* * *
“Did Henry and Edwin fall from here?”
At Sir Teher’s report, Crown Prince William looked down the cliff. The sheer drop continued down a slope cleverly concealed by trees.
The cliffs scattered throughout the mountain range varied in depth. The place where Henry and Edwin fell was an unfathomably deep cliff.
“How did this happen?”
“Well…”
Sir Teher’s response trailed off as he failed to provide a clear answer.
It seemed he was avoiding responsibility for failing in his role as a bodyguard, which made Crown Prince William uneasy.
“Well, that’s something to deal with later. What is the current search status?”
If it turned out they had simply ignored Henry’s fall, he would definitely hold them accountable. Crown Prince William, suppressing his discomfort, continued to press for answers.
No one else could provide a more accurate report than Sir Teher at this moment.
“We’ve sent people down the cliff to search, but we haven’t found them yet.”
Sir Teher’s words grew quieter. It was a relief to have some hope that they were still alive, but hope alone wasn’t enough.
How much he wished he could check the cliff himself.
Nonetheless, Sir Teher reported only the objective facts to Crown Prince William, suppressing his emotions as much as possible.
“How long has the search been underway?”
“Up to now, it’s been 10 hours.”
Even considering it was night, 10 hours was quite a significant amount of time to have searched a large area.
“To think this would happen.”
Crown Prince William let out a bitter laugh, feeling a hollow ache from the thought of losing two people who were like friends at once.
The fact that it was a position he had selfishly brought upon himself only weighed more heavily on his mind.
Sir Teher had not reported on their bodies, but William had already somewhat accepted the situation.
No matter the emotions involved, it was William’s duty as royalty to rationally resolve the situation and take responsibility. This was the decision he had learned as part of his upbringing.
Yet, a final trace of regret kept his feet planted in place.
“Your Highness.”
A familiar yet strange voice touched the frazzled nerves of William. Turning his head, he saw a man wrapped in a blanket up to his shoulders, being supported as he walked over.
He looked deathly pale, but it was not to the extent that William couldn’t recognize him.
“Kayla?”
“Yes, I see.”
Kayla forced a smile, pulling his colorless lips into a semblance of a grin.
As William wondered what could be causing Kayla’s distressed appearance, he noticed Sir Teher watching Kayla with a noticeably stern expression.
“Sorry.”
From Sir Teher’s reaction, it seemed that Kayla wasn’t simply passing by by chance.
However, when Kayla suddenly offered an apology, William’s eyes narrowed.
“I think I need a more detailed explanation.”
“I wasn’t watching where I was going properly. Originally, I was the one about to fall due to misstepping, but Henry came to save me and ended up falling instead.”
Only then did Sir Teher realize why Kayla had that expression on his face.
And why he hesitated when asked about the reason Henry fell.
“Now that you mention it, something seems off. It sounds like Henry was the only one who saved you, is that correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why were there two people who fell?”
“Suddenly, someone jumped out and threw themselves at Henry. …I should have done that. I’m sorry.”
Kayla bowed his head in apology.
The guilt of being the cause of Henry being pushed to the edge of the cliff made his want to apologize to everyone.
“Someone threw themselves?”
But Crown Prince William wasn’t focusing on Kayla’s words. His attention was on how he himself had fallen.
Although Henry missed the chance to ensure his own safety by saving Kayla, Edwin, who had jumped at Henry, was…
“Now I have pointless hopes.”
How much more disappointment could he handle if the results turned out badly?
Even though he thought this, he couldn’t entirely let go of his last hope.
“Kayla, for now, you should focus on getting yourself together.”
As Crown Prince William placed a hand on Kayla’s shoulder in concern, Hook, who had been standing like a shadow, took a step back.
‘That perverted bastard.’
As soon as Hook heard Kayla’s name, he immediately recognized who he was. The prince of the Ponteisia Kingdom. And an Omega.
Despite losing two subordinates, that pervert was first concerned with the safety of Omega Kayla.
‘Right, to you, everything is expendable.’
The nobles who follow him, and this country.
Glaring at Crown Prince William, Hook subconsciously let a murderous aura escape, but then suppressed it.
The only fortunate thing was that Sir Teher did not glance at him again after their initial eye contact.
Now Hook was watching for any chance to distance himself from Crown Prince William.
Since being ordered to follow, Hook hadn’t been monitored for his escape.
The prince’s bodyguards were similarly ignoring Hook, focusing all their attention solely on the prince.
‘Now!’
While there was more anxiety about being caught in open spaces or flat ground, Hook was in the mountains. He was confident he could hide and escape at any time.
Holding his breath and concealing his presence, Hook took a step back to prepare for a quick escape.
He looked for the moment when Crown Prince William would let his guard down the most. If he could escape now, Hook would never seek out Crown Prince William directly again.
Instead, he planned to exact revenge in another way.
As Hook solidified his thoughts, something caught his eye.
Horses tied to a tree and a bag tied to one side.
The bag wasn’t particularly unusual, but something protruding from one side looked familiar.
Hook approached the horse and examined the bag. Although he hesitated to touch it, the protruding object was unmistakably something he had retrieved for Henry.
“I need a torch with a very long burn time. I’ll be looking for things while it’s burning.”
The torch prepared for this request was characterized by its long handle, as it had a separate compartment for storing oil.
Upon discovering it, Hook’s attention shifted to the bulging contents of the bag. He had a strong sense that many of the items inside were likely things he had previously retrieved.
Hook pondered with the torch in front of him. The items Henry had asked for before their journey were not meant for convenience during the trip. They were solely for finding something hidden.
So, he thought they were going treasure hunting. Although, requesting a pickaxe was a bit excessive.
“No, that’s not it… It seemed more like he wanted to go somewhere that no one else would go.”
Hook’s eyes narrowed as he examined the torch. If the place he was aiming for was this mountain range, and particularly a spot where sunlight didn’t reach, it was highly likely to be a cave.
However, that place was not somewhere one would go just to rescue someone.
“I don’t know the geography of the mountain range well. So, I’m worried. I can’t afford to fall if I decide to go there.”
Hook tilted his head slightly. Though it was an accident that happened by chance, what if there was a very small possibility that he had ended up in the cave Henry was searching for?
“Ha.”
Hook sighed deeply. If what he was thinking had any relation, it could provide a clue to finding Henry. But there was a problem with finding Henry.
Hook had to give up this perfect opportunity and return to Crown Prince William’s side.
“I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to escape.”
Hook deliberated whether to talk about Henry or escape. It seemed that Crown Prince William was indeed uninterested in others’ situations.
If he were completely unaware, it would be one thing, but pretending not to know was uncomfortable.
“Henry Timothy. I will repay this debt.”
If a dead body was found, he would search it for valuable items, and if not, he would openly demand money from the living Henry.
Having completely abandoned the will to escape, Hook turned back to Crown Prince William with slumped shoulders.
“Your Highness.”
At Hook’s call, William, who had not looked back until now, partially turned his body.
“I thought you would leave like this.”
At Crown Prince William’s jest, Hook felt a surge of emotion but managed to compose himself. Although William did not look back, it was clear that he knew exactly what Hook was thinking.
If Hook had escaped like this, it was unfortunate that he would not find out whether William would have let him go or sent a pursuit team.
“I have something to say about Henry Timothy.”
Gritting his teeth at the black-hearted Crown Prince William, Hook reluctantly revealed the information he knew.
* * *
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Thanks for the chapter
What’s that?!!
Fuhh
Is Kayla man or women?judging by name seems like women but in the beginning chapter it said that the novel was supposed to be BL but it keep confusing me cause sometime it’s he and other time is she