How an Omega Villain Survive chapter 40

As Henry had said, there could be danger lurking anywhere.

The clanging of metal, which had been continuous, suddenly stopped, indicating that the fight had ended.

Either the fighters had retreated, or one side had been defeated.

“Ugh, why are you…?”

“Why else? We’ve been out here so long that we’ve run out of supplies. We’d better find the treasure and head back.”

The man who had attacked the other failed to find the treasure but instead chose to rob the other man’s pockets.

Sir Teher glared at the man, his hand gripping his sword. Though he had come as Henry’s bodyguard and couldn’t act rashly, he was angered by the man’s cowardly actions.

Sensing Sir Teher’s tension, Henry touched his arm.

“Sir Teher.”

“Sir, with your permission, I can deal with him quickly.”

“Let’s just go.”

“…Sir.”

Sir Teher’s expression hardened as he understood Henry’s intention not to interfere.

This was the Henry Timothy he knew—an aristocrat who had no interest in commoners’ affairs.

But Sir Teher, who had seen how much Henry had changed, felt more betrayed by this coldness.

“And after saving that man, what then?”

Reading the disappointment on Sir Teher’s face, Henry smiled faintly.

“Would you save others too? You, who are supposed to protect me?”

“I wouldn’t just pass by without helping.”

“Yes, you are that kind of person. But right now, I’m giving you one order: Pretend you didn’t see it.”

With Sir Teher reluctantly yielding, Henry moved first, as if to demonstrate. It was fortunate that the two men were too focused on each other to notice him.

Henry understood what Sir Teher was thinking, but this was not a time for half-measures.

Such actions wouldn’t solve anything.

‘Ah, I just acted like a real crown prince.’

It was as if he would lead the empire well, yet, when examined closely, he was as cold as Crown Prince William, who was known for his harshness.

However, Henry didn’t feel ashamed of his choice. His current task wasn’t to help those in need.

Moreover, the man who had been attacked was also poking around in search of treasure, so he bore some responsibility.

After distancing himself from the others, Henry suddenly pulled on the reins.

Sir Teher looked at him, wondering why he had stopped, and watched as Henry rummaged through his belongings.

As Henry carefully felt for something, he licked his lips in concentration.

‘It should be in here somewhere…’

When his hand finally closed around a long cylinder, he grinned. Pulling it out, he gave a mischievous smile to Sir Teher.

“I may not help them directly, but I can stir things up a bit.”

As Sir Teher tried to decipher Henry’s words, Henry swung his arm with force.

The cylinder flew in an arc and landed near where the two men were.

Henry silently counted down as the cylinder disappeared from view.

‘Three, two, one.’

A loud noise erupted from the cylinder Henry had thrown, shattering the silence of the mountain.

The once tranquil area was now in chaos, with flocks of birds fluttering away and the sounds of fleeing animals echoing from all directions.

It even seemed to have woken some people, as human voices occasionally broke through the din.

“Is this good enough?”

Henry had escalated the situation, making it no longer just a matter between the two men.

Though this could draw unwanted attention, it was the only plan he could think of.

As Sir Teher surveyed the surroundings, he quickly moved closer to Henry.

“My apologies.”

Sir Teher acknowledged his short-sightedness. Henry had been right all along.

Simply helping someone because they caught his eye was not a fundamental solution.

Even if morally correct, such an action could inadvertently put Henry, whom Sir Teher was supposed to protect, in danger.

“Just don’t lose that spirit.”

Henry saw through Sir Teher’s stoic exterior to the chivalry underneath. He was a man who would sacrifice his life for the person he was sworn to protect.

Henry liked this about Sir Teher and didn’t think it needed to be changed.

“Let’s go.”

From now on, they had to be even more cautious. The loud noise had echoed through the mountains, and there was no telling who might emerge.

It was crucial to put more distance between themselves and the entrance. As Henry picked up the pace, Sir Teher silently followed behind.

‘We should meet soon, around here.’

When the hook failed to appear, Henry changed his approach. If he couldn’t fully understand the structure of the mountain range, he would just have to use something else.

“Found him.”

Henry’s eyes lit up as he spotted the handsome man with platinum blonde hair.

Hook stood uncomfortably next to the Crown Prince.

“With that expression, anyone can tell you were dragged out.”

Hook glanced at Crown Prince William with a look that seemed to say, “Wasn’t it you?”

They had locked him in a room, and now, all of a sudden, they wanted him to come along.

And while they were at it, they even brought clothes tailored exactly to his size, telling him to change.

From start to finish, Hook had no say in any of it.

Hook tugged at the collar that reached up to his neck.

Whether it was the sensation of being choked or the awkwardness of wearing formal clothes after so long, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

“I’d rather stay in the room.”

“You know, I’m really busy today? I don’t have the luxury to worry about the cat that’s probably waiting for me in my room.”

“So, I’ll stay quietly locked up in the room.”

Even when Hook voluntarily offered to treat the room as a prison, Crown Prince William only smiled without granting permission.

Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Hook and crafted a sly tone.

“Is that your thing?”

Thanks to his teasing, they appeared to be on friendly terms to anyone who might be watching.

But Hook was on the verge of exploding inside.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Hook asked, genuinely baffled. He had snuck into the Crown Prince’s room and handled his belongings without permission.

If he had been waiting with a knife instead of setting a trap, he would have been killed on the spot without any justification.

He was merely a child of a fallen noble, nothing more, nothing less.

Yet, the Crown Prince had captured him and done nothing.

He didn’t even ask why, nor did he try to find out what Hook intended.

Was that all?

After talking about how he couldn’t let him go, today, the Crown Prince had dragged him out again.

Why was he doing this?

“I’ll cater to your preferences on any other day, but just stay by my side today. I’m really going to be busy.”

As Crown Prince William pushed his hair back, carried by the wind, he winked playfully.

Hook turned his head away, pretending not to notice his mischievous seduction.

Not reacting was the best defense.

When Hook acted as if he wouldn’t engage any further, a brief smile appeared on Crown Prince William’s lips.

He truly was going to be busy today. He had heard reports that a small skirmish had broken out, starting with the loud noise from the mountain, so he intended to check it out himself.

But something was off. Just before ascending the mountain, Crown Prince William looked around curiously.

The two men who should have been nearby were nowhere to be seen.

It would be understandable if they were both sleeping in, but neither of them was particularly fond of sleeping in.

“There’s one coming now.”

As the Crown Prince debated whether to summon them again, Edwin caught his eye.

Seeing him approach quickly, Crown Prince William smiled and waved.

“I was just looking for you. Henry’s not with you, is he?”

At the Crown Prince’s question, Edwin’s brisk steps came to an abrupt halt.

His movement was so noticeable that the Crown Prince found it strange.

“From that reaction, I’m guessing you were about to ask me about Henry. Am I right?”

As if confirming the Crown Prince’s guess, Edwin gave a small nod.

“So Henry’s gone off somewhere without a word. I thought he’d just keep loitering around the estate…”

He hadn’t expected Henry to disappear so completely.

If he had known, he would have paid more attention to Henry’s every move, but he had been too busy observing someone else recently.

“Are you going to look for Henry?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Go ahead. For your information, there was a loud noise coming from the mountain around dawn. It might have nothing to do with Henry, but my gut is telling me it’s suspicious.”

Edwin stared at the Crown Prince briefly after hearing his words, then turned to leave.

Watching Edwin walk away, Crown Prince William sighed in frustration.

He had recently been enjoying observing Henry and Edwin, but now he had no choice but to finish his work quickly.

As he turned around, Crown Prince William’s gaze fell on Hook’s face.

Seeing Hook’s conflicted expression as he looked at Edwin and then at the mountain, Crown Prince William narrowed his eyes.

Although the matter had been handled quietly, Hook had recently received a commission from Henry. If today’s events were related, Hook might know where Henry had gone.

But burying all these suspicions, Crown Prince William gave a sly smile.

“Let’s go.”

His intention wasn’t to extract information from Hook; he just wanted to keep him close and keep him in check.