* * *
“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved. Considering that you’re a dominant Alpha, I suppose it must have been difficult to restrain yourself. I understand.”
At Chandler’s words, Remy let out a short laugh.
Having spent several months in this household, he had learned to recognize Chandler’s style of humor.
“Anyway, thanks for worrying about me, Chandler.”
Remy stared at his reflection in the mirror, carefully taking in his appearance now that he was fully dressed.
The golden hair and green eyes that had once felt so unfamiliar no longer seemed out of place.
It was as if he had been born this way—without even a hint of awkwardness remaining.
“Oh, and Chandler.”
Just as Chandler was about to turn and leave, having completed his tasks, Remy called out to him.
“It’s about what I mentioned before.”
“You mean the children living in the Hicks Road tent village?”
“Yes, that’s right. As expected, you catch on quickly.”
“You flatter me.”
Remy chuckled.
Who would have thought that the once-difficult Chandler would become someone he could understand so well?
“No matter what happens to me, don’t forget to take care of them. Even if my parents return from abroad and oppose it, you must take full responsibility and ensure their well-being. Got it?”
Chandler’s expression stiffened slightly.
The phrase “no matter what happens to me” was what caught his attention the most.
It was true that ever since his secondary gender manifested, his young master had been acting differently.
Even so, these words were difficult to comprehend.
It almost sounded like… a farewell.
“I will keep your words in mind, young master.”
“Thank you.”
“However, young master.”
“Hm?”
“Forgive my impertinence, but may I ask why you’re telling me this?”
Remy couldn’t help but be surprised.
Chandler rarely asked questions.
No matter what was said, he would simply reply with “yes” or “no.”
He had never inquired about the reasoning behind anything before.
For him to ask now… It was only natural that Remy would find it odd.
“Huh? What do you mean, why?”
“My apologies if I have offended you. It’s just… I couldn’t help but ask because I’m worried about you.”
“You’re worried? About me?”
“You spoke as if you already knew something was going to happen.”
“Ah…”
Remy realized he had made a mistake.
That wasn’t what he had intended to say.
Unintentionally, he had let slip something that exposed his situation.
Though inwardly flustered, he tried his best to smooth things over.
“No, it’s nothing like that. You never know what might happen in life, that’s all. Those kids are precious to me, and if my parents do come back, there’s a chance they’ll oppose me helping them. So I just wanted to ask for your support in advance.”
It wasn’t an entirely unreasonable explanation.
He felt like he had managed to evade suspicion.
“I overstepped my bounds.”
Chandler didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he still nodded in acknowledgment.
Remy exhaled an inaudible sigh of relief.
He reminded himself once more—he couldn’t afford to let his guard down, not even for a second.
“…Thank you, Chandler.”
Even that simple expression of gratitude sounded unsettling to Chandler.
If he were to brush it off as mere imagination, the vacant look in Remy’s eyes throughout the day was too concerning to ignore.
“Then, I’ll take my leave. If you come downstairs, I’ll have the carriage ready.”
“Alright.”
The white-haired steward bowed his head slightly toward Remy.
‘I just hope this uneasy feeling of mine turns out to be nothing…’
Having dedicated his entire life to the Wesley family, Chandler left the room with a silent prayer that his intuition was wrong.
Left alone, Remy murmured as he stared at the door Chandler had exited through.
“Thank you, Chandler. Truly.”
There were so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t.
Chandler was too perceptive. Saying more would only make him more suspicious.
‘This really is the end.’
Remy thought back on all the moments he had worked toward this.
And this morning—the final entry he had written in his journal.
He walked to his desk and took out the carefully recorded notebook.
In the early hours before dawn, after sending Ashton away, he had sat alone and written down words he could never say aloud.
He had left behind every cherished feeling he had experienced in this world, all for the sake of one person—the only one who had anchored his heart until the very end.
‘Should I… give this to them?’
Seated at his desk, Remy hesitated before pulling out a sheet of paper.
He dipped his quill into the ink and slowly began to write.
[To the one who finds this letter,
To you, who cherished someone named Remy—
I offer you my sincerest gratitude.
Remy Wesley will soon cease to exist,
but I hope you will remember that every moment I spent with you made me truly happy.
Please ensure that this notebook reaches my childhood friend.
They have always supported me,
and if anyone, I feel I can entrust my secret to them.
If they do receive this notebook,
then even from afar, I will be able to close my eyes in peace.
I hope the contents of this remain a secret.
And I pray that you will cooperate.
Even a hundred words of gratitude wouldn’t be enough,
but I am grateful to be able to leave like this.
Always, with love.
Remy Wesley]
After sealing the note onto the notebook, Remy rose from his seat.
Now, everything was truly ready. All that remained was to head to the castle.
Soon, the grand party would begin, and at the same time, the ‘dangerous pamphlets’ exposing the Aylesford family’s corruption would be distributed.
This was Remy’s final task—to ensure that everything proceeded according to the original story.
“Now… all that’s left is fate.”
Would someone shoot him? Or would they hesitate? He didn’t know.
But above all, he prayed that the story would follow its intended course—that his desperate wish would finally let him escape this world.
With that final thought, Remy stepped out of his room, walking toward the conclusion of this novel.
The rattling carriage came to a halt before the grand castle.
The entrance was swarming with guests, with countless carriages lined up in a dazzling display.
As expected, since the Third Prince was hosting a large-scale ball, it seemed that every prominent family in the empire had sent their representatives.
Only after presenting the invitation from Hayward was Remy allowed to enter.
Blending into the vast crowd, he made his way toward the ballroom.
The Great Hall, decorated more extravagantly than any other ballroom, loomed before him.
He mentally mapped out his route.
‘That corridor leads to the garden… I should check it out in advance. I can’t afford to get lost at a crucial moment.’
The most important thing for Remy was meeting Allen in the rear garden.
According to the original storyline, Allen was supposed to secretly call Remy there.
It would be a disaster if he got lost because he didn’t know the castle’s layout, so it was best to familiarize himself with it in advance.
‘The garden’s farther than I thought. Just getting there will take quite a while.’
Remy had always assumed he’d only ever set foot in the drawing room.
He’d never been to other parts of the castle.
Well, except for once.
He had entered the archives once, but after nearly falling victim to Hayward’s cruelty, he never wanted to set foot there again.
‘Let’s head out first. Just in case.’
Following the corridor connected to the Great Hall, Remy walked for a long while before finally finding the door leading to the garden among many others.
Stepping outside, he was met with a beautifully maintained landscape stretching before him.
A path extended ahead, guiding him forward.
‘As expected. This is the place.’
At the end of the path was a small rest area.
* * *
