Niall brushed Duke’s hair aside. The silky strands slipped through his fingers like stars.
“Even though I met my mother, I was unhappy. I wanted to leave. There wasn’t a single day I didn’t want to leave. Every day, I felt like my chest would burst from frustration. After my mother died, I left without looking back and ended up in Galen.”
In Galen, Niall incurred a massive debt and was stuck there for eight years. Duke knew that story.
“Eight years, Duke. For eight years, I watched countless ships leave that port city. I want to cross the sea, too. I want to see deserts where the sand stretches as far as the sea. I want to sail, swim, and run on lands I’ll never return from, always moving forward.”
“…Niall.”
“Please give me freedom.”
Niall pleaded, stroking Duke’s face.
“If you care for me, please grant my wish, my request.”
“……”
“Please. Just as you showed me the aurora today, let me see another aurora at the edge of the world.”
Duke took a painful breath, his face tormented. Niall pressed his forehead against Duke’s and whispered.
“Give me the freedom you never had.”
“That’s your wish?”
“Yes.”
“You want that more than money or a title?”
The freedom to wander. The freedom to collapse on the road. The freedom to lie down on grass, walk alone in the rain, and be called by different names while wandering. Freedom.
Niall nodded, and Duke swallowed hard, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth. Niall lifted Duke’s hair, kissing his cheeks and forehead continuously.
“But.”
After a long pause, Duke spoke, his voice filled with suppressed agony.
“Then you’ll meet other men, and they’ll have you. Other men. Men other than me will…”
“That will never happen.”
“No. Before me, you already… with six Omegas…!”
“Duke.”
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.
Niall decided it was time to clear up the misunderstanding. He held Duke’s face steady, looking him straight in the eye with a clear voice.
“P’ii afii sbe j rfmgfa. Ktf ageat lr, Ywfujr vbc’a tjnf yegclcu vfrlgfr.”
Gexf oeggbkfv tlr ygbk, vlryfilfo fnlvfca lc tlr fsfr. Llr fzqgfrrlbc rjlv la jii—la wjvf cb rfcrf ab tlw.
“Ccv P’nf cfnfg ifa jcs bo atbrf Ywfujr tjnf wf.”
“Qtja?”
“Fcali P wfa sbe, P cfnfg jiibkfv la.”
“……”
Duke sat up straight, looking at Niall with piercing, questioning eyes. Niall met his gaze head-on, revealing his transparent honesty. Slowly, Duke’s frown eased, and a look of astonishment spread across his face.
“You mean…”
“……”
“Could it be…”
“Yes, exactly.”
“You were a virgin?”
Duke asked, his voice filled with shock and confusion. Niall was equally surprised by his interpretation.
“No, Duke. The opposite. I was never taken. I was the one who…”
“That’s what I mean. You’ve never been penetrated. I thought you’d been with six other men, living a wild and debauched life. I assumed you were a completely corrupted Omega, but…”
Duke grasped Niall’s hand tightly, causing him pain.
“You mean I was… your first in everything? You had no experience before me? I was your first in everything?”
“I was the one doing the penetrating!”
Niall couldn’t hold back and shouted.
“I was the one who did it to those six!”
“……”
Duke released Niall’s hand, looking even more shocked and bewildered than before.
“You?”
After a long pause, Duke asked, giving Niall a once-over and shaking his head.
“How? A slender, gentle man like you, with no strength… how did you?”
“What are you talking about? I’m tall, strong, and in great shape.”
Duke once again gave Niall a skeptical once-over. Niall let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Wow.”
He’d never felt such insult.
“Wow. Seriously. Wow.”
“But… but you have such… big, plump nipples, perfect for an Alpha’s plaything.”
Now Duke seemed genuinely confused. How could someone with such beautiful nipples, so enticing to other men, do that? It was unfathomable to him.
“What does that matter?”
“Your nipples… they’re so pretty that any man would want to pounce on you. How could you do something like that? Like an Alpha?”
At the mention of ‘like an Alpha,’ Niall’s gaze sharpened.
“I may not be an Alpha, but I’m a capable man. I’m a tall, handsome man with a high nose. Yes, my nipples are a bit large, but that doesn’t mean I can’t perform as a man.”
“But you’re…”
“And I’ve been meaning to say this. There isn’t a man alive who would pounce on me just by seeing my nipples.”
Except you, Duke.
“……”
Duke remained silent for a long time. He looked confused and, in some ways, even anxious.
He looked like a theologian who had just been told the world wasn’t flat but round. Or like the butcher from Galen hearing his son wanted to date men.
Duke, deep in thought, tapped his upper arm with his crossed fingers at regular intervals. Once more, he gave Niall a skeptical once-over. His face showed strong disbelief.
Deeply hurt in his pride, Niall pulled Duke closer. He pushed Duke onto the floor and climbed on top of him. Duke looked up at Niall with a puzzled expression. Niall grabbed his chin, gazing down intently before opening his mouth and enveloping Duke’s lips in a strong, forceful kiss.
“Mm.”
As Duke moved, Niall grabbed his hands, pinning them down with all his strength. He chased after Duke’s lips, which tried to turn away, and bit them gently. Duke, who had always received tender, affectionate kisses from Niall, flinched in surprise when his sensitive spot was bitten.
“Stay still.” Niall tightened his legs around Duke’s waist, scolding him, and then soothed the bitten spot with his tongue.
“Mm, ugh.”
When Niall’s tongue touched the roof of his mouth, Duke’s moan changed. As Niall’s tongue sweetly caressed Duke’s, he became increasingly aroused.
Niall bit Duke’s lips roughly one more time before pulling back. Duke looked up at Niall, breathing heavily, his face flushed.
“Do you still not believe me?”
Niall asked, wiping the moisture from Duke’s lips with his thumb. Duke’s eyes, wet with excitement and anticipation, fluttered slightly.
“Niall…”
“I’ve never felt anything for any Alpha. All the Alphas I’ve met were too weak. Except for you, Duke. You’re the only Alpha who’s ever excited me.”
“Only me?”
“Yes. Only you, Duke.”
So you don’t have to worry about me being with another man. That will never happen. In this world, the only Alpha who excites me is you.
Duke was intoxicated by Niall’s words. Feeling the newfound masculinity of Niall on top of him made his heart race.
This Omega, who had a body that drove Alphas wild, was at once so delicate and lovely yet so undeniably masculine. Duke trembled with agonizing desire. He was captivated by Niall’s allure.
“Niall.”
With a desperate heart, Duke reached out to Niall. Niall responded with a chuckle, exuding masculine charm.
Duke’s member instantly stiffened. Niall felt it pressed against his rear and smiled languidly, his one-sided smile dripping with sensuality.
Duke grabbed Niall and rolled halfway over, putting Niall underneath him. He licked Niall’s lips, which were curved into a half-smile, frenetically. Like an animal marking its territory, Duke licked him for a long time.
Outside the narrow, old cabin, the blue and red curtains of the aurora shimmered and gradually faded into the first light of dawn, accompanied by the calls of the early birds. The two never stopped. It was less like sex and more like an act of mutual comfort.
Niall caressed Duke, and Duke caressed Niall. The deep touch reached Duke’s soul, allowing him to think of Niall for the first time.
Duke understood Niall. Duke liked Niall. Naturally, he wanted to fulfill the wishes of someone he liked. Niall’s longing for freedom transferred to Duke as he touched him.
But Duke couldn’t bring himself to say it. He couldn’t say he could go.
He had made a contract. Niall had completed the task. So now, Duke had to let him go. Duke had never once broken a promise. He was a fair and just ruler. But…
“What do I do?”
Duke held Niall, who was breathing hard in his arms. His heart was torn in two directions. Duke couldn’t find the answer.
I have a suggestion: leave the kingdom and follow your lover 😭