Duke tried to turn his head, but Niall hurriedly spoke. In his haste, he leaned forward, finding himself suddenly two steps closer to Duke.
“That’s right. I wasn’t interested in Alphas. I’ve never met an Alpha who could captivate me until now. But when I met you, Duke, I thought you were the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”
“I told you,” Niall continued, moving closer to Duke, his voice tender. “More than dawn. More than a rainbow. More beautiful than a field of flowers in full bloom. I told you.”
“…”
“No one can resist such beauty. Beyond gender, beyond preference, such beauty is irresistible even to gods.”
With a blasphemous remark, Niall moved forward again. Duke’s body slightly leaned back, then returned. Now, the distance between them was close enough to hold hands.
“I like you.”
As Niall confessed, Duke clenched his fists as if his hands were numb. His Adam’s apple bobbed continuously.
“Please like me. Even though our relationship is bound by contract, I promise to act as if it were real. Please consider me lovable.”
As Niall extended his trembling fingertips, they lightly brushed against Duke’s fingertips before falling away. Today, Duke wasn’t wearing gloves. When their skins touched, Duke’s body trembled. Niall closed his eyes and leaned forward.
“Meet me every day.”
“Every day?”
“Yes, every single day,” Niall said in a soft voice.
“I’ve missed you so much.”
“…”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“…”
“You probably didn’t want to see me, but I wanted to see you. I’ve always thought about you.”
As the distance between them narrowed to the point where their breaths mingled, Duke finally took a step back. His eyes darted left and right, searching for an escape. The tips of his ears turned faintly red. Though hidden by his hair, Niall knew Duke was flustered.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
With a gentle gaze, Niall looked up at Duke. Duke bit his lower lip, which had turned slightly red, and his cheeks gained a hint of pink. In this posture, Niall approached again. Duke’s breath quickened, and so did Niall’s.
Qlat bcis tlr ilqr gfvvfcfv, Rljii gfwbnfv tlr mbja. Fcvfgcfjat, tf kbgf j ibcu-riffnfv rtlga. Cr tf gfwbnfv la, j ibbrf vbeyifa kjr gfnfjifv.
Rljii uijcmfv ja Gexf yfobgf qeiilcu atf vbeyifa. Gexf lcralcmalnfis mbnfgfv tlr wbeat klat ybat tjcvr. Lf mbeivc’a fnfc qgfafcv ab yf mbwqbrfv jcswbgf.
Gexf jmmerfv Rljii bo rtbklcu tlr clqqifr ktlif qijslcu rbmmfg, yea atja kjrc’a agef. Ktf vbeyifa Rljii kjr kfjglcu tjv j vffq cfmxilcf jcv cb riffnfr, rb lo tf yfca obgkjgv bg wbnfv nlubgberis, atf lcrlvf mbeiv yf rffc.
Of course, it wasn’t to the extent of exposing his nipples. If it were designed like that, he wouldn’t have worn it in the first place. At best, it would have been a slight peek of the tip of the nipple. Even that required pulling the clothes forcefully.
Niall pulled the end of the doublet, revealing a glimpse of the left nipple. Duke stiffened as if reaching a breaking point. He could feel the tension in Duke’s thighs even though he hadn’t touched him yet.
Niall completely untied the doublet. As the fabric parted, about to reveal the nipple, he covered it with his finger. Duke couldn’t even breathe. As Niall gently pressed his finger against the nipple, Duke closed his eyes and his Adam’s apple moved nonstop.
“I’ll help you. I’ll make it better.”
“I can do that. You know I can.” Whispering softly, Niall removed his finger from the nipple he had touched. As he did, Duke turned away, as if reaching his limit, his body hot with anticipation.
When Duke turned away, Niall closed his eyes, leaned back, and exhaled the breath he had been holding. Heat emanated from his ears and neck.
“Leave now.”
“Ah…”
Another failure. Niall couldn’t hide his disappointment. He was sure he had slipped his finger through the crack in the closed door. Really, this time, he thought so, but Duke was once again blocking him.
“Duke, please listen to me.”
“And come back tonight.”
With a deep sigh, Duke turned back towards Niall. His face showed some regained composure.
“Come back. Tonight.”
With trembling eyes, Niall looked up at Duke, then bent his knees and bowed. Then, he left Duke’s room.
The persuasion worked. It was the first time Duke had properly responded to Niall’s request.
“I want to get better.”
When Niall found Duke in the evening, he was sitting on a high-backed chair with his arms on his knees, looking like an emperor in distress, and said to Niall with a face full of agony, “I want to get better.”
“I don’t have time for this,” Duke’s large hand gently touched his face.
“I have a duty as the Duke of the North. I have to fulfill it,” Duke continued.
Niall knew what that duty was. Duke was talking about his duty to produce an heir now.
“It was such an experience. Blindness, inability to speak, loss of the ability to distinguish objects. Just anger and fear remained, like a beast… Since that day, I’ve been afraid to sleep. Afraid that the same thing will happen again when I wake up… That’s why I’m afraid to even sleep…”
Duke couldn’t continue speaking and closed his eyes deeply. Niall listened to Duke’s words. It was the first time Duke had revealed his inner voice to Niall. In very simple words, Duke was telling Niall about his most personal fear.
“I’ve lived my whole life refusing the touch of others. I even rejected the pheromones of Omegas. This is the result.”
As he spoke, Duke’s gaze became firmer.
“I don’t want to experience that again. Your pheromones did a little harm, and I could lose control again at any moment. I need… an Omega.”
“I am an Alpha, and I need an Omega. I need you,” Duke finally said aloud.
Niall swallowed his saliva. How long had it taken to come to this point? It had been almost six months since he came to the North. Duke had finally admitted to needing Niall after all this time.
No, it was six months for me, but for him, it must have been a lifetime.
Duke, who had fought his inner enemies all his life, finally realized that he couldn’t defeat them and let them go.
Duke finally woke up. He realized that he needed Niall more than Niall needed him.
The curses and insults he had poured on Niall until now were unfair, and in this relationship, the two could be equal.
Standing up on tired knees, Duke admitted to Niall for the first time.
“You’re the only one who has touched my genitals in the past ten years. So I have to have sex with you by any means necessary. Can you really make me better?”
Duke expressed his desire to get better. He was like a bird wanting to break out of its shell. Finally, Duke, who admitted his limitations, now requested help in plain words. Niall nodded firmly.
“Can I trust you?”
“Yes.”
“By any means necessary?”
“Yes.”
“Then kneel. And get me aroused.”
“…”
Duke moved his legs to make room. As Niall approached, Duke leaned back in his chair, turned his head to the side, and closed his eyes tightly, preparing for the impending pain.
Niall didn’t know what to do and just stood there. Although Duke had ordered him to get aroused, his attitude made it seem as if he, a fervent believer dragged to church, was being forced to make a false oath of allegiance.
“Do it already!”
When Niall still didn’t do anything after some time passed, Duke shouted. As Niall was commanded, he reluctantly approached Duke.
As he got closer, Duke tightened his closed eyes even more. When Niall sat between Duke’s legs, Duke put more strength into his muscles as if pricked.
Niall glanced between Duke’s legs. From now on, he had to touch and arouse him, but Niall didn’t want to. What was the point of forcibly touching someone who disgusted him so much?
Instead, Niall overlapped his hand with Duke’s white hand, which was gripping the armrest tightly. And he just stayed there quietly. Duke’s fingers seemed so beautiful that Niall felt he wouldn’t get tired of touching them no matter how much he touched them.
A long time passed. Duke, who had bitten his lip and modestly claimed his virtue while Niall held his hand all along, finally opened his eyes when Niall continued to caress only his hand.
His cautiously moving pupils met Niall’s eyes, and Duke’s shoulders slumped at that moment. He looked like a person who had been dragged to church against his will and was preparing for impending pain.
Duke laughed in disappointment, and that laughter soon turned bitter and extended down his throat. Duke looked at the air and comforted his heart in a state of exhaustion. Honestly, he had no blame for Omegas since he was relieved.
Niall also immediately understood Duke’s state of mind. Duke might have thought he had hidden it well, but Niall could read Duke’s emotions like an open book.
“I told you to arouse me.”
And now that the book was finally open, Duke’s attempt to reprimand with a dignified voice didn’t scare Niall at all.
