RHFTY chapter 21

After that, Leonard…

It seemed like he was determined to follow through on something he had said earlier because his displays of affection had drastically increased.

He would often hug Chaeyi and surprise his with kisses on his cheeks.

At first, Chaeyi was startled by these unfamiliar gestures, but as time passed, he became accustomed to them, so much so that it no longer bothered his—like right now.

“Leo, I’m busy. Don’t bother me.”

Chaeyi scolded sternly as he gripped his wooden sword, recalling the posture Lawrence had taught his recently.

Leonard had crept up behind his and wrapped his arms around his, brushing his lips against the nape of his neck.

Of course, he didn’t dislike it. It was just that when he did it while he was trying to concentrate, it was both ticklish and a bit annoying.

“I’ll deal with you later.”

Chaeyi’s reprimand finally made Leonard back off, his face looking a bit downcast.

‘Did I go too far?’

Chaeyi felt a pang of guilt, even though he was the one who had scolded him.

It was then, while he was still conscious of Leonard’s presence, that he suddenly lowered his head as he gazed at the pale skin exposed beneath his collar.

Just as Chaeyi turned to glance at him, wondering what he was doing…

‘Huh?’

He gently nibbled on his delicate earlobe and then kissed it.

“…??”

The unfamiliar sensation made Chaeyi ’s eyes widen in surprise as he belatedly twisted his body in shock.

“What…!”

Chaeyi ’s face turned a rare shade of bright red as he clutched his ear, feeling an unusual heat rising within his.

“What…!”

His voice cracked, a squeak slipping out as his mind was flooded with a million question marks, leaving his unable to think straight.

He froze, momentarily silent, and Leonard, who found his uncharacteristic clumsiness adorable, finally came up with an excuse.

“…That… was a greeting used in the Kingdom of Bella to show affection.”

It was a ridiculous excuse, the kind that would make anyone blush just from hearing it.

But, surprisingly enough…

Chaeyi believed him.

“Oh…! Is that what it was?”

“…”

“You should’ve told me beforehand! You really startled me.”

Chaeyi let out a sigh of relief. he didn’t know why he felt relieved, but for some reason, he did.

Meanwhile, Leonard’s face darkened as he looked at his.

He seemed both dissatisfied and resigned… his expression was complex and hard to read.

“Why?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Chaeyi , worried he might have done something wrong, cautiously asked, but Leonard just shook his head weakly.

Fortunately, Chaeyi was perceptive enough to pick up on the situation.

After some thought, he came to a conclusion.

‘He must be sulking because I didn’t praise him.’

He had gone to the trouble of learning something new and showing it to his, but all he did was grumble without offering any praise, so it was only natural for him to feel hurt.

What a relief that I’m quick-witted.

With an overly confident smile, Chaeyi patted Leonard’s back.

“Wow, you’re amazing, Leo, knowing stuff like that. If you learn anything new, be sure to tell me next time.”

The problem was that Chaeyi ’s sharpness was only focused on detecting threats and danger.

When it came to romance and love, he was utterly clueless.

“Chaeyi .”

“…Yes?”

Leonard’s eyes narrowed as he lifted his head.

For a moment, Chaeyi wondered if he had missed something. In this area, he wasn’t completely oblivious.

Leonard, sounding a bit dejected, scolded his.

“Do you even know what ‘suspicion’ is?”

“Of course.”

“Then why do you just believe what I say?”

“Hmm? Did you lie to me?”

“…That’s not…”

“Then why should I doubt you?”

Chaeyi was puzzled. It almost sounded like he wanted his to be suspicious of him.

Is trust a bad thing? We’re not complete strangers…

Chaeyi couldn’t understand Leonard’s intent, which was really a plea for his to question his actions and see them differently.

The situation was slightly disappointing for his.

But then again, it’s not like Leonard could just come out and confess to someone who doesn’t even realize he could be an object of affection.

He wasn’t cornered or anything, so why would he take such a risky step?

Leonard felt both scared and frustrated.

There was no resolution to be found between the two of them.

In the end, Leonard slowly covered his face with his hands and let out a deep sigh.

It was a sigh so heavy, it seemed like it could sink into the ground.

Watching Leonard, Chaeyi ’s eyes darted around in confusion.

Finally, it was Leonard who spoke up, as he had initiated this whole situation.

“I’m sorry…”

“Huh? No, why are you apologizing?”

Seeing his sulky expression, Chaeyi felt bad. Leonard moved closer to his, and as he patted his back, he rested his head against his for a moment before lifting it again.

“Chaeyi , I’ll come back in the evening.”

“Oh… okay. See you later then.”

Chaeyi watched Leonard leave with a lingering sense of unease, and time quickly passed.

As promised, Leonard returned in the evening to see Chaeyi .

Contrary to his earlier worries, he seemed his usual calm self.

‘Thank goodness.’

She had been feeling a bit unsettled, but now Chaeyi could finally relax and smile.

“What’s that?”

As they were heading down for dinner, Chaeyi noticed a leather pouch in Leonard’s hand.

It wasn’t very large, long and straight in shape… it almost looked like it could contain a glass bottle.

“It’s something delicious. I brought it for us to drink together. I’ll show you after we eat.”

Leonard smiled, his eyes crinkling pleasantly as if he was in a good mood.

Seeing him like that, Chaeyi couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation.

After finishing a cozy meal together, the two headed up the stairs to Chaeyi ’s room, eager to find out what was inside the leather pouch.

“Now show me what’s inside.”

Chaeyi , who had gone ahead into the room, sat down in a chair by the table behind his bed and urged him.

Leonard, who followed his, placed the leather pouch on the table and began untying the strings.

What emerged from the pouch was none other than a bottle of alcohol.

It was a unique glass bottle with an elegant label.

“It’s Belmont wine, the kind dwarves love the most. It’s really hard to come by.”

“Wine?”

“Yeah. A dwarf who visited earlier today gave it to me. Do you know what Belmont wine is?”

Chaeyi shook his head.

She vaguely recalled reading in a book that dwarves are notorious for their love of alcohol and are excellent drinkers.

But this was the first time he had heard that their favorite drink was Belmont wine.

Leonard, who had taken a seat across from Chaeyi , continued speaking as he uncorked the bottle.

“Belmont wine is a fruit wine made from Belmont berries… the berries have a sweet aroma and taste that can lift your spirits. But since only one berry grows on each tree per year, they’re incredibly rare and valuable.”

“Wow… that’s amazing.”

“Normally, Belmont trees are monopolized by elves, so you can only get this wine on rare occasions when there’s an important deal. I can’t believe I got my hands on one today.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to drink something this rare?”

As the cork came off, a sweet and pleasant aroma, unlike anything he had ever smelled before, wafted into the room.

The scent was strong and intense, yet it didn’t sting his nose or give his a headache, making it even more delightful.

“Of course. Since you like drinking, I brought this especially for us to share.”

Leonard handed his a small glass that had been packed with the bottle and poured just enough wine to fill it halfway.

The glass was so dainty that it didn’t take much to fill it to the brim.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

“Sure.”

With a heart full of anticipation, Chaeyi first took a moment to savor the aroma.

It had been a while since he last drank anything other than mead during meals, so he was looking forward to it.

‘Let’s give it a try.’

He gently took a sip.

The hot sensation sliding down his throat made him clearly realize that it was strong liquor.

However, the mysterious sweetness that lingered in his mouth made it easy to drink, and it went down smoothly.

It felt different from any alcohol he had tasted before. Chaeyi ‘s eyes widened in wonder.

The taste was much better than expected.

“This is really delicious. Does it give you a bad hangover?”

“No. There’s almost no hangover at all. I heard that one of the ingredients in the Belmont fruit changes the substances that cause hangovers into something else and suppresses them.”

“Really? That’s great.”

One glass was emptied, then another. Since the glasses were small, it was tempting to drink more, and it went down quickly.

How much have I drunk?

It seemed like much less than usual, but he wasn’t sure.

Chaeyi felt as if he was flying through the sky.

He had heard that the Belmont fruit had mood-enhancing effects, and it seemed to be true.

“Chaeyi … Aren’t you drinking too much? You’ll get drunk.”

“Oh, don’t worry, don’t worry.”

Chaeyi poured more liquor into Leonard’s glass.

Then he filled his own glass to the brim and gulped it down.

This was truly a rare treat, a delicacy that couldn’t be tasted anywhere else.

“Chaeyi , this isn’t good. Let’s stop drinking.”

“Oh, no. What do you mean stop? We’re just getting started. And I’m not drunk at all yet.”

Chaeyi brushed off Leonard’s hand as he tried to stop his and poured himself another drink with a happy smile.