* * *

The next day, having safely arrived at the estate, Chaeyi bid farewell to Sellion and Clement.

The dwarves in the Blessing Land village sent word that their work using the roots of the World Tree was progressing smoothly and promised to regulate the roots’ vitality carefully.

Since there was no longer any pressing reason for him to stay involved, Chaeyi resumed his usual peaceful routine.

“Lord Chaeyi, letters arrived from Lords Ferdinand and Bennex. They must have written while you were away.”

Enoch handed Chaeyi a few letters he’d received from the secretary.

Chaeyi, who’d been resting in a fountain park after a walk, immediately opened the first letter, a note from Ferdinand.

“To Chaeyi,

It’s Ferdinand.

I heard about the news from Blessing Land—that there was a battle with the elves?

And that you went along too.

Heard something about a lone Beta tagging along.

That’s you, right?

Hope you didn’t get hurt.

Leonard probably wouldn’t have kept quiet if you had… You can be reckless sometimes, don’t make us worry.

I might be able to come see you soon. No, I will come. It’s still awful here.

I’d much rather deal with Leonard and his antics than the endless bowing here. So, until I visit again, keep yourself in one piece.”

It was a blunt and unpolished letter, but it showed Ferdinand’s concern.

Chaeyi smiled slightly and carefully folded it before opening the second letter from Bennex.

“To Lord Chaeyi,

Have you been well?

It’s been a while since we last met, so I thought to write.

I’ve been well, though I miss you and would have liked to see you.

But I have to stay at home for now, so that will have to wait.

I heard about the battle with the elves and that you represented Lancaster. I hope you are safe.

• From Bennex de Coneller.”

Bennex’s gentle concern was evident. Judging from the letters’ contents, they must have been sent before the group returned.

Now that they were back safely, he could let both friends know he was fine.

As he pondered Bennex’s letter, memories of Leonard surfaced in Chaeyi’s mind.

Although neither he nor Bennex had been particularly interested in each other, the thought of having ‘taken’ Leonard from him weighed on Chaeyi.

It wasn’t easy to shake the guilt.

“Lord Chaeyi? Is something wrong?”

Seeing his downcast expression, Enoch asked in concern. Chaeyi managed a reassuring smile, quickly slipping back to his usual self.

“No, it’s nothing.”

With that, he tucked the letters safely away.

Taking his word for it, Enoch didn’t press him further.

Just then, Leonard appeared, walking down from the main house.

Enoch, facing that direction, spotted him first, prompting Chaeyi to turn as well.

“Leo. You’re here.”

“Yes, I saw you out here.”

Leonard approached and gave Chaeyi a quick peck on each cheek, a casual yet affectionate greeting that Chaeyi accepted naturally.

“Shall we eat if you haven’t already?”

“Oh, it’s that late already? No, I haven’t eaten yet. Let’s go to the dining room.”

As Chaeyi stood from the bench, Leonard naturally took his hand.

Walking side by side, the two looked relaxed and comfortable, while Enoch trailed behind, smiling warmly.

“Now that I think about it, you seem to have a little more free time today. You’ve been busy since you got back; last night, you barely stayed for a minute.”

“Yes, I’ve taken care of most of what I need to. Right now… it’s probably the Duke of Combest who’s struggling. After all, he’s still the head of the household.”

That’s true.

Leonard was only at a position where he assisted as the heir for now.

Delion was both the head of the Lancaster family and the ruler of the Combest duchy, so Chaeyi couldn’t even imagine how much he had to manage.

The thought of Leonard taking on that responsibility one day was a bit worrying.

Of course, Leonard was so capable that he probably wouldn’t feel overburdened or suffer under time constraints.

“Welcome, Lord Chaeyi! It’s been a while since Young Lord Leonard joined you for a meal today!”

As they arrived at the dining hall, Golly, the head chef, who had already prepared lunch, greeted them warmly.

Since Chaeyi seldom skipped meals, he had grown close to the chef over time.

“Golly, were you having a good day as well?”

“Oh, of course. I’ve been eagerly awaiting your visit, Lord Chaeyi. Today, I’ve prepared some ice cream as a dessert. Please enjoy it later.”

“Thank you.”

Soon, a splendid feast was laid on the table.

As always, Golly’s cooking skills were exceptional, and he smiled widely when praised for his talents.

The homemade ice cream served as dessert melted smoothly, filling Chaeyi’s mouth with a cool, sweet taste.

“Is it good?”

“Yes. You should have some too.”

“I’m fine.”

Leonard wiped a small smudge of ice cream from the corner of Chaeyi’s mouth with his thumb and then licked it off.

Chaeyi’s face flushed, and he instinctively drew back, feeling oddly self-conscious at showing such a careless side of himself in front of Leonard, who was quite a bit younger.

“There was no need for that, but thanks.”

“If you’re grateful, give me a reward.”

Leonard lightly tapped his lips.

Before, Chaeyi would never have thought of associating such a gesture with a kiss, but now it was different.

It was clearly a request for one, and Chaeyi’s face burned even hotter, unable to hide his reaction to Leonard’s casual boldness.

“You… Where in the world did you pick up things like that? Come on, be honest—have you dated someone else before me?”

“And if I have, would you get jealous?”

Leonard rested his chin in his hand, asking the question back.

Chaeyi blinked in surprise.

He hadn’t asked out of jealousy, but… was this one of those moments where he should answer with a “yes” to keep the mood going?

While he was mulling over the response, Leonard watched him, chuckled, and said quietly,

“I’ve only ever liked you, Chaeyi, for about ten years now. You’re the first and last for me.”

“…Ten years? It’s been that long?”

Chaeyi was astonished by Leonard’s admission.

If it had been ten years, that meant Leonard had started liking him when he was just a young child.

Thinking about it, even though Chaeyi was older in this life, if he considered his past life, he was almost like a father figure to him…

And here he was, completely swept away by someone so young.

As he felt a sudden pang of self-consciousness over their age gap, Leonard continued softly.

“What about you, Chaeyi?”

“Huh?”

“Will you be my first and last too? Will you stay by my side, even if I don’t become an Omega?”

Chaeyi felt a ticklish sensation in his chest and bit his lip.

A playful conversation had somehow turned serious.

Leonard was bringing up an issue he had previously brushed aside.

But it was a difficult question to answer right away.

Liking each other and trusting in those feelings was one thing, but in reality, the situation was complicated.

It didn’t feel right to lie and give a false answer.

“Leonard… for now, about that…”

Chaeyi had only just begun to respond when they heard rough footsteps approaching, cutting their conversation short.

Both Leonard and Chaeyi turned to the entrance of the dining hall.

There, several elderly men appeared, looking somewhat displeased.

Delion was with them, his hand pressed to his forehead as if he had a headache.

“So, this is the impudent Beta himself.”

The unknown elders openly displayed hostility toward Chaeyi.

He could sense their overt Beta prejudice all too well.

What’s going on here?

As Chaeyi stared blankly, Leonard’s gaze turned icy, cold enough to freeze anything in its path.

Not only that, his sharp pheromones seemed to seep out, dominating the room in a manner that felt threatening.

The tension was so palpable that even Golly, the servants, and the guards standing by the door visibly tensed up.

Chaeyi held his breath and continued observing the situation when Leonard, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke.

* * *