OPDPS 103

Could it have been a mistake? Maybe it was just the window rattling. Just as Aeryl was trying to think positively…

Knock knock.

“Ahh!”

Aeryl shrieked in terror. He definitely heard that outside! He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth—but at that exact moment, the door burst open.

Bang!

Someone smashed the door down and charged into the room. Aeryl jumped up in shock and wildly swung the first thing he could grab.

“Ack!”

Thwack!

The pillow he was holding landed squarely on the intruder, but it didn’t even make them stagger. They said something, but Aeryl, completely panicked, couldn’t hear it at all.

“Ah! Monster! Aaahh!”

Thwack! Thwack!

He kept swinging the pillow blindly, and with each hit, a flurry of white feathers scattered into the air. His vision became even more chaotic, and all he could see was a dark shape getting closer.

“S-someone help! Hic!”

“Aeryl. Aeryl!”

The figure called his name and grabbed his wrist. Aeryl tried to yank it away at the cold touch, but it was no use.

“You’re okay. Aeryl. You’re okay.”

It was a familiar voice. As the feathers drifting in the air slowly settled, the face of the person beyond them came into view.

“Ugh… Huh?”

It was the Grand Duke. He was looking at Aeryl with a deeply worried expression.

“Ah, ugh. Your Grace… It’s you.”

The moment he saw the familiar face in his shocked state, Aeryl felt relief—and with it, tears welled up.

“Yes, it’s me. Are you all right?”

“Why did you scare me like that?!”

“Sorry.”

“Ugh…”

Even though Aeryl unfairly blamed him, the Grand Duke apologized and comforted him. Aeryl, completely drained, leaned his forehead against the Grand Duke’s shoulder. The Grand Duke hesitated for a moment, then gently placed a hand on Aeryl’s back and began to softly pat it, waiting for him to calm down.

‘Why is he being so kind all of a sudden? He ignored me earlier… Aeryl grumbled internally but still leaned into the comforting touch.’

Despite his cool scent, the Grand Duke’s embrace was warm. It made Aeryl feel safe, as if he’d be protected no matter what danger came. Thanks to that, the terror that had gripped him quickly subsided. And with it, his reason returned.

‘…I probably looked completely pathetic, didn’t I?’

An adult, too scared to sleep after hearing a ghost story, beat the Grand Duke with a pillow. And then had the nerve to cry and blame him.

Unbelievable. To make matters worse, he was still clinging to him for comfort. Aeryl was so embarrassed he couldn’t lift his head. But he couldn’t stay wrapped in the Grand Duke’s arms forever either.

‘What do I do now?’

Should he keep leaning on him? Or say he was fine and pull away? He didn’t think he could speak. Should he just gently push him off?

But after leaning on him this much, shoving him away now would feel selfish. What’s the natural thing to do? How would he know, when he’s never leaned on anyone before?

Aeryl just darted his eyes around nervously.

“Are you feeling better now? Calmed down?”

Thankfully, the Grand Duke spoke first. Aeryl nodded and naturally pulled away to sit properly. Whew. He’d barely survived that ordeal—but another one soon arrived.

‘I can’t look at the Grand Duke’s face! What should I even say right now?’

He was still mortified and couldn’t raise his head. The silence that followed was unbearably awkward, but his mind was blank.

“Aeryl. Can you tell me what happened? You said something about a monster?”

Again, the Grand Duke led the conversation.

“Well…”

Aeryl spoke in a whisper, hesitating.

“I, um… heard the ghost story about the inner quarters…”

“A ghost story?”

The Grand Duke repeated.

“Yes. About some mysterious being sealed in the basement of the inner quarters…”

“I’ve heard the story too. So?”

“I was so scared I couldn’t sleep… and then someone knocked on the door and I panicked…”

“You mistook me for a monster?”

“…Yes.”

If only there were a hole he could crawl into. He wanted to disappear. Ugh. His cheeks burned with shame.

“I thought you were in danger.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just glad nothing happened.”

“…Yes.”

“Then get some rest.”

The Grand Duke stood up from the bed. He was leaving? So soon?

“Wait, Your Grace!”

Aeryl grabbed his arm in panic and looked up at him. Their eyes met.

The Grand Duke’s gaze wavered slightly, and Aeryl felt a hint of discomfort through the pheromones. Naturally, he remembered how he’d gone looking for the Grand Duke earlier, only to be turned away because he was “busy.”

‘Right. He’s busy…’

That was probably just an excuse. He hadn’t wanted to see Aeryl. His hand let go of the Grand Duke’s arm and his whole body sagged with defeat. The melancholy he’d briefly forgotten during the welcome party came rushing back.

Seeing Aeryl sit there so lifelessly made the Grand Duke hesitate. He’d thought Aeryl had calmed down, but now… what was this? His ears weren’t red, so it wasn’t embarrassment like before. Then he remembered—Aeryl’s eyes had glistened with tears earlier.

The Grand Duke gave up on leaving and sat back down in front of him.

“Aeryl. What’s wrong? Hmm?”

Aeryl didn’t answer and simply lowered his head again. With his face hidden, the Grand Duke grew anxious.

He instinctively lowered himself, trying to catch Aeryl’s eyes. Part of him wanted to gently lift that lovely chin to see his face, but he didn’t dare touch him. Honestly, even the hug from earlier had already pushed him to his limit.

“Was it that frightening? Why do you look so down?”

The Grand Duke soothed him with a soft voice. But Aeryl was growing more and more dumbfounded by this behavior.

‘Why am I like this? Is he seriously asking me that?’

Everything was because of him!

He was startled because the Grand Duke suddenly showed up, and he felt drained because the Grand Duke had been avoiding him. And now, the very cause of it all was acting as if he didn’t know a thing, gently coaxing him?

‘If I think about it, he’s the one who came to me first, right? Even after pushing me away during the day.’

Then he just showed up late at night, soothed him, and tried to leave again? Why come at this hour in the first place?

Lately, the Grand Duke was always like this. One moment he’d push Aeryl away, the next he’d get uncomfortably close, only to disappear again. There was never any explanation—just his own whims.

‘Try thinking about the one you’re dragging around for once!’

Thanks to him, Aeryl’s daily life had been a mess, and his mind was more preoccupied with the Grand Duke than ever before. The thought of it all left him past dumbfounded—he was just angry now.

“If you’re not feeling well, I could go get—”

“Your Grace.”

Aeryl cut him off. Considering their statuses it was incredibly rude, but Aeryl had long stopped caring about manners.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

And once the dam broke, the words just poured out.

“Did I do something wrong? Am I not good enough?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then why are you pushing me away?”

“…”

“You shove me off, then come in the middle of the night and act kind—what’s with that?”

“That’s…”

“And last night? I warned you about controlling our instincts before too, and back then, you were fine with it—so why did you get mad this time? And why come to me tonight? You wouldn’t even see me during the day because you were ‘busy’!”

Aeryl fired off question after question, barely stopping to breathe. And the Grand Duke… couldn’t answer any of them.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know the answers. The reason was obvious. He had realized—he was in love with Aeryl.

Knowing this, he’d tried to stay away, but whenever it involved Aeryl, he became impulsive and completely lost control of himself.

‘But I can’t tell him it’s because I love him, can I?’

The Grand Duke had never intended to confess his feelings. How could someone like him dare to reach for someone as good as Aeryl? He knew his place.

Besides, Aeryl clearly saw him as nothing more than a patient. If he confessed, it would only make things awkward between them. If Aeryl did accept and they became lovers, he’d be happy—ecstatic—but it would only lead to Aeryl’s unhappiness in the end.

“You’re not going to answer me?”

Aeryl snapped, but his face was crumpling into tears. The Grand Duke, powerless before that look, melted once again.

“…I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I didn’t realize it was hurting you this much.”

That was the truth. Aeryl, while sharp and kind, tended to be somewhat indifferent to others. He figured Aeryl would simply brush off his odd behavior.

He had severely underestimated how much space he occupied in Aeryl’s heart. He nearly rejoiced at that thought—before forcing himself to stop.

“How could you not realize?”

“…You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t think you can just apologize and brush it off.”

Aeryl glared at him.

“The truth is…”

The Grand Duke hadn’t meant to hurt Aeryl. He quickly searched for a reason—something believable, something he could say. Something that would put Aeryl at ease.

“My emotions are laid bare through my pheromones. And… I suddenly became embarrassed by that. So I started avoiding you.”

“…What? Now you’re saying that?”

Aeryl stared, stunned. The fact that emotions could be read through pheromones had been explained from the start. The Grand Duke knew that—and had even used it before to release pheromones in secret, ones only Aeryl could smell.

And now he was saying he was… embarrassed?

“I saw Raeler and it just hit me again. I hadn’t realized how exposed I was.”

“Hmm…”

Aeryl narrowed his eyes at the Grand Duke. His downcast lashes gave him an innocent, graceful look.

No, no—this wasn’t the time to think things like that. He shook the thoughts off and turned over the Grand Duke’s words.

Could that really be the reason? He was embarrassed about his emotions being exposed?

The Grand Duke, of all people?

But… his logic didn’t have any holes. Aeryl came to a conclusion. The Grand Duke’s explanation was actually—surprisingly reasonable!