* * *
As Edwin’s pheromones subsided, an awkward silence fell between them.
As soon as they separated, Henry looked out the open window at the moon hanging high in the sky.
It had already been night when they returned to the estate, but now it was early morning.
“I once told you…”
Henry began speaking while gazing at the moon, before turning his head toward Edwin.
“I told you to learn how to control your pheromones. Do you remember?”
He had once advised Edwin to practice, even though no one else could sense his pheromones.
Edwin seemed to remember and gave a small nod.
“Now that I can feel your pheromones, you’ll need to practice even more, right?”
Henry carefully continued to persuade him.
“That way, what happened earlier won’t happen again. And…”
Even though Edwin’s pheromones had mostly calmed, they still wavered, threatening to flare up again.
There was no guarantee that something like this wouldn’t happen again.
“I can’t just keep collapsing every time it happens, so I really need you to work on it.”
Henry made it clear what Edwin needed to do from now on.
Ideally, he’d start practicing right away, but Henry gave him a tired look, silently hoping Edwin would leave.
He was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but couldn’t lie down with Edwin still there.
The aftereffects of Edwin’s pheromones were still making Henry’s body feel sluggish.
“Then show me how.”
Henry frowned at Edwin’s unexpected words. What was he talking about?
“Like you did earlier, show me how.”
“That was… I just did what I thought might work. I only recently started feeling pheromones myself. Don’t you think it’s a bit much for the two of us to figure this out together?”
It was true.
There were plenty of people skilled at controlling their pheromones, yet Edwin insisted on asking him for help.
“No one else can sense my pheromones, so they can’t give proper advice.”
“I know, but…”
“Or we could make our bond public and ask for help.”
“Wait.”
Henry raised a hand to stop Edwin’s words.
He realized what he had overlooked. He had told Edwin to control his pheromones and seek help if needed.
But before that, Edwin could reveal that he had released his pheromones and that Henry could sense them.
“Let me think.”
Henry didn’t want to make their bond public, so he needed to carefully consider his next move.
As Edwin had said, since Henry was the only one who could sense his pheromones, it made sense for him to help.
But that didn’t mean it was the best solution.
Two beginners trying to figure things out together would only get them so far.
“Let’s start by reading some books. And maybe find a tutor to learn the basics of pheromones.”
Henry pointed to himself as he spoke. I’ll need a tutor too.
“I’ll help you as much as I can.”
He suggested bringing in outside help, but only as much as necessary, to avoid raising suspicions.
Edwin nodded in agreement.
“And…”
Henry hesitated, wondering if he should really go this far.
But he knew it would speed things up, so with a sigh of resignation, he added:
“Hand over the pheromone stone.”
Edwin’s eyebrows furrowed.
“Still thinking of breaking our bond, are you?”
“That’s not it.”
Henry shook his head, as if Edwin was missing the point.
“You said it boosts sensitivity. I’ll use it to help you.”
Originally, it was Kayla’s job to help, but for now, Henry had no other choice.
He couldn’t keep gasping for air and stumbling every time he was overwhelmed by Edwin’s pheromones.
The pheromone stone was a crucial item connecting Edwin and Kayla.
In the original story, after Henry’s death, the bond mark was released, and Edwin reached a point where he could no longer manage his pheromones.
Since no one else could sense them, he hadn’t needed to control them before.
This was natural, but suddenly, people started collapsing from the overwhelming force of his pheromones, leading to problems.
The more Edwin expressed his emotions, the more his pheromones fluctuated, to the point where he wished things could go back to when no one could feel them.
Even when he tried to control them belatedly, it didn’t go as he wanted.
The more he tried, the more impatient he became, and the situation only worsened.
In the end, Edwin’s nerves became so strained that he started distancing himself from others, just like before.
It was Kayla who extended a hand to Edwin.
He absorbed the energy of the pheromone stone, enhancing her sensitivity and allowing him to feel Edwin’s pheromones better than anyone else while also having the strength to endure them.
Whenever Edwin became agitated, Kayla would soothe him and help calm his mind.
He remained by his side, guiding the flow of his pheromones to become more natural as he tried to control them.
That’s why Henry demanded the pheromone stone, which was essentially the link between them.
If the stone were removed, Kayla would lose her reason to approach Edwin.
Though he understood this, there was no other way.
‘Well, I brought the pheromone stone anyway, so what’s the big deal?’
Breaking his bond mark was more important than Kayla.
That’s why he had taken the pheromone stone.
Although Edwin had learned about the mark unintentionally, the fact remained that the stone was necessary.
‘Kayla will manage if I act as a bridge for them.’
From the start, Henry had planned to step in, ensuring Kayla could approach Edwin in exchange for the stone.
Once the two were connected, they would follow the original storyline, fall in love, and form a true bond mark.
As Henry mulled over this, he tilted his head.
Although it wasn’t intense, he felt a tightness in his chest.
Was it an illusion?
His hand had already moved to press against his chest.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Anyway, what are you going to do?”
Edwin, who had been asked to quickly decide whether he would give up the pheromone stone, remained silent in contemplation.
He hadn’t expected things to unfold this way, and now, giving up the stone seemed like one of the solutions.
But Edwin hesitated, unsure whether he should comply with Henry’s urging.
“I’m not asking for it for my own benefit.”
Since Edwin didn’t seem ready to hand it over, Henry leaned in slightly, though there was still a table between them, so the distance wasn’t much closer.
“It’s good for you too, isn’t it?”
“If you really think about it, yes, but the benefits for you are obviously bigger than mine.”
From Henry’s perspective, who was heavily affected by Edwin’s pheromones, it was, of course, good for him.
Earlier, he had felt like he was going to collapse.
Even now, there was still a slight tremor in his fingertips.
That was why he had suggested Edwin control his pheromones in the first place.
Not solely for Henry’s sake but because it would help Edwin too, controlling them seemed the better option.
‘I don’t want to say it’s for my benefit; it’d make it seem like our bond is deeper.’
Since his ultimate goal was to break the bond with Edwin, Henry didn’t want either of them to assign too much meaning to their relationship.
“I’m just helping you a little, so it’s ultimately good for you.”
So hand over the pheromone stone.
Henry’s lips twitched uncontrollably as he coaxed Edwin.
No matter what, he would soon have the stone in his grasp, and he couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
After all the trouble, losing it to Edwin had made him furious, but now, he was about to get it back.
Henry extended his hand further, signaling for Edwin to hand it over.
As Edwin slowly raised his hand, Henry’s eyes lit up.
When Edwin reached into his coat and began to pull something out, Henry’s body leaned forward.
The moment Henry saw the pheromone stone in Edwin’s hand, he was overwhelmed with joy.
He didn’t know why he was so happy, but seeing the stone again was incredibly satisfying.
Henry reached out eagerly, his hand coming so close to Edwin’s chest.
Edwin looked at Henry’s hand, which had lightly brushed against him.
His hand was long, with delicate fingers that gave off a sense of refinement.
For some reason, Edwin found himself thinking, ‘Has his hand always been this pretty?’
Then, with his other hand, the one not holding the pheromone stone, Edwin grasped Henry’s hand.
Despite Edwin’s unexpected action, Henry didn’t pull his hand away and watched as Edwin’s fingers slipped between his, brushing over his knuckles and gently tickling his palm.
Even then, Henry stayed still, assuming Edwin was just holding his hand and would give him the stone soon.
“I don’t think I can do this.”
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
No why stop at cliffhanger scene like this
Seems like Henry is slowly falling too!~
Hello
Can’t do what, Edwin?🤭
Thanks