* * *
“About a week left, isn’t it?”
Enoch tilted his head, estimating the time. Instead of responding, Chaeyi lowered his gaze and carefully set down his teacup, lost in thought.
The time had come for him to make a decision about bonding with Leonard.
Absentmindedly rubbing the teacup handle with his thumb, Chaeyi sank deeper into his worries.
Sensing something amiss, Enoch hesitated before speaking.
“Chaeyi? Are you all right?”
After a pause, Chaeyi confided his concerns.
“What happens if I can’t become an Omega?”
Enoch immediately understood the depth of Chaeyi’s anxiety.
It was heartbreaking.
It had been five months since Leonard and Chaeyi confirmed their feelings and officially began their relationship.
They had spent a lot of time together, and Chaeyi had been exposed to Leonard’s arousing pheromones more than enough.
Leonard’s decade-long suppressed emotions often made him act like he was in a constant state of heat.
And yet, Chaeyi had never shown any signs of change.
Was it impossible for him to become an Omega?
It was only natural for Chaeyi to feel uneasy and disappointed.
Some might say it was fine for him to remain a Beta.
In fact, Leonard would undoubtedly be the first to insist so, adamantly.
But reality wasn’t so simple.
The branch family elders, already estranged after recent events, could seize the opportunity to question Leonard’s eligibility as heir or even attempt to oust him.
Even if Leonard chose to leave quietly, their future wouldn’t necessarily be peaceful—they might face constant assassination threats.
No matter how strong they were, being in such a stressful situation would take its toll.
Alternatively, Leonard could choose to crush any dissenters with force—likely the most probable scenario—but this would stir unrest among the vassal families and likely lead to bloodshed.
“I don’t want to be the one holding Leo back.”
Chaeyi wasn’t deeply versed in aristocratic power struggles, but he was fully aware that remaining a Beta could hinder Leonard.
“Chaeyi…”
Enoch bit his lower lip, unsure of what to say.
He wanted to help, but this was a matter of luck, not effort.
“There’s still plenty of time before the rut arrives. If it doesn’t happen this time, there’s always the next rut. Why not spend more time with Lord Leonard in the meantime?”
It was the only consolation he could offer.
Enoch felt a pang of sadness, knowing he couldn’t be of more help.
Chaeyi, recognizing Enoch’s kind-hearted intentions, smiled warmly.
Even the smallest effort to help comforted him.
“Thank you, Enoch. I’ll give it a try.”
That evening, as the aroma of dinner wafted from the dining hall, Chaeyi decided to put Enoch’s advice into action.
After dinner with Leonard, Chaeyi reached out and grabbed Leonard’s hand as he prepared to return to the main house.
Startled, Leonard looked down at their joined hands, then up at Chaeyi with a gentle expression.
“Chaeyi? What’s wrong?”
Chaeyi hesitated, suddenly shy, mumbling without answering.
Leonard, misinterpreting his hesitation as reluctance to part, felt his heart tighten.
Overwhelmed, he leaned in and kissed Chaeyi, holding his hand firmly.
Their breaths mingled as Leonard deepened the kiss, savoring the addictive comfort of Chaeyi’s scent.
Despite Chaeyi’s inexperience, which made his movements clumsy, Leonard found himself consumed by an overwhelming desire to possess him completely.
When their lips finally parted, leaving a faint, glistening trail, Chaeyi’s flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes made Leonard momentarily forget that the man before him had practically raised him in his childhood.
Was it even permissible to feel this way?
Suppressing his surging emotions, Leonard steadied himself. But then—
“Um, Leo…”
Chaeyi averted his gaze, hesitating for a moment before gently grasping Leonard’s forearms.
Slowly, he began to rub and stroke them, his actions careful and deliberate.
His shy demeanor was evident in the reflection of Leonard’s eyes.
“If you’re not busy tomorrow… would you stay over tonight?”
At that moment, Leonard, who was rarely caught off guard, found himself shaken.
He instinctively covered his mouth, suppressing a scream that threatened to escape.
‘Stay over?’ Leonard couldn’t have imagined Chaeyi saying something like this first.
His mind raced with countless possibilities of what could unfold, imagining scenarios from one extreme to another.
“Is it… not okay?”
When Leonard remained silent, Chaeyi misinterpreted his reaction as hesitation.
His wide, innocent eyes looked up at Leonard, questioning.
Realizing this was a rare opportunity he couldn’t let slip away, Leonard quickly gathered himself.
“No, of course, it’s fine. I’m free. I’ll stay over.”
“Really? Great. Let’s head upstairs, then.”
Chaeyi, visibly pleased with the response, grabbed Leonard’s hand and led him up the stairs with a spring in his step.
As they climbed to Chaeyi’s room, Leonard felt like he was in a dream, unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he reminded himself not to let his guard down—this was Chaeyi, after all—but any rational thought was quickly overridden by the intoxicating pull of Chaeyi’s subtle allure.
Every word and gesture from Chaeyi left Leonard completely at his mercy.
“It gets chilly at night these days. Want to shower first, Leo?”
“…Sure.”
“I’ll warm up the bed while you’re at it. Take your time.”
“…Alright.”
Like an obedient puppy, Leonard nodded and headed to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Chaeyi prepared the bed, fluffing the blankets and making it cozy.
After a while, Leonard emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered. Chaeyi handed the space over to him, stepping inside for his turn.
As the warm water cascaded over him, Chaeyi felt the chill of the season melt away.
Though he enjoyed long, warm showers year-round, there was something particularly soothing about them in the colder months.
After finishing, he dried his hair thoroughly, slipped into a robe, and returned to the room.
The sound of Chaeyi’s arrival made Leonard, who had been lying on the bed reading a book, lift his head.
His eyes sparkled with an anticipation Chaeyi didn’t seem to notice.
Unaware of Leonard’s expectations, Chaeyi’s invitation to “stay over” was, in his mind, entirely innocent—just an offer to spend the night.
Leonard patted the spot beside him, inviting Chaeyi to join.
Chaeyi plopped down, settling next to him.
Leonard, captivated by the fresh scent clinging to Chaeyi, leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his smooth forehead.
Chaeyi broke the silence.
“You know, it’s been a while since we started this… thing between us.”
“Yeah, it has.”
“But since there’s no sign of reactivation, I got worried and complained to Enoch about it. He suggested spending more time together, just the two of us.”
That was the reason Chaeyi had asked Leonard to stay tonight.
Leonard studied Chaeyi’s expression as he shifted slightly, turning to lie down facing Leonard’s broad chest.
Tentatively, he draped an arm around Leonard’s waist.
“So… let’s just sleep like this tonight.”
For Chaeyi, this was a bold move.
“…Just sleep like this?”
Leonard, however, wasn’t entirely on board.
“Huh? What else were you thinking?” Chaeyi tilted his head, genuinely puzzled by Leonard’s reaction.
Leonard, at a loss for words, opened and closed his mouth before covering his face with his hand.
The sincerity in Chaeyi’s naivety made it all the more exasperating.
He should have known better than to trust Chaeyi.
Letting out a soft sigh, Leonard finally spoke.
“Chaeyi, I can’t just… sleep like this.”
“Why not?”
Chaeyi’s wide eyes filled with innocent confusion.
Leonard removed his hand from his face, locking eyes with him.
The depth in Leonard’s gaze was almost hypnotic.
“…I’m aroused.”
The blunt confession startled Chaeyi.
For a moment, the words didn’t register.
But when they did, his body tensed, a cold sweat breaking out as Leonard pulled him closer.
Their bodies pressed together, legs tangling naturally.
And then—
“Ah…”
Chaeyi felt it.
A firm, undeniable pressure against his thigh.
His wide eyes trembled with uncertainty.
* * *
