* * *
“Where have you been?”
At the door, Henry instinctively took a step back upon seeing William, only to bump into Edwin’s chest.
“Well…”
Henry was too focused on coming up with an excuse for William to notice he was touching Edwin.
“I was just out front…”
“Where exactly? My men searched the area thoroughly but couldn’t find you.”
“Were you looking for me? Why?”
Henry tried to brush it off but grew curious when William said he had been searching for him.
Although Henry had snuck out at night before, it was unusual for anyone to look for him when he disappeared.
“I had something to discuss, but you weren’t there…”
“If it’s not urgent, can’t it wait until tomorrow? It’s the middle of the night.”
Henry gestured toward the window as if to point out the late hour.
The sky, tinged with blue, indicated he had been out for quite some time.
He tried to dismiss the matter casually, hoping to talk later, but this only made things worse.
“Tell me where you’ve been.”
“Must I… really say?”
“As the person in charge, I believe I have the right to know where my companions have been.”
William, as crafty as a fox, knew how to wield his authority.
As Edwin had suggested, asserting his responsibility was just a way for William to indulge his irritation at Henry’s evasiveness.
Henry, realizing he might get caught, offered a plausible excuse he had prepared just in case.
“There was a night market outside, so I just went to take a look.”
“I even dispatched my guards there. Ah, but just in case you missed them, tell me what goods were being sold at the entrance. Then I’ll believe we simply missed each other.”
“….”
How would I know that?
Henry was about to pout in frustration at William’s persistence when Edwin, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.
“I had something to discuss with him.”
“With just the two of you? Can I ask what it was?”
“Is that an order?”
William narrowed his eyes at the strong response from Edwin, who had appeared alongside Henry.
Not only had Edwin not avoided Henry when they touched earlier, but now they were appearing together.
I guess traveling really does bring people closer.
“No, I’m not that tactless.”
William started to turn back to his room but paused as if remembering something and looked back at Henry.
“Bringing him along was the right choice, wasn’t it?”
Though it sounded more like a question, William, the Crown Prince, turned away without waiting for an answer, leaving Henry frowning at his one-sided communication.
What was so great about bringing him along, anyway?
Regardless, thanks to Edwin, the situation passed smoothly.
Henry turned to express his gratitude, but as soon as he saw Edwin brushing off his chest as if it were dirty from touching him, the words of thanks died in his throat.
Henry let out a strong scoff.
“He’s sleeping.”
Well, that’s just how he is.
The next morning, William was eagerly anticipating how the relationship between Henry and Edwin might have changed.
Since they were about to depart, he figured it would be quite entertaining to observe from the sidelines, but an unexpected guest arrived.
“It’s been a while, Your Highness.”
“Kayla. Did you know I was here?”
“I wasn’t aware that Your Highness had arrived. I happened to recognize a familiar face yesterday and just came by the area, then found out.”
As Kayla briefly recounted his visit to the fortune teller yesterday, William nodded.
If he had known he was here, it made sense that she’d come to see him this morning.
“But that boy… he’s changed a lot, hasn’t he?”
“Who? Ah, right.”
When William asked who he meant, he nodded with a bitter smile.
Edwin had been a promising talent when he manifested as a strong Alpha, but things had taken an unexpected turn.
Duke Lorenz, who had hoped his son would be an outstanding Alpha, turned his back on Edwin in disappointment, and the Emperor was also saddened by the news.
“You must have heard the rumors.”
Edwin’s story had once spread widely through the capital, so William assumed Kayla would be aware of it.
Kayla, sensing William’s reluctance to delve into the darker side of the story, acknowledged it subtly.
“He must have been really heartbroken. The cute little boy I once knew has completely changed.”
“I think time has made him tougher.”
“When he was little, he even called me a doll.”
“At that age, he expressed what he felt.”
But now, he had become a man devoid of emotion.
William couldn’t pretend to understand Edwin’s feelings, but realizing how much he had changed filled him with pity.
“The important thing is that he’s forgotten about me. He once said he’d never forget my pretty hair and face for the rest of his life.”
Kayla widened his eyes as if to say, “How could he?” and clenched his fists so tightly that his pale skin turned a rosy red.
William, thinking his indignant expression was just like him, waved his hand dismissively.
“That was all when you were kids.”
“True, but who was the man next to him?”
“Are you asking about the man next to him? Do you mean Henry? You’ve run into Henry before, haven’t you?”
William added Henry’s last name, Timothy. Kayla tilted his head, meeting William’s eyes as if something didn’t add up.
“I was asking about the man next to Henry.”
“Hm?”
“Wait, let me get this straight.”
William raised his hand to unravel the tangled conversation.
“Up until now, I thought the child you remembered was Edwin. But are you saying it was actually Henry?”
Kayla nodded.
He hadn’t forgotten Henry’s blond hair and pretty face from when they were young. He remembered how he had been quite shy but also very cute.
Naturally, he recognized him right away when they crossed paths yesterday. But Henry, seemingly having forgotten him completely, only stared at him without any sign of recognition.
“Alright, I get it. So, when you mentioned the man next to Henry, were you thinking of Edwin, or were you referring to his bodyguard? That would be Sir Teher.”
“Sir Teher… Both men had such stony faces that it’s hard to tell them apart by any specific feature. But the more rigid one must have been Sir Teher, right?”
“Yes. Well, if it’s confusing, I can explain it later. The man with the blue eyes I mentioned—that’s Edwin.”
The name Edwin wasn’t unfamiliar.
The stern-faced man beside Henry did seem somewhat recognizable.
Kayla briefly recalled the man who looked like a statue.
He really did feel like a stone, except for the fact that he was breathing.
“So that was Edwin.”
“Comparing him to how he was as a child is probably difficult. He’s changed a lot.”
William’s bitter smile was filled with concern for Edwin.
No matter how cold and indifferent a subject might be, the bond they shared from childhood was something William couldn’t ignore.
“Ah, there he comes now.”
William pointed to Edwin as he entered.
Once Kayla recognized Edwin, William asked if it had jogged his memory.
“I’ll think it over. But it seems like you have a soft spot for this Edwin fellow.”
“Edwin may come off as rude, cold, and the most unapproachable person ever, but he’s still my old friend.”
William still couldn’t forget the day Edwin appeared completely changed, as if he were wearing a mask.
In the years since, Edwin hadn’t smiled properly even once.
Whenever William saw him, he couldn’t help but want to do something to help.
Kayla, understanding William’s intentions perfectly, dug deeper.
“It seems like you’re not just thinking about helping him; you’ve already started.”
“I’m hoping that if he falls in love, maybe his expression will change. After all, there’s someone who loves him right beside him.”
William chuckled as he noticed the grumpy face following Edwin.
Unlike the now expressionless Edwin, Henry’s face had become increasingly expressive, making William laugh every time he saw him.
“Are you going to say hello to them?”
Kayla hesitated for a moment before shaking his head at the Crown Prince’s question.
Instead, he simply smiled, lost in memories, as he watched Henry following behind Edwin.
“I’ll greet them another time if we meet again by chance.”
“Hey, listen. I appreciate the excuse you came up with, but why are we wandering around so much? Especially dragging along someone like me, who has absolutely no desire to be with you?”
Henry, following behind Edwin, finally burst out with frustration.
Sure, he was grateful that Edwin had helped them get away when the Crown Prince caught them sneaking out, but whatever gratitude he’d felt had now evaporated, replaced by resentment.
Having been woken up at dawn, Henry felt like his entire body was weighed down, but Edwin, indifferent as always, kept walking ahead.
Henry cast a glance at Sir Teher’s sword, wishing he’d scold Edwin.
Today was the exact opposite of yesterday.
While Edwin had been the one roused awake by Henry yesterday, Edwin now woke Henry by poking him with the tip of a sword, saying it was his turn this time.
When Edwin had gone out with Henry, he had at least seemed interested in bringing him along. Henry, on the other hand, couldn’t care less where Edwin went.
But Edwin insisted they both take turns, so he dragged Henry out for a walk around the area.
Henry barely paid attention to the occasional stops Edwin made; he was too uninterested to even look.
Anyway, since his outing ended earlier than expected, Henry returned to the inn sooner than planned and immediately passed by Edwin, heading up the stairs.
“I’m going to sleep now, so don’t wake me until we leave. If you wake me up, I’ll… find your weakness…”
As Henry climbed the stairs, he paused halfway to sternly warn Edwin, even raising a finger, his voice filled with a meaningful threat as if he would exact serious revenge if disturbed.
The problem was, Henry’s threat didn’t seem threatening at all.
Perhaps it was the fatigue from not even getting two hours of sleep after coming in at dawn, but today, Henry’s dark circles were especially prominent, and his face looked pale.
His lips, though plump and moving as he mentioned Edwin’s weakness, only made him look adorable.
Once Henry said his piece and slipped into his room, Edwin was left alone.
He glanced up at the door Henry had entered, then subtly placed a hand over his chest, where a lingering warmth remained from the previous night’s contact with Henry.
Suddenly, Henry’s last words began to nag at him.
“Weakness?”
* * *
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Muy bueno
The novel is wonderful
I’m curious and invested in Henry and Kayla’s past
Haha…the little guy is threatening!
Ugh I wish this was a novel about Henry and Kayla, much more interesting to explore falling in love with the love interest of your old love hahaha
But both of them are Omega