Chapter 54: The Fugitives’ Plight

The next day, Ash woke to a rustling sound.

Opening his eyes, he saw his master sitting in a chair, eating with a face that seemed to utterly detest the world.

“Are you awake?”

Tyllian asked, drawing back the curtains.

The midday sun pierced Ash’s eyes.

His whole body ached.

Had he fallen off his horse yesterday?

But that wouldn’t explain the pain in his chest.

Ash looked at his master, who was chewing bread with a face as if untouched by the world’s grime.

“I’ve got your meal ready. It would be best to eat a quick bite and depart.”

“Uh-huh.”

Ash couldn’t bring himself to look at Tyllian.

He had just remembered what he’d forgotten yesterday.

He had actually “done the deed” right there, with Tyllian watching intently…

‘Is this right?’

Ash was confused.

Unlike usual, Tyllian hadn’t looked disapprovingly at his master’s night escapades, nor had he nagged him about it.

Ash almost wished he had said something…

‘I can’t live with this guilt.’

He wasn’t usually one to heed Tyllian’s nagging, but at some point, Ash had started to fear him.

It seemed even more so since yesterday.

Why? 

The only thing that had changed was hearing Tyllian’s confession.

‘Doesn’t the person receiving affection usually have the upper hand over the one giving it?’

As far as Ash knew, that was how it worked.

Recalling his mother and father’s relationship confirmed it. 

His mother was always the eternal weaker party in front of his father.

It was always his mother’s role to be wary and flustered. 

His father acted as if he didn’t notice his mother’s feelings at all.

It might even be that he genuinely didn’t care. 

His father had many lovers.

He spent every day with people who whispered sweet words, so perhaps his mother’s emotions held no value.

But Ash couldn’t be like that.

For some reason, despite being in the opposite position to his mother, he found himself caring about Tyllian.

He hated this kind of role.

‘I told him to leave. He’s the one who stayed, isn’t he? I didn’t cheat on Tyllian, so why should I feel guilty?’

Ash tried to convince himself.

And as he did, it almost made sense.

He shed the inexplicable burden from his heart and calmly sat opposite his master.

Tyllian brought him a plate.

As Ash ate his scrambled eggs, Tyllian unfolded a map in front of him.

“I looked while you were sleeping. Our current location is here, on the outskirts of the ducal territory. The closest domain is Phonor.”

“Baron Phonor? We’re quite lucky, aren’t we?”

Baron Phonor was a relative on Ash’s mother’s side; while not a very close relation, he was someone they could ask for help in an emergency.

They could hide themselves immediately.

“Yes. It seems Lord Owen has even swayed neutral vassals. Given that even the Count believes the baseless rumors. But he likely hasn’t managed to persuade your relative, Baron Phonor.”

“How could they even believe the absurd rumor that you and I eloped in the first place?” Ash grumbled.

“Why aren’t you answering?!”

“Did you truly not know, and that’s why you asked?”

“I know! Can’t you just play along for civility’s sake?”

“Yes… It truly is unfathomable.”

Tyllian played along.

Ash’s mood was just ruined.

Meanwhile, his master mumbled as he chewed his bread, “I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“Why? Are you sick?”

“My stomach hurts from swallowing food after such a long time.”

Ash was speechless.

“Eat some soup…”

“That’s a good idea.”

His master put down the bread.

Ash’s companions were, without exception, utterly trustworthy…

The three finished their meal and prepared to depart.

As they passed through the square, people were in a commotion.

Ash was deep in thought and didn’t immediately notice.

‘Should I have managed my reputation better?’

The more he thought about it, the more cunning Owen Mills’ method seemed.

If he had spread other rumors about Ash, the vassals would have been skeptical.

However, thanks to Ash’s flamboyant past, the vassals seemed to genuinely believe he might have eloped.

Even if they only half-believed this rumor, it was advantageous for Owen.

He could separate Ash and Tyllian.

Plus, it would ruin Ash’s reputation.

While it was acceptable for a noble to have several lovers, eloping was a different matter.

Of course, an unmarried omega having multiple lovers was also a talked-about issue in aristocratic society.

Tyllian roused Ash from his thoughts.

“Lord Ash.”

“Hmm?”

“Look over there.”

Ash looked where Tyllian was pointing.

People were gathered, murmuring, in front of a wanted poster displayed in the corner of the town square.

Ash tried to stand on tiptoe to see what was written on it.

But he didn’t need to.

“What’s it say?”

“They’re certainly handsome.”

“What kind of criminal is it? People are even coming out of the Duke’s castle.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t push. I’ll read it for you. Ahem… This must be Lord Ash! He’s not a criminal.”

A man who seemed to know how to read looked at the poster and spoke. The murmuring grew louder.

“Lord Ash? Who’s that?”

“The Duke’s son!”

Gasps could be heard here and there.

‘Is he insane?’

Ash pulled his hood down to his nose.

His heart was pounding like crazy. How far was Owen going to take this?

“Someone so high-ranking, why…”

“Hold on. I’m reading it! This is… a warrant! It says Lord Ash was kidnapped by an assailant… Kidnapped?!”

“What? No way!”

“It says a guard knight who secretly harbored affection for Lord Ash committed the crime to prevent his marriage! The culprit is believed to still be within the ducal territory, so if you find any suspicious individuals, notify the guards immediately…”

“Good heavens.”

“Is this the person? The criminal?”

“Lord Ash really is beautiful.”

“The criminal looks perfectly fine too; I’ve never seen such a scoundrel…”

“Wait, didn’t an outsider come to our village yesterday?”

As soon as those words were heard, Tyllian grabbed Ash. They quickly left the village.

“Out of the way!”

A mounted postman brushed past them.

He carried an armful of posters.


Unable to withstand the wind, a few posters fluttered and fell onto the dirt road.

On them were large portraits of Ash and Tyllian.

“Crazy, isn’t he crazy?! Has Owen lost his mind? What does he aim to gain by escalating this? Isn’t his goal to marry me? If a rumor spreads that I was kidnapped by you… what, kidnapped? Isn’t that a scandal for him too?! What is this?”

An omega kidnapped by an alpha who adored him?

Anyone with a mouth would surely be spreading all sorts of imaginings about what might have happened during that process.

If Owen intended to marry Ash, he shouldn’t have escalated things this way!

Ash’s scandal would soon become Owen’s scandal.

What benefit could there possibly be for him if it was rumored that he couldn’t protect his future spouse, or that he was marrying an “unclean” omega?

Ash instinctively sought agreement, only to realize that Tyllian’s face had gone paper-white.

“Tyll?”

“It’s my fault.”

“What is?”

“My decision to escort Lord Ash… might have provoked Lord Owen.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ash hadn’t asked for an answer.

He’d blurted it out instinctively, terrified.

He had never seen Tyllian look so afraid.

“Th-that… Tyll? Calm down. Provoked what?”

‘No way?’

Ash gasped.

“Owen loves you?!”

“What are you talking about? That’s impossible!”

Tyllian’s complexion returned to normal.

He seemed so utterly dumbfounded that his fear had vanished.

“No… you said you provoked him first or something…”

“What kind of provocation were you imagining? You go out carousing every night, so aren’t your thoughts just heading in strange directions!”

“Do you have to scold me even in this situation? No, scold me… I was wrong… Right, Owen loving me, that’s creepy.”

Ash played along. 

There was no way Owen could feel such sappy emotions.

“When did I ever scold you? This isn’t… No, it’s nothing. I meant that Lord Owen might have felt his pride hurt because of me.”

‘That’s not what it sounded like, though?’

Ash preferred not to think, but he wasn’t entirely clueless. 

Or so he believed.

“Ash. I think Owen Mills has made a sensible choice,” his master, who had been reading the poster, stated.

“Huh?”

***

“Now that a warrant has been issued, Tyllian has become a criminal. Even if you publicly go to Baron Phonor now, he won’t keep Tyllian by your side.”

Ash immediately countered, “Can’t I just say it’s not true?”

“Perhaps. But if you defend Tyllian, won’t the Baron believe you’re saying foolish things out of sentiment? More importantly… a beautiful omega who was kidnapped isn’t seen by the public as suitable for a duke, is he?”

Ash’s mouth dropped open.