* * *
“Explain… in detail, Rex. Why do you think it’s a lie?”
“For one, Remy wasn’t distributing any pamphlets. He wasn’t doing anything of the sort.”
“Are you sure? Are you absolutely certain?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“No, you might’ve missed something. Maybe your steward reported incorrectly.”
“That’s why I checked with my own eyes. It’s true that Remy has been visiting Hicks Road every day, but it’s for a completely different reason.”
“A… different reason?”
“Yes. He’s been helping the children there. The children from the tent village.”
“What…?”
Allen blinked, unable to process this absurd statement.
“Wait, children? Helping children? Are you saying Remy Wesley cares for kids? And not just any kids—commoner children? That’s ridiculous! You must be mistaken.”
Rex’s eyes narrowed.
His face turned cold as he glared at Allen.
Suppressing his anger for the sake of their friendship, Rex spoke firmly.
“That’s not the kind of thing you should say, Allen.”
Startled, Allen quickly adjusted his tone, realizing he might have gone too far.
“No, I just… It’s such an unexpected story…”
Rex lowered his gaze and let out a short sigh.
On reflection, he could understand Allen’s reaction.
Even Rex had struggled to believe it at first.
“Allen.”
“Yes…?”
“I get why you’re skeptical. But I don’t tell you things without evidence. If you can’t trust what I’m saying, then there’s nothing more for us to discuss.”
Allen panicked.
Rex’s demeanor had changed, his usual warmth replaced by an icy resolve.
Even the aura he exuded felt different.
If things continued like this, Allen might have to abandon his dream of becoming the master of the Balcom household.
That was absolutely unacceptable.
“No, that’s not it. I believe you. I do.”
“…”
“I was just overwhelmed by such unexpected news. It’s you, after all. Of course, I trust what you’re saying.”
“Good. If that’s how you feel, then fine.”
Though the immediate crisis was averted, Allen couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his chest.
How could this be?
Remy, who was supposed to be scheming against his family, was now being painted as some kind of saint helping the poor?
“For now, you should head back. It’s already getting quite late.”
While Allen was lost in thought, Rex spoke curtly.
Allen snapped out of his reverie and straightened his posture.
“Oh… Right. It’s already dark outside.”
“Be careful on your way.”
“Uh… yes, I’ll go.”
As Rex stood to leave, Allen hurriedly followed suit.
Watching Rex walk away without even offering to see him off made Allen’s anxiety grow.
‘Rex seems really upset. What do I do? How can I win him back?’
Walking down the long corridor behind Rex, Allen’s mind raced.
Forget dealing with Remy—at this rate, he would only leave a bad impression on Rex.
He needed to act quickly to turn things around.
“Hngh…”
At the end of his frantic thoughts, Allen let out a soft groan and stumbled, collapsing to the floor.
Startled, Rex rushed to support him.
“What’s wrong, Allen? Are you alright?”
Allen looked up at Rex with a pale face, breathing heavily.
“Rex…”
“What’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Suddenly… dizzy. Everything’s spinning…”
“Goodness.”
Rex lifted Allen’s body and helped him to the sofa in the hallway.
Once he seated Allen on the sofa, Rex called for a servant. A startled servant soon came running in response to the call.
“What’s the matter, young master?”
“I don’t think Allen is feeling well.”
“Are you all right, young master Allen?”
At the servant’s question, Allen didn’t respond.
He simply pressed his hand to his forehead and leaned against the wall.
“Call a physician immediately,” Rex instructed.
“Yes, young master.”
At this, Allen, who had been silent, groaned faintly.
His voice, barely audible, was laced with discomfort.
“No, Rex, that’s not necessary. I’m just dizzy… I’ll be fine after resting for a moment…”
Even as he spoke, Allen subtly emitted pheromones—ones laden with sensual intent.
However, Rex’s demeanor remained unshaken.
He simply issued orders to the servant in his usual even tone.
“It’s possible Allen is entering heat. Hurry.”
“Understood, young master.”
The servant hurried away to fetch the physician.
Once the servant was out of sight, Rex turned his gaze back to Allen.
Allen, meanwhile, was breathing heavily, fanning his shirt as if trying to cool himself down.
His actions only caused the pheromones to waft more strongly through the air.
“Allen.”
“Yes?”
“You’ll feel better after seeing the physician.”
“Yeah, thanks, Rex.”
“Then I’ll take my leave now. I have work to do tonight.”
“…?”
“The physician will be here shortly. Just wait here for a bit, all right? Excuse me.”
“…!”
Rex gave a final nod and turned to leave.
Startled, Allen jumped to his feet and grabbed Rex’s arm, calling out urgently.
“You’re leaving me like this?!”
Rex turned back with a puzzled expression.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“No. But how can you just leave me like this?”
“The physician will arrive soon. Is there a problem? Or do you need something else?”
“No, it’s not that… It’s just that I feel like my heat is starting. These feel like pre-symptoms.”
“Ah…”
Rex nodded in understanding and, with his usual calm expression, said, “Then I should leave even more quickly. I might end up offending you otherwise.”
“…!”
Allen froze.
He had faced many shocking moments today, moments that had made him reevaluate his decisions to survive.
But this time, the shock was so overwhelming that his mind couldn’t function.
“Take care of yourself, Allen. I hope you get through your heat safely.”
With that, Rex turned away and left without hesitation.
His retreating footsteps echoed down the hallway, leaving Allen rooted to the spot, speechless.
Rex… No matter how cold he was known to be, he had never acted this way toward Allen.
That made it all the more jarring and difficult to accept.
“Young master Allen! I’ve brought the physician!”
Just then, the servant returned with the physician.
Allen, his angelic expression gone, glared fiercely, his gaze sharp.
“What use is a physician now?!”
His biting words left both the servant and the physician stunned.
Ignoring their reactions, Allen stormed off, his shoulders trembling with barely contained anger.
‘Remy Wesley… Is this how you’re going to play it?’
His mind was consumed with resentment toward Remy.
The sweet scent of his pheromones had turned bitter and acrid.
The next day, Remy arrived at Oliver’s home as usual.
“Oliver!”
“Brother, you’re here!”
Oliver greeted him with bright, eager eyes, as did his younger siblings.
At the far edge of the shantytown, their humble home seemed like it would remain unchanged forever.
Or so it had seemed just yesterday…
“But Oliver…”
“Yes, hyung?”
“What… What is all this?”
Remy’s thoughts shattered as he took in the sight before Oliver’s tent.
A luxurious dining table, laden with food, was set up.
“This… What on earth is this?”
“This morning, Lord Rex sent people to set it up.”
“What…?!”
As Remy stood there, stunned, a familiar yet unwelcome voice rang out.
“Good morning, Remy.”
Remy spun around, glaring at the red-haired alpha.
Rex wasn’t waiting outside his house this morning as usual.
Instead, he had secretly prepared all this.
It was infuriating.
“You… What is the meaning of this?”
“What do you mean?”
“This table, this food—what is all this for?!”
“Oh, I had an extra table at home, so I brought it here.”
“What nonsense is that?! Why would you bring your spare table here? Do you think this is a dump?”
“A dump? That’s harsh, Remy.”
“Anyway!”
While Remy fumed, Rex calmly took a seat at the table.
Leisurely, he unfolded a napkin and placed it on his lap.
Watching Rex, Oliver and his siblings hesitated, unsure of what to do.
But when Rex gestured, they quickly sat down, startled.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s eat, kids.”
The children glanced nervously between Remy and Rex but eventually picked up their forks.
Remy, feeling a headache coming on, forced a smile for the children’s sake.
“All right, kids, let’s eat. You must be hungry.”
Encouraged by Remy’s words, the children beamed and began eating enthusiastically.
“Wow, thank you for the food!”
* * *
