7 – Preparing for a Fiery Rebellion

After mixing their bodies hotly once more like that, Elian fell asleep as if he had fainted.

It was such a deep sleep that he couldn’t recall when he had last slept so soundly, as if dead.

‘Haa. I don’t want to get up.’

It felt good as his languid body sank heavily. Being tightly wrapped in something felt truly cozy.

He wished he could continue wandering in dreams like this. But.

‘Hm?’

Elian’s memories slowly began to return. The passionate acts of last night came to mind, and he became aware of his situation.

He realized where the firmness that enveloped his entire body was coming from.

“Ack!”

He screamed and opened his eyes, quickly pushing away the firm embrace. But it was so tightly held that he couldn’t budge at all.

Instead, he was pulled in even tighter, his face buried deep within.

“Elian. Sleep more.”

This was unbelievable.

Elian’s face turned bright red as he heard the low voice.

It was partly because the husky voice sounded sexy, but also because the sensations he felt all over his body were vivid.

A firm arm was wrapped tightly around his waist, and his legs were also wrapped around his thighs, stuck fast.

The problem was that neither of them was wearing any clothes.

They were pressed together so tightly that not even a piece of paper could fit between them. It was awkward and embarrassing. The events of yesterday resurfaced, causing him to flush hotly.

‘Crazy. I’m truly crazy.’

What happened yesterday was something both of them had wanted. There was no room for excuses.

However, the act they had engaged in yesterday was not the usual fumbling around.

It was sex.

A sublime act of intertwining bodies deeply, feeling, and becoming one.

Only the act of penetration was missing, but the two of them had felt and shared so much.

‘What on earth were we thinking?’

He was definitely out of his mind. It wasn’t just Kirendis’s libido that was the issue; he too was a slave to his desires.

Otherwise, how could he have fallen for it so completely?

‘As long as we don’t penetrate?’

There was no greater blasphemy. He had said it out of ignorance then, but it was a statement he could only make because he didn’t know.

In that moment, the relationship between the two of them had changed drastically overnight.

Wasn’t it natural for their bodies to be pressed together like this right now?

Normally, Kirendis would have been the first to blush and fluster.

But…

“Haa……”

Kirendis exhaled deeply and slowly began to move his hands.

Seeing that Elian wasn’t likely to fall back asleep, he started to get greedy.

His large hand gently stroked Elian’s smooth back, tracing the line of his spine before gripping his buttocks fully.

“……!!”

Startled, Elian trembled. But Kirendis didn’t seem to intend anything further, simply holding on.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heart began to pound wildly. The touch was so natural.

He wasn’t embarrassed, nor did he seem awkward. He was touching him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Due to the acts of yesterday, it felt as though ownership of his body had been transferred to Kirendis.

‘Ah… really.’

Elian closed his eyes tightly. The biggest problem with this situation was that he couldn’t refuse.

Kirendis touching his body as he pleased was awkward, yet it felt incredibly good. It made his heart ache, as if they belonged to each other.

‘Is this really okay?’

If this was the case, then postponing the confession was meaningless.

Where had his plan to accept Kirendis at the perfect time and moment gone?

“Elian……”

As confusion flooded him, Kirendis buried his face in Elian’s neck and moved his body.

He seemed to be fully awake now, and quite proactive.

He kneaded Elian’s buttocks and gently swayed his hips, rubbing against Elian’s hardened member.

With their lower bodies pressed so closely, even the slightest movement made the firm object clearly palpable.

“K-Kirendis.”

Was he going to do it again?

His face turned pale, unprepared for it.

Last night was fine because he had lost his reason, but the thought of doing the same thing while sober made him dizzy.

Could this be okay?

What reason was there for it not to be?

Should he just go for it?

If what they did yesterday felt so good, how much better would the real thing be?

‘Ugh.’

He craved more pleasure, a higher level of it. Elian, being a man, wanted to just go for it.

“Hoo. I guess starting the day like this is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“……What?”

Just as his mind was halfway to agreeing, Kirendis pulled away and said.

“I’ll go wash up.”

As if he hadn’t been aroused at all, he looked at Elian and pecked his lips.

With that light kiss, he disappeared into the bathroom without a second thought.

He stared blankly at his retreating back as the door slammed shut.

In that moment, his senses snapped back.

‘Crazy! Was I… looking forward to it?’

Shock.

Shock.

Shock.

Pure shock.

He felt like he had gotten all excited over something that wasn’t even on the table.

Shame washed over him like a wave. Elian buried his face in the sheets and reflected.

‘Get a grip. This isn’t the time to be thinking about this.’

This was the most crucial period.

At this crossroads of whether the rebellion would succeed or fail, not a single minute or second could be wasted.

‘I can think about my relationship with Kirendis after the rebellion succeeds.’

He didn’t think Kirendis’s feelings would change by then. Elian felt the same.

No matter how long it took, it had to be finished within half a year. It was a plan that needed to be executed with utmost urgency, so he had to stay sharp.

“Alright!”

Having made up his mind, Elian sprang up. He felt reborn with his new resolve.

Perhaps it was because he had slept so soundly, but his body and mind felt light and good.

He thought, ‘Maybe it’s because I came three times,’ then quickly shook his head.

‘I’m really crazy.’

Last night’s act had been really good, it seemed. If he didn’t focus, his thoughts kept drifting back to it.

‘This is troublesome.’

His face flushed hotly. It showed no signs of calming down, so he pulled the sheets over his head to hide his face.

Just by being still, he was reminded of last night. He wondered if he would be alright.

‘It’ll be… alright, right?’

Time passed with a mixture of anxiety and a fluttering heart.

Elian threw himself into his work to avoid thinking about Kirendis.

As the Rebel Army began to move in earnest, he became incredibly busy.

He communicated and held meetings constantly, monitored the nobles’ movements, and brought in those who could be persuaded.

He had to keep a close eye on the movements of Marius and Duke Cheston’s family, and in his spare time, he had to train to control his Truthful Eye.

After training, his eyes would be so tired that he would collapse and fall asleep.

Such a routine repeated, and time flew by.

What he had worried about seemed unfounded as things were proceeding smoothly.

‘Is this… right?’

As a month passed, Elian encountered a problem he hadn’t anticipated.

‘When was the last time I properly spent time with Kirendis?’

Elian had been busy, but Kirendis had been even busier.

He had to receive his title sooner than planned, so he had been living a hectic life, even cutting back on sleep.

Not only were there preparations for the title conferment ceremony, but he also had to take over duties from the Duke, so Elian barely remembered when he had last seen his face.

‘Was it two weeks ago during a meal?’

Even that was a brief, simple meal that lasted about 20 minutes.

Since then, Elian hadn’t seen a single hair of Kirendis, which made him anxious.

Even now, when he thought of Kirendis, he blushed, remembering that night. But he also felt like they weren’t seeing each other enough.

‘Haa.’

He sighed, resting his forehead on his desk.

He felt relieved that they were both so busy, yet his heart felt otherwise.

First and foremost, what occupied his mind the most was this:

‘I miss him.’

Yes.

Elian missed Kirendis. He knew seeing his face would make it impossible to concentrate on work, but he missed him nonetheless.

Every night, when he closed his eyes, Kirendis’s face would appear. Although he was so tired that he would fall asleep quickly, Kirendis’s face would also pop into his mind frequently.

‘If it’s like this, wouldn’t it be better to just go see him?’

Such thoughts arose, but he hesitated to act on them, fearing it would worsen his condition if he saw him.

Even if Elian had the time, Kirendis wouldn’t be able to spare any, so it was a hypothetical scenario that couldn’t even come to fruition.

‘But I can see him today.’

Tonight, there was a final meeting with the Rebel Army. Kirendis would be there too, so he would be able to see him today.

They would be meeting for the meeting, so they wouldn’t have personal time, but just being able to see his face made him happy.

‘Alright. I’ll just power through until tonight!’

Elian jumped up, his fighting spirit ignited.

He decided to finish all his tasks for the day, just in case he had a moment to spare.

‘Maybe… just maybe.’

He had worried that meeting might cause trouble, but his heart was now filled with anticipation.

Late at night.

A secret space was prepared in a corner of the Duchy’s basement.

It was a meticulously set up location, complete with soundproofing magic circles, illusion magic to conceal the entrance, defensive magic to block magical attacks, and one-time communication magic.

The purpose was to receive reports on activities from various regions, deliberate, and definitively set the date for the rebellion.

Fixing a date was an extremely important matter, requiring the utmost caution.

Therefore, Elian had created a thoroughly secret space within the Duchy. The same was true for other locations.

He had transmitted the specifications for creating the same space, so each person would activate their communication device at the appointed time.

‘Ugh. This place is so crowded.’

After finishing preparations and taking his seat, Elian looked around and shook his head.

Around the circular table in the center sat Elian, Kirendis, Duke Lipen, Lac, and Jade in order.

As the space expanded, so did the cost, so it couldn’t be helped.

There was no reason to invest too much in a space that would only be used once and then dismantled.

‘Still, maybe I should have made it a little bigger?’

With five grown men crammed together, it felt suffocating.

Moreover, three of the five were swordsmen, filling up the space.

Duke Lipen was also not a small man, so he contributed significantly to the crowdedness.

Given the situation, Elian, who was small compared to the others, couldn’t help but feel dejected.

The narrow space made the comparison stark.

“Haa.”

As he let out a small sigh of dejection, reactions poured in from all sides.

“Are you worried?”

“Are you concerned?”

“Does the Grand Duke even worry?”

They had so little to say to each other that a mere sigh drew everyone’s attention.

“I’m just tired. It’s late.”

Unable to say it was because of them, he offered a vague excuse. They all nodded, filling the seats with a sense of solidarity.

Their broad shoulders were almost touching, and everyone looked a bit pale.

Jade and Kirendis, in particular, seemed so aware of each other that it made the observer tense.

“Grand Duke. Before we start, I have something to ask.”

At that moment, Lac politely raised his hand and gained permission to speak.

“What is it?”

“I like being next to you, Grand Duke. Can we switch seats?”

“……”

Was he joking?

Elian looked at him with disdain, finding him spouting trivialities even at a time like this.

“No, why are you looking at me like that? We can just switch seats. The seating arrangement isn’t important for a meeting.”

It was clear he was trying to provoke the others out of boredom.

He seemed to be thinking, ‘Just one person needs to take the bait,’ trying to lure someone in.

Fortunately, Jade and the Duke didn’t bat an eye. They completely ignored his nonsense.

But Kirendis was different.

“You don’t seem to like the Duke, do you, Young Duke? Is there a particular reason you have to sit there?”

Lac said with a sly smile. Kirendis’s face contorted.

It seemed the net was cast specifically targeting someone.

Lac and Kirendis hadn’t interacted much due to their busyness, so Elian thought they might have gotten over it, but that was clearly not the case.

His interest was still focused on Kirendis, and Kirendis still found Lac displeasing.

“Stop talking nonsense and be quiet. We’re about to turn on the communication stone.”

“Aww. Already?”

“What do you mean, already? If you were that disappointed, you should have come earlier. Then you would have gotten the seat you wanted.”

Yes, seats were first-come, first-served, and it was Lac’s fault for arriving late.

Of course, even if Lac had arrived earlier, Elian wouldn’t have let him have the seat.

“Jade, turn on the communication stone.”

As Elian commanded, Jade quietly stood up and activated the communication stone.

Then, a round light shot up into the air, and the faces and voices of familiar people appeared from within.

[Uncle!]

[It’s been a while, Elian-nim.]

It was Lion and Lucian.

Although the two were in the same capital, they had decided to hold separate meetings for safety. There was a risk of them being discovered on their way back.

Jade and Lac had connections with Elian, so it wasn’t a big issue, but Lion and Lucian were different.

[It feels even more welcoming to see you like this.]

[Is that so? I don’t particularly…]

[What do you mean, Lucian? It’s like a situation where I want to visit you but can’t, a situation of longing, isn’t it?]

[Well…]

[Think about it carefully.]

“……”

Elian was speechless, wondering what to do about this situation.

He was accustomed to their banter, but there was someone who was not at all.

“Ahem. It’s been a while, Lion-nim.”

[Oh! L-Lion, it’s been a while.]

Lion replied hastily, flustered by Duke Lipen’s words. The Duke, who was quite elderly, seemed to be a bit intimidating.

‘Fortunately, he doesn’t seem bothered.’

He was a person who highly valued etiquette, so Elian had worried about how Lion’s behavior might be perceived, but thankfully, it seemed fine.

“Valterias-nim, it’s also been a while.”

[Oh, yes. You’re the polite human I saw back then.]

Valterias, who was nestled in Lion’s arms, greeted Duke Lipen.

It seemed that everything was being forgiven because of that Gold Dragon.

‘Right. A Gold Dragon is everything. What else matters?’

The power and symbolism of a Gold Dragon were immense.

[Kahaha! As expected, humans who can communicate are different!]

“……”

Although he might seem a bit boorish, that could just be Elian’s perception.

[I’m not late, am I?]

[What? Am I last?]

[This can’t be. I’m last…]

After that, spheres containing the faces of Gren, Cecilia, and Haron appeared one after another.

They exchanged brief greetings and chatted.

Although they all shared information, it had been a while since they had seen each other’s faces and talked.

Fortunately, their assigned tasks seemed to be going well, as their complexions were good. There was no sign of worry or tension about the rebellion.

‘They all have strong nerves.’

As expected, or perhaps surprisingly.

Elian shook his head, watching them engage in trivial conversation.

If left unchecked, they would likely chatter all night instead of holding a meeting.

“Quiet. Stop chattering, and let’s begin the meeting now.”

As Elian spoke, everyone quieted down and focused.

Their ability to switch between being casual and serious increased their credibility.

“Let’s start with Gren.”

Then, reports on the situation so far began to pour in.

The rumors Gren had spread about Marius and Lion were spreading smoothly. Although they hadn’t reached the capital yet due to the short timeframe, they were spreading rapidly through the many villages already recruited.

[At this pace, it should reach the capital soon.]

“Good. Please continue to work hard for the remaining time. The faster the rumors spread, the better.”

[Yes. I understand.]

Next was Cecilia.

Her task was to procure as many rare materials as possible for the day of the rebellion.

[I’ve secured quite a lot already, but if the current transaction goes through, I should be able to secure a large quantity.]

“The current amount is sufficient, but we don’t know how things might change, so secure as much as possible. Having extra is not a problem, but lacking is a serious issue.”

[Yes. I will definitely make it happen.]

Next was Haron.

His mission was to find individuals suspected of being hosts for the Black Dragon.

“I’ve narrowed it down to a few people, but I haven’t found concrete evidence, so I think Elian will have to confirm. The most likely candidate is Sir Phelon, Emperor Marius’s Guardian knight, and after him…”

Whether it was due to working closely with the Phantom, they had certainly narrowed down the candidates. This much should be enough for Elian to investigate himself.

“Good work. I’ll do the final confirmation.”

Fortunately, the training had been effective, and he had gained some proficiency in using his eyes.

According to Valterias, he was still far from controlling it properly, but confirmation was possible with the right tools.

“Then, shall we set a date? Lion.”

Now, the most important task remained: setting a date. It was time for Lion and Lucian, who had been receiving all the information, coordinating, and observing the situation in the capital, to voice their opinions.

“[The subjugation of monsters expected to be materials for summoning the Black Dragon is still ongoing. It’s truly right around the corner.]”

Lion first explained the crisis situation before continuing.

“[When we consider everything, the final subjugation area is highly likely to be Bekalin Forest. And assuming those who finish the subjugation move there directly, the time required is two months from now. We must finish before then.]”

“Two months from now… How about it? Can you make the timing work?”

“[Our progress is fast, so we can definitely make it work.]”

“That’s a relief. What date did you have in mind?”

“[A place optimal for our activities, where numerous nobles gather and the Emperor cannot be absent. There is a day that satisfies all these conditions. It is…]”

Lion paused for a moment, looking at everyone. Then, with a resolute expression, he conveyed the day that would become the seed of change, the day that would open the gates to a new era, the day that would soar to great heights, with firm resolve.

“[It is the Duke of Rippen’s investiture ceremony.]”

Kirendis’s investiture ceremony.

As he said, there was no better day. It was the day a great noble would be conferred a title, so the Emperor could not be absent, and all the nobles would gather, making it ideal for impressing upon them the reasons why Lion had to become Emperor. Furthermore, as it would be held at the Duchy, it would be convenient to prepare in many ways.

There was no day more perfect than this.

“One month from now. Will everyone be alright with that?”

However, the only thing that weighed on his mind was the timing. One month was quite a tight schedule.

“[The mercenary corps has no problem. We just need to head to the capital from now on.]”

“[We have no problem either. Once this deal is finalized, we can depart immediately. We can handle the rest in the capital.]”

“[We have no problem either. All our tasks are finished.]”

The three leaders of the Rebel Army responded in succession. All that remained were those in the capital.

“Lac. How about you?”

The most crucial element in this rebellion was the Royal Guard.

For the operation to proceed smoothly, the Royal Guard, who protected the entire Imperial Palace and commanded all troops in the capital, had to be properly in place.

Moreover, they would be the busiest, needing to prepare for the possibility of the Black Dragon being summoned.

“We have no problem either. We haven’t just been idle for the past month.”

Lac replied with a shrug. He had been dragged away by the vice-captain to do some work, and it seemed he had gained a firm grip on the unit in the meantime.

“Good. Then, as long as the investiture ceremony is not an issue, we’re set. Duke, you can certainly manage, right?”

The place where everything would come to fruition.

The investiture ceremony had to proceed on that day, no matter what. This was what Elian was asking about.

“There will be no problem. The Duchy’s staff are all excellent. We will prepare without any issues.”

The Duke replied confidently. Kirendis also nodded.

“Perfect. Then I will also focus on winning over the nobles until then. This has become a regrettable situation for Kirendis alone. It’s his important day, after all.”

The original plan was to begin actively recruiting nobles on the day of the investiture ceremony.

However, with the plan’s revision, the succession of the title had become uncertain.

Title succession originally required the Emperor’s recognition to gain authority, and if the Emperor changed on that day, its fate was unknown.

“It’s alright. I can receive the title from Lord Lion after everything is concluded.”

“[Don’t worry. We’ll hold Kirendis’s investiture ceremony splendidly at the Imperial Palace.]”

“At the Imperial Palace. That’s acceptable.”

“It’s not bad.”

The tempting offer elicited simultaneous responses from Kirendis and Duke Lipen.

An investiture ceremony held at the Imperial Palace. It was a golden opportunity to further elevate the Duchy’s status.

Furthermore, if the rebellion succeeded, it would symbolize a family that had earned Lion’s recognition and trust.

“Then, let’s discuss that matter in detail then, and move on to the next agenda.”

There were still many items on the meeting agenda. The important points had been decided, but the finer details needed to be meticulously aligned accordingly.

While not everything could be decided today, it was rare for them to gather for a meeting like this, so they had to accomplish as much as possible.

The meeting thus continued, stretching well past midnight. Fortunately, the crucial parts had been settled, so it seemed best to conclude for now.

“[Ugh, are we finally done then?]”

“[Still, it ended faster than I expected. I thought it would take longer.]”

“[Everyone is competent.]”

The three members of the Rebel Army voiced their opinions, bringing the conversation to a close.

Exhausted from the long meeting, fatigue was evident on everyone’s faces. The same was true for the rest.

Of course, exceptional individuals like Lac and Jade showed no signs of it.

“Good work, everyone. Make sure to tidy up your surroundings after ending the communication, and I’ll see you in the capital in three weeks. Lion and Lucian, please put in a bit more effort.”

“[Yes. Leave it to us.]”

“[I, Lucian Berick, swear to faithfully assist Lord Lion until the day my life ends.]”

“[Lucian! That’s not the time for such words.]”

“[A pledge of loyalty to Lord Lion is always right…]”

“[M-Uncle, I’ll be ending this call first. I’ll contact you if anything important comes up!]”

— Pop.

“……”

With Lion’s hasty and swift movement, one communication ended.

Lucian’s nonsensical rambling in Duke Lipen’s presence seemed to have been quite embarrassing.

Since the meeting was over anyway, it didn’t matter who ended the call first, so he told the others to end theirs as well.

“[Then, I will also be ending this call.]”

“[See you in three weeks, Elian.]”

“[I’ll be there in two weeks!]”

The communications of the Rebel Army, who even managed to compete in the meantime, also went dark, and silence fell upon the room.

“Well then, shall we wrap things up too? You must be tired, so go in and rest.”

As Elian stood up first, Jade also rose and said,

“I will take care of tidying up the area. You have a lot to do tomorrow, so please go in and rest.”

It was a thoughtful gesture.

Under normal circumstances, the Duchy would handle it, but as the Duke and Kirendis were busy, Jade stepped in.

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes. I will handle it properly and report back.”

Elian also felt more at ease leaving it to Jade than the Duchy, so he patted Jade’s shoulder and left the basement.

“I’ve overused my brain after a long time, so I’m tired. It’s also very late. I’ll have to impose on the Duchy for just one night.”

Lac stated boldly as he ascended the stairs. He was truly consistent.

Just as it seemed Lac’s victory was about to be sealed again, the Duke smiled faintly. Then, Kirendis, in his stead, ruthlessly crushed Lac’s futile dream.

“Knowing this might happen, I’ve already contacted the Vice-Captain. You can either return to the Imperial Palace with him or go to your residence.”

“What?! You called the Vice-Captain? That’s impossible!”

Lac exclaimed in shock.

Given his history of frequently offloading work, Lac was weak against the Vice-Captain.

Without him, the Royal Guard wouldn’t function properly.

“I will accept your thanks.”

“What thanks! Did you not learn any work from the Duke, but only learned bad habits from the Grand Duke?”

Lac attempted to provoke Elian by mentioning him. However, the content was such that it had no impact at all.

‘Sigh.’

Elian shook his head and walked ahead. He was worried Lac might cling to him and bother him before meeting the Vice-Captain.

If that happened, Kirendis would likely be caught up in it too, leading to complications.

Everyone had mountains of work to do; shouldn’t they hurry and get some good sleep?

‘I doubt Kirendis is even sleeping properly.’

Since he had cleared his schedule for the day, it was time to seize the opportunity for a good night’s sleep after a long time.

Therefore, for Kirendis’s well-being, Elian thought it was best to disappear quickly.

As they entered the residence, the dignified figure of Hamel was visible. Elian quickly encouraged him and entrusted Lac to him.

“It’s been a while, Sir Hamel. You’ve been working hard. Please bear with it a little longer.”

“Don’t worry, Elian. I will monitor him thoroughly to ensure he doesn’t slip away.”

The “slipping away” here referred to Lac’s attempts to shirk his duties.

If an outsider heard it, it would sound like they were plotting something major, which made him burst into laughter.

“That’s what he says, Lac.”

When Hamel pointedly addressed Lac, who was trying to escape, his eyes gleamed as he spoke.

“Let’s go, Captain. I’ve been waiting.”

“Oh dear. What am I to do with all this popularity?”

Lac, even in this situation, made a joke, rambling about how it was difficult to be liked so much and how being popular was so tiring.

Yet, seeing him being led away weakly, it seemed he would diligently do his work.

It was truly a relief.

“You two, go in and rest quickly too.”

After seeing them off, Elian headed to his room.

‘A warm bath and then lying down would be perfect.’

The best way to relieve the day’s fatigue was, of course, a half-bath.

Elian chose a half-bath, sacrificing a little sleep. After warming his body in the hot water, he put on a robe and came out.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t have time to talk today either.’

He had been looking forward to seeing Kirendis after a long time, but it was disappointing.

Given the circumstances, it was unavoidable, but the disappointment remained.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Even though he knew he had to accept it because another busy period would begin after today, the regret lingered.

‘Would it be a bother if I went to see him now?’

His thoughts then drifted in that direction.

He had deliberately kept his distance to avoid losing focus, but that resolve was crumbling.

He missed Kirendis that much.

— Knock, knock.

Just then, a knock sounded at Elian’s door.

‘Who could it be?’

He tilted his head, as he hadn’t asked for anything except for the bathwater. But there must have been a reason for someone to visit so late at night.

Elian sank into the sofa and said,

“Come in.”

As he sank into the sofa with his warmed body, he suddenly thought of wine.

He thought he could sleep well if he had just one glass, and was about to ask for it when— “Eli…”

Kirendis took a step inside and then stopped abruptly.

To his delight, he was holding wine and glasses in his hands.

Elian was so happy that he rushed forward and stood before Kirendis.

“What? How did you know I was thinking of wine and brought it?”

“I just… thought of it…”

Kirendis seemed disappointed too. It didn’t matter if he wasn’t.

Elian was happy to see Kirendis and was excited about drinking wine and talking.

“What are you waiting for? Come in quickly.”

Elian, full of excitement, pulled him in without realizing his own state.

His hair was still damp from the half-bath, and water droplets that hadn’t fully dried were trickling down his neck and into his robe.

As the gap widened, revealing his pale skin, Kirendis, who knew how beautiful Elian’s body was, couldn’t help but be flustered.

‘What should I do?’

Ever since their passionate night at Elian’s residence, Kirendis had been trying hard not to recall that day.

Just thinking about that day made his lower body harden.

However, he couldn’t cling to the busy Elian, so he had been working, sacrificing sleep.

But he was reaching his limit, which is why he had come today.

He hadn’t intended to do anything, he just wanted to have a light conversation because he hadn’t seen Elian for too long.

His body, which was complaining of fatigue, had suppressed its desire, allowing him to act on his intentions.

But.

‘I was short-sighted.’

As soon as he met Elian, he realized how careless he had been.

His heart sank as Elian approached him with a beautiful smile.

Moreover, he was only wearing a robe, which made him easy to undress.

“Sit down quickly. You brought this to drink too, right?”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

Elian quickly poured the wine into a glass. With a glug sound, the red liquid filled the glass.

The sight was truly appetizing.

“I used to not even touch it, but I guess I’ve acquired a taste for alcohol.”

The fact that he could drink comfortably was largely due to associating with the Rebel Army. It was a change Kirendis had brought about.

“Drinking too much is bad for your health.”

“I know. I’ll only have one glass.”

He said that, but he knew one glass often turned into two, then three.

He felt an unfounded confidence that he wouldn’t get drunk even if he drank the whole bottle.

“You really have to drink… just one glass.”

“Here, take yours too.”

Elian handed him a glass, changing the subject. Kirendis took the glass and sat beside him. He couldn’t ignore the visual stimulation if he sat in front.

“Cheers!”

Elian, full of excitement, clinked his glass and took a sip of wine.

As the sweet taste spread through his mouth, his body felt languid.

“Delicious.”

He licked his lips as if savoring it, and picked up his glass again.

He took a sip and closed his eyes, appreciating the taste.

It was sweet and slightly bitter, just to his liking. He liked it so much that he held it in his mouth, savoring it.

After fully appreciating the taste, just as he was about to swallow—

“Mmph!”

Their lips met. The wine he hadn’t swallowed yet flowed out from the gap.

Although he was surprised and quickly swallowed the wine, the spilled wine flowed down his neck, past his chest, and down to his waistline.

“J-just a moment. Hic!”

Startled by the sensation, he pulled his head back, but it was no use.

His head was caught again, and their mouths met deeply.

Kirendis licked the remaining wine in his mouth, then swallowed.

The wine mixed with his saliva began to consume him.

“Hnnng.”

Elian also seemed to be enjoying himself, responding to the kiss. Kirendis took the glass from his hand and pushed him onto the sofa.

With a thump, Elian collapsed, looking at Kirendis with a somewhat dazed gaze.

It was unclear whether he was drunk from the wine or from the kiss after a long time. But Kirendis was happy, whatever the reason.

He quietly took a sip of wine and lowered his face.

“Hngh.”

He met their lips again, pouring the wine in. Then, he felt Elian gulping it down.

The sight of him accepting it without any resistance was so beautiful. So he repeated the action until the glass was empty.

He took a sip of wine and intertwined their tongues. Elian sometimes swallowed the wine, and sometimes kept it in his mouth while mixing tongues.

When that happened, wine would flow out from the slightly parted lips.

“Haa, haa.”

“Haa…”

Along with the sweetness, the languor from the alcohol mixed, and hot breaths escaped.

Because he kept receiving the wine, Elian became even hotter than Kirendis.

He thought Elian would get drunk quickly if he kept feeding him like this. That sight would be quite cute, but he decided against it.

It would be a shame if he passed out from drunkenness.

Kirendis lowered his head and took a bite of the skin where the wine had flowed.

“Nngh.”

As if tickled, Elian let out a small groan. Kirendis followed the path down, biting.

The wine that had flowed down his neck was slightly dried. Kirendis gently melted that spot with his tongue, erasing the trace.

Kissing his way down meticulously, he strongly sucked at his collarbone, leaving a red mark.

“Haaat.”

Elian’s body jolted slightly upwards. The gap in his robe widened, revealing his pale skin.

“Haa.”

The sight was so beautiful.

Kirendis kissed him again and began to move downwards.

As he traced the path marked by the red line, leaving his mark, Elian suppressed his moans and trembled.

“Hngh. Nngh. Ah. Hngh.”

Slightly opening his eyes, he was fully savoring the pleasure being transmitted to him with his eyes closed.

Seeing that, his mouth filled with saliva. He moved down a little faster.

As he passed his chest and reached the rib area, the strings of his robe were obstructing his destination.

Kirendis untied the strings, parted the robe, and then licked his way up his waist.

“Haaang.”

Perhaps the stimulation was quite intense this time, he moaned long and trembled. He found the movement so pleasing that he licked and teased him.

“Hngh. Ah…… Nngh.”

His wriggling body, unable to do anything, was so adorable.

Kirendis continued to taste Elian, sucking on his hip area and leaving a mark.

“Hngh…”

Lifting his head, a disheveled Elian trembled, his body twitching. It seemed the aftereffects lingered.

His face was flushed red, and the marks that started from his neck extended all the way down.

And then…

“Ah.”

Kirendis let out a small gasp and looked at Elian’s lower body. He had gotten an erection at some point, and it was dripping.

“Nngh.”

Sensing the blatant gaze, Elian’s body flushed red.

Perhaps because it was against the white robe, the contrast was stark.

The thought that he had become so aroused and erect because of the red marks I left made my core throb.

What’s more, he was completely undressed and neat, while Elian was completely naked and erect, which made it even more so.

Such a lewd and stimulating sight.

Once I recognized that, my desire surged.

“Why are you just looking… Ack!”

Kirendis grabbed Elian’s legs in one go and lifted them up. Space was created below his waist, and he quickly settled himself down.

The robe was underneath, so he pressed it down with his knees, immobilizing his arms.

“W-what is this…”

Elian, flustered, struggled and met Kirendis’s eyes.

“Ah.”

He could only let out a small sigh. The beast with completely lost reason, the one he had seen that day, was before him.

“It’s difficult, isn’t it? I’ll help you.”

Kirendis’s voice was very low. It was secretive, like a predator crouching before a hunt.

This side of him was unfamiliar, but it was also so charming that his heart began to pound.

His body was already hot from the sticky caresses. So, he naturally relaxed his body.

Without knowing what consequences that would bring.

“Huh?!”

Kirendis spread Elian’s legs wide and pressed them down. His erect penis and the hole located beneath it were exposed starkly.

“J-just a moment!”

“It’s okay. I’ll just suck.”

“What?!”

Elian shouted in surprise. But Kirendis immediately lowered his face and took his private part into his mouth.

“Haaang!”

Elian couldn’t help but tremble. Kirendis was gently stimulating the hole with his soft tongue.

He would lick it teasingly, then thrust as if to penetrate it, then suck and make him lose his mind.

“Ah, no. Not there…”

He was flustered because he never imagined he would be made to suck there. Nevertheless, as his soft tongue stimulated him inside, his penis became aroused and dripped.

Even though his penis wasn’t being sucked, his breathing grew heavy.

“Ah, stop.”

“Haa. It’s okay. I’ll make you cum.”

Hot breath poured onto the hole. Elian involuntarily clenched and unclenched his hole.

Kirendis, not missing the chance, thrust his tongue deep inside.

“Hngh…”

The soft sensation of penetration was strange. It felt like it was melting and churning inside.

“Haaang. This, is weird. Hngh.”

It was a truly strange feeling. His eyes burned, and heat began to rush to his lower body.

Kirendis, who had said he would only suck, was now repeatedly thrusting his tongue in and out. Then, it felt like it was going deeper and deeper.

“Hngh. Stop. This is weird. Ahh.”

Tears welled up and dripped down. Conversely, his penis was so aroused it felt like it would spurt semen with just a tap.

Elian was excessively heated, to the point of doubting if this was a normal reaction.

Was it because of the lewd sounds echoing softly?

“Hngh. Ah, ah.”

Before he knew it, Elian began to accept the stimulation, surrendering to the overwhelming pleasure.

He couldn’t move his upper body, and his legs were firmly held apart by Kirendis, so there was no other option.

If he couldn’t resist, it was better to feel pleasure.

“Ah, just a little more. Hngh. Nngh!”

He could hear slurping sounds from below.

Elian spread his legs himself and pulled Kirendis closer.

“Haa.”

At his active response, Kirendis exhaled hot breath and gripped Elian’s penis.

“Hngh!”

As stimulation began to reach his penis, his vision turned white.

“Nngh. Ah, ah. Kiren, dis. Haaang.”

Sweet moans poured out one after another, echoing in the room.

Kirendis didn’t stop his mouth or hands, moving them rapidly. He poked inside, then swirled around, and also stroked his penis up and down, then circled the glans.

“Haaang!!”

Unable to suppress the pleasure any longer, Elian ejaculated and twisted his body. His hole also tightened and convulsed.

With a hint of regret, he sucked on it and bit his lips.

“Haa, haa.”

Lifting his head, he saw Elian, disheveled and exhaling hot breath.

Kirendis’s semen was scattered messily on his stomach. His legs were spread wide and hung limply.

“Hoo…”

As he took in the sight, his penis swelled as if it would burst.

Elian’s inside was hot. Since he had sucked him, he felt like he could make him cum again with a little more stimulation.

What would it feel like to insert his own member instead of his tongue inside?

Just imagining it made his head burn.

But he held back.

‘I said no penetration.’

He intended to keep that one thing properly. He wanted to push inside right away, but he held back.

Because he said no.

He held back because Elian said no.

“Haa…”

Elian, exhaling hot breath, opened his eyes wide.

“Oh…”

He looked flustered. But Kirendis steadfastly continued his task.

Then, unable to watch any longer, he carefully asked.

“You… aren’t going to?”

Kirendis was finishing up, fastening his robe.

Just in case, he glanced down at his lower body, but his center was swollen to the point it looked painful just to see.

He was erect like that and acting as if nothing was wrong.

‘Why…?’

After going this far, it wouldn’t be strange for him to jump back in. But he had only made Elian cum and was now pulling away.

It was too strange.

He didn’t even answer the question, meticulously fastening his robe and tying a neat ribbon.

“Mmm…”

Elian rolled his eyes and said softly.

“It’s… okay, though?”

He didn’t specify what he was giving permission for, but he felt it was a shame to end it like this.

Riding the mood, he wanted to feel Kirendis a little more.

He wanted to see him excited like that day and hear his low moans.

So, it was okay. Tomorrow, he might regret it and tear his hair out, but for now, that was how he felt.

But Kirendis was different.

“If I go any further…”

He spoke with difficulty, suppressing something.

“I don’t think I can stop.”

The meaning of those words was clear. He wanted to put himself inside Elian. But he said he wouldn’t do it at all because he couldn’t stop once he started.

If Elian had said it was okay and held him back, he probably would have done it. Kirendis’s member would have pushed into the inside he had so thoroughly stirred with his tongue just moments ago.

Then, when he held him between his thighs and moved, it would undoubtedly be a vigorous thrusting.

‘Can I handle… it?’

Visualizing the exact act, the word “okay” didn’t come to mind.

He vaguely thought that any act with Kirendis was good, but when it became specific, he hesitated.

However, he didn’t dislike it. In a corner of his heart, there was an emotion called anticipation.

“I’ll be going now. Rest, Elian.”

—Kiss.

Kirendis kissed him on the forehead and stood up. Then, dragging his still unsettled lower body, he left the room.

As soon as he realized that, he shot up. His robe, which had been half-off, fell away, revealing his white nakedness.

“Ah.”

Elian looked at the semen scattered on his body and the lewd red marks. The traces were too explicit.

His heat surging, Elian covered his flushed face and muttered softly.

“I’m going crazy. Really.”

That night, Elian didn’t sleep a wink. The remnants Kirendis left behind continued to torment him.

‘Why do I keep thinking about it!’

Before that, he could push away his thoughts to some extent by immersing himself in his busy daily life.

But now, the events of that day wouldn’t fade.

He wasn’t unable to concentrate because of it, but the frequent thoughts piled up his desire, making it difficult.

For example, his masturbation frequency, which he hadn’t done much before, increased. He even tried stimulating his rear, curious about the sensation, rather than stimulating his front.

‘I stopped because the feeling back then didn’t come back.’

The important thing was that he had developed a curiosity for rear stimulation.

While touching his front, he would imagine the stimulation Kirendis had given him, and something felt lacking.

As these things continued to repeat, his desire kept building.

“Haa.”

Elian adjusted his clothes and sighed.

Today was a very important day, and he had to be sharp. It wasn’t the time to be thinking about pent-up desire.

—Knock, knock.

He heard a knock on the door. The person who would come for him was predetermined, so he opened his mouth casually.

“Come in.”

Today was the day to go to the Imperial Palace to confirm the host of the Black Dragon. So, he had called Jade.

But the person who entered was not Jade.

“Elian.”

“Kirendis?”

Elian approached with surprised eyes.

Kirendis had been very busy while Elian was meeting with the host candidates. And he was still busy. So, he asked back in surprise.

“What brings you here? Aren’t you busy?”

Knowing that he was preparing even while snatching sleep, concern came first.

It was a dramatic change in expression, impossible to believe he was the one thinking about inappropriate things just moments ago.

Kirendis looked tired, to that extent.

“Today is an important day. I came because I was worried.”

“I’m used to using my abilities now, so it’s okay. I’ve gotten used to it after doing it a few times.”

It seemed he had come because of the consecutive use of his abilities.

He had experienced blurred vision a few times as a side effect of using his abilities.

“It’s still difficult without the Delstone, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. It’s harder than I thought to draw out power, so it doesn’t work well without the Delstone’s amplification. But we have no time, so it can’t be helped.”

The Delstone was a magic stone that amplified Elian’s power.

He hadn’t known it had such an effect, so he had to purchase a large quantity this time. Fortunately, thanks to Cecilia’s excellent skills, they were able to secure enough.

‘That’s a relief.’

Not only for finding the Black Dragon host now, but they planned to use a large amount on the day of the rebellion, so the more, the better.

“Don’t overdo it. They say it can lead to blindness if it’s severe.”

Kirendis seemed to be bothered by that fact.

Seeing him continue to bring it up, even after Valterias had firmly stated it was okay.

“I know. Is that why you’re here, even though you’re busy?”

“That, and…”

Kirendis paused for a moment before speaking again.

“You might meet them at the Imperial Palace.”

“Hm?”

“No matter what, they’re family, so I thought you might be concerned.”

Elian’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.

“You mean Marius?”

“Who else would it be?”

He asked just in case, and it was indeed Marius.

“Oh.”

Elian was genuinely impressed. No one linked the two of them as family due to their political opposition.

It was truly a new approach, and he was simply astonished.

“Why that expression?”

Kirendis asked, frowning slightly.

“Just, it’s so sudden.”

Family.

For Elian, family was only Lion. Perhaps it was because he had memories of his past life, but he had never thought of others as family.

Not his father, the former Emperor, nor his mother.

If that was the case for them, what about Marius, who had always viewed Elian with suspicion and even tried to take his life?

“I’ve never thought of them as family.”

But Kirendis’s thoughts seemed a little different.

“That’s what worries me. Even if they’re worse than strangers, the fact that you share blood doesn’t change.”

“That’s true, but…”

“It’s hard enough to receive hostility from others, but for the target to be blood-related family.”

It was truly novel. But he didn’t dislike Kirendis’s concern.

For Kirendis, family was family, no matter how much he hated them. Just like Duke Lipen was family to him.

“It’s okay. I’m used to it now… and I’m Royal Family.”

Elian smiled with a nonchalant expression. It was because he truly felt nothing, but Kirendis seemed even more worried about that.

“I wish I could go with you…”

“I told you it’s okay. Besides, I’m not going alone.”

“……”

Only then did he recall Jade’s existence, and Kirendis scowled.

It seemed he disliked the idea of going with Jade more than going alone.

“Even now, I could…”

—Knock, knock*.

“Lord Elian.”

Just then, Jade knocked on the door and called out to Elian. Perfect timing.

“Get some sleep if you have time. I’ll be back.”

Elian quickly left the room. He heard a low sigh from behind him but deliberately ignored it.

If he lingered any longer, not only would the two of them run into each other, but Kirendis might also insist on going with him.

‘That would be troublesome.’

His already beautiful face was so haggard, it would be a real shame.

‘I’m really okay.’

For Elian, this was merely an extension of what had always happened.

Although the scale of the incident was large, he felt that way because he had always lived under the threat of death.

It was the same for Marius.

He knew they could never be on good terms, and he had never regretted that.

Instead, he had to struggle to survive.

‘So, it’s truly novel.’

Repeating that to himself, Elian headed for the Imperial Palace.

“Are you feeling alright?”

Jade asked in the carriage on the way to the Imperial Palace.

“You mean your eyes, right? I’m fine now. And I’ll be even better with Jade by my side.”

He had been quite flustered when his vision first blurred. But he had handled it appropriately, and no one noticed.

However, Elian had to go to the Imperial Palace today. Since he didn’t know what variables might arise at the Imperial Palace, he needed a reliable ally.

Someone like Jade, who would take care of things without needing to be told.

“If you feel any anomalies, give me a signal immediately. I’ll find a way to get through it.”

“Yes. Thank you, Jade.”

Elian briefly expressed his gratitude and ended the conversation.

Since Jade confessed his feelings, nothing had changed between them. However, a subtle atmosphere still lingered.

Especially when they were alone, that feeling was a little stronger. It might have been Elian’s delusion, but neither of them showed it.

They chose the quiet trust of silence, as they always had. They both knew it was a problem that time would solve.

“We’ve arrived. Let’s go, Lord Elian.”

Jade got out of the carriage first and waited for Elian. The Imperial Palace was visible through the slightly opened door.

Elian touched the Delstone ring on his finger to steel his resolve and stepped out of the carriage.

As his feet touched the ground, he felt a strange sensation.

A feeling like sinking into a dark, murky swamp.

“Let’s go.”

However, Elian didn’t show it. As always, he held his head high and moved forward.

There was no longer a place for Elian here, but he didn’t care.

Confidence was his weapon, the strength that had made him the Iron Blood Archduke.

So, he took a step forward, vowing not to show it, even if he encountered darkness blocking his path.

The destination was Marius’s office.

“I just hope we don’t cross paths.”

Elian’s objective was to meet Marius, who was heading to his office after the meeting.

Sir Phelan, his Guardian knight, was always by his side, so this was the method he chose as there was no way to meet him privately.

“The meeting always ends around this time, so you won’t cross paths.”

“I hope so.”

Time was of the essence, so it was best to confirm quickly. He thought he should have checked the most likely candidates first.

‘Was there a part of me that rejected the Imperial Palace?’

Otherwise, why would I have made the choice to go the wrong way?

Elian walked quietly, lost in thought.

Then, he saw a familiar figure walking in the distance and understood why.

‘Ah.’

A man with fiery red hair. He looked a little sharper than the last time Elian had seen him.

Was it the pressure of being Emperor?

While he could think that, Elian knew it was for another reason.

‘Why are you….’

Dark magic power was leaking from Marius’s body.

“Marius.”

Elian called out to him, his face hardening without him realizing it.

He was flustered because he had never expected Marius to be the host.

‘Why on earth?’

Why on earth did he undertake such a thing?

Why on earth.

“What brings the Grand Duke here? I heard you were safe, but there’s no place for you in the Imperial Palace, is there?”

The usual taunt.

As Emperor, he was trying to crush Elian with his status. He was displeased at being called by his name.

‘Sigh.’

Elian sighed, regretting his rash actions.

It seemed he had unconsciously not wanted to see this side of him.

The power of his truth-seeing eyes seemed to be screaming that Marius might be the host.

‘That’s why I didn’t want to see it.’

This corrupted state.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I am here to submit a request to reconsider my retirement, as the Ministry of Finance is short-handed these days.”

Elian returned with a composed expression and recited the words he had prepared. Then, the expected reaction came.

“A reconsideration request. I am well aware of your significant contributions to the Imperial Palace. However, given the circumstances, we cannot bring back someone who has already left.”

“But.”

“There is no ‘but.’ I am the Emperor. If I say it’s impossible, what right do you have to argue?”

Marius sneered, looking down at Elian with displeasure.

It was the expression of a victor, carefully crafted. But Elian could see it.

The fact that he was still wary of Elian, and the fact that he had not yet escaped his shadow.

“Emperor…”

Elian threw aside his prepared act and raised his head.

His original plan was to concede a little, confirm what he needed, and leave. But his mind had changed.

Why had he gone this far?

Why had he chosen his own body as the host?

He needed to know the reason.

“Do you believe you are suited for that position, Your Majesty?”

Elian uttered a very dangerous statement. It was a remark so perilous that he would have no defense if treason charges were brought against him on the spot.

Sir Phelan immediately drew his sword. Jade also drew his sword and aimed it.

But it was Marius who stopped the two.

“Enough. There’s no need for you to intervene. I will handle this.”

He clenched his fist and stood his ground against Elian.

“If not me, then who else can be in this position? Are you going to say it’s you?”

If he nodded here, he would undoubtedly be arrested for treason. With his previous statement, there was still room to escape.

It seemed Marius intended to provoke him and seal the deal.

“How could that be? I am merely concerned because the situation in the Imperial Palace is not good.”

“Then!”

Marius shouted, provoked. He seemed angry that Elian was only trying to provoke him and then escape.

“But.”

Elian had no intention of stopping here either.

He said with a face as cold as ice.

“You should be careful.”

“…Careful of what?”

“A position taken by unjust power does not last long.”

Elian was referring to the dark magic power of the Black Dragon in a broad sense.

Unjust power.

With just this statement, they wouldn’t think Elian knew the truth. However, if they were prepared, they would surely be thinking about it.

If so, they could fall into the trap Elian had set.

“Unjust power, you say. Then there’s no problem. I ascended to this position with just power.”

A lie.

Marius was lying.

“Are you serious?”

“I swear to the heavens.”

A lie.

This was also a lie.

Elian said coldly, with a sharp expression.

“How foolish, Marius.”

“What?!”

Marius shouted, flustered for the first time.

“Insolence…!”

“The power you possess is not yours. You still don’t know that you must awaken to it to become a true Emperor.”

Elian muttered with a hint of pity. Then, caught in the trap, he retorted.

“What do you know?”

His face was flushed crimson. His weakness was that he was easily provoked by Elian.

In the past, he had always been provoked in this manner, revealing his inner thoughts even when he shouldn’t have.

As expected.

This time too, Marius couldn’t control his temper and poured it all out.

“This power is mine. It’s everything I’ve painstakingly built! No matter what you do, I am the Emperor! I am the true Emperor!”

He glared at Elian, panting with a crimson face.

Seeing that, Elian realized an important fact.

The resentment, anger, and desire he possessed were all born because Elian existed.

It was all Elian’s intention. He believed that politics could only be impartial if he kept himself in check.

But…

‘Was he really this cornered?’

His heart became a tangled mess.

Marius had, in effect, just explained the circumstances under which he summoned the Black Dragon.

He had no choice but to summon it to defeat Elian and become the true Emperor.

“Whatever your scheme, I am the Emperor of this country. That fact will never change.”

He said coldly and brushed past Elian.

There was no lie in those words.

‘Marius.’

Elian channeled the power of his eyes.

The form of the Black Dragon enveloped Marius. It wasn’t as if the dragon had swallowed him.

It seemed to be acting as Marius’s limbs, merging into one.

‘I see.’

The bloodline of the Imperial family.

The bloodline of the Imperial family, which had summoned the Gold Dragon, was protecting him. A normal person would have been consumed long ago, but Marius was different.

He was trying to become the true Emperor by becoming the Black Dragon itself.

‘Dangerous.’

Elian’s instincts continued to send signals. He foresaw a brief future and cried out.

The day the Black Dragon is fully summoned.

On that day, disaster will begin.

“Ugh!”

Marius, entering his office, kicked his desk in anger.

With a loud noise, the desk overturned, scattering documents into the air. But his anger did not subside.

“That damn bastard!”

Elian was always like that. He always looked down on him and mocked him.

Even though he knew Marius couldn’t become Emperor, he continued his aggressive moves, coveting his position.

He was always an eyesore.

He was never a rival, yet due to the poor relationship between the Emperor and the Empress, they were always compared.

This was sustainable because of his groundbreaking political moves.

He surpassed the first prince in all aspects, gaining more nobles who followed him.

Youngest to graduate with honors.

Youngest to enter politics.

Youngest to be appointed Knight Commander.

Youngest to be appointed Minister of Finance.

Various titles blocked Marius’s path.

And that wasn’t all.

Everything he touched succeeded, bringing him immense wealth, and he gained control of the finance industry and information guilds, reaching a point where he could manipulate nobles at will.

“He’s a monster. To defeat a monster, you must also become a monster, Your Highness.”

His maternal grandfather, Duke Cheston, always told him. He had to become a monster by any means necessary.

Having been taught that way since childhood, Marius did not doubt it.

Indeed, by using any means necessary, he had seized this position. But his anxiety did not disappear.

Even though he had gained everything he wanted, he felt like Elian would one day steal his place.

‘I’m glad I got this power after all.’

Marius spread his palm and drew forth dark magic power.

The power of the Black Dragon.

At first, it was a power he had sought to definitively defeat Elian.

If he could just obtain the dragon’s power, he could surpass that annoying guy in one go.

But it wasn’t easy. He could only taste failure and frustration. Marius was increasingly cornered, and as a last resort, he snuck into the Emperor’s secret archives.

He was convinced there would be information he didn’t know here.

After searching frantically, he discovered material about the Black Dragon.

It stated that humans might also be able to summon the Black Dragon.

So, he immediately prepared monster blood and a monster to be the host, and drew a summoning circle. The quantity was considerable, but his status as the first prince allowed him to handle it all.

As soon as it was finished, he attempted the summoning. To his surprise…

“Now, this is a novel summoning method.”

The Black Dragon appeared before him. However, it was not a complete summoning.

“Your magic power is far too insufficient. And I don’t like the soul of the intended host either.”

He said to give up, as there were no monster souls he liked in this world. But…

“Your soul would be acceptable.”

The Black Dragon whispered.

“You have a desire, don’t you? If you become the host and summon me, I will grant your wish.”

Of course, he refused at first. No matter how desperately he needed power, he didn’t want to trade his life for it.

But he didn’t give up.

“If you aren’t consumed by me, would you try to summon me?”

The Black Dragon said something astonishing. He said there were ranks of souls, and being completely consumed meant being a lower-ranked soul than himself.

And if he consumed a soul of the same rank as his own, they would merge into one and gain even greater power.

“You are special. It seems humans can form contracts with dragons because of their souls. I can tell by looking at you. If it’s the blood and soul flowing in your body, you can become one with me and still exist as yourself. How about it, become one with me and achieve greatness?”

He was confident. He was sure Marius would fall for it. And rightly so…

“You mean I…”

“Can become a dragon.”

A thrill ran through his entire body. To become a dragon itself.

“Of course, it won’t be entirely you. I’ll say it again, it’s you and I becoming one. But you can’t say it’s not you. Your will will remain intact.”

The Black Dragon disappeared after teaching him the method to fully summon himself.

Marius fell into contemplation. But his contemplation was not long. Elian was rapidly expanding his influence, threatening his position.

After thorough preparation, he attempted the first summoning.

“Magnificent. If I can fully obtain this power…”

The process of summoning the Black Dragon involved gradually inserting his soul into the host’s body.

He felt the soul residing within him, just as the Black Dragon had said. Even that alone had an immense effect. It allowed him to expand his influence smoothly, with the presence of a predator surrounding him.

“Just a little more… just a little more…”

Marius became increasingly engrossed in that power. He wanted to complete the summoning quickly. He wanted to fully accept it and seize this world.

“Being just the Emperor isn’t enough.”

As the summoning progressed, a hunger grew. The desire for blood and destructive instincts began to stain him.

This was originally the Black Dragon’s will.

“Yes. I must seize this world.”

Not just Emperor, but a god ruling the continent.

The desire born from inferiority was no longer his alone. Marius did not realize this. He firmly believed it was his own will.

But it wasn’t. It was the Black Dragon’s will. It was making him believe so.

“My power is your power, and your power is my power, so no one can stop you.”

The Black Dragon actively began to infuse its will. This was from the point when it could communicate its intentions to Marius.

Marius was gradually becoming stained by his will.

It was as planned.

“Humans are so foolish.”

The Black Dragon laughed inwardly at Marius.

He had one secret he hadn’t revealed. It was about the control of souls.

It was true that souls of the same rank wouldn’t be consumed by one another, but that was when both wills were similar.

When they fully merged, if the wills of the two souls were one, there would be no need to divide them.

If that happened, he could freely pursue his ambitions. This was exactly what he wanted.

But Marius didn’t know. He had completely fallen into the Black Dragon’s trap.

‘Yes. If I can just use this power properly, no one can stop me.’

Marius clenched his fists, recalling the day he had dreamed of.

He was waiting for the day he would become one with the Black Dragon. The day he could use its power perfectly.

‘When that day comes, Elian, I’ll tear you to shreds first.’

Then, he would drench the world in blood. He would rule the world, plunging everyone into fear.

The initial thought was entirely his own, but the thought that followed at the end belonged to the Black Dragon.

Marius didn’t find this odd. It felt natural, as if his wish from the beginning had been to tear Elian to shreds, drench the world in blood, and rule it.

Of course, not everyone was so easily swayed. Marius’s rapid corruption was largely due to his environment.

The cold gaze of his father, the Emperor.

His mother, who saw even her son as merely a tool to protect her power.

And his maternal grandfather, Duke Cheston, who demanded perfection and constantly compared him.

Marius was surrounded only by such people, which allowed for rapid infiltration and corruption. His heart was already accustomed to darkness.

The Black Dragon whispered.

This power would liberate him from everything that oppressed him, grant him freedom.

‘It’s almost time.’

Marius raised his head.

The work he had prepared for so long was finally coming to an end.

A few days ago, he had heard news that enough monster blood had been sprinkled in the designated location, and he recalled it once more.

Thump, thump.

His heart pounded with anticipation.

Now, only one more time. One more time remained. When that time came, he would descend upon this land as a god.

‘If only that happens…’

He turned his gaze out the window. Dark clouds were gathering in the distance.

When the pitch-black clouds covered the entire capital and rained down, that would be the day he regained his freedom.

The day he would fly freely and trample over everything to regain his freedom.

‘I got worked up unnecessarily.’

He suppressed all the boiling anger. What was the point of getting so worked up when his life would soon disappear without a trace?

“Yes. Let’s enjoy it leisurely.”

Only then did a complete smile appear on Marius’s face.

He looked more satisfied than ever, but behind that smile, the true master of darkness gleamed.

Elian went straight to Lion.

He had to inform him that Marius himself was the host.

“Hmm. This is truly unexpected.”

Valterias muttered, looking perplexed. He genuinely seemed surprised.

“To have progressed this far without being consumed. It seems the humans of the Imperial family are special not only in magic power but also in soul.”

It was. What Valterias hadn’t anticipated was the power passed down through generations of the Imperial family. The magic power to summon and contract with Dragons. He had thought the Imperial family’s uniqueness was limited to that, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“The fact that he wasn’t devoured means his soul’s compatibility is on par with ours. It seems that fellow inherited his soul rather than magic power.”

Having found the answer, Valterias regained his composure. He cast aside his troubled expression and continued speaking with his usual nonchalant demeanor.

“Still, the situation hasn’t changed, so rest assured. You could even say it’s improved. If the summoner and the host are the same person, you only have to deal with one, don’t you?”

That was true. Elian hadn’t been able to think properly due to the shock of Marius being the host.

Valterias pointed that out.

“So Marius won’t be devoured by the Black Dragon?”

Elian asked with a serious expression. However, Valterias shook his head firmly.

“He isn’t now, but I can’t guarantee he won’t be in the future. What’s certain is that he’s the type who would never make a contract that would put him at a disadvantage.”

If that’s the case…

“We should consider the possibility that he might be swallowed in the end.”

“It would be wise to do so.”

Elian calmly organized his thoughts.

As Valterias said, nothing had changed. In any case, they had to kill both the summoner and the summoned to prevent the crisis. It was even better that it was reduced to one person.

What’s more, the person in question was Marius, the Emperor. They could easily secure the justification for rebellion.

“Then, it seems we’ll arrive at two conclusions.”

Lion, who had been listening quietly, stated calmly as if reaching a conclusion.

“Either kill Marius-hyung before the summoning circle is completed to stop the summoning.”

“Or kill Marius after he has become a Black Dragon.”

Elian picked up where Lion left off, and a brief silence fell in the room.

They had been prepared for this since deciding on the rebellion, but now that death was spoken aloud, its weight felt different.

‘If Marius hadn’t attempted the summoning, could we have ended this without killing him?’

Elian thought quietly.

He couldn’t help but think about it now that he realized he was the cause of Marius’s desire for the Black Dragon’s power.

However, given Marius’s personality, it was highly likely he wouldn’t give up even if he stepped down from the throne. In any case, the option of letting him live was impossible from the start.

Yet, these thoughts arose because even the slightest possibility had completely vanished.

‘Still… family?’

Elian let out a small, wry laugh. What was the point of thinking this now?

“I’m ready, Uncle.”

“Hm?”

At that moment, Lion’s eyes widened as if he had made a decision.

“It hit me harder now that it’s been said. I knew Marius-hyung and I couldn’t be on good terms, but I never thought it would lead to death.”

It seemed Lion had similar thoughts.

Elian paused; it was natural for Lion, who wasn’t even an adult, to have such thoughts.

But he was thinking much more maturely.

“I hesitated for a moment when I thought I had to kill hyung. But it’s okay now. If the Black Dragon is summoned, not only this country but the entire continent will be in danger. I will stop it before that happens. And I will bear all that burden. That’s what it means to be Emperor.”

The face speaking those words was that of an Emperor who would support this nation.

“You’ve grown up.”

Pleased, Elian praised him, and Lion smiled with an innocent face.

“I learned it all from you, Uncle.”

When did he grow up so much?

Elian thought he too had to steel his resolve.

If he didn’t solidify his resolve now, the lives of thousands, tens of thousands, could be lost.

So, he conveyed words to Lion that he couldn’t say at any other time.

“Don’t try to bear it all alone. There are plenty of us, including me, who will step up to share the burden.”

Lucian.

Jade.

Even Valterias.

There were strong supporters present alone. There were more outside, and there would be more in the future.

Sharing with those around him, even a little, was necessary.

Only then could Lion firmly hold his ground even when everyone else wavered.

“Of course. I have many capable individuals by my side, including you, Uncle. If it becomes too heavy, I will definitely tell you.”

“That’s commendable.”

Elian chuckled and ruffled Lion’s hair.

There wasn’t much time left to do this anymore.

Elian headed to the Duchy to deliver this news. Lion and Lucian decided to contact the Rebel Army, and Jade was assigned to handle Lac.

The fact that the Emperor was the host was unexpected, but it wasn’t enough to change the plan.

The conferment ceremony would proceed as scheduled. The date for executing the plan was also set for the day of the ceremony.

“Hoo.”

After finishing all his arrangements, Elian was relaxing his day’s fatigue with a half-bath.

“So relaxing.”

As the warm water enveloped his body, sleepiness washed over him. Elian loved this feeling the most. It felt as if the day’s stress melted away in the warm water.

‘Should I just close my eyes for a moment?’

Although he was sleepy, he didn’t want to finish his half-bath yet. So, intending to get up after just a brief moment, he started counting.

He planned to count to ten and then get up.

He counted to seven, perhaps. Too tired, he ended up dozing off.

Then, suddenly, the thought that it would be dangerous to fall asleep here struck him, and he snapped his eyes open.

“…”

“…”

Elian blinked without a word. Kirendis’s flustered face was all he could see.

“Th-this is how it happened, you see.”

In his hand, he held a familiar set of pajamas. Elian then realized he was lying in bed, not in the bathroom.

He thought it had only been a moment, but quite some time seemed to have passed.

“S-so, I was going to… to help Elian put on clothes…”

Help him put on clothes?

Elian grasped his situation once more. He was lying on the bed, barely covered by a single towel around his lower body.

Kirendis was trying to help Elian put on pajamas. Without hiding his visibly swollen lower body.

“Hmm.”

Elian’s eyes sparkled.

Kirendis’s heart was complicated upon hearing that the Emperor was the host of the Black Dragon.

It wasn’t so much the news itself that complicated his feelings, but rather his concern for Elian.

‘Elian is more tender-hearted than he appears.’

If he had heard it himself, he might have let out a disbelieving laugh, but that’s how Kirendis saw him.

Although Elian appeared cold on the outside, he always thought of others in his heart.

This sometimes extended to those around him, and other times to the common people he didn’t even know.

Therefore, no matter how poor their relationship, he thought Elian wouldn’t be at ease.

So…

‘Tonight, I want to be by his side.’

It was the day they concluded that they had to kill someone they were related to by blood, in whatever way possible.

Even if he pretended to be fine, he would be troubled.

Death could drive a person into a corner and shatter their heart.

—Knock, knock.

“Elian.”

Kirendis knocked on the door and waited for a moment. But there was no sound from inside.

Seeing light seeping out, he thought Elian wasn’t asleep yet, so he knocked again.

—Knock, knock.

“Elian?”

But there was no response from inside. Kirendis hesitated for a moment and then went in.

“Ah.”

The bathroom door was slightly ajar. He seemed not to have heard because he was bathing.

“Ahem.”

Kirendis coughed unnecessarily and shuffled his feet. Warm air seeped out from the gap in the door.

It felt like Elian’s body heat.

‘If I wait… he’ll come out, right?’

He hadn’t come with any impure intentions, but the events of last night naturally came to mind.

That day he had tasted his entire white body.

‘Sigh.’

Kirendis found himself in a difficult situation. Without even properly facing him, his body was starting to heat up.

This made it seem like he had come with other intentions.

‘Should I come back later?’

Kirendis pondered. But he didn’t want to leave Elian alone today, so his feet wouldn’t move.

No, perhaps the answer was already decided.

Kirendis wanted to be with Elian tonight.

‘But…’

Why isn’t he coming out?

Despite a considerable amount of time passing, Elian wasn’t coming out. Sensing that something was amiss, he walked towards the bathroom.

‘I hope nothing happened?’

He could have thought that Elian liked half-baths and it took a long time, but still, he was worried.

“Elian?”

Upon entering, he saw Elian lying in the bathtub with his eyes closed.

Seeing that sight, his heart sank.

“Elian!!”

He rushed over and hastily pulled him out. His clothes quickly became soaked, but he didn’t care. He immediately went outside…

“Mmm…”

Elian burrowed into Kirendis’s embrace and whimpered.

Only then could he grasp the situation. There was no problem; he had simply fallen asleep while taking a half-bath.

“Haaaa…”

The tension released, and a long sigh escaped him. He wondered how tired Elian must have been to fall asleep in the bathtub.

“How dangerous.”

He wondered what would have happened if he had drowned.

Still, it was a relief that there was no major problem. Elian was sleeping soundly with a gentle expression.

Perhaps because he had been soaking in warm water, his wet body was warmer than usual…

‘Wet… body?’

Kirendis’s body stiffened. He creakily lowered his head and examined Elian. Since he had pulled him out of the tub, he wouldn’t be wearing any clothes.

His soft skin was directly touching his.

—Whoosh.

As he realized that, his entire body rapidly heated up. He didn’t know what to do with the body he held in his arms.

‘F-first, to the bed…’

A sleeping person should be moved to bed. Sleep should be had in bed, so this was the right thing to do.

Kirendis walked with creaking steps. He picked up a shower gown and headed to the bed.

He spread the gown on the bed and laid Elian down.

“…”

Elian, sleeping defenselessly on the white gown.

Kirendis squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. His wet hair and body evoked suggestive thoughts.

Saliva naturally pooled in his mouth, and he swallowed.

“Gasp.”

Kirendis startled and covered his mouth.

‘F-first, a towel. A towel…’

He might catch a cold if he left him like this. He had to at least wipe off the moisture.

‘Right. That’s all I’m doing it for.’

Kirendis, who had returned with a towel, approached cautiously. He felt strongly that he was doing something he shouldn’t. But he soothed himself, telling himself he was just doing what needed to be done.

“Elian.”

Kirendis quietly opened his mouth. Just in case, he was asking for permission.

“I’ll just… touch a little. Just a little.”

The content was strange, but it was unavoidable to wipe off the moisture. He had to touch him.

‘I truly have no other intentions.’

Though his eyes were full of impure intentions, he insisted to himself until the end.

Thus, Kirendis leaned slightly on the bed and carefully wiped Elian’s body.

He wiped his face, then his neck, chest, and arms, before moving to his legs.

“…”

His gaze was momentarily captivated there before he hastily shook his head and performed his duty.

He meticulously wiped his long, white legs, then quickly got off the bed.

“…”

But he couldn’t move his feet. He stood frozen.

‘Right. Pajamas. It’s because I didn’t put pajamas on him.’

Even with a blanket, he might catch a cold if he didn’t wear pajamas. It was a crucial time, so it would be problematic if his health suffered.

Kirendis returned with pajamas, not realizing he could just put the gown back on him.

It was a desperate struggle to remain in the room somehow, but he didn’t know.

Or rather, he pretended not to know.

—Gulp.

As he stood there with the pajamas, reality finally set in.

Unlike just wiping his body with a towel, putting on clothes was on a different level.

He had to move while touching Elian’s body. He would be touching the warm, soft body all over.

‘It can’t be helped.’

Kirendis approached cautiously, as if there were no other way.

Elian was in a state of complete nudity between his legs. At that, the events of that day naturally came to mind.

On that day too, he had looked down at him from a similar posture and angle.

‘Damn it.’

His lower body swelled uncomfortably, and a difficult situation arose. Kirendis decided to admit it. The fact that he had impure intentions.

‘Still, I shouldn’t do this to someone sleeping.’

So, he had to quickly put on pajamas and leave.

“Hoo.”

Kirendis closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He felt he could temporarily quell this heat only by doing so. As long as Elian was nearby, it was impossible to calm down, so there was no other choice.

Having steeled his resolve, he opened his eyes. However…

“…”

His eyes met Elian’s.

Startled, Kirendis began to babble incoherently.

“Wh-what? Th-this is how it happened, you see.”

He had no idea what he was saying.

“S-so, I was going to… to help Elian put on clothes…”

He just blurted out whatever came to mind, trying to escape the awkward situation.

But Elian seemed to realize the situation he was in.

His eyes sparkled, and he reached out. His hand went to Kirendis’s swollen lower body.

“With a body like this…?”

As his touch landed, his lower body swelled even more and became more rigid.

Kirendis no longer knew how to navigate this awkward situation.

“With a body like this…?”

As Elian touched his lower body, Kirendis stiffened.

Having roughly grasped what had happened, he thought it was for the best.

‘It’s been bothering me, and it’s been difficult.’

This time, nothing else was covering it, and he was at a loss. If he let it slide, he would surely think about it more.

If that was the case, he thought it would be better to just go for it. The rebellion was less than a month away anyway.

Now that things had come to this, he wondered what difference it would make if it happened now or a month later.

“Th-that’s… well, I didn’t come here to do this, but I was worried Elian might be upset…”

That was the point. He meant he had come because he was worried about Marius, and then this happened.

‘He must have been so surprised to see me asleep in the bathroom.’

Given his personality, he would have moved him first. Then, realizing he had just fallen asleep, he must have ended up in this situation.

However…

“Your body doesn’t look like it.”

With skilled movements, Elian unzipped Kirendis’s pants and took out his penis.

“E-Elian!”

As he was about to grasp it with his hand, Kirendis stopped Elian.

“No?”

“…”

It was a question Kirendis had once asked Elian.

As Elian returned the words exactly, Kirendis’s face turned bright red. The strength in his hand slowly weakened.

Elian fully grasped the penis, and he felt it become even harder.

“I-I really didn’t mean to come here for this. It happened without me realizing…”

He seemed quite embarrassed, covering his flushed face and making excuses.

“I know. You came because you were worried.”

“Then let go now…”

“That’s that, and this is this.”

“…”

Kirendis closed his mouth, seemingly lost for words.

Finding it quite amusing, he smiled and slowly stroked the object held firmly in his hand.

“Haa.”

Hot breath escaped from above his head. Elian slowly stroked the penis, then rolled his fingertip in a circle around the glans, saying, “Thank you. I needed some comfort today.”

“Comfort…?”

“Yeah.”

Elian decided to be honest. It was a day he wanted to be.

“As you said, family is family. When the time came, I felt uneasy.”

“…”

“I’ve never been on good terms with that child, and I’ve been threatened with my life more than once or twice. Yet, the fact that I still care means I thought of him as family, even if I hated him.”

“That’s just who Elian is.”

“Who I am?”

“A person who can’t be cold-hearted…”

A person who can’t be cold-hearted.

Elian continued to twirl his fingertips, lost in thought.

This was the first time he’d received such an evaluation, so he wondered if it was true.

Such an evaluation for Elian Eshton, known as the Iron Blood Archduke.

“So that’s how I look in your eyes.”

“It’s not just how I see you, Hng.”

Elian pressed firmly on the tip of his glans. A short groan escaped him, cutting off his words.

The slightly furrowed brow was incredibly sexy.

“Let’s just say that’s how I see you. That way, I can go back feeling comforted.”

One person was enough to know his vulnerable side. More than that was a luxury he didn’t need.

Elian intended to remain the Iron Blood Archduke until the very end.

A king with a kind heart would lead the country, so someone had to watch over it with cold eyes.

“Haa. Elian.”

Kirendis opened his mouth as if he had something to say. But Elian didn’t wait. Instead, he spread his legs slightly and spoke.

“So, will you comfort me? In a way only you can.”

“……”

For Elian, this was a huge decision.

The request for comfort was a ploy to lure Kirendis, but spreading his legs himself was because he truly wanted it.

‘He understood… right?’

He couldn’t say it, so he acted it out instead, which felt even more embarrassing. He felt a surge of anxiety, wondering if he had rushed things.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? This is just awkward…”

As he started to bring his legs together, a reaction finally came. Kirendis spread his legs wide and entered, kissing him.

“Gk!”

Startled, his eyes widened, and his heated lower body pressed against Elian’s private parts.

“Can we continue?”

“I told you. I want you to comfort me…”

Elian lowered his gaze slightly and murmured softly. Embarrassment washed over him.

But Kirendis, still seemingly disbelieving, asked again.

“Are you really going to do this? You know what you’re saying, right?”

“…I know what I need to know.”

“What do you know?”

“How can I say that out loud?”

Even though he had initiated it, there were still limits.

If he could say such things, why would he go through the trouble of acting it out?

Elian found Kirendis’s persistent questioning annoying, but Kirendis was a man who was always anxious. If he didn’t explain properly, he might spiral into his own thoughts.

So, even as his face turned red, he had no choice but to speak.

“You said it yourself? That if we go any further, you don’t think you can stop.”

Kirendis had said that. Elian had already made up his mind that day. He wanted to be with Kirendis.

So, it was better to be clear.

“Don’t stop.”

“……”

“Don’t stop and keep going… Hng!”

Elian couldn’t finish his sentence. Kirendis met his lips, their saliva mingling.

He urgently tangled his tongue, pulling Kirendis’s hand to hold it beside his head.

As he lowered his head deeper, mixing their breaths, the grip of his hand grew stronger.

“Haa.”

After a moment of wet, mingled tongues, he lifted his head. Elian filled Kirendis’s red eyes.

“One last time, I’ll ask.”

“……”

“I really won’t stop. No, I can’t stop. Are you okay with that?”

He was truly a kind person. Even with his engorged penis pressed against Elian, he asked for his consent.

He wasn’t just doing it; he was asking for consent one last time.

“I told you. Don’t stop. See it through to the end, Kirendis.”

That’s when it happened.

Kirendis, whose fuse had blown, began to push Elian. Though clearly in a hurry himself, he savored each moment, slowly building the heat.

He left several kiss marks on Elian’s neck, then moved to his chest, beginning to suckle and roll his nipples in his mouth.

“Hng.”

He held and rolled the nipple on the other side with his hand, quickly raising the heat.

Then, perhaps in his haste, he bit down with his lips, faster than before, and moved downwards.

He descended like stamping a kiss, then kissed the hardened penis. With a wet, sucking sound, he gently took only the glans into his mouth.

“Haa.”

But the stimulation was brief. Kirendis flipped Elian’s body over in an instant and lifted his hips.

“J-just a moment. Gk!”

Elian quickly covered his mouth. Kirendis was kissing the entrance.

He licked it long with his tongue, then began to penetrate and caress inside.

“Huu…”

The same sensation as before washed over him, and his back trembled. Hot breaths escaped him as he buried his face in the bed, panting.

Elian slowly began to accept the pleasure Kirendis was giving him.

He persistently dug deeper, stirring inside slightly, then sucked him in.

“Haa.”

He didn’t know why this felt so good. But Elian’s body was honest. It welcomed Kirendis, dripping wet.

“Haa… It’s delicious, Elian.”

Crazy.

His face flushed red at the sudden, lewd words. Kirendis was devouring Elian as if he were truly delicious.

The slurping and sucking sounds echoed plainly, backing up his words.

“Kirendis.”

Elian’s body quickly heated up, and he writhed his hips. He found himself wanting him to go deeper, just a little more.

“Elian.”

Kirendis lifted his head. Elian, panting, looked back at him.

As their eyes met, Kirendis gripped Elian’s hips tightly and pushed his fingers inside.

“Gk.”

“It doesn’t hurt… does it?”

He could tell just by looking at his face, but Kirendis asked deliberately, which was annoying.

But Elian answered earnestly. To reassure Kirendis.

“It’s okay… Continue.”

The sensation of fingers digging deep inside was subtle. Unlike his tongue, he felt a firm foreign presence. Still, thanks to the saliva, one finger entered without issue.

“Huu. It’s tight… isn’t it?”

Kirendis voiced his honest impression and withdrew his fingers. The inside quickly became tight again, but he pushed back in, widening the space.

“Haa.”

Elian exhaled hot breath. The process of his fingers moving back and forth, making room, was quite stimulating.

His hips twitched at the touch of his fingers pushing and pressing against the inner wall. He wondered what it would be like to insert something bigger.

‘It would hurt… wouldn’t it?’

His fingers were fine. Perhaps because it was only one, but it was bearable.

But Kirendis’s was much bigger than his fingers.

He thought he might need at least two, maybe three fingers, before he could even attempt it.

“It’s okay… try putting one more in.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Elian urged him on softly. It was a prescription, as Kirendis was clearly hesitant to hurt him.

Fortunately, the prescription worked well.

“Haa. Damn it.”

Kirendis hastily inserted his second finger.

“Gk.”

He groaned, finding it more difficult than expected, and Kirendis paused his movements.

“It’s okay. Keep going, put it in.”

Elian closed his eyes and reassured Kirendis. Then, the second finger slid in smoothly.

“Haa.”

A feeling of fullness spread throughout his entire body. Elian exhaled, beginning to adapt.

“Are you okay?”

“Mmh. I’m okay.”

“How does it feel? Is it uncomfortable?”

“Mmh. It feels good.”

“Good?”

“Good.”

“Then I’ll put in one more.”

The moment he said it, another finger slid in.

“Haa.”

Now, he felt the sensation of being stretched to his limit. With three fingers inserted, his body felt stretched to its maximum.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay… Gk!”

As he pushed all the way in, Elian trembled and buried his face.

His stomach felt completely full, and his breathing became ragged.

“I’m going to move…”

Kirendis moved slowly so as not to startle Elian. He pulled out slightly, then pushed back in, moving back and forth.

“Mmh. Hng. Ah.”

As the movements increased, he gradually adapted. Soon, his body relaxed, and he could skillfully accept Kirendis’s fingers.

“Haa. Ah, hng.”

The fingers were no longer just moving back and forth but also pressing and stirring the inner wall.

It seemed like he was trying to stretch the inside further to make room.

“Kire, ndis. Stop now. Hng.”

The sensation was so ticklish and agonizing that Elian moaned softly, urging Kirendis on.

Every time his inner wall was stirred, his hips twitched, and liquid dripped from his penis.

He worried he might climax before they even started.

Kirendis seemed to sense this too, as he withdrew his fingers and positioned his penis at the entrance.

“I’m going to put it in now.”

His low, resonant voice pierced Elian’s ear. The hole that had held fingers twitched in welcome.

“Put it in, Hng.”

Before Elian could finish speaking, Kirendis pushed his penis in firmly.

His lower body spread with a dull ache as the pillar of fire pushed its way in.

‘This is insane. Why is it so big!’

Elian screamed inwardly. He thought three fingers would be enough, but that was far from it.

Kirendis’s was on another level.

Even with just the tip entering, his lower body already ached, and pain set in.

It was too big.

He wondered if he was going to tear.

“Gk. Elian. A little… strength…”

Kirendis also seemed to be struggling, groaning as he paused.

“Haa. Kiss. Kiss me, Kirendis.”

Elian turned his head and asked Kirendis for a kiss.

“Hng.”

“Haa.”

As they mingled hot saliva, their kiss intensified, and his body began to heat up again, his strength waning.

Kirendis didn’t miss the opportunity, steadily pushing his penis deeper.

“Elian.”

“Hng.”

Kirendis, realizing how to handle Elian, caressed his entire body as well as kissing him.

The nipples were the easiest target. As he cupped and rolled them in both hands, a pained moan escaped Elian.

“Hng.”

With every groan, his hips twitched and bucked. The recoil helped Kirendis’s movements.

Though unintentional, the sight was incredibly arousing. It looked as if Elian was trying to push him deeper himself.

“Haa.”

After persistent effort, Kirendis’s penis was finally buried deep within the hot inner wall.

As Kirendis exhaled a languid breath, Elian realized his body was completely filled.

“Haa. Haa.”

His nipples, having been tormented for a long time, still tingled, and his hips twitched. His hole tightened, stimulating Kirendis’s penis.

“Gk.”

Seemingly quite stimulated, Kirendis let out a small groan. He exhaled hot breath and gripped Elian’s hips with both hands.

“…I’m going to move.”

He felt the massive fullness slowly recede. His inner wall tightened, preventing Kirendis’s penis from withdrawing.

Though unintentional, Kirendis became greatly aroused. He rested the glans precariously at the entrance and then thrust hard.

“Haa!”

A jolt of electricity ran through him, followed by immense agony.

It hurt. It hurt like hell.

But it wasn’t just pain. The penis, thrust deep inside, was stimulating Elian’s sensitive spot.

“Hng.”

Tears welled up, and he buried his face in the sheets. Fortunately, Kirendis didn’t seem to see his tears, as his hips receded again.

“Haa!”

With a series of thudding sounds, that spot was stimulated again.

His inner wall trembled, clenching tightly around the penis.

Elian realized this spot was his prostate.

‘Here, it’s here.’

He recognized that stimulating this spot brought intense pleasure. Elian quietly closed his eyes, beginning to feel the pleasure Kirendis was giving him.

Kirendis slowly withdrew his penis, then penetrated again, crushing the same spot.

“Hng.”

As he was gently stimulated, a yearning moan escaped him.

Only then did Kirendis seem to find the spot Elian liked, and he thrust deeply, then bobbed shallowly.

“Hng. Mmh.”

“Is this what you like?”

He liked it. Every time that spot was stimulated, his whole body tingled with intense pleasure.

But he was too shy to answer directly and urged Kirendis on.

“F-faster… Haa!”

Perhaps it was the wrong choice of words, but the thick penis withdrew quickly and then thrust hard.

“Hng!”

“Haa.”

From then on.

Kirendis, as if energized, gripped Elian’s hips and began thrusting hard.

“Ki, Kiren… Haa. Gk, Ah!”

As the thick penis pushed inside, it crushed his prostate with each thrust.

“Hng. Ah, there, stop. Ah.”

“Here, this is what you like, isn’t it?”

Even though Elian said to stop, Kirendis continued to stimulate the same spot.

He knew that even if he moaned like he was dying, saying stop wouldn’t work.

“Hng. Ah, I like it. There. Haa. Gk.”

“Haa. Elian.”

So, he changed his approach. He decided to finish quickly, accepting the overwhelming pleasure that made his head spin.

If he gave Kirendis too much leeway, this pleasure might last too long.

“Haa. Gk. Ah, I like it. Just a little more… Haa!”

“Elian, Elian.”

It was genuinely incredibly good, so it wasn’t a lie. He was just being honest.

Elian poured out his moans as they were, tightening his insides.

He adjusted the rhythm to make Kirendis more excited. As he did, Kirendis became more aroused and began to thrash.

“Haa, Haa.”

“Haa. Gk. Gk, Ah!”

Hot moans filled the room. Their breaths mingled chaotically.

He was out of breath, and he surrendered to the increasingly rapid movements.

“Hng. Mmh. Ah. Kiren, dis.”

“Eli, Elian.”

Thud, thud, the sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed repeatedly. Elian moaned incessantly, tears streaming down his face.

He couldn’t stop crying because it felt so good.

The pleasure at its limit was incredibly good, and the movement of him pushing deep inside was incredibly good.

“Ki, Kirendis… Haa!”

“Gk!”

With a powerful thrust, hot liquid gushed out.

As semen spread and filled his inner wall, Elian’s body trembled, and he climaxed.

“Haa… Mmh…”

“Haa, Haa.”

The sensation of warm liquid filling his body was overwhelmingly stimulating. A great sense of satisfaction filled him.

He couldn’t be happier than knowing that the person he liked was aroused by him and had shown it with such proof.

“Haa.”

Kirendis turned and embraced him, kissing him. The mingling saliva and tongues felt like sex itself.

Having already climaxed, his whole body felt weak, but heat quickly rose, and he was out of breath.

“Haa, Haa, Haa.”

As their lips parted, he gasped for air.

He hadn’t realized sex required so much stamina.

His lower body felt sore again, but he couldn’t move. He lay there weakly, just breathing heavily.

But Kirendis was different.

“Oh?”

Elian’s eyes widened. Kirendis spread Elian’s legs and positioned his penis at the entrance.

“J-just a moment… Haa!”

His penis slid in smoothly, reaching his prostate in an instant.

“Haa…”

Kirendis exhaled a long breath, his eyes closing, seemingly pleased with the tight grip of the inner wall.

His eyelashes, trembling slightly with pleasure, caught Elian’s eye. Kirendis’s face, contorted with pleasure, touched Elian’s heart.

He wanted to see it.

He wanted to see Kirendis push inside him and unleash the pleasure that had reached its limit.

‘I can’t.’

He wondered if he had any strength left for one more round, but Elian was a man too.

He swallowed hard.

‘Just, just one more time. Just one more time.’

Since Kirendis had gone first, it was only fair that Elian have his turn. Elian wrapped his legs around Kirendis’s waist.

Then, Kirendis lifted his eyelids and stiffened his lower body.

“Ah.”

It was too… big?

The moment he thought that, Kirendis began to move in earnest.

‘Insane. I’m truly insane.’

Waking up, Elian lay there as if dead. Partly because he was trapped in a firm embrace, but mostly because he didn’t have the strength to even wiggle a finger.

‘I underestimated the libido of a man who just became an adult.’

Elian had felt it was just right up until the second time.

It was difficult, but until then, Elian had managed to muster strength with the sole thought of seeing Kirendis’s gaunt face.

But…….

―You can do more, right?

―Are you tired already?

―I’ll really do it just one more time.

At first, it was an invitation, then a provocation, and on the third, a plea, until he finally managed to make it five times. After that, he didn’t ask for consent.

“……”

That was it.

Elian, unable to keep up with Kirendis’s overflowing stamina, had passed out mid-act.

‘So this is what it means to be the protagonist of this world…’

Elian was terrified by how a person could continue like that.

Could he not be human?

Right. Kirendis wasn’t human, but the male protagonist of this world. An existence that could never be ordinary…….

“Mmm… Elian.”

Kirendis mumbled in his sleep, pulling Elian into an embrace. Naturally, his massive pillar touched the hole that had been worked so hard the previous night.

“……”

Just as Elian thought, He’s not going to go in like this, is he? Kirendis aligned his glans over the hole.

And then……

“Haa—”

His penis slid in, parting his buttocks. Perhaps it was because they had done so much yesterday, but his penis slid in smoothly to the hilt without any preparation.

Elian trembled with the pleasure of being penetrated, biting his lip hard.

“Haa. You’ll get hurt.”

Kirendis breathed out a low sigh and put his finger into Elian’s mouth. It was a sign to stop biting his lip.

“Huu… Th-then, please take it out.”

“No.”

……How could his personality change so much in a single night?

Where had the flustered and clumsy Kirendis gone?

It was largely Elian’s fault, who had said no all night but eventually said yes and asked for more in the end.

Kirendis seemed to have decided to interpret Elian’s weak refusals as consent from now on.

“Haa. I’m really having a hard time. I have no strength in my body.”

“Elian, just stay still. I’ll handle it.”

“Handle what… Ungh.”

Kirendis began to move slowly. As he moved slowly along the inner wall, it brought pleasure rather than difficulty.

“Are you okay? Do you like it?”

“Huu… You really…”

He liked it. He liked it so much.

He was clearly struggling, but he felt like he was going crazy because he liked it.

He didn’t know what to do with these contradictory feelings. If this was the case, it felt like he had rejected something he actually liked.

“Haa. I like it too.”

Kirendis whispered sweetly. His voice was so sweet that Elian’s face turned bright red.

Indeed, the gentle Kirendis was deadly.

“Huu…”

Elian finally began to accept Kirendis, panting for breath.

He seemed to be having a really hard time, as only his buttocks twitched, which Kirendis found simply adorable.

“ Hoo… I wish time would stop like this.”

Kirendis whispered softly, pulling Elian’s lower abdomen closer.

The warm inner wall fully embraced his penis, and the sucking sensation was incredibly pleasurable.

Perhaps because they had done it all night, his body felt like it had adjusted to his size, and his heart ached.

“Th-that’s a bit…”

“A bit?”

As Kirendis tilted his head and kissed Elian’s neck, Elian clenched his hole tightly.

“Haa.”

Because he always did things like this when he claimed to be struggling, Kirendis couldn’t help but be suspicious.

“We can’t just stay like this forever.”

Elian said in a voice that seemed to be sinking into the ground. Seeing his neck turn red, Kirendis was indeed suspicious.

“Oh? Do you like it when I move?”

Kirendis whispered, his lips buried in Elian’s neck. Still lacking courage, his buttocks twitched.

“Or should I touch you?”

“J-just a moment… Hng.”

As soon as his penis was grasped in his hand, Elian’s body leaped.

He had claimed to have no strength, but it seemed to have been a lie.

Kirendis stroked Elian’s penis up and down. It quickly became hard in the morning, standing tall.

But he stopped moving there.

“Why, why…”

“Because I like it better this way.”

Though he couldn’t see it, Elian felt his eyes welling up with tears.

‘Ah.’

His heart ached because he had never known Elian had such a cute side.

He was weak to pleasure, and when melted like this, he showed a different side than usual.

That side was so lovely that Kirendis wanted to tease him.

“You… you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“Me?”

He feigned ignorance, but couldn’t hide the faint smile that escaped.

Elian realized he was doing it on purpose. But he couldn’t refute it at all.

In the end, the thirsty man seeks the well.

Since his penis was already erect, he had to ejaculate anyway. So, he just needed to muster a little strength…

“Huu…”

Elian slowly began to move his hips. When he pulled back slightly, his fingers tightened around the shaft, and when he pushed back, Kirendis’s thick penis pressed firmly against his prostate.

“Haa, haa.”

He could only move a tiny bit because he was so exhausted, but even that was enough to fill him with excitement, panting for breath.

“You really seem to be struggling.”

But Kirendis was different.

Seeing Elian’s passive movements, he realized that he was indeed too exhausted to move at all.

In that case.

“Hng!”

Kirendis thrust his hips forward with a bang.

Elian felt sorry, but it was hard to stop now that the fire had been lit.

“I’ll finish quickly, quickly.”

“Hng. Ah, wait. Ugh.”

Kirendis began to speed up, thrusting rapidly. His prostate was pounded with each thrust, and moans poured out endlessly.

His vision flashed, and pleasure surged in an instant. But the end didn’t come. Kirendis adjusted his speed.

He moved slowly, catching his breath, then moved quickly again, raising the pleasure. Repeating this made him feel like he was truly dying.

“You, you really!”

His body was so hot that tears welled up. He wanted to cum but couldn’t, so he didn’t know what to do.

Though he looked pathetic, Kirendis was instead aroused and licked Elian’s tears.

He had seen Elian’s tears countless times last night. Tears shed from sheer pleasure.

“Alright. I’ll really cum.”

But he could still be tormented further and earn hatred, so he began his final spurt.

Stimulating his penis and prostate simultaneously, he thrust his hips hard.

“Hng!”

“Ugh…”

Semen gurgled out and filled the inner wall. Elian felt the sensation and ejaculated along with him.

Feeling that, Kirendis let out a long breath and whispered in Elian’s ear.

“Do you like it when I cum inside you?”

Whoosh.

Elian, who had turned into a tomato, hastily denied it and shouted.

“Wh-what are you talking about! I don’t!”

His voice trembled like a quivering aspen due to his panic.

This was no different from confirming it, so his face turned even redder.

“Alright. You say you don’t.”

Though he didn’t look convinced, Elian firmly closed his mouth.

In reality, he did like being cum inside, so he couldn’t strongly refute it.

“Haa…”

Elian let out a sigh of resignation and closed his eyes.

Perhaps finding his expression cute, Kirendis kissed his ear playfully.

It tickled, but Elian was now too exhausted to even twitch a finger, so he let it be.

Then…….

“Aargh!”

Elian’s body was lifted straight up. Kirendis stood up, lifting Elian.

As his body floated, Elian instinctively wrapped his arms around Kirendis’s neck and clung to him.

“Wh-what are you going to do?”

Elian became afraid of Kirendis.

Sex wasn’t something one person did alone; it was something two people did, but one person seemed to have too much energy.

This was unfair.

“I need to get what’s inside out.”

“…You’re going to do it yourself?”

“Of course. Who else would do it if not me?”

“I…”

“Can you?”

“……”

Elian firmly closed his mouth. He didn’t have the confidence to go to the bathroom alone, nor the confidence to reach inside and remove the semen.

“It’s okay. I tried removing it once after Elian fell asleep, so I can do it well.”

No wonder his body felt so clean…

“Soaking in warm water will make you feel better. And it will ease some of the fatigue.”

It was a tempting offer. As mentioned repeatedly, Elian loved taking baths, especially when his body was this tired.

“How about it?”

So, Elian’s answer was predetermined. He buried his face in Kirendis’s chest and murmured softly.

“…Okay.”

“Yes. I like it too, Elian.”

Though their answers seemed completely different, Kirendis kissed Elian’s forehead and headed towards the bathroom.

And so, Elian was devoured once more by Kirendis in the bathroom.