RHFTY chapter 28

Despite Leonard’s repeated warnings, Ferdinand continued to visit the Onyx Mansion to see Chaeyi.

Moreover, he was currently using the vacant Serenity Mansion with the permission of the family head, so he showed up every morning. He even joined Chaeyi for walks, under the pretext of exercising.

However, Leonard couldn’t take any more drastic measures.

After all, Ferdinand wasn’t entering the mansion itself, and as a mere heir, Leonard couldn’t take a hard stance on an issue that could emotionally entangle the families.

That could lead to annoying consequences. If he went to the family head and made a discreet request, it might be a different story, but that would be humiliating in its own way.

Anyway…

Recently, Leonard had been under a lot of stress because of Ferdinand’s presence.

The visits themselves weren’t really an issue, but the problem was that Ferdinand clearly had a special interest in Chaeyi.

And since Chaeyi didn’t seem to find Ferdinand bothersome, Leonard was always worried that their relationship might become too close.

As a result, he had been on edge lately. His dark circles were noticeable, making him look like a very tired person.

Chaeyi assumed it was because Leonard had been busy with work and felt concerned.

“Leo, are you okay? Have you been sleeping well? You don’t have to come see me on days when you have too much work….”

Unfortunately, Chaeyi didn’t realize that his reaction only made Leonard more anxious.

“Would you like to go inside and rest a bit?”

“Yes, you should go inside and rest,” Ferdinand chimed in from his seat across the table.

Chaeyi thought he was showing concern because they were friends, but to Leonard, it was clearly a different kind of suggestion.

Leonard glared fiercely at Ferdinand.

However, Ferdinand boldly met his gaze without so much as a twitch.

Suddenly, Leonard let out a soft breath and shot a calmer glance at Ferdinand.

Ferdinand, who had been inwardly chuckling, thinking Leonard was about to explode, forced his lips into a neutral expression.

Leonard, who was sitting close to Chaeyi, suddenly acted dizzy and gently rested his head on Chaeyi’s shoulder.

“I feel more at ease when I’m with Chaeyi. But the sunlight makes my headache worse… Can we go inside?”

It was an obvious trick, pretending to be weak. Ferdinand found it to be the most distasteful thing.

But Chaeyi, with his oblivious nature, didn’t discriminate in his concern.

He believed Leonard’s words about his headache caused by the sunlight and gently stroked his head with great worry.

“Alright, then. How about the library?”

The library inside the Onyx Mansion was quite spacious, quiet, and only received sunlight near the windows, making it an ideal place for Leonard to rest.

Chaeyi could also read a book there, making it a suitable space for both of them.

Of course, while Chaeyi was making such rational considerations, Leonard was only thinking that he would be happy to be alone with Chaeyi, no matter where it was.

“Sounds good.”

Leonard replied and stood up first. Chaeyi followed suit.

Then, remembering something, he looked back at Ferdinand. He was watching them with a sullen expression.

‘It feels a bit wrong to leave him alone.’

Just as Chaeyi was about to invite him to join them… Leonard, quick-witted as ever, swiftly cut in.

“You should go back now.”

His tone was so firm that Chaeyi couldn’t override his decision.

In any case, Leonard had the final say about the mansion, and if he didn’t want someone to come in, Chaeyi had to comply.

“Tsk.”

Eventually, Ferdinand clicked his tongue and stood up, seemingly giving up.

From his observations, it was clear that Leonard was a high-priority figure for Chaeyi, and when that was the case, Ferdinand couldn’t interfere.

But he still had plenty of time to get to know Chaeyi.

Since his feelings weren’t fully settled yet, for now, being just close friends was good enough. Ferdinand decided not to rush.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Alright. Take care on your way back.”

Chaeyi waved to Ferdinand, who was leaving earlier than usual.

Once he was out of sight, he turned to Leonard.

“Leo, let’s go rest quickly.”

And so, the two headed straight for the library of the Onyx Mansion.

Since only Chaeyi and Leonard were there, it was quite cozy and quiet.

Telling Leonard to sit down first, Chaeyi picked out a book from the shelf.

When he returned to his seat, Leonard was already lounging comfortably, looking much more refreshed than before.

“How’s your headache now?”

“It’s better now.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Of course, Leonard felt relieved that he wouldn’t have to see the annoying Ferdinand again today… but Chaeyi, who hadn’t noticed his sneaky intentions, was simply feeling at ease.

“Chaeyi. Can I sit next to you?”

“Do as you please.”

As Chaeyi started reading his book in earnest, Leonard moved to the seat beside him and quietly watched Chaeyi’s neat profile.

Rustle… rustle.

The sound of pages turning filled the quiet room.

While Chaeyi was engrossed in the words on the page, a gentle touch unexpectedly brushed against the back of his neck.

“…?”

Leonard, who had been quietly sitting for some time, had brushed Chaeyi’s hair at the nape of his neck.

‘Is he bored?’

Chaeyi, thinking fleetingly about this while reading, heard a faint rustling.

Then, moments later, warm breath grazed the back of his neck.

What is this?

While Chaeyi was subconsciously drawn to this, something soft touched him.

Startled by a strange feeling stirring deep in his belly, Chaeyi jumped back, clutching his neck.

“What, what is it?”

Leonard, who had been watching Chaeyi in a panic as he fled, slowly lay down on the table.

“You don’t care about me?”

“If you’re bored, read a book too.”

“I want to talk with you, Chaeyi.”

“Well, then, you could just talk.”

Chaeyi let out a small sigh at this incomprehensible whining.

“I wish Chaeyi would only care about me, only look at me. I wish I were the most important person to Chaeyi.”

Leonard continued to mutter, his long eyelashes fluttering down.

“I’m scared I might lose you.”

Hearing that, Chaeyi suddenly felt at a loss for words. It was certainly the usual Leonard, but suddenly, everything about him felt unfamiliar.

Chaeyi couldn’t understand, but perhaps something had upset him.

Maybe because, in his childhood, Leonard had no one else to rely on but Chaeyi, he now craved a bit more attention.

Guessing this, Chaeyi gently stroked Leonard’s hair, which revealed his smooth forehead.

“You don’t have to worry about that. You’re already someone very precious to me, more than anyone else. You always will be, like… a child of mine.”

Even though they weren’t related by blood, Chaeyi cherished Leonard as if he were family.

There was no lie in those feelings.

And Chaeyi firmly believed Leonard felt the same.

Hopefully, if he said this, Leonard would feel reassured. However, the opposite happened.

“…Is that all?”

“Huh?”

“Is that really all?”

Leonard despaired at the parallel lines of understanding that couldn’t be changed.

“When will I ever be more than that?”

He felt as if he was soaring in the sky one moment, only to crash down the next.

“When will I…?”

People often say that if you work hard and be patient, you’ll eventually see the fruits of your labor, but clearly, this does not apply to human relationships.

Leonard hid his troubled face in the crook of his arm. He felt frustrated and scared. He was afraid that if he crossed the line, even their current relationship would fall apart.

Of course, even if he never won Chaeyi’s heart until the day he died, he had no intention of letting him go.

But for now, Leonard was hoping for a future where both could be happy.

“Leo?”

Leonard, turning his head at Chaeyi’s worried voice, slowly reached out his hand.

His hand brushed against Chaeyi’s cheek once before falling away.

Chaeyi pursed his lips hesitantly.

‘…What does he mean by “more than that”?’

Chaeyi couldn’t understand what Leonard was asking for. Nor what he meant by those words.

Perhaps… Chaeyi himself might be avoiding knowing it instinctively because he was afraid of realizing it.

As Chaeyi remained silent, Leonard stood up to leave.

He hadn’t been there long, but he was already going. Surprised, Chaeyi lifted his head.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah. I’ll come tomorrow.”

Perhaps because of the suddenness of the announcement, Chaeyi felt a little disappointed.

He could have stopped him, but for some reason, he hesitated and couldn’t hold him back.

In the end, Leonard left the library early.

Chaeyi, who had been staring at the entrance for a long time, reopened his book.

But the words on the pages no longer caught his eye.

‘I feel like I’ve been clashing with Leo a lot lately…’

What exactly is the problem?

If only he could figure out what the problem was, he might find a way to solve it.

“Sigh.”

Chaeyi thought he knew Leonard well.

But lately, he had no idea what was going on in Leonard’s mind.

Sometimes, Leonard felt like a complete stranger.

Is this really okay?

Feeling worried, Chaeyi closed the book he was struggling to read and stood up.

Somehow, his chest felt heavy, as if something was blocking it.