#68
“I’m not rejecting you, Enrique. I want to plant my seed in you, to get you pregnant with my child. You have no idea how intense that desire is. It’s just…”
Anture paused briefly, then hugged Enrique even tighter, as if afraid he might run away. The feelings of humiliation, shame, and anger that had enveloped Enrique’s body softened a little at Anture’s desperate whisper and urgent gesture.
“Just what?”
When Enrique asked, Anture hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“It’s just that you are more important to me than a child. I have something I must do right now. Once that’s done, we can have our child. As many as you want, if that’s what you desire.”
“And that thing you must do is breaking my two engagements, I suppose.”
Enrique said with a gloomy feeling. Anture confirmed with his silence.
Enrique thought for a moment about how to persuade Anture. But their opinions could never align. It was like an eternal parallel line.
“Anture…”
Enrique decided to try to coax Anture.
“Let’s have our first child for now. Then, while I’m carrying the child, you can do whatever you want. You still have 4 years. There’s no need to rush and postpone having a child.”
“…”
Anture didn’t respond. Enrique turned his body around. He cupped Anture’s cheek with his hand and met his gaze. The black eyes were as solid as a fortress. He could instinctively tell that persuasion was impossible. But Enrique couldn’t yield either.
“Anture, let’s have a child now. I want to have one. After that, I won’t care what you do with Monta and Baron. That works, right?”
Enrique spoke gently, as if coaxing. Anture’s eyes narrowed. He opened his tightly closed mouth.
“Do you think I don’t know what you’re thinking?”
“…What?”
“You, once you have my child, you plan to replace me with that child. Instead of loving me, you’ve decided to live loving that child, haven’t you?”
Anture’s words stung. How did he read his mind so accurately when Enrique hadn’t shown any sign?
“You want a child with black hair, black eyes, fair skin, and a pretty face? You need a child to be by your side instead of me. You plan to discard me and live embracing a child that bears my traces?”
“…”
“Do you think I would go along with your wishes knowing this?”
Anture’s eyes twisted in pain. Enrique couldn’t bear to look at Anture’s anguished eyes anymore and averted his gaze.
“…This is an agreement and a deal between countries. You have an obligation to give me Shamier’s next heir, and I have an obligation to bear Ruben’s heir for you. Don’t act like a commoner who can love anyone, Anture. You’re the prince and heir of Ruben. You’re acting like an immature child throwing a tantrum.”
Enrique spoke in a deliberately calm tone. But even as he spoke, it was his own heart that ached.
“Yes, I will live embracing your child instead of you. So you should live embracing my child instead of me. That way, we’ll be connected forever, and we can find comfort in that.”
Enrique ended up saying things he shouldn’t have, driven by emotion. Anture gently embraced Enrique.
“See? You just admitted it. You already love me. You’ve come to love me so much that you want to live embracing a child that resembles me instead of me.”
At Anture’s words, Enrique felt he had slipped up, but at the same time, he wondered if this was what he had wanted all along.
“Still, I will choose Shamier over you. That fact won’t change.”
Enrique said, as if making a pledge, with a somewhat gloomy feeling.
*
“Why are you in such low spirits?”
Julian asked. Enrique snapped out of his deep thoughts and forced a smile. Julian clicked his tongue at the sight.
“You spent quality time with him at the villa, and yet you’re in this mood?”
“Just… I have a lot to think about.”
Enrique brushed it off instead of explaining in detail. Usually, he would have spilled everything and enjoyed time with his friend, but this time it wasn’t so easy.
“You had a fight, didn’t you?”
Julian said, narrowing his eyes.
“I wish we had fought.”
Enrique said in a gruff voice as he brought the wine glass to his lips.
“Seeing how you’re drinking wine like water, I guess you didn’t knot.”
Julian hit the nail on the head. Enrique looked up sharply, and Julian shrugged.
“You were in your heat cycle, weren’t you? That’s why you two were holed up in the villa. I thought when you came back, you’d give up on alcohol and work, and just focus on taking care of your body. But instead, you seem determined to drown yourself in alcohol?”
“…”
Having grown up together since childhood, Julian understood Enrique too well.
“Let me guess? You wanted to get pregnant this time, but the prince refused. Right?”
“What’s your intention in asking when you already know?”
“It’s just funny, isn’t it? The great Enrique, sulking because he was rejected. It’s a sight to see.”
Julian chuckled. Since it wasn’t exactly wrong, Enrique just let out a hollow laugh.
“But the prince is amazing. He resisted your heat pheromones. If it were any other alpha, they would have impregnated you a hundred times over with their eyes rolled back.”
“How vulgar.”
“When have I not been vulgar?”
“Alright, I get it.”
Bickering with Julian made Enrique feel a bit better. This was the good thing about having a close friend.
“So, what are you going to do? I hear he hasn’t set foot in your bedroom since you came back from the villa.”
“Did you bribe my servants?”
“Everything about you and the prince is of interest, down to how many times you chew your bread before swallowing. Everyone in the capital, not just the palace, probably knows your every move.”
Enrique clicked his tongue softly. He couldn’t really blame Julian or others. The royal family was not only of noble blood but also an important asset to the country. Lack of privacy was something they had to accept as a basic fact.
“I hear the prince is busy whispering with the Ruben ambassadors every day. Is he running away in case he falls head over heels for you and gets you pregnant?”
Since it wasn’t wrong, Enrique just shrugged.
“What can you do? It’s not like you can get pregnant alone.”
Julian muttered as if intrigued. Enrique swirled his wine glass and narrowed his eyes.
“I’ll have to pounce on him when I get the chance.”
At those words, Julian snickered and fondled Enrique’s arm.
“With these arms, can you overpower the prince’s thick arms? I doubt that large body will let you pounce on him so easily.”
“Then I’ll make him pounce on me.”
“That… well, yes. That might be more feasible.”
Julian nodded and raised his wine glass, speaking as if making a toast.
“To successful seduction and pouncing.”
Instead of clinking glasses, Enrique slapped the back of Julian’s head with his hand. Julian clutched his head and laughed gleefully.
Perhaps due to too much wine, Enrique felt tipsy. He kicked Julian out and stumbled into his bedroom. As he flopped onto the bed, the ceiling seemed to spin. He must have drunk quite a bit indeed. Enrique thought as he blinked slowly.
As he was trying to soothe his dizziness, he turned his head to the side. He saw a single flower placed neatly in the center of the bed. Enrique reached out and picked up the flower. He brought it to his nose and smelled its subtle fragrance.
“Pol.”
When Enrique called, Pol quickly approached. Enrique silently showed him the flower in his hand.
“Ah, the prince stopped by earlier and left that.”
Pol said with an awkward smile. Enrique waved his hand, dismissing Pol from the bedroom.
Enrique quietly looked at the fully bloomed flower for a moment. Then he snorted and threw the flower under the bed.
“He could at least show his face…”
Enrique muttered softly and glanced down at the door leading to Anture’s bedroom.
Since returning from the villa, Anture had been practically living in the quarters where the Ruben ambassadors were staying. He seemed to think even his own bedroom was a danger zone. And that thought was true. Enrique intended to pounce on Anture whenever he was in the bedroom. He had let it slide last time by chance, but he was determined not to fail a second time.
As he was lost in these thoughts, he dozed off.
He slowly regained consciousness due to a gentle hand caressing his face. Instead of opening his eyes, Enrique continued to pretend to be asleep, breathing evenly. He knew that if he opened his eyes, Anture, who was acting like a timid rabbit, would quickly run away.
