Saying aloud what he’d been thinking for a while made Seiyad’s argument feel all the more convincing. Pleased with himself, he glanced at Ressas with clear satisfaction. But as he waited for agreement, he finally noticed the expression on Ressas’s face. His lover looked a little sulky.
“…Your Highness? Are you alright? Was my comparison upsetting?”
“No, not at all.”
Ressas quickly shook his head, clearly trying to dismiss the thought. Still, he seemed like he had something on his mind. Seiyad reached out and took the hand Ressas had offered to help him up. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, Seiyad encouraged him silently, and Ressas finally spoke in a careful but confident voice.
“Deer are helpful animals in many ways, so I don’t dislike them. But since I’m tall and not exactly weak, don’t you think another animal might suit me better?”
The overly cautious way he said it just made him seem even more like a deer—but Seiyad easily picked up on what his young lover was actually getting at. He wanted to be compared to something else. Smiling softly at those earnest eyes brimming with hope, Seiyad asked, half amused, half curious:
“Then what animal do you think you are, Your Highness?”
“…What about a leopard? Or maybe a mountain lion… or a wolf?”
Seiyad stifled a laugh. The image of Ressas earnestly comparing himself to a top predator of the forest was too adorable. The corners of his lips twitched despite himself, but he held back the smile—he didn’t want to seem like he was mocking him.
Well, if you judged just by appearance, the comparison wasn’t that far off. His jet-black hair, the powerful muscles shaping his lean body—he wouldn’t look out of place as a black panther. And Ressas was the highest authority in Solias now, and his combat ability was no joke. It wasn’t exactly a stretch.
But personality-wise, it was a different story. Ressas often called himself awful and put himself down, but he wasn’t someone who hurt others without cause, and he definitely wasn’t vicious. There wasn’t a shred of cruelty in him. If anything, calling him a predator felt more off than fitting.
Still, after thinking it over, Seiyad decided to just go along with it. If that’s what Ressas wanted to believe, letting him lean into it might help his confidence. It was the kind of thing younger people did—to want to appear mature and impressive to someone older. Remembering how hard Ressas had once tried to be acknowledged as a man, Seiyad played along.
“You’re handsome and dignified, so an animal like that suits you.”
“Really?”
Just as he’d expected, Ressas lit up. As Seiyad gave a slow nod, his face brightened instantly—a stark contrast to the way he’d looked when Seiyad had first mentioned the deer. In moments like this, Seiyad could still see the echoes of the boy he used to be.
“Yes. You’re brave and noble, so calling you a leopard fits. I once saw a black panther outside Nir’a’s territory. One day, I’ll hunt one for you.”
“Can I catch it myself?”
“If that’s what you want.”
A small concession—well worth it to see him smile.
“Then maybe I should carve a leopard instead. That way, you’d see it every day and think of me.”
“No, I think a deer would be better. I like deer. Since you’ll always be by my side, you should carve something else. I heard that carved antlers made from wood can look incredibly beautiful.”
Ressas looked slightly puzzled, but as Seiyad went on, he eventually nodded in agreement. With the suspicion safely brushed aside, Seiyad decided to steer the topic further away.
“I can’t wait to see it. How long do you think it’ll take? Maybe you could work on it while you’re resting.”
“As you know, I’m not very good at it… I don’t know if you’ll like it, but I think I can finish it in about a month.”
“Have I ever disliked anything you’ve carved? You always make them cute and full of love.”
“Then… I’ll do my best to finish it and give it to you as soon as I can.”
Ressas now looked completely re-energized. Thinking back to the past, when that beautiful face had been shadowed only by sorrow, Seiyad felt genuinely relieved. He watched quietly as new expressions began to fill Ressas’s face—ones that had never been there before. And in contrast to those memories, Seiyad found himself smiling too—an easy, carefree smile touched with hope for tomorrow, gleaming faintly in his silver-gray eyes.
***
They left the cabin later than planned.
The delay had one very obvious cause—while Ressas was gathering their clothes from the floor, he’d caught sight of Seiyad’s naked body and, overwhelmed with arousal, ended up pouncing on him.
Seiyad’s neck, licked obsessively, was now littered with red blotches like a spray of bruises. His thighs and knees were marked with Ressas’s handprints, vivid and dark. Though Ressas had managed to hold himself back up to a point, when Seiyad stood and release trickled down his thigh, it broke him. His eyes lost focus, and the next thing either of them knew, Seiyad was in his arms again.
Ressas grabbed his waist and lifted him without warning. Pressed up against the cabin wall, Seiyad was nearly cradled in place as he took him in. It wasn’t immediate penetration—despite being mindless with lust, Ressas still hesitated, worried about hurting Seiyad. He rubbed himself frantically against Seiyad’s thighs and stomach, straining for relief. Seiyad, though barely lucid, took the lead and guided him lower.
He gripped Ressas’s cock and deliberately pulled it down, and the swollen tip—already grinding at his entrance—slipped in easily. After spending the entire night with Ressas inside him, taking him again was effortless. The cock that pushed in without resistance pressed hard against Seiyad’s deepest spot, and just like that, both of them ignited again.
They moved like heat-maddened animals, rutting wildly until time blurred. Only after Ressas came inside him two more times did they finally calm down.
Ressas was clearly obsessed with the marks he left behind on Seiyad’s body. So much so that, perhaps realizing they’d never make it out of the cabin at this rate, he clamped his eyes shut and insisted on helping Seiyad dress. At one point, he even tried to slap himself to snap out of it, and Seiyad had to stop him in a panic.
Eventually—barely—they managed to get dressed.
…So this is why foolish men ruin their lives, blinded by lust. Those idiots in the history books didn’t exist for nothing. There was always a reason behind their downfall.
On the way back to the castle, Seiyad seriously contemplated his current condition.
They’d been glued to each other for hours since last night, and yet his body was still hot with need. The aversion he’d once felt about being taken by another man had long since vanished. He’d grown so used to the sensation of Ressas inside him that the absence now felt… empty.
The way Ressas moved, the heat in his touch—it was intoxicating. Seeing this wild, sensual side of him, something Seiyad had never glimpsed before, drove him half-crazy. And even though he was the one getting fucked, it was Ressas who wept and sobbed, overwhelmed with pleasure. That face, beautiful and flushed, was so lovely that Seiyad couldn’t help but crave seeing it again and again.
That thick cock—ridiculously oversized for someone with a face that pretty—pressing against every tender spot inside him had felt divine…
Just remembering it made his mouth go dry.
But he held himself back, thinking of how Ressas had nearly cried, begging to return to the castle. That helped.
Still, there had been one useful takeaway.
When it came to persuasion, words weren’t nearly as effective with Ressas as touch was. For all his stoic self-control during heartfelt pleas, the moment Seiyad so much as brushed against him or gave away how much he liked it, Ressas completely unraveled.
From now on, if Ressas refused to listen, Seiyad would just use actions instead of words.
It was as he came to that conclusion that he noticed a group of people in the distance, heading toward the castle.
Ressas, who was carrying a hunted wolf over his shoulder, noticed them at the same time. Their eyes turned west in unison.
“Were we expecting visitors at Axid Castle?”
“There are couriers from the capital, but not that many at once. Judging by their gear, they look like knights. And as far as I know, no nobles are scheduled to visit anytime soon…”
Seiyad narrowed his eyes. It was rare for uninvited guests to come to Axid Castle. As he focused his sight, the figures up ahead came into clearer view.
Familiar faces.
“They’re Your Highness’s knights.”
“Ah…!”
Ressas’s expression shifted—faint joy and surprise flickering across his features.
Seiyad had already explained that none of Ressas’s knights had died, despite the casualties among others. Still, Ressas had shown no intention of summoning them. Seiyad had expected he’d want to see the knights who’d always stayed by his side, but when he showed no sign of calling for them, Seiyad had reached out on his behalf last week.
“I summoned them. I thought they wouldn’t arrive until next week, but they made better time than I expected.”
“I see. Well done, Eid. I’m sure they all missed you.”
Something about that statement struck Seiyad as… off.
He frowned faintly at the odd turn of phrase.
They were Ressas’s knights—so why say they missed him?
And then, like a whisper from the past, a memory stirred.
Back in the ruins of the fallen castle, when Ressas sat alone in the rubble, crying—he’d looked up at Seiyad and confessed in a low voice, as if revealing some long-held secret:
“…Yes, Eid. Every version of myself I ever showed you… I copied from how you used to be. I’m nothing on my own. Vine, Rigda, Zion—they were never really mine. They were yours. I only held on to your remnants for a while. And besides…”
It didn’t matter anymore. Not to the current Seiyad.
But Ressas had been so tormented when he said it.
Seiyad had assumed everything had returned to its rightful place—that he could finally forget.
Yet now, that familiar unease stirred again, just beneath the surface.
While he stood caught in that brief wave of thought, the knights drew closer.
There was only one road leading to the castle, so they were bound to meet. Their eyes met across the distance.
Vine, loud as ever, was the first to spot them.
“Oh—!”
He froze, wide-eyed. The others followed his gaze and all turned toward Seiyad and Ressas.
While Vine stood there stunned, Rigda wasted no time. She dismounted quickly and called out with a radiant smile:
“Your Highness! You’re safe—just like we heard!”
The joy in her voice was unmistakable. One by one, the knights dismounted and bowed deeply in greeting.
“It’s an honor to see Your Highness again. We’re truly relieved that you’re well.”
After that, they turned to Seiyad and offered respectful bows. Vine, still flustered, scrambled to catch up and ran off toward the wagon they’d brought.
While that was happening, Ressas acknowledged the greetings.
“I’m glad to see you’re all safe and sound. Thank you for making the long journey. It’s been a while.”
Though his words were warm, he didn’t step forward like he might have before, didn’t check on each of them or embrace them.
Instead, he turned to Seiyad and reintroduced them.
“You’ve seen them many times, so I’m sure you remember—they’re your knights now. Sir Anka’s a bit too old for field duty these days, but Rigda and the others are rare talents. I think you’ll be pleased with them, Eid.”
It was almost as if he were handing the knights over.
That shift in tone made the knights pause, expressions darkening with confusion.
Rigda, still glowing with joy, blinked in surprise and looked toward Ressas. Even Seiyad was momentarily stunned.
Caught between their loyalty and uncertainty, the knights stood frozen—unable to speak.
Just then, Vine returned.
He held a birdcage in one hand, and in the other, a silk-wrapped box.
“Your Highness! This loyal Vine has kept Sey safe for you!”
Right on cue, a gray robin chirped brightly inside the cage.
Just like before, its round little body gleamed with soft feathers that had now turned nearly silver with the coming of winter. It flitted excitedly in its cage, and the tense atmosphere around them softened.
Even Ressas looked startled, his eyes widening.
“Didn’t I order you to release Sey?”
Vine, almost branded a traitor for disobeying that order, was saved by Rigda.
“Yes, Your Highness. I released it into the woods as you commanded. But it kept circling the ruins near the southern palace—it seemed unable to leave. In the end, we brought it back.”
Vine, realizing just how badly things could have gone, quickly chimed in.
“It kept crying so sorrowfully at the palace. I couldn’t just leave it. You’ve always treated Sey so kindly—if it were me, I’d never have been able to leave either.”
The other knights joined in, each adding a few words to protect their simpleminded comrade.
As they described the robin’s mournful wait, Seiyad listened silently—until something started to bother him.
That name: Sey.
The more they said it, the more it grated.
Somehow, it sounded more and more like… a nickname for him.
Not Seiyad’s takeaway being “I’ll just seduce him whenever we’re arguing” lol
THE BIRD LMAO I FORGOT ABOUT IT