When I Finished Playing the Terminally-Ill Villainous Omega C40

Chapter 40

“The situation was urgent.”

“I touched your body before asking for permission.”

“If you wish to reprimand me, I’ll accept the punishment without complaint.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been seriously hurt.”

“I could’ve died.”

People began gathering around us, murmuring among themselves.

Still supported by Locke, I slowly regained my footing.

But my thoughts were in complete disarray.

How had that man—the one who had deliberately leaned into my face and made me lose my balance—known about my pheromones?

My emotions surged, making my fingertips tremble.

“Are you alright?”

“That was a close call.”

The very man who had whispered about my pheromones and smiled while I fell now lowered his brows with a perfectly innocent expression and extended a hand toward me.

It was the same man I’d dueled at the inn.

My heart pounded violently.

“When climbing stairs, you should watch where you’re going.”

“The layout here is a little complicated.”

I bit my lower lip hard.

“I’ll call the servants to clean up the broken glass.”

“You might get hurt.”

“Please stay where you are for a moment.”

The head steward hurried downstairs.

“What happened?”

“It seems the sickly young master nearly lost his footing on the stairs.”

“Good heavens.”

“We nearly had a funeral at a celebration.”

“If his health is that poor, perhaps he should’ve stayed home.”

“At least nothing serious happened.”

I couldn’t mention pheromones in front of so many people.

So despite those insensitive remarks…

I could only clench my fists in frustration.

“It seems Young Master Hestian is still in shock.”

“Why are you standing there?”

“Hurry and escort him back to his room.”

The man barked sharply at Locke before leisurely descending the stairs.

I never even got the chance to ask him how he knew about my pheromones.

Instead…

One horrifying thought overwhelmed everything else.

Everything I’ve planned…

Could it all fall apart because of that single sentence?

Frozen where I stood, I barely noticed Locke quietly whisper beside me.

“What did that man do?”

As he supported me up the stairs, his icy gaze followed the man’s retreating back.

Everyone else dismissed it as a simple accident.

Yet simply by looking at my expression…

Locke had realized it wasn’t.

That alone stirred something deep inside my chest.

“…Locke.”

“Right now…”

“I don’t want to stay here.”

“I want to leave.”

The request came completely out of nowhere.

He didn’t ask a single question.

Instead, he immediately turned around.

Then he took off his jacket and spread it over the shattered glass so I wouldn’t accidentally step on it.

“Let’s go for a short walk.”

“I have to fetch your medicine again anyway.”

“…Okay.”

He held out his hand.

“Be careful.”

Having a friend beside you…

I never realized it could feel this reassuring.

Once again, my chest tightened.

❖ ❖ ❖

By the time we’d stopped by the servants’ quarters and started walking back toward the guest wing…

I still couldn’t calm down.

Someone I didn’t even know had not only recognized my pheromones…

He’d identified their scent perfectly.

How?

And how many other people knew?

The more I thought about it…

The worse my headache became.

There were only two possibilities.

Either my second manifestation was approaching and I was unconsciously failing to control my pheromones…

Or someone had spread news of my awakening.

The first possibility didn’t fit.

Because when he’d said,

“It really is you…”

His tone sounded as though he’d heard about it directly from someone else.

That meant…

The second possibility.

As far as I knew…

Only Locke knew about my manifestation.

Of course…

I wasn’t suspecting Locke.

Anyone who had manifested could smell pheromones.

If Locke had leaked the information…

He would’ve needed to meet someone first.

Security around the estate was fairly strict.

Unless Cassian had intervened…

I’d eventually hear about any suspicious contact.

Besides…

The person Locke spent the most time with outside of work…

Was me.

The same applied outside the estate.

As a servant, Locke had to report every trip outside to Howard.

Those reports eventually reached me as well.

Not once…

Not a single time…

Had Locke left the estate.

Then there’s only one person left…

My manifestation pain had occurred while Aiden was staying at the estate.

Although our interaction had been brief…

Aiden was the only manifested individual visiting the Count’s estate during that period.

There was every possibility he’d noticed.

Considering his status and freedom to travel…

Aiden was far more capable than Locke of spreading the information to other nobles.

If Aiden really is responsible…

That’s bad.

Everything I’d planned could collapse.

But if Aiden is the culprit…

There are still too many things that don’t make sense.

Cassian and Aiden had been inseparable friends.

If Aiden knew…

Then Cassian should’ve known as well.

Yet Cassian had left the estate acting as though he knew nothing.

More importantly…

He hadn’t tried to suppress the rumors.

For someone considered the perfect heir…

The appearance of a rival brought far more disadvantages than advantages.

People who’d supported him because they believed he’d inherit the family might begin changing sides.

Ugh…

Every answer only created more questions.

My thoughts became more tangled than before.

“Young Master.”

“Huh?”

“Oh…”

“Sorry.”

“I was thinking.”

“What did you say?”

Without paying attention, I continued walking around a corner.

Locke quietly stepped beside me and stopped me in place.

Only then did I realize…

I’d been heading toward the estate’s exit.

I quickly changed direction.

“What are you thinking about so intensely?”

“You’ve seemed distracted ever since earlier.”

Friends share their burdens, don’t they?

At least asking for advice should be alright.

Thinking that, I finally told Locke the truth.

“I’m bothered by what that man said earlier.”

“I mean…”

“He actually said to me…”

After looking around to make sure nobody was nearby, I gestured for Locke to come closer.

He obediently bent down.

“‘It really is you.”

“‘You smell like grapes.'”

I copied the man’s mocking expression and tone as accurately as I could.

“My.”

Locke didn’t look surprised at all.

Only his voice carried a trace of astonishment.

At that point… don’t even bother reacting.

What kind of friend has so little sympathy?

Half giving up on receiving any emotional support, I continued.

“You know…”

“You were the only person who knew about my pheromones.”

“So…”

“You’ve been making that face because you think you’ve been keeping an enemy close?”

Locke narrowed his eyes.

“If I suspected you…”

“Do you think I’d be telling you all this?”

“Are you going to keep deciding on your own that I’m a terrible person?”

I answered sulkily.

Instead of responding…

He looked genuinely puzzled.

“You just said…”

“I’m the only one who knows.”

“And yet you claim you don’t suspect me.”

“What an obvious lie.”

First he looked offended because I might suspect him…

Now he refused to believe me when I said I didn’t.

What exactly do you want from me?

“It’s not a lie.”

“I really trust you.”

“What reason would you possibly have to spread rumors?”

“People only spread information when it benefits them.”

“It doesn’t benefit you at all.”

“Many people sell information for money.”

“The moment you said that…”

“I knew it couldn’t be you.”

“What kind of fool openly admits he’s an informant?”

“I don’t suspect my friends without reason.”

“So stop testing me.”

Locke’s eyes widened.

Golden waves rippled through his amber irises.

“…Why are you so surprised?”

“I didn’t say anything that shocking.”

“Or…”

“Are you upset because I told you to stop testing me?”

“No.”

“You simply said exactly the same thing…”

“As someone I once knew.”

“I found it… rather strange.”

“Who?”

“Someone you don’t know.”

Is he talking about that person who worried about him getting hurt?

The one he’d once mentioned.

It didn’t seem particularly important.

So I simply nodded.

“I see.”

“So…”

“You’re wondering where he learned that information?”

“When I manifested…”

“The only manifested people at the estate were you and Aiden.”

“If Aiden found out…”

“Then Cassian…”

“No…”

“My elder brother would’ve definitely heard about it.”

“With his awful personality…”

“I can’t understand why he simply left.”

“And why he allowed the rumors to spread…”

“I just can’t understand what he was thinking.”

“You’re right.”

“If he truly noticed…”

“It is rather strange that you’ve been allowed to live this long.”

Locke no longer referred to Cassian as the eldest young master.

“You say things like that so casually.”

“As if you’re talking about swatting a mosquito.”

“I’m already terrified that Cassian might appear out of nowhere and put a sword to my neck.”

“And you act like it’s nothing.”

Goosebumps prickled across both my arms.

I rubbed them vigorously while glaring at Locke.

In the end…

I muttered to myself that asking him for advice had been pointless.

Then I resumed walking through the brilliantly blooming crape myrtle garden.

After we’d walked in silence for quite a while…

The guest house where I was staying finally came into view between the trees.

I still didn’t want to go inside.

So I unconsciously slowed my pace.

Even if my friend couldn’t sympathize with me…

Even if he sometimes acted as though I annoyed him…

I still liked spending time with him.

We continued strolling slowly.

Then…

Matching my pace…

Locke suddenly murmured,

“I may have one solution.”

So he really was worried after all.

My pouting expression disappeared instantly.

“Really?”

Smiling brightly, I hurried closer.

Standing on my tiptoes, I leaned in eagerly.

“Tell me.”

Locke quietly looked at me.

Then…

He gently wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

Lowering his head until his lips were level with my ear…

His breath tickled my skin before he spoke.

“Bring your manifestation forward.”

My eyes widened.

Did he just say…

Bring my manifestation forward?

For a moment I wondered if I hadn’t heard correctly.

My hair had grown long enough to cover my ears.

Maybe I’d misheard.

When I admitted as much…

Locke glanced around.

Then…

Without warning…

He reached toward my face.

His fingertips caught the strands covering my ear and brushed them aside.

The warmth grazing the edge of my ear made my body tense.

He pulled me even closer against his shoulder.

Tilting his head…

His breath once again brushed my ear.

I froze completely.

Unable to move even a finger.

For a long moment…

Time itself seemed to stop.

Then…

Just as my heart began fluttering uncontrollably…

His deep, velvety voice flowed into my ear.

“Let’s bring your manifestation forward.”

“Together.”