LMI Side Story 2.21

It wouldn’t have been difficult if he had decided to ignore everything and push forward. He was still inside Koi, and he knew exactly where and how to touch him to make him unravel.

However, forcing the mood would only lead to regret later. No matter what Ashley did to him, Koi would unconditionally forgive him. But Ashley knew that wasn’t the right way to go. The moment had already passed.

“……Haa.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Ashley kissed Koi’s lips once more before slowly lifting his body. At the sensation of something long and heavy sliding out from his gut, Koi instinctively wrinkled his nose and flinched his hips.

“Stay lying down.”

After giving Koi those instructions, Ashley threw on his robe and headed for the door. All this time, the child had been tirelessly knocking on the door. Whew. Taking another deep breath to suppress his rising anger, Ashley gripped the handle, paused for a moment, and finally opened the door.

The child, who had been knocking so diligently, stood there with his hand still suspended in the air. From Ashley’s perspective, the little scrap of a thing—who looked as if he were practically glued to the floor—blinked his eyes and tilted his head back as far as it could go to look up at him.

“What is it.”

Ashley spoke in a low voice. Chase blinked and looked up at him. Chase, the third son of the Miller family and fourth in birth order, had been exceptionally sensitive since infancy, often bursting into tears. Because of this, three nannies had to take turns watching Chase, spending nearly every night awake holding and soothing him, which always left Koi feeling terribly sorry. He, too, had wanted to soothe Chase at night, but he couldn’t because of Ashley.

Naturally, Ashley neither understood nor cared why the boy was doing this. As his Pheromone scent thickened with displeasure, Chase flinched. Perhaps sensing danger instinctively, the child stepped backward and landed hard on his backside. Just as Nathaniel had, the other children grew remarkably fast. Having learned to walk early, Chase now spent his time wandering throughout the house and annoying him.

Seeing his offspring, who had clearly been roaming the wide hallway and knocking on any door he found, Ashley didn’t hesitate to bend down and scoop the child up. A nanny, who happened to be walking down the hall and spotted the scene, came running over in a panic.

“Oh my goodness, Mr. Miller. I am so sorry. I looked away for just a moment and….”

The door must not have been closed properly. This wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened, so it felt redundant to give a warning, yet it wasn’t something that could be simply ignored. If the children were to get hurt because of some problem in the meantime…

Koi would be heartbroken.

It was just as Ashley frowned and handed the child over. The butler, who had arrived with the nanny, spoke up hurriedly.

“I will caution the staff and arrange a solution.”

He spoke quickly, as if already knowing what his master was about to say. Ashley looked down at the butler in silence, then turned away to head back to the room.

Unfortunately, by then, Koi was already peeking around the doorway.

“Chase!”

Calling the child’s name, Koi stepped inside and immediately pulled Chase into a hug. Ashley looked down at them with a dissatisfied expression, but he had already lost Koi to the child.

Damn it, I should have gone outside.

Since it was finally the weekend, he had planned to spend the entire day rolling around in bed with Koi, but those plans had been ruthlessly shattered. Because of those damn brats.

Nathaniel had never been like this, but whenever Ashley tried to spend time alone with Koi, the other children seemed to know exactly what was happening and constantly interfered. Faced with the same situation again, he couldn’t help but be suspicious of that little lump.

Ashley glared at them with a serious face, arms crossed, but Koi was simply happy, playing with Chase.

I need a way.

There had to be something to divert Koi’s attention away from the child. Children start to find their parents annoying as soon as they grow a little. Two or three years at most would be enough. He sank deep into thought, trying to come up with something that would sway Koi.

The deliberation didn’t last long. A week later, Ashley called Koi and asked him to have lunch together.

“What? Auditing?”

Koi let out a sound that was almost a scream without realizing it. Startled by the immediate attention of those around them, he hurriedly lowered his head. Meanwhile, Ashley, sitting across the table, leisurely sipped his wine before setting the glass down and speaking.

“Yes, it’s an opportunity to attend Dr. Floyd’s lectures for six months. I heard they accept non-students of the university if they submit an application.”

Dr. Floyd was an authority in the field of space science whom Koi admired immensely. He could attend that person’s lectures? Even though he wasn’t a student at that university?

“R-really? Anyone can take it?”

“I told you so.”

Ashley confirmed it with a smile, but Koi still couldn’t believe it. To the still-stunned Koi, who could only gapingly open and close his mouth, Ashley produced an envelope as if he had expected this reaction. Dazed, Koi took the envelope and opened it to find several documents and an information sheet. After reading the text, Koi gasped and covered his mouth with one hand. Ashley spoke calmly while sipping his wine.

“It’s the auditing permit. The class schedule and precautions are listed, so read through them slowly when you get home.”

Koi couldn’t take his eyes off the papers. He blinked several times, looked at Ashley, then read the documents over again, then looked at Ashley—repeating the cycle several times.

“How, how did you….”

He stammered, unable to form a proper sentence, but Ashley spoke nonchalantly as if he had prepared this all along.

“I happened to get some information. It was first-come, first-served, so I didn’t have time to explain and just applied first. The results came out today. The children are old enough now, so you should do the things you love.”

Then, he added thoughtfully,

“If you’re not feeling up to it, you can cancel at any time, so don’t feel pressured.”

“No way, that’s impossible! I’m definitely going, I’m absolutely going!”

He hugged the envelope tightly to his chest as if afraid it would be taken away.

“Really, really…!”

Koi murmured with a sigh that was almost a gasp of admiration. Seeing his reaction—looking as if all the strength had left his body from sheer excitement—Ashley asked with a smile,

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Thank you, Ash! I love you!”

Koi barely managed to hold back the urge to shout and confessed in a hushed, breathless voice. Seeing him clutching his hands and even tearing up, Ashley’s lips curled into a satisfied smile, as if that was the only price he desired.

With trembling hands, Koi looked back at the documents he had already read several times. Auditing! And to be able to attend Dr. Floyd’s lectures!

When he had received Ashley’s call to have lunch, Koi had only just woken up. These days, he had been quite lazy, and Ashley knew that at that hour, Koi would have just finished showering and be heading to see the babies. To make it in time for lunch, Koi had to get ready in a rush and run out.

“I wondered why you insisted on having lunch outside.”

When Koi finally voiced the small doubt he had been harboring, Ashley replied casually.

“I received the documents this morning. I wanted to let you know as soon as possible.”

“You could have told me over the phone, you’re so busy….”

As he spoke with a mix of gratitude and apology, Ashley took Koi’s hand across the table and stroked the back of it.

“I wanted to see your happy face.”

Ashley’s purple eyes were brimming with affection for Koi. Koi felt as if his heart might burst because Ashley was so lovely.

“I… I want to hold you and kiss you wildly.”

“If that’s what you want, then of course we should.”

Ashley generously opened his arms wide. Koi wanted to dive right in, but mindful of the people around them, he only hesitated in his seat.

“……I’ll do it when we get home.”

When he spoke with a reluctant sigh, Ashley lowered his arms and placed something on the table. Seeing the black card key, Koi’s eyes widened in surprise. After blinking rapidly a few times, he asked after a pause.

“Don’t tell me… you booked a room? Knowing this would happen?”