were hands he could grasp tightly without fear of breaking.

“During our last bonding, I restrained myself because I was worried about your body…”

As Henry watched Edwin, seemingly sensing what he was about to say, Edwin laid bare his desires.

“But after the day a ring is placed on this finger, I won’t hold back anymore.”

At Edwin’s sudden declaration, Henry’s eyes widened, and he quickly glanced around.

Despite noticing people standing at a distance to avoid interrupting their farewell, Henry shook his head, dissatisfied for some reason.

“Edwin. Please save words like that for when we’re alone.”

“No one but you heard me.”

“Still…”

Henry covered his flushed face with his free hand.

“I can’t hide how embarrassed I am.”

Through the gaps between Henry’s fingers, his long lashes trembled delicately.

Even such a small reaction reminded Edwin that Henry was alive and well.

As Edwin silently admired Henry’s vivid presence, Henry glanced around again.

Then, as if making a firm decision, his lips pressed into a determined line.

“Edwin.”

Before the redness in his face could subside, Henry leaned closer, whispering softly enough that only Edwin could hear.

“The fact that we’ve become lovers…”

During their time together, the two had opened up to each other, confirming feelings that went beyond mere friendship.

“And the fact that we’ve completed a true bond… I’ll go let them know.”

Henry’s tense breath brushed against Edwin’s ear, traveling downward and striking his heart with a dull thud.

Henry truly was someone Edwin could never let his guard down around.

“Wait for me just a little while.”

With a beautiful smile that made it seem like he’d never been nervous at all, Henry waved lightly at Edwin before stepping into the carriage.

The carriage carrying Henry moved immediately under the direction of Duke Timothy.

That alone was enough to show how much the duke longed for his son’s return.

Edwin stood there until the carriage disappeared from sight, then turned around.

The warm breeze that had seemed to linger moments ago vanished from his expression, and knights and attendants flinched, quickly averting their gazes.

The air around Edwin grew colder, and his face took on a chilling light.

“Taylor.”

The knight bowed deeply under the weight of Edwin’s icy glare.

Edwin spoke through gritted teeth, uttering the name of the one who had harmed Henry.

“Find him.”

“Understood.”

After the knight left with a solemn bow, the attendants stepped in to stand behind Edwin, while the remaining knights moved to protect him.

As they began leading the way back to the estate, Edwin did not immediately follow. Instead, he called out to one of the knights ahead.

“Sir Boyle.”

“Yes, young master.”

Sir Boyle, who turned back with a puzzled look, met Edwin’s gaze.

“Are you an Alpha?”

Sir Boyle looked at Edwin with a mix of surprise and confusion.

Having served the duke’s household his entire life, Sir Boyle couldn’t possibly be unaware of everything that had transpired with Edwin—from his inability to sense others’ pheromones to the recent completion of his bond.

This was the first time Edwin had ever asked him about his traits.

Momentarily caught off guard, Sir Boyle quickly responded.

“I’m a recessive Alpha.”

“Is it harder for recessive Alphas to control their pheromones?”

Sir Boyle answered as best he could.

“Generally, the distinction between recessive and dominant Alphas is based on the amount of pheromones they produce.

There’s also a difference in how well they can manage those pheromones.”

Because of his recessive nature, Sir Boyle’s pheromone levels were low, and he kept them well-concealed.

Most people wouldn’t recognize him as an Alpha at first glance.

“I see.”

When Edwin lost interest, Sir Boyle straightened up and resumed leading the way back to the estate.

Behind him, Edwin narrowed his eyes, observing the knight thoughtfully.

---

The room that had been warm and bright with Henry’s presence now mirrored Edwin’s mood as he entered alone.

The dimly lit space seemed to absorb his dark and brooding atmosphere. Edwin leaned back against the sofa.

“Pheromones…”

His thoughts wandered back to Henry, Sir Boyle, and the other trait-bearers he’d encountered.

Edwin had completed a true bond with Henry.

That much was certain. It was only natural for him to be able to sense Henry’s pheromones.

However, even after their bond, Edwin found himself detecting the pheromones of others, starting with Sir Boyle.

It was an odd discovery, one Edwin hadn’t anticipated.

He’d noticed something unusual even before Henry had awakened, but he’d attributed it to the influence of the pheromone stone.

He had dismissed it as an anomaly, not giving it much thought.

Yet even after forming a complete bond, the sensitivity persisted.

Typically, a bonded pair wouldn’t sense other people’s pheromones.

Once again, Edwin found himself outside the norm.

He laughed at his own abnormality, though the laugh carried no self-pity, only a faint sense of resignation.

He no longer despaired over his traits as he once had.

“I have Henry Timothy. Nothing else matters.”

Sensing other pheromones didn’t bother him.

As long as he could sense Henry’s, that was enough.

Edwin let out a quiet sigh as his thoughts circled back to Henry.

Already, he missed him.

Was it the imprint’s influence?

Edwin pressed a fist to his chest, as if trying to ease the heaviness there, though he knew it wouldn’t help.

“Henry.”

He whispered the name softly, letting it linger on his lips.

While bonds were typically formed through physical intimacy, Edwin and Henry had managed it through mere touch.

This was entirely due to the pheromone stone Edwin had absorbed.

With his sensitivity to Henry’s pheromones heightened to an unprecedented level, Edwin had instinctively paved the way for their bond.

By doing so, he lessened Henry’s burden, allowing him to form a bond that responded only to Edwin.

The satisfaction from that memory quelled the impulse to run to Henry immediately. Edwin smiled faintly.

Even though Henry had returned to the Timothy estate, he was now irrevocably Edwin’s.

* * *