91 – Cypress Mosaic

“If ​it ​weren’t ​for ​that bastard, you ​wouldn’t ​have ​gone ​into ​Heat in the first ​place. ​You said it ​happened because your ​pheromone ​compatibility ​was ​good.”

Vincent’s ​voice ​was blunt, but ​fortunately, ​the ​anger that had ​flared up like a ​pillar of ​fire seemed ​to have ​subsided to ​some ​extent.

“That… ​it’s not his ​fault.”

Looking down ​at Elian, who was ​struggling to calm him ​down, Vincent suddenly let ​all the ​tension ​leave his body and let out ​a long sigh. Taking ​advantage ​of ​that ​moment, ​Elian succeeded in ​retrieving the ​scarf ​from his grip.

Vincent ​threw ​himself backward, flopping onto the ​bed.

“Ugh, what ​kind ​of cursed fate ​do ​you ​and ​that ​guy have? ​Of ​all people, ​why the hell do you have to ​be compatible with ​him?”

Watching him grumble, ​Elian carefully wrapped the ​colorless scarf ​around his neck ​again.

“You ​need to do ​something about that ​fiery temper ​of ​yours. You ​might ​make a ​mistake ​if you’re ​not ​careful.”

“I’m ​like this because ​it’s ​a visit our sitesituation ​that ​warrants ​it. ​Do you think unauthorized copyI act like this everywhere?”

Vincent, who had been lying down, scrambled up and picked up a beer bottle. Despite the complaining, his expression suggested he was reflecting on the fact that he had overreacted. Only then did Elian feel relieved and manage a faint smile.

“Are you still planning to play my bodyguard?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I can’t just let someone who messed with my family get away as if nothing happened. Got it?”

Having declared this, he gulped down the rest of his beer, as if he still had some lingering anger.

My family…

In a world where all his own blood relatives had vanished, it was something to be truly grateful for—that there were still people who called him that.

Elian felt the same. Vincent, Lina, and Matteo. They were precious to him. He could not allow the Belloti family to be harmed in any way.

“Anyway, you said you won’t keep going into Heat just by being around that bastard. That means it won’t happen again in the future. We should consider that a relief.”

Vincent said this to comfort Elian, then clicked his tongue bitterly and took another swig of beer.

“…Yeah.”

A Heat was certainly not a pleasant experience.

Sexual arousal would begin without any trigger, and one would crave the other person to the point of death, even if they weren’t someone they actually wanted. Even when he didn’t want to be aroused, didn’t want to feel it—even when his reason clearly felt the agony—his body would secrete love juice on its own, tremble with pleasure, arch its hips, and even rub its private parts against the other’s body in search of deeper pleasure.

The very essence of who he believed himself to be would be shaken to the core and collapse helplessly.

It was a truly terrifying experience. The feeling of another personality dominating his physical body. The humiliation and pain of having to simply watch as he was broken in a way he didn’t desire.

If the partner hadn’t been Lorenz.

If it had been another Alpha who was only obsessed with resolving their own Rut.

The situation would have been even more horrific.

He wasn’t so naive about the world that he didn’t realize that.

“It must be painful, but what can you do? Just think of it as being bitten by a dog and forget about it.”

Vincent spoke as if it were a finished matter, something that didn’t need to be brought [visit our site]up again, [visit our site]but reality visit our sitewas different. There was still more that he needed to hear.

“Actually, that’s not the end of it.”

“What do you mean it’s not the end?”

Vincent, who was opening a new beer, stopped mid-motion. His face twisted into a grimace.

Now that it came time to bring up the marriage, Elian found himself unable to speak. This was even harder to talk about than the fact that he had gone through a Heat with Lorenz.

Maybe I should have had a beer instead of coffee. But it was too late to rely on the strength of alcohol now. He tightened his grip on the mug. Taking a deep breath in and out, Elian spat out the problem that had been tormenting him for the past few days.

“Lorenz Lockhart proposed to me.”

“Who… did what?”

Vincent tilted his head toward Elian. His face looked as if he was certain he had misheard.

“He suggested a contract marriage.”

“A contract marriage? Who with whom? You and Lorenz Lockhart?”

Elian looked steadily at his friend and gave a heavy nod.

“Where the hell is this coming from all of a sudden? Didn’t that bastard say he was engaged to Edward Wesley’s daughter?”

“Lorenz Lockhart… suffers from Pheromone Dependency Syndrome.”

“……”

“Knowing that our pheromone compatibility is good, he proposed that we become Pheromone Partners. Because the recovery is fast and certain.”

Vincent’s eyes flashed sharply for a moment. He was undoubtedly thinking the same thing Elian had been.

“If Lorenz Lockhart has Pheromone Dependency Syndrome… then there’s a higher probability that he, rather than Joshua, is the one behind the Clinical Trials.”

It was a voice rarely heard from him—serious, heavy, yet cautious.

Feeling as if his throat were blocked, Elian couldn’t respond. Even though his own thoughts and Vincent’s speculation aligned, for some reason, he couldn’t nod this time. A complex tangle of emotions swirled within him. To calm his tightening chest, he took several sips of the coffee, which had now turned lukewarm.

“I hate to say this, but…”

Vincent, who had been lost in thought in his own way, spoke up solemnly.

“If you can enter a contract marriage with Lorenz Lockhart, honestly, it is a huge opportunity.”

“……”

“Lorenz Lockhart is a Pheromone Dependency Syndrome patient, and he’s even keeping that fact a secret from the public? Then doesn’t that mean there’s an 80%, no, over 90% chance that he’s the one behind it?”

Elian still couldn’t show any reaction.

“Then it’s more efficient to leave Joshua alone for now and focus on Lorenz. Plus, even if it’s a contract, you’ll be his fiancé, right? It’ll be much more advantageous to get closer and investigate the truth.”

Vincent’s voice grew louder with excitement. Then, noticing Elian’s expression, he shut his mouth tight. His brother’s neat face, lowered in a bow, was stained with an emotion that was difficult to describe. His thin fingers, incessantly rubbing the surface of the mug, betrayed his conflict and anxiety.

It must be a hard decision to make. Why wouldn’t it be?

Becoming a Pheromone Partner with Lorenz Lockhart surely didn’t mean they would be holding hands and taking walks.

Vincent changed the direction of the conversation.

“Still, if you’re not feeling it, refuse. Just because you received a proposal doesn’t mean you have a reason to accept.”

“No, it’s not that I’m not feeling it. It’s not like I’m actually marrying him anyway. He made it clear it’s only until a successor is chosen. Until then…”

Even as he spoke, there was no conviction in Elian’s expression or voice. His long-winded words sounded like he was trying to persuade himself.

Vincent placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Eli, even if it takes time, we can just find another way.”

Looking up at Vincent, Elian nodded with a faint smile. Vincent smiled back.

However, both of them knew. There was no guarantee that investing time would necessarily lead them to the truth. Working at the mansion as Lucas’s counselor wouldn’t last forever, either.

Just then, Vincent’s phone rang. After asking Elian for understanding with a glance, he answered the call.

“Yes, Mom. No, I’m just talking to Eli. We’ll clean up the back of the shop later, so just leave it. Now? Okay, I’ll come down right away.”

Elian’s eyes darkened as he watched him stolen contenttalk to Read on Read BL NovelsLina. There was one more thing he hadn’t confessed.

If I refuse the proposal, there’s no telling what Lorenz Lockhart might do to your family. He couldn’t bring himself to say that. He didn’t want to burden Vincent with that responsibility.

“She wants us to come down?”

“Yeah. She said there are no more customers, so she just closed up early today. I was hungry, so it worked out. Let’s go.”

Vincent patted Elian’s shoulder a couple of times and stood up first. As he followed him, who was packing the empty beer bottles into a pack and leading the way, Elian cautiously called out to him.

“Vince.”

“Yeah?”

When Vincent turned around, Elian was standing there, full of anxiety.

“Don’t let it show in front of your parents. Okay?”

“The fact that you got a proposal from Lorenz Lockhart… if Mom and Dad find out, they’ll probably faint, right?”

As if imagining his parents’ reaction, Vincent let out a hollow laugh while Read on Read BL Novelslooking into the air. Then, he gave Elian’s [Read on Read BL Novels]shoulder a light shove with his thick hand.

“Don’t worry. It’s not like I’ve only been acting for a day or two. I’m practically a professional actor now.”

As he acted easygoing as usual, Elian was finally able to smile, however faintly. But to Vincent, that smile was far from enough to hide the exhaustion of conflict. Vincent reached out and ruffled his friend’s bright blonde hair.

“You know, right? That I’ll respect and support whatever decision you make.”

“Yeah… thanks.”

They both chuckled and left the room. Beings who had grown up together since birth, who could read each other’s emotions with just a glance. Vincent’s support had always been a source of strength for Elian. The plan to uncover the truth against the Lockharts would have been a much lonelier and harder process without Vincent’s support. But today, even his smile couldn’t lighten his heart.

Before closing the door, Elian looked back. Beyond the window, Manhattan was still sparkling enchantingly, like a mirage.

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