* * *

“I brought him.”

Moments ago, Mikael had been playfully chatting with Chaeyi, but now he adopted a cocky attitude, nodding his chin.

The elders cast a dismissive glance over Chaeyi, one of them narrowing his eyes in displeasure before making a snide remark.

“Why didn’t you properly restrain that Beta? Leaving him so free—what if he tries anything foolish?”

“Tsk tsk, can’t even handle a simple task. Typical of an uneducated Beta.”

As Chaeyi listened to the absurd comments, he realized that their brazenly condescending remarks might be an intentional tactic.

Mikael grimaced, scratching his head.

“Well, anyway, he came without causing any trouble, so that’s good enough, right? There was no need to use force with someone who cooperates willingly.”

The elders clicked their tongues and stepped closer to Chaeyi.

Seeing that he showed no signs of intimidation under their condescending glares, they grew visibly irritated.

A group of self-important elders crowding and glaring—it was no different from bullies who knew only to harass.

Chaeyi swallowed a sigh.

These elders, who had lived far longer than him, clearly lacked the maturity their years should have brought.

“So… you’re the one who ensnared Leonard, clouding his judgment.”

The elder speaking was a crone Chaeyi hadn’t seen before, muttering in an aloof tone, a deep scar over one eye.

Taking the cue, Elder Austin sneered as he added to her words.

“You’re nothing but a burden to our family. If you let go of Leonard and disappear quietly now, the Lancasters won’t pursue any harm against you.”

“Haha, Elder Austin, you’re being quite generous to someone who’s caused such trouble.”

The elders laughed amongst themselves, but Chaeyi kept his mouth shut, his expression darkening.

Noticing his change in demeanor, Mikael glanced over nervously.

Chaeyi finally spoke.

“You’re telling me to give up early.”

“Precisely.”

“Because I’m a male Beta who might never become an Omega, unable to bear children if I fail.”

“Exactly. You understand well.”

Indeed, Chaeyi was troubled over whether he might bring hardship to Leonard.

As a “male Beta” who might never be able to have children, he worried he’d hold Leonard back if he couldn’t transform into an Omega and stay with him.

“But…”

Deciding the future of their relationship was Leonard and Chae’s business—no third party had any right to interfere.

“Did you really think I’d just say ‘Yes, understood,’ and cower in fear because you threatened me?”

Chae’s concerns weren’t about the Lancaster family’s future; they were solely about Leonard’s happiness.

Unsolicited interference, especially when disguised as “advice,” only made him feel more annoyed.

“I’ll handle it myself, so keep your nose out of it.”

“You… insolent Beta!”

Elder David’s face flushed with fury as he scowled, releasing a powerful, oppressive pheromone.

But Chaeyi, who had long stood by Leonard, barely felt its impact—just a mild irritation.

Leonard’s anger had never directly targeted him, but indirect exposure had trained him to endure such dominance without flinching.

“At your age, don’t overdo it.”

“W-What did you just say…!”

“Oh, right. There was actually something I wanted to say if I ever met you.”

Chaeyi slowly stood, and the elders, each shorter and aged from time, recoiled slightly, intimidated by his presence.

Despite their Alpha status, they felt an odd sense of dread facing Chaeyi, who was merely a Beta, yet somehow indifferent to their domineering aura.

“Stop bothering Leo. He’s already overworked as it is. And for the record, you all… will never be the ‘superior’ in this situation. In reality, you’re the ones desperate for Leo’s existence to preserve your family’s supposed honor of successive dominant Alphas.”

Chae’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.

The elders, struck by his sharp observation, could only blink, speechless.

Satisfied that he’d said everything he needed, Chaeyi exchanged a nod with Mikael and exited the Round Table room.

No one dared to follow.

“Finally, I can breathe.”

Reaching the hallway above, a refreshing breeze met him.

The lack of windows in the underground room had made it stifling.

Taking in the gentle breeze, Chaeyi walked slowly along the corridor.

But only for a moment…

Upon hearing hurried footsteps approaching from ahead, he looked up, wondering what it could be.

A moment later, Leonard appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Leo?”

“Chaeyi.”

Leonard quickly approached, not looking too surprised to see Chaeyi here, as though he’d expected to find him in this exact spot.

Chaeyi had thought their meeting was just a coincidence, but now he wasn’t so sure.

‘How did he know?’

Chaeyi was puzzled.

It hadn’t been long since he’d left the Onyx mansion, stopped by the round table room, and come here.

It seemed too accurate to be just a lucky guess, given the short time frame.

Little did Chaeyi know, Leonard’s uncanny arrival was entirely thanks to Enoch’s abilities, making Leonard’s appearance here seem almost supernatural.

“Were you just coming out of the round table room?”

“Oh, yeah. The elders wanted to talk with me, so I stopped by the round table for a bit and was just on my way out.”

“…Are you still dealing with those people?”

“Well, I am… just bear with it, Leo.”

Noticing the dangerous look on Leonard’s face, Chaeyi quickly stopped him before he did anything rash.

As Leonard’s barely restrained anger seeped out, a subtle chocolate scent filled the hallway.

“But…”

“Nothing happened. It’s fine.”

Leonard bit his lower lip, grinding it.

It infuriated him that things like this had happened while his attention was elsewhere.

Yet, he knew he couldn’t keep Chaeyi by his side, watching him every moment; that would only make Chaeyi resent him.

“If anything like this happens again, you have to tell me first. You never know what might happen.”

“You wouldn’t have let me go if I’d told you.”

“Of course not.”

Chaeyi chuckled at Leonard’s straightforward response, then shrugged.

“Then promise you’ll tell me things too.”

“……”

“Like what happened yesterday. You didn’t tell me about that. It’s not a problem you should handle alone, and it’s not something to hide from me.”

“Alright. I’m sorry.”

Looking dejected, Leonard replied obediently, then leaned in, pressing his cheek to Chaeyi’s as if asking for forgiveness with a small display of affection.

In response, Chaeyi gently patted his head in reassurance, which led Leonard to brush his lips against his cheek.

Given where they were, though, they stopped there and returned to the Onyx mansion.

Later, Leonard tracked down the instigator of this situation and made sure they’d remember it—with a broken toe for emphasis.

But the incident was kept under wraps, so Chaeyi remained completely unaware of it.

---

After summoning Chaeyi and acting up, the elders grew uncharacteristically quiet.

This caught Chaeyi by surprise, as he’d thought they’d soon come back for another talk.

However, he didn’t mind the peace, so he didn’t give it much thought.

Time passed, and August arrived.

Elves visited the Lancaster household to collect pheromone stones.

While there, they chatted with Chaeyi and gifted him a bundle of Belmont fruits before leaving.

Not long after, Ferdinand came by as well.

Watching him and Leonard bicker as always was strangely comforting.

Ferdinand also shared news about Bennax, who was apparently in poor health and wouldn’t be able to visit anytime soon.

‘Ben… Is he alright?’

Chaeyi felt deeply concerned.

It had been almost two months since he’d last received a letter from Bennax, so his worry was natural.

Just as his thoughts started to take a darker turn, a letter from Bennax finally arrived at the Lancaster estate, after what felt like ages.

“To Chaeyi,

Chaeyi, I’ve missed you! It feels like it’s been so long since I last wrote. I received the reply you sent me last time.

The truth is, I wasn’t well and had been undergoing treatment. My body has always been on the weaker side, and I guess I pushed myself too hard trying to get stronger. How embarrassing.

But I’m alright now. My doctor says that getting so sick might have actually helped me build some resilience. So, I’ve even received permission to visit you! As I write this, I’ve already packed and am all set to leave. Once I send this letter, I’ll be on my way immediately. Will you forgive me for just showing up like this?

I can’t wait to see you soon.

– Sent by Bennex de Coneller.”

That was early September.

* * *