OPDSP 54

“That’s far too dangerous.”

“I doubt it will be possible.”

Following the Grand Duke, even the Knights Commander objected.

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“Staying in the village is too dangerous. The number of knights we can station there is limited, and it’s too far from the Grand Duke’s estate. If anything happens, we won’t be able to respond in time. In my opinion, the safest course is for you to stay at the Grand Duke’s estate.”

Of course. Aeryl had suspected it would come to this, which is exactly why he had felt that ominous chill down his spine earlier. He frowned without realizing it.

“I don’t want to go to the Grand Duke’s estate.”

He made his stance clear.

“The Grand Duke’s estate has top-level security. Skilled knights, and above all, His Grace is there.”

“…”

The Knights Commander tried once more to persuade him, but Aeryl remained silent. Even when he’d almost died at Derbas’s hands, he had hesitated to reveal his identity. That’s how difficult this was to accept.

The Knights Commander looked to the Grand Duke, who motioned for everyone to leave.

Now only Aeryl and the Grand Duke remained in the tent. Aeryl sat quietly, staring down at his hands, lost in thought. The Grand Duke looked down at him, then spoke.

“Aeryl.”

“…You’re going to ask me to come to the Grand Duke’s estate, right? I know. Staying in the village in this situation is reckless. You got what you wanted. Good for you.”

The misunderstanding that they were lovers seemed to have been cleared up. Still, as long as Aeryl remained someone of significance to the Grand Duke, Derbas would target him again someday. And who’s to say the Grand Duke would arrive in time next time, as he had now? If Derbas hadn’t insisted on killing him in front of the Grand Duke, Aeryl would already be dead.

‘Still, it’s not like this is my fault…’

He had helped the Grand Duke out of goodwill. Now, because of that, he was being dragged into a grudge he never asked for, forced to go somewhere he didn’t want to be. It felt unfair.

“I’m sorry.”

The Grand Duke sounded genuinely remorseful. His pheromones didn’t lie. If only he had been commanding or cold about it, Aeryl could have resented him without hesitation. But instead, he found himself forced to look up and meet the man’s gaze.

The Grand Duke’s eyes were darker than usual.

‘This is how I end up softening again.’

It wasn’t as if the man had chosen to manifest as an Alpha at that moment.

“I intend to keep my Alpha status a secret until things settle down. For me, it’s most reassuring to have you close.”

“…”

“I promise you, I’ll do everything in my power to hunt Derbas down. Once it’s safe, you may go wherever you like.”

“…”

“If you’re worried about the village, I’ll send a physician in your place.”

Aeryl said nothing, and the Grand Duke grew increasingly restless. Even just a hint—yes, no, a faint signal—would’ve been enough. But Aeryl only stared at him with an unreadable expression.

If only he could read his feelings through his pheromones—would he understand him better then? He wanted to try, but nothing came through. How useless.

“Is there something else you want? Just say it. Or is there a reason you don’t want to go to the Grand Duke’s estate? Is someone there making you uncomfortable?”

“It’s not that.”

Aeryl hesitated, then finally spoke. That short silence felt agonizingly long to the Grand Duke.

“How long do you think it will take to catch Derbas?”

“To be honest, I can’t promise it’ll be done quickly.”

“…I see.”

“Would it help to set a time limit? How about until spring? No one travels in the dead of winter anyway. Let’s say I’ll catch him by spring, and after that, I’ll wait. After that, you may go wherever you please, and I’ll respect your wishes.”

“And if you haven’t caught him by then?”

“I’ll assign the entire Black Knights order to protect you.”

Aeryl let out a soft laugh.

“Oh, come on, the entire order? That’s a bit much.”

“That’s the least it would take for me to feel at ease.”

“That’s enough. Still… thank you for taking it that seriously.”

The Grand Duke was sincere, but Aeryl took it merely as a sign of how serious he was about the situation.

‘Right… if the Grand Duke is making this kind of promise…’

Aeryl had been stubborn out of reluctance and a sense of injustice, but even he agreed that going to the Grand Duke’s estate was the safest option. He had no desire to stay in the village and end up captured by Derbas again. Next time, that man would kill him without hesitation.

Of course, he was still worried about his identity being exposed, so he planned to attach a few conditions.

“If I do go to the Grand Duke’s estate, may I ask a few favors?”

“Of course.”

The Grand Duke agreed readily. He seemed willing to grant anything right now. Aeryl casually listed a few things that came to mind. The Grand Duke listened with sincerity, gave them due thought, then nodded.

“None of that should be difficult. Will you come with me to the Grand Duke’s estate, then?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll see that it’s arranged.”

“I’ll put it in writing and bring it to you later, just to make sure.”

This way, he wouldn’t be able to go back on his word later. Aeryl closed the matter definitively.

The Grand Duke would have accepted anything just to take Aeryl with him—but no one knew that.

Not even Aeryl. Not even the Grand Duke himself.

Aeryl returned to the clinic to pack, then joined the purge unit. As their departure had been significantly delayed from the original plan, only the village chief was informed of his leaving.

The chief expressed regret, but when he heard the Grand Duke would send a new physician, he was delighted. It had all happened so suddenly, but Aeryl hadn’t stayed long enough to inspire real grief.

The purge unit, on the other hand, welcomed him warmly.

‘It makes me happier than I thought.’

Rather than feeling sad to leave the village he’d lived in for a month, the joy of reuniting with familiar comrades outweighed it.

The unit began their journey to the Grand Duke’s estate. The trip was uneventful. During the day, they followed well-maintained roads, and at night, they pitched tents and slept.

There was no reason to rush, and no danger. The mood was more like a casual outing than a mission, much like when they had first exited the demon forest.

Aeryl spent his time chatting with the others and eating meals with them.

At first, he’d been on edge, worried Derbas might come after him, but surrounded by friendly companions, he soon forgot.

There was just one thing that bothered him.

‘It feels like someone’s watching me.’

Constantly—at all hours—he felt eyes on him. But whenever he looked around, no one seemed to be looking his way.

‘Is it that bastard Derbas?’

If he were nearby, surely the Grand Duke or the Black Knights would have noticed before Aeryl. Even Mason, when asked, said he had been patrolling regularly but hadn’t spotted anyone suspicious following them. The knights Commander had reassured him that Derbas must have taken quite a hit during the last escape and wouldn’t be attacking again any time soon.

‘Maybe I’m just jumpy because of him.’

Stress could really mess with someone. The constant prickling of nerves was annoying, but not unbearable, so Aeryl did his best to stay calm.

But the feeling wasn’t just nerves or imagination.

It was Grand Duke Asirion’s doing.

He couldn’t stop looking at Aeryl whenever he had the chance. It wasn’t deliberate surveillance or harassment. He just found himself searching for Aeryl whenever he couldn’t see him—and once he found him, he kept looking without meaning to. Even though watching him only made him more frustrated.

‘Annoying.’

Aeryl was close with the other unit members and well-liked. As a result, he was always surrounded by people, and it irritated the Grand Duke more than he could explain.

He didn’t understand why, but he had a constant urge to barge in, interrupt everything, and drag Aeryl away from the others.

Thanks to his strong self-restraint, he never acted on it—but the impulse was definitely there.

‘If only there were no one else around, he’d stay by my side.’

Aeryl only ever approached the Grand Duke once a day—to check his condition in the evening. He was simply continuing his routine from the Great Purge period, but to the Grand Duke, it felt cold and distant, and resentment built up inside him.

Each day, he stared at Aeryl more and more, his gaze lingering longer—but he remained entirely unaware of his own emotions or behavior. Still, true to his reputation as a swordmaster, his body moved fast; every time Aeryl felt something off and looked around, the Grand Duke had already shifted his gaze away.

Really, if he was so desperate, the Grand Duke could’ve just gone to Aeryl himself. He even thought about it.

But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Every time he tried, his stomach churned.

‘…What’s wrong with me?’

Even the Grand Duke didn’t understand what was happening to him.

As the same thing happened repeatedly day after day, the people around them started to grow wary for no reason.

The more perceptive members of the unit began distancing themselves from Aeryl, one by one.

But in every group, there’s always one person who doesn’t pick up on the mood—who’s too dense or just doesn’t care.

In the purge unit, that person was Mason.