* * *
“What’s this? Stop messing around and give it to me.”
“It seems like you’re not understanding what I’m saying.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“When did I ever say I wanted to sever our bond?”
Henry looked back and forth between the stone and Edwin’s face.
Edwin had mostly been listening while Henry explained earlier, but Henry had assumed they were on the same page.
“I don’t have the energy to joke with you right now.”
“Is that because I overdid it yesterday—”
“Stop.”
Henry covered Edwin’s mouth.
Feeling his soft lips against his palm, he was suddenly reminded of yesterday’s events, which embarrassed him, so he responded more harshly than necessary.
“I’d prefer if you didn’t mention yesterday.”
Deciding he needed to return to his seat, Henry lowered the hand covering Edwin’s mouth and gripped his shoulder.
He stood cautiously, worried he might collapse again, but Edwin’s other arm came to support his waist.
Annoyed by how conscious he was becoming of these physical touches, Henry tried to ignore it.
Returning to his seat opposite Edwin, Henry not only sat down but also pulled the blanket over himself.
He hadn’t noticed while sitting close to Edwin, but the morning air was quite chilly.
“Let’s continue the conversation. We need to sever our bond.”
Feeling Edwin might not fully understand, Henry kindly reiterated the conclusion.
He couldn’t forcibly take the stone from him, so it was even more crucial for them to be on the same page.
“That way, you can become a proper Alpha, and we’ll no longer have any connection.”
Given how much Edwin had struggled as a half-baked Alpha, Henry assumed he didn’t need to explain further.
Yet Edwin’s expression remained less than pleased.
He merely fiddled with the stone, showing no interest in Henry’s explanation.
“You’re following what I’m saying, right?”
“It’s not that I couldn’t feel the pheromones.”
“Right. The fact that others couldn’t sense your pheromones was entirely because of me. So once we sever our bond, you’ll be able to—”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why do I need to?”
Henry was startled by the innocent question.
Unsure why Edwin would ask such a thing, Henry responded calmly.
“What do you mean, why? Haven’t you been ridiculed all this time for being an Alpha who couldn’t sense pheromones? This is your chance to show everyone that you’re a proper Alpha.”
“And how did you feel during all that?”
“Why are you bringing this up? Of course, I didn’t like it.”
This had been an issue even before Henry came into the picture.
It was frustrating to see Edwin go through these trials, and reading about it was one thing, but experiencing it firsthand made the sympathy even stronger.
“Now’s the time to show everyone how capable you are. That’s why we need the pheromone stone.”
Henry extended his hand for the stone again, certain Edwin wouldn’t be foolish enough to not understand after all this.
“Why should I, now that I know there was never anything wrong with me?”
“What are you saying? You were normal from the start. It’s just that others didn’t see it that way. So we need to sever the bond and reveal your true Alpha traits.”
Henry’s frustration grew, and his voice rose.
Why wasn’t Edwin understanding?
Why didn’t he see the importance of severing their bond?
As Henry hit his chest in frustration, Edwin’s eyes lingered briefly before meeting his gaze again.
“What others think doesn’t matter.”
“How is it unimportant? You don’t live in this world alone, so you need to be mindful of what matters. Besides, you’re going to be a duke one day. If people find out you can’t sense pheromones, do you think that won’t affect you and your family?”
Henry, as if on a roll, began worrying about Edwin’s future.
Edwin, on the other hand, let out a breathy laugh and stared at Henry with slightly relaxed eyes.
“If that was really a concern, you should’ve been honest about the imprint from the beginning.”
“That’s…”
“And now, five years later, you’re suddenly worried about me?”
Edwin’s sharp remark left Henry speechless.
He was right—if the truth had been revealed earlier, Edwin wouldn’t have been labeled a ‘half-baked alpha.’
But the original Henry had kept it a secret as part of his plan to marry Edwin, and the current Henry had been too focused on finding a way to break the bond to confess it.
“I hadn’t found the treasure yet.”
While it wasn’t the only reason for the five-year delay, Henry added it as a half-hearted excuse.
Edwin, after a moment of thought, nodded.
“I don’t need to break the imprint today.”
“That’s true, but isn’t it better to get it done as soon as possible?”
“I need time to think.”
Seeing Edwin’s softer reaction, Henry couldn’t push him further.
“Alright, let’s head back.”
Sighing in defeat, Henry gave up on convincing Edwin for now.
After all, it didn’t have to be today.
Since all the preparations were in place, they could always attempt it again when the right opportunity arose.
Exhausted from dealing with Edwin all morning, Henry responded in a weary voice, then rose and approached the carriage door.
“Where are you going?”
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll fetch Sir Teher.”
“Why?”
Why does he question everything?
Henry, too tired to hide his annoyance, shook off Edwin’s grip on his wrist.
“He’s been guarding us this whole time. You can’t just ignore him. And besides, who’s going to drive the carriage? You?”
The situation was finally resolved when Henry threatened to leave.
But just as he was about to step out, Edwin grabbed him again, forcing him to agree that Edwin would drive the carriage to where Sir Teher was waiting.
When Henry approached Sir Teher, who had been standing nearby, he dismounted the carriage and stood before him.
Sir Teher, though unchanged from yesterday, wore a slightly uneasy expression as he asked with concern.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m sorry for worrying you.”
Henry gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of his head.
After having kept Sir Teher at a distance, it was no wonder the man was concerned.
Henry felt guilty for not knowing whether Sir Teher had even slept through the night.
“I’m fine.”
Teher shook his head, trying to ease Henry’s guilt.
In fact, Sir Teher himself felt guilty for not being able to stop Edwin.
He hadn’t fulfilled his role properly and couldn’t even bring himself to look Henry in the eye.
In the awkward tension of mutual apologies, only one person remained completely unfazed and broke the silence.
“Let’s go.”
“You went out while I wasn’t here, didn’t you?”
“It just happened… Did you return earlier than expected, Your Highness?”
Henry, who was on his way to his room, stopped to greet Crown Prince William lightly.
Seeing William leisurely sipping tea in the open hall, Henry tilted his head in curiosity.
He thought William would be gone for a few days, given how determined he’d looked when he left.
Either that, or William was so preoccupied that he wouldn’t notice Henry’s absence even if he returned to the estate.
“After that fall from the cliff last time, I was worried what other trouble you might’ve gotten into.”
“Aren’t you busy?”
“Suddenly I’ve found myself with some free time. Care to sit and listen?”
After a moment of indecision, Henry chose to join the prince for a conversation.
He wanted to know what had happened after he’d fled the cave with the pheromone stone yesterday.
Without a word, Edwin, who had been by Henry’s side the whole time, followed suit and took a seat opposite the prince.
William shot a meaningful glance their way but said nothing.
As the servant brought fresh tea, Henry scanned the area around William, checking if anyone else was nearby.
Though William usually had Hook with him outside, the two seemed to move separately within the estate.
* * *
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Hello
Oh Edwin…