* * *

After attending the ball, Etienne lay down for quite a while, groaning in pain.

Naturally, he was barred from entering the laboratory during this time.

Of course, Etienne strongly protested, but with Lucian adamantly refusing, he had no choice.

Several days passed this way, and finally, once Etienne recovered enough, he couldn’t stand it any longer and sprang out of bed.

“Your Grace! I really can’t stand it today!”

Lucian couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Etienne bounding in like an excited foal.

“The doctor said I’m fine now, so if you kick me out of the lab today…”

“And if I kick you out, what then?”

Clearly, not having thought that far, Etienne was at a loss for words and fell silent.

The expression of frustration on his face was incredibly endearing. The look of indignation was small, trivial, and precious.

“Just kidding.”

Lucian reached out and ruffled Etienne’s hair as he spoke.

“If you have nothing else to do, let’s go up right away.”

“What? Really?”

“Do you want to rest for a few more days?”

“No! Let’s go up right now!”

Etienne shook his head vigorously and eagerly headed towards the laboratory. He was in such a hurry that he took two steps at a time.

Lucian watched Etienne’s retreating figure with a fond smile, thinking even his back was lovable.

And standing behind them, Ferden quietly looked away, convincing himself that the honey dripping from his master’s eyes was a figment of his imagination.

“Wow, it’s been so long!”

Etienne, who entered the laboratory with a bright expression, didn’t seem to mind the strong chemical smells. Humming a tune, he grabbed his research journal and approached the samples.

“Babies, Daddy’s here. Did you miss me? You’ve grown so much.”

“Those are samples I cultivated alone while you were gone.”

“We agreed to consider our research products as our children.”

Unaware of the thoughts running through the alpha’s mind upon hearing the term ‘our children,’ Etienne busily put on gloves and picked up the samples.

Contrary to his playful demeanor from earlier, Etienne’s attitude was meticulous as he carefully inspected the treated samples.

“By the way, Etienne, about that idea you had… the electrophoresis technique.”

“Oh, yes. You said you’d try to implement it, Your Grace.”

Etienne, who was checking the samples, shot up like a bullet at Lucian’s words.

“I think it’s roughly done.”

“What?”

Etienne’s eyes sparkled brightly as he stood up.

“Really? Seriously?”

“Do you think I would boast to you about nothing?”

Lucian, with a confident smile that bordered on arrogance, gestured for Etienne to come over.

Using the modern knowledge Etienne had shared, he had succeeded in implementing the technique to some extent.

Seating Etienne in front of him, Lucian proudly began explaining the new machine he had created.

“As you mentioned, the gel medium is placed in this cassette…”

Excited, Etienne wiggled his hips as he listened to the explanation. He was so enthralled that he didn’t notice where Lucian’s hands were headed.

Lucian’s hand gently enveloping his shoulder, softly stroking his back, and his body pressing closer than necessary.

Even the hand wrapping around his waist went unnoticed as Etienne remained absorbed in the new experimental tool.

“No, this side. Over here, Etienne.”

“Oh, yes.”

Regardless of the sinister gaze fixed on his nape, Etienne busily examined the new machine.

Oblivious to the fact that their posture resembled an intimate act rather than a teaching moment, Etienne continued to focus solely on the equipment.

“Your Grace, this is amazing! Can I see the results…?”

Completely absorbed in the machine, he only sensed something amiss when Lucian came so close that his face was almost buried in his shoulder, unable to resist the temptation.

He felt warm breaths on the nape of his neck, and soft lips fleetingly bruhed against his skin. It was then that Etienne jolted and turned around abruptly.

“…Your Grace?”

When Etienne looked at him in bewilderment, Lucian met his gaze with an intense look, then smiled faintly as if nothing had happened.

“Wait here, I’ll bring it over.”

Shortly after, Lucian returned with the experimental gel, stared at Etienne for a moment, and then casually said,

“Let’s just confirm the results, and end today’s experiment a bit early.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Now that you’re fully recovered, there’s something I want to find out.”

“What is it…?”

Etienne didn’t seem particularly keen, but the following words made even someone as passionate about experiments as he was perk up his ears.

“Your alcohol tolerance.”

Etienne’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer. Seeing the budding interest in his eyes, Lucian smiled and continued.

“Don’t you remember? You promised at the banquet. You said you’d drink with me when we got back to the mansion.”

“Oh, you were serious about that? I thought you were just saying it to stop me from drinking!”

In fact, Etienne’s guess was partially correct. Up until a few days ago at the banquet, when Lucian took away the glass, he had no particular plans to make Etienne drink.

“No way, I keep my promises.”

But things had changed. Unlike before, he was now fully aware of and accepted his feelings.

And acknowledging those feelings meant that the reins holding back his inner, dark desires had loosened considerably.

As an alpha with an inherently strong possessive nature, wanting to bind an omega he fancied was a matter of instinct rather than reason, and Lucian was no exception despite his patience.

He wanted to quell his uncontrollable desire, and alcohol would provide a very convenient excuse for that.

“Let’s have a drink to celebrate the successful creation of the machine, Etienne.”

Hearing Lucian’s suggestion, Etienne pondered for a moment.

Experiment or drink. Both were appealing choices in their own ways.

But while he had done countless experiments in his original world, he had never really had the chance to drink.

So the result of his deliberation leaned in one direction quickly.

“Alright! Let’s end early for today.”

Etienne agreed with a bright smile, completely unaware of the murky desire in Lucian’s eyes.

---

Having finished their experiment early, Lucian and Etienne sat down in the mansion’s library after a simple dinner.

They both wore comfortable shirts, having discarded their vests and ties.

Seated opposite each other with a small, round table in between, leaning back in plush chairs.

Though their reasons differed, both were quite happy and excited at the moment.

“Your Grace, do you know? You’re like a light, a beacon in these dark times.”

Etienne’s elation stemmed from the successful operation of the electrophoresis device Lucian had devised.

Although crude compared to modern machines, achieving that level of functionality was an incredible feat.

Now it was possible to separate proteins. Overjoyed, Etienne couldn’t suppress his laughter.

“You’re too kind. It was all built according to your explanations.”

“Even so! I only knew the principles, not how to implement them. You’re truly amazing, Your Grace.”

On the other hand, Lucian’s joy was solely because of Etienne. His pride in the machine he designed was nothing compared to the sight of Etienne’s radiant smile.

Lucian enjoyed seeing Etienne smile and looked forward to sharing drinks with him, despite not being a regular drinker.

Unaware of these feelings, Etienne merely looked at the amber liquid in the elegant bottle with curiosity, not imagining what Lucian intended to do with it.

* * *