#40
Emotionally, Enrique was upset, but rationally, he knew Anture was right.
Damiel was a proper knight and a man. He wouldn’t want to appear in such a messy state to Enrique after being defeated by Anture. And now that Anture had come of age, Damiel’s presence was unnecessary.
Yes, Enrique could acknowledge this in his mind. But he felt a rebellious spirit, as if simply accepting it meant yielding to Anture. Seeing Enrique’s eyes contort, Anture’s black eyes deepened even further.
Strong arms pulled Enrique into an embrace. The moment he was trapped in Anture’s arms, an unfamiliar yet familiar scent overwhelmed him. A subtle yet profound fragrance. It wasn’t pheromones. It was simply Anture’s natural scent.
“When I learned that you spent your heat with that man, I could only curse the fact that I was born later than you. I chose to leave, fearing I might hurt you if I stayed and watched. But now it’s different. I’ve returned as a proper man, as you demanded. Now, I should be your only man.”
“…”
“Remember, Enrique. You have me now. If anyone tries to covet you in front of me again, I’ll end their life next time.”
The husky voice whispering in Enrique’s ear while holding him tightly was sweet and soft, but the content was vicious. And Enrique could feel that it was filled with sincerity.
“…I understand, so release me now.”
Enrique said in a low voice.
They were to be married soon anyway. They would live as a couple for four years and have a child.
Enrique remembered well that this was a significant transaction bound by an agreement between nations. He had no intention of playing at being a loving couple, but there was also no need to maintain an unnecessarily bad relationship.
Although Enrique had conceded, Anture showed no intention of releasing him from his embrace. Instead, the breath on Enrique’s ear became even hotter.
“Yesterday wasn’t your heat. Yet you called for him.”
“…”
Enrique recalled himself debating whether to pull the cord while alone with his aroused body the night before. Though desire was natural, this was definitely not something he wanted to hear from a third party.
“Were you lonely sleeping alone? Did you want it?”
“That’s enough, Anture. I’m telling you to maintain your manners and dignity.”
Enrique said stiffly, as if warning him. But Anture paid no heed.
“I saw you pull the cord. And then I saw him enter.”
Anture whispered softly in Enrique’s ear. Enrique inwardly gritted his teeth, realizing that Anture had indeed been watching him sleep since returning to the castle. This perverted bastard…!
“Connect that cord to my room. So when you pull it, I can rush to you.”
“Hey.”
Enrique pushed against Anture’s firm, muscular chest with his hand. Naturally, the guy didn’t budge an inch.
“Or there’s no need for that, just sleep with me starting today. We’re getting married soon anyway, right?”
Anture whispered in Enrique’s ear and then lightly bit his earlobe. Anger surged, but at the same time, a deep part of Enrique’s body tingled.
To think his body would react to just having his earlobe bitten. Enrique felt somewhat disheartened.
“Let go and return now, Your Highness. I have work to do.”
When Enrique spoke with distance, Anture let out a faint sigh in his ear and released his arms. Enrique brushed past Anture without giving him a single glance. He could feel Anture’s persistent gaze on his back as he calmly walked away. Somehow, he had an ominous feeling. A feeling that, if he wasn’t careful, the carefully planned trajectory of his life might deviate again, following what he had felt during the hunting trip.
*
“Why are you in such low spirits today?”
Julian spoke to Enrique, who had been silently drinking for quite some time. His eyes, scrutinizing Enrique’s expression, were uncharacteristically cautious.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Enrique asked, frowning. Julian shrugged and refilled the empty glass with alcohol.
“Is it because Count Persi got hurt?”
Julian finally brought up what he really wanted to ask. When Enrique silently brought the glass to his lips, Julian let out a faint sigh and leaned back on the sofa.
“Rumors are rampant that the Ruben Prince and Count Persi had a brawl over you. They say the Prince broke Count Persi’s arm?”
“…”
“Count Persi might be an excellent knight, but it would be hard for him to win against a fully grown alpha. Especially one who inherited the blood of the Ruben Emperor…”
Julian clicked his tongue softly after saying this. He seemed to feel sympathy and pity for Damiel.
“I heard you didn’t even visit him in the hospital? Just sent medicine and gifts?”
“…”
“You did well. There’s no point in leaving lingering feelings in a relationship that’s about to end anyway. This opportunity will give Count Persi time to sort out his feelings too.”
“I’m thinking of sending him down to his estate soon.”
Enrique finally spoke. Julian thought for a moment and then nodded as if agreeing.
“Good thinking. Isn’t one of the conditions of the agreement that married life will be in Shamier? Then the Prince and Count Persi would both be staying here in the palace… that wouldn’t be a good picture. Count Persi should go down to the estate he was granted, start a family, and have an heir too.”
“That’s right.”
Enrique replied briefly, recalling a few suitable marriage prospects that Damiel hadn’t rejected yet.
Damiel had served sincerely by his side as both a knight and a man. Enrique had no intention of mistreating him even after their relationship ended. Having been granted a title and estate, what Damiel needed now was a good marriage match.
It was a rare drinking occasion, but the atmosphere was quite heavy. Julian swirled his glass and asked in a rather bright voice.
“So, you’ve gotten attached to the body, as I said?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve never called for Count Persi unless it was your heat. But this time, you called for him when it wasn’t your heat, and this incident happened.”
“What does that have to do with getting attached to the body?”
Enrique frowned. Julian grinned as if he knew everything.
“You called a man just because you wanted it, even though it wasn’t your heat. I doubt you suddenly desired Count Persi after maintaining a platonic relationship for years, so it means there’s a new factor that stimulated you…”
“Nonsense.”
“I think that factor is the Ruben Prince.”
Julian grinned, seemingly pleased with his own deduction.
“Hmph.”
Enrique snorted. But he didn’t outright deny it.
He wasn’t the type to deny reality in the first place. Enrique clearly remembered that night. He couldn’t deny that Anture was the cause of his body heating up unusually when it wasn’t even his heat.
“See? You’ve gotten attached to the body, just as I said. I’ve told you many times. Sex with a beta and sex with an alpha are on completely different levels. Once you’ve mixed bodies with an alpha, a beta won’t satisfy you anymore. Only having sex during your heat and treating it like a chore? That won’t work anymore. Now that you’ve experienced it, you understand too, right?”
Enrique silently furrowed his brow. Reading affirmation in that, Julian laughed like a pervert.
Eventually, Julian, thoroughly drunk, was carried home by his husband who came to fetch him. Enrique, his head fuzzy from alcohol, leaned back on the sofa and caressed his half-empty glass. A meaningless sigh escaped him.
During his years of maintaining a relationship with Damiel, Enrique had gained confidence.
Confidence that his future married life could be maintained as cleanly and simply as his relationship with Damiel. But since Anture suddenly jumped back into his life, that confidence had been severely cracked.
“What’s the big deal about mere sex…”
Enrique muttered to himself.
Until now, sex for Enrique had been nothing more than a series of actions to cool his body with Damiel’s help when his heat came. There was pleasure, ecstasy, and satisfaction, but that was it.
But sex with Anture was completely different. The profound ecstasy and intense pleasure he felt during sex with him, the thick scent of pheromones that melted both body and mind, Anture’s presence that filled his entire being as if both flesh and soul were melting into one…
With just one instance of sex, Anture had deeply engraved himself in Enrique’s body. Enrique couldn’t deny this.
Was this because it was sex with an alpha, or because it was sex with Anture?
Since Anture was the only alpha Enrique had experienced, he couldn’t judge hastily.
If it was simply that sex with an alpha was like this… well, that would be somewhat fortunate. After all, all of Enrique’s marriage partners would be alphas. But if it was different because it was sex with Anture specifically…
