“Take it off.”
From the moment he stepped into the study, he couldn’t move a single finger.
He was completely subdued by a chilling voice that felt like a howling blizzard.
Bowing his head low, he let out a sound that seemed on the verge of tears.
“Brother, Elder Brother. Why are you doing this?”
“Shushu, that’s your name, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not. That’s just a pet name that my nanny and you used to call me because you found me cute. My name is Damian.”
Shushu meant “something lovely.”
Therefore, it was usually used when calling young children, lovers, or pets.
It was an inappropriate title to use for a twenty-year-old noble youth.
Nevertheless, Callix, who had returned from the battlefield, used to call his fake younger brother that.
He didn’t know since when Callix had started suspecting him, but if he was caught for impersonating a noble, not only himself but even his mother would face the death penalty.
Shushu desperately fought back the urge to drop to his knees, beg for his life, and plead that his only crime was being blackmailed by Lady Meiyou.
However, Callix gave the order once more to Shushu, who was barely standing on trembling legs.
“Take it off, Shushu. If you don’t take your clothes off yourself, I’ll call the servants to strip you.”
Imagining the horrific scene of having his clothes stripped away by attendants, Shushu finally burst into tears.
With shaking hands, he unbuttoned the pearl buttons, took off his silk shirt, and removed his crisply ironed navy wool trousers.
As he sobbed with his arms covering his chest, the man sitting at the mahogany desk shifted his weight, making a loud scraping sound as his chair dragged across the floor.
“What are you doing? I told you to take everything off until not a single thread is left on your body!”
At the sound of a fist slamming down hard on the desk, Shushu’s frail shoulders jerked up.
After removing his socks and underwear completely, the man walked over to him.
His flawless, pristine skin glowed pure white, like a snowy path that had never once been touched by human footsteps.
With pink hair and golden-shining eyes, Shushu had the appearance of a beautiful spring fairy, completely unsuited for the harsh northern region.
The calloused hand of a man, hardened by rigorous swordsmanship training, slowly stroked down Shushu’s body.
He looked at the front, turned him around, and checked thoroughly to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. He even pushed away Shushu’s hands, which were covering his chest, and closely inspected his bare white chest.
While silently enduring the man’s sharp gaze and rough touch, Shushu could not hide his anxiety.
Knowing that a day would eventually come when his true identity would be discovered by Callix Vesper, the very first thing he did every morning was cover his “name” with makeup.
This was because he had possessed a minor supporting character in a 19th-rated, dark and ruined web novel titled ‘The Black-Haired Healer’, only to be executed after acting as a stand-in for a disabled villain.
Unlike the original novel, Callix—having failed to discover the name—had let Shushu go.
At the exact moment he was secretly letting out a sigh of relief, the man pulled a handkerchief from his jacket and rubbed Shushu’s shoulder blades.
The name hidden by makeup was finally revealed.
Callix Vesper.
It was the ultimate brand, proving that he had been born as his brother’s mate.
