By Zephyria 
Side Story 5
The fingers pushed deeper and deeper along the narrow path. They pressed and stretched the slightly swollen mucous membrane here and there. Every spot he touched sent a jolting sensation through him, and unable to bear it, Cecile shifted his hips restlessly.
The once-soft member had since gained strength and stood erect. “Ngh, hng!” A nasal moan escaped Cecile’s lips. His head kept arching back. Alexis’s firm upper body acted as a support, absorbing Cecile’s struggles.
“Haah, Alex, hng, Alexis!”
“Yes.”
Finally, Cecile turned around. He wrapped his arms around Alexis’s neck and sucked on his lips deeply. Alexis let out a low groan, as if welcoming the urgent gesture. The grip of the hand spreading the flesh of Cecile’s buttocks grew even more forceful.
The breaths they exhaled were as hot and damp as the humid moisture lingering in the air.
Tongues and lips tangled. Waves surged. The fingers probing inside the hole were no different from thrusting, and Cecile’s waist bucked repeatedly. Because of the frolicking in the water, the liquid grew increasingly cloudy.
“Haak, ah, hng, I… I think I’m going to…!”
“Yes, just a little. Cecile, just a little more.”
Before he knew it, Alexis was gripping and shaking both Cecile’s and his own. The gripped pillars of flesh were on the verge of exploding as ejaculation neared. As he added a final burst of speed, thin semen erupted simultaneously.
Alexis leaned his head back in a languid afterglow. Letting out a long sigh, he stroked Cecile’s wet back. Cecile, with his arms draped over Alexis’s shoulders, was completely limp.
“Did I end up being the only one who enjoyed myself again?”
“…I liked it too. But I’m so tired. I need… a nap.”
Alexis burst into laughter. He repeatedly rubbed his lips against Cecile’s cheek. It was while he was enjoying his own lazy afterglow that the sound of a commotion drifted in from outside.
Mixed in with the noise were the intermittent voices of a young child. Alexis sighed, his brows furrowing.
“Haah, that noisy brat is here.”
A while later, the bathroom door opened, and a cloud of steam flowed out.
As soon as Briana spotted the two, she came running. Alexis ignored her completely and clung only to Cecile.
“Cece, did you do bub-bub?”
Now four years old, Briana’s vocabulary had grown considerably. Her pronunciation was still a bit slurry, but that only added to her cuteness.
“Yes, big brother washed up squeaky-clean.”
“Good job! You’re clean!”
The child opened her arms wide and hugged Cecile tightly. She pressed her face against his, her chubby cheeks squishing. How could anyone not love such an adorable gesture? Cecile smiled and hugged Briana back tightly.
The only one who looked displeased with this scene was Alexis. He narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Isn’t it time for Briana to take a nap? Why is she here?”
At the Emperor’s sharp voice, the nanny hurriedly bowed her head.
“The Princess was particularly fussy today…”
“Do you intend to give in to everything? Disciplining the Princess properly should also be the nanny’s duty, should it not?”
“I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty.”
An uncomfortable silence fell. Instinctively, Briana clung tighter to Cecile. Insisting that she refused to let go, she rubbed her curly platinum blonde hair against Cecile’s shoulder.
“Cece. Sleepy.”
“Briana Lynn Graham. Stop acting spoiled.”
Alexis glared sharply. It was a harsh thing to say to a child who was only four years old, but Briana was not an ordinary child; she was the Princess.
Furthermore, her personality was a mirror image of Alexis’s. She was highly competitive and possessive. She was more intelligent than her peers and could already read.
Unfortunately, she had even inherited his love for Cecile, so she and Alexis clashed over every little thing. One might expect an adult to yield a bit, but Alexis was equally possessive and would never yield when it came to Cecile.
Unable to watch any longer, Cecile made a request to Alexis.
“Your Majesty, let’s just sleep together.”
“No. She’ll develop bad habits.”
Alexis scooped Briana up. He expected her to resist, but Briana clenched her tiny fists and glared back at Alexis with the same intensity. It was so absurd it drew a hollow laugh.
“This little one gets worse as she grows. Why does she like Cecile so much?”
“Who do you think she takes after?”
“Are you talking about me right now?”
Cecile shook his head and headed for the bed first. Lifting the covers, he said,
“Either both of you leave, or come in and sleep together. I have no intention of wasting my golden rest on an argument.”
Cecile let out a long yawn, looking truly exhausted. Seeing him lay his head on the pillow, Alexis turned his gaze. He gave a stern warning to the girl who shared his hair color.
“You, just for today.”
“Yup!”
Her answer was bold. Alexis carried Briana to the bed.
The moment he set her down, Briana rolled over and claimed the spot next to Cecile. Sending a very dissatisfied look her way, Alexis also lay down in the remaining space. In the end, the three of them lay cozily in one bed.
Meanwhile, the attendants began to draw the curtains. The light in the room gradually dimmed. Briana’s eyes sparkled as she shouted, “Storybook!”
“Nanny, bring the book.”
An old, worn-out book was placed in Cecile’s hand. Briana kicked her legs in anticipation. The nanny happened to bring her favorite fairy tale.
“A long, long time ago, in a deep forest, there was a beautiful kingdom. A lovely princess lived there.”
Cecile began to read the book slowly. The plot was cliché. It was the story of a knight rescuing a princess captured by a dragon. However, the voice reading the book was as soft and warm as a lullaby, and Alexis found himself listening along.
When the story was about halfway through, Briana spoke up decisively.
“Briana won’t be the princess! I’m the knight!”
“Oh, really?”
“I hold the sword and defeat the dragon!”
“How cool.”
Cecile responded to each of her words. Briana let out a little giggle. The two were preoccupied with happily locking eyes.
Alexis wore a bored expression. He propped his head up and turned on his side.
“She has no intention of sleeping. There’s not a hint of sleep in her eyes.”
At those words, Briana’s eyes sharpened. The way she glared at Alexis was quite fierce. However, knowing he was an opponent she couldn’t beat, she wiggled her body and clung even closer to Cecile.
“Big brother, Briana will protect you. Just trust me!”
“Kid, don’t be mistaken. I’m the one who protects Cecile.”
“Empe-wor protects the Empire. Go away. Shoo!”
“How arrogant.”
Alexis pulled Briana by the waist and put her back in her place. He covered the child’s face with his large hand.
“You have to sleep quickly to grow quickly. Only then can you hold a sword and protect Cecile and everything else.”
“Oooh. Then I must sleep.”
Briana’s small lips pursed. Alexis gently stroked Briana’s curly hair. The child, pleased by the touch, lay still. Before long, her breathing settled into a steady rhythm.
The two men locked eyes across Briana. As Cecile patted the child’s chest, Alexis spoke with a hint of jealousy.
“I’m doomed. I wanted to be the one holding him while we slept.”
“You do that every day.”
“Just know that I’m yielding only this once.”
He lifted his upper body. As if it were a waste to fall asleep just like this, he gripped the nape of Cecile’s neck and left a deep kiss.
“Did you kiss?”
“…You startled me.”
“Kiss Briana too, both of you!”
Both of them took turns pressing their lips to the child’s round forehead. Only after receiving the kisses she wanted did Briana fall asleep with a happy face.
The sound of her soft, steady breathing was incredibly peaceful.
Cecile reached out and held Alexis’s hand, and Alexis interlaced his fingers with Cecile’s. When he whispered, “I love you,” the corners of Cecile’s eyes curved softly.
In the afternoon rest where comfort and stability coexisted, the curtains fluttered and a cool breeze blew in. On the nightstand beside the bed, the pages of the open book fluttered.
[And so, the two lived happily ever after.]
The final page bore a sentence like a fairy tale. It was the ending that Alexis and Cecile desired most.
-Side Story END-