* * *
“No matter what mistake I make, you’ll… hick, always forgive me?”
“Of course.”
Then he’d forgive him for running away too, right?
Having coaxed out the words he wanted to hear, Sylvian broke down into full-blown sobs.
It seemed he had been bottling up too much resentment, and the tears wouldn’t stop.
Zeroth kept kissing his tear-streaked face.
“Your eyes are red like a rabbit’s. My wife is quite the crybaby.”
“But… but…”
At his whispered confession of fear, Zeroth let out a small chuckle.
The body that had tried so hard to distance itself from him out of fear for the past few days now seemed to be relaxing, leaning toward him.
That was enough of a victory.
Seeing his delicate face drenched in tears made Zeroth want to make him cry even more, but he had to be careful for now.
Hadn’t he already taken great care at the start to only push as far as Sylvian could handle?
Love was no different from hunting.
Sometimes, you had to hold your breath and wait for days just to capture your prey.
Now that Sylvian had caught his eye, it was inevitable.
“Ze…roth.”
“Yes, my wife?”
“Zeroth. Hehe.”
Hearing Sylvian call his name so cautiously, Zeroth responded with a light kiss.
“I was afraid of being abandoned by you.”
“…Me too.”
At Zeroth’ confession, Sylvian flinched before nodding in agreement.
It would be a shame to be discarded so soon.
The main protagonist wouldn’t appear for at least another six months.
He needed to build a solid foundation first if he didn’t want to be pushed around by the Nertian Viscount family.
Not to mention, he needed power to suppress those who would look down on a useless former duchess.
Sylvian knew it wasn’t time to be abandoned by Zeroth just yet.
That could wait until the main protagonist showed up.
He knew the world too well to give everything in a relationship devoid of love.
So, he planned to offer his body as Zeroth desired.
That way, when the time came to discard him, it would feel like a waste.
Maybe he’d at least throw him a parting gift.
“But Zeroth would never abandon me.”
Seeing the certainty in those green eyes, Zeroth responded with a kiss instead of words.
Adorable.
As if answering his affection, Sylvian parted his lips, and Zeroth eagerly delved in.
Love was like an unstoppable wave crashing into daily life, but Zeroth was strong enough not to be swept away.
Whether this was love or not didn’t matter.
No matter what it was called, he was satisfied knowing that this small, precious thing belonged in his arms.
Sylvian would remain in his embrace, in his sight, until the day he no longer sought him.
Looking down at the collapsed Sylvian, Zeroth made a quiet resolution.
If someone was going to make him cry, it should be him.
Even if he broke down and crumbled, as long as Zeroth was the one to comfort him and make him smile again, that was enough.
He would make sure Sylvian had no choice but to love only him.
Watching him tear up at even the gentlest kiss, Zeroth pondered how he should savor the prey now securely in his grasp.
“Your Gr—, Zeroth.”
As he reflexively tried to address him as Duke, Zeroth narrowed his eyes sharply.
Sylvian grinned and corrected himself, calling his name instead.
Seeing the reconciled couple, the servants sighed in relief and began serving dinner.
“What is it?” Zeroth asked.
“When will you give me my gift?”
He had been curious for a while now.
After pretending to lighten up in the drawing room, they had spent some time talking about the past few days, and before they knew it, it was already evening.
He wondered what kind of gift it would be.
Hopefully, Zeroth had remembered his preferences and chosen something like cufflinks or a ring.
Unable to hide his anticipation, Sylvian looked up, only for Zeroth to shake his head.
“After dinner.”
“Shall we try dining according to etiquette, just like we learned last time?”
The table remained empty. Hearing Zeroth’ words, Sylvian swallowed nervously.
“Although family can eat comfortably, children tend to follow their parents’ example.”
So it was a way of saying, ‘You should learn it now.’
It almost sounded like ‘What have you been doing all this time instead of learning proper etiquette?’
Sylvian quickly nodded.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he had eaten with his parents.
At Zeroth’ signal, the servants placed a salad and soup in front of them.
Following what he had learned, Sylvian picked up the outermost small spoon and fork to start with the salad, cleansing his palate before moving on to the soup.
Having spent the past few days walking on eggshells and barely eating properly, he found his appetite returning as the food, tailored to his tastes, was served.
“You’re doing well.”
At such a simple compliment, the corners of his lips lifted.
As a child, Martius had secretly invited him to etiquette lessons, only for him to get caught and kicked out.
But he had done his best to remember everything he had learned.
After entering the duchy, acting a little rough around the edges had served him better than being too polished, so he had kept up the pretense.
“The food is especially delicious today.”
His casual remark praising the chef made the man’s shoulders straighten with pride.
The soup had been specially prepared with the best ingredients to help the thin duchess regain his health.
Seeing the warmth return to Sylvian’s face as he ate, the servants couldn’t hide their satisfaction as they attended to the duke and duchess.
Thump.
Sylvian glanced around the empty room before leaping onto the bed.
Having washed up first, he could claim the large bed all for himself.
‘What exactly is he planning to give me?’
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t guess what kind of gift Zeroth was preparing.
Since he had been sick for days, maybe it was a potion to restore his health?
From the maids’ chatter, he had heard that the duke had spent a fortune gathering the most expensive potions from the capital for his recovery.
Potions made by the temple and the magic tower were known to be incredibly valuable, especially those infused with divine energy, which were said to heal even someone on the brink of death.
Some potions even strengthened the body and boosted energy.
People would probably think Zeroth was spending money on such things simply because he loved Sylvian.
The thought of being held down and used more persistently made him want to run away, but Kim Hansung wasn’t the type to be scared of something so trivial.
It was all good.
If he regained his health, it would be useful for when he was with someone other than Zeroth as well.
‘I really hate getting hit.’
After getting scolded by him this time, Sylvian had made up his mind completely—Zeroth was out of the question.
He would keep trying to mold Sylvian into whatever suited his taste.
Elgana and Kelvin were Zeroth’s loyal subordinates, so they were definitely a no-go.
Whisen was a bit more ambiguous.
When others were around, he acted the same as always, but when they were alone, he still looked at Sylvian with an uncomfortable expression.
That meant there was still a chance, but he had never openly expressed any interest, making things unclear.
If Sylvian pushed a little harder, he was sure Whisen would cave.
But since the heat cycle, there hadn’t been any real opportunities.
Even exchanging pheromones in the carriage had been a fleeting moment.
Would the knights get curious if he deliberately went to the training grounds?
It was obvious Zeroth would disapprove, so he had stayed put.
But it was only natural that Sylvian’s curiosity kept growing, leading him to gradually expand his range.
And if things didn’t work out with Whisen, he could always seduce someone else.
Mmm.
* * *
