OPDPS 78

“Why do my ears keep itching?”

Aeryl pressed around his ear with his fingers. It didn’t seem like an ear infection—more like someone was talking behind his back nonstop.

“Probably the Emperor, no doubt.”

He never imagined there were people nearby crying out his name, and so he wrongly blamed the Emperor instead.

Avoiding others’ eyes, he quietly arrived at the door to the Grand Duke’s bedchamber on the third floor.

“It’s me, Your Grace.”

He knocked softly and whispered. From inside came the Grand Duke’s voice.

“Come in.”

“Yes, sir.”

Usually, the Grand Duke would open the door himself, but today he told him to come in on his own. It was a small thing, but it stuck with Aeryl. When he stepped into the room, he saw the Grand Duke sitting on the sofa.

He had his chin propped on the armrest, eyes closed. That too was unusual, and Aeryl reacted sensitively to it.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Aeryl quickly approached. He knelt on one knee in front of the Grand Duke and checked his condition. The man’s expressionless face was like a statue—there was no way to tell how he was feeling just by looking.

“Is anything bothering you?”

“……”

Instead of replying, the Grand Duke opened his eyes. His long lashes slowly lifted, revealing eyes as blue as a winter sky. Calm and steady, they quietly fixed on Aeryl.

Whenever he was looked at like that, Aeryl felt frozen in place. Like he couldn’t move at all. Maybe it was nerves.

‘I’m not even scared of him anymore, so why do I feel this way?’

As Aeryl remained still, the Grand Duke finally spoke.

“Aeryl.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“The mages have regained their strength. It was starting to affect the work, but now we can return to our usual pace.”

“Was it helpful to you, Your Grace?”

“Very. You did well.”

He’d been praised! The joy was brief—Aeryl’s face soon turned uncertain.

‘Then why does it feel… off?’

The Grand Duke’s pheromones told a different story. They hinted at dissatisfaction, like something wasn’t sitting well with him.

‘If it helped, that’s a good thing… so why this reaction?’

Aeryl thought back, wondering if he had done something wrong. But nothing came to mind. Maybe it was something else weighing on the Grand Duke—something he couldn’t talk about easily with an outsider like Aeryl.

He was curious, but for now, the examination came first. If it was something that concerned the Grand Duchy, then it might be difficult to share.

“…I’ll begin the examination now.”

With a restless heart, he began his check-up. It was a familiar process, and he completed it without trouble. Even so, he didn’t forget to satisfy his own curiosity here and there.

“Everything’s stable again today. Let’s keep up the current regimen and continue monitoring.”

“Understood.”

“As for the test using the artifacts—it’s going to take a bit more time to get results.”

“Is there a problem with the tools?”

“No, it’s not that. I just want to be sure before I say anything.”

He felt he needed to dig through more medical texts. He had already sent a letter to his master. Until he got a reply, at least, he wouldn’t need to examine the Grand Duke’s reproductive organs directly.

“All right. I’ll leave that to you.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

‘Please… let my master’s response have a good answer!’

A short silence fell between them. Aeryl busied himself with cleaning the tools, and the Grand Duke closed his eyes again. The faint crease on his brow still nagged at Aeryl.

Did anyone even realize how hard this man was working?

It was a time when even the rookie mage was losing sleep from the pressure of not being allowed to make a single mistake. The Grand Duke must have been shouldering even heavier responsibilities.

At least the mage had seniors and colleagues. But the Grand Duke bore it all alone. Aeryl felt both admiration and a complicated sympathy that blended concern and sorrow.

‘I wish he’d lean on me more…’

He wanted to help this man, who was working so hard in silence.

“Is something troubling you?”

Aeryl asked carefully, trying not to sound like he was prying.

“…There’s always something to think about. Today… I’m just tired.”

“I see… I do have a tonic that relieves fatigue, but since you’re already taking medication, I can’t give it to you.”

“Would it be bad if I took it together?”

“Yes. There’s a high risk of side effects.”

“Even things like sleeping aids?”

“That’s right.”

“Your pheromones were fine, though.”

The Grand Duke’s gaze landed precisely on Aeryl’s nape. His eyes didn’t blink, and he stared so intently at that one spot that Aeryl couldn’t ignore it. With some difficulty, Aeryl opened his mouth.

“That’s not really a drug, and I regulate it based on the condition.”

“Is that so. Did you use your pheromones on that new mage too?”

“Yes. It helps them relax.”

‘Huh? Why bring up the new mage all of a sudden?’

Aeryl responded calmly, but the Grand Duke’s pheromones took on a deeper note of displeasure. What part of their conversation had rubbed him the wrong way?

‘Don’t tell me he’s upset that I used pheromones on someone else?’

Wasn’t it he who had once encouraged Aeryl to use pheromones to treat Innis? And now he didn’t like it? That didn’t make sense—unless it was because an alpha’s instincts.

‘Alpha instincts… that means obsession or possessiveness, right?’

Aeryl decided to probe a little.

“It’s strange—I’m using the same pheromones, but when I use them on others, it feels different from when I use them on you, Your Grace.”

“……”

“I guess I end up putting more care into it… paying more attention. It’s a difference only I notice, but still.”

Aeryl let out a soft laugh. Was that too blunt? People in the North were direct—he’d chosen his words accordingly, worried that if he were more roundabout, the Grand Duke wouldn’t understand.

He watched the Grand Duke’s reaction. Though the cold expression remained unchanged, his once-harsh pheromones softened, and beneath them, there was a subtle trace of pleasure.

‘So it was jealousy after all?’

It seemed he hadn’t liked Aeryl using pheromones on the new mage the same way he did with him. Realizing he was right felt oddly satisfying—but also left Aeryl’s palms tingling.

Still, really? Just saying he’s different from the others made him melt like that?

‘Adorable.’

‘…Wait, what am I thinking right now?’

Aeryl was startled by his own thought and clenched his fist. If the Grand Duke weren’t there, he’d have smacked himself on the head.

‘His Grace is struggling with alpha instincts. Saying he’s adorable is just… disrespectful.’

Aeryl scolded himself sternly. He needed to be wise in how he handled the bond between patient and doctor.

“Your pheromones are indeed helpful,” said the Grand Duke.

His voice was flat, without emotion, but his pheromones spread shyly. The gap between his outward expression and his inner feelings tickled something deep inside Aeryl. He couldn’t sit still anymore and suddenly got to his feet.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no… it’s just…”

What was that just now? Something had suddenly surged up from deep within him. It was unfamiliar—he had no idea what it was.

Feeling awkward, Aeryl quickly changed the subject.

“Shall I help you today as well? If you relax and rest, it’ll relieve your fatigue. You could even sleep like that. Getting proper rest is vital to maintaining good health. Of course, Your Grace is already in excellent health, but still…”

Why am I rambling like this again?! Aeryl screamed internally and barely managed to shut his mouth. Fortunately, thanks to his expertise in controlling pheromones, none of his inner turmoil was being transmitted to the Grand Duke.

…He doesn’t know, right?

“If you say so, then very well,” the Grand Duke replied.

Phew. Aeryl let out a silent sigh of relief.

“The bed is toward the back.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The Grand Duke rose first and led the way toward the bed. Aeryl followed behind, trying to calm his racing heart.

The Grand Duke lay down in the center of the bed, and Aeryl sat beside him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was okay to sit on the Grand Duke’s bed—but with no chair to pull over, he had little choice. The Grand Duke said nothing about it.

Aeryl drew the curtains around the bed to keep the pheromones from dispersing. Enclosed on all sides, the space felt warm and snug. Now it was just the two of them in a much smaller, cozier world.

The Grand Duke looked up at Aeryl. That upward gaze from where he lay felt completely different than usual. The man who always seemed impenetrable now lay stretched out in a relaxed outfit atop his bed, giving off a faintly intimate air.

‘He usually gives off such a restrained atmosphere…’

Why was it that, now and then, Aeryl felt embarrassed to even look at him with bare eyes? Was he turning into some kind of deviant?

Aeryl’s cheeks flushed lightly, and he half-closed his eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Aren’t you going to close your eyes?”

Aeryl deflected with a change of subject. He couldn’t exactly say it was because the Grand Duke looked strangely alluring.

“It feels strange to lie down at this hour.”

“Does it?”

Everyone else would already be asleep by now. Just how late did this man work every night? As his attending physician, Aeryl wasn’t happy about it—but he kept quiet for now.

“Then how about we do something that can be done while lying down?”