Yusha laughed, almost like a madman.

And this time, the alpha couldn’t help but blurt out, "You have lost your mind. Why are you laughing like this?"

"Why not? Don’t you find this funny too, My Lord? It’s not like it matters to you whether I live or die."

"Why would you die?" Liam scoffed, as if the thought alone were ridiculous. "You are not human. You are an elf."

"Right, an elf," Yusha muttered, reaching for his ears—not pointy like they should have been for a typical elf. "With no traits of one."

Liam didn’t say anything to that.

The reason Yusha didn’t have elf ears was most likely because they had been cut off by slave traders when he was still in captivity.

Usually, they made sure to keep slaves intact to maximize their value. However, the slave market from which he had brought Yusha didn’t care. It was owned by wealthy nobles.

Hence, they didn’t care about the cost—as long as they received extra money without having to pay taxes to the emperor.

But Liam told himself countless times that it was in the past. Yusha must have moved on. It had been years, after all.

However, the fact that Yusha even mentioned death sent a chill through his blood. How could he speak so carelessly of death?

Slowly, he reached for the servant’s cheeks, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"Don’t say stupid things like that. It doesn’t matter to me—whether you have your elf ears or not. You will live long. Trust me. I will not let anything happen to you," he said with a grin—perhaps sincere. Maybe not.

Yusha simply stared at him, as if he were looking at a stranger.

Yusha didn’t pull away.

But he didn’t lean in either.

His eyes were vacant, unfocused, as if Liam’s words passed straight through one ear and out the other without leaving any impact.

The kiss, the words, the promises—none of it reached him.

He was like an empty bottle whose cap had been sealed long ago.

"Trust you...?" he repeated faintly.

Liam paused, his smile faltering for the briefest moment. He straightened, studying the omega’s face as if searching for the man he used to know—the obedient, quiet servant who never questioned him, who smiled softly and accepted whatever scraps of affection were given.

But Yusha wasn’t looking at him like that now.

"You say you won’t let anything happen to me," Yusha continued, his voice calm to the point of being unsettling. "Yet you were ready to let me die out there. Ready to let our child disappear as if it were nothing."

"That’s different," Liam replied immediately, irritation creeping into his tone. "You are twisting my words," he added under his breath, trying not to lash out.

"I am not, My Lord," Yusha said, his hand slowly coming to rest over his stomach, protectively.

Silence stretched in the room, similar to a court hearing where the culprit awaited their verdict. The air grew heavy, suffocating.

Liam clicked his tongue and stood abruptly.

"You are being emotional. That’s all. Rest. Eat." He gestured toward the tray as if it were the solution to everything. "We will talk again once you have calmed down."

He turned toward the door.

Behind him, Yusha spoke—softly, almost gently.

"My Lord."

Liam stopped.

"If I disappear one day," Yusha said, eyes lowered, voice steady, "please don’t look for me."

Liam’s hand tightened around the door handle.

"What nonsense are you saying now? You are not going anywhere!" he snapped, not turning back.

Yusha smiled. A small, quiet smile—one that never reached his eyes.

"Perhaps I am just tired," he replied. "That’s all."

Liam scoffed.

"Well, whatever it is. Make sure you don’t cause a scene tomorrow morning. I’ve already found someone to abort that thing inside you, so be prepared," he stated before turning away and shutting the door behind him with a sharp slam.

The moment the sound of his footsteps faded, Yusha’s smile crumbled.

He exhaled shakily, fingers pressing into the sheets while his other hand remained over his stomach.

Terror.

The thought alone of losing the baby sent terror flooding through him. Did he love it? He didn’t know. But every fragment of his body screamed that he had to protect this life.

"I won’t let him harm you," he whispered, his voice breaking at last. "Even if I have to leave him for you. You are... my blood... my baby."

For the first time that night, his fear shifted into something else—no longer paralyzing.

And somewhere deep inside, where the obedient slave had once lived, something new began to take shape.

An omega’s instinct.

One he had thought long erased from his entire being.

***

Although it was already past three in the morning, Yusha didn’t sleep for even a moment. Thoughts of escape—and the nightmares that clung to them—kept his eyes wide open, refusing him even a second of rest.

Sitting on the bed, he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. He knew very well that by now, Liam must have been asleep somewhere else.

Rare were the nights Liam spent with Yusha in the same room. Even now, the servant couldn’t help but wonder if it had all been a mirage—that Liam had ever held him in his embrace.

A man like him—dirty, stained—had never belonged beside someone like Liam, a man of noble birth from the very beginning.

Yusha searched the room for anything he might need to escape. There wasn’t much. He barely managed to find a pair of boots and a thick black blanket, which he wrapped around himself in place of a jacket.

Holding the boots in his hands, he quietly descended the stairs, careful not to make a single sound. He avoided wearing them for now—the soft carpet was safer, quieter. His heart pounded with every step.

Some of the knights were asleep, sprawled against the walls or slumped in their chairs. Others remained wide awake, eyes sharp even in the dim light.

Yusha slipped past those who slept, lowering his body, shrinking himself as much as possible so they wouldn’t catch sight of his figure—or even his silhouette. Thankfully, the lights were low, shadows pooling heavily along the walls.

Then, a sudden movement.

One knight headed toward the stairs, his steps slow, cautious. Perhaps he had noticed a shadow.

Yusha halted. In a split second, he crouched down on the steps, hiding behind the railing, his breath frozen in his throat as if breathing alone could get him caught.

The knight stopped, tilting his head slightly. After a moment, he scoffed and shook his head.

"No way he would be leaving at this hour," the man muttered before turning back to his post.

Yusha exhaled silently, relief washing over him—but only for a moment.

It was far too early to feel safe.

He was still inside the building.

Carefully, with slow and silent steps, he finally reached the first floor.

Knights were scattered throughout the hall—some asleep, others vigilant.

Yusha held his breath, scanning the area for an exit. He had draped the black cloth around himself like a shadow, the boots clutched tightly in his hands. He didn’t believe he had it in him to escape. If he had, he would have done so back at the slave market.

Yet, strangely, for this child, he was willing to do anything. Even crossing an ocean of boiling lava.

If Liam had heard this, he would have called the omega foolish. Because who would willingly risk their life for someone else? Worse—someone who had not even been born yet.

Just then, the omega noticed the door. Thankfully, the guards who slumped on the floor appeared to be asleep. Inhaling deeply, he quickly tiptoed toward it.

Somehow, he managed to slip a bunch of keys from one of their pockets. He tried one, but it didn’t work. Another, in vain.

After trying four times, he finally unlocked the door. He slowly swung it open just enough to slip outside, then gently shut it behind him. The chilling air greeted him like a sharp slap against his skin.

He still couldn’t believe he had escaped—alone—without anyone’s help.

No. It was too early to feel safe. He had to find Ren. He had to tell him how Liam had brought him here only to kill the precious life inside him. How cruel that man truly was.

He set the boots on the ground and quickly slipped his feet into them, shielding himself from the snow that had already begun to soak through his thin clothing.

Shivers ran down his body, but he didn’t stop. He stepped into the white expanse, hoping to find a way to reach his friend.

He had no idea where he was. Only the building he had escaped from loomed behind him. There were no gates—no guards posted outside.

Where were General Zayden’s knights?

Had they returned?

The question could only be answered by Liam, and Yusha refused to return to that man.

Heavy snow poured down, settling on his hair and face, quickly melting against the warmth of his skin. He was strangely grateful although he felt like his entire body would freeze in place.

If the snow continued until Liam awoke, his footprints would be erased, making it far harder for the alpha to track him.