* * *

“It was because of my pheromones that you’ve been trying to break our bond all this time. But earlier, I revealed my secret to everyone, so now it doesn’t matter to me whether we sever the bond or not. If you still want to break it, though, you’ll need another reason.”

“You…”

Henry looked at Edwin with wide, astonished eyes as he spoke smoothly, without a hint of hesitation.

Today, Edwin felt strangely unfamiliar.

“If it’s because you hate me and want to end the bond… if that’s your reason, I’ll respect your choice.”

With that, signaling he had said all he needed to, Edwin stood up.

“Wait.”

Henry reached out and grabbed Edwin.

It was a hurried movement, managing only to clutch the hem of Edwin’s clothing.

Somehow, the position made it seem like Henry was clinging to Edwin out of affection, but neither of them paid any attention to it.

“Will you really respect my decision?”

“Yes.”

“No take-backs later.”

At Henry’s insistence for a promise, Edwin looked down at him but offered no clear response before turning away.

As he moved, the hem of his garment slipped through Henry’s grasp.

Henry opened and closed his empty hand before letting it drop, feeling a sense of emptiness.

Left alone, Henry looked down at the pheromone stone with a complex expression.

The unexpected gift left him dazed.

Even when Henry had desperately fought to obtain this stone, Edwin hadn’t batted an eye.

“To give away something so precious like this…”

Henry muttered in disbelief, reaching for the pheromone stone.

But just as he was about to pick it up,

---

[If you still want to break the bond, you’ll need another reason.]

Edwin’s words echoed in his mind, making his hand freeze.

Henry covered his eyes with his empty hand.

“What am I supposed to do now?”

Henry’s anguished whisper lingered and dissipated in the empty room.

---

Outside, Edwin halted all movement, despite looking like he might turn back at any moment once the door closed.

Just a step away from the door, all his senses were still attuned to Henry, who was left in the room.

He could vividly imagine Henry’s expression, debating what to do with the pheromone stone, even without seeing it.

Even now, Edwin wanted to go back and tell Henry to choose him.

But no matter how tangled his thoughts were, his body refused to move, terrified of being hated if he went back.

As Edwin stared blankly at the door, someone approached.

The figure stopped just before him, blocking his way.

“Will you give me a chance to state my case?”

It was Crown Prince William.

Edwin glanced at the door one last time before turning to face the prince.

Taking that as an answer, William led the way, suggesting they head to his quarters.

Inside William’s chambers, the two sat without speaking.

Edwin was preoccupied, wondering if Henry had returned home, while William pondered how to start.

“Should I begin with congratulations?”

“There’s no need.”

It was the same way Henry had started.

For the first time, Edwin turned to look at William.

Noticing Edwin was ready to respond, William began his questions in earnest.

“No matter how much I think about it, I just can’t understand.”

William had known Edwin closely.

Even when Edwin had made that explosive revelation earlier, William hadn’t been shocked so much as curious.

He knew too much about the two of them to take Edwin’s words at face value.

“Let me speak plainly. Haven’t you struggled because you’re a half-alpha?”

Ever since Edwin had failed to manifest fully, he had hidden his feelings, pretending to be indifferent while throwing himself obsessively into swordsmanship.

But today, Edwin acted as if he had forgotten all that.

“And you didn’t know what the Grand Mage’s treasure was, right?”

Though Edwin had agreed to go along, it was only because William had granted permission.

Even then, Edwin hadn’t seemed aware of what the treasure was.

Once he started, the questions kept pouring out.

“Henry became an omega? Then why didn’t he reveal it right away? With a bond, he should have been eager to announce it. Since he liked you, wouldn’t he have seen this as an opportunity…?”

Recently, Henry had been distant, but in the past, that wasn’t the case.

Edwin hesitated for a moment, then slowly began to explain.

---

Weighed down with a heavy heart, Henry was about to head home when three men blocked his path.

He studied their faces, realizing he had seen them somewhere before.

Ah, the memory clicked: the tailor shop. Henry smiled as he remembered.

Back then, they had approached him in a group just like this, mentioning their families’ connection to the Duke Timothy’s house and implying a friendly relationship.

Henry had politely responded but had left feeling unsettled, especially since he couldn’t let their gossip about Edwin go without a retort.

They had called Edwin a half-alpha, burdened with a lifelong flaw, which Henry had fiercely refuted, saying Edwin was extraordinary even without pheromones.

“So it’s true you’re close to Lord Lorentz.”

One of the men sneered, his gaze suggesting he finally understood why.

“We had no idea you were bonded. We must’ve been out of line that day.”

Their mock apology came across as insincere.

They seemed to understand why Henry had snapped at them before, having insulted his bonded partner.

Their words dripped with pettiness, still irked that Henry favored Edwin over them.

“Anyway, we came to apologize if we upset you. We hope you understand.”

It was the least genuine apology Henry had ever heard.

Their mocking tone stirred the frustration Henry had been holding back.

Already burdened with so much on his mind, he exhaled deeply and looked at them with a forced smile.

His sweet smile made them flinch.

What’s with that smile?

“Thank you for apologizing. Honestly, I was really hurt. What could Edwin possibly lack, I wondered. He’s handsome, smart, tall, and responsible. And that’s not all. He comes from a prestigious family and, by the way, he’s an extreme-dominant alpha. Now that he has pheromones, too, I can tell you this: his scent is incredible.”

Henry showered them with praise, leaving them speechless as he walked past.

Since they wanted to hear this, he had gladly said it.

He resolved to finally head home, but then he spotted a familiar face and stopped dead in his tracks.

‘Oh, come on…’

Why did he always run into people he knew right after saying things he didn’t mean?

---

As Kayla appeared, the three men quickly glanced around nervously.

Having witnessed the earlier commotion, their curious gazes flickered between Henry and Kayla.

But neither Henry nor Kayla was the type to care about that.

With Henry’s stare clearly asking why they hadn’t left yet, the three men hurriedly disappeared.

Once they were alone, Henry raised his palm to stop Kayla from speaking.

“What I said earlier was only to stir them up. It’s not because my feelings for Edwin run that deep, so don’t misunderstand.”

Henry was taking preemptive measures, remembering a similar situation in the past.

Back then, it was Edwin who had heard his words.

He still ground his teeth at the memory of Edwin’s smug look, as if saying, “I knew it. Pretending not to care, but still in love with me.”

Kayla, who had been taken aback by Henry’s quick explanation, finally caught on and burst into laughter.

“I won’t misunderstand. Although it’s kind of like… you’ve bonded, but you claim it means nothing.”

Kayla’s joke made Henry flustered.

“I’m not joking around! Seriously, I didn’t shield Edwin because I’m head over heels for him, and the bond… it just sort of happened… ugh.”

Since, at the time of the bond, the original Henry had feelings for Edwin, it was hard to completely deny it.

Frustrated, Henry let out a sigh. Was there no one who truly understood his feelings?

Feeling stifled, Henry pressed his fist against his chest.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

“Of course. If there’s anything you think I should know about, just say it. I’ll tell you if it’s not true.”

Seeing Henry’s determination to clear up any misunderstandings, Kayla smiled again.

Henry’s earnestness seemed to ease the earlier tension.

Sitting across from Kayla in the same room where he had previously spoken with Edwin, Henry scratched his cheek awkwardly.

It felt as though he were having one-on-one interviews with the main characters, one after the other.

“Bonding with Edwin was purely an accident. Just so you know, I can’t explain how it happened, so I’m letting you know in advance.”

He figured Kayla might be most curious about that.

After all, given the situation, Kayla was likely still processing his own complicated feelings toward Edwin, feeling rattled and disoriented.

Henry tried to understand things from Kayla’s perspective, considering that the timing when he was supposed to meet a now-unbonded Edwin had already gone astray because of him.

“Thanks for telling me in advance. Can I ask something else?”

“If it’s something I can answer, go ahead.”

“So, you’re… an Omega?”

“Me? Yes, I’m an Omega.”

Was he talking about Henry, not Edwin?

* * *