* * *
It was only natural, as Henry hadn’t disclosed their destination when he invited Edwin to join him.
Henry, as if to reveal something, grabbed Edwin’s arm. Then, he walked past Edwin, approaching a door painted conspicuously red.
The door stood out as the only red one among the cluster of old buildings, but other than that, it had no distinguishing features.
Henry looked at the door for a moment before knocking on it with the hilt of the sword he always carried.
The heavy thud seemed like it would serve as a signal for someone inside, but the door was thick, and nothing could be heard.
As Henry raised his sword hilt again, a screeching sound, like nails on a chalkboard, echoed as the red door opened slightly.
Someone peeked out, revealing only their eyes and part of their face, eyeing Henry warily.
“State your identity.”
Henry opened the pouch he had received from Hook and pulled out a badge, showing his identification. The man in front quickly snatched it away.
“Come in.”
The door opened wider than before to admit outsiders, and Henry boldly stepped inside.
His demeanor had completely changed from when he had been cautiously navigating the alley.
“Wait.”
It was Edwin and Sir Teher who stopped him. Henry, caught by both arms, looked back and forth between the two men as if asking what was going on.
Sir Teher was likely worried about his safety, but Edwin? Well, Edwin was always overly cautious, so that was expected, but why was Sir Teher?
Unable to free himself from the strong grips on his arms, Henry looked at the two with questioning eyes.
“Do you know where you’re about to enter?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“If I wasn’t going to enter, why would I have walked all the way here?”
Before entering the foul-smelling alley, Henry had to mentally prepare himself.
Compared to him, these two had entered without hesitation, yet now they were trying to stop him from going inside.
“Do you know what’s inside?”
“An unexplored place is dangerous.”
Hearing their seemingly different yet similar warnings, Henry sighed.
They weren’t going to let go until he told them where they were.
“It’s an information guild.”
Raising his arms as if surrendering, Henry indicated for them to release him. As soon as they did, he quickly opened the door and went inside.
The man who had taken the fake identity badge under the name Hans was waiting for him. T
he middle-aged man, with a somewhat ordinary appearance and a slight belly, introduced himself as the guide.
“Mr. Hans? This way, please.”
Henry, who was now Hans, responded naturally as if he was truly being called by that name.
“These two are here to protect me, so there’s no need for them to reveal their identities, right?”
Henry spread his palms, indicating the two men. Their tall, solid physiques and the distinct aura they exuded made the guide nod in understanding.
“Please choose a room to enter.”
The guide led Henry to a section where several doors were located, allowing him to choose.
The doors varied from flimsy-looking ones that seemed like they could be knocked down with a slight push to sturdier ones made of solid wood.
After inspecting each door, Henry chose the one that appeared to be the most durable.
“Let’s go there.”
The guide’s expression changed, and he momentarily left, saying he would be right back. Once the three were left alone, Edwin immediately approached Henry.
“Why did you come here?”
“Well, I need information.”
“You could have obtained enough information just through your connections to the royal family.”
Edwin’s point was that it would be better to ask Prince William directly than to seek out this information guild, but Henry waved his hand as if dismissing the idea.
“The kind of information I get here is different. That’s why I took the time to come.”
“Why did you keep it a secret from His Highness?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious?”
Henry pouted.
“If I told him, he’d want to come along immediately, right? And that’s not all. He’d ask all sorts of questions—how did I find out, what’s that identity badge for? Would you tell him everything?”
Edwin remained silent. That was true.
If it were Prince William, he would definitely insist on leading the way himself.
Henry’s explanation made sense, even though he had other reasons as well.
Shortly after, the guide returned, informing Henry that he could enter and mentioned one caveat.
“Only two people can go in. Who will accompany you?”
Without hesitation, Henry pointed to someone. He then entered the room, followed closely by one person, leaving the other standing alone.
“You wait here.”
The guide, now speaking more arrogantly since the remaining person wasn’t a guest, flashed a sly smile.
Edwin, realizing that Henry had planned to leave him out, felt his mouth twitch in frustration.
He’d been outsmarted, but Henry was already inside.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Henry chuckled, imagining Edwin’s bewildered expression.
‘Sorry, but this is something I can’t even share with you.’
Knowing that only a certain number of people could enter the room, Henry had brought Edwin along. Who knows how much of a fuss he would make once they were out, but that was a problem for later.
Henry approached the solitary table in the room. On the other side sat a young woman with her hair neatly tied up, waiting with a businesslike smile.
“Are you familiar with the information guild?”
“I know at least that the quality and cost of the information depend on the door you choose. I also know the guild’s rule of never caring about the client’s identity, despite demanding a high price.”
So, he’s someone who’s used the information guild before.
The woman, who had been eyeing Henry suspiciously, erased her doubts. She had been observing him since he entered the alley.
The way he confidently navigated the path, the manner in which he chose the door, and his relaxed attitude even after leaving behind one of his escorts—Henry was certainly deserving of being recognized as a client.
“What information do you seek?”
Henry quickly rattled off the information as if he had been waiting for the moment: “The identities of those gathered to obtain the treasure, the identities of those who fought nearby, those targeting the Crown Prince, and the location of the Woneum tree.”
He paused, raised a hand to stop the woman from responding, and added as if he’d forgotten something, “Edwin Lorenz’s weakness.”
Sir Teher, who had been standing behind him, flinched.
He seemed curious as to why Henry would ask for such information. Perhaps it was just… insurance?
Henry, who had come out with a fresh face, recoiled as if he had been caught in a fog of pheromones, covering his nose and mouth.
The pheromones, more potent than usual, clung to Henry’s skin, making him uncomfortable. Startled, Henry glanced around and locked eyes with Edwin, who had been watching him.
‘I can’t breathe.’
Edwin stood with his arms crossed, staring at Henry with a heavy gaze.
He appeared to be merely expressing his dissatisfaction, but Henry felt as if he were standing before a snake, unable to move.
It wasn’t a sexual tension, so he could endure it without collapsing, but he was nearing his limit.
‘This isn’t going to work…’
His body was slowly reacting to Edwin’s pheromones. His insides were heating up, and the skin touched by the pheromones felt itchy, like fire ants crawling over it.
While Henry couldn’t escape, the pheromones intensified, refusing to let him go. They seeped into his body, constricting his heart, and his face turned pale from the lack of circulation.
“What’s wrong?”
Sir Teher called out to him as Henry closed his eyes, struggling to breathe. When Henry didn’t respond, Teher gently shook him by the shoulders.
As Henry’s half-closed eyes lifted, Sir Teher moved to stand in front of him, alarmed. Tears had welled up in Henry’s eyes, blurring his focus.
“Young Master.”
“Oh… ah.”
Fortunately, thanks to Sir Teher blocking some of Edwin’s pheromones, Henry could breathe a little easier. He blinked, letting the tears fall.
“Are you okay?”
“I haven’t slept well, so I got a bit dizzy…”
No one had ever heard of a dizzy person covering their nose and mouth while shedding tears, but Sir Teher didn’t press further, knowing Henry was deliberately avoiding the topic.
He merely kept watch for any potential dangers while waiting for Henry to calm down.
Perhaps it was Sir Teher’s protection or Edwin reducing his pheromones after realizing something was off, but Henry finally took a deep breath, feeling much better.
‘That was really dangerous.’
Henry wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, feeling more tension than when he first sensed Edwin’s pheromones.
If Edwin knew Henry was his imprinted partner and deliberately released his pheromones, Henry would never be able to escape.
“I’m okay now.”
Henry gave Sir Teher, who had protected him, a grateful look. Although Sir Teher couldn’t sense Edwin’s pheromones, his timely intervention had allowed Henry to catch his breath.
As Sir Teher stepped aside, Henry forced a cheerful expression and said nonchalantly, “Edwin, I know you’re upset, but can you calm down a bit?”
“What did I do that you’re telling me to calm down?”
Henry suppressed the urge to retort, ‘You were practically pouring out your pheromones!’ and instead forced a trembling smile.
“You’re clearly displeased with me. No matter how much you pretend otherwise, you can’t hide it from my sharp eyes.”
“Was this your plan all along?”
“I didn’t know only two people could go in. It’s just that my bodyguard happened to be closer at that moment, so I chose him.”
Henry shamelessly insisted he didn’t know, even though he had responded to the guide’s question earlier without hesitation.
Though Edwin suspected something, he had no proof, so he couldn’t pursue the matter further. Henry, knowing this, grinned even more wickedly, as if to get back at Edwin for the pheromone attack.
‘Serves you right. You deserve it.’
“Let’s go back.”
After stretching, Henry brushed off his body as if removing dust from the air. He led the way, and although returning after finishing their business was the obvious choice, Edwin hesitated, unable to take a step.
He had indeed been upset with Henry. But the moment their eyes met, Henry’s expression turned to shock, and Edwin clearly saw his body tremble as if struck by lightning.
Yet, Henry had acted as if nothing had happened.
‘What was that all about?’
Why was he so startled when he looked at me?
* * *
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It sounds exciting and weird
You guess
Someone feeling jelly