OPDPS 110

The Grand Duke’s intentions were clear. His lowered blue eyes were fixed on Aeryl’s lips.

‘Uuhhh!’

Caught off guard, Aeryl squeezed his eyes shut. The Grand Duke took that as permission and boldly pressed their lips together.

‘So soft.’

Even though his face was sharp like an ice sculpture, his lips were soft. It was obvious, yet somehow surprising.

The Grand Duke watched Aeryl’s reaction and began to move his lips slowly. Aeryl, dazed, felt the warm and soft lips suck and lightly nip at his own.

It was a feeling he had never experienced before. Especially when the Grand Duke sucked on his lower lip—he shivered at how good it felt. The initial shock melted away, and Aeryl was drawn into the kiss. Without thinking, he grabbed the Grand Duke’s arm, and the Grand Duke deepened the kiss eagerly.

“Breathe,” the Grand Duke whispered. The hot breath that landed directly on him sent a strange thrill down his spine. Only then did Aeryl let out the breath he’d been holding.

“Why…?” Aeryl asked blankly. He couldn’t understand how their conversation had turned into this.

“Do you not know what you just said?”

The Grand Duke looked delighted. Did I say something like that? Aeryl stared back with a confused and slightly wronged expression.

“You said you wanted to know more about me.”

“Well, I did, but…”

“That means you’re interested in me. But you stopped yourself because you were afraid I might get hurt.”

“And?”

“That means you like me that much.”

“How does that follow at all?”

Even the Grand Duke started to worry he might be overestimating Aeryl’s interest. Aeryl’s actions seemed to go beyond a physician’s duties, but since it was Aeryl, he couldn’t be too sure.

So he kissed him. If Aeryl’s interest was mere curiosity, he’d push him away. But if the Grand Duke’s guess was right, he wouldn’t.

Of course, there was a chance he was wrong and things would become awkward. But in that moment, it was hard to resist the impulse to kiss him.

No, he didn’t want to resist.

“You liked it.”

The Grand Duke was confident. Aeryl hadn’t rejected him—he was releasing a sweet pheromone.

“Is this how you treat your patients?”

“T-That’s…”

“Or is it that instinct you mentioned?”

Aeryl opened his mouth to argue, but couldn’t think of anything convincing. With a faint defiance, his eyebrows dropped and muttered,

“I don’t know.”

So stubborn. But the way he was still clutching his arm tightly made him seem all the more lovable.

The Grand Duke decided to play his final card.

“If you don’t like it, push me away.”

“Huh?”

Aeryl’s surprised voice was swallowed by the Grand Duke’s mouth. This time, it wasn’t just a kiss. The Grand Duke gently bit Aeryl’s upper lip. The slight stimulation made Aeryl moan and part his lips.

“Ahh…”

Through the opened lips, the Grand Duke’s tongue slipped in. Aeryl was startled by the sudden invasion, but the Grand Duke’s hand supported the back of his neck, not allowing him to pull away. So Aeryl couldn’t stop the tongue that began to move freely inside his mouth.

The Grand Duke’s tongue brushed lightly along the roof of Aeryl’s mouth, then wrapped around his stiff tongue. The sensation was so unfamiliar and strange—but rather than pulling away, Aeryl wanted to feel more.

“Mmm…”

Letting out a low moan, Aeryl wrapped his arms around the Grand Duke’s neck. The Grand Duke shifted the angle of his face and kissed him even deeper. Wet, sticky sounds echoed down the hallway.

His tongue teased Aeryl’s mouth, rubbing against his tongue, sometimes biting his lips or delving deep inside.

“…Uh. Mmm…”

Aeryl accepted everything the Grand Duke gave him.

Sex education never covered this part.

It felt unfair. He had learned how to copulate to bear children, but no one had taught him about kissing.

They should’ve taught him something this good. His body felt warm and floaty, yet tingled all over. It was hard just to keep up with the sensations, but he didn’t want to stop.

The more they stimulated each other, the more the Grand Duke’s pheromones seemed to melt and pour into him. Whenever that happened, his lower belly burned with heat.

“Mmm…”

A moan escaped on its own. In response, the Grand Duke’s tongue moved more eagerly, exploring deeper, as if he wanted to touch every part of Aeryl. Even when he tried to back away slightly, the Grand Duke’s firm hand supported his head.

His large hand slid into Aeryl’s hair, fingers combing and tangling through it. Each touch sent ticklish, shivery sensations through him, and Aeryl realized for the first time that his scalp was a sensitive place.

“Ah, mm…”

As Aeryl fell deeper into the kiss, the Grand Duke’s hand brushed against the strap of his glasses.

No!

Startled, Aeryl pushed against the Grand Duke’s shoulder and checked with his other hand if his glasses were still in place. Thankfully, though slightly askew, they were still covering his eyes.

“Aeryl?”

The Grand Duke looked down at him, startled. He seemed confused at being pushed away after such intense focus.

“My back hurts…”

Aeryl made up an excuse. He didn’t want to reveal how sensitive he was about the glasses. Though the Grand Duke had been supporting his neck, the way he’d bent backward had put some strain on his back—so it wasn’t a complete lie.

“And it’s cold…”

He shrugged his shoulders for no reason and brushed down his arm.

“Ah… I didn’t think that far.”

The Grand Duke looked troubled. He’d been so happy—so swept up in the kiss—that he hadn’t noticed anything else.

Looking back now, everything about the place and timing was terrible. In the middle of a cold, dark corridor, they’d been lost in a kiss like they were possessed.

Aeryl was in even worse shape. His hair was tousled, his lips slightly swollen. Maybe it was the cold, or maybe nerves, but he looked so fragile it tugged at the heart.

“Here, take this.”

The Grand Duke took off his coat and draped it over Aeryl’s shoulders, then stood up first. When he extended his hand, Aeryl hesitated briefly in embarrassment before taking it. His legs were too weak to lift himself up alone. With his head lowered, he took the Grand Duke’s hand and rose to his feet.

He was far too embarrassed to even glance at the Grand Duke’s face.

Is this how it always feels after a kiss? Or was it just him being unusually awkward? How should he act naturally now? A whirlwind of worries and practical thoughts overwhelmed him.

One thing was clear: he shouldn’t stay any longer with the Grand Duke. He was at his physical and emotional limit.

“It’s late…, I think I should head back now. I’m tired…”

“It is late. Then shall we go to the nearest chamber—mine?”

Aeryl shook his head. What would happen if he went there? He was already far past his limit for the day.

“I’m going to my room. I just… want to rest.”

Aeryl’s tone was firm, and the Grand Duke couldn’t insist further. If Aeryl came to his room, it was obvious that rest would be out of the question.

“Alright then. I’ll walk you back. It’s late.”

“…Okay.”

The two walked down the corridor side by side. Neither of them spoke, so only the sound of their footsteps echoed softly. It seemed quiet, but a suffocating tension hung between them. Both were bursting with thoughts, constantly sneaking glances at the other.

Before long, they arrived in front of Aeryl’s room. The two turned to face each other.

“I’ll go in.”

Unable to bear the awkwardness, Aeryl spoke first.

“You must be tired. Rest well.”

“Yes…”

Aeryl tried to hide his impatience as he opened the door. Just as he was about to slip inside, the Grand Duke suddenly called out to him.

“Aeryl.”

“Y-Yes?”

“…No, never mind. Go on.”

“…Okay.”

Though the Grand Duke brushed it off, Aeryl could tell he’d meant to say something. But he didn’t have the energy left to ask. He gave a slight nod and slipped inside, locking the door behind him.

Click.

As the lock clicked into place, the Grand Duke exhaled a long breath he’d been holding.

“…Haa.”

Nothing had gone as expected tonight. He furrowed his brow, glaring at Aeryl’s door before turning away. It didn’t look like he’d be getting any sleep tonight either.

Meanwhile, Aeryl was in no better shape. He closed the door, stumbled a few steps, then collapsed to the floor. His mind was in total chaos.

‘What, why, how did it end up like this?’

He grabbed his head with both hands. The events of the entire day flashed through his mind.

He’d gone to the place the patient was found, discovered a basement, tried to uncover the Grand Duke’s secret but gave up—and when he came back up, the Grand Duke was there. So far, so good.

But then he’d calmed the Grand Duke down, they’d talked, and then… kissed.

‘Why the hell did we kiss?’

The Grand Duke had explained. That Aeryl liked him.

‘No. No. He’s a patient. I’m a doctor. How could I, as a doctor, feel that way toward a patient? And besides, the Grand Duke was just a newly manifested Alpha, a child!’

Although… that wasn’t the kind of kissing a child would do.

No matter how much he denied it, the truth didn’t change. Aeryl hadn’t rejected the Grand Duke’s kiss. In fact, he’d liked it—very much. That was the reality.

“Haa… This can’t be happening.”

If only it were just Alpha and Omega instincts gone wild. That, at least, would be easier to accept. But romantic feelings? That was out of the question.

He was someone on the run, hiding his identity. He couldn’t even afford a normal relationship—let alone one with the Grand Duke Asirion!

“No. No. I didn’t see the Grand Duke that way.”

Aeryl muttered like he was brainwashing himself. But then a question suddenly popped into his mind.

‘Okay, let’s say I do like him. But… why was he so happy about that—

No way.

No way! No way!

Does the Grand Duke like me?!’