Chapter 47

Startled by his tears, Leon stepped toward the bed but hesitated.

The air was thick with the heavy, sweet scent of Elwin’s distressed pheromones. Elwin lay before him with flushed cheeks, his hair and nightclothes thoroughly disarrayed.

The fierce, predatory edge in Leon’s eyes when looking at Dwight instantly softened, though the skin around his eyes flushed a deep red. The veins along his thick neck throbbed violently. Elwin knew Leon was an Alpha as well, yet he felt none of the instinctive terror or revulsion he had felt with Dwight.

There was only a boundless, overwhelming sense of security.

He came. He heard my voice and he came for me.

As Elwin wept in silence, the frantic chatter of servants alerted by the noise began to filter down the corridor. Several male servants quickly entered, wrapping the battered Dwight in a tight hold, while Toby scrambled in behind them.

Sobbing hysterically, Toby quickly administered a strong suppressant and a sedative to Elwin.

“Oh, young master! What did he do to you? You must have been terrified!”

Toby’s hands shook violently; he looked far more distraught than Elwin himself. The entire room was plunged into chaos. The staff hurried to restore order, trying to make sense of the near-tragedy.

Even amidst the lingering shock, Elwin worried about the fallout for the household, but as the sedative took effect and the safety of Leon’s presence washed over him, an irresistible exhaustion pulled him under.

Through heavy, closing lids, Elwin sought out a familiar silhouette. Amid the chaotic crowd, he saw Leon quickly swallowing an Alpha suppressant. When their eyes locked, Leon gave him a soft, reassuring gaze, wordlessly promising that everything was under control.

In the hazy descent into sleep, Elwin felt a strange, bittersweet ache in his chest.

He wanted to thank him. No… what his heart truly yearned to convey to that man was…

***

“I am so sorry, young master.”

When Elwin opened his eyes the following morning, the first thing he saw was Toby’s face, his eyes swollen so badly they were mere slits. Despite the dull ache lingering throughout his own body, Elwin felt a wave of pity for his exhausted friend.

“Toby, have you been at my bedside all night? Good heavens… and why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong.”

“But I did… I kept pushing you toward him all this time. I was so foolish, so incredibly blind. Please forgive me, young master.”

Toby’s freckled nose flushed a deep crimson.

“If I had known Mr. Dwight was such a monster, I would never have encouraged you! Hic… to think I actually encouraged you to drink with him, practically throwing my precious young master into the beast’s jaws… waah…”

Toby sobbed, his entire face trembling with grief. It was a marvel that such torrents of tears could still flow from eyes so swollen they looked practically sealed shut.

Elwin offered a weak, tired smile. In truth, he had feared that Toby, in his obsession with the estate’s future, might have said something as insensitive as, ‘Since Mr. Dwight snuck in, you should have used the opportunity to secure the bond!’

But he had misjudged him. Toby had only ever wanted his happiness.

Elwin reached out, gently patting his old friend’s hand. “Do not blame yourself, Toby. I was the one who devised the marriage plan in the first place. You were only trying to assist me.”

“But that plan was flawed from the beginning, young master! It was never about your happiness—you only did it to preserve the Ravenwell name. What will we do now? If the Ravenwell earldom falls into the hands of a tyrant like that…”

Toby’s words weighed heavily on Elwin’s chest, but he kept his voice steady. “We will cross that bridge when we must. Where is Mr. Dwight now?”

“That scoundrel… if it were up to me, I would have dragged him to the gates last night. But doing so prematurely might put us in legal jeopardy. We couldn’t allow him anywhere near your chambers, so we relocated him to Mr. Alfred’s quarters in the annex. The footmen are keeping him under twenty-four-hour watch.”

“I see. Everyone has had a difficult night because of me.”

“Do not worry about us, young master; our only concern is your well-being. What is our next move? I want to take this straight to the magistrate, but Mr. Alfred advised us to wait for your command. He strictly warned the staff that not a word of this must reach the village, or Miss Eleanor.”

Alfred’s caution was entirely warranted. It was unjust, but high society routinely treated an unmated Omega who survived an assault as a stain on the family’s honor. Noble households almost always swept such scandals under the rug to protect their standing.

Furthermore, rumors had already circulated among the young nobles that Elwin was desperately soliciting Dwight’s affection. If the truth came out, public opinion would likely shift to blame Elwin, mocking him for crying foul over an outcome he had supposedly orchestrated.

Dwight’s venomous words echoed in his mind once more.

Did I truly bring this upon myself…?

—“You were begging me to notice you. Just act like an Omega and spread your fucking legs quietly.”

The memory of those words felt like a fresh blade in his chest, bringing back the icy terror of the night before. To hide his pale face from Toby, Elwin turned toward the desk—only to freeze.

The wooden stand on his desk was empty. Echo was missing.

“E-Echo! Where is Echo…?” Elwin gasped, panicking as he scanned the empty birdcage. Echo despised being caged, viewing it as an insult to his intelligence, but he was nowhere in the room.

“Oh, Echo is out in the courtyard,” Toby answered with surprising calm.

Elwin blinked. Echo rarely ventured outside even when the terrace doors were wide open. He hurried to the window and looked down.

There, walking slowly through the manicured hedges, was Leon. Perched majestically on his broad shoulder was the large gray parrot.

Elwin let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, pressing a hand to his racing heart. Yet, it was an astonishing sight—the notoriously temperamental Echo was resting contentedly on the shoulder of a man he had barely met.

“Look at the little traitor,” Toby muttered. “He was throwing a tantrum all night because of the noise, but look at him now, pleased as punch.”

“Was he… was he injured last night? Dwight threw him quite hard. Is he limping?”

“He was definitely sore and fussy. But Mr. Leon examined him thoroughly. He mentioned he used to train falcons on the northern border, so he has a way with birds. Look at that—Echo is actually nuzzling him!”

“My goodness. I have never seen him do that with anyone.”

“Exactly! I am the one who feeds him and scrubs his cage daily, yet he treats me like a common servant. It turns out he isn’t antisocial at all—he’s just superficial!”

Elwin couldn’t help but agree; a man with Leon’s striking features could easily charm any creature. But more than that, Echo was highly intuitive; he must have recognized who his savior was.

“Perhaps he knows Leon saved his life,” Elwin murmured softly.

The memory of Leon’s intense, protective gaze from the night before resurfaced. Those dark, burning eyes had cut straight through his panic.

As if sensing his gaze, Leon stopped in his tracks and looked up toward Elwin’s window. The moment their eyes met, a warm blush crept up Elwin’s neck. Leon slowly mouthed a question, exaggerating his lip movements so Elwin could read them.

Are… you… alright?

Elwin nodded quickly. Leon’s face broke into a brilliant, dazzling smile, and he mouthed another message.

Elwin’s heart did a sudden flutter.

I am coming up.

Before Elwin could gesture otherwise, Leon turned and strode purposefully toward the manor entrance. Elwin spun around in a panic.

“Mr. Leon is coming up right now! Toby, look at me—I must look a fright. Quick, where are my spectacles?”

Toby stared at him in mild amusement. The young master possessed a face so exquisitely sculpted it seemed touched by the divine, yet he had never once cared about his appearance before others. Seeing Elwin’s cheeks flush like blooming roses, the realization finally dawned on Toby. Despite his constant presence at Elwin’s side, he had been entirely blind to his master’s growing feelings.

Toby immediately sprang into action.

“Do not fret, young master. You look lovely even when you’ve just opened your eyes. Let us get your dressing gown on, and I will tidy your hair.”

Just as Toby finished smoothing the silk robe, a firm knock sounded. Elwin called out for him to enter, his voice trembling slightly.

Instead of the door swinging open, the entire wooden door panel fell forward with a loud rattle. Elwin had wondered how they had repaired the splintered door overnight, but it seemed they had merely propped it back into the frame. Leon casually caught the massive wood panel with one hand and set it aside against the wall with effortless grace.

That man has a habit of dismantling doors wherever he goes.

A soft laugh escaped Elwin’s lips. Seeing him smile, the tension melted from Leon’s shoulders, and a warm smile mirrored his own. Toby looked between the two of them, sensing the thick, sweet atmosphere developing in the room, and discreetly backed toward the exit.

“Well, I shall leave you two to converse!”

Elwin blushed deeper, not entirely understanding why the emotional Toby had suddenly become so cheerful. Before he could find his voice, a third party interrupted.

“Echo! Echo!” the parrot shrieked, indignant at being excluded from the conversation. He rubbed his beak affectionately against Leon’s dark locks.

“So his name is Echo? He was very clear about that,” Leon said, chuckling. “He is remarkably intelligent.”

Echo had a habit of repeating his own name incessantly to anyone who caught his interest, likely screeching until Leon’s ears rang.

Embarrassed by his pet’s antics, Elwin murmured, “Did he cause you trouble last night?”

“Not at all. He kept me excellent company while the manor was in an uproar. Didn’t you, Echo?” Leon stroked the feathers beneath the parrot’s wing, his gaze shifting back to Elwin. Though his tone was light, his eyes scanned Elwin thoroughly, checking for any lingering distress. Knowing Leon’s polite nature would prevent him from bringing up the trauma, Elwin took the initiative.

“About last night… I do not know how to fully express my gratitude. If you had not arrived when you did, I…”

“Please, there is no need for thanks.”

“Are you unhurt, Mr. Leon? Dwight was violent.”

“I am perfectly fine. My only concern is your well-being, my lord,” Leon replied, his voice dropping to a gentle, serious register. “Mr. Elwin, I took the liberty of examining the crystal decanters from last night’s dinner. I found traces of a potent sedative-aphrodisiac. Did you experience any unusual symptoms prior to the incident?”

“So Mr. Dwight did drug the wine… I had suspected as much.”

“As I thought,” Leon muttered, turning his head away to conceal the dark fury crossing his features. Elwin watched the muscle in Leon’s jaw twitch violently as he clenched his teeth. Seeing such genuine rage on his behalf filled Elwin with a mix of warmth and guilt.

“But… regarding that matter, I am not entirely blameless either,” Elwin confessed softly.

Leon turned back, his brow furrowing in confusion. “What? What do you mean by that, my lord?”