RHFTY chapter 25

Ferdinand lowered his head, saying nothing. His expression was one of clear discontent as he stared at the floor, seemingly lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Chaeyi glanced at the shopkeeper, who was still cowering behind Ferdinand, trembling.

Their eyes met, and Chaeyi gestured toward the shop.

Fortunately, the shopkeeper understood and quickly hid himself.

Chaeyi then turned to Enoch.

“Let’s go, Enoch.”

Enoch, who had been zoning out, jolted in surprise and quickly followed Chaeyi as they left.

They thought they were parting ways with Ferdinand, but when they emerged from the crowd and reached the fountain, Chaeyi looked back with a raised eyebrow.

“Why are you following us?”

For some reason, the man was still trailing behind them.

To be precise, he was following Enoch.

Enoch, who was walking directly behind Chaeyi, glanced back uncomfortably. They were walking in a single line: Chaeyi, Enoch, and then Ferdinand.

At the very back, Lawrence was equally uncomfortable, observing the situation.

The man, who had his hands stuffed in his pockets like a thug, smirked.

“I can follow you if I want to.”

“Sure, whatever.”

Ferdinand, momentarily silent at Chaeyi’s nonchalant response, changed the topic and resumed the conversation.

“…You’re pretty strong for a beta noble.”

“Maybe you’re just too weak.”

Chaeyi wasn’t downplaying himself; it was simply the truth.

In fact, Ferdinand was probably the weakest of all the dominant Omegas in the current empire. He relied too much on his abilities and never bothered with physical training, which was largely to blame.

“And I’m just a commoner.”

“Ha! That’s a lie.”

“Is that all you’ve got to say?”

“…I’ll guide you, then. I know this area well since I come here often.”

“No need.”

“Come on, just let me.”

Stubborn as always…

Chaeyi had no idea what had caused this sudden change in attitude.

He glanced at the man, who was arrogantly tilting his chin, but quickly lost interest.

“Fine, do whatever you want.”

“Chaeyi…”

Enoch looked at Chaeyi with concern, but before he could say anything, Ferdinand cut in, stepping up next to Chaeyi and asking with an oddly excited tone,

“Where are you headed?”

“Hmm. I’d like to do some shopping.”

“What kind of shopping?”

Chaeyi rested his chin in his hand, deep in thought. He wanted to buy a small surprise gift for Enoch, Lawrence, and Leonard.

He felt it was the least he could do to show his gratitude for everything they’d done.

“Something I could give as a gift to someone else… It’s okay if it’s a bit pricey.”

“Then you should go to the high-end handicraft store. There’s a place called ‘Migrain’ a few buildings ahead. The quality is good, and the prices aren’t bad.”

Ferdinand pointed ahead and began walking. After signaling to Enoch that everything was fine, Chaeyi followed Ferdinand.

They left the center of the plaza and entered a quieter alley where there were fewer people. After a while, Ferdinand matched his pace with Chaeyi and asked in a low voice,

“Tell me the truth. I won’t hurt you. Are you an Alpha from a noble family?”

So that’s what this was about again. Chaeyi sighed. How could he correct this misunderstanding?

“I’m a common beta from a common family.”

“Don’t lie! There’s no way! You know who I am, and you’re hiding it on purpose, right?”

Who exactly are you?

Where does this baseless confidence come from, that everyone in the world would recognize you?

Of course, Ferdinand’s confidence wasn’t entirely baseless—being the beloved only son of the Emperor, he had some reason for it… but Chaeyi didn’t know that yet.

Deciding that Ferdinand’s stubbornness wasn’t worth addressing, Chaeyi changed the subject.

“Whatever. Just guide us already.”

Ferdinand, who had been silent for a moment, twitched the corners of his mouth.

He didn’t seem upset, but his expression was somewhat strange.

“Sure, sure. Just follow me.”

With that, he quickened his pace again.

As Chaeyi and Enoch followed Ferdinand further down the alley, he spoke.

“There it is.”

Chaeyi noticed a wooden sign with the word “Migrain” written in Imperial script.

Beneath it was a large handicraft store.

Judging by the number of people browsing or passing by, it seemed to be a well-known spot.

“Let’s go in.”

Chaeyi’s heart fluttered as he entered the store first, with Enoch and Ferdinand following closely behind.

‘Why is he coming in too?’

Enoch stifled his frustration.

‘He seems familiar…’

Meanwhile, Ferdinand glanced at Enoch, trying to recall something from his hazy memory.

As Chaeyi browsed the display cases, he spoke.

“There’s a lot of pretty things here. Enoch, why don’t you go find something you like? I’ll buy it for you, so pick whatever you want.”

“Huh? But…”

“You’ve been helping me a lot lately, so it’s a token of my appreciation. I’d be happy if you accepted it.”

“Oh! Then, I won’t say no.”

Enoch’s face flushed with excitement as he moved a bit to browse the nearby displays.

The store was large, but not so large that he couldn’t keep an eye on things, so Enoch felt relieved that there was no chance for anything sneaky to happen.

Left alone with Chaeyi, Ferdinand, who had been focusing on the display, suddenly spoke.

“…Hey. You really don’t know who I am?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then, aren’t you curious?”

Chaeyi quietly turned his head. He could sense that Ferdinand wanted him to be curious. Avoiding Chaeyi’s gaze, Ferdinand looked down.

His eyes darted away as if he couldn’t bear to meet Chaeyi’s, clearly trying to hide his nervousness.

He wanted Chaeyi to recognize him, but at the same time, he was afraid of what might happen if his wish came true.

For some reason, Chaeyi felt like something similar had happened before. Understanding Ferdinand’s intentions, Chaeyi sighed inwardly.

‘He’s still just a kid… He seems about the same age as Leo.’

And if he was in his early twenties, that was considered very young by this world’s standards.

People here didn’t have short lifespans… and noble debuts typically happened in the early twenties. In modern terms, twenty-somethings were just starting out in society.

Of course, prestigious families like the Lancasters often had strict and demanding succession training that started at a young age, but still.

“What is it? I’ll listen, so just say it.”

Chaeyi fully turned to face Ferdinand.

Though Ferdinand hesitated, scratching his neck, Chaeyi’s persistent gaze eventually made him speak.

“My father… is the Emperor of this empire.”

“…His Majesty Emperor Ludvis III?”

Ferdinand silently confirmed.

This time, Chaeyi was genuinely surprised. Now it made sense where Ferdinand’s baseless confidence came from.

“I see. And your name?”

“Ferdinand.”

“Finally, I know your name.”

“…You’re not that surprised.”

“If you want, I can give you a reaction. But you didn’t tell me because you wanted me to be surprised.”

Ferdinand’s face twitched, as if Chaeyi had hit the nail on the head.

Chaeyi shrugged.

“It’s obvious.”

It reminded him of Leonard’s reaction when he was younger.

Ferdinand, frustrated, tapped the ground with his foot and fell silent, clearly pondering what to say next.

Chaeyi, seeing this, decided to share some advice he had once given to Leonard.

“No matter who you are, you are valuable just as you are.”

It was a remark Ferdinand hadn’t expected at all, but somehow it touched his heart.

“……”

Around him, there were always people who either feared him, overprotected him, or excluded him with the notion that he was special.

His father, a dominant Omega, would always shield him from everything, and his mother, a dominant Alpha, was consistently indifferent.

In a world where no one truly treated him sincerely.

That’s why he hated the phrase “Ferdinand, you’re special…” more than anything, and he was repulsed by the nobility’s masquerade and bothered by the overly fearful gazes of the commoners who feared him without reason.

At some point, everything in front of him seemed dark.

Everything felt fake.

He resisted having attendants and shouted repeatedly to be treated casually, only to be labeled as a rebel or a rogue, but he thought that was better.

But then….

“No matter who you are, you are valuable just as you are.”

With those words, the darkness before his eyes seemed to clear up.

It was so surprising that Ferdinand started with a soft chuckle and gradually burst into small laughs.

Despite his sharp eyes that made him look fierce, his smile changed the atmosphere significantly. Chaeyi, though not understanding why he was smiling, felt his mood lift and smiled along with him.

“You’re much prettier when you smile.”

It was genuinely pleasant to see.

However, Ferdinand suddenly stopped laughing, squinting his eyes, and stared at Chaeyi. His gaze held a peculiar intensity.

“You… speak so carelessly…”

As Ferdinand’s hand, which had cautiously extended, cupped Chaeyi’s bewildered face.

Crash!

Chaeyi was startled by the sound of something breaking and a scream, turning towards the entrance. There stood Leonard, having just shattered a section of the wall.