DSB 44

Lebel took one step toward Yutis. He calmly watched Yutis, who was trembling before him.

He must have been greatly shocked by the word divorce that he had not even tried to run away and had let his hands be caught so obediently.

He heard gasps and whistles behind them, but the only one worth his attention stood before him.

Since the effect was so good, perhaps he should make use of it a little longer.

As he stared at those wide, startled eyes, Lebel spoke slowly and solemnly.

“I never said I would divorce you. But since you were the one who kept your distance from me first, it is only right to think that the one who considered divorce was you.”

“No, no. I only, I only feared that I might hurt you again.”

Should I train this body so he will stop worrying?

“I did it because I wanted to. And now I am fine. Since I am fine, I even played tag with you.”

“……”

“I caught you. So will you stop running now?”

Yutis nodded blankly. Lebel gave a small smile and brushed his cheek.

“Good.”

Yutis drew a deep breath. The gentle smile that bloomed before him felt warm like spring sunlight and his vision turned white.

The beast called instinct, which had been hiding under reason, began to stir. He wanted to claim him here and now. Yutis bit down and spoke.

“My wife, I…”

“The matter of the rut is finished. If you are this frightened after only one time, how will you manage when it happens again later?”

“……!”

As Yutis froze and trembled, Lebel tilted his head slightly.

He had heard that rut came regularly. Normally, medicine could suppress it, but Yutis had difficulty with suppression.

And suppressing it was not necessarily good either, because enduring it was painful.

“I heard the suppressant barely works on you. Enduring with that must be hard.”

Lebel recalled his room. It had not looked like a place where a person lived, with things that seemed meant to restrain him scattered everywhere.

It made no sense to call such a place a room. He could not leave it that way forever.

“The physician said my pheromone gland is functioning normally, and that my heat might come soon.”

“…The heat cycle.”

“Yes, that. When it comes, should I also receive an alpha’s pheromones? Or should I ask someone else since you react too strongly to mine?”

Yutis gripped his hand tightly and spoke with an alarmed expression.

“I will help you. Do not ever take pheromones from anyone else.”

Lebel nodded with satisfaction.

“That is right. That is what a married couple does.”

He had a husband, and Yutis had him as a wife. It made no sense that he should suffer through the rut taking suppressants.

If needed, they could join their bodies as they had that day.

“When my heat comes, I will also need to ask you for help, so you do not need to be the only one feeling guilty.”

Lebel paused for a moment and wondered if he would also turn into a monster like Yutis, since he was a human who harbored demonic energy within his body.

“Well, if you dislike it, you may refuse…”

“Who, who said I would refuse? When your heat begins, you must tell me at once.”

The fire burning in Yutis’s eyes made Lebel feel relieved. At least he was eager.

“That is good. Then during the rut, we will help each other.”

Yutis’s lips moved soundlessly. It seemed the situation was flowing exactly as Lebel intended.

He had not expected him to forgive so easily, and even less that it would end with them agreeing to spend their heat cycle together.

Bron, who had been watching, spoke to Yutis with a teasing tone, frustrated that he stayed silent.

“Lord Yutis, surely you are not refusing, right? You should hurry and agree. You will be the one to regret it if you don’t.”

“Bron, be quiet.”

Yutis growled as he spoke to Bron.

“Hm, was that day not satisfying then? Well, you have no experience so…”

“N, no. I was, I was pleased too.”

Yutis’s face turned crimson as he spoke. When Lebel saw him blushing, he burst into laughter.

“Yes, I was pleased as well.”

“Wow. Young Madam, are you a seasoned seducer? Or have you had much experience in love?”

Bron’s suspicion sounded reasonable as he watched Lebel handle Yutis so easily.

“What nonsense are you saying?”

“Bron, I have watched you long enough to see that you talk far too much. Go to the training ground and run ten laps.”

“What? No, now?”

“Go now.”

Bron grumbled, but when he saw Yutis’s cold gaze, he said he would go and ran off into the distance.

Lebel looked at Bron, then glanced down at their joined hands. Yutis’s fingers had interlaced with his as if he could not bear to let go.

He yawned as his nerves, which had been tense began to relax, and drowsiness came over him.

He rested his head against Yutis’s chest.

“Are you tired?”

“Mm. I do not know. But my legs ache.”

He remembered chasing him since morning as if they had been playing tag. Thinking about how he had left his warm bed to come outside just to catch him made him laugh.

Yutis lifted Lebel without hesitation. He held him securely in his arms embraced him.

“Is your body still unwell?”

“I rested for several days. All my wounds have healed.”

Yutis instinctively buried his nose in Lebel’s neck to catch the scent of blood.

“Ah, right. While I was resting, I also learned how to release pheromones.”

Yutis, who was nuzzling his neck, stopped moving when he suddenly caught the strong scent of Lebel’s pheromones.

It was the same fragrant floral scent that Yutis had wanted to breathe in again.

He inhaled for a long moment and wanted to take in every trace, but he bit the inside of his mouth and raised his head. He had hurt him once already, so he could not let himself crave him again.

But what came out of Yutis’ mouth was the words claiming his pheromones as his own.

“With me, it is fine to release your pheromones. But not before others.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

“You sometimes release pheromones without noticing. Few people can sense your scent, but those who are sensitive might. You must be careful.”

“I release them sometimes?”

Lebel had believed he hid them well, since no one had ever said they smelled his pheromones.

“Even now?”

“Yes, subtly.”

“Mahan, have you ever caught my pheromones?”

“What? Me, me? Never!”

Lebel tilted his head. It seemed only Yutis could detect them.

“You must be sensitive.”

Lebel recalled what Mark had said about how to release pheromones. Then he would do the opposite, as if blocking the passage of breath, closing it more tightly.

“How about now?”

“…There is no scent.”

“Good. I will keep it this way.”

“You do not need to do that now…”

“……?”

Yutis suddenly stopped speaking.

“It is cold. Let’s go inside.”

Lebel noticed that he had changed the subject but did not question it.

It looks like he wants to smell his pheromones. You can tell by the reddened earlobes.

“You will come with me?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then shall we eat together later?”

“If that is your wish.”

Lebel smiled with satisfaction. Yutis stared at Lebel’s smile.

Why had he been so foolish as to avoid him? Now that he was beside him, the restless feelings inside him seemed to calm. He regretted wasting so much time hiding.

He should have stayed to take care of him. He should never have left him alone.

“Wife, please live a long life with me.”

“Do not say the obvious. We will live a hundred years together.”

Even with a human’s short lifespan, a hundred years would be possible.

Yutis smiled and carried him back toward the room, then he gently laid him on the bed.

After that, their days returned to routine.

When he opened his eyes, Yutis was there. They ate together and went walking together.

Yutis’s subordinates came once and bowed in unison to offer their apologies.

After them came the servants. Mahan gathered every servant from the castle and made them bow before Lebel.

Lebel could not understand why they spoke as if they had committed a grave sin.

They said they regretted doubting his sincerity and that they had been wrong, but Lebel had no intention of criticizing anyone’s thoughts.

When he told them it was fine, they grew flustered and promised to serve him with greater devotion before they left.

Perhaps because of that, everyone began to tend to him even more sincerely.

One example was the cook, who came personally the day before to ask which dishes had suited his taste and then prepared those for the table.

Lebel finished his meal contentedly. Though the medicine bowl still arrived at the end, he had come to accept it. To live a hundred years, he had to be healthy.

Then he noticed the white pills Yutis was taking.

“Is that what they call the suppressant?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Lebel watched Yutis swallow the pill with water. At the time, he had thought little of it, but now he realized what it was.

“You take it even after spending the rut with me? I do not take any.”

“It is usually taken when the symptoms begin to appear.”

“But you are still taking it now.”

Yutis remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“I take it as a precaution.”

Lebel narrowed his eyes at him. His demonic energy was no in turmoil like that day. Everything about him was calm.

But the cold, heavy air around him still made him look like a sleeping beast.

It feels as if things have returned to normal, but he is still restless.

“You are fine now, so stop taking it.”

“I take it in case something happens.”

Lebel’s eyebrow twitched, and then he realized something.

When he said they would help each other during their rut or heat, Yutis never gave him an answer.

‘Ha, so this man has no intention of doing it with me.’

That thought strangely made him displeased.