Forcibly holding onto a boy who wants to leave is an easy thing to do—but a boy bound that way would no longer be the boy he once was. What he wants is the boy exactly as he is now. He doesn’t want him broken or changed.
So what should be done?
Just as he has until now, the best method would be to slowly tame the boy. Like how the boy, even while lying on a comfortable bed moments ago, wore an uneasy expression and searched for him—tame him like that, again and again, until leaving becomes impossible.
Eating. Wearing clothes. Playing. Seeing. Hearing. Sleeping.
Make it so that none of it works unless it’s done together with him. Like that, little by little.
“…Grandpa…”
The boy mumbles in his sleep.
It isn’t patron. It isn’t Lyx. He’s calling someone else.
Calyx stretches out a finger and gently caresses the boy’s softly moving lips.
As he touches them, he slips the tip of his finger inside slightly. A soft, moist tongue brushes against it. The boy’s brow seems to crease for a moment, then he starts chewing on the finger, nom, nom. Calyx lets out a low laugh at the ticklish sensation.
Creatures from another world, was it?
That was the content of the book the boy is so desperately searching for.
It’s a story Calyx has never heard of either. Still, if he digs far enough back into ancient records, there might be at least a single line written somewhere. He told him to find it, so if it exists, he will find it. And then…
Calyx toys with the boy’s lips, now no longer chewing, indulging fully in their softness.
Burn it. Until not even a handful of ash remains.
So that it will never—by accident or otherwise—reach the boy’s ears or eyes.
A large hand strokes his back. Each time something soft brushes the crown of his head, there’s a faint, damp sound. The moist touch slowly travels down from the top of his head and stops at his ear. He hunches his body at the ticklish sensation when someone whispers near his ear.
“K.”
At the familiar voice, I lift my heavy eyelids.
“…Lyx.”
As I mumble, the patron pats my butt gently and whispers,
“You have to wake up.”
He’s definitely whispering for me to wake up, but somehow it sounds more like he’s telling me to sleep more. I squirm, rubbing my cheek against the patron’s chest.
“I don’t wanna get up…”
The thought of leaving this warm, solid chest makes tears threaten to spill. I feel like I’d give anything to just keep sleeping like this. The patron silently keeps patting my butt. I can’t tell if he wants me to sleep more or wake up already.
I grit my teeth, desperately suppressing how badly I don’t want to get up, and force myself upright.
Cold air rushes in.
Ah. Damn it. This sucks. This really sucks.
When I scrunch my face into a full-blown scowl, the patron chuckles softly. I glare hard at him, then climb down from the bed.
I only slept for a bit, but my head is completely filled with the desire to go back to sleep. Human body or not, I just want to sleep. I look at the patron as he rises from the bed.
He needs to hurry up and go to sleep so I can go sleep too. I don’t know why he’s dragging his feet like this.
“…Aren’t you going?”
When I ask in a sulky voice, he rubs my head lightly. It’s a nice touch, but I’m sleepy, so everything irritates me. I swat his hand away.
“Go sleep already.”
So I can sleep too.
When I glare up at him and say it, the patron nods. Growing impatient, I push him toward the door.
“Bye. Good night. Go sleep. Hurry up and sleep. Sleep well.”
As I push and rattle off the words, the patron suddenly turns around and looks at me. The urge to scream JUST GO TO SLEEP ALREADY swells up to the tip of my chin. I’m debating whether to shout when the patron speaks first.
“There’s an imperial banquet in a few days. Would you like to go together?”
“A banquet? A party?”
I freeze at the word banquet and look at him. His golden eyes narrow slightly as he nods.
A banquet—as in that banquet? The one where I had Bondre make matching outfits and waited all dressed up for?
Seems like it really is that banquet. But I already agreed to go to that one.
As I stare blankly up at him, the patron adds,
“The banquet starts late at night and continues until morning. I’d like it if you came with me.”
“…It starts late at night?”
“Yes.”
What the hell. Then what about my new party outfit?! My couple look?! The pretty noble ladies?!
While I’m spacing out, the patron steps closer and takes my hand. Then, in a gentle voice, he says,
“Until then, stay at my palace. We should prepare your attire as well.”
At the word attire, my eyes snap wide open.
My clothes? Party clothes?
“You’ll make me clothes?”
When I ask carefully, he nods.
“The same as yours?”
Another nod. So I nod too.
“Then yeah, sure.”
If I get a new party outfit, who cares. Plus, if it’s tailored for my human body, I’ll get pants too—everything included.
I smile in satisfaction when suddenly the patron scoops me up effortlessly and starts striding toward the door.
“Lyx. Where are we going?”
“Since it came up, we’ll move to my palace now.”
I think about it for a moment, then just nod again.
If it’s the Crown Prince’s palace, I won’t have to come all the way here on cold nights—so it’s not bad. It’s not like I need to go to the library anymore anyway.
I let out a huge yawn and wrap my arms around the patron’s neck. Rubbing my face against his shoulder, I feel the warmth seep in. Yeah. The patron is definitely a heater. The best heater.
Feeling sleep wash over me again, I close my eyes. He’ll wake me when we arrive.
“…Lyx. Could you make me two outfits instead of just one?”
I mumble sleepily. Lyx’s body vibrates slightly—he must be laughing.
“As many as you want.”
At the low reply, I smile in satisfaction.
Hell yeah.
