For some reason, Chester couldn’t escape the cat’s unwavering stare.
Wondering if it wanted to be petted, Chester slowly reached out toward Blue.
But as his hand drew near, Blue’s body tensed up, and his pupils dilated until they were pitch black.
“Hey, why aren’t you going in— Whoa!”
It was then that Blue swung his front paw.
With a movement swifter than ever, he grazed the back of Chester’s hand, causing beads of blood to well up.
Before Ruite could even shout, “Hey, Blue!”, the cat had already bolted away like a flash.
“Young Master?”
Kio, hearing the commotion, approached slowly.
At the same time, the Count and Countess stepped out of the drawing room.
“What happened? Oh my!”
Seeing the blood on the back of Chester’s hand, Reina urgently told Kio to bring some ointment.
“I-I’m fine, really.”
“Nonsense… an injury on such a precious person. Ah, Kio, give it here.”
Reina took the ointment from Kio, hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly thrust it toward Ruite.
“Ruite, take him to your room and treat him. It would be terrible if it scarred, so look over it carefully.”
“What? Aren’t you much better at that sort of thing, Mother?”
“Just go, hurry.”
With Reina forcing the ointment into his hand and pushing him along, Ruite had no choice.
Besides, he was genuinely concerned about Chester’s scratch.
He led him up the stairs.
“I might not be very thorough. It’s not too late if you’d rather have my mother do it.”
“I’d prefer if you did it.”
“…Ah, okay.”
Ruite scratched his cheek and opened his bedroom door.
For some reason, Chester stood stiffly at the threshold.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming in?”
“I… I can come in, right?”
“Of course you can. Why wouldn’t you be able to?”
Chester’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily.
He stepped inside slowly, scanning the room.
It felt clean and organized without being excessive.
It was his first time ever being in someone else’s room, and since it was Ruite’s, he had plenty of reason to be nervous.
Moreover, a faint hint of Ruite’s unique scent seemed to linger in the air.
“Here, sit down.”
Ruite, who had already perched himself on the bed, patted the spot beside him.
“On the bed?”
“Yeah. Sit, quickly.”
Seeing him so casually invite him onto his bed made Chester feel a spark of excitement, followed quickly by a surge of frustration.
“Ruite, do you just let anyone into your room and tell them to sit on your bed?”
“Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”
Ruite tilted his head while inspecting the ointment.
“I’m asking if you would do the same if it weren’t me here today, but someone else who got hurt and needed treatment.”
“Hmm… I suppose so?”
Ruite didn’t know why he was being asked such a hypothetical question, but he was too lazy to think it through, so he just nodded vaguely.
“Even if it were Colin?”
“Why are you bringing up Colin out of nowhere?”
“Answer the question first.”
“I probably would have done the same for Colin.”
At the nonchalant, unguarded answer, Chester instinctively pressed a hand to his forehead.
He knew Ruite was like this, but every time he was reminded of it, he felt a stifling tightness in his chest.
“Ruite, you realize you’re an Omega, right? We’re adults now. Our bodies are growing into our second genders. Things are different than they were just a few months ago.”
How could he say so casually that he would let someone like Colin—who was clearly an Alpha—into his room?
It reminded him of the time back at the academy when Ruite had refused to take the stabilizers the infirmary prescribed, enduring a fever until it peaked.
“Is the Alpha part the problem? You’re an Alpha too.”
“I’m different. I’m your fiancé.”
“Sigh.”
Ruite let out a long breath, making Chester flinch.
‘Did I offend him?’
He worried he had spoken too harshly after not seeing him for so long.
“No, I mean…”
Suddenly, Ruite grabbed Chester’s hand and gave it a firm tug.
Caught off guard, Chester was pulled down until he landed safely on the bed.
“I don’t understand why you’re making up these scenarios. It hasn’t even happened. In the first place, you’re the first person who’s ever visited my room.”
“…The first? Me?”
Ruite nodded.
“Ah, the first among Alphas?”
“Forget Alphas or whatever; it’s just been you.”
‘Who has come to my room.’
Ruite didn’t say the last part out loud as he twisted the cap off the ointment.
Since Chester had finally gone quiet, he planned to apply the medicine quickly.
“Tell me if it stings.”
“Okay.”
Ruite took a bit of ointment and slowly spread it over the scratch.
It was a wider cut than it looked, and he worried it might hurt, but Chester remained perfectly composed without so much as a flinch.
“Doesn’t it hurt? I had a hard time when Blue scratched me.”
“Blue?”
“The cat downstairs who got your hand.”
“His fur is black but his name is Blue?”
“Everyone asks that. My mother named him, so I don’t really know the story behind it.”
A quiet conversation filled the room.
Ruite was applying the ointment as thoroughly as Reina had requested, while Chester watched Ruite’s face—now so close—trying his best to stay focused.
If he didn’t, he feared he would keep jumping every time Ruite’s pale fingers touched the wound.
“Compared to a wound from a monster, a cat scratch is nothing.”
“…Do you get hurt often?”
“Yeah. I’m in the combat division, after all.”
Moreover, Chester was already a Rank 2 Mana User.
That rank served as an indicator of his ability to handle powerful monsters, which meant he likely faced many dangerous foes.
“Chester. Do you know what’s more important than money, fame, or power?”
“Achievements?”
Ruite’s face crumpled at the ridiculous answer.
“No, you dummy. It’s health. Not getting hurt or sick is the most important thing.”
Chester was about to retort that he was sounding like an “old soul” again, but he paused.
Thinking about it, Ruite’s words sounded a bit different this time.
“Are you saying that because you’re worried about me?”
“It’s advice, not worry.”
Just then, a faint scratching sound came from the door.
Ruite, accustomed to the sound, got up and opened it.
Sure enough, Blue was there, looking up at Ruite with a soft meow.
“Good timing.”
Ruite picked Blue up and walked back over to Chester, holding the cat right up to Chester’s face.
Chester flinched as a very handsome feline face entered his field of vision.
“Blue, apologize to your brother. He got hurt because of you.”
Blue remained silent.
When Ruite threatened, “Hurry up, or no snacks,” a surprisingly subdued meow escaped Blue’s mouth.
He still seemed wary of Chester, but the sound truly did resemble an apology.
“It’s strange, though. He’s usually not the type to be wary of people.”
Ruite tilted his head while cradling Blue.
If anything, Blue was quite fond of people.
The time he had scratched Ruite wasn’t intentional; it happened while they were playing.
Even when the Count’s acquaintances visited, Blue would either stay calm or act cute toward those he liked.
Today, however, he had targeted Chester with precision.
“I wonder why…”
Ruite pondered, looking between Blue and Chester.
Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he shoved Blue right next to Chester’s face again.
“W-what are you doing?”
“…I knew it. You look alike.”
“Huh?”
Blue was a cat with jet-black fur, and Chester also had black hair.
More than that, the sharp aura Blue possessed was strangely similar to Chester’s.
“I think Blue resembles you. The vibe, I mean. They say members of the same species recognize each other. Blue probably recognized you were like him and got defensive.”
“Ruite, I’m a human. I can’t be the same species as a cat.”
Despite the correction, Chester’s voice was quite soft.
He found Ruite’s line of thinking adorable.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the silver-haired man cradling and petting the black cat.
“But there are so many similarities. Blue’s fur is black, and your hair is the same color.”
Ruite stroked Blue’s fur.
The texture, softened by good food and careful grooming, felt pleasant in his hand.
“And just like Blue, your hair looks so soft…”
“…”
Ruite froze.
He had only meant to find commonalities.
Blue’s fur was soft, and Chester’s hair clearly had a healthy shine to it.
He had only meant to express that—he hadn’t actually intended to touch Chester’s hair.
But by the time he realized it, it was too late.
He had already stroked Chester’s hair several times.
At such a close distance, their eyes met.
Amidst the awkward and delicate atmosphere, a sudden knock sounded from outside, and the door swung wide open.
