* * *
Just as the carriages were preparing to set off, Edwin spotted Henry and approached.
“This is as far as you go.”
Edwin looked at Sir Teher, who blocked his path. What had he told him yesterday? Had he instructed him to stop him?
“What I said yesterday wasn’t about this.”
“There was an order from the young master.”
Edwin’s gaze shifted to Henry at Sir Teher’s firm response.
Henry, noticing Edwin being blocked, casually turned away.
Yesterday, Henry was prickly but didn’t push him away. Edwin found the sudden change in his demeanor unsettling.
After a brief moment of looking at Henry, Edwin turned away. Sir Teher, observing Edwin, returned to Henry’s side.
“He’s gone.”
“Is that so? Good job.”
Henry, who had been reading a book, looked up. He saw Edwin retreating in the distance through the window.
Though he couldn’t see Edwin’s expression, his posture didn’t seem particularly pleased.
Even the faint pheromones carried by the wind were filled with displeasure.
However, Henry had no intention of letting Edwin near him.
He even drew the curtains to completely block any chance of seeing Edwin, then sighed.
The weight of the book on his lap felt heavier than before. He needed to focus on learning to control his pheromones by reading this book.
Henry’s eyes soon returned to the pages.
*
“I have no idea what’s going on, honestly.”
William glanced at the carriage and then spoke to Edwin, who was walking beside him.
“Something must have happened with Henry, right?”
“Nothing happened.”
Edwin abruptly cut off William’s curiosity.
“Yet you’re here by my side? How many times have you walked beside me until now?”
William didn’t easily accept Edwin’s denial. After all, Edwin had always stayed with Henry. It was, in fact, William who had requested Edwin’s company.
Even so, William understood. He hadn’t brought Edwin along for protection.
He had hoped Edwin and Henry would grow closer, so it was fine as long as that happened naturally.
“If there’s anything bothering you, feel free to talk to me. Not all answers lie with those who possess the most knowledge.”
William, perhaps sensing Edwin’s frustration, tried to offer help.
Even though Edwin’s knowledge was as deep as his own, William felt he had the upper hand in this situation.
“Sometimes, the observer finds the answers.”
In other words, William believed that as an outside observer, he could see things more clearly.
Edwin understood this but remained focused on the path ahead, choosing his words carefully.
“Whenever you need an answer, I’m here.”
William didn’t give up, reminding Edwin of his offer.
At that moment, William’s guard approached and whispered something to him.
“We’ve arrived. Let’s stop here for a moment.”
Following William’s orders, the guard instructed the surrounding soldiers.
The pace of the procession quickly slowed until it came to a halt.
Henry immediately noticed the carriage stopping and closed his book, asking Sir Teher.
“The Crown Prince has ordered a stop.”
Henry nodded slightly and looked around.
After hours of riding, they had arrived at a vast farmland.
After taking in the view for a moment, Henry instructed Sir Teher.
“Go find out what’s going on.”
“Understood.”
After sending Sir Teher, Henry placed the book next to him.
A small case bumped into the book, causing it to tilt slightly.
Henry noticed the case he had taken out earlier and picked it up. It was the ring Violet had given him.
All the senior members, including Violet, were sent to the capital.
Originally, Henry had planned to take one or two people with him, but he changed his mind this morning.
As his condition had changed, he felt uncomfortable having others around.
Even Violet, who insisted on going with him, was advised by Henry to visit his family first. He handed his a letter, saying:
“Take this, and my parents will help you.”
Henry felt sorry to ask for help from his parents, but he had something else to attend to. He didn’t want to ask Violet to wait until he returned, so he took the letter and bid Henry farewell.
Henry stared at the case, rolling it around in his hands. In a way, this ring was the cause of the change in his pheromones.
If Henry hadn’t been curious about this ring, or if his ties with the group had been severed earlier…
Everything was a result of Henry altering the original flow of the story. It was up to him to bear the consequences.
He gently pushed the curtain aside with the back of his hand.
Ahead, Crown Prince William, Edwin, and Sir Teher were gathered.
The distance between them was too great to hear their conversation.
Henry watched them for a moment, then lowered the curtain and closed the window. He then opened the opposite window and the case’s lid.
With everything on his mind lately, he hadn’t thought to check it again. But now, being alone, he decided to try once more.
Moving pheromones was a kind of wish. Just as limbs move according to thoughts, pheromones could be consciously released and retracted.
However, unlike when pheromones were unconsciously emitted, a certain intention was needed to control them. The pheromones could move according to their owner’s will.
‘Just a little bit.’
Henry focused on the ring, imagining his pheromones flowing into it.
Though invisible, he envisioned them following the path of the wind into the ring.
Suddenly, as if by magic, he felt the pheromones rise, smelling their scent as they traveled down his body.
At the same time, the color of the gemstone lightened.
Its sparkle intensified. Seeing the familiar reaction, Henry watched it with mixed emotions.
Meanwhile, Edwin, who had been listening to Crown Prince William, suddenly turned his head.
“What’s wrong?”
Edwin didn’t seem to hear William’s question, still staring into space.
He couldn’t ignore the faint scent carried on the wind.
The scent, which seemed about to disappear at any moment, made Edwin’s whole body tense.
“Now that we’ve arrived, it seems the Crown Prince has purchased a nearby mansion. I’ll head there first.”
“Buying a mansion? That’s impressive.”
Indeed, being with the Crown Prince showed his bold personality. Henry nodded, resting his chin in his hand.
It was quite surprising that the Crown Prince had stayed in inns until now.
He could have easily gone to the lord or the local official, but he didn’t want to make a fuss.
And yet, a mansion?
It was impossible to read the Crown Prince’s mind. In any case, it wasn’t a bad thing.
This place was where those who had gathered to find the treasure might do something unpredictable.
It was best to avoid getting caught in any crossfire.
Especially since Henry knew the location of the treasure, he was even more determined to stay out of their conflicts.
“How long will it take?”
Henry asked, looking at the peaceful granary district.
This place seemed completely unrelated to the treasure, so he guessed they still had some distance to cover.
“About half a day.”
“We’ll arrive by dawn, then.”
Henry responded absentmindedly, watching the setting sun.
With that, he lowered the carriage curtain again, isolating himself from everyone.
Even during meals, he stayed inside the carriage, showing himself as little as possible.
Some cast curious glances, but Henry ignored them completely.
There was no need to explain himself to them.
“The higher the pheromone level, the better the control?”
Henry had spent the entire day buried in books. He had already gained considerable knowledge about traits while editing the novel.
Since this world was constructed by the author’s imagination, Henry needed to study it carefully to avoid any confusion in understanding the original work.
However, the book Henry was reading was more meticulously crafted than the author’s original setting.
That was to be expected, since in this world, it was a topic as crucial as gender.
As a result, he was able to absorb a significant amount of information from the book.
The book that Sir Teher had acquired, despite the limited time, was quite comprehensive.
Henry reflected on what he had just muttered to himself.
It said that those with dominant traits, and especially those with extremely dominant traits, had heightened sensitivity to pheromones and superior control over them.
“So Edwin must be incredibly skilled…”
Yet, Edwin wasn’t interested in controlling his pheromones.
He just spread them around indiscriminately, with thick, intense pheromones.
Henry clicked his tongue and turned a page.
In the morning, he had read the chapter on pheromone control, and now he was reading the book from the beginning.
The more he learned about this world, the more fascinating it became, and Henry lost track of time as he delved into the book.
He was so absorbed that he didn’t notice the carriage’s vibrations until they approached. It was the vibration felt when the coachman stopped the carriage.
“We’ve arrived. As soon as the front gate opens, we will proceed in turn.”
Hearing that they had arrived, Henry picked up a small bottle that he had set aside.
It was a perfume he had ordered along with the book that morning.
* * *
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Waiting ✋️
No secrets can be hide forever and Henry’s secret spilling out is inevitable and eminent.
Thanks for the chapter
Cant wait to see what happens next
Thanks