#69
Fingertips slid down from Enrique’s forehead, caressing each of his features as if appreciating them. They also twirled through his hair, enjoying the texture. Anture’s scent and breath indicated his close presence.
Five years younger, just barely a young man… How did he end up developing feelings like this?
Enrique inwardly sighed deeply.
If he could have looked at Anture with cold eyes, without any feelings, the situation might have been different now.
A faint sigh was heard. Soon after, the fingers caressing his face withdrew. The bed rippled slightly as someone moved. Enrique immediately opened his eyes wide and grabbed Anture’s collar just as he was about to get up from the bed.
Thud-
Caught off guard, Anture fell back onto the bed. Enrique, straddling Anture’s stomach, held his collar and smiled with a sense of victory.
“…You’re awake?”
Anture said with an embarrassed face. Enrique, still gripping the collar with both hands, leaned down, bringing his face close to Anture’s.
“You smell strongly of alcohol. Looks like you drank a lot today too.”
Anture said, lying still as if declaring surrender. Though he could have grabbed or caressed Enrique’s waist or thighs straddling him, he kept his hands on the bed, not moving an inch.
“Since when did you become such a modest man?”
Enrique said, his face close to Anture’s. He could feel the wine scent wafting out with each breath he exhaled.
“Enrique, you’re very drunk.”
“I’m not drunk. Have you ever seen a drunk person this agile?”
“Your breath reeks of alcohol with every exhale.”
“That’s just because I drank a lot, not because I’m drunk.”
Even as he spoke, he knew he was being unreasonable. But he couldn’t help feeling childish.
“Let’s do it, Anture. I want to.”
Enrique whined, rubbing his lips against Anture’s. But no matter how much he licked and sucked, the tightly closed lips showed no sign of opening.
“Don’t you want to do it with me?”
Enrique asked after pulling away, and Anture smiled awkwardly.
“I don’t intend to do it now. Sorry.”
Anture apologized. Enrique moved his hips from Anture’s stomach towards his pelvis. As he sat just below the pelvis, he could clearly feel the already hard erection.
“You’re this erect, yet you say you don’t intend to do it?”
Enrique said mockingly. As he slightly lifted his hips, Anture frowned at the stimulation.
“I always want to. I just don’t intend to do it right now.”
Anture retorted calmly, then suddenly grabbed Enrique’s waist with both hands and lifted him up. Enrique tightened his grip on Anture’s collar to avoid falling off.
Thud-
In an instant, their positions were reversed, with Enrique below and Anture above.
“Won’t you let go of my collar?”
“No.”
Enrique flatly refused. Then he added grumpily:
“If I let go, you’ll run away like a frightened rabbit.”
“Isn’t it too much to compare me to a frightened rabbit?”
Anture protested, narrowing his eyes.
“Who doesn’t know that you’re running around here and there, afraid of being eaten when you encounter me? Just like a frightened rabbit.”
Anture smiled faintly at Enrique’s words.
The effects of alcohol, which had briefly dispersed, came back. Enrique tried his best not to loosen his grip on Anture’s collar. But his eyelids were too heavy to resist.
“I won’t eat you today… just stay beside me.”
Enrique mumbled, half-asleep. Anture let out a faint sigh and kissed Enrique’s crown.
“I’ll stay beside you, so go to sleep quickly.”
Anture whispered soothingly. Then he removed the hands gripping his collar and intertwined his fingers with one of Enrique’s hands.
“See, now I can’t run away. Now close your eyes… that’s right. Sleep well.”
The firm touch of their interlocked hands made Enrique feel at ease. He slowly closed his heavy eyelids. And as he was drifting off to sleep, he managed to mumble:
“I need to have your child, Anture…”
Just before his fading consciousness fully succumbed to sleep, Anture’s whisper flowed into his ear.
“Yes, I love you too, Enrique.”
*
Flip-
After signing and setting aside a paper, Enrique reached for the next document to review but paused. His eyes were tired from wrestling with documents for so long. Enrique leaned his head back in the chair, closed his eyes, and took a brief rest.
“Shall I bring some tea, Your Highness?”
Pol asked. Enrique nodded silently.
The sound of Pol leaving the office and returning with a tray was heard. There was a clinking sound, and soon the scent of tea began to waft through the air.
“Here you are, Your Highness.”
Clink-
At the sound of Pol’s voice and the teacup being placed on the desk, Enrique finally opened his eyes.
He lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip, feeling the warm sensation spread inside. Enrique let out a languid sigh.
“You drank excessively again last night. Drinking too much wine every day, then waking up early and working all day… You’ll ruin your health at this rate.”
Pol said in a worried voice.
“What about the Prince?”
Enrique changed the subject, asking about Anture’s whereabouts.
“As always, he’s said to be at the Ruben envoys’ lodgings.”
Pol’s answer was as expected.
Tsk. Enrique clicked his tongue softly.
After returning from the villa, he thought it would only last a few days, but Anture’s behavior remained the same. Except for brief moments late at night when he would come to check on Enrique’s face, not even a strand of his hair could be seen. Enrique’s patience was wearing thin.
As he sat thinking quietly, anger welled up. This wasn’t some game of catch-me-if-you-can; what was he doing? If they were married, shouldn’t he fulfill his duties? Running away like a coward like this, forget about getting pregnant, he was just left alone.
His decision was swift.
Enrique immediately put down his half-empty teacup and stood up abruptly.
“Where are you going?”
Pol asked.
“To catch a rabbit.”
Throwing out this unexpected answer, Enrique strode out of the office.
The Ruben envoys’ lodgings were in a small palace to the east. Three or four envoys were staying there. Of course, Anture was now practically eating and sleeping there as well.
As he approached the palace, men in Ruben knight uniforms recognized Enrique and gave a light bow.
“Where’s Anture?”
Enrique asked the knights abruptly. The knights exchanged glances.
“He’s inside, isn’t he?”
Enrique asked again and brushed past the knights without waiting for an answer. The knights slightly extended their hands as if to stop Enrique but didn’t dare touch him. If this were the Ruben Empire, they might have had grounds to stop him, but in the Shamier royal palace, it was out of the question.
Enrique flung open the palace doors himself and stepped inside. The servants who were doing their work hurriedly bowed with surprised faces. Enrique ignored them and continued walking inside. Having played in every corner of the royal palace with his childhood friends, he was very familiar with this palace as well.
Since he was said to be huddling with the envoys every day, they must be gathered in the conference room. Enrique brushed past the Ruben knights and servants he encountered without hesitation and finally arrived at the large doors of the conference room.
A Ruben knight was standing guard in front of the conference room doors.
“Your Highness.”
The knight bowed with a somewhat flustered face.
“I apologize, but important Ruben state affairs are being discussed inside.”
The knight politely conveyed that he couldn’t let Enrique in. Enrique silently glared at the knight with cold eyes.
‘……!’
‘……!’
‘……!!’
Muffled sounds leaked faintly from inside the thick conference room doors. Although he couldn’t make out what was being said, he could tell that people were either arguing fiercely or fighting.
“If you have urgent business, I can relay it inside.”
The knight said again. Enrique glanced at the knight once, then raised his foot and kicked the conference room door hard.
BANG-!
Fortunately, it wasn’t locked, and the conference room door opened with a loud noise.
“Your Highness!”
The knight cried out in surprise, but the door was already open.
Enrique strode into the suddenly silent conference room interior. As expected, inside the conference room, Ruben envoys and Anture were seated or standing around a table.
“Enrique?”
Anture, who had been sitting back deeply in a chair, stood up abruptly with a surprised expression.
“What? Are you going to run away again?”
Enrique sneered, lifting the corner of his mouth crookedly. An awkward look appeared on Anture’s face. It was clear he hadn’t expected Enrique to barge in here. Seeing that dismayed face made Enrique feel a bit better.
