RHFTY chapter 29

A week had passed since that incident. Leonard soon returned to his usual self.

Whenever he finished work early, he would come to see Chaeyi, argue with Ferdinand, have meals with Chaeyi, and leave late at night…

In the end, the reason for the recent frequent clashes with Leonard remained a mystery.

It seemed like Leonard was deliberately avoiding any mention of it.

It felt awkward to bring it up directly.

So, even though remnants of uneasy feelings still lingered, Chaeyi decided to temporarily bury them.

“Chaeyi, are you bored?”

It seemed that Chaeyi had sighed unknowingly while recalling the previous incident.

Enoch, who was spending leisure time with Chaeyi as Leonard was busy and Ferdinand hadn’t come by, asked with concern.

“No. I was just thinking about something else.”

Feeling a bit guilty, Chaeyi quickly adjusted his expression.

However, Enoch seemed to think it was just an excuse.

Enoch, who had been sipping his tea with a dissatisfied look, suddenly clapped his hands as if he remembered something.

“Oh, right! Did you know, Chaeyi? There’s going to be a banquet at Lancaster’s Great Hall in five days.”

“A banquet?”

“Yes! It’s a banquet hosted by the Lancaster family. It’s quite a big event, so most nobles connected to the Lancasters will be attending.”

Ah. Could it be that banquet? Chaeyi nodded absentmindedly, lost in other thoughts.

It was the banquet where Leonard and his omega mate would meet for the first time…

Since it was hosted by the Lancaster family, it must be the same one his friend had mentioned.

‘In five days.’

Finally, they will meet.

Those two.

It feels like just yesterday when I first met Leonard in the forest after being transmigrated into this world… and now he’s already at the age to think about marriage.

It’s really quite emotional.

Since Chaeyi knew almost nothing about Leonard’s omega mate, he was very curious about what kind of person they would be.

‘They must be a good person, right?’

However, Chaeyi wasn’t a member of the Lancaster family, nor was he a noble who would receive an invitation to the banquet.

He wouldn’t have any reason to approach the venue on the day of the event, so he wouldn’t have a chance to meet Leonard’s mate.

It was a shame, but there was no need to rush.

If Leonard ended up with them, he would eventually meet them at some point.

‘I hope it goes well.’

Time flew by, and the day of the banquet was only two days away.

As usual, Chaeyi woke up early in the morning, took a walk with Ferdinand, and had just returned to the Onyx Mansion.

“Chaeyi!”

Enoch, who had come out to meet them, called out urgently, looking anxious.

Ferdinand, who was pretending to be exhausted from lack of stamina, lifted his head.

Chaeyi, who was walking alongside him, also turned his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“Look… look at this!”

Enoch ran up to Chaeyi, catching his breath first, and then handed over an envelope with difficulty.

The envelope was made of luxurious paper, and when turned over, it was sealed with red sealing wax.

The problem was that the emblem stamped in the sealing wax was the coat of arms symbolizing the “Lancaster family.”

Moreover, the recipient was clearly marked as Chaeyi, so it wasn’t a mistake in delivery.

“Who sent this?”

Although it bore the Lancaster family emblem, it didn’t seem likely that Leonard had sent it.

If it were Leonard, he would have handed it over directly or just mentioned it.

Especially since they met almost daily except on very busy days, there was no reason for him to go through such trouble.

Sealing a letter like this was typically reserved for important messages or formal invitations…

Just as Chaeyi was pondering this, Enoch added an explanation he hadn’t managed to give earlier, still catching his breath.

“It’s an invitation to a banquet, Mr. Chaeyi! Since the head of the Lancaster family sent it to you, please open it quickly!”

The only thought floating around in Chaeyi’s mind upon hearing that was, “Why me all of a sudden?”

It was such an unexpected and unusual occurrence that instead of being happy, he felt rather uneasy.

Still, since he was told to open it, he broke the sealing wax, opened the envelope, and took out the invitation.

The sender’s name was Delion de Combest Lancaster.

As expected, the recipient was Chaeyi.

The letter was filled with a personal request, asking his not to be afraid of his status and to definitely show up.

It was handwritten by him as well…

An invitation that was not formal.

A polite tone revealed in the letter.

Chaeyi felt increasingly strange.

“What could be the reason behind this?”

Was it mere curiosity or something else?

Furthermore, he, a mere beta commoner, knew nothing about the nobles’ social gatherings.

What if he made a mistake by going?

He didn’t mind if he became a laughingstock, but what concerned his was that each of his mistakes could reflect poorly on Leonard.

“So, are you going to go?”

Ferdinand, who had been watching from the side, asked calmly.

Unlike Chaeyi, who was worried, Ferdinand didn’t find it strange that the head of the Lancaster family was interested in Chaeyi.

Not only was Leonard, his son, stuck to his like glue, but Ferdinand was also constantly paying attention to him.

Anyone who had heard of Chaeyi’s existence would probably be curious about his identity.

Especially since Leonard was trying so hard to keep his hidden.

Of course, it was still surprising that the Grand Duke himself invited a beta commoner to a noble social gathering.

“Hmm. I’m not sure.”

Chaeyi mumbled in a faint voice, resting his cheek on his palm.

Then, as if he had been waiting for this moment, Enoch interjected with a sparkle in his eyes.

“If you’re worried about not knowing the dress code or rules, I’ll help you as much as I can, so don’t worry.”

With Enoch saying so, Chaeyi felt more inclined to just go.

Honestly, the contents of the letter sent specifically to his made it difficult to ignore or refuse the invitation.

‘Might as well think of it as a good opportunity.’

Wasn’t he already curious about who Leonard’s partner would be?

If he could experience what a noble’s social gathering was like and also meet Leonard’s partner in advance, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

Having made up his mind, Chaeyi nodded.

“Alright. Then I’ll leave it to you, Enoch.”

“Great!”

Enoch, having received Chaeyi’s answer, smiled brightly, evidently thrilled.

Although Chaeyi didn’t know, he was already happily imagining what kind of outfit to dress his in and how to style his hair.

Given his naturally handsome appearance and well-proportioned physique, he would look quite striking with just a little grooming.

Enoch had always wanted to dress his up at least once. It might unsettle Leonard’s nerves a bit, but oh well.

Just then, Ferdinand, who had been silently observing the situation, muttered in a casual tone.

“I wasn’t planning on going, but if you’re going, I have a reason to go too.”

“What reason?”

“To stay by your side.”

Spending time with Chaeyi was fun.

And the thought of possible “exclusion” just because she was a beta commoner made him uncomfortable.

Ferdinand believed that, status-wise, he could protect him.

“Do what you want.”

Unaware of his intentions, Chaeyi nonchalantly responded, “I see.”

Just as he crumpled the invitation and stuffed it into his pocket, Leonard’s voice called from behind.

“Chaeyi.”

When he turned around, Leonard’s hair was slightly tousled, as if he had hurried over.

“I heard the head of the family sent you a banquet invitation. Is it true?”

Did he come running as soon as he heard?

“Yeah. I just received it.”

Chaeyi waved the envelope she was about to put in his pocket. Leonard frowned slightly.

He looked somewhat displeased.

Then, naturally, he stepped forward and positioned himself between Ferdinand and Chaeyi.

“Are you going to accept the invitation?”

“They insisted I come, so I’m thinking of going.”

Chaeyi, without realizing it, reached out and cupped Leonard’s pale cheek.

Why? He wasn’t sure.

Perhaps it was because he looked so anxious and uncertain, like a little kitten pressing its cheek against his palm.

Leonard looked down with a worried expression.

“You never know what might happen.”

“I’ll be careful not to make any mistakes.”

“That’s not what I mean. I meant there might be hostile forces. Security can be lax at times like these.”

“Then you should be more careful. There are probably more people targeting you than me.”

And if there was such a risk, it was all the more necessary for his to go and keep an eye on things.

He never wanted to see Leonard get hurt as long as she was alive.

“Don’t worry too much about me.”

“…Alright.”

In the end, Leonard was the first to back down.

When Chaeyi became so resolute like this, Leonard couldn’t win.

“I’ll be by Chaeyi’s side, so there’s no need to worry. You just focus on your duties that day.”

“If you want to die, keep talking.”

“Wow. Scary, scary. Ouch!”

Ferdinand smirked teasingly, and Chaeyi hit him on the back to stop the fight.

And so…

The morning of the banquet day dawned.