* * *

When I tilted my head, questioning the meaning, Hernan’s pretty eyes curved into a smile as he continued to explain.

“There’s a position in Velon that has never had its official in charge changed since the founding of the country. Are you aware of this?”

How would I know? I inwardly responded with a defiant attitude, then shook my head.

“No.”

“It’s the position of the Permanent Public Agent.”

“Ah.”

Only then did I understand what he was getting at. It wasn’t hard to grasp why the word “agent” didn’t have a person attached to it.

“But Lord Ryuudene is accompanying us this time….”

At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in my mind.

[Following you is nothing more than a fragment of one of my scales. I can take this position whenever needed, so don’t bother worrying.]

I was hearing that voice again. I nodded in understanding with a discontented expression.

Hawthorn looked restless as if he were sitting on pins and needles at my continued irreverent response.

“I understand.”

And so, I found myself reluctantly embarking on a very uncomfortable journey.

It was only on the day of departure that I was deeply grateful that we had at least one escort.

The reason was simple.

Since this person worked under Hernan, I didn’t expect much help from them.

But with someone else’s eyes on us, I thought maybe that annoying pestering might be somewhat reduced.

“Irina Rosati.”

The escort, who introduced herself succinctly, was a female Alpha.

Considering that it was a journey with male superiors (?), I thought it would be more comfortable to match the gender… but apparently, the real reason was to lower suspicion.

A group of men with their faces hidden by robes could easily be mistaken for a bunch of suspicious people on the run from the law back home.

On the surface, our purpose was to travel as a noblewoman from the north with her escorts.

Judging by looks alone, neither Hernan nor I fit the image of escorts, but since we’d be covering our faces, it didn’t matter.

At any rate, as long as I didn’t have to ride in the carriage alone with him! I sighed with relief.

But just then, Irina walked over and sat in the coachman’s seat.

“Hm?”

I opened the window and looked out, confused, as I stared at Irina.

She answered curtly with the expressionless face typical of northern people.

“This is my seat. Is there a problem?”

When I turned to Hernan, as if asking, “Isn’t she supposed to be riding in the carriage too?” he gave me that irritatingly sweet smile.

“Irina is a trained knight. Before she’s a woman, she’s an Alpha. She’ll be more comfortable there, rather than being squeezed into an uncomfortable spot.”

“Ah.”

Seeing Irina soothing the horses with a calm expression, I nodded in understanding.

Her face was as cold as stone, the kind that wouldn’t shed a drop of blood even if pricked.

But seeing her smile faintly as she petted the horses, I figured there was nothing to worry about.

“If you’re concerned about threats on the way to Haptis, you don’t need to worry about that either. Irina has requested a bear as her sparring partner before.”

“…?”

I wondered if I had misheard. I asked, doubting my ears.

“A bear?”

“Yes. And not just any bear, but a male bear of the leader class. You can rest assured she’s the type of person who wouldn’t get a scratch even if a small unit of soldiers attacked.”

Suddenly, the sturdy leather armor on her forearm started looking like a deadly weapon.

While Hawthorn would swallow his tears and remain silent even when I did something irreverent, I couldn’t help but worry that Irina might grab me by the collar and shake me for disrespecting a Grand Duke.

For a brief moment, I was a little uneasy, but soon the carriage started on its long journey.

Haptis was a small hot spring region, about half a day’s carriage ride from the Grand Duke’s estate in Velon.

According to the geography books, the area boasted beautiful snowy scenery, as the nearby volcano, which last erupted centuries ago, was covered in snow year-round.

The lake, from which the local residents drew drinking and household water, maintained a warm temperature of around 40 degrees Celsius even in the dead of winter, making it a densely populated area historically.

“But considering that, it has fewer people compared to other major cities…”

The poor transportation could be a primary issue.

The lack of jobs, such as mining, was another significant drawback.

It would be ideal if proper resort facilities were built, providing jobs for the local residents.

The roads could be paved, and with more visitors, the ground would naturally become well-trodden.

Building just one resort would be fantastic… But there were already entities occupying the prime locations.

Was that why the population seemed relatively small?

To avoid thinking about being alone in the carriage with Hernan, I closed my eyes and focused on work-related thoughts.

“……”

Despite closing my eyes, I could still feel his gaze.

I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter, pretending to sleep.

‘Sigh…’

It’s bothering me, but if I let it bother me, I’ll fall into his trap. I just need to focus on what I have to do. I kept silently chanting like I was reciting a prayer, and time quickly passed.

By now, it felt like about two hours had passed…

Should I take a look at the map to see how far we’ve come?

As I stealthily opened my eyes, I couldn’t help but gasp in surprise at the unexpected sight.

‘Since when did he fall asleep?’

I had expected Hernan to be staring at me the whole time, but he had fallen asleep sitting upright.

His face looked so unguarded and peaceful that it felt like I was looking at a statue in a cathedral or temple.

The pure, unblemished impression was so overwhelming that it felt like touching it would leave a mark, or that it might melt away.

‘I shouldn’t be looking.’

I quickly turned my head away. Just like the first time we met, I feared that if our eyes met once those thin eyelids opened, I’d be mesmerized again like that night.

If he would just keep his mouth shut, I might be able to tolerate him a bit.

But with that flawless face, my heart pounded like I had committed some kind of crime.

This was exactly why I didn’t want to be alone in the carriage with him.

I grumbled inwardly, knowing there was nothing I could do about it, so the best course of action was to avoid looking at him as much as possible.

“……”

Still, why did I keep getting distracted?

After gazing out at the snowy landscape for a long while, I couldn’t help but glance at Hernan again.

His gracefully closed eyes.

The small lips and soft cheeks. His skin, so pure it was terrifying, made me realize once again how beautiful he was.

Maybe it would help if I just covered his face.

But as soon as I raised my hand to block his face from view, I realized that his face wasn’t the only problem.

‘His scent is an issue too…’

It was like a mix of fruit, sweet but with a slight bitterness.

Where had I smelled this before?

After pondering for a while, I realized it was similar to the incense sticks I occasionally burned when I was a dominant Alpha.

Maybe there was a bit of a woody forest scent mixed in.

The familiarity of it was so compelling that I found myself leaning closer to analyze the scent more thoroughly.

‘If I get just a little closer, I might figure it out…’

Just as I began to lean away from the cushion, supporting myself awkwardly with my legs.

Thud.

The carriage suddenly jolted, as if it had rolled over a tree root, causing me to lose my balance and fall forward.

“Ah.”

“……!”

I braced myself, expecting to hit the carriage wall with my head, but what I felt instead was a firm yet warm embrace.

“Are you alright? It didn’t seem like the jolt was that strong…”

Hernan, who had unwittingly caught me with his whole body while I was sleeping, blinked and opened his glacier-clear eyes, looking up at me.

I jumped up quickly, trying to distance myself from his embrace, worried that he might realize what I had been doing.

“Uh, I was just… thinking about something else for a moment… I’m sorry. I apologize for the intrusion.”

Huddled in a corner of the carriage, wrapped tightly in my robe as if to never let such a thing happen again, I couldn’t help but feel my face flush with embarrassment.

I was certain there was some pheromone trickery involved.

However, there were too many things that made me doubt it.

For one, I was a beta, so I shouldn’t have been affected by any pheromone manipulation.

This meant I also had to consider the possibility that I might have received an incorrect result from the trait test.

‘But that doesn’t make sense either…’

I had met a number of noble children over the years.

Not just dozens, but hundreds, maybe even thousands.

Since alphas and omegas are particularly common among the nobility, if I were an alpha or omega, I would have experienced symptoms related to pheromones a long time ago.

I had never experienced such symptoms until now, so why was this happening?

Even if alphas did exude pheromones, I had never been able to sense them, only feeling a vague discomfort.

So why did the scent from this person seem strangely familiar and comforting?

Everything remained a mystery.

‘Could it be that I’ve actually smelled this before?’

The only time I had truly encountered Hernan was during the hunting game.

At that time, Hernan was too young and frail to be considered an alpha.

‘Then what could it be?’

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to dispel the question marks swirling in my mind.

* * *