* * *
This time, Remy refused to yield an inch.
His head already felt like it might explode; having an alpha by his side would only amplify his stress.
“Alright. If that’s what you want.”
It seemed Rex understood Remy’s resolve.
For once, he didn’t argue and complied.
Rex helped Remy back to Oliver’s tent.
“Remy hyung?”
Oliver, who had been engrossed in his lessons, rushed over at the sight of Remy’s pale face.
The omega’s unstable pheromones broadcast his unease, and worry immediately flooded Oliver’s expression.
“Oliver, I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well today, so I need to leave early.”
“Are you sick? Is it because of the rain yesterday?”
“Yeah, maybe. I’ll be fine after a day of rest, so don’t worry about me.”
Normally, Oliver would smile brightly and nod in agreement, but this time, he couldn’t bring himself to say “alright.”
Telling him not to worry while looking like he could collapse any second?
Oliver bit his lip hard, guilt welling up inside him.
He felt responsible for Remy’s condition.
“Then… see you tomorrow, Oliver.”
Even in his exhaustion, Remy managed to bid farewell to Oliver and the others before heading to the carriage with Rex.
Since they had arrived in the carriage earlier, it was waiting nearby.
Remy climbed into the carriage, too overwhelmed to even register that it was the same one where yesterday’s incident with Rex had occurred.
He sank deep into the seat, his mind elsewhere.
“Take care, Remy. Rest well when you get home.”
“Thank you, Rex.”
After a final exchange of words, Rex called to the coachman.
“Wesley Manor.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The coachman snapped the reins, and the carriage began to move, rattling over the rough roads far from the empire’s polished center.
Inside, Remy buried his face in his hands.
He had always been quick to recover from crises, always finding a solution, but this time was different.
‘If it stays like this… I might not make it home. The villains of the original story and the ones here seem to have swapped roles. Then… who’s going to point a gun at me? They’re all obsessed with me now…’
No matter how much he thought, there was no answer.
Yet giving up wasn’t an option either.
As an omega, he couldn’t bear to remain in this world where alphas pursued him relentlessly.
Staying meant marriage to an alpha, bearing an alpha’s child—a horrifying thought.
No matter how intoxicating their physical connection had been, marriage and children were entirely different matters.
‘I hate it. This omega body…’
A single tear slid from Remy’s wide eyes.
He hadn’t realized he was crying until it splashed onto his lap.
“Ah…”
Confronting a truth he didn’t want to face, all Remy could do was cry silently.
Alone in the jostling carriage, his tears fell endlessly, his condition worsening.
What had started as fatigue and a slight fever now felt like suffocation, his chest tightening unbearably.
“It’s too much… I just want to rest…”
Thankfully, the carriage arrived quickly at the Wesley estate.
As soon as it stopped, Remy stumbled out without waiting for the footman to open the door.
Ignoring the startled servant, he staggered inside.
“Welcome back, young master.”
Chandler, the butler, approached to greet him but froze at the sight of Remy’s pale face.
“What’s wrong, young master? You look…”
“I’m fine. I just need to rest… Just for a little while…”
Chandler, alarmed by Remy’s condition, hesitated to mention that Ashton was waiting in the parlor.
He decided it was best to let Remy rest and explain the situation to Ashton later.
“I’ll escort you to your room.”
“No need. I can manage on my own.”
“But young master—”
“I said I can do it myself.”
Remy’s tone was firm, leaving Chandler no room to argue.
“As you wish. Please rest well.”
Chandler, ever respectful of his master’s wishes, could only watch with concern as Remy slowly ascended the stairs to his room.
Halfway down the corridor, Remy’s stomach churned, and his steps grew heavier, as if an unseen force were dragging him down.
‘Something feels wrong. This isn’t just being sick… it’s like…’
Remy had felt this way once before—like he was on the verge of facing an undeniable, unchangeable truth.
“Ah…”
When he opened the door to his room, that ominous feeling crystallized into reality.
Someone was waiting for him in the dimly lit room, curtains drawn tightly shut.
“Ashton…”
Ashton approached Remy, his face colder than ever.
He stopped just in front of the trembling omega, his sharp gaze cutting through Remy’s fear.
In a voice as icy as his expression, Ashton uttered, “Who are you?”
Remy could only stare blankly at Ashton for a long time.
A bad feeling settled in his gut. Not just because Ashton had been alone in his room…
“Why the hell were you in my room without permission—”
“Answer my question first. Who are you?”
“Ashton.”
“No. Let me ask again. Where’s Remy? Not you—the real Remy, my childhood friend.”
“…!”
Remy’s head spun.
The unease he’d felt before entering the room wasn’t unfounded after all.
‘No way… Has Ashton figured everything out? Even after I worked so hard to hide it all, has he discovered everything?’
“I saw it all. That ‘possession journal’ you wrote.”
“…Impossible. How did you read that without my permission?!”
“The real question is, do you think this situation makes sense?”
Remy had no idea how to respond.
This was a dire situation, one without any easy solution.
If he admitted the journal was true, he couldn’t predict Ashton’s reaction.
But if he denied it, Ashton would surely think he was insane.
“Say something! Stop making me lose my patience. Who are you? Where’s the real Remy? Tell me now!”
The world spun around him.
His already frail body felt even weaker, and dizziness threatened to knock him out completely.
‘What do I do? What should I say?’
He screamed inwardly for answers, but his mind was a blur.
Ashton’s figure in front of him grew hazy, and the nausea churned in his stomach.
It was the worst.
At this moment, he felt utterly powerless.
“Ah…”
He wavered.
Unable to endure any longer, Remy collapsed to the floor.
Ashton rushed over, grabbing his arm to help him up, but his gaze remained cold and sharp—colder than when he’d first entered the room.
“Speak. Don’t pretend to faint again.”
“I’m not… pretending…”
“Then talk. I’m done falling for your lies.”
Remy felt wronged.
Sure, he’d lied plenty—claiming not to remember things, for instance—but he’d never faked collapsing.
His body truly couldn’t handle it, and that’s why he fainted.
Yet Ashton’s relentless accusations left him cornered.
“Ha…”
Ashton let out a long sigh.
With a firm grip, he helped Remy to the sofa in the center of the room.
Weak and feverish, Remy leaned against it, struggling to catch his breath.
“Fine. If you can’t bring yourself to explain, just answer my questions with yes or no. I want the truth.”
Remy had no choice.
If Ashton had truly read the possession journal, there was nothing left to hide.
Any attempt to conceal the truth would be meaningless now.
Knowing this, Remy nodded in resignation.
It seemed the time had come to confess everything to Ashton.
“Is everything in that journal true?”
Remy hesitated but eventually nodded.
Ashton’s expression darkened further.
“So, you’re saying… you’re not the Remy I grew up with?”
Remy nodded again.
“Then where is the real Remy? Do you not know?”
Slowly, very slowly, Remy nodded once more.
Perhaps the real Remy was living in his place in the modern world.
It was a plausible theory, but one he couldn’t share with Ashton.
Frustrated, Ashton began pacing the room.
* * *
