After discussing the matters involving some of the new recruits with the armoured men, Liam escorted the knights sent by Zayden outside his mansion.

"Thank you for receiving us so kindly," one of them said, inclining his head slightly.

The others mirrored the gesture.

"I would have appreciated prior notice, but... what can we do? The General’s orders—"

Liam’s smile faltered as he took in a slow breath.

A familiar scent lingered in the air.

Sweet.

His favourite pheromones—Yusha’s.

"Why did you stop?" one of the knights asked, forcing an awkward, anxious grin.

"Hm."

Liam’s grin widened. A faint yellow light flickered around him, and soon, gray smoke began to spread across the area.

Yusha stood behind the soldiers, making sure he wasn’t noticed. He blinked as his vision slowly blurred.

One by one, the knights collapsed to the ground.

The world tilted violently around him, and soon, Yusha felt himself falling as well—but strong arms caught him mid-collapse.

The Count clicked his tongue, shaking his head. He slowly removed the armour, a faint smile forming on his face.

It was indeed his lover.

He wouldn’t have mistaken Yusha for anyone else even in disguise.

"Oh, sweetheart. Why do you keep doing this?" he murmured, lifting the omega into his arms.

Liam’s ability to induce unconsciousness wouldn’t last long on General Zayden’s knights. They were well-trained and experienced in such situations.

Some might grow immune, waking within five to ten minutes, while the less experienced could remain unconscious for an hour—or even an entire day. The latter was the case for Yusha.

His family had inherited this power from a forest spirit that existed long before Revhara itself. In those early days, his ancestors lived deep within the woods, where survival often depended on escaping life-threatening beasts.

Desperate, they prayed to the spirits of the forest—and in answer to those prayers, they were granted this gift.

However, strangely, just as Liam was about to enter the building, the servant stirred in his sleep. His eyelashes fluttered before he slowly opened his eyes.

Liam halted, frozen in place and had his power already lost its effect on Yusha? How could he have grown immune to it when Liam had only used it on him once?

When he realized the face before him belonged to Liam, Yusha frowned immediately.

"Let me go," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Liam sighed and did as the servant asked. It wasn’t as if he could escape.

Not anymore.

"Why do you keep doing this, sweetheart? How can you break your promise like this?" Liam said, clicking his tongue.

"How?" Yusha scoffed, narrowing his eyes in disbelief. "Do you truly not know why I don’t want to stay with you, my lord?"

Liam folded his arms and nodded.

"Of course. I have given you everything you could ever want."

The confidence in Liam’s voice twisted Yusha’s stomach. How could someone be so oblivious to another’s pain?

Yusha laughed then—soft at first, before it broke apart completely. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his eyes damp and burning.

"Did you think a slave’s life was like heaven, my lord?"

Liam frowned, clearly taken aback by the unexpected question. Yusha had never spoken of his life as a slave before—and Liam had already instructed him not to. Recalling it would only hurt the omega.

"Of course not, but—"

Yusha’s legs gave in, crumpling to the ground as though the strength holding him upright had finally abandoned him. Liam cut himself off mid-sentence, reaching out instinctively toward the falling man.

Yusha raised a trembling hand, shaking his head.

"I can take care of myself," he said, his voice cracking. His palms pressed against the cold stone floor, fingers quivering.

"You know... all my life, I have always lived belonging to someone. Be it the slave traders or..." Yusha trailed off.

Silence hung in the air like an invisible blade, sharp enough to behead them at any moment.

"Or?" Liam asked quietly.

"Alphas," Yusha said at last, his lips twisting into a bitter sneer—mocking himself and the role forced upon him. "Treated like a sex toy. Played with and discarded once they were satisfied."

Liam’s heart shuddered. He had never believed Yusha’s past to be gentle—but not this. Not to this extent. He bit his lip, silently hoping this was the worst of it.

"Oh," Yusha added suddenly, as if he had forgotten something.

Liam clenched his fists. He wasn’t ready to hear more.

"Let’s not forget the constant beatings when I didn’t please them," Yusha shouted, his fingers curling into the rough stone beneath him as tears spilled once more. "And how was I supposed to please them?!"

"Yusha..." Liam murmured, lowering himself beside the trembling omega.

"Please," Yusha whispered, his gaze fixed on the floor, unwilling to look at him. "I am begging you, my lord. Let me live peacefully. I don’t want to be here... Let me go," he sobbed.

Liam frowned, struggling to understand. His muscles stiffened.

"But... you said you love me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Yusha slowly lifted his head. His gaze was steady—painfully so. There were no tears left in his eyes, no fear reflected in them.

"Not anymore," he said quietly. "I can’t love someone who hurts me this much."

Something twisted violently inside Liam. His mouth tasted sour, his chest tightening as if those words had scraped something raw within him.

Behind him, steel slid free with a sharp rasp. The knights had regained consciousness. They stood close now, blades drawn, one sword resting dangerously near Liam’s neck.

Yet Liam did not move. He didn’t even look back—his gaze remained fixed on the omega before him.

Silence settled heavily between them.

Then, after a long moment, Liam exhaled.

"...Okay," he said, his voice unexpectedly low. "You can go."

Yusha stared at him, his heart aching.

I opened my wounds to you... and you... you don’t even care to hold me in your arms. To apologize. To say that you loved me... that you simply didn’t know how to show it. I would... I might have forgiven all of that.

"Let’s go," one of the knights said, stepping toward the omega.

Liam remained seated—not because he feared the blade aimed at his neck, but because he had finally decided to let Yusha go. The man was already too broken. Keeping him would only shatter him completely.

His gaze followed the servant as he walked toward the carriage. Yusha’s long hair danced in the cold breeze, yet he didn’t shiver—not even once.

***

The carriage came to a halt before the mansion. The knights dismounted their horses, one of them heading inside to notify the General.

At the entrance, Enzo—who had been waiting anxiously—jerked upright the moment he saw Yusha step out of the carriage.

Without sparing the knights a glance, Enzo rushed outside, jacket forgotten, leaning on his cane as he pulled the omega into his arms with his free hand.

Yusha smiled softly and returned the embrace.

"Let’s go," the omega whispered, remembering Enzo’s fear of alpha pheromones.

The knights had been sweating from the ride, and the alphas among them were already releasing faint traces of their scent—even if only barely.

Enzo nodded, guiding his friend into the building.

Inside, Ren and Zayden were waiting.

The moment Ren saw Yusha, he dashed forward, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"You scared me! I am so glad you are alright!" he exclaimed, relief flooding his voice. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Zayden blinked, his mouth parting slightly. He didn’t like the sight but held back his jealousy, forcing his gaze elsewhere.

"You should thank the General. Had it not been for him..." Yusha’s voice trailed off, his gaze dropping as he recalled the terrible treatment he had endured at Liam’s mansion.

This place was nothing like Liam’s mansion. It was warmer and... he felt much more comfortable and free here.

"You should go and freshen up," Zayden said, clearing his throat with a soft cough.

"I will go with him," Enzo said, smiling, guiding his friend back to his room.

Once Yusha had left, Ren exhaled sharply.

"My Lord, Yusha shouldn’t stay here. What if Count Liam comes after him again?"

Zayden folded his arms, thinking for a moment before shaking his head.

"He shouldn’t dare. But... isn’t it dangerous for Yusha to travel in this cold while he’s pregnant?"

Ren nodded.

"It can be. His body is very frail... We should wait until after he gives birth."

Zayden’s expression softened as he nodded in agreement.

A soft creak echoed from the hallway, and Eiran approached them, rubbing his eyes.

"I haven’t seen you in a while!" Ren exclaimed, rushing forward and bonking his head lightly against Eiran’s forehead.

Eiran groaned although a small smile tugged at his lips.

"And here I thought you had forgotten me."

Zayden’s sharp gaze swept over the young boy, eyebrows raised.

"I hear you have been skipping meals too?"

Eiran’s smile faltered, and he lowered his head.

"I... I just haven’t had much of an appetite lately."

Ren’s hand clenched into a fist at his side, worry flooding his chest.

"What? You can’t do that. You need to take care of yourself!"

"I-I know. I came for breakfast," Eiran forced a faint smile on his face.