RHFTY chapter 2

Thud…

Watching Leonard’s now peaceful expression, Chaeyi couldn’t help but touch his cheek.

His skin was soft, likely because he was still a child.

Although Chaeyi liked children, his long military career had left him without the time to even date properly, let alone think about marriage.

This tiny being felt strangely fascinating to him.

At that moment, Leonard’s thick eyelashes, which had been trembling, began to part.

The large, blue eyes underneath were as brilliant as a painting.

Chaeyi found himself momentarily entranced, unable to tear his gaze away from Leonard.

Leonard, who was staring right back at Chaeyi, slowly parted his lips as if to speak.

“Thirsty…”

Chaeyi felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sound of that voice.

He had been quietly worrying about how they would communicate if they couldn’t understand each other, but… Perhaps because he had fully transmigrated into the role of ‘novel Chaeyi,’ he could understand and speak the imperial language without difficulty.

“Wait here a moment.”

Chaeyi headed to the kitchen, filling a cup with the clean water that ‘novel Chaeyi’ prepared every morning, and brought it to Leonard.

This, too, wasn’t knowledge gained from a friend but something his body remembered on its own.

As Chaeyi supported Leonard, who was struggling to sit up, Leonard managed to drink more easily.

After taking the empty cup and placing it back on the side table, Leonard, who had been watching Chaeyi’s every move, spoke again.

“Who are you?”

“Me?”

Leonard nodded at Chaeyi’s question.

Despite being so young, Leonard’s arrogant tone was almost amusing, no doubt a product of his upbringing.

“I’m the person who will feed you, shelter you, and protect you from now on.”

Leonard blinked slowly, seemingly deep in thought, before speaking again.

“Your name.”

“Kwon Chae… You can call me Chaeyi.”

“…Chaeyi. Chaeyi.”

As Leonard repeated the name, trying to memorize it, Chaeyi watched him for a moment before laying him down again.

Leonard’s expression was still hazy, as if he wasn’t feeling well, so it seemed best to let him rest for now.

Leonard, lying quietly on the sofa, glanced back at Chaeyi.

Taking this as a sign, Chaeyi tucked the blanket securely around him and gently patted his chest. Leonard blinked slowly, then gradually closed his eyes.

He should sleep well until tomorrow morning.

With that thought, Chaeyi tried to quietly stand up…

Suddenly, Leonard’s small hand shot out and grabbed Chaeyi’s wrist.

Despite his young age and the fact that he hadn’t fully manifested yet, Leonard’s grip as a Beta wasn’t very strong. But the determination to not let go made Chaeyi lose his balance slightly.

“Don’t go. Stay here.”

Leonard’s eyes, which had been wide open, seemed to glimmer with an intensity that made them appear to glow, like the clear blue ocean reflecting light.

‘Is he afraid of being alone?’

At first, Chaeyi felt a bit taken aback, but considering the situation Leonard was in, it made sense.

He had been abandoned by his own blood relatives just because his manifestation was delayed and was almost killed by monsters.

He must be anxious, not knowing when danger might strike again.

‘There’s no helping it.’

With a small smile, Chaeyi crouched down next to the sofa again.

Since Leonard didn’t seem want to release his wrist, Chaeyi had no choice but to settle down right there.

“Alright? You must be tired, so go to sleep.”

“….”

For a moment, they gazed at each other without breaking eye contact.

Eventually, Leonard’s eyes closed as he drifted off, his breathing becoming steady and regular. It seemed he was finally asleep.

Now, Chaeyi could probably twist his wrist free and leave.

But instead, Chaeyi leaned his head back and rested it beside Leonard.

The sound of Leonard’s steady breathing was a comfort.

‘From tomorrow…’

Chaeyi would have to continue the work that ‘novel Chaeyi’ had been doing to survive.

That meant foraging for herbs in the forest and bringing them down to the village market to sell, just to get by each day.

If only he had manifested as an Alpha or Omega, he might have tried joining the knight order… But ‘novel Chaeyi’ was a Beta with no special abilities.

An utterly ordinary person.

In truth, ‘novel Chaeyi’ had another main source of income.

He secretly dealt in low-ranking, easy-to-train monsters and people.

To put it simply, he was an illegal slave trader.

But Chaeyi had no intention of following in the footsteps of this novel character’s misdeeds.

So, that part of the story would be set aside…

Starting tomorrow, Chaeyi decided to rise early, gather as many herbs as possible, and sell them.

If there was ever a place to use the endurance and survival skills he had honed as a career soldier, this was it.

‘It’s fortunate that I still have the memories embedded in this body.’

Not all memories seemed to surface unless intentionally recalled, but at least Chaeyi could still remember how to identify herbs.

That should be enough to avoid looking like a beggar.

‘I just need to slowly adapt from here on.’

Being thrown into unfamiliar environments was something Chaeyi was used to.

He now had a kid to feed and care for, and if he didn’t want to be executed under the misunderstanding of abusing Leonard…

Things were going to get busy.

For survival, in every sense.

But there was one thing… Chaeyi had overlooked.

It was that the current body Chaeyi inhabited was vastly different from his previous one.

In his past life as Kwon Chaeyi, he had been 38 years old, with a body honed through decades of grueling training and hardship.

But the current Chaeyi’s body, despite being only 21 years old, was weak and fragile, accustomed to little more than gathering herbs and engaging in petty, underhanded dealings.

As a result, that day, Chaeyi collapsed with a fever and muscle aches.

The intense physical exertion of repeatedly climbing up and down the forest and walking to the village market had taken its toll.

Chaeyi, with only determination and persistence left but lacking any real stamina, had suddenly become a pitiable figure.

Leonard’s gaze, as if saying “I’m disappointed,” was the cherry on top.

Just yesterday, he had been as wilted as a withered flower, but after a good night’s sleep, a bath, and plenty of carbs, his eyes now sparkled with alertness, and his soft, chubby face looked healthy.

Chaeyi glared at him with a sulky expression.

“Kid, don’t look at me like that.”

“Big talk for someone being taken care of by a kid. Just lie still and behave.”

Chaeyi, who couldn’t overcome Leonard’s persistent nitpicking, kept his mouth shut.

Leonard placed a cool, damp towel, wrung out of water, on Chaeyi’s forehead.

Perhaps because his body temperature had dropped, his head felt fuzzy.

‘It’s the opposite of yesterday.’

Even so, he hadn’t expected him to step up and take care of his so readily.

It was both endearing and surprising.

Watching him diligently wring out the next towel with his tiny hands made Chaeyi smile slightly. Leonard, who was sitting under the sofa and secretly watching Chaeyi, fell into deep thought.

When Chaeyi asked why he was like that, Leonard hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Why did you… save me?”

“……”

Why did he save him?

Was he really asking that directly?

While it wasn’t solely to build connections that he saved him, it wasn’t out of some righteous sense of duty either, so Chaeyi hesitated for a moment before responding.

“Even though you can barely take care of yourself…”

Leonard threw a jab at her. It seemed that he had this image of his being barely capable of managing on his own.

Chaeyi let out a dry laugh. But according to the memories of this body, “novel Chaeyi” was doing quite well for a Beta commoner… The problem was that most of his income came from selling slaves.

“A kid like you should just say ‘thank you’ when an adult saves you, and act spoiled while accepting everything you’re given. Why do you think so much?”

Chaeyi reached out and patted the small, round head in front of her.

The pitch-black hair, as dark as obsidian, brushed softly against his fingers.

It felt so pleasant that he continued to pat it for a while.

As Leonard quietly accepted the pats with lowered eyes, he suddenly grabbed Chaeyi’s hand and gently pulled it away.

His blue eyes, which met hers as he looked up, had a mesmerizing allure.

She was lost in those eyes for a moment.

“Leonard.”

“…What?”

Surprised by the sudden mention of his name, Chaeyi reflexively questioned him.

He looked at him with wide eyes, taken aback by the unexpected situation, and Leonard, avoiding his gaze, continued speaking.

“My name. It’s Leonard.”

“Ah…”

“Not ‘kid.’ And I’m not that young. I’m already nine years old this year.”

Come to think of it, he hadn’t asked his name yet, had she?

Since he already knew his name, it hadn’t occurred to his to ask.

Maybe he had been bothered by that all along, wondering why he hadn’t asked his name.

‘I should pay more attention from now on.’

Chaeyi chuckled and, as he moved the hand Leonard was holding, he gave up trying to pull it away and quietly let his pat him.

Chaeyi ruffled Leonard’s hair and repeated his name clearly.

“Leonard. Is that better?”

“……”

“But kid…”

“……?”

“Nine years old still makes you a kid, you know? If you don’t want to be treated like one, eat well, sleep well, and grow up quickly.”