How an Omega Villain Survive chapter 38

Back in his room, Henry immediately crawled into bed. He had only eaten breakfast, but his body still felt heavy.

In truth, it was more his mind that was exhausted, making him want to lie down.

Moreover, even though the carriage had been comfortable, his body still craved the bed after several days of travel.

Henry hugged his pillow and rested his chin on it, staring at the bedside table.

After Edwin left, there was half a glass of water left that he had tried to drink to quench his remaining thirst.

His gaze at the water was complex.

“It wasn’t the water.”

He had been told that water wasn’t the solution to calming his episodes.

Indeed, after kissing Edwin, he hadn’t felt as thirsty.

“The more I’m exposed to his pheromones, the more this incomplete imprint will act up.”

Henry went over the three conditions in his mind. T

he incomplete imprint, the constant exposure to the imprinted partner’s pheromones, and the scent of his own pheromones that he had started noticing recently.

Moreover, when he subtly asked Sir Teher this morning if he hadn’t noticed anything strange about him, he didn’t get the answer he wanted.

Just as Edwin had said, Sir Teher truly didn’t know.

But there was no point in blaming Sir Teher for the fact that Edwin had come to him repeatedly. All Sir Teher had done was follow Henry’s orders to the letter.

That rigid knight was the type to stay up all night guarding him if told to do so. Henry had even told him to take breaks while he slept, but who would’ve thought such a gap would appear?

“There’s no use dwelling on the past. I have to focus on what I can do now.”

Fortunately, things weren’t all that complicated. He already knew the answer to quickly resolve this situation.

“The pheromone stone. I absolutely need to get it.”

As Henry started reorganizing his plans in his head, he frowned, feeling something wasn’t quite right.

He had told Prince William that he wouldn’t go to that place, but the truth was, he needed more detailed information about the surroundings.

The original description of the location of the pheromone stone was insufficient.

It would be helpful if he had a detailed map and documents outlining the characteristics of the area…

“Oh, right, there’s Hook.”

Henry suddenly sat up. Just in case, he had brought the string to summon Hook. With that in mind, he took the string and stepped outside.

Hook had said it didn’t matter how he entered, so Henry tied the string to a tree inside the mansion grounds. Then he lingered under the tree for a while, waiting.

“Was I too impatient?”

Henry had assumed the hook would appear quickly, just like the last time he tied the knot.

After a moment of gazing at the tree, he returned to his room.

Meanwhile, there was a man hiding his red hair.

He had slipped into the mansion using the shadows cast by the daylight, effortlessly making his way to a room.

After confirming that it was empty, he whistled softly, relaxing his tense body.

“Quite a nice mansion you’ve got here… Took me a while to get in, though.”

If he had been with Henry from the start, he wouldn’t have had to sneak in like this.

But the masked man had separated from Henry to avoid getting caught up in his revenge.

And while it was troublesome, sneaking into a mansion—especially one that wasn’t the imperial palace—was hardly a challenge.

Hook made his way directly to the dressing room, once again targeting the Crown Prince’s clothes.

His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings as he searched through the garments.

Finding one to his liking, he smiled slyly.

“Shall I go with this one today?”

With the chosen outfit in hand, Hook retrieved a small object, the size of a fingernail, from his pocket.

With practiced skill, he hid it among the folds of the clothes.

Knowing how it would later serve him, Hook was brimming with excitement.

After all, this wasn’t the first time he’d tampered with the Crown Prince’s clothing, so there was no trace of tension.

Just as he finished, feeling quite satisfied, he turned to leave.

“Ugh.”

Hook’s throat tightened in a silent scream as he spotted a man standing in the doorway of the dressing room.

He was so startled that it felt as if an invisible hand had gripped his neck.

The Crown Prince, William, slowly pushed away from the doorframe and approached Hook.

His leisurely pace contrasted with the predatory gleam in his eyes, as though he could tear into Hook’s throat at any moment.

“What should I do with this little thief who’s wandered into my room?”

A day passed, and Hook still hadn’t shown up. Henry stood by the tree, staring at the string hanging from it, lost in thought.

Should he leave it, hoping Hook would eventually appear?

Or should he give up and find another way?

“What’s that string for?”

Someone appeared beside Henry, who was still looking at the tree, and asked abruptly.

Recognizing the voice, Henry responded without turning around.

“Mind your own business and go your way.”

“From what you just said, I think I know who you’re waiting for.”

Henry recalled what he had just said. He’d only told Edwin to mind his business, so what could he possibly know?

He was surely just guessing.

“Nothing good will come from being close to that red-haired man.”

“What?”

Edwin had accurately mentioned the person Henry was waiting for.

How did he know?

Henry glared at him, but Edwin simply stared at the string tied to the tree without offering any explanation.

Henry decided to stop expecting answers from Edwin and pushed him away.

“Who I wait for or meet is none of your business, right?”

“That man, he has many secrets.”

“I know.”

Henry probably knew more than anyone about Hook’s secrets—his hidden motives, why he was so desperate to accumulate money.

But there was no need to explain all that to Edwin, so Henry waved his hand dismissively. Then, he suddenly remembered that Edwin hadn’t liked Hook from the start.

It was in the boutique. Hook had shown up, and Edwin hadn’t been pleased. Even then, Henry had told Edwin to go away. N

ow that similar situations were repeating, Henry realized just how much he had shown his irritation towards Edwin.

“Even though he’s helping you with your request now, who knows how he’ll act later.”

“And do you really know him?”

“He gives me a bad feeling.”

“Oh, your feeling.”

Henry just nodded dismissively. Then, suddenly, a thought struck him about Edwin.

Henry turned away from the tree and faced Edwin directly.

“I’m asking this to clear up any misunderstandings. You know I have no feelings for you, right? So why do you keep getting involved with me? Why are you so interested in my business?”

Henry didn’t wait for Edwin to answer.

“The more you get to know me, the more entangled you’ll become. You know that better than anyone. You didn’t just walk past when you saw me having a seizure.”

Henry had previously just brushed it off, thinking, ‘He must have gotten curious because someone who used to like him suddenly stopped showing interest.’

But Edwin had continued to involve himself in Henry’s affairs, even knowing secrets about Henry that he himself hadn’t known.

Henry felt uneasy about Edwin continuing to build a relationship with him.

“Are you concerned about me?”

Henry wondered if Edwin might be affected by the mark on him, just as Henry was influenced by Edwin.

He waited for Edwin’s reaction.

If Edwin showed any sign of inner conflict, Henry would believe it was due to the mark.

But as time passed, Edwin remained silent.

The longer his silence stretched, the more Henry’s expression began to crack.

Was Edwin refusing to answer because he didn’t want to? Henry turned away from him.

Never mind.

Henry’s thoughts were already complicated enough. He had many questions for Edwin, but they were really just indirect warnings.

The more interest Edwin showed in him, the more complicated their relationship would become.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Edwin’s low voice made Henry sigh as he turned back to him.

“What doesn’t matter?”

“The more I get to know your situation, the more entangled I become. It doesn’t matter.”

“Why? It won’t do you any good. So why? What do you plan to do later?”

“Then I’ll cut it off.”

“Ah.”

Henry understood exactly what Edwin meant.

It didn’t matter how entangled they became now.

He could always sever the connection later, like cutting something with a sword when he chose to.

“How simple.”

Henry responded in a weary voice.

Human connections aren’t so easily severed. He was struggling to find the pheromone stone, while Edwin acted as if everything were so easy.

So that’s why he could say such things.

“Do as you like.”

Henry decided to keep it simple. He would focus on his main goal: breaking the imprint with Edwin.

That was all that mattered, and everything else could be pushed aside.

“But don’t expect anything from me later. I won’t do anything for you.”

Henry pointed a finger at Edwin.

“I’ve already told you I’m not interested in you. Don’t come back later and say something different.”

And don’t complain about being used. Henry kept the rest of his thoughts to himself.

Since Edwin had already involved himself in the merchant business, Henry planned to take advantage of that, and that wasn’t going to change.

“But you…”

Henry reached out to the tree, ready to take down the string since its owner hadn’t appeared.

“Your scent has changed.”

Edwin’s casual remark made Henry’s hand pause just as he was about to grab the string. He stared at the string, but his thoughts were entirely focused on Edwin.

He swallowed hard several times, trying to hide his shaken reaction.

“Your scent has changed since yesterday. Did you know that?”

“… Did you only just now realize I bought perfume? His Highness William figured it out a long time ago.”

Henry forced a trembling smile, trying his best, even though he wasn’t sure how it appeared to Edwin.

He was trying to hide the anxiety that Edwin might have picked up on his scent, wondering if it was his pheromones.