RHFTY chapter 45

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After spending dinner with Leonard, Chaeyi lay down again, hoping to fall asleep early.

Perhaps it was because of Leonard’s earlier warning, but Silviet was unusually well-behaved.

The little one, just five days old, was already acting mature, saying, “I’m already a grown dragon,” which Chaeyi found endlessly adorable.

Of course, compared to when they first met, it was true that Silviet had grown remarkably in such a short time.

Dragons are known to grow rapidly when they’re young, and once they reach the stage of a ‘young adult,’ where they can polymorph, their growth slows down drastically.

The stage where they can polymorph begins in the ‘adolescent phase,’ which is between the baby and adult stages.

This was something Chaeyi had learned from dusty old books on higher beings.

If his guess was correct, Silviet would soon reach the adolescent phase.

When that happens, he would truly be a ‘grown dragon.’

‘Hopefully, Silvie will reunite with his real family before then… There’s so much he needs to learn as a dragon to survive.’

With that wish in mind, Chaeyi drifted off to sleep.

The next day.

Bennex and Ferdinand visited Chaeyi early in the morning. T

he two, led by the servants to Chaeyi’s room, grumbled with dissatisfied expressions.

Well, to be precise, only Ferdinand was doing so.

“We came to visit yesterday too, but we were turned away. They just blocked the entrance, saying something came up! Damn it. It’s like they treated us like germs.”

Ferdinand grumbled, glaring at Enoch. Enoch pretended not to hear.

Chaeyi, wondering why he was so upset, listened to his reasoning and realized it was just a trivial matter.

He shrugged lightly, sipping his warm tea.

“Well, to be fair, being around you is kind of stressful.”

“What?! What’s wrong with me?!”

Ferdinand’s eyes narrowed sharply at Chaeyi’s words, filled with indignation.

Internally, Chaeyi chuckled.

People who were easily affected made prime targets for teasing.

As Silviet also burst into laughter, Ferdinand’s glare only grew fiercer.

“I’m just joking. Enoch only did that yesterday so I could get some rest, so don’t take it too much to heart.”

“…Hmph.”

Ferdinand, now sulking, rested his chin on his hand and glanced sideways.

Bennex, who had been watching the exchange without being able to join in, cautiously spoke up.

“Um, Chaeyi.”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“I meant to tell you yesterday, but I have to return home tonight. I probably won’t see you again for a while.”

“Oh, you’re leaving?”

“Yes. My parents sent a letter, worried, asking me to come back soon… I wish I could stay longer, but I can’t.”

Bennex, looking quite disappointed, spoke with a forlorn expression.

Ferdinand, with an annoying grin, waved his hand dismissively.

“Well, that’s great. Off you go, then.”

It was like pouring fuel on a fire.

Chaeyi, who had quietly glared at Ferdinand, smacked him on the back.

A loud yelp echoed through the room. Suddenly reminded of something, Chaeyi turned to Bennex.

“Ben. Now that I think about it, how are things with Leo? Have you had a lot of conversations?”

“Huh? No.”

Bennex replied with wide eyes, as if confused by the out-of-the-blue question.

His demeanor was so calm that it didn’t seem like he was denying it out of guilt.

This was unexpected. Chaeyi was visibly flustered.

“You didn’t get close to Leo?”

“Um. Is it necessary for me to get close to him? It’s true that our families are connected, but… there’s no personal obligation for us to be friends.”

As Bennex fidgeted with his fingers, sneaking glances at Chaeyi, he was rendered speechless.

The fact that he even mentioned “obligation” made it clear how distant he felt from Leonard.

‘Is Ben not interested in Leo?’

She had been sure that the two were interested in each other… How did things end up like this?

This world is based on a BL novel written by his friend.

Of course, since they were not just words on a page, the predetermined fates could change, but the main framework was still set.

And as with any romance novel, the inevitable ending was that the protagonists would fall in love and live happily ever after.

In other words, unless there were significant obstacles, it was practically fate for the two to end up together.

Yet, despite the peaceful time they’ve spent together, there had been no progress in their relationship.

It was shocking.

‘Could it be that Leo was too busy to meet Ben alone…?’

But upon reflection, that didn’t make sense.

If it was just about being busy, Leonard still found time every day to visit Chaeyi.

If he wanted to, he could have made time for Bennex too.

If he just reduced the time he spent with Chaeyi a little, someone like Leonard, who was good at managing his time, wouldn’t have had any trouble.

‘Or is it just not the right time yet?’

There were probably a few key moments that would bring the two closer…

Like a specific event that would make them fall for each other.

• The Omega destined to be with Leonard first meets him at the banquet hosted by the Lancaster family.

• The Omega falls head over heels for Leonard at first sight and eventually wins him over through persistent pursuit.

Suddenly, his friend’s words came to mind. That was all the mention of Bennex, but he racked his brain for clues.

Then a thought struck him. The incident at the banquet. The one where Bennex was almost assassinated.

• The Omega who falls head over heels at first sight….

‘No way.’

The only big event was that incident.

Was Leonard originally supposed to save him?

“…….”

Chaeyi hid his increasingly serious expression in his hands.

Cold sweat began to trickle down his spine as chills ran up his back.

‘Is it my fault?’

Though unintentional, he might have ruined the moment that was supposed to make them interested in each other.

‘What do I do if that’s really the case?’

Once again, Chaeyi was hit with a different kind of shock, and his face grew even more troubled. his mind was a mess.

Of all people, he had interfered and stolen Leonard’s chance to shine.

The fact that he had only just realized this was another problem.

But thinking back on how urgent the situation had been, there was nothing he could have done differently.

Chaeyi had been the closest to Bennex, and his body had reacted on instinct to the threat.

Even if he could go back, he would do the same thing.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand and Bennex, noticing something off about Chaeyi, exchanged glances, thinking, ‘She must not be feeling well….’

As Chaeyi sank deeper into his thoughts, the two watched each other, unsure of what to do.

It was Bennex who finally stood up first.

“Chaeyi, I should get going now. I need to pack and prepare for the trip.”

“Oh.”

Chaeyi snapped back to reality and quickly lifted his head.

Looking at Bennex, he felt a surge of inexplicable guilt.

“Ben. You’ll visit again, right?”

“Of course. As long as you’re okay with it.”

Bennex glanced at Chaeyi, his face turning a slight shade of red.

But even in that moment, Chaeyi was preoccupied with how to steer their relationship back on track.

‘There must still be a chance. They just need to start paying attention to each other gradually.’

Shortly after Bennex left, Ferdinand also got up to leave.

“I’m heading out too.”

“Huh? You’re leaving early?”

“Yeah. For the sake of a certain someone who gets stressed out from being around me.”

So he was still holding onto that.

As Chaeyi considered apologizing again, Ferdinand grinned mischievously, saying that getting back at his for the earlier prank was enough.

“Get some rest.”

“Sure. See you later, Fern.”

Since Chaeyi was still unsettled by the realization he had just come to, he didn’t try to stop him.

He needed time to himself.

“Chaeyi. You don’t look well. Are you okay?”

After both Bennex and Ferdinand had left, Enoch, who had been waiting by the door, approached him.

As he turned, he saw that he was clearing away the leftover dishes.

Chaeyi smiled as naturally as he could so he wouldn’t worry too much.

“Yeah. I just need a bit of rest.”

“Then I’ll leave you alone for a while. If you need anything, just ask the guard outside to call me. Oh, should I take Silviet with me?”

“No, it’s fine. Thank you.”

At the mention of being taken away, Silviet quickly clung to Chaeyi’s waist.

Chaeyi waved his hand dismissively.

Besides, Silviet had grown so much that he was hardly a burden anymore.

“Sigh.”

As Enoch left, silence filled the room.

Chaeyi collapsed onto the bed.

Silviet, waiting for this, quickly trotted over and snuggled against his side.

He had grown to the size of a large dog, so his presence was comforting.

“Dad. What’s wrong?”

Silviet asked, wagging his tail as he stared intently at Chaeyi.

“Hmm. I think I made a big mistake.”

Chaeyi’s voice was drained of energy.

“What mistake?”

Silviet tilted his head in curiosity. Instead of answering, Chaeyi gently stroked Silviet’s back.

Silviet, quickly cheered up, started purring contentedly.

‘What should I do?’

Chaeyi was lost in deep thought.

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