* * *
A huge full moon hung in the sky.
He stared at its bright, round shape and murmured as if to himself,
“It’ll be much more comfortable… just going back.”
“I wonder if Adam’s doing well.”
Chester couldn’t help turning toward his brother at that.
He never thought he’d hear Isaac express concern over someone like this.
But Isaac, unfazed by Chester’s curious look, just met his gaze steadily.
“…He’ll be fine.”
After a pause, Chester added calmly,
“In fact, I bet he’s relieved. We’ve been pestering him a lot lately, haven’t we? Practically every day. Honestly—haha—I felt like a mutt in heat.”
“Can’t deny it.”
“Right? So he’s probably getting some real rest.”
“That’d be a good thing, then.”
“For Adam, at least.”
The Carlisle brothers both fell silent.
The air carried the faint scent of flowers.
They both thought of Adam—his hair red as roses, his eyes green as leaves.
A few days later, the two finally returned to their estate.
As soon as they stepped down from the carriage, Isaac and Chester scanned the crowd at the gates.
Many people were waiting there, but the one they were looking for was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s Adam?”
Chester went straight to David with the question.
David looked momentarily flustered, and Chester raised an eyebrow at the strange reaction.
“Uh… he said he’d be out soon.”
“Yeah?”
Chester glanced around again.
“But he’s not here. What’s going on?”
“I’ll go fetch him right away.”
“No. I’ll go myself.”
Isaac cut in.
Without even looking at David, he strode past.
“He’s in his room?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
David hurried to follow him, stumbling over his words.
Watching his son’s fumbling, Harry scowled.
“What’s going on here?”
He leaned in and hissed in his son’s ear,
“Not coming out to greet the dukes? And you just let that happen?”
“He locked the door!”
“What?”
“Exactly that! He locked his door and hasn’t come out. Said he’d come out when he was ready, to give him some time. And then the dukes showed up and—”
“Shh.”
Harry silenced him.
Something was clearly wrong.
He couldn’t even guess what, but the unease in his gut was strong.
‘Locked his door? That mild-mannered man? What on earth happened? You should’ve brought him out even if it meant breaking the door!’
Harry sighed at his son’s poor handling of the situation.
Meanwhile, the two dukes had already reached Adam’s door.
“Adam.”
Chester called his name.
He acted calm, but inside his heart was pounding in worry.
Why would Adam do this?
By nature, Adam would never avoid greeting them.
For him to hole himself up like this…
He’s not sick, is he?
And what were the servants doing, letting him stay shut in like this…!
Chester was close to swearing from the rush of frustrated thoughts.
He knocked once—intending to keep it light—but his strength wouldn’t let up.
The result was a resounding ‘bang!’ that sounded like he was trying to break the door down.
“Adam, answer me.”
Chester’s smile vanished.
His face went stiff, no trace of humor left.
“…!”
His fist, still pressed against the door, trembled. He froze, eyes widening as realization struck.
“This… what…”
He muttered low, turning his head.
Everyone was staring at him, tense and silent, clearly not knowing the truth of the situation.
All except Isaac—whose expression was… odd.
‘I knew it.’
The moment their eyes met, Chester realized his guess was right.
Isaac’s brows were drawn tight, his lips bitten.
His handsome features twisted, and faint color bloomed on his cheeks.
The thing riling up the brothers was none other than the scent—thick even through the closed door.
A heady wave of pheromones hit them, making their heads swim and their bodies flush.
Pheromones this strong only came under very particular circumstances.
Namely…
“Adam.”
This time, Isaac called his name, his voice lower than usual.
“Open the door. Now.”
“…”
“If you don’t, I’ll break it down. You don’t want everyone seeing the state you’re in, do you?”
His voice was a quiet threat.
He pushed a hand through his hair, revealing a faint flush on his forehead.
There was no mistaking it—he was struggling against the pull of an Omega’s pheromones.
Then, from inside, came a groan—low and pained, like from someone fevered.
At that sound, both brothers froze in place.
The thought that Adam might be in real danger wiped their minds blank.
‘Break it down.’
The violent urge came as they clenched their fists—just as the lock rattled and the door slowly creaked open.
The moment there was a gap, the Carlisle brothers stepped inside.
Without a backward glance, they shut the door firmly behind them.
“Haa… What in the world is going on…”
David clutched at his hair, completely lost as to how to deal with the sudden situation.
Harry, on the other hand, seemed to understand.
He turned sharply to scan the corridor.
Lily and Dean—Adam’s attendants—were trembling where they stood.
“Go get the suppressant. Quietly. No gossip. Fast.”
The moment his words ended, the door burst open again.
It was Chester who entered.
He wore his usual warm smile, as if he’d never been frowning at all—but his slightly disheveled platinum hair and flushed cheeks told a different story.
“Harry, that’s enough.”
His tone was gentle, yet oddly sharp.
“That’s it—everyone, clear out. If anyone so much as lingers around here, I won’t care what the reason is—they won’t be spared.”
Not understanding what was going on, David looked troubled.
Harry, on the other hand, hastily bowed in understanding.
The door closed once more, and from inside came an indistinct moan—unclear whether it was of pleasure or pain.
“…Right,” Harry whispered to those nearby.
“You all heard the orders. Let’s go. Now. And spread the word—no one is to come anywhere near this place.”
The group, still bewildered, quickly descended the stairs.
Among them, Lily and Dean couldn’t hide their unease. Harry turned to the anxious pair.
“When did Lord Adam start acting like this?”
“It just happened!” Lily blurted.
“What happened was—”
Just before the incident, Adam had been sitting quietly in his room.
His side profile, staring blankly out the window, was shrouded in shadow.
On the table lay a letter for his beloved younger sister.
Unlike before, the page wasn’t filled to the brim—he hadn’t been able to concentrate on writing at all.
“Are you all right, Adam?”
Lily, unable to watch any longer, asked cautiously.
She had sharp eyes—sharp enough to notice that Adam’s mood had dropped the moment the two dukes left.
“You’re not unwell, are you?”
Adam snapped out of his daze and gave an awkward smile.
“Not at all. Perfectly healthy.”
“How about some warm tea? You seem restless. Or maybe some fragrant oil to help you relax?”
“Do I really look that restless?”
Both Lily and Dean nodded in unison.
A flicker of confusion passed over Adam’s face.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? It’s only been a few days since the dukes left.”
“You’re a kind person, Adam. Maybe you’re worried something might have happened to them.”
Adam fell silent.
It wasn’t just worry for the dukes.
His heart was in turmoil—deep inside, a quiet voice whispered:
I want to see them.
I want to see them.
I want to see them.
Hearing that voice, Adam realized just how much he missed the two of them.
Admitting it, even belatedly, brought him a strange sense of relief.
‘I want to see them… anyone would think it’s been years. But… I really do. Why does it ache like this?’
The only other person he’d ever yearned for this badly was Emily—his dearest younger sister, a treasure more precious to him than anything in the world.
Then what about the dukes?
What exactly are they to me?
…Could it be… love?
* * *
