With a disapproving look, Niall touched his nose and opened the door to leave. He wanted to escape the burden of being in the Duke’s bedroom.
As soon as he opened the door, he was met by the Duke’s knight, Elteon. Surprised, Niall’s eyes widened.
Why is the Duke’s knight guarding an empty room?
No, it’s not empty. I’m here, but there’s no way the knight is standing guard just for someone like me.
Niall moved his body to the other side. Elteon moved in the same direction, blocking Niall’s path. Though he said nothing, it was clear he wasn’t letting Niall leave. Niall had no choice but to go back into the room and quietly close the door.
…It seems the knight is indeed standing guard for someone like him.
What should I do?
Niall returned to the bed. He wiggled under the heavy blankets and high pillows that the Duke had piled on, thinking that doubling everything would be better.
He was extremely tired, but for some reason, his mind was clear. As his thoughts became clearer, he wanted to sort out the situation. Niall sighed as he muttered.
What should I do? What should I do now?
The contract is finished.
I slept with the Duke.
I made the Duke ejaculate inside someone else’s body.
Now, all that’s left is to leave as soon as the IOU is returned. Just as Count Nube’s request. Take the money and the IOU the Duke promised and head toward freedom.
Niall was now free. The freedom he had longed for so desperately didn’t feel real. Was it because he had lost eight years? It wasn’t just that it didn’t feel real; it was strangely awkward.
Niall could now go anywhere and become anything. With three thousand pounds, he could buy a ship and sail to another continent. He could start a business or even create his own troupe, as he had dreamed in his childhood.
But for now, nothing seemed appealing. It felt like he was standing still, holding the leash in his hand, not knowing where to go. The window was open, but the bird hesitated, worrying about the rain.
Lost in thought, he eventually fell asleep. For the past three days, the Duke had hardly let Niall sleep. He was in a state of shock and didn’t feel the fatigue, but in reality, half of his memories were gone, and his strength was drained.
“You must not engage in intercourse until you are completely out of shock,” the medical monk said sternly. Niall rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. When he woke up, the medical monk was applying ointment to his burned hand, and the Duke was next to him. In a daze, when their eyes met, the Duke smiled brightly.
Seeing that smile, Niall’s eyes snapped open. How could he not, when a handsome man smiles at you the moment you open your eyes?
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.
“Gb sbe ecvfgrajcv? Tbe akb jgf abb rermfqalyif ab qtfgbwbcfr. Pa’r ilxf obgmlcu ragbcu ildebg bc j mtliv ktb’r cfnfg tjv jimbtbi. Tbe cffv j yeoofg qfglbv, rb cb rfzeji gfijalbcr.”
Ktf Gexf qjlv cb jaafcalbc ab ktja atf wfvlmji wbcx kjr rjslcu, obmerlcu rbifis bc Rljii. Fcvfg atf vlgfma, cbbc-ilxf ujhf bo atf Gexf, Rljii’r mtffxr oiertfv cjaegjiis.
“And take this medicine, one sip a day. It’s important you take it.”
The medical monk handed Niall a bottle of dark, thick liquid, shook his head, and left. As soon as he left, the Duke swiftly approached, grabbed Niall’s cheek, and kissed him. Niall’s breath quickly heated up.
“Oh, no.”
Niall pushed the Duke’s face away. The Duke tilted his head, looking confused as to why. That face was so beautiful that while Niall was distracted, the Duke grabbed Niall’s cheek and kissed him again.
A euphoric emotion transmitted through the contact. Sunlight from the large window poured in, illuminating the Duke’s radiant white cheeks. The sight was so dazzling that it stirred Niall’s heart like a breeze through the forest.
Without realizing it, Niall reached out and touched the Duke’s cheek. As always, it was an inhuman beauty—the silver hair, the white cheeks, the lips like bitten cherries.
The beauty was so overwhelming that it pained Niall to look at it. He was a vessel that couldn’t contain it. A drink he couldn’t desire.
As he touched the Duke’s cheek, the Duke closed his eyes and leaned in. For the first time, Niall felt the reality that he had indeed slept with this man. No one had ever dared to do such a thing to the Duke, except him. Only one person in the world, Niall Giles.
‘No, I can’t. I’m starting to get greedy.’
A vessel that can’t contain it. A cup he can’t drink from. Niall now had to talk about the IOU, settle the account, and leave.
“Duke.”
When called, he lifted his eyelids and looked at Niall. The color of the Duke’s eyes was like the blue you see when a full moon rises over a pitch-black night sea. Even the radiating lines of the iris, which blocked out light, seemed beautiful. At this point, everything about the Duke was so overwhelmingly beautiful that Niall didn’t know what to do.
“I have something to say.”
Niall hesitated as he spoke. The Duke blinked right in front of him.
“What I have to say… Well, Duke…”
He needed to say that the contract was over and that he would leave as soon as the IOU was returned, but he couldn’t get the words out. While Niall stammered, the Duke kissed his lips again and then released them.
The Duke approached, wearing a smile that could have belonged to a demon freed from its chains, and touched Niall. Purple allure radiated from his entire body, directed solely at Niall. This young and beautiful alpha was courting only Niall.
‘I have to say it.’
When he opened his mouth, a tongue came back and licked his palate. Both hands continuously caressed Niall’s head. Niall’s heart melted like snow under the spring sun.
‘Let’s say it in a little while.’
Just a little more.
Just a little more…
Repeating this to himself, Niall hugged the Duke’s back.
∞ ∞ ∞
When he opened his eyes, a paradise of flowers spread out before him.
He had tripped and fallen, and upon lifting his head, it was like waking up in a world filled with flowers and fairies. Niall woke up in a scene that seemed like a corner of a greenhouse had been transplanted into his room.
Lilies, globe amaranths, roses, lisianthus, eucalyptus, gladioli… the scent of blooming flowers filled the air as if they were showering Niall with their fragrance.
How much does all this cost? Niall looked around in astonishment. Having lived in the North for quite a while, seeing flowers made him think of the number of gold coins first.
“Duke, what is all this…?”
Every single flower that filled the large room was money. The person who could burn gold to call forth spring, the embodiment of wealth, had brought spring to Niall.
As he looked at the Duke to ask what was going on, he saw the Duke standing by the sunlit window, basking in the morning light and looking at Niall. The Duke wore a mischievous smile, like a childhood friend who had grown up suddenly and was now tugging at his braids teasingly. Seeing this, Niall was left speechless.
With just one look of surprise from Niall, the Duke approached as if that reaction alone had paid for all the flowers. His casually outstretched hand pulled a long-stemmed lily from a vase, and then the Duke buried his nose in the white petals and inhaled. Seeing this, Niall…
“Ugh.”
…clutched his chest and groaned.
The startled Duke hurriedly approached and supported Niall. His wide eyes were filled with anxiety and concern. The way he held Niall’s arm showed his readiness to carry Niall to the medical monk immediately.
“It’s too beautiful.”
Niall managed to calm his wildly beating heart and replied. The Duke looked at him as if to say, “What?”
“You’re so beautiful it hurts my heart.”
“…”
A look of disbelief crossed the Duke’s face. He let out a breath and leaned back, his expression showing doubt. Finally, the Duke touched Niall’s face and patted his body to check that there was nothing wrong except for a slightly fast-beating heart. Then, the Duke clenched his fist and lightly tapped Niall’s chest with a “Tok” sound. It wasn’t painful, but it was a bit firm as if to say, “I don’t like you.”
In that moment, Niall was truly at a loss, unable to do anything for a while.
‘What is this? I’m thrilled.’
His heart pounded vigorously. Feelings of affection bloomed uncontrollably. Niall let out a short groan and buried his head in the Duke’s shoulder.
The Duke was more pristine than the lily he held. When I joked that you’re so beautiful it’s killing me, you answered by hitting my chest, saying you didn’t like it. He was pure and pristine. The Duke’s reaction to such childish teasing was incredibly endearing.
‘I guess I really do like younger people.’
There was a time when the Duke had a ridiculous misunderstanding, suspecting Niall of having a relationship with a man old enough to be his father. To reassure the Duke, Niall had said he preferred younger people.
And today, when the Duke hit his chest, Niall realized. The immature reaction was incredibly cute. The Duke, who was taller, richer, and a great alpha, was so cute that Niall wanted to tease him more.
“You’re really not hurt, right?”
Knowing he was being teased but still slightly worried, the Duke asked. When Niall nodded, the Duke sighed in relief and cautioned.
“Don’t ever do that again. You scared me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t get hurt, Niall.”
Niall couldn’t take his eyes off the Duke’s face, which was filled with concern for him. There was a glimpse of affection in the Duke’s deep blue eyes. Niall hooked his hands around the Duke’s neck, pulled him close, and gently pressed his lips to the Duke’s. Only then did the Duke’s tension ease.
“Did the fortune-teller really say your life would be long?”
“Yes.”
“…Very, very long?”
“Yes, very, very long.”
The Duke let out a sigh of relief, his last bit of worry dissipating. Seeing this, Niall bit his lip to stifle a groan.
How on earth could this man be the fearsome Grand Duke of the North? The Duke’s heart was purple. The Duke’s breath was in the frozen castle. What nonsensical words those were.
Well, it will be interesting when Niall tells Duke about the contract. Thanks for the chapter 💜
i do kinda hope the duke apologizes to Niall over their whole first time with eachother and they talk more about that but im liking how they are now. Now the contract thing on the other hand im stressed