* * *

The gentle clinking of cutlery came to a stop, and the quiet garden was filled only with the soft rustle of the wind.

The fragrant scent of blooming flowers lingered in the air as Seo Woohyun’s lips parted slightly.

“To be honest, I still don’t think I can surpass Ciel… the person who holds a place in your heart, Lord Erdian.”

Such an opening.

Was this going to end in rejection?

Erdian could only blink slowly, his gaze fixed on Seo Woohyun, who sat before him.

“But considering that it’s not someone else, but my own past life….”

“…”

“I think I can manage to let it go. As long as you don’t treat me like I’m him, I think I can handle it. That’s how much… I like you, Lord Erdian.”

Erdian’s eyelids fluttered rapidly in response to Seo Woohyun’s words.

“No, not ‘I think.’ I do like you.”

The ambiguity was erased with firm certainty.

As if that wasn’t enough, Seo Woohyun suddenly stood and, without hesitation, positioned himself beside Erdian.

“Lord Erdian.”

At the resolute sound of his name, Erdian finally turned his head to face the other man.

Meeting Seo Woohyun’s gaze, he replied in a voice that seemed caught in his throat.

“…Yes?”

“I’ve said everything I wanted to say. Now, it’s your turn to answer. Will you go out with me?”

Caught off guard by the bold confession, Erdian hesitated, his face betraying his unease.

“You’re not going to ask me later to forget all of this and blame it on drunken rambling… are you?”

What kind of response was that?

After summoning all his courage to confess, Seo Woohyun couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Frustrated, he grabbed Erdian’s long, flowing hair with both hands, bending down to glare at him.

It was a slightly irreverent gesture, but the simmering heat inside him demanded some kind of release.

If nothing else, a little payback against this infuriating god seemed fair.

“Do I look like I’m drunk and babbling right now?”

Though he had consumed a fair amount of alcohol, Seo Woohyun’s speech was surprisingly clear.

The scent of liquor hung in the air from their proximity, but the same could be said for Erdian, who had been drinking alongside him.

“I just needed a little liquid courage. This is my honest truth.”

“…I see.”

“So, Lord Erdian, what’s your answer? Are we dating, or not?”

Faced with Seo Woohyun’s unwavering determination, Erdian swallowed hard.

Any further hesitation, and it felt like his hair might actually be pulled out.

In the end, he leaned in, brushing a soft kiss over Seo Woohyun’s lips, and whispered,

“Of course, I want to be with you.”

“See? You should’ve just said that from the start. Good.”

Satisfied, Seo Woohyun let go of Erdian’s hair.

With the answer he wanted, he returned to his seat to finish his meal, only to find his arm suddenly grabbed.

Before he knew it, he was sitting on Erdian’s lap, blinking in surprise.

A firm hand rested against his nape, and then their lips met again.

When Erdian’s tongue sought entry, Seo Woohyun reflexively pushed against his shoulders, breaking away.

“Hold on a second.”

Erdian tilted his head slightly, puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s wrong?’ Who kisses in the middle of a meal? You can do it after we finish eating. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

Despite his flushed face and short breaths, Seo Woohyun grumbled, but it only made him seem more endearing.

Erdian reined in his desire, reluctantly letting the other man slip from his lap.

“Then, can we continue after dinner?”

“That depends on the mood later. We’ll see.”

Erdian chuckled as he watched Seo Woohyun return to his seat.

His flushed cheeks looked like ripened peaches, tempting enough to bite into, though he refrained—lest he earn a scolding glare.

Still, the thought was oddly pleasant.

‘This happiness… feels overwhelming.’

Barely able to contain his joy, Erdian smiled brightly, reaching for his utensils.

No matter what they ate now, everything would taste sweet.

“Let’s finish our meal.”

“Yes, let’s.”

Both the confessor and the confessed carried on with their dinner, their demeanor unchanged from before, though the atmosphere between them was subtly different.

By the time dessert arrived, Seo Woohyun had emptied the last drop of wine and was grinning foolishly.

‘I finally confessed. It was a bit clumsy, but now I don’t have to walk on eggshells around Lord Erdian anymore. It feels so freeing.’

Though he had relied on alcohol, Seo Woohyun had redefined their ambiguous relationship, settling the lingering doubts.

With that weight lifted, the wine tasted all the sweeter.

“Now that we’re done eating, we should head inside,” Erdian suggested.

“Sounds good.”

As Erdian rose, Seo Woohyun tried to follow but wobbled dangerously.

Erdian caught him, pulling him close to prevent a fall.

“Seems like you had too much to drink.”

“Not really. I just tripped.”

“You drank almost the entire bottle yourself, aside from the two glasses you gave me.”

“Please. Who gets drunk off a tiny bottle like that?”

Seo Woohyun’s pride in his drinking capacity was evident, though it didn’t quite align with his current state.

Erdian chose not to point it out.

After all, they had a lifetime ahead to work on things like moderation.

“Did you enjoy the meal?”

“Yes. It was fulfilling. The food was great, and I loved having it with just the two of us. Also, you know, Lord Erdian….”

“Hm?”

As they entered the bedroom, Erdian dismissed the knights standing guard, and Seo Woohyun grinned bashfully.

“Before dinner, we weren’t anything, but now we’re a couple. Isn’t it funny? I practically ordered you to date me. You’re not upset, are you?”

“Not at all. In fact, I found it rather bold and charming.”

Erdian gently brushed beneath his lover’s eyes with his fingers.

Unlike in his past life, this small face now had a teardrop mole beneath the eye, which was growing redder by the second.

From his soft earlobes to his flushed cheeks, the spreading warmth was traced by Erdian’s fingers, caressing the skin.

While Erdian was completely engrossed in the moment, Seo Woohyun suddenly turned his head away.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like being touched?”

“It’s not that… It’s just… I suddenly feel a little shy…”

Mumbling and trailing off, Seo Woohyun smiled awkwardly.

The bold young man who had stood up during dinner and demanded an answer was nowhere to be found.

In his place was an endearing, blushing sweetheart, giggling at the slightest touch.

Unable to resist, Erdian buried his face in the nape of Seo Woohyun’s neck.

The warm skin, heated from embarrassment, gave off a subtle, clean soap scent.

“Hng…”

Seo Woohyun’s shoulders flinched at the sensation of hot breath against a sensitive spot.

There wasn’t even a hint of rejection in his reaction.

With all the pesky knights gone, the soundproofed royal bedroom was left to just the two of them, now newly minted lovers.

In a slightly hoarse but gentle voice, Erdian whispered,

“Seo Woohyun, dinner’s over, and we’re officially a couple now, aren’t we?”

“…Yes.”

Erdian tightened his embrace around Seo Woohyun’s waist and murmured,

“So, can I kiss you now, since I couldn’t earlier?”

Though framed as a request, the underlying implication was clear, laden with sensual undertones.

If Seo Woohyun agreed, what would follow was as inevitable as dawn after dusk.

But Seo Woohyun didn’t care.

The beautiful figure holding him close wasn’t a deceitful soul mourning a past lover but his current partner—someone who genuinely cared for him.

‘Well, he’s not exactly human to be calling him a “lover”…’

Just as that absurd thought crossed his mind, Seo Woohyun’s eyelids lowered in silent consent.

Erdian’s expression lit up with elation as he captured Seo Woohyun’s lips in a tender kiss.

Golden eyes gleaming like flames seemed to etch the moment into their depths.

‘Oh, how I’ve longed for this.’

When Erdian’s tongue brushed against his lips, moist and slick, a soft, ticklish moan escaped Seo Woohyun’s throat.

“Hnn… Mm…”

As Erdian guided him backward toward the bed, his lips never leaving Seo Woohyun’s, the latter didn’t open his eyes.

He trusted that the hands firmly grasping his waist would never let him come to harm.

Once Erdian gently laid him down on the perfectly arranged bed, a flicker of tension flashed through Seo Woohyun’s face.

He opened his eyes, glancing toward the door with unease rather than glaring at Erdian.

“What if someone comes in…?”

“Who would dare enter without your permission? They wouldn’t dream of it.”

Erdian whispered into his ear as he deftly unfastened the jeweled embellishments on Seo Woohyun’s waistband.

Slowly, Seo Woohyun blinked.

Thinking about it, no one had ever intruded on him during his time in the palace.

“But… what if they hear us?”

“Do you think I’d let anyone hear you?”

Erdian paused his actions, leaning down until their eyes met.

The anxiety in Seo Woohyun’s dark brown eyes gradually dissipated.

“Are you… sure no one can hear us out there?”

“Of course.”

Erdian shrugged off his uniform jacket, his lips curling into a smile Seo Woohyun had never seen before—sensual and intoxicating.

Swallowing nervously, Seo Woohyun nodded.

“Then… I’ll focus on you.”

* * *