How an Omega Villain Survive chapter 70

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“The process of imprinting has always sparked curiosity among scholars. Not everyone who desires a bond can achieve it, after all. Research has been conducted endlessly in search of clearer criteria.”

Count Ariat’s gentle voice filled the room.

Their daily lessons, held for an hour each day, had already spanned nearly half a month.

Henry, always attentive in Count Ariat’s classes, made for a diligent student.

He performed well on occasional exams and never missed any of the assignments Count Ariat set.

Consequently, Count Ariat interpreted Henry’s unwavering gaze as nothing more than focused engagement with his lessons.

‘Why Count Ariat, though?’

Meanwhile, Henry’s mind was filled with thoughts unrelated to the lesson as he watched Count Ariat.

Originally, Count Ariat was meant to appear before Edwin much later as Kayla’s ally.

During that turbulent period when Edwin’s pheromones went rampant due to the severing of his imprint upon Henry’s death, Count Ariat had also been brimming with curiosity about Edwin, driven by the rumors he’d heard.

Then, by chance, Ariat met Kayla at a gathering, and they grew close quickly.

The catalyst was an item left behind by a grand mage, which intrigued Count Ariat and ultimately led him to help Kayla establish himself firmly in the empire.

Through revealing the truth about the grand mage—something Count Ariat hadn’t managed to uncover despite his efforts—Kayla earned his favor.

Count Ariat, with interest in both Kayla and Edwin, took proactive steps, assisting greatly in calming Edwin during their checkups on his condition.

The connection between them depended on Kayla as a mediator, but now, it was completely tangled.

In response to Henry’s proposal for lessons, it was Edwin who brought Count Ariat along.

Ariat agreed readily, shaking hands to seal the arrangement.

Though many things had changed from the original story, the bond with Count Ariat was something Henry hadn’t foreseen.

Despite his calm demeanor and kind nature, which made it seem like he couldn’t refuse a request, he was a man who ignored even the Emperor’s appeals.

His driving force was his scholarly curiosity, not power or wealth.

In some ways, he seemed similar to Crown Prince William, yet on closer inspection, they were different.

Unlike Prince William, who viewed everything in the world as entertainment, Count Ariat was solely interested in academic pursuits.

‘What could be drawing Count Ariat in like this?’

Edwin hadn’t yet reached the time when his pheromones would go out of control, and Count Ariat likely didn’t know about the grand mage’s treasure either.

It had been two weeks since Henry began seeing Count Ariat in these lessons, yet he was still full of questions about the man.

“There have been cases where imprints were left incomplete over time. The reason why a complete imprint fails is still an ongoing subject of scholarly research.”

Although Count Ariat hadn’t intentionally guided the lesson in this direction, the topic of imprints brought Edwin and Henry’s relationship into a deeper focus.

“It’s rumored that even the grand mage Marquis Kariyan had an incomplete imprint, though this story is only shared among scholars and lacks confirmation.”

At the mention of the grand mage, Henry and Edwin exchanged glances, knowing the truth from a letter left behind by the grand mage.

“If we could find just one piece of evidence to prove it, we could dispel countless theories that have persisted until now…”

Count Ariat murmured wistfully, casting a subtle look toward Edwin, though Edwin remained unfazed.

“Finding traces from the past isn’t easy. I once combed through everything the grand mage left behind, but I found nothing.”

Knowing Count Ariat’s intense interest in the grand mage, Henry nodded as if it were no big deal.

‘That’s because the only thing that held the grand mage’s truth was that letter with the pheromone stone… Oh?’

An unexpected thought caused Henry to pause.

When he looked at Edwin, who had been meeting his gaze earlier, he was now focused solely on Count Ariat.

“Well, I say this only in passing, but I took on these lessons solely because I could observe both imperial heirs at once. There’s no other reason.”

‘So, there is.’

Henry’s eyes narrowed as he strongly suspected that Edwin used the grand mage to lure Count Ariat.

The treasure was Henry’s discovery, yet Edwin was using it to his advantage.

“It’s already this late. I’ll conclude today’s lesson here.”

When Count Ariat closed his book, signaling the end of the lesson, Edwin gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

As Count Ariat left, Henry stretched his leg out and tapped Edwin’s leg.

“Come clean. How did you get Count Ariat to agree to be your teacher?”

“I just said I wanted to learn.”

“That’s it? Just saying that made him readily accept?”

“Yes.”

“And you think I’d believe that so easily?”

Henry crossed his arms with a scoff, realizing exactly how Edwin had managed to bring Count Ariat into the fold.

He wasn’t going to let Edwin just brush it off as if he didn’t know.

“Keep denying it. Just don’t get caught.”

“I won’t.”

“You shameless…”

Henry was almost speechless.

Though he hadn’t heard Edwin admit to using the grand mage, he’d essentially confirmed it in his mind.

With the lesson over and nothing more to get from Edwin, Henry stood up, deciding to return home for dinner with his parents.

But before he could leave, someone entered—a butler he’d grown accustomed to seeing, who politely handed two envelopes to him and Edwin.

“These are invitations from His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince, aware of Henry’s recent association with Edwin, had sent two invitations together in one package.

Henry took the envelope, momentarily stunned by the royal seal, and opened it, realizing it was indeed from the Crown Prince.

‘He can’t be inviting us because he got bored, right?’

Henry hoped his assumption was wrong as he read the invitation’s simple yet direct wording, following it to the final line.

“A dinner invitation?”

However, the host of this dinner was not the Crown Prince but the Emperor himself, with all the Dukes also invited, making Henry’s brows furrow.

‘What’s this about now?’

Nothing was unfolding according to his plan.

Henry had aimed to create favorable conditions within the original storyline, but as he looked at the invitation in annoyance, he realized meeting the Emperor alongside all the Dukes added a heavy air to the affair.

‘Ah, come to think of it…’

Remembering that Duke Lorenz would be present, Henry glanced at Edwin, invitation in hand.

Despite his frequent visits to the duchy, he had yet to catch a glimpse of Duke Lorenz.

While his father, Duke Timothy, was also busy, the situation felt different with Duke Lorenz.

It was as if Edwin’s space was completely isolated from Duke Lorenz, who had drawn a hard line after being disappointed in Edwin.

Henry, having found something Edwin would likely dislike, smirked.

“Edwin.”

Edwin, who was scanning the invitation, looked up at Henry’s call.

“You’re going to the dinner, right?”

“Hmm.”

“What kind of answer is that? This is an invitation from His Majesty the Emperor!”

Henry’s voice, which had been prickly just moments ago, took on a sly tone.

Edwin’s pheromones weighed heavily in the air as a feeling of unease settled over him.

He had a good idea of what Henry was about to suggest.

“I’ve never attended something like this before…”

“Never? Then that’s all the more reason to go. Tell His Highness the Crown Prince that we’ll be attending.”

Without waiting for Edwin’s response, Henry continued to push insistently, and the butler promptly replied with an acknowledgment before disappearing.

“Henry, you can’t just…”

“This is all for your own good.”

Henry excused himself as if his actions were purely for Edwin’s benefit.

Edwin’s overwhelming pheromones clashed with Henry’s own, who knew well that Edwin wouldn’t like it.

But there was a reason Henry was acting this way.

‘I won’t ask for much. If you don’t like me acting on my own, just tell me to leave.’

Please, just throw that pheromone stone at my face with all your might.

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