Cold sweat ran down his forehead, sliding down to his neck. Suddenly, his once-closed eyes opened, widening. Gasping for air, he sat straight on the bed, feeling a weight on his hand. Frowning, he turned—only to find Ren looking at him with worried eyes.

Someone—anyone, tell this man not to look at me like this...

He swallowed hard, his mind racing. Did he say something in his sleep that he shouldn’t have? But whenever he saw that woman, he couldn’t help but yell even in his slumber.

"Why are you looking at me like this?" Zayden asked nervously, his breath catching in his throat.

Ren blinked, tilting his head to the side.

"And how am I looking at you?"

"As if I had been possessed."

"How can a demon be possessed?—" Ren gasped, immediately covering his mouth. He had said the forbidden word—the one Zayden hated the most.

But this time, what flashed in Zayden’s gaze wasn’t fury but sorrow. A sorrow he quickly disguised behind an angry mask.

"What brings you here this early in the morning? How long have you been here?"

Ren lowered his gaze, his hands falling at his sides. Then his eyes flickered upward, his lips parting slowly.

"I couldn’t sleep. So I allowed myself into your bedroom. Should I not have done that? You said we don’t need to act like... servant and master, so—"

"I am not your master," Zayden cut him off, his voice low.

A faint smile tugged at Ren’s lips.

"Right. Not my master..."

Suddenly, the image of Yusha flashed before his eyes. His teeth immediately sank into his lower lip, worry twisting in his chest. He had wanted to bring up the matter to Zayden last night—but when he came in, the man was already asleep.

Unable to disturb him, Ren decided to stay until he woke.

And he fell asleep without noticing, only waking two hours ago when Zayden began to groan in his sleep, sweating as if he had a fever. But they were cold sweats. From a nightmare. How could he not recognize it after experiencing the same for who knows how long?

"And you can come into my bedroom anytime you want. It’s not like I am hiding a mistress here," Zayden joked, hoping the strange tension in the air would disappear.

However, his comment only made it heavier—silence fell in the room, but heavier. Ren didn’t answer him. He simply rose from his seat.

"Where are you going?" Zayden immediately caught Ren by the hand, his face filled with worry.

The omega turned, examining him as if he were a piece of spell written in a foreign language—one he couldn’t understand.

"Outside. For a walk."

"Oh." A soft sigh of relief escaped Zayden. "Good," he murmured.

"Did you think I was leaving you?"

Zayden didn’t answer. Instead, he held both of Ren’s hands in his, gently pressing a kiss to his wrists.

"You have no idea how terrifying the thought alone is to me."

Ren froze. His heart raced, surprised by the unexpected behaviour. No matter what, he still couldn’t get used to such a loving side of the ruthless General he had only heard about. Who knew he was a kind and affectionate man to his partner like any other?

Or maybe he was a little more... tender.

Or perhaps it was simply Ren’s lack of experience that made it feel that way.

"I will accompany you," Zayden said without hesitation.

He stood from the bed, running a hand through his damp hair.

"I will wash up first," he said before heading to the washroom.

Ren heard the sound of the door shut, then of water, then the rustle of clothes. A few clashes broke but he stood in place. Unmoving.

Moments later, Zayden returned, freshly washed and dressed in a clean shirt and dark trousers. He reached for a jacket, throwing it over his shoulders as he walked toward Ren.

Then, without a word, he took a soft muffler from the wardrobe and wrapped it carefully around Ren’s neck.

Ren blinked, surprised by the tenderness. It wasn’t the first time Zayden stood this close to him. Yet, he felt the need to hold his breath for fear the alpha would notice its unevenness.

Zayden didn’t stop there. He grabbed another jacket—his own, judging from the faint scent of musk—and slipped it onto Ren’s shoulders, adjusting it as if Ren might break with a single tug.

"You will catch a cold if you go outside dressed so lightly," he said, as if explaining his behaviour.

Ren smiled softly. He didn’t need to hear all those to understand Zayden. However, hearing it directly from him comforted him in a way. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The warmth—not from the clothing, but from the gesture—spread through his chest. He didn’t want to refuse it, and didn’t want Zayden to think he disliked being cared for. Because he did. He loved it more than he dared to admit.

The tension from earlier, whatever its origin, dissolved completely.

Though Zayden still had no idea why it appeared... or why it vanished.

He only knew one thing: being close to Ren felt right.

"So, where shall we go?" he grinned, glancing at the man beside him.

"The garden. I haven’t been there in a while."

"Alright." Zayden reached for Ren’s hand, pulling him toward the exit of the room.

Ren didn’t protest, following without hesitation.

During their walk to the garden, countless servants spotted them—mostly because they had already begun cleaning the building since the Imperial Crown Prince’s engagement had been announced.

They whispered among themselves. They had heard the rumours, of course, but seeing the two act like a couple this openly was something new. Out of the ordinary.

"Zayden, people are watching." Ren’s body stiffened every time he heard a new murmur.

"Let them. Do you want me to gouge their eyes out?" he chuckled.

Those who overheard him quickly returned to their duties, shutting their mouths. They couldn’t afford to lose their eyes.

"You..." Ren narrowed his eyes, turning to look at the man beside him in disbelief.

"I-I won’t do it," Zayden defended himself.

Zayden, you stupid! You will scare him at this rate.

He scolded himself, biting the inside of his cheek.

Ren didn’t say anything, simply looking at the road ahead. And frankly, he didn’t care.

He was no saint, and he knew very well Zayden wasn’t either.

But there was something he couldn’t wrap his mind around.

Why does Zayden keep insisting on showing himself as a kind person?