* * *

Realizing the true Golden Stag was safe, Remy couldn’t hold back a laugh.

His chuckle quickly turned into full-blown laughter, and Ashton joined him.

The two of them stood there, laughing uncontrollably, oblivious to the strange looks from those around them.

“Thank goodness, Remy. The Golden Stag is safe.”

“Yeah.”

After laughing to their hearts’ content, they exchanged soft smiles, their relief evident.

As the sun began to set, painting the foothills of Mount Molaris in hues of orange, the square grew busier.

Tables were set up around the platform, signaling the start of the festival.

Somewhere, the sound of drums echoed, marking the beginning of the celebration to honor the final night of the hunting competition.

---

A towering pillar of fire illuminated the darkness, casting a warm glow in all directions.

The lively melody of the band echoed across the mountainside, and the festive spirits of the drunken crowd showed no signs of waning, even in the dead of night.

Remy sat beside Ashton, trying to enjoy the cheerful atmosphere in his own way.

Yet, he refrained from touching the wine at all, bound by a promise he had made to Ashton.

To be honest, there was another reason he couldn’t drink, even without that promise.

‘Tonight is the night. There can’t be any mistakes tonight. This ends here. Finally, I’ll be able to distance myself from Ashton!’

But then, his gaze accidentally met Ashton’s.

Without a word, Ashton smiled at him, and for some reason, Remy felt a strange pang deep in his chest.

It unsettled him, though he didn’t fully understand why.

He couldn’t pinpoint the reason for the sudden wave of sadness that washed over him.

‘What’s happening…? Why do I feel so down all of a sudden?’

A large hand rested gently on his head.

It was Ashton—the very person whose charming smile had thrown Remy into this emotional turmoil.

Remy quickly pulled himself together, fixing his gaze on Ashton with a carefully neutral expression.

“Good boy.”

“What?”

“You’re actually not drinking. You kept your promise.”

“…Do you think I’m like you? I honor the promises I make.”

“You say that as if I never have.”

“Well, if you had a conscience, you’d know.”

Remy had already been fooled by Ashton more times than he cared to admit that night.

“If you ever feel like drinking, let me know. We can drink at my place. I’ll make sure you keep drinking until you’re completely drunk and begging to stop.”

“Who do you think you are to make plans like that? And at your place? Do you take me for a fool? I’d rather walk straight into a tiger’s den.”

“Wow, Remy…”

“…What?”

“You’ve grown so much in just a few hours.”

“What are you even talking about? Grown how? In what way?”

“Earlier, you fell for everything I said. Now you’re not biting. Pity. I should’ve tried harder before.”

“…You’re insane, aren’t you?”

Before long, Remy’s earlier melancholy was forgotten, replaced by playful bickering with Ashton.

It was baffling.

Whenever he was with Ashton, Remy found himself falling into Ashton’s rhythm, no matter how hard he tried to resist.

Back in school, his IQ and EQ were perfectly fine—better than average, even.

Yet, around Ashton, he behaved like someone lacking basic common sense.

‘Why do I keep getting caught up in his flow? Earlier, we almost kissed. The mood was perfect for it… Thank goodness that golden deer appeared and disrupted everything. Wait, come to think of it… didn’t he try to tell me something before we spotted that deer?’

“Ashton.”

“…?”

“You were about to tell me something earlier, weren’t you? At the deer creek.”

Ashton tilted his head in thought, then smiled as if he’d just remembered.

“Oh… right, at the valley.”

“Yeah. You looked serious. What was it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Don’t give me that. It seemed important. What was it?”

Pushed by Remy’s persistence, Ashton hesitated, then seemed to muster his courage.

“Well, the thing is…”

“Remy.”

A voice interrupted from nowhere.

It was Hayward, who, as always, never missed an opportunity to butt into Remy’s life.

Ashton’s words were left hanging as Hayward approached them.

Ashton glanced up at him, his expression darkening, but Hayward ignored him entirely, addressing Remy instead.

“There you are.”

Unlike Ashton’s soft, warm tone, Remy’s response to Hayward was icy.

Even though the Third Prince himself had sought him out, Remy’s demeanor was as cold and unyielding as the jagged rocks of the Mount Molaris.

“Your Highness.”

In Hayward’s life, he had never encountered an omega as indifferent as Remy.

And yet, that coldness only made him all the more captivated.

In Hayward’s eyes, Remy was small, fragile, and in need of protection—an omega he wanted to hold and cherish, no matter how much he resisted.

He reminded Hayward of a drenched, stray kitten, clawing at any hand extended toward it.

“How are you tonight? Are you feeling well? Did you overexert yourself while hunting?”

Even if the kitten bit and clawed at him, few people could bring themselves to abandon it.

Hayward was no exception.

He was consumed by the thought of coaxing the kitten into his arms.

“I’m fine, Your Highness. No issues.”

“Your ankle? It’s not hurting anymore?”

“Thanks to you, it’s completely healed.”

Remy’s voice was colder than usual, his thoughts still haunted by what had happened in the shared bathhouse.

No matter how overwhelming an alpha’s pheromones could be, it wasn’t enough to erase memories.

He remembered everything clearly.

‘How dare he try to seduce me with his pheromones? Bastard.”

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Yes, he admitted, seeing Hayward’s naked body had flustered him.

And yes, he hadn’t stopped Hayward when he’d bitten and sucked on his ankle.

Nor when his hands wandered further up his thigh.

But even so, he hadn’t consented to what came after.

He hadn’t anticipated the attack of pheromones that followed.

‘If it weren’t for the pheromones… I would’ve resisted. I think.”

In truth, Remy wasn’t sure.

Even before the pheromones, he’d already been stirred by Hayward’s lips on his wet legs, a primal part of him longing to surrender.

‘Ugh, no. This is ridiculous.”

Without realizing it, he muttered aloud, “I hate this. Seriously.”

“What?”

Hayward’s eyes widened.

Remy slapped a hand over his mouth, cursing his loose tongue.

“I just meant I hate being unwell. I want to recover quickly and be healthy again. That’s all.”

“Oh…”

Satisfied with his hasty cover-up, Remy silently congratulated himself on his quick thinking.

“Mind giving us a moment?”

Hayward’s tone had shifted, now directed at Ashton. It was a clear demand for Ashton to leave.

Ashton hesitated, shooting Hayward a glare but eventually relented, aware of the eyes around them.

Without a word, he stepped away.

“Thank you, Ashton.”

Hayward’s gratitude sounded more like mockery, his lips curling into a smirk.

Remy shuddered as the tension between the two alphas prickled his skin.

“This trip ends tonight,” Hayward remarked.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“How was it? Oh… I suppose you couldn’t fully enjoy yourself, being unwell and all.”

“Not at all. I had fun. I even swam in the deer creek today.”

Damn it. His mouth always got him into trouble.

As Remy watched Haywards’ hardened expression, regret came too late.

There was no way to take back words once spoken.

All he could do now was try to shift the topic as quickly as possible.

“Speaking of which, which family won first place in the hunting competition this time? I arrived late and didn’t get to see the details…”

“You went swimming?”

* * *