* * *

Etienne slowly reached out and cupped Lucian’s face. Holding his face gently, he looked him straight in the eyes, making him look down at him.

“I will…”

His voice, sincere and pressed out with effort, emerged from his small lips.

“I will definitely drive those superstitions out of this land.”

It was a firm and pure resolve, not born of mere curiosity.

With a disheveled appearance but eyes shining brighter than the stars in the night sky, Etienne declared each word with determination.

“Whether it’s called a curse from the gods or a blessing from the gods, I will uncover each one… I will dedicate my entire life if I must, definitely.”

“…”

“I will eliminate those superstitions. Together with you, Your Grace.”

Throughout that enchanting declaration, Lucian couldn’t take his eyes off Etienne’s.

The brilliant light in his eyes captivated him like an inescapable quagmire.

Lucian, as if spellbound, moved his hand to grasp Etienne’s hand that was holding his face. Then, without realizing it, he brought Etienne’s slender wrist to his lips and spoke.

“Is it because you too despise those superstitions, or is it…”

For my sake.

Lucian swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

Instead, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips deeply against the pale wrist, pouring his inner questions over it, hoping his true feelings would be conveyed somehow.

However, the hope and feelings he had tried to suppress inevitably leaked out, leaving a trace.

“Hhh…!”

With a wet moan, Omega’s body trembled. When Lucian finally came to his senses and opened his eyes, he saw Etienne, who was now gasping and writhing.

He had, overcome with emotion, unconsciously released a seductive scent.

‘Damn…’

Lucian hurriedly retracted his scent and let go of Etienne’s wrist. He quickly released pheromones to calm Etienne, but the repeatedly stimulated body could not easily regain composure.

Moreover, Etienne himself had strained to emit his scent in front of the alphas, so his physical condition was far from normal.

An omega’s body exposed to multiple pheromones several times had lost control and was heating up.

“I’m sorry, Etienne. I…”

“No… it’s, it’s okay…”

In response to Lucian’s apology, Etienne shook his head. It was evident to anyone that he was not okay, but he smiled as if to show that he was.

While gritting his teeth to suppress his urges, Etienne burrowed deeper into Lucian’s embrace, trembling.

Etienne, like a broken faucet, emitted a sweet pheromone. The luscious scent of ripe fruit was maddeningly stimulating, causing Lucian to bite his inner cheek to resist his desire.

Though he wanted to tear off the clothes and ravage the pale and red body, Lucian’s hands only gently stroked Etienne’s back.

He continuously kissed Etienne’s forehead lightly and soothed his back and shoulders, waiting until the trembling subsided.

“Hoo…”

Perhaps his dedication worked. Although the heat had not completely subsided, Etienne could finally breathe properly.

His breathing was still rapid, but compared to the moment when he seemed on the verge of passing out, he had improved.

Fortunately, there was no sign of displeasure on his face. Lucian secretly sighed in relief, thinking that Etienne was not angry because of his mistake.

Yet, ironically, that fact also bothered him somewhat.

“…Etienne.”

Adjusting Etienne in his arms, he impulsively spoke.

“Is this situation, me acting like this… does it not bother you at all?”

Etienne looked up at Lucian with a puzzled expression, as if asking what he meant. That innocent face, not understanding the reason, painfully clawed at a corner of Lucian’s heart.

“Doesn’t it bother you to be swayed by my pheromones against your will?”

Even with the added explanation, Etienne still looked confused. Embracing Lucian’s neck, he nuzzled his face against it and murmured.

“I don’t really understand… but it’s natural for the body to respond to pheromones…”

Still suffering from the aftereffects, Etienne panted with his nose buried in Lucian’s neck. Never before had the cool scent of an alpha been so desperately needed.

In a daze from the heat, he mumbled his reply.

“Bees and ants find their way by following pheromones, right? Just like that… it’s natural for alphas and omegas to be drawn to each other by pheromones.”

“…”

“So… there’s no need to force yourself to resist.”

It was an answer so kind, yet so naïve that it hurt cruelly.

Lucian gritted his teeth and hugged him tightly. The one who always approached him first, who embraced him affectionately, who craved him, and who always swept him into an irrational longing.

Yet, he said all of it was just because of pheromones.

Hugging that lovely and resentful person tightly enough to crush him, Lucian spoke with difficulty.

“Then, even if I did these things with another omega…”

It was a childish question. An extremely foolish question.

Even so, Lucian couldn’t help but voice it.

“Would it not matter to you?”

“Maybe… not.”

Despite knowing the answer would be like this.

He looked silently into Etienne’s eyes. There was no lie or pretense in them.

That truth brought a throbbing pain to his heart.

“Oh, but you mustn’t force yourself on anyone… and the research funding should be given only to me.”

“…I see.”

Lucian hid his bitter expression and forced himself to speak nonchalantly. His fingers endlessly stroked Etienne’s chestnut hair.

After a long while, Lucian finally spoke in a voice so low it was barely audible.

“The ribbon came undone.”

In his hand, he held the ribbon that had tied Etienne’s hair.

Soft brown hair cascaded in waves. Entranced by the beautiful sight of the flowing locks, he slowly reached out towards Etienne’s slender neck.

Under his palm, he could feel the rapid pulse beating through the delicate skin.

The loud thumping was not much different from the frantic beating of Lucian’s own heart, yet it saddened him to think it was merely due to the influence of pheromones.

Lucian wanted to believe that Etienne’s erratic pulse wasn’t solely because of the pheromones. Even if it was a foolish and futile illusion, he wanted to hold onto that hope.

He pulled Etienne closer and embraced him. Then, in the next moment, he gently kissed the pale and delicate nape of Etienne’s neck revealed under the moonlight.

“Ah…”

His hands explored Etienne’s supple waist and soft skin, while his wet lips sought the sweet scent emanating from Etienne’s neck.

Under the excuse of pheromonal impulse and instinct, Lucian poured out his affection and desire onto Etienne.

Even if it was just a tiny piece, he revealed his heart and emotions.

A seductive moan, like beautiful music, echoed in his ears.

The more he heard it, the deeper Lucian buried his face into the sweet scent, inhaling deeply.

“Etienne.”

Is it your scent that intoxicates me and ignites this uncontrollable desire, or is it you?

Is this irrational impulse, excitement, and attraction truly just the influence of pheromones, as you said?

Is this unfamiliar aching pain in my chest also merely due to pheromones?

“Etienne…”

No, it isn’t.

This overwhelming happiness and despair tormenting me at this moment can’t possibly be just that.

Just as you said, I might be chasing after you like an ant or a bee following pheromones, but it can’t be just because of the pheromones.

I am not only intoxicated by your mesmerizing scent but also blinded by your radiant light and deafened by your gentle voice.

Captivated by the words you whisper, I find myself unable to escape.

So, the name of this emotion is probably…

“My Etienne.”

Love, it must be love.

Yes, in the end, I have come to love you…

* * *