#52
“Your Highness. What are you doing here alone? And that…”
The knight trailed off, unable to say the word “pheromones.” His eyes were visibly shaking. He was struggling to maintain his reason. Enrique smiled with narrowed eyes and took a step towards the knight. The knight retreated slightly as if trying to resist, but his eyes were already filling with secret anticipation.
The knight began to subtly release his pheromones. It was an exploration to gauge Enrique’s intentions. Enrique inhaled the pheromones deeply without resistance. The subtle male scent stimulated the desire deeply embedded within him.
Step by step.
The knight’s eyes trembled slightly with each of Enrique’s approaches. Enrique smiled at him with narrowed eyes. After three such steps, the knight’s hand, which had been tightly gripping his sword hilt, relaxed.
“…Your Highness.”
The knight’s eyes burned with heat. His voice betrayed undeniable desire.
‘Yes, not bad.’
Enrique whispered to himself as he reached out towards the knight’s chest.
The chest beneath his hand was firm. The knight extended his slightly trembling hand towards Enrique’s cheek.
Just as the knight’s fingertips were about to touch Enrique’s cheek very carefully—
Thwack-!
With a heavy sound, something flew past before his eyes. Enrique blinked at the large, dark figure that appeared in an instant and struck the knight, sending him flying.
“What… do you think you’re doing?”
The dark man growled in a furious voice. Enrique glanced at the knight who had been knocked unconscious, then looked back.
“…Anture?”
Enrique called out as if to confirm, faced with this unfamiliar appearance. Anture, who was exuding pheromones full of anger, strode over.
Anture, with a fierce expression, reached out and gripped Enrique’s shoulders tightly. The grip was so strong that Enrique felt his shoulder bones might crush.
“That hurts!”
Enrique frowned and shouted. But Anture, far from loosening his grip, tightened it even more and yelled like thunder.
“I asked what the hell you think you’re doing!”
Enrique involuntarily flinched at Anture’s unprecedented angry shout. The aura and fighting spirit unleashed by the enraged alpha right in front of him were truly overwhelming.
Crunch.
Anture’s jaw clenched, and the sound of grinding teeth echoed ominously. Enrique felt utterly deflated by this situation. And somehow… he felt like crying.
“Let go. I said it hurts.”
Enrique spoke in a low, calm voice, trying to collect himself.
“Enrique!”
Anture shouted in an angry voice, shaking Enrique’s shoulders.
Enrique looked up blankly at Anture’s face, distorted with anger. Then he asked:
“Why did you appear at such a moment? Did you follow me?”
“Is that important right now? I asked what you were just doing. Answer me, Enrique.”
Anture pressed again. Somehow, Enrique’s head felt fuzzy. He blinked slowly and answered obediently.
“I was about to have sex with that knight you just knocked unconscious.”
“You…!”
“Why are you asking for confirmation when you clearly saw it with your own eyes?”
Hup. Anture’s breath stopped. Enrique thought he might have his neck snapped by Anture at this moment. Being with an alpha enraged to his core was an extremely dangerous situation. But he neither had the ability to escape from this place nor felt the need to run away.
“I was going to try having sex with another alpha. We’re not even married yet. Is that not allowed?”
Enrique asked quietly. He could see Anture’s pupils, blackened with anger, dilate sharply.
Ah, really dangerous— Before he could finish the thought, his body was lifted into the air.
When he came to his senses, his vision was upside down. It took Enrique a few blinks to realize he was hanging upside down over Anture’s shoulder.
“Put me down.”
Enrique demanded, but Anture ignored him. He was merely taking long strides towards somewhere dark.
“Put me down. I said put me down!”
Enrique finally raised his voice. When Anture continued to ignore him, he started hitting randomly with his free hands balled into fists. He struck with all his might at Anture’s waist, buttocks, wherever he could reach, but Anture didn’t budge. If anything, only Enrique’s hands hurt from hitting the hard muscles.
After being carried and shaken about for quite some time, Anture’s steps finally stopped. He opened a door somewhere and unceremoniously dropped Enrique on the floor. The impact on his buttocks and arms against the hard floor was stinging.
Looking around, he saw glass surrounding them on all sides. It was a small glass greenhouse at the end of the walking path. Enrique gritted his teeth and got up. Then he shouted at Anture:
“What the hell are you doing?!”
“That’s my line! What the hell are you doing?!”
Anture shouted back in an angry voice.
“I told you earlier! I was trying to have sex with another alpha!”
When Enrique shouted defiantly, he saw Anture clench his fists tightly.
He could see Anture’s muscular chest repeatedly expanding and contracting greatly, as if trying to calm his anger. Enrique too tried to regain his rational state by breathing slowly and deeply.
After a moment passed like this, Anture spoke first in a deep, husky voice.
“I told you clearly that I would only tolerate it once.”
“Am I in a position where I have to obey everything you say?”
“That’s not what I’m talking about!”
Frustration clouded Anture’s distorted face. He closed his eyes tightly for a moment before opening them again. Enrique could tell he was desperately trying to suppress his anger.
“Enrique, am I not enough for you?”
Anture asked. This time, Enrique’s face twisted slightly.
“Am I not good enough? Am I that inadequate for you? I know you don’t love me. But I thought you had developed some feelings for me. I clearly felt that. Was it all just my own delusion?”
Anture asked as if pleading.
Enrique’s chest tightened. His insides felt clogged. No, they felt numb. It was as if his intestines were twisting.
Enrique repeatedly parted his lips and closed them again. Anture was waiting patiently for Enrique, his lips tightly pressed. Only after taking several heavy breaths could Enrique finally speak.
“…That’s not it, Anture. That’s not it.”
“If that’s not it, then what is it? If it’s not because I’m inadequate, if it’s not because you dislike me, if it wasn’t just my own delusion, then why are you doing this?”
“……”
Enrique silently bit his lower lip hard.
‘Four years is a long time, Enrique. Just because there’s a set end doesn’t mean you shouldn’t even start. Whether it’s death or separation, all relationships come to an end eventually. If you’re afraid of that and don’t even start, you’ll surely regret it later.’
‘If you have even the slightest feelings for the prince, don’t push him away. Even if you really divorce after four years, if you want, you can at least spend the time until that moment happily, can’t you?’
Kisha’s voice echoed in his ears.
A small hope and longing repeatedly flickered and died in his chest. The confusion was unbearable.
“Please answer me, Enrique.”
Anture said, almost pleading. He looked somewhat tired.
Is it right to love when there’s a set time limit?
Is it proper to enjoy happiness even when the end is clearly in sight?
No matter how many times he asked himself, Enrique couldn’t come up with an answer.
“Can we be happy?”
Enrique asked softly.
Anture’s expression changed strangely. Enrique looked up into Anture’s black eyes and asked again.
“It’s a marriage with a predetermined end. You might love me, and maybe I could love you too. Then we’d be happy. But Anture, that love and happiness will end in four years. Is it right for us to start this?”
“Enrique…”
“I’m not confident. When the end is obvious, why should we even start? Why should I create my own wounds?”
“……”
“If only… you had appeared as just an ordinary knight of Shamier rather than the heir to Ruben. Then I could have been certain that I would reach you at the end of my journey after three marriages and divorces. But that’s not the case. You’re Anture Ruben. How can you so casually demand that I love you? Why are you trying to leave me with wounds that are clearly visible?”
Anture, who had been listening with a strange look, reached out. His large, firm, and hot hand cupped Enrique’s cheek. The touch felt achingly good.
“Don’t say such useless things, Enrique. Just tell me you’ve developed feelings for me. Say that you’re afraid of what will happen after that. Say that you did it because you’re scared of falling in love with me.”
Enrique thought he shouldn’t say these words. He thought he absolutely must not utter them. But his mouth opened on its own. The words tumbled out of their own accord.
“Yes, I’m scared.”
He regretted it as soon as he spoke, but the words were already out. Feeling both regret and relief simultaneously, Enrique averted his gaze. But Anture didn’t let him. The hand cupping his cheek moved to lift Enrique’s chin. Then, with their gazes firmly locked, he spoke as if making a vow.
