How an Omega Villain Survive chapter 46

* * *

Henry swallowed hard at his off-key voice and tried to change the subject.

If Edwin continued to doubt him, he had no idea how to escape.

He clenched his already stiffened fists and walked past Edwin.

Just escaping his gaze seemed to lift the heavy burden from Henry’s shoulders.

However, feeling the eyes still following him, he did not turn back to look.

“If you’re going to keep standing there… then I’ll go ahead.”

Henry glanced briefly at the path to the right before resolutely taking the left path.

As the corridor grew darker and visibility decreased, he could hear footsteps following behind.

“Henry Timothy. Stop.”

Edwin grabbed Henry’s wrist, preventing him from moving forward.

Henry, who had been trying to leave quickly, bit his lip and met Edwin’s gaze with as much calmness as he could muster.

“What is that smell?”

Finally, he faced the topic he wanted to avoid. Henry regretted asking about it in the first place.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about right now.”

“Then what was it when you asked if you smelled good?”

“Obviously…”

Henry glanced at his sleeve as if to show Edwin.

“It’s gotten dirty. It’s so uncomfortable that I wanted to at least hear from you that it’s not true. There’s no other meaning.”

“No other meaning, huh… But why does it seem so hard to dismiss?”

He could not let Edwin find out. He must not reveal that the reason Edwin couldn’t sense anyone else’s pheromones was because of him.

He had to sever any connections without revealing that he had been marked by Edwin.

That was why Henry avoided Edwin. He had no desire to reveal that he was marked by Edwin as in a novel and to get married. That would be like walking straight into death.

“Let go of my hand.”

Henry furrowed his brow deeply as he faced Edwin.

Before hearing his response, he twisted his wrist and pulled it away.

“Before you complain about some smell from me, take a good look at yourself. Right now, we both look like beggars, and it seems I’m better off than you, judging by your comments.”

Henry continued to push Edwin, pretending not to understand, clearly intending to distance himself.

“I know this is happening because of me, but let’s be objective. You’re horrifically dirty right now. You smell.”

Henry pinched his nose and stepped back from Edwin. In truth, it was an excuse. Edwin didn’t actually smell bad. It was Henry who, thanks to Edwin’s pheromones, was unaware of any unpleasant odor.

“The more you try to deflect, the more suspicious you seem.”

Edwin didn’t appear to be swayed by Henry’s words at all.

Once he started to be conscious of it, everything about Henry seemed to irritate him.

“I’m sorry, but I’m just stating the facts. Edwin, you stink.”

Henry fixed Edwin with a wary look, signaling him not to come closer.

“If that’s how you’re going to be, should I find out for myself?”

There was a dangerous edge in Edwin’s words, indicating his certainty that Henry was hiding something.

He made no secret of his intention to find out himself if Henry didn’t continue talking. The thought of leaving the cave was now secondary.

Edwin, not only fixed his gaze on Henry but also seemed determined to get to the bottom of it right here and now.

“Don’t you know that leaving here is the priority?”

As Edwin moved closer, Henry quickly took a step back, adding hastily, “And why are you running away?”

“This isn’t running away. Honestly, your smell is just awful. Ugh.”

Henry, stepping back without looking, naturally missed the protruding rock.

He flailed his arms in an attempt to steady himself, but it was useless.

As he felt himself falling backward, he instinctively tried to catch himself with his hands.

However, Edwin, who had quickly moved in, caught Henry by the waist, preventing him from falling.

Henry sighed in relief, only to realize he was now pressed very close to Edwin.

‘Damn it.’

It would have been better to fall. Even if it meant hitting the back of his head, it would have been preferable to clinging to Edwin like this.

“Thanks for catching me. Let’s just—”

“Henry.”

Edwin’s heavy call not only shut Henry up but also weighed heavily on his heart.

“Your smell has gotten stronger since before.”

Due to the close proximity, Henry could see Edwin’s eyes shift downward.

As Edwin’s gaze and the pheromones he exuded clung to Henry’s body, especially to his nape, a slight warmth began to rise from the spot.

“You…”

Henry tried to say something, but the next moment, Edwin’s head began to slowly descend toward him.

‘No.’

Trying to stop him by tilting his head, Henry struggled to regain his balance.

He eventually closed his eyes tightly and turned his head to the side.

When Edwin’s breath touched his neck, he immediately regretted it. He shouldn’t have turned his head…

It was that moment.

With a loud ;thud’, light poured over Henry and Edwin.

Having become accustomed to the dim light that barely illuminated the cave, Henry instinctively shut his eyes.

As he slowly adjusted to the blinding light, Henry cautiously opened his eyes and assessed what was happening.

“There’s someone here.”

Someone hanging from a rope saw Henry and Edwin and shouted upwards.

“Is this really happening?”

Henry, who knew that this wall could be breached and that this was an exit passage, muttered to himself in astonishment. It was surprising that they found an exit on their own.

For a moment, Henry discreetly pushed Edwin’s chest.

Edwin, showing dissatisfaction by tightening his grip, reluctantly stepped back as Henry pushed him.

Thanks to this, when the wall broke at a crucial moment, Edwin was able to escape.

‘What a relief.’

Henry had thought he was risking everything for Edwin.

As he sighed in relief, he saw a man entering the cave. His face, barely protected with minimal gear to lighten his load, seemed somewhat familiar.

“A knight of the prince?”

It was a face Henry had seen while traveling together. The knight who heard Henry’s mutter met his gaze.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

It was not any other person, but rather Prince William himself who had found them.

Henry climbed up the rope and grabbed the outstretched hand without hesitation.

Although he was secured with a rope around his waist, the firm grip of the hand was quite reassuring as he was very tense.

Before Henry could finish climbing the cliff, he felt strength in the hand pulling him up. As he steadied himself with his other hand on the ground, he let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Are you okay?”

The hand still held onto him. Henry looked up to see Sir Teher kneeling and meeting his gaze.

“I think Sir Teher looks worse off than I do.”

Henry, noting the roughened skin and bloodshot eyes from the mental strain, responded with a smile.

Sir Teher seemed indifferent to his disheveled state and continued to inspect Henry’s condition.

With a look full of concern, not touching but only observing, Henry awkwardly hid his smile.

Although relieved, he felt guilty for smiling while Sir Teher appeared so serious.

“Are you injured anywhere?”

“I was lucky.”

Henry placed a hand over his still trembling chest and took a deep breath, reassuring himself that he hadn’t been hurt or killed.

“I’ll help you up.”

“I’ll get up in just a moment…”

Noticing that Henry was still sitting on the ground, Sir Teher’s hand tightened, but Henry shook his head.

Climbing up the high cliff had left him exhausted.

As he released Sir Teher’s hand and took a moment to catch his breath, he heard someone climbing up behind him.

‘Edwin.’

After climbing up, he must have used the rope.

Edwin, who had followed quickly, made it to the top easily compared to the trembling Henry.

Ignoring the knight’s hand extended to help, Edwin calmly surveyed the surroundings with a composed gaze.

Henry, despite being aware of Edwin’s gaze fixed on him, chose not to look at him.

Even though they weren’t alone anymore, Edwin’s mere presence was overwhelming.

“Both of you are safe,” came a familiar voice.

* * *