RHFTY chapter 10

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That day, as soon as Chaeyi woke up, he sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere. he detected a faint unfamiliar scent lingering in the room.

The scent that came to mind was like dark chocolate, slightly bitter yet sweet, leaving a long-lasting impression.

The natural and subtle fragrance was so delightful that anyone would want to keep smelling it, and it could be loved by people of all ages.

Shortly after, a heavy and rich scent reminiscent of nuts mixed in… It clung tenaciously, like a shadow lingering behind a bright light.

Chaeyi gradually realized.

This scent was none other than pheromones.

It was a sign of a Beta manifesting into an Alpha or Omega.

In this world, Betas could sense and detect pheromones from manifestors, so it wasn’t difficult for Chaeyi to notice the signs.

And the source of the scent was none other than Leonard, who was still peacefully sleeping beside his.

“……”

Chaeyi watched Leonard’s face for a moment, still appearing as though he had no intention of waking up.

He had grown as tall and as large as Chaeyi, and it seemed like it was time for him to have his own space, yet Leonard stubbornly insisted on sleeping together.

So, even today, he clung to his like a cicada to an old tree.

‘Doesn’t this kid feel uncomfortable?’

In the five years that could be considered long or short, his childish behavior had increased, and even when he pretended to be mature, he still lacked maturity.

He seemed like a child who would always remain one…

‘The time to let him go has already come.’

Time passed quickly. Chaeyi carefully removed Leonard’s arm from around his waist and shook him awake.

Having slept soundly, Leonard blinked his sleepy eyes.

“……?”

But soon, he visibly showed signs of being surprised by the change in his own traits.

“Here. Take this.”

Chaeyi handed him the scent paper he had bought months ago and kept in storage. Leonard made a complex expression when he saw it.

He never expected a delayed manifestation to come, as Chaeyi had mentioned… Whether he had anticipated it or if it was merely a coincidence, he couldn’t tell.

The only clear thing was that he had manifested as either an Alpha or an Omega.

Should he leave Chaeyi for his long-held wish?

Or should he stay by Chaeyi’s side and give up his goal?

Leonard found himself unable to be entirely happy or sad about the situation.

Unaware of his complicated emotions, Chaeyi assumed that Leonard’s silence signaled excitement about his manifestation and held his breath.

He couldn’t understand why he felt a shared sense of nervousness. Chaeyi decided to patiently wait for Leonard until he was ready.

After a long while… Leonard reached out.

As his fingers touched the end of the scent paper, the white sheet began to slowly take on color.

As expected.

The final color, which fully enveloped the paper, was a deep, profound black, as if it wouldn’t let a single ray of light pass through.

“Chaeyi.”

Seeing this, Leonard suddenly lifted his head.

Although he had mixed feelings, at that moment, witnessing his dominant traits made him genuinely happy.

It was only natural. After all, he had manifested as a dominant Alpha.

Despite being the trait his family had long desired, it had come to the one they had cast aside.

Furthermore, according to information learned through rumors, there had never been someone who manifested as a dominant Alpha born in the Lancaster family.

It was the perfect opportunity for revenge and to reclaim what was lost.

It was like a well-crafted scenario.

Chaeyi understood the reason, but for Leonard, it was a realm beyond his comprehension. And seeing Leonard’s gleaming eyes, Chaeyi was even more certain of his eventual return to the family.

While the thought of parting with Leonard struck his as suddenly sorrowful, the prideful satisfaction they both felt was genuine.

“Congratulations on your manifestation, Leo.”

That day, Chaeyi spent a long time with Leonard.

They had a small celebration party in the evening and he stayed by Leonard’s side as he deliberated.

True to expectations, Leonard ultimately chose to return to his family.

Chaeyi was grateful that he had hesitated and struggled with the idea of parting with his until late at night.

A few days later, Chaeyi finally saw Leonard off, having completed his preparations for departure.

“Take care.”

She ensured he was warmly dressed for the cold journey, bundling him up with the new scarf he had knitted.

Leonard quietly gazed at Chaeyi before speaking.

“Chaeyi… I promise I’ll come back someday. So don’t run away.”

“Oh, come on. Why would I run away?”

Chaeyi chuckled. he regarded his odd concerns as insignificant and brushed them off.

After all, Leonard was the heir to the Duke’s domain. He would soon become the official successor.

And any free person wishing to reside within the Duke’s territory had to register their identity in the birth registry and could only move within the territory.

Unless Chaeyi planned to leave for another territory, it would be impossible to evade Lancaster’s eyes.

In short, it was a ridiculous notion, which is why Chaeyi laughed it off.

However, Leonard, still wearing a serious expression and lost in thought, added a few more words.

“I’ll send letters often, so make sure to reply. If for some reason you can’t, let me know in advance.”

“Sure, sure.”

“If you end up moving, make sure to inform me. Don’t just leave without a word.”

“Got it.”

Chaeyi readily agreed to all his requests.

Yet, Leonard, seemingly unable to easily part ways, lingered in front of the doorway.

In the end, Chaeyi gave him a gentle push on the back.

“Once you return to the family, there will be plenty to prepare. So stop dawdling and hurry along, won’t you?”

Finally resigning himself to reality, Leonard sighed softly and turned away.

Though he gave Chaeyi a sulky glance, he knew it was time to leave.

Chaeyi playfully tousled the back of Leonard’s head as he opened the front door. Before leaving, Leonard looked back at Chaeyi.

“Take care of yourself.”

At that moment, Leonard’s hand reached out and gently grasped Chaeyi’s hand, which was held up in the air, before carefully letting go.

His long eyelashes, which had been drooping downwards, lifted to reveal his blue eyes that captured Chaeyi’s image.

“I’ll be back.”

The phrase “I’ll be back,” made up of those four syllables, seemed to carry a certain weight.

After sending Leonard off, Chaeyi felt a mix of relief and emptiness.

He couldn’t quite understand why he felt like crying.

Was this what it felt like for parents sending off their grown children?

‘I really am quite sentimental.’

Although Leonard was still only 14, and his concern lingered… Chaeyi trusted him.

He believed that Leonard would achieve what he wanted with his own hands and live happily.

And after that day….

Leonard truly began sending letters as promised.

The content of his first letter indicated that he had safely arrived at the family estate and had even reached a settlement.

The two of them exchanged letters actively.

Even if Chaeyi occasionally couldn’t reply quickly, new letters would arrive a few days later.

Considering the time it took for the mailman to deliver the letters, it meant Leonard was writing almost daily.

Sometimes, he would even send a considerable amount of money under the pretext of it being for living expenses.

As time passed, and four more years went by since Leonard’s departure, Chaeyi finally saved enough to buy a house in the big city. It was truly time to leave the beloved cottage behind.

“……”

Chaeyi sat at his desk, holding a pen, and immersed himself in thought for a while. This would be his last letter to Leonard.

‘Getting to know me better might be disadvantageous for Leonard.’

He had heard that he was currently competing with his siblings for the position of official heir….

Although he had the most definite qualifications as an alpha with superior traits, Leonard had wasted five years in a commoner village.

Moreover, there were rumors about his continued involvement with beta commoners, which seemed to have led to disputes with his siblings about his eligibility as heir.

Given the current tension, if past actions of ‘Chaeyi from the novel’ were revealed, it could be disastrous.

At such a critical time, Chaeyi did not want his presence to become a hindrance to Leonard. he especially didn’t want to be a weakness.

So, it was time to cut ties. A decision had to be made.

[To Leo,

Hello, Leo. How are you doing there?

I always hear good news about you.

I’m thinking of leaving my cherished home and moving to a big city. I haven’t decided on the exact location yet, but don’t worry, I’m not going to another domain.

……

Let’s make this our last letter exchange. Thank you so much for everything up to now. All the moments we shared together were happy and joyful.

I’ll keep those memories for a lifetime. Take care of yourself.

-Chaeyi]

He did not specify where he was moving or why this would be their last letter.

To prevent any unforeseen situations.

However, Chaeyi believed that if Leonard wanted to find him, he could come anytime.

So he didn’t think it was necessary to provide his exact location in the letter, believing there was no need to make it easy for him to catch his whereabouts.

The fact that Chaeyi’s identity badge was a forgery created by ‘novel Chaeyi’ and could not be tracked would be discovered later.

Chaeyi moved to the city of ‘Ranga,’ located some distance away from the cottage.

He quickly adapted to life in the new city.

After the contact stopped… five more years passed.

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