OPDPS 99

Aeryl couldn’t move as he remained in the Grand Duke’s arms. The thick clothes he’d once thought warm now felt stifling.

The Grand Duke wasn’t in much better shape. In his case, it was worse—he was fully aware of his emotions, which made it all the more overwhelming.

‘This isn’t right.’

They were both thinking the same thing. But despite knowing that, their bodies refused to listen to reason. As if their bodies were separate entities acting on their own. The longer he held Aeryl and breathed in the sweet scent of his pheromones, the more he felt like he couldn’t hold back.

The Grand Duke absorbed his pheromones with his entire being, releasing an intoxicating scent of his own. Aeryl, drunk on his scent, grew dazed. They were like triggers for one another.

‘Mmm…’

The Grand Duke stroked Aeryl’s hair with the hand resting on the nape of his neck. It was a sensitive spot—Aeryl flinched every time he touched it. Each time he did, the urge to bite him there surged within him.

Instead of giving in to the impulse, he slowly let his hand slide down. He caressed the bump of his spine, one vertebra at a time, until he reached hos waist.

“…Your Highness…”

Aeryl trembled and let out a small plea. The Grand Duke loosened his hold and looked at his face.

Flushed with heat, his expression had gone hazy. He’d always liked the way he met his gaze head-on, but there was something just as pleasing about his dazed eyes now.

Then, his gaze fell to his lips. They looked even softer, glistening with the warm breath that passed over them.

Aeryl, too, felt his eyes on him. Beneath his lowered lashes, he could sense his powerful desire.

“We can’t do this…”

He clung to the last thread of reason. The Grand Duke locked eyes with him again.

“Why not?”

Ah… he’s going to tempt me. Aeryl shut his eyes tight.

“Be–because you’re currently in a state of physical arousal. As an Alpha and Omega, we’re biologically bound to be sexually drawn to each other, so we need to stay rational—”

Aeryl couldn’t finish.

The Grand Duke’s pheromones, which had been enveloping him like bathwater, froze cold in an instant. At the same time, the hands holding him let go.

He opened his eyes and looked at him.

“Biologically bound?”

The Grand Duke repeated in a low voice.

“…Yes.”

“So you’re saying it’s just your body reacting?”

This time, Aeryl couldn’t bring himself to answer.

“Hah…”

The Grand Duke gave a hollow laugh and stepped back.

“Wait, Your Grace—what I meant was…”

Feeling that he couldn’t let him leave like this, Aeryl quickly grabbed his hand.

“If that’s what you really believe…”

He looked down at their joined hands. His eyes trembled.

“…Don’t touch me.”

And with resolve, he pulled his hand away.

There was a quiet plea in his voice, and Aeryl couldn’t bring himself to grab him again.

The Grand Duke stared at him for a moment. He saw resentment in his eyes, and also regret. Then, with a bitter smile, he turned away and left the room in haste.

‘Now it feels like I’m the one who did something wrong.’

Aeryl stood there, staring at the door, unable to even think of chasing after him. A cold draft slipped in through the crack and scattered both of their pheromones. The room chilled as if nothing had happened, and Aeryl remained there in a daze for a long time.

Hiello Asirion walked quickly, as if something were chasing him. No matter how far he went, the weight of Aeryl’s presence wouldn’t leave him. It felt like Aeryl was right behind him.

“Your Grace!”

Someone called after him, but he ignored it. Don’t look back. If I do, I won’t be able to turn away again.

‘Even for a moment, I shouldn’t have.’

All of his resolve had crumbled in front of Aeryl. A lifetime’s worth of self-control was useless.

For days now, the Grand Duke had been trying to erase his feelings for Aeryl. He’d gone out of his way to avoid him, not listen to news of him, treat him like anyone else. He filled his thoughts with duties and responsibilities in place of Aeryl. He thought he was doing pretty well.

Then today, a servant from the Central Wing reported that Aeryl was meeting with Lady Merel. He had ordered them long ago to keep watch and had forgotten to rescind the order.

He’d panicked, but it was too late—he had already heard.

‘What is she trying to do?’

What trick is she playing? Or was this just her way of lashing out at him?

He couldn’t stand the thought of Aeryl being in danger. Even though he had guards placed nearby to protect him, it wasn’t enough.

‘I have to see it with my own eyes.’

After a long stretch of restless hesitation, the Grand Duke made up his mind.

Aeryl is someone I brought here—so it’s my responsibility to look after him. He’s helped me a lot, and he will continue to do so. It’s worth it for a Grand Duke to step in.

Looking back, it was a flimsy justification, but at the time, he believed it wholeheartedly and headed toward the inner quarters. As he stood before Aeryl’s door, he briefly felt something wasn’t quite right. But the moment the door opened, all thought vanished.

“Your Grace?”

Aeryl looked up at him with wide eyes. The expression of surprise mixed with joy broke down every wall in his heart.

I love you.

That was the only thing he could think of.

Still in that daze, he let Aeryl pull him into the room. He hadn’t planned on staying long, but he couldn’t refuse that hand.

Barely recalling the reason he’d come, he brought it up. Worrying about Aeryl, getting angry at Lady Merel, then becoming anxious, uneasy—only to feel happiness all at once.

‘Aeryl is on my side.’

He had no strength left to control himself. Acting on impulse, the Grand Duke wrapped his arms around Aeryl. The moment his arms were filled with Aeryl’s warmth, a joy he couldn’t put into words flooded his heart.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

It felt so good—his heart and mind felt like they might burst from the overwhelming love.

A little more…

Aeryl’s body was hot and carried a sweet scent. He wanted to feel more. As he touched Aeryl greedily, the slender body jolted in response.

The clothes became an obstacle. He wanted to be closer—kiss him, caress him. He couldn’t hold back the urge to pour all the affection overflowing in his chest into him.

That’s when Aeryl stopped him. And what he said… was the worst.

“Because we can’t help it?”

‘Is that how it is for you? Because it’s not for me.’

He hadn’t been able to hold back his overflowing love and had embraced and touched Aeryl. He’d been happy when Aeryl accepted him. But for Aeryl, had it just been a loss of control to instinct? Or had he been looking at him clinically, like a doctor observing a patient?

Whatever the case, one thing was certain—they’d felt different things in the same moment.

‘He doesn’t love me.’

Of course. From the beginning, Aeryl had always treated him like a patient, like a subject of study.

It was a truth he already knew, yet remembering it felt like being cut by a blade. His chest ached. While Aeryl remained composed, he alone had gotten carried away in emotion and excitement.

He must have hated it.

His chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.

The Grand Duke stopped walking. He found himself standing alone in the wide garden behind the Central Wong. He hadn’t even realized that’s where his feet had taken him.

What was he doing here alone at this hour? The sound of the wind rustling the tree branches felt like mockery.

He needed to go somewhere, but his feet wouldn’t move.

He couldn’t return to the inner quarters—Aeryl was there. Nor could he go to the outer quarters—not when he couldn’t show himself as the composed Frand Duke Asirion. So, he was stuck in place.

You pathetic fool!

The voice of the previous Grand Duke rang in his head. No matter how much time passed, it still felt like yesterday.

You’re unfit to be the Grand Duke Asirion!

Maybe his father had been right after all.

Even if he’d manifested as an Alpha, he couldn’t properly fulfill that role. If his father had known, would he have been pleased to see his efforts to produce an Alpha heir pay off? Or would he have scorned him as a failure?

‘If I were a perfect Alpha, maybe Aeryl wouldn’t have seen me only as a patient.’

The Grand Duke lifted his head and looked toward the Central Wing. The leaves had all fallen, and through the bare branches, he could faintly see light.

Some lights were left on at night for security. It had nothing to do with Aeryl, but still, he felt drawn to it—like a moth to a flame. He stood there, staring at the glow for a long time.

***

The next morning, a sign appeared on the infirmary door:

[Closed]