Most people who live in the North have strong immune systems. Whether it’s because they’ve been hardened by the biting cold winds or simply adapted to the harsh environment, even the knights of the Blake Order, who haul bricks with their shirts off, have never once caught a cold.
Because of that, fever reducers are one of the least-used medicines in the North, and thermometers are a rare sight. A cold? What’s that? People here barely acknowledge its existence.
Maybe that’s why. Back in Korea, I used to suffer from seasonal coughs every time the weather changed, but ever since I started consistently training my body, I haven’t caught a cold once.
‘At this rate, I’ll get through this year without any trouble!’
Thinking back on all the winters I spent suffering from congestion and throat pain, I couldn’t help but feel deeply satisfied. Sipping on the warm tea brought from the capital, I gazed quietly out the window.
It was a peaceful moment.
At least for a little while.
“Shu-nim!”
CRASH! A loud, chaotic noise echoed as someone came running up to the study. Before even reaching the door, they shouted my name, then belatedly followed up with three rapid knocks—knock knock knock!
I lowered my teacup, bewildered, and called out, “Come in.” Whatever had them in such a hurry, it clearly wasn’t an ordinary matter.
‘A demonic beast attack? Or the Mage Corps? Don’t tell me there are still remnants left?’
Even just imagining it made the back of my neck stiffen.
Tensing slightly, I watched as a knight practically spilled into the study. He took a moment to catch his breath, his face pale, before stammering out his report.
“I—I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s about His Highness…”
“His Highness?”
I threw off the blanket covering me and rose from my seat. This wasn’t the time to be lounging around. Something had happened to His Highness? What the hell? He wasn’t even scheduled to go far on patrol today.
The urgency in my expression must have been clear because the knight hastily continued.
“He collapsed!”
“…What?”
My jaw dropped. In a panic, I shoved one foot into my slipper and hurried toward the door.
“W-Where? Where is he? Is he badly hurt?!”
“N-No! He’s not injured. The doctor said… it’s just a cold.”
“…A cold?”
My already wide-open mouth somehow gaped even further.
Who were we talking about here? The Conqueror of the North. The Grand Duke of Blood. The man they called the sole ruler of Blake.
In the North, even children scoff at colds. And naturally, no one in Blake Castle had ever been sick enough to collapse from one.
More than anything, Kyle was far sturdier than the average person and well accustomed to the cold of the North.
And yet, he collapsed… from a cold? Kyle?
I hurried to his bedroom. On the way, I listened as the knight explained that he had started looking unwell about thirty minutes after setting out.
‘His face was red, and he looked kind of dazed, so I thought he was just thinking about you…’
That part was amusing, but still—right after suggesting they take a short break, something completely out of character, he had collapsed on the spot. His fever was burning so high that a few knights had immediately brought him back to the castle.
“Thank you.”
I gave the knight a quick nod of gratitude and stepped into Kyle’s room.
There he was, lying still under the blankets on the bed at the center of the room.
“Your Highness.”
I called out softly, but there was no response.
Carefully, I approached the bedside and sat down on the chair nearby. He was fast asleep, his breathing uneven and slightly ragged.
‘…He really has been overworking himself.’
Politics, trade, training, diplomacy—he handled everything with meticulous care. No matter how many times I told him to delegate, no matter how much I offered to help, Kyle insisted on handling most of it himself.
I knew it wasn’t because he didn’t trust me. He had let me assist with certain matters before. But the majority of it still fell to him.
It was a burden he had placed on himself.
A deep-rooted habit from childhood, reinforced when he first took responsibility for the Blake territory. The kind of habit ingrained in those who grew up thinking it was only natural—no, necessary—to handle everything alone.
It reminded me too much of my past self.
Back in my hardest times, I had thought the exact same way. That’s why I burned out. That’s why I ended up sick.
“You can let go a little, you know.”
Lately, he had been even busier than usual. The reason? Preparing for our wedding.
I had told him over and over that there was no rush, that he could take it easy, but he insisted he wanted it to happen before spring arrived. He was determined to make it a surprise—so much so that I had given up arguing and just let him be for about a week.
“…Idiot.”
I reached out and placed my hand on his forehead. Gently, I traced my thumb over the crease in his brow, smoothing it out.
I hated seeing Kyle sick, but in a way, this might have been a blessing in disguise.
An excuse.
A rare moment for him to breathe in the middle of his relentless schedule. Because without something like this forcing him to stop, he never would.
Should I consider this a stroke of luck… or not?
As he instinctively pressed his forehead against my palm, seeking its warmth, I let out a small, exasperated laugh.
“Honestly, you always find a way to make me worry. Just wait until you wake up—I’ll have you tied down for three whole days and nights.”
As if he understood, he let out a faint groan. I chuckled soundlessly and stood up to begin tending to him.
“First things first, let’s check your temperature. And I’m doing it properly—meaning you’re getting stripped down for it.”
“……Aigoo, this is going to kill me at this rate.”
I swapped out the damp cloth on Kyle’s forehead, then slumped forward, completely spent. With my face buried in the soft bed, it felt like my soul was being sucked out of my body.
Two hours.
It had already been two hours since I started tending to him, running back and forth between tasks. And in that time, I had come to a painful realization—nursing someone properly required technique.
Wiping him down had been a struggle, getting him to take his medicine was another ordeal, and lowering his fever had been an absolute battle. It wasn’t even that any of it was particularly difficult—it was just that I had never nursed anyone before.
At least the medicine seems to be working.
Thankfully, his fever had gone down, and his breathing was steadier. Even the doctor, who had stopped by briefly, had said he should be fine by tomorrow.
“Seriously… you always find the strangest ways to make me worry.”
I reached out and tapped the bridge of his nose. Even in his sleep, he scrunched up his brow and turned his head away.
I let out a quiet chuckle before slowly crawling into bed beside him. The large bed was spacious enough that I didn’t have to be close—but I deliberately snuggled up right against him.
Wrapping an arm around his waist, I thought to myself—
The moment he wakes up, he’s going to throw himself right back into work.
Even if I wanted to help, most of the things Kyle handled were too complicated to interfere with. It wasn’t just that they were difficult or tedious—there were too many entangled interests involved. Now that the Blake name held real power, he had to be even more careful with how he handled things.
“But… James said nothing urgent was coming up for now.”
I absentmindedly rubbed my chin as I recalled the words of a sleep-deprived James, who had come by to update me.
Two days. No—even one day would be enough. I just wanted him to get some proper rest without distractions.
The problem was, telling him to rest wouldn’t work. And it wasn’t like he’d listen, either. He was stubborn—if left alone, he’d definitely find some excuse to get back to work.
“If that’s the case, I’ll just have to force him to rest.”
I cracked my eyes open, gazing down at my soundly sleeping lover. A dark, mischievous plan was already forming in my mind.
***
Kyle Blake opened his eyes.
His whole body felt light—almost as if he were floating. It was surreal, detached from reality. His hands, his feet, even his head felt like they had been soaked in hot water, weighed down like drenched cotton.
He tried to move, but his limbs refused to cooperate, sinking heavily as if someone were pulling him downward.
When was the last time I felt this sick?
It had been so long that it felt almost unfamiliar. Ever since coming to the North, he had never once fallen ill.
…The fever should have gone down, though.
Something felt off. The searing heat and dizziness that had clouded his mind before were gone, but there was a different, strange warmth spreading from below his waist—one that was… oddly persistent.
Kyle shifted his gaze downward and was met with an unexpected yet familiar sight.
“Huh? You’re awake?”
“……Shu?”
His voice was still groggy from sleep. Kyle blinked a few times, startled by the unfamiliar sensation, and looked down at his lover again—more specifically, at what Shu was holding.
“What the……”
Shu was holding Kyle’s cock, with a nonchalant expression.
‘Is this a dream?’
It seemed plausible. Exhaustion can weaken the mind, and perhaps this was the result.
Kyle closed his eyes tightly and then opened them, rubbing his face with both hands. He slapped his cheeks, but the sting only confirmed that nothing had changed.
Then, he heard Shu’s cheerful voice.
“It’s not a dream.”
Kyle almost asked why Shu was acting this way if it wasn’t a dream. But Shu, pausing his movements, seemed to be contemplating something, his lips moving slightly.
It wasn’t hard to guess what would happen next.
“Wait……..ugh.”
The tip was enveloped in the warm, wet heat of Shu’s mouth. Kyle quickly sat up and called out to his lover, whose head was buried between his legs. But Shu, with half of Kyle’s cock in his mouth, only continued to move his lips, offering no response.
“Ngh…….”
Kyle knew he should stop him, but his emotions didn’t align with his rational thoughts. Though his senses were foggy, the feeling of Shu’s mouth on him was crystal clear.
It was maddening. Where had Shu learned this? He took in as much as he could with his mouth, using his hand to stroke the rest. When his tongue traced the veins or flicked the sensitive tip, Kyle couldn’t help but let out a groan.
Finally, Kyle threaded his fingers through Shu’s hair, bending over and closing his eyes tightly. His breath hitched, chest heaving with a mix of excitement and confusion.
“Phew…… ugh, Shu…… stop, take your mouth off.”
But when had Shu ever listened to him? The wet sounds didn’t cease; instead, they grew more intense and sensual. The softness of Shu’s lips and the tender flesh inside his mouth remained unchanged.
Kyle finally gripped Shu’s hair and gently lifted his head. Simultaneously, he clenched his teeth and released, climaxing right then.
Droplets fell softly.
Shu’s face was splattered with semen. He had been so focused on not letting it out of his mouth that he hadn’t noticed it spilling onto his face.
Kyle quickly gripped his lover’s chin and wiped away the dripping fluid with his sleeve. Still breathless with excitement, he murmured softly,
“……I’m sorry.”
“Oh, come on, no need to apologize.”
Shu was smiling. Kyle sighed deeply and kissed the corner of Shu’s eye, now clean.
“So, can I ask why you did this now?”
“It was a brilliant idea to help you relax completely.”
“What do you……”
“What were you planning to do after waking up?”
Kyle answered reflexively.
“I would have gone to take care of pending tasks.”
“But what if I act like this?”
Shu’s eyes softened.
“Would you really leave me like this to go to work, Your Highness?”
“……”
Kyle groaned.
Soon, their positions shifted, and Kyle was on top of Shu, who was now lying on his back on the bed.
Well, that’s one way to stop your bf from overworking 🤣🤣