OPDPS 123

After their brief meeting with Valbean, Aeryl and the Grand Duke boarded the carriage to return to the inner quarters.

Having heard such a dramatic confession the day before, Aeryl was initially anxious about being alone with the Grand Duke in such a confined space. But the Grand Duke acted no differently than usual, which quickly put him at ease. Thanks to that, Aeryl was able to let his guard down and let his mind wander on the way back.

‘Things are going more smoothly than I expected.’

Valbean’s attitude toward Derbas had left a bitter taste in his mouth, but it was a fortunate turn of events for Aeryl. He just needed to deliver Valbean’s message to Derbas, and that would be the end of it.

If Valbean had wanted to escape the Grand Duke’s castle or meet with Derbas, it would have made things much more complicated.

‘So how am I going to meet with Derbas?’

Leaving the inner quarters was risky, especially with the Emperor’s knights around. And after that kidnapping incident, they’d never let him go out alone again.

Isn’t there a way to sneak out without anyone knowing?

Derbas had said he would approach him on his own if he came down to the town. Aeryl didn’t know how, but Derbas was a mage—he must have a way.

The problem was getting out of the castle.

Old buildings like the Grand Duke’s castle were bound to have secret passageways.

It would be perfect if there were someone who knew the castle’s layout inside and out but wouldn’t report to the Grand Duke.

Lady Merel’s face came to mind. She seemed like the kind of person who’d know how to slip out unnoticed…

No, Lady Merel’s a bit too dangerous.

She wouldn’t help without getting something in return.

As he mulled over his options, Aeryl let out a sigh—one of many. As he tried to swallow another sigh, he sensed the Grand Duke’s gaze on him.

When he looked up, the Grand Duke was sitting across from him, silently watching him with a contemplative expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I was wondering what I could do to make you feel better.”

He said it like it was the most serious matter in the world. Aeryl couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“What? It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“You’re not.”

The Grand Duke reached out and pressed a firm finger to Aeryl’s forehead, brushing past his temple before cupping his cheek.

“Your face is all stiff like this.”

Is it that obvious?

He’d been praised for his ability to control his expressions.

Or maybe the Grand Duke was just that perceptive.

Aeryl leaned back and pushed his hand away.

Even with the clear rejection, the Grand Duke didn’t flinch. His expression remained serious, as if the only thing that mattered was Aeryl’s state of mind, not his own hand being pushed away.

That made Aeryl’s chest flutter strangely.

“It’s because of Valbean and Derbas, right? They reminded you of your father?”

The Grand Duke hit the mark so precisely that Aeryl’s eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

“You mentioned your father once during a checkup. It came to mind.”

“But I didn’t say much back then.”

Aeryl had been careful with his words to keep his identity hidden.

But somehow, he’d ended up bonding with the Grand Duke over their mutual resentment of their fathers. He vaguely remembered saying he’d grown up neglected or that he was angry because his father tried to control his life.

Now that the Grand Duke had read him so well, denying it felt pointless.

“You’re right. They reminded me of my father—and of when I was little.”

Valbean’s cold indifference and Derbas’s desperate devotion reminded Aeryl of himself as a child.

He could insult the Emperor now without hesitation, but back then, when he didn’t know any better, he’d longed for him.

He didn’t come today. Maybe tomorrow.

He remembered waiting with that fragile hope, day after day.

And the emotions that had come with it.

“I try to ignore it, but it still bothers me.”

“It would. Once a memory surfaces, it’s hard to shake.”

“It’s all in the past. It feels stupid to get sad over it now.”

“Aeryl.”

The Grand Duke gently called his name and took his hand.

“Everyone has memories that make them sad. That doesn’t make you stupid. It just means you were truly hurt back then. So don’t blame yourself.”

“…Okay.”

Aeryl gave a small nod.

Thanks to the Grand Duke’s sincere words, the tight knot in his chest eased a little.

“Do you have memories like that too, Your Grace?”

“Plenty.”

Aeryl recalled the panic on the Grand Duke’s face when he had approached the door to the basement.

How many more such memories did he carry?

He still wanted to know more about him. But he’d already rejected the Grand Duke’s feelings. He couldn’t ask.

“But thanks to you, I have plenty of good memories now too. I’m not as weighed down by the past anymore. At least not when I’m in the exhibition room.”

A faint smile touched the Grand Duke’s lips.

Aeryl found himself staring at his face, entranced.

Their eyes met. At that exact moment, the Grand Duke’s pheromones reached out to him.

It wasn’t like the usual, instinctive presence that subtly flowed with emotion.

This time, it stirred the air like drifting snowflakes, luring, coaxing, tempting.

Aeryl’s senses lit up.

The Grand Duke’s pheromones called to him, beckoned, seduced.

An unbearable impulse coursed through his body.

The Grand Duke’s pheromones were growing stronger. Every breath made Aeryl’s mind go blank.

‘No… this isn’t right.’

Reason tried to resist, but it was useless. Aeryl rose to his feet, driven by instinct, and approached the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke pulled Aeryl into his lap.

‘Huh? Just now… the Grand Duke’s pheromones…?’

He sensed something different than usual, but the thought didn’t last long. The Grand Duke licked Aeryl’s lower lip. The warm, slippery surface of his tongue teased his lips, making Aeryl’s body tense. He already knew the electric thrill that came from that touch—there was no resisting it.

“Your Grace…”

Aeryl parted his lips, and the Grand Duke smiled and pressed their lips together. The Grand Duke’s tongue slipped inside, licking and tickling the inside of Aeryl’s mouth. His lower belly clenched at the sensation of that heated flesh exploring him.

It felt so good—but it wasn’t enough. He wanted more, deeper. Wrapping his arms around the Grand Duke’s neck, he sank into the kiss.

The carriage was filled with both of their pheromones. Every breath they took made them more aroused. Wet sounds and ragged breaths echoed now and then. Though the carriage had long since come to a stop, no one interrupted them.

As they kissed, the Grand Duke slipped a hand under Aeryl’s top.

“Ahh! Cold…!”

Aeryl flinched hard at the sudden chill, his body jerking in reflex. If the Grand Duke hadn’t grabbed his waist in time, he might’ve fallen to the floor.

“Are you all right, Your Grace?”

The coachman’s voice came from outside the carriage.

“I’m fine.”

At the Grand Duke’s reply, the coachman fell silent again—but Aeryl’s face flushed bright red.

The carriage had stopped.

Since when?

Had they already arrived at the inner quarters? Had the coachman said nothing because he knew exactly what was happening inside?

‘Gods, what am I doing?’

“Be careful, Aeryl.”

The Grand Duke adjusted his hold on him. Aeryl struggled to pull away and protested.

“What was that just now? You pulled me in with your pheromones, didn’t you?”

He was sure of it. The Grand Duke had seduced him and clouded his mind using pheromones.

“Did I?”

The Grand Duke feigned innocence, and Aeryl winced. Right—he doesn’t know how to control his pheromones yet.

“Blaming me? That’s not fair. You’re the one who came to me first.”

“T-That’s not what I meant… I was just saying your pheromones felt different. I meant it strictly from a medical standpoint!”

“Have you forgotten? You’re not my physician anymore.”

Whose fault is that! Aeryl glared, annoyed, but the Grand Duke didn’t budge. He even added insult to injury.

“If you want to examine my body, I’m sure we can find another way.”

“No thank you!”

If he stayed any longer, he’d only get dragged in deeper. Aeryl kicked the carriage door open and bolted out, running toward the central quarters without looking back. The idea of accidentally meeting the coachman’s eyes made him want to die of shame.

‘His defenses were weaker than I thought.’

The Grand Duke stepped out of the carriage, watching Aeryl disappear into the distance. He had acted perfectly normal, hoping to ease Aeryl’s guard—and it worked. For someone as cautious and guarded as Aeryl to relax around him so quickly… it made his chest swell with satisfaction.

‘I can push a little further next time.’

As he was considering his next approach, a retainer brought his horse. Mounting it, the Grand Duke suddenly felt something off.

‘What was that?’

It brushed his senses briefly—he thought it was a scent, but when he focused, it was clearly something different.

Though Aeryl’s pheromones still lingered near the carriage, this was another scent entirely.

It passed too quickly to be worth pondering. If Aeryl kept avoiding him, he’d just use this as an excuse to keep him close. With that thought, the Grand Duke turned his horse toward the outer quarters.

***

‘I’m a slave. A slave to desire.’

To have kissed the Grand Duke twice! There was no way to explain that away.

Mortified, Aeryl walked as fast as he could. He hoped no one had seen him as he rushed along, but as he neared the infirmary, he heard someone crying.

“Uuuuuh…”

“It’s all right. You too, young master…”

“The blood…”

The whispering voices of children. As expected, two young boys stood in front of the infirmary.

There was only one child who could wander around the Grand Duke’s castle—especially the inner quarters—as he pleased.

Young master Sorel.

And beside him stood the red-haired boy chosen as Sorel’s companion.

“Aeryl!”

Young master Sorel spotted him and came running.