* * *
Ed reached out as Leo, nestled snugly in Ronen’s arms, blinked drowsily.
“It’s fine. Maybe because he’s such a gentle little thing—it barely feels like I’m holding anything. He’s warm too, which is nice.”
“He’s been a bit fussy about sleeping lately, but now that he’s in his favorite uncle’s arms, he’s probably going to fall asleep in no time.”
“Fussy sleeper, huh? That must’ve been tough on you.”
Ronen glanced at Ed with concerned eyes.
Touched by his kindness, Ed shook his head with a gentle smile.
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“Oh! Then how about this?”
“What is it?”
“A month from now, there’ll be a play at the Northern Plaza Hall by the Imperial Theatre troupe, right? After the performance, how about Her Grace and my brother return home late together?”
“You mean with His Highness… staying late…?”
“Yeah. At this point, I think I qualify as the ‘beloved uncle,’ so you can leave Leo with me.”
Ever since the new emperor’s coronation, a theatrical performance by the imperial troupe was held every spring.
Officially, it was to celebrate the arrival of spring in the North, but it also served as a political gesture to reaffirm the close ties between the Imperial family and the North.
Ed gave a soft laugh, realizing Ronen had learned how to suggest a date night for the couple—albeit indirectly.
“Are you sure you can handle him?”
“Of course! I’m a veteran butler who’s even looked after the ever-energetic Roa!”
Hearing Ronen’s confident response, Ed let out a chuckle.
It was a night in the North, with spring slowly approaching.
The Next Morning – Early Dawn.
Ed opened his eyes from sleep, stirred by the sensation of being softly embraced from behind.
The warmth, the familiar scent, the gentle touch—
“You’re awake?”
That voice, now unmistakable even with his eyes closed, flowed quietly into his ear.
A smile crept onto Ed’s lips.
“When did you get in?”
It was Grand Duke Asnel.
The magical lamp Ed had left on to wait for the Duke’s return had been extinguished without him noticing.
“A little while ago. Go back to sleep.”
The body pressed close behind him radiated heat.
Ed slowly closed and opened his eyes again.
The Duke wrapped an arm around his waist, his hand moving in slow, soothing circles over Ed’s belly—encouraging him to drift back to sleep.
Following the tender motions, Ed’s body began to relax.
The feeling of bare skin rubbing gently against skin was pleasant.
The Duke’s breath flowed softly over the crown of Ed’s head.
When the Duke’s foot brushed lightly against his own, Ed let out a soft laugh.
Lately, whenever Ed’s feet were cold, the Duke would warm them by rubbing their feet together like this.
Although, at this point, Ed suspected that warming his feet wasn’t the only intention.
Sure, it helped warm him up—but it also had the side effect of heating up… other parts.
The faint rustle of the blankets, the pressure of a firm, solid frame behind him, the rising body heat from their closeness—
To feel nothing in such an intimate flood of sensations would be more unnatural.
It wasn’t like they had a urologist nearby to consult, after all.
Three years had passed since he started living with the Duke.
Having been through much together, Ed had come to recognize the pattern of this sweet yet mischievous affection.
If he simply closed his eyes now, the Duke would continue to support him in his arms and lull him into a deep, peaceful sleep.
But if Ed turned around to face him and pulled him into an embrace—then it would be like a night caught in a tropical heat wave.
He knew that, too.
Heat circled around his cold feet.
The warmth spread from his stomach in time with the Duke’s steady breaths.
Ed interlocked his fingers with the hand caressing his belly and let out a soft sigh.
“…You say sleep, but your actions are saying something else.”
“No way.”
The Duke’s lips pressed softly against the back of Ed’s neck as he answered.
Ed let out a small laugh—the Duke’s voice was far too clear and steady to be sleep-drenched.
‘Did he wake up early? Or… was this one of those sleepless nights?’
The late-winter night was deep and quiet.
Over the past few days, the Duke had been inspecting the defensive walls near the northern borders in preparation for guests arriving from the Imperial capital.
He’d returned home, carrying the chill of winter winds with him.
Every time, Ed had taken his gloved yet frozen hands in his own, trying to soothe the fatigue of his journey.
Tonight was no different.
Ed had fallen asleep waiting, and now the Duke’s overlapping hand began to move once more.
A slow stroke downwards pressed gently into the dip of Ed’s navel.
Smack, smooch.
Soft kisses fluttered across the nape of his neck, making sleep flee entirely.
The teasing touch on his feet sent a shiver racing from his toes to the top of his head, flooding his body with heat.
“…Ah.”
Warm lips lingered on his skin, then bit into the curve of his neck.
It stung like a flower being crushed and bloomed with heat.
Before Ed could even tremble, the Duke kissed him again—right on the same spot.
“…Haa…”
Ed let out a low breath, lips parted, as the Duke’s mouth gently soothed the mark he had just made.
The wet touch of his tongue followed, licking down the nape of his neck, while his hand moved lower from Ed’s belly.
The slow caress, the tight embrace, the warmth of affection—light kisses landed and lifted, one after another, behind Ed’s neck.
As the Duke’s hand slipped under his briefs, Ed leaned his head back against him, breath catching in his throat.
The Duke’s hot, powerful hand was already stroking his fully hardened length.
“Hhh… nnngh…”
A jolt of electricity surged through Ed, his toes twitching involuntarily.
The rush of heat filled his lower abdomen.
When he reflexively squeezed his legs together, the Duke slipped a thigh between them to part them again—sending fresh heat to Ed’s face.
Moments ago, the Duke was telling him to sleep.
But now, noticing Ed’s arousal, he was entirely focused on stoking it.
Of course, the moment Ed had rested his hand atop the Duke’s, he should’ve known this would happen.
Still… wasn’t there something important tomorrow?
‘Didn’t His Highness have a tight schedule…?’
That thought sat in the back of Ed’s mind like a small thorn—but only for a moment.
He could picture the Duke’s face even without turning around, hidden behind his firm arms.
Eyes half-lidded, calmly gazing down at Ed’s flushed, trembling body.
Tracing from the kiss-stung nape of his neck to the tightly clenched space between his ankles.
So really, worrying about morning meetings or exhaustion now felt pointless.
Ed could only sigh inwardly.
‘Whatever. We’ll deal with the consequences after a nap…’
He couldn’t hold back any longer.
“K-Kiss…”
He hadn’t even finished asking for one—
The world spun.
It was impossible to tell whether Ed had turned first or if the Duke had pulled him close by the hips.
In the blink of an eye, that familiar, heart-racing scent of the Duke filled his lungs.
Moments like this, when the spark was suddenly lit between them, often came without warning.
Whether it was during a meal, a walk in the garden, after putting Leo to sleep, or waking up like this.
Now, face-to-face with the Duke, Ed felt the thick, heavy pressure between their bodies and couldn’t help the low moan that vibrated in his throat.
He was hot.
Hot and completely aroused.
“Stick out your tongue.”
“Hhh… ngh, Your Grace…”
As the Grand Duke moved his hips and ground their lower bodies together, Ed’s vision spun.
Their hardened erections pressed against each other through the thin layer of sleepwear, then pulled apart slightly, only to meet again with heavy friction.
Thud, thud—the sound of fabric rubbing was unfiltered and raw.
Ed moaned as he was pushed by that force.
His stomach clenched, and his ankles kicked involuntarily.
“I’ll suck it gently… so come on.”
Amid the heat pooling in his stomach and groin, with nerves stretched taut all over his body, Ed tried to recall what he said he’d suck.
The sensations shaking him were so intense, so sharp, they made his thoughts sluggish instead of clear—even though everything was painfully vivid, as if his entire consciousness had been hijacked by his senses.
As the heat and arousal flooded his body and he whimpered, the Grand Duke grasped his chin.
With that, Ed’s lips parted like a narrow cave, and a moist red tongue shyly peeked out—only to disappear again as he unconsciously licked his feverish lips.
Drawn in by that vivid color for just a moment, the Grand Duke tilted his head and pressed his lips against Ed’s.
His warm lips, laced with heat, clung and molded against Ed’s.
It felt so good—so satisfying—that the Grand Duke stayed like that, lips sealed together, before cradling the back of Ed’s head and pulling him in deeper.
“Hhh… mmm.”
It was a soft moan, yet a surge of uncontrollable heat boiled up inside.
A hunger, almost violent in its intensity.
He wanted to be closer—to melt together with Ed without even a breath of air between them.
That soft-scented body, the way his eyes crinkled bashfully when praised, the way his round cheeks puffed in clear displeasure when upset…
At first, Ed had tried to hide himself.
But now he showed everything—his thoughts, his feelings—without holding back.
That vulnerability, that honesty, deeply satisfied the Grand Duke.
For Ed to reveal himself so completely meant he trusted him—as a partner, as his safe place.
The Grand Duke, who had once just wanted to protect and shield Ed, now felt a tight ache in his chest as he realized: Ed stood beside him now, walking by his side.
From the very beginning, Ed had chosen to walk that long road with him.
That thought filled his stomach with heat—and cold.
Even now, so close, pressed together, he felt like Ed still wasn’t completely his.
* * *
