By Zephyria Everyone fell silent. I looked at Hugh, surprised.
Hugh wasn’t crying at all. No, he was smiling very happily, shrugging his shoulders. His neatly tailored white ceremonial robe, the still fresh bouquet of flowers, and Hugh’s sparkling smile suited him perfectly.
“I’m an orphan, you know. But it’s not like I never had parents. There were people who took care of me, and well, someone like a step-sibling. But they’re all gone from this land now…. Now, I wanted to show them I’m happy. That I found someone to marry, that I’m happy now, and that I’ll live well from now on.”
Hugh awkwardly kept stroking and rubbing his face with the back of his hand. Sensing he needed someone to lean on, I stood close beside him. Hugh leaned his shoulder against mine, resting his weight on me.
“That’s why I had a ceremony with many empty seats and few people. So I could think of those absent people sitting in those seats. And that I could live even better with the blessings of my family.”
“……”
“It wasn’t because I disliked or hated you all that we got married amongst ourselves.”
“……Hmph, if that’s the case, you should have told us beforehand……”
All the pouting children quieted down. Hugh looked up at me, smiling sheepishly. I was fine. If Hugh’s family had celebrated with him, it would have been even more joyful.
After a moment’s thought, I subtly hunched my body and rested my chin on Hugh’s shoulder. As our cheeks touched, Hugh pushed me away, looking embarrassed.
Then, the Emperor, who had been silent from beginning to end, lifted his gaze from Michael and looked this way.
“Then we’ll have to do it twice.”
“What? Do what twice?”
“The wedding, of course. We had one with family, so shouldn’t we take care of our friends next? Miss Philodendore has already booked the first wedding ceremony at Ernhardt’s Temple, so the second turn would be Lord Benson and Sir Brooks’ wedding, right there.”
“What? No, why would we go that far. No, we really don’t need to go that far…?”
“Great! Then let’s do that. I’ll leave seats for family then too. How many people?”
“No, well…. Rather than counting by number.”
“What are you saying! We’re only counting immediate family and those akin to family!”
The atmosphere, which had momentarily calmed, became boisterous. The Emperor mouthed a question to me. Should I invite Oasis too? I subtly shook my head. Why bother? Inviting that guy would only make things noisy.
I now knew happiness well, without needing to prove it. I was simply happy now.
Even though they couldn’t attend the wedding, they insisted on a proper reception and treated us to a grand dinner.
The wedding cake, specially crafted by the Emperor’s chef, received great praise. They must have prepared it as soon as they knew we were getting married. Hugh, more moved by the beautiful cake than the delicious meal, shed a few tears, much to everyone’s amusement.
After a rich and abundant meal, we washed our palates with champagne and chatted. The Emperor and Empress, our couple, and Marianne and Benjamin sat scattered on the sofa, picking at cookies from the table.
The conversation mostly revolved around Hugh and me, and Marianne asked me many questions.
“Elwin Seonbae, if both Oasis and Hyoo Seonbae fell into the water at the same time, who would you save?”
“Hugh.”
“Why? Because Oasis is a good swimmer?”
“……No? Just because.”
“……Really? Oasis seemed to care about you quite a bit.”
“Did he? I don’t know.”
Hugh, who was sitting next to me and listening, chuckled and shook his head. Blue Star furrowed his brows again, looking at me and clicking his tongue. Marianne, who had been deep in thought, asked another strange question.
“……Hmm. Then, then. If it was five-year-old Hyoo Seonbae and five Hyoo Seonbaes, who would you choose?”
“Five-year-old Hugh.”
“Why that one?”
“To be a father to him.”
“What?”
Then Hugh, who had been playfully scowling and glaring at me, quickly interjected.
“I like five-year-old Elwin too.”
“Why, Seonbae?”
“Because even one is enough to drive me crazy.”
I see.
I nodded obediently. Hugh, who huffed and downed a gulp of champagne, ruffled my hair vigorously. His palm felt warm, so he must be feeling very happy right now. Then I was happy too. I laughed along.
We returned to the room.
As soon as Hugh opened the bedroom door, he threw himself onto the bed with a thud. Lying face down on the bed with his limbs stretched out, Hugh was still wearing his white ceremonial robe. The blankets in the Withrow Knight’s quarters were generally dark brown with embroidered patterns of brown vines, so Hugh, placed on the bed, looked like a bright white star embedded in the night sky.
On his fourth finger, his wedding ring glinted.
It was thick but had all its edges smoothed down, making it a sleek ring that I had placed on Hugh today. We had exchanged many rings over time, but this was the first one with a gem, not a Mana Stone. It was also the first ring I bought that I knew I wouldn’t have to sell back.
I placed my left hand directly over Hugh’s left hand. The two rings lay side by side. As I climbed onto Hugh’s back while he was lying face down, he laughed and shifted his shoulders. We held our left hands tightly, fingers intertwined, and I slipped my right hand between Hugh’s lower abdomen and the blanket. His dry shoulder blades pressed firmly against my chest.
I feel good. I leaned my full weight against him.
“Oof. Hey, you’re heavy.”
“Mm.”
“Mm, what do you mean mm. You’re heavy…. Hnn…”
“Mmm.”
“……What. Why…”
“Hm?”
“……Why are you standing?”
Right. Why was I standing? I was fine just a moment ago.
But thinking about it, it made sense. There were too many reasons. The ring was pretty, Hugh smelled good, I liked the way the prominent bones of our bodies pressed against each other, and I liked how his small buttocks jiggled against me.
So, instead of listing them one by one, I decided to answer his question with a question.
“Is it strange?”
“……No, uh, it’s not… strange… but… do you want to?”
“Yes.”
“Hic, uh…. I’m tired, though.”
“Then you don’t have to.”
Hugh’s neck grew redder and redder. White is good, but red is even better. I kissed his warm nape, and Hugh flinched, saying, “It tickles.” I liked that it tickled. I’ll have to kiss him again later.
Thinking that, I nibbled Hugh all over, and he replied a moment later.
“No. ……I want to too…. It’s our first night, after all….”
“Good.”
“Th-then…. Hold on, let me turn over. Get up for a second.”
“Okay.”
I lifted myself slightly, creating space. Hugh, who had been facing away from me, turned over to face me. Seeing his lips, I wanted to kiss him again. Without hesitation, I kissed him. Soon our mouths opened, and our tongues tangled….
A wet sound came from between our lips. It seemed like it was Hugh’s turn to take off his clothes now, but he must have been very tired. Hugh lay on the bed like a crumpled sheet, panting and not moving at all. So I reached for Hugh’s buttons. Seeing that, Hugh clicked his tongue, his eyebrows drooping at the ends.
“……Aren’t you learning too fast?”
“Can’t I?”
“……It’s not that.”
Cute.
His bright red ears caught my eye. This was another place I could lick. I put his earlobe in my mouth and nibbled, then bit his soft earlobe gently before letting go. Kissing and licking behind his ear with wet sounds, Hugh’s thin shoulders tensed up.
If he’s tensing up this much, it must hurt. I pressed and massaged his collarbone and shoulder, smoothing them out, and Hugh soon let out a soft groan.
“……Yes, this kind of thing…”
“Mmm. Do you like it?”
“……Yes.”
I carefully unbuttoned his pale white clothes, revealing his flushed skin.
The intercourse I learned was the act of rubbing our erect penises together. Me too, quickly. Impatient, I roughly unbuttoned my own clothes and immediately took out my erect penis. As I pressed and rubbed my penis tip against Hugh’s still less aroused penis, Hugh laughed shyly, “Hee.”
And he suggested.
“Today… want to try something different?”
“Yes.”
“……”
The lamplight in our room was yellow, but Hugh alone looked red, as if sitting in the sunset. Every inch of his exposed skin was flushed red. His lips, glistening from being licked multiple times, and the tip of his wet tongue were especially so. The inside of his mouth was a sweet and delicious color.
Only gasping breaths came from his parted lips. I was impatient and eager to continue, but I had no idea why Hugh had suddenly gone quiet. I leaned closer.
“Why?”
“No, please. Think before you answer…”
“Anything is fine. Tell me, Hugh.”
And so, we both became completely naked.
It was the first time I was looking directly at Hugh’s naked body, stripped of every last piece of underwear. Before, we had been too close, or too excited to take the time to look slowly. Looking slowly now, there was much I hadn’t known.
His chest and thighs, which received less light than other areas, were whiter, so when they flushed with excitement, their color appeared more vivid. The prominent veins on the inside of his thighs were the same as before.
His collarbones and ribs, like his elbows and knees, were noticeably thin, making his lower abdomen deeply indented along his abs, and his navel looked particularly deep. Can I lick here too? I bowed my head and kissed his navel, and he flinched, tucking his legs in with a “Hk.”
“What is it.”
“It’s pretty.”
“……You say the strangest things…. Not that…”
Hugh hesitantly brought his legs together. Then he lifted his legs so his thighs touched his chest. This way, his buttocks were visible, but not his genitals. What was I supposed to do? I stared, waiting for his next instruction.
Hugh pressed the back of his head against the mattress with a sound like a boiling kettle.
And he commanded.
“Put it in here.”
“Between your thighs?”
“Yes.”
I did as he asked.
Because his body was so thin, there was ample space between his thighs. Even though my penis was large, there was plenty of room, and I didn’t know what to do. I pressed my penis shaft firmly against one of Hugh’s thighs and rubbed it. Hugh, giggling softly, crossed his knees tightly together. His genitals were pressed tightly on both sides, constricting.
“Nn…”
“……Does it hurt?”
“No. It doesn’t hurt.”
Hugh rested his legs on my left arm. Should I hold them? I obediently placed the crook of Hugh’s knees on the inside of my elbow and held them together. Hugh’s waist twisted slightly. Peeking out from between his thighs, my penis and Hugh’s now fully erect penis touched.
Hugh covered and pressed both of them with one hand. And in a choked voice, he whispered.
“Now, move.”