* * *
After days of revelry, the banquet finally came to an end, and the Lancaster family’s party prepared to return home.
The atmosphere was light and cheerful, though the weariness of the journey ahead was already setting in.
“Take care on your way back.”
“See you next time, Ferdinand.”
Chaeyi exchanged a final farewell with Ferdinand before boarding the carriage.
Although Ferdinand didn’t mention it, Chaeyi could tell he had made some progress in mending his relationship with his parents.
The change in Ferdinand’s expression was unmistakable.
“Chaeyi,” Leonard called, offering a hand from inside the carriage.
Taking it, Chaeyi climbed in, and the sound of the wheels turning signaled their departure.
Now, all that remained was to safely return to the Lancaster estate.
“Chaeyi, are you hungry?”
“A little.”
As the carriage rattled along, Enoch rummaged through a bag and pulled out some light snacks.
“Here, have this.”
“Thanks, Enoch.”
Enoch beamed as Chaeyi smiled warmly at him. Munching on the crisp snacks, Chaeyi glanced at Leonard beside him.
The man had his eyes closed, exhaustion evident in his features.
“Leo, are you very tired?” Chaeyi asked softly.
Chaeyi gently stroked Leonard’s arm and asked worriedly.
Stirred by the touch, Leonard blinked his drowsy eyes open and murmured softly before leaning his head on Chaeyi’s shoulder.
A sweet pheromone scent momentarily wafted in the air before dissipating just as quickly.
Chaeyi felt slightly flustered. It was the first time Leonard had shown such vulnerability.
It was entirely different from his usual displays of affection.
Just then, Enoch, who was sitting across from them, widened his eyes as if recalling something and spoke.
“Oh, that’s right. Now that I think about it, you haven’t taken your medication this time. That must be it.”
At the mention of “medication,” Chaeyi quickly raised his head in alarm.
“Medication? Is Leonard sick?”
“No, nothing like that. It’s his rut suppressants. It’s already September, and Leonard’s rut usually comes around October or November. The symptoms leading up to it are starting to show. During this period, it becomes difficult to control pheromone levels, which tend to fluctuate. Without the suppressant, managing it consumes a lot of mental energy, leading to fatigue.”
Enoch added nonchalantly, “It’s similar to the heat cycle that Omegas experience.”
His tone suggested that it was no big deal—a routine occurrence for him.
Alphas and Omegas face this every year, after all.
To Chaeyi, a Beta, it seemed like an inconvenient and burdensome ordeal.
“Normally, Leonard takes suppressants to stabilize his pheromones during this time. For Alphas and Omegas, this period can become a critical weakness. However, taking suppressants prevents imprinting from occurring properly. There’s a slight chance of failure. That’s probably why he avoided taking them this time.”
…Imprinting.
Leonard’s adamant words about imprinting with Chaeyi, even if Chaeyi didn’t manifest as an Omega, surfaced in his mind.
Chaeyi looked down at Leonard quietly.
A flood of thoughts arose as the issue he had buried in his heart resurfaced.
“With proper rest, I can manage it just fine.”
Leonard’s soft, drifting words indicated he had noticed Chaeyi’s concern.
Looking at Leonard’s long, lowered lashes, Chaeyi couldn’t help but smile faintly.
He gently patted Leonard’s head in a comforting manner.
By the time the sun set, the group stopped at a midpoint before leaving Ludvis territory entirely.
After a day of rest, they resumed their journey and smoothly arrived at Combest territory.
Now, their carriage was passing through a dark forest under the pitch-black night sky.
“We’re almost out of the forest. A village will appear soon,” the coachman informed them, pulling back the curtain to address the group.
Likely, he wanted to ease any worries about the dense forest. Chaeyi nodded in response and covered the dozing Enoch with a blanket.
As he was about to do the same for Leonard, who was half-asleep with his arms crossed, an abrupt exclamation startled him.
“Huh…!”
The coachman’s panicked voice from outside made Chaeyi instinctively turn his head.
A chill of unease gripped his heart, but before he could process it, the carriage came to an abrupt halt, and chaos erupted outside.
Leonard, sensing the unusual commotion, frowned and opened his eyes.
Meanwhile, Chaeyi moved to the window to investigate.
From the front carriage came a sharp yell from Delion.
“Duck!”
Almost simultaneously, a deafening explosion rocked the carriage.
The windows were suddenly engulfed in black smoke.
Had someone thrown a smoke bomb?
Before Chaeyi could finish the thought, the carriage door was violently torn off, and someone dragged him into the smoke.
“Chaeyi!”
“Chaeyi-nim?!”
The deep night, now shrouded in dark smoke, made it impossible to see anything.
Almost immediately, something was thrown over Chaeyi’s head, blocking his view entirely.
He couldn’t make sense of the situation but realized one thing—someone was trying to separate him from his group.
As Chaeyi was carried deeper into the forest by the unknown assailant, others attacked the carriage with fervor, shouting, “Ransack the carriage!” amidst their chaotic laughter.
Yet, Delion and Leonard couldn’t properly use their abilities due to the obscuring smoke, making the situation dire.
But they wouldn’t remain disoriented for long.
Regaining composure, Lawrence shouted for the others to stand back before unleashing a powerful slash with his sword.
A tremendous gust cut through the air, thinning the smoke and clearing their vision.
“What the hell?! What kind of strength is that?”
“Who the hell is this guy?!”
The assailants, now visible and clearly panicked, raised their weapons in tension.
Soon, Delion, Leonard, and Enoch stepped out of the carriage.
The attackers, seeing their faces, turned pale, as though confronted with an unimaginable situation.
“Wait… No way.”
Their gazes shifted to the carriage, where a crest symbolizing the Lancaster family was visible.
“The Lancaster family crest?!”
“There was no mention of this being a Lancaster carriage…”
“That bastard tricked us! He set us up!”
Amid their panic and betrayal, Delion took a threatening step forward.
The assailants, overwhelmed by fear, dropped their weapons and fell to their knees.
No matter how skilled they were as hunters, they were no match for true monsters.
Glaring at the trembling assailants, Delion sighed and asked, “What were you thinking, pulling a stunt like this?”
“We… we were just told to ambush a passing carriage…”
“Please, spare us! We didn’t know it was a Lancaster carriage!”
“Lies. You ambushed a random carriage without knowing the purpose?”
Delion’s sharp interrogation left the lead attacker deflated, bowing his head in fear.
The others were similarly trembling, despairing that their lives might end here.
“We don’t know the purpose either… The employer didn’t tell us anything.”
“That’s true! We were only told to cause confusion with smoke bombs when the carriage passed through. After that, we were free to do as we pleased. We just thought it was a wealthy merchant’s carriage…”
Their trembling voices reeked of desperation.
It doesn’t seem like these people are lying.
Delion mulled over how to deal with them while glancing back at his companions to ensure no harm had come to them.
That’s when Enoch, his face pale, screamed in near panic.
“Chaeyi! Chaeyi is nowhere to be seen!”
Caught off guard, Delion instinctively turned to Leonard.
He could sense an ominous aura emanating from Leonard, whose breathing had turned slightly erratic.
As it was, Leonard was already struggling to control his pheromones due to his nearing rut.
A walking time bomb indeed—there was no better way to describe him.
“…Find him.”
Leonard bit down hard, growling through gritted teeth.
“Immediately!”
As soon as his order erupted, a wave of pheromones surged outward, causing the hunters around them to either faint or clutch their throats, gasping for air.
Enoch trembled as he frantically began using his abilities, while Delion, now tense, rallied the knights.
Meanwhile, Lawrence… inwardly wailed, ‘Why can’t you leave Chaeyi alone for once?!’
*
Elsewhere, Chaeyi…
‘Hmm. Am I… being kidnapped again?’
He tilted his head, pondering idly.
* * *
