RODH Chapter 44

44.

At the end of the gaze stood Nevan.

Sunlight caught between his gracefully lowered lashes.

Ian responded with a smile to that face, slightly flushed in the sunlight.

But Nevan turned his head away abruptly, as if he’d just witnessed something unpleasant.

What’s with him?

The one who sent the invitation had been none other than Nevan himself.

Ian tried to read his emotions, but there was nothing to be found on that expressionless face.

It wasn’t until Alvis called him again that Ian finally continued the conversation.

“Thank you, Lord Alvis.”

“It’s nothing. The pouch can even store a person, but do be careful when taking them out—they might get motion sickness.”

Hearing that it could hold a person, Ian glanced at Alvis’s eyes.

Gone was his usual hesitant demeanor—there was a quiet madness in his gaze.

Reading Ian’s subtle wariness, Lucian added,

“He drank a Potion of Courage, that’s why.”

“And why would he do that?”

“You know how he is, Ian. That guy’s secretly a bit of a coward.”

Lucian laughed, twirling a finger near his temple.

He’s completely out of it.

Ian sighed and told Alvis to rest at the base camp for now.

But Alvis immediately protested.

“I want to help gather berries with you, Lord Ian.”

Ian covered his nose with his hand and replied,

“Please worry about your own condition first, Lord Alvis. And that potion’s messing with your pheromones—it’s intense.”

“Yeah. Tone down that unpleasant stench,” Seor said with a frown.

They said that for alphas, especially dominant ones, the pheromones of another alpha could smell as awful as garbage.

Ian, reminded of his second life, called for Bain without hesitation.

“Let’s go, Bain.”

“Yes, young master.”

Just as they were grabbing their basket and about to head out, Seor stepped in front of Ian.

“Where are you going?”

“What does it matter to you where I go?”

“Ian Pearl Ruben.”

“Young master Ruben, you’re in front of the Crown Prince. Show some respect,” Peter said, surprisingly stepping in with a warning.

Suppressing the irritation rising in him, Ian asked,

“Is there something you wish to say?”

“I wanted to remind you that the position of Crown Princess is still vacant.”

“I have no interest in it.”

“Even though it’s a chance to elevate House Ruben’s honor?”

“House Ruben is already the Empire’s greatest house. As they say, excess is as bad as deficiency.”

“Are you really that thoughtless?”

His tone dripped with lingering regret.

He had likely gone to the emperor after the annulment, protesting it couldn’t be allowed.

But sweet words held no weight with an emperor more cunning than a fox.

Just as Ian suspected.

Seor still wanted to return Ian to the position of Crown Princess-to-be.

Once, he had been desperate to break the engagement—now the situation had completely flipped.

Seor wanted Ian.

From head to toe.

He spent all day wondering how to make him his again.

What if another alpha stole him away?

Just imagining it made his veins bulge and his fists tremble.

And Ian, who was well aware of such pathetic possessiveness, answered him clearly.

“I have no interest. I’m saying this clearly—stop bothering me.”

“Ian.”

Damn it!

Seor hurled the basket to the ground in a fit of frustration.

---

Dealing with Seor was always exhausting.

I don’t get why that bastard keeps bothering me when he clearly says he hates people.

Go ahead and strike a tree a hundred times—see if it breaks.

You’d be lucky if the angry forest spirit doesn’t devour you first.

I tried to calm myself by watching the children who would one day become heirs and heiresses of noble houses.

And before I knew it, I started to enjoy picking berries.

By the time I’d filled two small baskets, Bain spoke up.

“How about using the pouch Lord Alvis gave us?”

I shook my head.

“I’m saving it for something else.”

“For what?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Tch. You’ve got too many secrets these days, young master.”

“So you don’t like me anymore?”

“No! How could I ever dislike you? It’s just… it makes me feel a little left out.”

Bain muttered something about how long he’d served me.

I found that both adorable and slightly guilt-inducing, so I told him.

“I’m going to use Alvis’s pouch to store the journal and the magical tool. What if someone sees them lying around at home?”

“Is it a book that no one’s allowed to see?”

Bain’s eyes widened.

At this rate, I was going to end up telling him everything.

So I made something up on the spot.

“No. It’s just a family record, but if an outsider saw it, it could be a big problem. That’s why I’m keeping it with me.”

“Then couldn’t you just lock it in a vault—”

“Bain.”

“Yes, young master. A wise decision, indeed.”

He quieted down when I spoke more sternly.

I handed him the full basket and told him to bring back an empty one.

“I’ll be back. Don’t wander off again this time!”

“Got it. Hurry back.”

After sending Bain off, I looked around for more berries when I heard a crack—someone had stepped on a branch.

I raised my head and looked around.

There was nothing in sight.

I’d heard there weren’t any bear-like beasts in these woods, but just in case, I decided to head back toward the more populated area.

That’s when—

“Ah.”

“Watch out!”

I tripped over a rock while turning and nearly fell—someone caught me just in time.

The person holding my waist was Nevan.

I quickly straightened up and stepped away from his arms.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

I greeted him casually, but my chest tightened a little.

Because Nevan had avoided my gaze.

Well, if it’s come to this, I might as well enjoy the view.

I took a careful look at Nevan’s beautiful, lake-clear face, like a lotus floating on the water.

That usually calm and composed face was visibly trembling.

Why?

While I was still wondering, Nevan suddenly said,

“I missed you.”

“…What?”

He had just been avoiding my eyes, and now he says he missed me?

I tried to recall something my northern etiquette tutor had said, but there was nothing applicable to this kind of situation.

“Why did you miss me?”

“That’s…”

Nevan answered in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

“…Because we were writing letters.”

“There was nothing like that in your letters.”

Nevan’s ears turned red.

He seemed embarrassed, though I had no idea why.

Maybe in the North, they don’t often say things like “I missed you”?

Seeing his ears flush red made me want to tease him.

“Did you know, Your Grace? ‘I missed you’ is something people say to their lover.”

“Oh.”

Nevan’s red eyes wavered like waves.

“I’m sorry. I must be unfamiliar with proper etiquette… I’ll study the customs of the central and southern regions more closely.”

There was so much conviction in his response that I quickly shook my head.

“No, Your Grace. It’s also something close friends say sometimes. Don’t worry about it.”

“But just now, you—”

“That was a joke.”

This time, he blinked twice.

Only after realizing he’d been tricked did he return to his usual blank expression and ask,

“Did you collect many berries?”

“Yes. About two baskets.”

“You can take more if you like—”

Just then, we heard a familiar coo-coo sound.

I narrowed my eyes knowingly.

With a slightly awkward look, Nevan reached into his coat and pulled out a courier pigeon.

“You carry that around with you?”

It was a joke—he looked like a magician. But Nevan answered seriously.

“I brought it because I planned to give it to you in person if we met today.”

“You could’ve just sent it flying.”

“It’s gotten fluffier and doesn’t fly well anymore.”

“Fluff?”

Can feathers even get fat?

I carefully took the pigeon, wrapped in what looked like a tiny feather coat.

Compared to before, it had easily doubled in weight.

“Heavy.”

“…My apologies.”

“No need to apologize. We’ve got plenty of courier birds.”

I placed the pigeon in the pouch Alvis had given me.

Feeling Nevan’s eyes follow my hand, I explained,

“It’s a magical item.”

“I know.”

He must have heard back at the base camp.

But then why had he avoided eye contact?

Even now, every time I tried to meet his gaze, he kept dodging like a startled rabbit.

Still, at least he wasn’t literally running away. That was something.

I sat down beside Nevan on a stump-like rock.

We shared a handful of berries I had picked on the way.

“They’re tart.”

“In winter, they’re a bit sweeter.”

“You’ve had them then too?”

“When I was a child, I caught a bad cold. My father picked some for me.”

Nevan said the juice from those golden berries had been so sweet, it had made his cheeks ache.

“There must’ve been a lot of snow that winter. Sounds like the late Grand Duke really cared about you.”

“He was a good father.”