* * *
Leo finally let out a sigh and put down his pen.
How could he be so unable to concentrate?
Just hours ago, he’d been elated at the thought of finally having Chaeyi by his side, truly his own.
But now, his mood had plummeted to the point of being pathetic, leaving him unable to focus on his work.
The pre-rut pheromones coursing through him only worsened his restless state.
- Why not take more time and observe slowly?
Chaeyi’s voice seemed to linger in his ears.
Leo felt hurt and disappointed.
Even though they’d been together for months, with no walls between them, it felt like he was the only one desperate for more.
But deep down, Leo knew he was being stubborn.
His insistence might be putting Chaeyi in more danger.
The more enemies he made, the more Chaeyi would be targeted.
Leo bit his lower lip and rubbed his forehead.
He didn’t know what to do.
He wanted to rush to Chaeyi, hold him tight, and claim him as his own.
It felt like the whole world was conspiring to keep them apart.
Honestly, Leonard felt that if only Chaeyi stayed by his side, he could abandon his status and honor without hesitation.
It didn’t matter to him if Chaeyi never re-manifested as an Omega.
But the thought of doing so weighed on him—it felt like placing an unbearable burden on Chaeyi.
After all, Chaeyi would undoubtedly think, “Leonard gave up everything he was meant to have because of me.”
That wasn’t what Leonard wanted.
His position and status could still be used to ensure Chaeyi lived comfortably.
That alone was reason enough to hold onto them.
“……”
Leonard glanced up at the clock. It had already been close to an hour since he left Chaeyi alone in the room.
The thought of Chaeyi waiting patiently was dubious at best, and a growing unease made Leonard rise to his feet.
‘I need to go.’
Even if there was still work left to do, it didn’t matter.
Right now, Chaeyi was more important to Leonard.
After hastily tidying his papers, Leonard stepped into the corridor, where the soldiers on standby greeted him with respectful bows.
Without sparing them more than a glance, he hurried out of the main mansion and made his way directly to the Onyx estate.
The corridors were silent.
When he ascended the stairs, the only presence was the soldier standing guard in front of Chaeyi’s room.
As Leonard approached, the soldier straightened and saluted crisply.
Ignoring the formalities, Leonard’s gaze darted to the door, checking to see if it was still intact.
Given Chaeyi’s earlier irritation, he had half-expected it to be damaged.
To his surprise, the door was perfectly fine, which left Leonard with an odd sense of unease.
“…Has anything happened?”
“No, sir! Everything seems quiet.”
The soldier’s reply was firm and confident, conveniently glossing over the moment when Chaeyi had asked, “What happens to you if I tear this door off?” and he’d pleaded for his life.
Leonard cast the soldier a sidelong glance before unlocking the door and stepping inside.
“Chaeyi?”
The room was eerily quiet.
There wasn’t much space to hide, yet Chaeyi was nowhere to be seen.
Leonard’s heart sank as he quickly scanned the surroundings.
His sharp eyes trembled slightly as they swept the room, only to land on the wide-open window near the bed.
“……!”
No way.
Leonard strode to the window and looked down.
Could Chaeyi have tried to escape and fallen?
He couldn’t rule it out—not when it was Chaeyi.
His heart pounded with dread.
Fortunately, there were no bloodstains or signs of a fall below.
“Chaeyi….”
Leonard’s voice, calling out Chaeyi’s name, sounded uncharacteristically shaken.
How had he gotten out?
If he wasn’t in the room and hadn’t used the door, the only explanation was the open window.
If Leonard had known, he wouldn’t have locked the door.
Or perhaps he should have secured the window more tightly.
‘Where could he have gone?’
Leonard shut his eyes tightly before opening them again, trying to steady himself.
At least the estate gates wouldn’t have been left unsecured today.
Unless Chaeyi had vanished into thin air, he had to still be somewhere on the property.
At that moment—
“W-what’s wrong, sir?”
The soldier, startled by the ominous pheromones filling the air, peeked into the room.
Meeting Leonard’s gaze, the soldier yelped in fright and stumbled backward.
The oppressive aura made Leonard seem larger and more fearsome than usual.
“You there.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Go to Commander Lawrence and tell him to find out where Chaeyi has gone.”
The soldier responded with a terrified, “Yes, sir!” and bolted to carry out the order, too frightened to ask questions.
After the soldier’s departure, Leonard took a moment to calm his turbulent pheromones before leaving the room.
By then, the knights were already scouring the estate in search of Chaeyi.
“Check the paths he usually walks on.”
“Yes, sir.”
The nearby knight nodded and moved swiftly to carry out the command.
At that point, Leonard still believed they would find Chaeyi soon.
But as time passed and the knights’ search grew more frantic, Leonard’s unease deepened.
An inexplicable feeling told him Chaeyi wasn’t anywhere nearby.
“Master!”
The commotion outside had drawn Enoch, who had excused himself earlier to give Leonard and Chaeyi some privacy.
He came running, alarmed by the suffocating pheromones that seemed to engulf the entire mansion.
Even Leonard’s siblings and the Lancaster couple were quietly observing the situation, wary of the tension.
“What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
“…Enoch.”
“Yes, sir?”
Enoch’s voice was taut with nerves.
Leonard’s disheveled appearance and the murderous look in his eyes sent a chill down Enoch’s spine.
It was clear that Leonard was barely keeping his composure, and if he lost control now, the consequences would be disastrous.
Enoch anxiously waited as Leonard let out a long sigh and finally spoke.
“Bring me the suppressant.”
“…Pardon?”
“The rut suppressant.”
For a moment, Enoch blinked in confusion before realizing what Leonard meant.
He wanted the suppressant used to suppress ruts.
That could only mean something had happened between Leonard and Chaeyi.
Otherwise, why would he suddenly need it after waiting so long?
‘Come to think of it, Chaeyi is nowhere to be seen.’
Without another word, Enoch fetched the suppressant.
Leonard took it without hesitation, even though he had hoped to avoid using it this time.
But with things as they were, he couldn’t afford to stay in this state.
Until he found Chaeyi, nothing else mattered.
The suppressant began to take effect, allowing Leonard to calm himself enough to continue the search.
He scoured the estate for another hour, but his initial unease hardened into certainty—Chaeyi wasn’t there.
He even checked every nook and cranny of the buildings, but no one had seen Chaeyi.
What puzzled Leonard was the lack of evidence that Chaeyi had left the property.
The guards at the gate insisted that not even a mouse had slipped past them.
Knowing the consequences of lying to Leonard, they trembled as they assured him they were telling the truth.
‘Where could you have gone, Chaeyi?’
Chaeyi was nowhere to be found in the mansion.
Why… what could have made him disappear?
Was it because he had thrown a childish tantrum?
Had he grown tired of Leonard’s presumptuous attempts to control him?
If that was the case, where could he have gone, and how?
Leonard felt dizzy.
His casual attitude up until now had been jolted into sharp focus.
The fact that Chaeyi vanished right after a petty argument made it even harder to bear.
Regret consumed him—he wanted to find Chaeyi, apologize unconditionally, and beg for forgiveness.
Yet, darker thoughts also clawed at him: the desire to ensure Chaeyi could never leave his sight again.
“Chaeyi…”
Leonard covered his face with trembling hands.
If this continued, he would truly lose his mind.
He had to find Chaeyi, no matter what. Life seemed unbearable without him by his side.
Once he found him… should he grovel and beg for forgiveness?
Or would it be better to subtly make sure Chaeyi couldn’t escape again?
Even if Chaeyi looked at him with disgust or hatred, Leonard didn’t care.
He was still wrestling with these thoughts when—
“Leonard!”
The whirlwind of his spiraling mind came to a sudden halt.
His name, spoken in that voice, cut through the fog clouding his thoughts like sunlight breaking through mist.
Leonard, who had been standing frozen, slowly turned his head.
The Chaeyi who had eluded him all over the mansion… was standing right there.
“……”
As if in a trance, Leonard walked toward him.
He reached out his hand to Chaeyi.
“Let’s do it.”
Before Leonard could act on his cruel thoughts, Chaeyi spoke in a slightly flushed voice.
“Let’s bond. The imprint.”
* * *
