* * *

After finishing his meal, Remy followed the attendant’s guidance to the communal bath tent.

During the day, only simple washing was possible in individual accommodations, but at night, a large shared bath tent allowed for a proper soak.

Though Remy enjoyed long baths, the communal nature of this setup, filled mostly with Alphas and Betas participating in the hunting competition, made him hesitant.

The original story mentioned that Omegas often shared baths with Alphas, but the thought made Remy uncomfortable.

The mere idea of bathing alongside people like Ashton or Hayward was utterly unacceptable.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already made sure no one else will be entering the bath tonight.”

Recalling Hayward’s words earlier, Remy felt a moment of relief, though a lingering unease remained.

The unfamiliar surroundings made it difficult to relax entirely.

“Better safe than sorry. I’ll just keep the robe on while I bathe.”

Draped only in a bathrobe, Remy stepped into the tent.

The cold air met the steam rising from the hot bath, creating a misty haze.

The water, steeped with various herbs, gave off a strong medicinal aroma.

Sliding into the warm bath, he felt his fatigue melt away, his entire body relaxing in the soothing heat.

“Ah, this is so nice… I can’t believe I haven’t come here before. What a waste.”

The experience was different from his usual baths at home.

The crisp air, the tent’s open ceiling revealing the night sky—it felt more like an outdoor hot spring.

“The stars… they’re beautiful.”

One of the perks of being drawn into this world was the stunningly clear night skies.

Unlike in Seoul, where stars were hard to come by, this place offered a breathtaking view of the Milky Way no matter where you looked.

Remi found himself lost in thought, staring at the cascade of stars.

Fragments of his earlier conversation with Ashton floated through his mind.

“So, you really don’t remember anything? Not now, not from your childhood… nothing at all?”

“It must feel awful, though, losing all your happy memories just like that.”

“Sigh…”

Remi let out a deep sigh.

Forgetting his beloved mother and all the precious memories they shared—it was heartbreaking.

Even worse was the pain of realizing there was no one to share these feelings with.

He had no one he could confide in about his situation.

“If I told anyone… they’d think I was crazy. Half-insane, at best.”

And rightfully so. If someone came up to him and said, “Actually, this isn’t my real body. I’ve been possessed,” he’d think they were mad too.

This left Remy to face his lonely battle alone.

He had to keep fighting through the absurd twists that constantly deviated from the original plot, all to reach the predetermined ending.

“I will return. Back to where I was before…”

There, he wouldn’t have to live under the constant gaze of Alphas or try to avoid anyone’s ire.

Remi closed his eyes, trying to calm the hollowness in his chest.

He sank deeper into the bath until the water reached his neck, letting the warmth soothe his entire body.

Even the ache in his injured ankle seemed to fade.

The bliss of the moment felt almost intoxicating.

And yet, as he wished for this serene moment to last forever—

“Remi.”

A voice, far too familiar, pierced the tranquility and shattered his peace.

Remi’s eye twitched. Surely not… It couldn’t be.

Cautiously, he cracked one eye open.

Standing at the edge of the bath was Hayward, entirely too close and… wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

“Ah…”

Remi stared blankly, his mind going utterly blank.

He’d embraced Hayward several times before, but seeing the man’s impossibly well-sculpted, pale body illuminated by the misty glow was a completely different experience.

Contrasting his delicate face, Hayward’s broad shoulders gave way to a chest that looked carved from stone and abs that seemed inflated with a pump.

His muscular arms and sinewy frame were perfection itself.

Every sinew, every vein, particularly the ones near his V-line, screamed raw, untamed allure.

‘No! This is not okay!’

Remi violently shook his head.

He had just resolved to escape this possessed body, and now he was losing himself over Hayward’s naked physique?

Absolutely unacceptable.

He pinched his thigh, trying to regain focus.

“How’s your ankle? Feeling any better?”

The combination of the shock of Hayward’s unexpected appearance and the overwhelming presence of his body nearly sent Remy into a faint, but Hayward’s question grounded him.

“Y-Your Highness, what brings you here?”

“What do you think? I came because I was worried about you.”

“That… That wasn’t necessary…”

“That’s a bit hurtful to hear.”

With that, Hayward casually stepped closer to the bath.

Watching him approach, Remy couldn’t shake the ridiculous idea that he might actually enter the water.

The realization struck quickly.

Hayward dipped his hand into the water, checking the temperature before splashing some onto his bare skin.

“Y-Your Highness! You’re not seriously going to bathe here, are you?”

“Why not?”

“…!”

“Is it a problem for me to use the bath?”

“No, it’s just… someone like you shouldn’t be sharing a bath with someone like me, a mere viscount…”

“Ah, so that’s the issue? But I came here specifically because I wanted to bathe with you.”

“…!!”

Remi felt his heart drop, only to realize it was still beating furiously in his chest.

Watching Hayward reach for the towel at his waist, Remy’s face drained of all color.

“Gasp!”

Hayward finally removed the towel.

Horrified, Remy slapped a hand over his mouth and turned away, unable to face what he knew was coming.

His pounding heartbeat echoed in his ears as the white towel fell to the floor.

Now completely naked, Hayward stepped into the bath.

‘This is insane! Hayward actually got into the bath… completely bare…!’

Despite his best efforts to avert his gaze, curiosity betrayed Remi.

He peeked out of the corner of his eye.

Hayward’s ivory legs submerged into the water, the sight of his thighs drawing Remy’s unwilling attention.

As Hayward slowly lowered himself into the bath, Remy’s thoughts spiraled further out of control.

At the moment when Remy was sneaking glances at Haywards, a giant exclamation mark popped into his mind—no, not just giant, absolutely massive.

Remy’s face turned pale, nearly white, as he registered something utterly incompatible with what a human body should naturally possess.

“No, why is it like this? Ashton was like that too, but why is the prince the same? Are all Alphas like this? Are Alphas and Omegas just fundamentally different species? Is that it?”

As his thoughts wandered to the possibility of Alphas being an entirely separate species, a wave of sudden inadequacy crashed over Remy.

The comparison between them wasn’t even fair. Never in his life had he felt this humiliated—it even made him ashamed to share the same gender.

“Seriously… That’s ridiculously huge. With something like that, it’s no wonder everyone—women, men, Omegas, Betas—just throws themselves at him.”

Overwhelmed by its sheer presence, Remy could do nothing but mentally stagger.

“Remy.”

“Y-Yes?”

“Why are you still wearing a robe? Isn’t it uncomfortable to bathe like that?”

“Oh, no. I’m fine. This is actually comfortable for me.”

“That’s strange. I can’t imagine it would be.”

“No, really! I even wear a robe at home when I bathe. It’s a habit now, so I can’t bathe without it.”

“Is that so?”

Haywards gave him a look that screamed skepticism.

Remy felt a pang of guilt but knew this wasn’t the time to quibble over such things.

The idea of removing his robe here—of all places—was akin to contemplating death.

Somewhere, somehow, he’d learned that one should never casually undress in front of someone so…majestic.

* * *