* * *

“Remy, are you sure you can handle this?” the prince asked, glancing back.

Remy’s initial thought was, ‘It’s just some rocks. How hard could it be?’

But then he remembered.

‘Oh, right. My body is trash. I’ll probably collapse halfway.’

Still, before he could voice his doubts, Ashton spoke up on his behalf.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. Remy can handle it just fine.”

Remy turned to him, stunned.

‘What is he talking about?!’

“And how would you know that?” the prince asked.

“I’ve spent the entire summer with him. He’ll be fine.”

“The entire summer… together?”

“Yes. We swam and rode horses often at his estate.”

“…Swam? Rode horses?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Remy felt another wave of cold sweat as he recalled all the automated replies he’d sent the prince over the summer.

“Hah. For someone recovering from post-manifestation side effects, you seem surprisingly fit, Remy.”

As expected, the obsessive tyrant couldn’t simply let things pass.

“You flatter me too much,” Remy stammered, hurriedly averting his gaze.

He wanted to make it clear that a sinner like him had nothing more to say.

“Well, as long as that’s the case, I’m relieved. It means we’ll be able to reach Deer Valley without issue.”

With that, Haywards resumed walking.

Relieved that the conversation hadn’t devolved into another spat with Ashton, Remy quickly followed suit.

Dressed for the hunting tournament, Remy found it surprisingly easy to climb the rocky terrain.

Despite his frail body, he’d always enjoyed physical activity and had a natural aptitude for mountain climbing.

“Hup!”

But an unexpected obstacle emerged: Allen.

Mistaking the rugged Mount Molaris for an alpha hunting ground, Allen had chosen completely inappropriate attire and kept stumbling.

“Are you okay, Allen?”

The three alphas took turns helping Allen up every time he fell.

Watching them, Remy silently cheered.

‘That’s it, Allen! Go for it! Win these alphas over and get everything back on track with the original story!’

Perhaps it was thanks to Remy’s heartfelt encouragement, but Allen began tripping so often that even the alphas started to lose patience.

For an omega, falling every few steps was excessive, and soon, the overly eager Allen found himself ignored.

It was the inevitable outcome of seeking too much attention.

While everyone continued climbing sharp, jagged rocks that seemed impossible to tread on, the two physically weaker omegas—Remy and Allen—began to lag behind.

“Ahhh!”

It happened in an instant.

Allen, who was climbing at a pace similar to Remy’s, misstepped and twisted his ankle.

He lost his footing and started rolling down the steep, rocky slope.

“Allen!”

Seeing Allen tumble down the treacherous incline, Remy panicked and yelled.

The rough terrain and steep grade made the situation extremely dangerous.

Without a second thought, Remy slid down the rocky ground, grabbing onto a rock with one hand while snatching Allen’s wrist with the other.

Allen let out a scream as his face scraped against the ground, leaving him with visible injuries.

“Allen! Are you okay? Can you stand?”

“R-Remy… I think my leg… I think I sprained it…”

“What?”

Allen clung to Remy’s hand with both of his, his expression anxious.

Remy tried pulling Allen up while anchoring himself to the rock, but his weak body couldn’t manage it.

Allen wouldn’t budge.

Desperate, Remy let go of the rock he was holding and used both hands to grab Allen.

But without the support of the rock, their combined weight pulled them both off balance.

In the blink of an eye, the two omegas were tumbling down the rocky slope together.

“Ahhh!”

A short cry escaped Remy’s lips as dizziness overwhelmed him.

If they kept rolling, they would soon reach a cliff edge.

It was terrifying.

Forget what might happen to him—if Allen got seriously hurt, it would be catastrophic.

Allen’s injury wasn’t part of the plan.

He had to restore the story, and this unexpected accident was ruining everything.

‘No! I can’t let Allen get hurt like this!’

“Hold on tight, Allen!”

Summoning all his strength, Remy managed to grab the edge of a rock with one hand while holding onto Allen with the other.

“Remy, it’s a cliff! What do we do?”

“Just shut up and hang on!”

Remy knew it was a cliff—he also knew how dire their situation was.

This wasn’t the time for idle chatter.

If they wanted to survive, he needed to muster every last ounce of strength to pull Allen up.

‘Damn this useless body!’

Grinding his teeth, Remy poured every bit of energy he had into lifting Allen.

But just then, the rock he was holding started to wobble.

The weight of the two omegas caused it to shift, making them both lurch dangerously.

“Ahhh!”

Allen’s scream echoed across the Mount Molaris.

Remy’s face flushed red as he clung desperately to Allen’s hand, his grip trembling with the effort.

‘Just a little more… Please, just hold on a little longer, you pathetic body!’

At that moment—

“Got you!”

A large hand suddenly covered Remy’s trembling one, gripping it firmly.

“You okay?”

Remy looked up, startled.

Above him was his childhood friend Ashton, his face filled with worry.

Today, Ashton looked more welcome than ever.

“Ashton!”

“What happened? Did you two just roll down the mountain or something?”

“It’s not important—help Allen!”

Hearing Remy’s urgent plea, Ashton’s gaze shifted to Allen.

Without hesitation, he climbed down the rocks and grabbed Allen’s hand.

Once Allen’s weight was off him, Remy collapsed where he was, exhausted.

Thanks to Ashton’s superior strength, it didn’t take long for him to pull Allen up.

Allen, his legs completely giving out, collapsed into Ashton’s arms.

“Are you okay, Allen?”

“Mm… I think so.”

“Can you move your leg at all?”

“No, it’s definitely sprained.”

While Ashton helped Allen, Haywards and Rex finally arrived.

Haywards, alarmed, immediately approached Remy to support him.

“Are you hurt? Anywhere?”

“I’m fine, Your Highness. But Allen—”

“I’m asking about you, not Allen. Are you okay?”

Haywards’ sharp tone left Remy flustered.

Seeing his confused expression, Haywards sighed and apologized.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”

“No, Your Highness. I was just startled, that’s all.”

“I was worried about you. You’ve got such a frail body, and being somewhere this dangerous…”

Haywards’ words left Remy speechless.

What was he supposed to say?

He felt like he should put up some kind of wall, say something to maintain his distance—but no words came out.

Instead, his heart pounded erratically, as if something was terribly wrong.

“Anyway, as long as you’re okay.”

Turning to the group, Haywards made a decision.

“Forget Deer Valley. Let’s head back down. We’ve got an injured person here.”

Everyone agreed, and they began their descent.

Allen, unable to walk, was supported by Ashton and Rex on either side.

Remy leaned against Haywards for support.

“Be careful. If you fall one more time, I’ll carry you down myself.”

It sounded like a passing remark, but Haywards was completely serious.

Even now, as he helped Remy down the mountain, all he could think about was how much he wanted to carry him.

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll be careful.”

For once, Remy didn’t argue. He let Haywards support him all the way down.

By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, the sun had already set.

The base of the Mount Molaris, bathed in a dusky vanilla sky, was unseasonably chilly for summer.

Everyone returned to their assigned tents.

Even after Haywards left, Remy’s heart continued to pound for a long time.

* * *