TOPWL 187

After returning to his room and bathing, Yudit sat down in front of the desk and ran his fingers over the medal. It was the one Marquess Kinezia had sent along with the notebook. The medal, engraved with the Kinezia family seal, served as a promissory substitute that could be used to claim goods from the Kinezia Trading Company and its allied partners.

Seeing the couple who had already given him so much and still looked sorry that they couldn’t offer more, Yudit felt an urgent need to win this fight. If he was going to die, then it should at least be on the battlefield.

“Hm?”

There was an envelope on the desk that hadn’t been there earlier. It bore the imperial seal. Yudit broke the wax, and his face twisted with a complicated expression. Inside were the results of the tournament.

‘You’re going to place fourth in this round. That was the deal.’

That was what Khalid had said. But Yudit’s ranking was different from what had been promised.

⸻

Third Round
Territory Development

1st place: Hiore Friedrich Adenauer
2nd place: Yudit Friedrich Adenauer
3rd place: Reginald Friedrich Adenauer
4th place: Asil Friedrich Adenauer

⸻

Yudit, who should have been fourth, was in second place. Asil had been pushed down to fourth and left completely exposed. It was no different from throwing Yudit to the wolves. Yudit realized that this time, the emperor had truly cast him aside.

“… Ha.”

What were parents, and what were children? What were friends, and what were lovers? As someone born into the imperial family and left completely alone, these things had always been a mystery to Yudit. If he had been born without power, could he have been loved, even a little? No, love was too much to ask for. He just wanted the kind of affection that didn’t drive him into certain death.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response, the door swung open. The person he most wanted to see, yet least wanted to face, appeared.

“… Khalid.”

“Yudit, you’re back. I need to talk to you…”

What could Khalid, who had been acting so cold, have to say now? Yudit felt a sudden fear rise in his chest.

“What’s with your face, did something happen?”

Khalid held Yudit’s cheeks as he spoke. Yudit looked up at him, his face still in Khalid’s hands. A little thinner than before, the man he liked.

“What’s wrong with my face.”

“You look like you’re about to cry… did something happen?”

Seeing Khalid trying to read his emotions, Yudit couldn’t hold it in any longer. In just a couple of days, they would be heading into a death zone. Commanders rarely died, but Khalid was the kind who led from the front, and no one knew what could happen in a war. Whether Khalid’s feelings had stayed or faded, Yudit needed something to hold on to. Something that could keep him going. So he chose to be selfish.

“…!”

Yudit grabbed Khalid by the shirt and kissed him desperately. Khalid looked briefly surprised, then responded without hesitation. Their tongues tangled, breath growing hotter. The wet tangle of their kiss was so good it brought tears to his eyes. Yudit tugged Khalid’s shirt as he backed toward the bed. Khalid’s expression grew conflicted as he realized where this was heading.

“Yudit, wait…”

But Yudit didn’t listen. He deepened the kiss and released all the pheromones he had kept locked up until now.

“Ugh…”

The room quickly filled with the scent of an omega. Yudit had never let out this much pheromone before. Even he, who usually couldn’t smell his own scent, could catch the sweet aroma clinging to his body. Most alphas would have already lost control, but Khalid, a dominant alpha, was just barely hanging on to reason.

“Yudit, stop. I’m not ready yet…”

But even that wouldn’t last long. Yudit was grateful he had gone through his second awakening. He used to think the bond between alphas and omegas was little better than that of beasts, but now he was thankful for it. Because when Khalid touched him like this, it felt like love.

“Damn it, Yudit.”

Khalid finally lost control and pushed Yudit down onto the bed. Yudit let himself fall back and wrapped his arms around Khalid’s neck. Their kisses grew rough, so intense their teeth sometimes knocked together. Khalid’s hands, trembling slightly, started undoing the buttons of Yudit’s shirt, but the next moment, with a harsh rip, the buttons scattered. The fabric tore along with them, leaving the shirt in tatters. A wave of heat pressed against Yudit’s thigh. Before he could even glance down, Khalid bit into his neck.

“Ah…!”

The sharp pain of teeth sinking into the tender spot made Yudit let out a moan. Pain and arousal came rushing in together. Khalid, after nipping at his collarbone, went straight for his nipple. The small bud was caught and teased between teeth and tongue, sucked and bitten over and over.

Khalid pulled open the strings of Yudit’s pants, then stripped off his underwear in one go. Now, all Yudit had on was the ragged remains of his shirt. He took that off too. Unlike Yudit, who was completely naked, Khalid was still fully clothed. His eyes, staring down at Yudit’s bare body, glowed in the dark.

“Ugh, ah…!”

Yudit heard the metallic click of a belt being undone. Khalid had finally finished with his chest and was now loosening his belt. A moment later, the sound of a zipper sliding down, and Khalid’s erection, warm and full, sprang free. Yudit swallowed dryly. Khalid gripped his thighs and pushed a finger into him.

“Ugh…!”

The touch was rough and impatient, and Yudit’s entrance twitched and clenched reflexively. But Khalid didn’t have the time or patience to prepare him gently. His length rubbed against the space between Yudit’s entrance and perineum a few times, then without warning, thrust in.

“…!”

Yudit’s eyes flew wide open at the feeling of being pierced. The pain was sharp enough to steal his voice. He hadn’t been loosened enough, and even the slight wetness couldn’t make room for Khalid’s size. Only the tip barely managed to enter.

“Khalid, wait…”

Yudit tried to push at Khalid’s chest, but he didn’t seem to hear. Moving entirely on instinct, Khalid grabbed Yudit’s wrist, ignoring his resistance as he pushed deeper.

“Ah, ah…!”

As he started thrusting, the tight, dry passage slowly began to soften, slick with Yudit’s arousal. On any other day, Khalid would have waited until Yudit was ready. But not now. He started moving, hips pumping without pause.

“Ugh, Khalid. W-wait… just a second…!”

With each thrust, Yudit felt like his insides were being stirred up. The cock that had only barely entered at first was now buried all the way to the base.

“Ah, ugh, mm, haah…!”

Each sharp thrust knocked the breath from him. Was this what it felt like to be taken by a beast that had lost its mind? Overwhelmed by Khalid’s force, Yudit couldn’t fight back.

“Mm, ah, ngh…”

Even though Khalid seemed to have lost all self-control, his body remembered exactly where Yudit was most sensitive. He kept hitting those spots as he climaxed quickly, his motions growing even more focused. The pain dulled and was replaced by pleasure. From the tip of Yudit’s own shaft, pre-cum began to bead. The inside of his body, now soaked, began to accept Khalid more easily.

“Ah, ahh… Khalid… ah…!”

His body responded on its own, and Yudit could feel his cervix lowering with arousal. Khalid must have noticed too, because his movements changed. Even though Yudit clawed at his back, unable to keep up, Khalid didn’t flinch. As his climax neared, Khalid’s cock swelled inside him.

“Ah… ngh…!”

The pressure became overwhelming. Yudit’s nails dug in again, leaving red lines across Khalid’s back. Khalid didn’t stop. He drove in deep and released inside Yudit. The sudden flood of warm liquid made Yudit moan, but at the same time, he felt relieved. Now that Khalid had finished once, maybe things would calm down.

Just as Yudit hoped, Khalid stayed inside him after he came, no longer thrusting violently. Yudit, dazed and overwhelmed, quickly pulled back the pheromones he had failed to control earlier. Khalid held him close in his arms, staring silently. His eyes looked unfocused, like he was half-asleep or drunk.

“Khalid… are you conscious?”

“….”

There was no reply. Worried, Yudit touched his cheek. Khalid leaned into Yudit’s cold palm, as if the touch felt comforting. The gesture reminded Yudit of a puppy, and he let out a quiet laugh.

Maybe that laugh was the trigger, because Khalid began to move again.

“Ah, Khalid. Stop… please…”

The steady thrusts brushed against Yudit’s sensitive inner walls, making his body tremble. The pace wasn’t as wild as before, but just right, familiar, something his body could welcome.

His cock stood rigid, leaking steadily. The same was happening below. Yudit panted, overwhelmed by the pleasure. Khalid wrapped an arm around his thigh and lifted his hips, plunging deeper. It was the start of the second round.