#50
“…I don’t know.”
Enrique muttered softly.
His heart was in turmoil.
Even as he bid farewell to Damiel, with whom he had spent years, he felt sorry but not a hint of regret or sadness.
A simple relationship and a simple farewell.
That was exactly what Enrique wished for in the three marriages he would face in the future. But the more he saw Anture acting friendly towards him, and the more he found himself feeling comfortable with Anture, Enrique felt a sense of crisis whenever he experienced emotions quite different from those he had with Damiel.
Perhaps that’s why. He wanted to completely shatter this familiarity with Anture. He wanted to cut it off cleanly and make it a simple relationship. But after experiencing this mechanical sex and pleasure… It just didn’t feel right. He couldn’t express what this feeling creeping in his chest was, but it certainly wasn’t good.
“I really don’t know,” Enrique muttered again.
Anture’s eyes twisted slightly. His hip movements stopped as if it were a lie. Enrique breathed shallowly as he felt the dick that had been stirring inside him withdraw. Anture, who had suddenly pulled out, stared at Enrique with inscrutable dark eyes before releasing the hands that had been pinning him to the floor.
Though his wrists were free, Enrique didn’t move. His arms, which had been pinned down for hours, didn’t regain sensation easily. And he didn’t particularly want to move either.
Anture got up and then carefully lifted Enrique, who was lying still. He approached the bed and gently laid him down on the soft mattress.
Enrique thought Anture would turn and leave right away. But he didn’t. Anture put his knee on the bed and lay down next to Enrique. Then he stretched out his arm and pulled Enrique into his embrace.
It wasn’t a gesture to have sex. It was a simple hug. Anture breathed heavily as he tightly wrapped his arms around Enrique.
Enrique blinked, docilely nestled in the large embrace.
‘Enrique. If you like the prince, why don’t you just continue this marriage?’
His father’s words suddenly came to mind. And he remembered what he had said to his father.
“I… will succeed you as the king of Shamier. I’ll make this country prosperous and powerful, leaving my name in history. The thought of going to the Ruben Empire and living and dying only as your partner – I don’t even want to consider such a terrible idea.”
Enrique repeated verbatim what he had said to his father in a dry voice.
Anture’s arms tightened around Enrique’s body. Following his desire, Enrique extended his arms and hugged Anture back. Anture’s strong body, which he embraced, was very hot. Enrique rested his forehead against Anture’s firm chest.
“The children I bear, the children who inherit Shamier’s blood, will grow up to be the emperors ruling Ruben, Monta, and Baron. As long as I inherit the country and rule Shamier, and as long as my heir continues Shamier… The four countries will be tightly bound as brothers. With that power, Shamier will enter a period of renaissance. And thus, history will remember me not just as a Superior Omega, but as a great king.”
“……”
“That’s what I want, Anture.”
As he finished speaking, Enrique finally realized the reason for his irrational behavior today. He felt threatened by Anture’s existence. He was afraid that all the plans he had made for the future of the country since childhood might crumble because of Anture’s presence.
“So, don’t love me, Anture. And I, too, will not love you.”
Enrique spoke deliberately, as if making a vow.
*
Damiel quietly left the palace early in the morning. Enrique watched Damiel’s departing figure alone from his bedroom window. Saying goodbye to Damiel was also bidding farewell to his free past. Enrique would now live repeating marriage, childbirth, and divorce for quite a long time.
After Damiel left, Enrique immersed himself solely in work.
Late winter was coming to an end. With the spring air, the marriage to Anture was rapidly approaching. The capital of Shamier and the royal palace were busy preparing for the grand wedding. As stipulated in the agreement, married life and childbirth would take place in Shamier’s royal palace. Work was also accelerating on renovating new quarters for the couple’s married life.
While everything around was bustling, Enrique and Anture were quiet.
Enrique buried himself solely in work. Once he got married and had children, he wouldn’t be able to invest as much time in work as he did now. He thought he should handle as much work as possible before that.
According to Enrique’s plan, he would conceive the first child immediately after marriage. During the four-year marriage period, he had to go through two childbirths. Quick childbirth and a year of recovery, then childbirth again and another year of recovery. Then divorce and remarriage. It was the best plan to allow intervals for body recovery between childbirths.
As he mechanically plowed through work, Enrique was glad he had dismissed Anture in that way that day. Anture, who had quietly left the bedroom, did not create opportunities to face Enrique unless absolutely necessary. With no occasion to see Anture, Enrique’s confusion naturally subsided, and he could always maintain a rational state.
After reviewing and signing the last document, Enrique put down his pen and raised his head for a moment. His body, which had maintained the same posture for a long time, was stiff. Enrique lifted the teacup prepared on one side of the desk to wet his throat, then hesitated as he was about to reach for the next document. While work was important, it wasn’t good to overwork his body excessively.
He was just contemplating whether to take a short walk or go for a light horse ride.
Knock knock-.
Pol entered with a knock. Pol, who had returned from maternity leave, had gained a bit of weight.
“Your Highness. The Duke and Duchess of Dubain have just arrived at the palace.”
At Pol’s words, Enrique sprang up from his seat.
“Kisha?!”
Enrique asked with a bright face, and Pol nodded with a smile.
“As soon as they arrived, she said she wanted to see you and came running with her child. I’ve already shown them to the reception room.”
At the news that his friend, whom he hadn’t seen for years since her marriage and departure to her husband’s territory, had come, Enrique dropped everything and rushed to the reception room as if flying. As he entered through the door opened by a servant, his friend Kisha stood up from the sofa, holding a small child.
“Enrique!”
Kisha called out happily. Enrique strode over and pinched Kisha’s cheek.
“You must like your husband so much to stay buried in his territory without ever visiting the palace, you brat.”
“Ow ow ow-. It hurts, Enrique.”
Kisha whined even though he had only pinched lightly. Enrique let go of the pinched cheek and turned his eyes to the small child in Kisha’s arms. The child, who looked to be just about a year old, was sucking their thumb while staring with curious eyes.
After quietly observing the child, Enrique clicked his tongue softly.
“What? It doesn’t look like you at all.”
“I know. It doesn’t take after me at all, but looks exactly like my husband. But isn’t it cute?”
Kisha said proudly.
Before marriage, she was the one who loudly proclaimed that a husband was just someone to use briefly for having children and then discard. But now, seeing her eager to boast about her child and husband was quite something.
“Hmph, cute my foot. It’s ugly.”
Enrique said with a snort. But contrary to his words, his hand was gently stroking the child’s head and cheeks.
“I thought you’d be buried in your territory for life, doing lovey-dovey stuff with your husband. Why are you here?”
“Of course I had to come! How could I not come when you’re getting married?”
Kisha said with wide eyes.
“It’s just a marriage, I’ll probably do it at least three times. What’s so great about it?”
Enrique said nonchalantly, gesturing for Kisha to sit down.
“You really… haven’t changed at all.”
Kisha muttered as she sat on the sofa. Her muttering was tinged with complex emotions, but Enrique pretended not to notice.
Kisha’s child was very curious. The large eyes rolled around, busy examining every corner of the reception room. The child also waved its hands towards the sweet desserts brought by the servant. When Kisha gave the child a cookie, it sucked on it instead of its thumb.
Enrique observed the child with quite interested eyes. The wedding was soon. By calculation, he would be pregnant within half a year at the latest. The first child with Anture would be the heir to Shamier. As it would be an important child to lead Shamier after Enrique, it was time for Enrique to start learning how to raise and educate children.
“Is it delicious?”
Enrique asked the child who was just sucking on the cookie instead of biting it. The child looked at Enrique with clear eyes and then nodded. It seemed to understand words too. After staring at the child for a while, Enrique shifted his gaze to Kisha.
“It seems quite bright.”
At Enrique’s compliment, Kisha’s face filled with pride.
“Right? You don’t know how smart it is.”
“If my first child is born an omega, I’m thinking of calling it to the palace. What do you think?”
Enrique asked, lifting his teacup.
Hearing this, Kisha’s face showed joy along with a faint conflict.
