* * *
“……Hngh.”
“…Sylvian.”
The cool sensation against his face made him feel a little more alive.
He was just a little startled, that was all.
He just had to act like nothing had happened again.
“Mmnh.”
His eyes snapped open.
Sylvian yawned widely and stretched his arms.
How long had he been asleep?
He remembered being startled and collapsing while being punished by Zeroth, but he had no sense of how long he had been lying down.
Outside, it was still dark, and the man was staring down at him.
“Sylvian? Are you alright?!”
A desperate voice rang out as Sylvian stared at Zeroth’s worried face.
Feeling embarrassed, he awkwardly tried to lift the corners of his lips into a smile, but Zeroth frowned and pulled him into a tight embrace.
“D-Duke?”
“Are you alright? Does anything hurt?”
Sylvian simply rolled his eyes around before answering that he was fine.
“You were unconscious for three days.”
That’s insane.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Sylvian. This was my fault for not taking proper care of you.”
For someone to faint during the act—it was clearly his fault.
He had only applied a little more strength than usual.
He should never have let that Viscountess leave back then.
Regret came too late as Zeroth let out a deep sigh.
“If you’re scared, just say so. I want you to be happy with me.”
“But I should obey my husband’s words.”
Seeing Zeroth’s hand lift toward his head, Sylvian instinctively shrank back and squeezed his eyes shut.
Yet the large hand only gently stroked his hair.
Zeroth swallowed a sigh at Sylvian’s frightened reaction.
He hadn’t expected his own words from the initial ‘training’ to come back and haunt him like this.
Even while receiving Zeroth’s touch, Sylvian couldn’t relax, his eyes clenched shut.
Fury boiled in Zeroth’s chest.
He wanted to kill Viscount Nertian right this instant.
“My wife, are you really alright?”
“Yes. Y-Yes.”
It was just like the first day they had met.
On Sylvian’s pale face, it was written all over—he was afraid of him.
Zeroth’s eyes turned ice-cold.
He could never forgive the man who had dared to touch what was his.
And Zeroth was not one to hesitate.
—
“So, Duke, what exactly are you doing here?”
Crown Prince Aihin glared at Duke Zeroth Graham, who was lounging on the sofa in his office.
“It seems there are some fools in the Empire who dare to disregard me.”
“…….”
Has he lost his mind?
Who in the Empire—no, on this entire continent—did not know the name Zeroth Graham?!
Aihin clicked his tongue, unable to hide his disbelief.
“The Empire’s greatest blessing! The dominant Alpha! Who in their right mind would be ignorant of your strength?”
Did such a fool truly exist?
Aihin briefly mourned the fate of those who had offended Zeroth.
“For the upcoming party, please extend an invitation to House Nertian. I noticed that my wife’s family was not included.”
Zeroth’s request came with a pleasant smile, and Aihin fell silent.
It was a minor issue, yet he found himself unable to immediately agree.
The smile on Zeroth’s lips did not match the deadly aura surrounding him, and the Crown Prince instinctively pressed himself against the back of his sofa.
Dear heavens, Duchess, what in the world did you do?!
Aihin recalled the lovely Duchess who had visited his palace a few days ago.
“Ahem, altering the guest list at this stage is… easy! Of course! Am I not the Crown Prince?”
He had intended to negotiate something in return, but at the sight of Zeroth’s gaze—one that clearly said, ‘Refuse, and I’ll kill you’—his words quickly changed.
Aihin resented the fact that he had not manifested as a dominant Alpha.
“If Your Highness assists me, I will offer a token of my—”
“No need. Absolutely not.”
Whatever it was, Aihin didn’t want it.
Nothing good ever came from Zeroth’s ‘gifts.’
“Consider my refusal final.”
You crazy bastard.
Unable to say the words aloud, Aihin clenched his fists.
If he became Emperor, he would demote Zeroth—except that the man was far too useful.
Was this why his father endured Zeroth’s presence, constantly exercising patience while keeping him close?
“What exactly were you planning to give me?”
“I heard that Your Highness has hit a wall at the advanced expert level.”
Zeroth grinned, and Aihin immediately shook his head.
“My goal is to advance at a steady pace.”
‘I’ve been pushing myself too hard,’ Aihin inwardly justified, though his voice trembled ever so slightly.
“If you keep dawdling, others will surpass you. Imagine—the Crown Prince of the Empire still not even a low-rank Sword Master.”
That’s not something just anyone can become.
Aihin shot Zeroth a look of disbelief.
Reaching the advanced expert level by thirty was already an incredible feat.
Of course, the monster before him had become a Sword Master at twenty.
“I will personally train you for one month.”
Ignoring Aihin’s repeated refusals, Zeroth left the office with a satisfied expression.
The Emperor had been pestering him to guide Aihin’s swordsmanship anyway.
Now, he had secured what he wanted while acting as if he were doing a favor in return.
‘To think that my wife’s family wasn’t even invited to a royal banquet.’
Returning to his mansion, Zeroth was not pleased that he had to personally intervene because of the Nertians.
If not for them, he would still be busy making Sylvian cry.
Sylvian, who had been feverish and bedridden, now acted like a stranger in their own home.
The moment Zeroth got close, Sylvian would flinch and freeze.
“…Hah.”
He should have been more patient.
Instead of rushing, he should have waited for the fruit to ripen, growing even sweeter.
Only after Sylvian collapsed did Zeroth realize his mistake.
He had thought Sylvian could handle it now, but he had miscalculated.
The only consolation was that, despite his fear, Sylvian was still obedient.
Had that not been the case, Zeroth would have already stormed into House Nertian and snapped the Viscount and his wife’s necks.
He needed to find a way to persuade the Crown Prince or Emperor to grant him the authority for immediate execution.
—
“You’re back.”
As he stepped down from the carriage, Sylvian was waiting for him, his face tense.
Elgana had been working tirelessly to mend their relationship.
“My wife, did you come to greet me?”
“Yes, I happened to be walking in the garden.”
Sylvian glanced sideways at Whisen and his maid, Penny.
As Sylvian tried to retreat, Zeroth caught his wrist and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“How was your day?”
“I stayed in the bedroom most of the time… then took a short walk.”
On the way to the drawing room, Sylvian’s voice lacked the excitement it once had. Zeroth could still feel Sylvian’s gaze trailing his hand.
If they had grown distant, they only needed to get close again.
“After dinner today, I have a gift prepared for you, Sylvian.”
At the word “gift,” Sylvian’s tense eyes momentarily sparkled.
There were too many things he had never been able to enjoy while living in the Viscount’s household.
Now, having learned the joy of receiving gifts in the Duke’s estate, Sylvian licked his lips with his small tongue and watched Zeroth cautiously.
‘What kind of ridiculous present is he trying to give me now?’
Sylvian lowered his head slightly and gave a small nod at Zeroth’s words.
Since his collapse, they hadn’t been intimate even once.
It was the first time since entering the Duke’s estate that Zeroth had refrained from touching him for no apparent reason.
There was nothing wrong with his body, and yet, they hadn’t been intimate?
Had he lost interest?
* * *
