-11-

On the way back to the mansion.

The two of them didn’t have much to say, either when they came down the hill or in the car.

No. To be exact, only Yeon-ho this time.

Marteo had said a few words to Yeon-ho, but the only answers he got were, “Yeah,” “No,” and “Uh.”

The longest answer he got was when Marteo reached out to Yeon-ho, who hadn’t even thought about putting on his seatbelt.

‘I’ll, I’ll do it myself….’

Even this was a disaster in which his tongue was badly bitten once. In other words, it wasn’t that they weren’t talking, but that he couldn’t.

Marteo had praised himself for being clumsy, but… anyone could see that it was Yeon-ho who was being incredibly clumsy right now.

And of course, Yeon-ho was also going crazy about himself.

‘How many guys have I flirted with so far….’

‘No, it’s not like I’m receiving confessions for the first time today or yesterday!’

He really had no idea he would be like this. To be honest, Yeon-ho had been prepared for something today.

When he knew the man’s gaze couldn’t leave him either. When he said it was a waste to see him wearing new clothes.

When he wiped the Gelato off his chin and said he was pretty, and he was bewitched and said, “I guess so.” And so on and so forth!

Because the big data accumulated over thirty years had raised its antennae.

Ah. He feels the same way as me. What we’re doing right now is definitely a date…!

As such, he had been weighing the timing of the confession in various ways.

But he was caught off guard by the remnants of the past that suddenly intervened and the resulting fight. Today’s ruined, ruined. He crumpled up the heart that had been fully prepared.

But. Who would have known.

That instead of confessing at an unexpected time, the confession would come flying in. Moreover, that the confession would lead directly to a proposal….

What’s more, the real problem was that this wasn’t the only thing he hadn’t guessed.

He had finally confirmed the other person’s feelings. He had received not just a guess, but even an official certification stamp from the person himself. At that moment of desperation, his head would be bleached like bleach.

When you think about it, it wasn’t a difficult task. All he had to do was say “Yes” to “Please marry me.” The board was all set up, so what was so difficult about just eating it!

But… it was difficult.

The man’s heavy sincerity that came into his ears and struck his heart directly. The experience he had gained from all the battles he had fought so far was useless in the face of such a heart.

No matter how he thought about it, he didn’t have the confidence to say “Yes” beautifully and lovingly. It was a relief if he opened his mouth and his racing heart or throat didn’t jump out.

In the meantime, Marteo just smiled faintly. He didn’t urge him to answer, nor did he press him on why he wasn’t saying anything, and with a slightly bitter and affectionate face,

‘Let’s go now….’

He just pulled the hand he was holding. It was a relief. Because if he hadn’t, he would have been standing there blankly until dawn.

However, on the other hand, it was also uncomfortable.

Unlike Marteo, who seemed to become calmer as if he had unloaded a burden, Yeon-ho couldn’t calm down even after getting in the car. He wanted to return an answer somehow, but every time their eyes met, he was too busy controlling his pounding heart.

But… I can’t go on like this. He had to say something.

Finally determined, Yeon-ho parted his lips, saying, “Um…” and clenched the fist on his lap. But… Thump! A strange sound cut through his ears.

Yeon-ho, who missed his timing, hesitated and looked ahead. Then his eyes widened.

‘What. Why… is the gate here?’

Marteo’s mansion. Nido d’oro. It seemed like only about 10 minutes had passed since he got in the car, but it was as if someone had cut out time and edited it arbitrarily. They had already arrived.

‘No… this can’t be happening??’

No matter how much he chanted inwardly, the car entered through the already open gate. The driveway, which he thought would be so long, ended in an instant, and the car finally stopped in front of the mansion.

Tony was seen rushing out to greet them from the open entrance. While Yeon-ho was flustered, Marteo got out of the car first.

“Welcome back.”

Then, without even acknowledging Tony, who was welcoming him, he went straight to Yeon-ho’s passenger seat.

He wondered if he was going to escort him again… but his expectations were slightly off. The man, still acting like a stone statue, personally unbuckled Yeon-ho’s seatbelt and, without waiting, found his hand and held it. Even interlocking their fingers in front of Tony.

The feeling of his fingers completely covering the back of his hand was both gentle and firm. As if possessed, Yeon-ho got out of the car, pulled along.

Tony, with raised eyebrows, stared intently at their joined hands. It was only then that Yeon-ho came to his senses, feeling the scrutinizing and suspicious gaze.

“I, the sho… shopping bag… I need to get it.”

It was a lame excuse, even to himself. Marteo, looking down at Yeon-ho, nodded slightly towards Tony. He heard you. That was the expression on his face.

Then, he repeatedly pulled Yeon-ho’s hand and entered the house.

Several servants discovered them and hurriedly greeted them, but they had no time to respond. Even though they knew their gazes were directed at their intertwined hands like Tony’s, it was a problem for later.

He thought he was calmer than him… but he only realized it when his hand was held.

That he wasn’t at all. The heat of emotion transmitted through the tightly clenched knuckles… the faint sweat.

Marteo was just holding back. Because he knew he couldn’t run away in the car. And now he couldn’t bear it anymore and grabbed his hand.

As soon as he realized this, his heart, which had been pounding so much, slowed down instead. The slow pulsations began to tickle his chest instead.

The man’s clumsiness, the anxiety he tried so hard to hide, was lovely. If he felt the same way, then the man would be the same, no matter how unsightly he looked.

A laugh escaped Yeon-ho’s lips. Marteo, who had just reached the end of the stairs on the second floor, flinched and turned his head.

“Why… are you laughing?”

Because I’m happy.

He thought it wouldn’t work out earlier, but now he felt like he could say it beautifully as much as he wanted. Yeon-ho pursed his lips once more.

But,

“Oh my, Mr. Marteo?”

All of today’s luck must have been used up in the morning. A voice was heard before Yeon-ho could speak.

It was Kestrel Angelica, appearing at the end of the hallway.

“You’re just arriving now? I was wondering when you’d be back~.”

She raised her voice in a welcoming tone and was approaching them with quick steps. It was no wonder that his brow furrowed at the constant interruptions at crucial moments.

It was then. Swish! His arm was pulled. Marteo, still with their fingers interlocked, pulled his hand towards him with force and began to step up the remaining stairs faster than Angelica.

The direction he was leading was the third floor. Since coming here, Yeon-ho’s living area had been limited to the first and second floors.

Come to think of it, what’s on the third floor?

Even in the midst of all this, curiosity suddenly surged. But even after arriving on the third floor, he wasn’t given the chance to look around.

“This way.”

Marteo, pulling Yeon-ho, who had stopped, pushed his back into a large door as soon as he turned into the left hallway.

The space inside the door that slammed shut was all black darkness.

Chickens have almost no night vision. Moreover, Yeon-ho’s dark adaptation as a human wasn’t that great either. Startled by the sudden darkness, Yeon-ho parted his lips.

“What. Where is thi…”

Shh! Marteo raised a finger to his lips. The surroundings were still dark, but the man’s face was strangely clear.

Marteo, who had barely let go of Yeon-ho’s hand, tilted his head to the side of the door. At the same time, a voice was heard from beyond.

“Mr. Marteo~ Where are you?”

It was Angelica, who had followed them all the way to the third floor. Whether she was a bird of prey or not, her senses were sharp, and her presence was getting closer and closer.

“Mr. Marteo~? Oh dear. Where could he be.”

Her drawn-out voice and the increasingly narrow distance, as if she were searching, were quite terrifying. Yeon-ho unknowingly stuck his body to Marteo’s back, and Marteo also wrapped his arms around his waist with a hand extended behind him.

Meanwhile, her presence came right in front of the room.

“Mr. Marteo… are you here?”

Click. The doorknob was pulled. With a creak, as if an sound effect was played, the light from the hallway stretched a long vertical line into the dark room. And Angelica’s shadow flickered on it.

Thump, thump! His heartbeat reached its peak. Yeon-ho clung to Marteo’s back once more, and Marteo’s hand also tightened its grip.

Thud! The door, which had been opening little by little, suddenly closed.

“What are you doing here?”

Immediately after, Tony’s voice was heard. Angelica’s voice, hesitating between them, followed.

“Ah, I thought Mr. Marteo had returned. I was just going to say hello…”

“Young Master is busy right now. Please go down.”

“It’ll only take a moment?”

“Go down. This is not a place anyone can enter.”

He couldn’t understand what they were saying, but it was a stern and strict tone he had never heard before. Before long, the sound of footsteps moving away one by one echoed in his ears.

Only after the presence of the two people had completely disappeared did Yeon-ho let out the breath he had unknowingly been holding. And then… Ha, haha! Laughter burst out.

Giving him a hundred concessions, he was a chicken, and the Eagle had hidden from the Kestrel. Did he quickly guess the reason for the laughter? Marteo poured out a disgruntled voice.

“…Why are you laughing?”

The question was the same as the one he had asked on the second floor earlier, but the atmosphere was completely different.

“No, nothing.”

He answered, but the end of his voice was still trembling.

Marteo parted his lips as if he was about to say another word, but in the end, a chuckle escaped him as well.

The next thing he was conscious of was their bodies, which were still stuck together. Yeon-ho quickly straightened his posture and took a couple of steps back.

“Sorry. Your clothes are wrinkled.”

“…That woman can be helpful sometimes.”

It was not a very appropriate response to the apology. But how could he not know what he meant? Yeon-ho pretended to roll his eyes around the surroundings, which he couldn’t even see properly. Meanwhile, Marteo walked towards somewhere.

Click. The sound of something being lightly pulled echoed, and then a round, orange light filled the surroundings.

Only after the table lamp was lit did he get a proper view of the room.

A wooden cabinet filling one wall, a large rug spread on the floor. A sofa and a desk. For a moment, he thought it was a study, but there weren’t many books.

Instead, the desk where Marteo was standing was more cluttered.

Although it was well-organized, there were files piled up on one side. A monitor and a laptop… and other office supplies. It seemed to be his office.

He was nominally an executive director, but Yeon-ho didn’t have a workspace in his own house.

When he needed to, the dining table was his office, and the bed was where he worked. But even then, he rarely brought work home.

When he remembered Tony’s words that he was the last to sleep and the first to wake up in this house, he felt a little sorry for him.

What was so great about that successor position…

His thoughts were broken when Marteo’s voice continued.

“Are you going to keep standing there?”

“…….”

“Come here.”

The air seemed to tremble at the quietly spoken words. His feet didn’t move easily because he was embarrassed, but it was because of excitement and tension. He deliberately coughed to calm it down.

“Can I go?”

“……?”

“You said this is a place no one can enter.”

Marteo’s eyebrows rose.

“Did you understand what Tony said?”

“Just, you know. By intuition?”

The man’s eyebrows tilted to one side this time.

“It seems like you only have some intuition.”

“What?”

“You can’t be just anyone.”

Then another sigh-like laugh spread. Now it was even harder to stand in one place. Yeon-ho finally took a step.

Marteo silently waited for Yeon-ho, who was narrowing the distance one step at a time. But he couldn’t not know. The man had been clenching his fists several times since earlier.

While staring at the man’s hands, which were filled with tension just like him, instead of his face, Yeon-ho finally stopped in front of the desk.

When he raised his gaze, their eyes naturally met. The man’s gaze, which looked at him for a long time without saying a word, made ants crawl all over him, starting from his fingertips. Whether they were far apart or close together, he couldn’t control his body or his heart.

In the end, he turned his gaze away first. He wanted to breathe first. He wanted to say something, anything.

But… then something strange caught his eye.

Something that he hadn’t noticed before because it was hidden by the man’s body. Something that shone with a uniquely antique appearance among all the modern items.

It was a quill pen standing on one side of the desk.

Even fur was laid under the dedicated stand that supported the perfect angle from the nib to the end of the feather. So that the pen wouldn’t be damaged even if it fell.

The care put into one pen seemed excessive. But the most bizarre part of this quill pen was something else.

Compared to the effort put in, the feathers that were actually used were very shabby.

It wasn’t a common goose or swan feather. Nor was it a bird of prey’s feather, like an eagle or hawk, made for special purposes…

The ordinary, dark brown feather, which was also somewhat short in length, was none other than… a chicken feather.

Huh? Yeon-ho, who let out a dumbfounded sigh, reflexively turned to Marteo. Marteo had also been looking at the same place since Yeon-ho’s gaze had been fixed on the quill pen. And with very affectionate eyes.

Why was that so annoying…

“…You might as well be pouring honey from your eyes?”

When he finally said a word, Marteo finally took his eyes off the pen. But even then, his gaze was still deep and lingering.

“That’s a chicken feather, right?”

“…….”

“No. No matter how much you like chickens. Who makes a quill pen out of chicken feathers?”

As he said, it was obviously a custom-made pen. Who in the world would make and sell something like that with chicken feathers? Even if his self-love exploded a hundred times, Yeon-ho himself wouldn’t do that.

“Why… isn’t it pretty?”

But the man, who looked back at the quill pen, even stroked the feathers. With a touch that was as careful and gentle as his gaze.

‘Wow. Does he just like anything if it’s a chicken?’

To be honest… for a second, he thought it was his. The day he suddenly turned into a chicken when his Anima was released, he wondered if it was his feather that the man had found.

But it was a little small for that. About the size of a medium-sized chicken that hasn’t reached adulthood yet? In short, it was from a young chicken.

If he were to nitpick about the past, he wouldn’t have anything to be ashamed of, no. There were a lot of things… but when he wondered if any other son of a bitch chicken had been involved in his life besides him, he still couldn’t speak kindly.

“Pretty where. It’s so old-fashioned and all the shine is gone.”

“…….”

“Where did you get something like that anyway. Did you pick it up from a chicken coop?”

If he knew which chicken farm it was, he was ready to set it on fire and have a roasted chicken feast. But even as Yeon-ho snorted, Marteo still just smiled.

Then, he leaned back on the desk as if he was sitting comfortably, and then clenched his fist as he had done before. The answer, given after a pause, was next.

“Not a chicken coop… a party.”

“…What?”

“Someone dropped it, and I picked it up as you said.”

“…….”

“It was about six months after I entered Korea… At the time, I was still clumsy with the language, and I didn’t feel good because I was forced to go to a party by Tony. So I secretly slipped out in the middle of the party. But… there was someone else like me.”

“……?”

“He was much taller than I was at the time, and he bumped into me first, but instead of apologizing, he scolded the kid… To be honest, I wondered what kind of person he was. But… that thought didn’t change over time. That there really wasn’t such a person.”

“…….”

“I kept thinking about it. The face that person made when he smiled. The expression he made when he frowned. The words he said. And… even the way he looked.”

“……!”

“That’s when I first realized that a chicken could be so cool. Looking back… I guess I had already fallen in love at first sight.”

What was revealed at the end of the unnecessarily detailed confession was a bitter and sweet smile. But this time, he didn’t feel overwhelmed or twisted inside.

Instead, something unknown began to rush into his head. Like a photo that had been buried for a long time and was covered in dust, or a puzzle with missing pieces… a fragment of memory.

Yeon-ho looked at Marteo repeatedly beyond the hazy form that had not yet found its place.

At that moment, Marteo slowly closed and opened his eyes. He looked up at Yeon-ho with unwavering sun and sunset and opened his mouth.

“Really, is heterochromia… the first time you’ve seen it?”

At the same time, the remaining memories were completely dusted off. All the disjointed scenes quickly fell into place.

─Oh. Your eyes are different colors?

─You know that, right? Originally, strong species don’t have packs.

─If you want to play with me, come back when you’re this much bigger.

He also remembered his own voice from when he was much younger, around ten years old. And the one who answered it was…

─Really, will you play with me? When I grow up that much?

That’s right… it was the man in front of him.

A party he hated. The child with different colored eyes he met behind the bushes where he thought no one would be. The nameless kid who was mesmerized by his clumsy flight…

How could he have completely forgotten this!

He was so worried that he might be a bird of prey. He had been so worried about his persistence…!

Finally, Yeon-ho’s mouth dropped open. He scanned the man, who was too big even though he had told him to come back when he was bigger, with a frantic gaze that was completely different from before.

Meanwhile, Marteo straightened up from the desk he had been leaning on.

He stopped when he came close enough for his shadow to fall in front of Yeon-ho.

“I asked you on the day of the blind date. If you knew who I was from the beginning.”

“…….”

“Yes. I knew. From a long time ago. Because I haven’t forgotten for a long time. You… it seems like you’ve only just remembered.”

“…….”

“The day we met again. I was actually going to apologize. That I didn’t intend to send such a proposal. That I wanted to talk to you properly in a proper place.”

“…….”

“But… when I think about it, it would have been difficult anyway. No matter how we met again, I wouldn’t have been able to say anything properly.”

“…….”

“Even after telling you that I like you and asking you to marry me, I’m still nervous. I don’t even know what I’m saying.”

A sigh was mixed in at the end of his words. Yeon-ho, who couldn’t take his eyes off the man’s face, finally swallowed. The words he spat out after that were…

“No… you’re… you’re talking really well right now?”

Do Yeon-ho was still Do Yeon-ho even at this moment.

Was this the time to say that?

Perhaps thinking the same thing, Marteo’s eyebrows, which had been affectionate all along, rose sharply. Yeon-ho realized his mistake when he saw that expression, but fortunately, the moment didn’t last long.

The man looked at him with a face that was dumbfounded and absurd, but still so lovely that he didn’t know what to do.

A large hand rose to Yeon-ho’s cheek. He caressed his skin more carefully and gently than he had stroked the quill pen earlier.

“Please answer me. Do you really have no interest or concern for me anymore?”

“…….”

“If that’s not the case, no. If you don’t hate me… please. Just don’t push me away.”

He had seen those words in a text message on the day of the blind date. Yeon-ho’s heart ached at the voice and precarious expression that were much more desperate than he had imagined.

At the same time, the man’s hand, which had been caressing his cheek as if it would break, pulled the back of his neck.

Unlike when they were young, the position of their gazes was now reversed. Yeon-ho knew what would happen next. Even knowing that, he didn’t back down. He also reached out his hand and grabbed the man’s back tightly.

Pouring breath. A tongue that felt like it was burning. Finally, the two lips that had been facing each other at one point were messily intertwined.

It felt like he had been waiting for this moment all day.

No. Maybe… I even had the thought that I might have been waiting for this man to grow up like this since that young age I couldn’t even remember.

♥ ♥ ♥

Like people who would be in big trouble if they fell, once attached, their lips just wouldn’t come apart.

Marteo’s persistence, digging deep into Yeon-ho’s throat and sucking up all of his groans, and Yeon-ho’s fingers, whose breath was filling up to the top of his head, clinging even more to the man’s embrace instead of pushing him away.

After kissing and crushing each other’s lips over and over again, the roots of their tongues were eventually numb.

If you could get a kiss mark on your lips, our appearance tomorrow would be quite a sight….

As the absurd thought came to mind, he couldn’t hold back his laughter, even though he held his breath. When a subtle vibration occurred inside his mouth, which was bitten together, Marteo raised his half-closed eyes. His tongue bit as if asking why he was laughing.

When Yeon-ho, who let out a small groan, glared, this time the wide surface of his tongue licked all over his bumpy palate.

“Hngh~”

A stinging pain and a dizzying pleasure. The latter was definitely dominant. Yeon-ho’s short groan quickly turned into a long nasal moan, and Marteo also poured his already lowered head even closer to Yeon-ho’s face.

He was sucking and licking so hard that there was no time for saliva to pool. It was the first time his mouth had ever been this dry while kissing.

The wrinkles of his lips, the mixed bumps of his tongue, a kiss that seemed to memorize each and every one of them.

His mind was about to melt away, but the lower bodies of the two people, as close as their lips, had been hard as a rock since a while ago.

At this rate, an unprecedented situation might occur where he ejaculated from just kissing.

Finally, Yeon-ho, who gave up first, moaned once more and shook his head lightly. But even this was a stimulus to Marteo. Marteo’s hand, which had been pulling at the back of his neck, instead went up to Yeon-ho’s cheek.

As if not allowing even a moment of movement, he firmly fixed his head and sucked Yeon-ho’s tongue into his mouth until his cheeks were hollow.

Whether he was swallowing saliva or swallowing his tongue, his Adam’s apple went up and down several times. Still not satisfied, he swallowed Yeon-ho’s entire thin lips with a rough lip movement.

“Eung!”

It was now difficult to even call this a kiss. The urgent thirst seemed more like carnal desire than lust.

But that’s why it was even more thrilling. His heart constricted as if caught by the claws of a fierce bird.

Yeon-ho’s hand, which had been holding onto the man’s back, finally fell down. He couldn’t put strength anywhere now.

Only Yeon-ho’s eyelashes, drinking in the kisses as they poured down, trembled helplessly. Only after scrutinizing Yeon-ho in every detail did Marteo barely take his lips away.

Air rushed into his mouth, which had barely made a gap. Both of their chests were heaving roughly from the breath they had been holding.

Before their breathing could even out, Marteo readjusted his hold on Yeon-ho’s body.

Only the position had changed, but the heat-filled lips continued again on his eyes, nose, cheeks, and chin.

The place he arrived at after all that was unexpectedly his shoulder. After crushing his lips several more times on the shirt as soft as Yeon-ho’s skin, Marteo deeply exhaled the remaining breath.

“This outfit… it really suits you.”

“I know….”

“…Then do you know that too?”

“……?”

“That it suited you so much that I wanted to tear it off from the beginning.”

It was a strange compliment for the first line after a kiss, but he realized what he meant after hearing the rest of the words.

Possessiveness or uncooled lust.

Which one has a bigger proportion? But either way, the answer is already decided. Yeon-ho stuck his fingers between Marteo’s hair, who was already gnawing at his collarbone, which was deeply exposed.

Then, he only raised his eyes and winked at the man who was looking up at him.

“I chose this outfit so you would?”

Marteo’s eyes, which had paused for a moment, contorted.

As if he really couldn’t handle it. As if he loved him so much he didn’t know what to do.

At the same time, without a moment’s hesitation, the sound of fabric tearing rang out from his chest.

A shirt that died before it was even a day old. But there’s no reason to feel wronged. Where else could there be such a great use for it?

Marteo’s head frantically clung to Yeon-ho’s upper arm, which was now openly exposed.

A violent caress that sucked up the bumps on his chest and crushed the towering flesh between his teeth.

“Hngh! Ung, eungeung~”

Yeon-ho’s wet moans, which he couldn’t fully release because his mouth was blocked earlier, shook the air without anything to hide.

Marteo felt like his ears were burning from the groaning above his head. It was strange that his head hadn’t already gone crazy.

Yeon-ho’s feet were gradually being pushed back by the man’s continued force into his arms. Then, for a moment, something bumped against his thigh with a thud.

It was Marteo’s desk. The moment he inadvertently looked back, his body was pushed again. If the previous time was unconscious, this time it was clearly a calculated intention.

Marteo, who hugged Yeon-ho’s waist and pushed his weight, grabbed Yeon-ho and pressed him down on the desk.

“Eut!”

Overlapping body temperatures. The lower halves of the two people, crushed together again like before. Marteo, who sucked and released his erect nipples with a rough breath once more, looked down at Yeon-ho, who was lying spread out on the desk, with boiling eyes.

At this moment, explanations or understandings were of no use at all.

Without either of them saying anything first, their separated lips became entangled again. Marteo’s hand, which immediately slipped down, headed for Yeon-ho’s lower body. Even though he didn’t suck it like his chest, it was already hard.

As if he was going to tear apart his pants following his shirt, Marteo unbuckled and ripped open Yeon-ho’s fly.

Knowing what he was trying to do, Yeon-ho willingly lifted his hips and helped the man’s movements. Before long, his pants, which had become loose in the front, were pulled down below his shins along with his underwear.

The heated flesh that brushed against his clothes tingled. Yeon-ho bit back a groan into his lips. On the other hand, Marteo let out a cloudy breath at Yeon-ho’s Cock, which was openly exposed.

A smooth glans with pre-cum dripping down, a small urethral opening gaping with anticipation. As if possessed, Marteo’s upper body leaned down to Yeon-ho’s lower body. His body trembled as warm breath was crushed against his skin on the man’s close face.

“Theon….”

The voice that called his name as if sobbing was the same.

How long has it been since he heard his name from Yeon-ho’s mouth….

Finally, Marteo, whose focus had completely gone out of his eyes, buried his mouth in Yeon-ho’s throbbing flesh.

He scraped the side of the vein-filled shaft with his teeth as if biting it, and licked every inch of the wrinkled back of his taut scrotum, kneeling on the floor.

“Ah! Hngh~!”

Yeon-ho’s round nasal voice instantly became sharp. It felt like blue flames were igniting wherever the man’s tongue passed.

The area around his navel was boiling, and his fingers frantically scratched the desk. It was a few seconds later that something caught on the fingertips that were searching for something to hold onto.

Clatter. He realized it after hearing the sound of it falling. That what he had grabbed was the quill that Marteo had been cherishing like a treasure.

It’s not glossy. It’s old-fashioned. When he thought it was someone else’s hair, he was so annoyed, but people are so fickle.

‘That, it shouldn’t break, should it?’

It was when Yeon-ho looked back at the quill that had been knocked out of its stand.

“Do you have time to worry about other things?”

Marteo’s voice was heard as if growling. At the same time, the force of his mouth poured back into his lower body. Marteo, who sucked the erect flesh all at once, even did a tongue thrust.

At the tremendous stimulation that made even his peripheral nerves tremble, Yeon-ho’s fingers, which had been trying to straighten the quill, instead squeezed the feathers tightly.

The smoothly managed feathers were naturally crumpled. But as he said, there was no time to worry about it.

…Come to think of it, isn’t that right? If it breaks, can’t I just pluck a few more of my feathers again?

“Theon, Theon~.”

Yeon-ho poured out moans again. Marteo also started moving his head up and down in time with the rhythm.

The soft feeling of lips tightly embracing the heated skin. The tight pressure that squeezed the foreskin tightly. The erected tip of his tongue repeatedly poked at the gaping urethral opening as if stirring it up.

But above all, what he couldn’t stand was the suction that plunged deep into his throat.

“Hngh. Ah…!”

Marteo’s bridge of the nose was repeatedly crushed against Yeon-ho’s belly. The tip of his glans kept touching the man’s Adam’s apple. It wouldn’t be strange if his lower body was completely swallowed into Marteo’s stomach as it was.

And in the end, it happened as he thought it would. Marteo, who sucked Yeon-ho’s Cock even further than he thought was enough, tightened his lips more strongly than ever before.

The glans, which had even pushed past his Adam’s apple, rubbed against the inner wall of his throat. His vision was dizzy. The physiological throbbing of the man trembling could not be this vivid.

Yeon-ho’s fingers and toes, whose head was finally thrown back, curled up in an instant.

“……Heut!”

It was ejaculation. There was no choice whether to receive or not the ejaculation that started bursting openly in the man’s throat, not his mouth.

After spitting out every last drop, Marteo gently licked Yeon-ho’s thing, which had gradually begun to shrink, and spat it out. He didn’t forget to kiss the end of the shrunken flesh either.

Yeon-ho, who trembled at the senses that had become even more sensitive after ejaculation, bit his panting breath and then pressed his eyes with both hands.

Marteo, who climbed over Yeon-ho’s body, also pressed his lips on the back of his hand. When he couldn’t stand the ticklishness and opened the gap in his hand, he saw the man’s face smiling faintly.

“Why are you doing this? Did you not like it?”

His low, sunken voice was a bit hoarse. His throat seemed to be uncomfortable. Yeon-ho pouted at the deep throat that he liked so much that he couldn’t dislike it.

“…Where did you learn this kind of thing?”

“……?”

“I thought you were only good at using your mouth, but you’re also good at using your throat….”

Even though he was grumbling, it was clear from what he was saying that he didn’t dislike it. Marteo, relieved, mischievously curved his eyes.

“It’s instinct. Because I’m a bird.”

“Huh?”

“Regurgitative Feeding? In Korean, um… Regurgitative Feeding?”

Yeon-ho’s eyebrows, which had been wondering what he was talking about, rose up following Marteo’s words.

Regurgitative Feeding. It was the characteristic of birds to push food deep into the throats of their young. Still, to use that here….

Yeon-ho’s lips, who had become dumbfounded, couldn’t decide whether to laugh or not, and finally chose to be sulky.

“I’m not a chicken, though?”

“……?”

“Chickens don’t do that. It’s structurally impossible.”

“……Ah.”

“Geez. In situations like this, chickens aren’t the only birds. I can’t live like this because I’m so upset.”

“No, that’s not what I meant….”

It was when Marteo, who was rarely flustered, was trying to correct his words. Yeon-ho, who finally burst into laughter, hugged Marteo’s neck with both arms.

The two bodies, which had been keeping a distance, were slammed together by the pulling force.

Marteo’s lower body, which was in close contact, was hotter than before. A cloudy mist settled in Yeon-ho’s head, which had been temporarily calmed down by one ejaculation.

Yeon-ho, who unknowingly arched his back upward, slowly rubbed his Cock, which had been crushed against the man’s fly.

“But… I’m good at that too. Receiving from below.”

The voice whispered in his ear was a bonus.

If what was in Yeon-ho’s head was fog, then a fierce storm that swallowed reason was raging in Marteo’s head.

Marteo swallowed a boiling exclamation at Yeon-ho’s eyes, which were seductively looking up at him. Then, in the next moment, he started pouring his lips down Yeon-ho’s body again.

His neck, chest, sides, navel, pubic bone, and thighs. The final destination of the kisses, especially those concentrated on his lower body, didn’t need to be mentioned.

Marteo, who grabbed Yeon-ho’s limp legs, hurriedly lifted him onto the desk. He also grabbed and spread Yeon-ho’s buttocks, which were strained with anticipation and tension, with both hands.

The narrow, wrinkled hole that he hadn’t seen for a while, and that made him go crazy every time he thought about it, was gaping like a small mouth.

Without hesitation, Marteo narrowed his head and buried his face between the spread mounds. His nose was crushed against his perineum. The sharply erected tip of his tongue pried into the tightly closed gap.

“Hah!”

It was a different sensation from sucking his Cock. The detailed wrinkles that chewed on the tip of his tongue were so sweet. Like a thirsty person, Marteo kept sucking at the hole.

As the wet sound of sucking was heard, Yeon-ho’s thing, which had been lying sideways, began to regain its strength. In the end, the liquid that had pooled at the tip of his head dripped down his shaft and reached his perineum as if it were the first time.

The slippery liquid mixed with Marteo’s saliva, which was doing drooling. Marteo, who noticed Yeon-ho’s erect thing, sucked at his hole with his mouth and grabbed Yeon-ho’s shaft with his hand.

At the doubled stimulation, Yeon-ho’s waist twisted on its own. His erected toes rolled in the air and pressed down on the man’s shoulders.

It was as if he was urging him on. Of course, Marteo couldn’t stand it any longer either. Yeon-ho’s hot breath, his groaning movements, and the hole gaping in front of his eyes. His lower body was clearly at its limit.

Marteo, who quickly unbuckled his pants with his remaining hand, roughly stroked his Cock, which had already popped out of his underwear.

He straightened his knees, which had been bent on the floor, and now fitted the heated tip of his Cock between Yeon-ho’s holes instead of his mouth.

“Ah!”

Yeon-ho’s hole, which had let out a small moan at the heat that suddenly came over him, twitched. Marteo’s neck rumbled lowly as he looked down at the narrow spot that had instinctively contracted.

He wanted to thrust everything into Yeon-ho in one go. He couldn’t control himself at all. Marteo firmly grabbed Yeon-ho’s pubic bone.

“You might… get hurt a little.”

The hoarse voice that flowed out was closer to a warning than a concern.

But…. Who would have known that Yeon-ho’s body would stiffen at these words? It was also the moment when cold water was poured over Yeon-ho’s head, which had been heated up all along.

‘Hurt…?’

Yeon-ho generally takes the upper hand in relationships, but does he hate being treated violently? That’s not the case.

If he gets forcibly poked without proper preparation, he’ll suffer a bit the next day, but physical discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean unpleasantness.

Especially if the other person is a man he has given his heart to, he has the generosity to endure this much. In other words, if it were the usual Yeon-ho, he would have said, put it in first and then talk!

But this time was an exception.

He had been completely distracted by the kiss with Theon, which he hadn’t shared in so long, and the crazy good caresses… but there was something he should never forget.

Even if he conceded a hundred times, he didn’t care if he got hurt. But… what about the baby?

Come to think of it, is insertive sex in the early stages of pregnancy… okay?

He thought he had usually been told to refrain from it?

He didn’t know the source, but he had vague common sense and memories.

In the meantime, Marteo was literally pulling his body. A majestic, no, a dangerously dangerous thing was about to enter him.

It wouldn’t matter if it was short or long. If Marteo’s thing came in all the way, it would almost reach his navel. And it certainly wouldn’t stay still once it came in.

Yeon-ho’s face turned pale.

“W-wait! Wait a minute!!”

Yeon-ho, who shouted out loud, ruthlessly pushed the man out. Marteo, who had been pouring all his attention into pushing the tip of his Cock into Yeon-ho’s hole, was rarely pushed back with a thud.

Even after doing that, he didn’t understand what was going on for a while.

Did you just knee me?

He came to his senses after seeing Yeon-ho, who was hurriedly raising his upper body from the desk where he had been lying, and quickly crossing his spread legs into an X shape.

“Do Yeon-ho…ssi?”

Of course, Yeon-ho also realized it when he heard the bewildered voice that flowed out as if stammering. But there was nothing he could do now. Yeon-ho, who wrapped his legs tightly once more, tried to clear his throat.

“That’s… uh! Come to think of it, aren’t we a bit rushed right now? We didn’t wash after going out… and… we’re also very sweaty…?”

“Now? I just sucked your asshole?”

That’s… right. That’s exactly what happened.

In fact, if he said the clear reason, the situation might be easily resolved.

But he didn’t feel like saying ‘I’m pregnant’ with both of them having boners.

He doesn’t have any particularly romantic feelings… but still, there’s a time and place for this kind of thing. Above all, wouldn’t liking him and having a baby be separate issues?

However, Marteo had no way of knowing Yeon-ho’s burning heart. No, in a way, Marteo’s heart was burning twice as much.

If you don’t know Do Yeon-ho’s personality, you don’t know. He’s pushing me away just because I didn’t wash? There’s no way that’s true.

Marteo, who quickly pushed aside the somewhat flustered feelings from before, grabbed one of Yeon-ho’s ankles, which were still crossed in an X shape.

“…Are you perhaps worried that you’ll really get hurt?”

“That…….”

“Then I’ll suck it more and put it in.”

Even if Yeon-ho only blew air once, or even if he only blinked once, it seemed like he would ejaculate right away, but Marteo didn’t want him to get hurt either.

However, it was Yeon-ho who pushed away Marteo’s approaching forehead again in horror this time.

“No! That’s not the problem!”

Of course, getting sucked is fine. In fact, I’d love it if you just sucked me! But he wasn’t confident. If he got his ass sucked, he’d lose his mind again, and the second time, he wouldn’t even push him away. He’d probably spread his legs wide open himself….

Meanwhile, Marteo, who was already dark-skinned, was almost turning to ash inside. Now he was starting to get anxious.

Even though Yeon-ho had readily embraced his confession, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t change his mind now. The Yeon-ho who had once been so sweet, only to cut him off by saying he was no longer interested, still lingered in Marteo’s mind.

Marteo bit his lip. He slowly calmed his breath, which felt like it would burst out at any moment, and tried to lower his voice.

“Why are you doing this, all of a sudden?”

“Sud…denly, no… that’s right! We don’t even have a condom right now? Safe sex life is my motto….”

“……I’ll cum outside.”

“What a waste!”

“……Huh?”

Yeon-ho reflexively shouted and covered his mouth with both hands. It was always a strange sight, but Marteo, not missing the opportunity, finally grabbed Yeon-ho’s legs and spread them wide open.

He said he’d suck and then stick it in, but the way he was pushing his body straight between his legs, he looked like he’d pierce him right through instead of sucking him.

No more persuasion was needed. Yeon-ho’s anxious voice finally rose shrilly, without rhyme or reason.

“I said I don’t want to! I’m not doing it with you!”

Only after shouting did he realize it was a slip of the tongue. It wasn’t that he wasn’t doing it, but that he couldn’t, and it wasn’t that he couldn’t do it forever, but that he couldn’t do it ‘now’…. In his haste, the words were too compressed. Moreover, the problem was that there wasn’t even time to correct himself.

Just a moment ago, he seemed ready to push through no matter what, but with this one word, Marteo’s movements stopped as if by magic.

Only his differently colored eyes shook greatly. They shook and then stuck to Yeon-ho’s face, stopping like a still life.

He wondered if his pride was hurt, but… no. He was hurt. If there was anyone who had fallen from heaven to hell, it would look exactly like this.

Yeon-ho had seen that expression before. The day he drew the line, saying, “We’re done here,” that was the expression he had seen.

He also remembered Marteo’s request not to push him away, as long as he didn’t hate him.

But he had said he hated him and pushed him away at the same time…!

Yeon-ho’s heart sank belatedly, and he reflexively shook his head. He desperately waved his hand in front of Marteo’s eyes, who still seemed to be all alone in the world.

“No, hey… that wasn’t what I meant just now! It’s not that I hate you, it’s just the situation…! Anyway, the situation is like that, you know? Of course, I li…… like…….”

However, the words he was diligently spitting out didn’t continue to the end. I don’t want to have sex, but I like you? ……This sounds like an excuse.

If someone else was about to stick it in him, and he pulled his ass away and said, “But I still like you~,” what would he think?

Wouldn’t it sound like he was trying to appease him in a half-assed way?

Even if he gave up on a wonderful response to the confession, patching things up like this was a different story. Yeon-ho, unable to do this or that, was rarely flustered.

It was then. Marteo’s cracked voice slowly flowed out.

“…You don’t have to. You don’t have to make up words.”

“Huh……?”

“…Anyway, you said you didn’t want to.”

“No, that’s…!”

“It doesn’t matter. Your heart doesn’t matter anyway.”

A cold sneer, which he hadn’t heard for a while, came with it.

This time, Yeon-ho’s eyes widened in reverse. Before he could think, Yeon-ho jumped off the desk and chased after Marteo’s face, who had already turned his gaze away from him.

“What was that just now… what are you talking about?”

“…….”

“If my heart doesn’t matter, what does?”

“…….”

“Why are you stopping mid-sentence!”

“…Why are you getting angry? Who should be angry right now?”

“Then just get angry. Why are you talking nonsense!”

“Excuse me?”

“Seeing you act like this, you’re still not grown up. I told you to come back when you’re older, but you’ve only grown your lower body! If you have something to say, say it properly!”

“Do Yeon-ho!”

Were these the same people who were kissing and sucking each other just a moment ago? If they weren’t careful, they’d be grabbing each other by the collar instead of just their lower bodies.

But there was no choice. Whatever I did, how could anyone not feel resentful when the guy who looked at me like a flower was now looking at me with cloudy eyes, like a dog staring at the roof after chasing a chicken?

Marteo’s voice rose in response, and Yeon-ho, not giving in, tilted his chin up, and their eyes collided in the air once more.

After a long time, Marteo, uttering a small curse, finally swept his hair back with a rough hand.

“…Get out.”

“Hey!”

“Or do you want to get fucked like a dog like this?”

“……!”

“If you don’t want to do it with me anymore, go wash up as you wish.”

Marteo pushed Yeon-ho’s clothes, which had fallen to the floor, against his chest, and Yeon-ho’s face hardened again.

But it wasn’t just because of Marteo’s sarcasm.

…A shirt torn vertically and tattered like rags, pants with suspicious traces all over them that anyone could see.

Come to think of it… how am I going to get to my room in this state?

If I get caught, I’m screwed… no, I’ll be a laughingstock.

♥ ♥ ♥

Was it reflecting people’s moods? It was the first time it had been cloudy since he came here. Yeon-ho, listlessly looking up at the gloomy sky full of dark clouds, finally took his eyes off the window at the sound of a small clearing of the throat.

“Is the food not to your liking?”

Tony was looking at the table with a worried expression. He looked down at the plate, which he had barely touched, and put down his fork altogether.

“It’s just that I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“…….”

“More than that, has Theon… already eaten?”

It was Sunday. He wasn’t even at work, but Marteo hadn’t shown his face all morning. As he continued the question, Tony’s complexion darkened even more.

“No. The young master also said he wasn’t in the mood….”

Three things were understood from one question. That he had gotten up. That he had deliberately avoided eating with him. In other words, he was still not in a good mood.

How am I supposed to solve this…? It was when Yeon-ho was pondering that Tony brought up a suspicious topic.

“Um, I also have something to ask you….”

“……?”

“It’s just that the maid in charge of cleaning Yeon-ho’s room today said that she found a torn shirt in the room. Did you accidentally leave it there when you were trying to throw it away?”

Cough. Cough, cough. Tony, startled by the sudden coughing fit, quickly grabbed a glass of water.

“Are you alright?”

Yeon-ho, barely catching his breath, waved his hand.

“I’m… fine. That… shirt… you don’t have to worry about it, I’m not throwing it away.”

“But… the front is all torn, so it doesn’t seem like you can wear it at all….”

“…….”

“Is it perhaps a cherished piece of clothing? If so, maybe we can have it repaired….”

“No. It’s really okay. That’s… the tear is meaningful….”

“The tear… is?”

Tony’s eyes widened.

Yeah. It’s weird, right? Of course, it’s weird.

After finally returning to his room last night, Yeon-ho also pondered what to do with the clothes that were beyond repair.

But no matter how he thought about it, even though he knew he couldn’t wear it twice, he couldn’t bring himself to throw it in the trash.

Whatever the reason, it was the first piece of clothing Marteo had ever bought him. It was the clothes he wore while spending the day with him, unusually excited.

Above all, the sexy face that tore the clothes in one go was stuck to that shirt, making it perfect to savor over and over again, so how could he throw it away?

So he hid it deep inside a drawer he didn’t use, really, really deep… but how did they find it again?

No, it’s not even their room, so honestly, should they be cleaning other people’s rooms so diligently? It’s not like they’re getting paid less for doing a rough job….

Just as he was feeling resentful, “Yeon-ho-nim?” Tony called his name again. Yeon-ho, regaining his senses at the suspicious and dumbfounded look, waved his hand again.

“Anyway, you really don’t have to worry about it. And… I also have something to ask you….”

“……?”

“That… Theon’s office on the third floor. Do you happen to know who cleaned it…?”

The first time, he had poured everything into Marteo’s mouth without leaving a single drop, but since he had gotten hard again afterward, there might have been traces he didn’t know about on the carpet or desk.

They were true workers who even found hidden clothes, so it wouldn’t be strange if someone else had witnessed the various circumstances… last night.

However, instead of asking why he was asking that question to the hesitant question, Tony’s complexion darkened twice as much as before. Yeon-ho, startled, asked with his eyes, “Why, why?” Then he even let out a sigh.

“Not yet today.”

“Not yet…?”

“I usually tidy up the young master’s office… but I didn’t have time to do that today….”

“……?”

“Actually, the young master has been staying there since last night until this morning. It seems he even slept there.”

Ah…….

Yeon-ho’s lips curled inward. If this was true, it meant that Marteo had stayed there all night even after he had left.

What was that guy doing all night in that place without him?

Was he suffering from the inexplicable rejection? Or was he looking at the crushed quill pen…?

Imagining it made his heart ache. But… at the same time, he also had this thought.

But… how did he take care of his lower body? Don’t tell me… he did it himself?

I should have just said I’d do it with my mouth instead of saying I couldn’t insert it!

Just as Yeon-ho was drinking more water because his mouth was starting to burn in many ways, it was then.

“Antonio.”

These days, does the Eagle come when you talk about him? A familiar voice came into the tearoom. Yeon-ho’s head turned faster than Tony, who was being called.

He was generally like this, but today, too, he was a man with no gaps to be found from head to toe. Marteo, wearing a sharply pressed suit, was entering. Yeon-ho swallowed the remaining saliva.

Was it because of tension or anxiety? No way.

‘Wow. That bastard… he looks even more delicious, no, handsome today? I’m done with food… I really want to eat him….’

It was always a vulgar thought. In the meantime, Marteo, who had approached the table, glanced at Yeon-ho’s plate, which was more than half full, and looked back at Tony with a frown. Tony immediately opened his mouth.

“He doesn’t have much of an appetite.”

“…I didn’t ask.”

Then why are you glaring at me as if it’s my fault? Instead of making a reply he couldn’t make, Tony pursed his lips, then clicked his tongue inwardly.

When the two of them got out of the car holding hands yesterday, there was no such thing as a hot spring, but this morning, they both looked like they had no appetite, like they were in a cold spring.

It’s hard to tell if this is cold or hot.

But one thing is clear.

“Good morning….”

Whether it’s boiling,

“…Not really. I don’t think it’s a good morning.”

Or cold,

This is only possible when your heart is full to the brim.

Tony, who turned to Marteo, who had reacted sullenly to Yeon-ho’s greeting, which he had given first, hurriedly intervened between the two as Yeon-ho’s face hardened.

“Ahem! They say it’s going to rain from the afternoon. The rainfall is quite heavy, so the weather is definitely not good.”

“…….”

“…….”

“More than that, why are you in the tearoom, young master? Did you perhaps change your mind? Shall I prepare a meal?”

“I don’t need it.”

“Then… some tea?”

Marteo, who had ignored the latter question altogether, twisted his lips for a moment and sat down in front of Yeon-ho.

He didn’t seem to be thinking of eating or drinking tea, so what was this all about? The gaze that was literally staring at Yeon-ho with his arms crossed was embarrassing.

He was a little upset after the greeting was cut off, but… let’s bear with it. I’m the sinner. Yeon-ho, controlling his anger, opened his mouth.

“Why… what are you looking at so much?”

If he said something like, “I’m watching you eat,” or “Do Yeon-ho-ssi,” he was fully prepared to smile back as if repenting, saying, “Okay. Look all you want~.”

But….

“I’m not watching, I’m waiting.”

An unexpected answer. With an expression like he got a perfect score on the mock exam but failed the actual exam, Yeon-ho raised his eyebrows. In the meantime, Marteo, who had barely taken his eyes off Yeon-ho, looked down at his watch.

“Will 30 minutes be enough?”

“……?”

“Will 30 minutes be enough to finish your meal?”

Tony’s expression was accurate. Judging from what he was saying, he clearly had something to say, but he was putting off the business with Yeon-ho’s remaining plate. On the other hand, he was leaving out all the explanations.

Yeon-ho’s eyes, who were hesitating about how to react, suddenly fell on the suit he was wearing. Looking at it again, it was too much to dress up at home on the weekend when he wasn’t even going to work.

“Are you perhaps… going somewhere? No, are we going somewhere…?”

Still a quick-witted judgment. Marteo openly twisted the corners of his mouth.

“I’m going to Bracciano.”

“Bracciano…?”

Just as he thought he had heard the place name somewhere, Tony’s surprised expression caught his eye. At the same time, the remaining explanation cut through his ears.

“The family’s main residence. Where the Averto mansion is located.”

Lightning flashed outside the window. Rumble, crash! Thunder followed.

“What on earth is going on? You didn’t say anything until this morning! Did the master perhaps ask you to visit?”

“…….”

“Then what about the other young ladies? Are the young ladies going with you?”

“…….”

“Young master!”

Tony poured out his words in a rapid voice, closely following Marteo. Marteo, who was leaving the tearoom and heading to the entrance where the car was waiting, spat out in a cold voice.

“Why would those women be there? While we’re on the subject, get them all out before I get back.”

“Young master…!”

“Don’t keep any more useless things in my house.”

“But how can you suddenly…….”

“If you can’t do it, should I drag them out myself?”

At the momentum that wasn’t a joke, Tony bit his lip.

“…I understand. But whatever the case, if you were planning to do this, you should have given us some advance notice.”

“I don’t think I’m in a position to report everything to you.”

However, the perfectly reasonable words were only half right. Tony, suppressing his anger, raised his voice again in an agitated tone.

“I’m not talking about me. I’m talking about Yeon-ho-nim. Shouldn’t you have told him in advance? He didn’t seem to know anything, but what is this during a meal… how surprised he must have been without any preparation.”

It was at this moment that Marteo’s feet, which seemed like they wouldn’t stop, stopped in their tracks. Marteo, frowning at Tony as if asking if he was serious, let out a rough sneer.

“Who? Do Yeon-ho? Am I the only one who saw how he was just now?”

Tony’s hesitant mouth curled inward rapidly.

To be honest, Tony was flustered by the sudden declaration… but Yeon-ho’s reaction was actually far from flustered. No. The standard of surprise was different. The focus was off?

After Marteo finished speaking, Yeon-ho, who had been blinking his eyes without saying anything, finally came to his senses at Tony’s voice calling, “Yeon-ho-nim….” Then, he immediately kicked back his chair and stood up.

‘Where are you going? You haven’t finished your meal.’

After saying that, Marteo’s one word finally brought out an outburst.

‘Is food important right now! You’re all dressed up so nicely by yourself?’

The expression on my young master’s face after hearing those words…….

Tony, who had nothing to say, secretly looked at Marteo’s complexion. Marteo’s face was more ferocious than before, as if he was thinking the same thing.

“If he was the type to be flustered by this kind of thing! Then I wouldn’t be going through this trouble either!”

Marteo, who was seething, resumed his stopped steps. But that was only for a moment. In front of the stairs leading to the second floor. Marteo stopped in his tracks again and rubbed his forehead. Then, he turned to Tony with a very anxious look.

“…Go up.”

“Yes…? Where… to the young ladies?”

“Go check on Yeon-ho!”

“Um… it’s only been 10 minutes. He’s probably still getting ready.”

“That’s why I’m telling you to go check. See what he’s preparing and how! If he says he’s going to wear a new outfit… stop him no matter what.”

…What is this again? Tony widened his eyes with a dumbfounded look. But Marteo was more than sincere.

At this point, his biggest concern wasn’t that Yeon-ho would change his mind and refuse to go to the main house.

One had been torn, but the spoils of yesterday were still left.

No matter what, he really didn’t want to show anyone Yeon-ho in a mesh shirt.

30 minutes after parting ways in the tearoom. Yeon-ho, who reappeared at the entrance, was dressed neatly and tidily, contrary to expectations.

A plain white shirt and dark beige pants. The top button was fastened all the way to the top, and his hair had been restyled, with the bangs that had been covering his forehead until just now swept back.

Tony, who was following Yeon-ho out, had a rather triumphant look on his face.

‘Mission accomplished!’

But Marteo’s complexion, after scanning Yeon-ho, was still not good. Tony tilted his head, and Yeon-ho hurried to close the remaining distance.

“Why are you out here? Wait in the car.”

The raindrops, which had started falling sporadically earlier, were now quite fierce.

Generally, avian Morpheus didn’t like rain. Yeon-ho thought his stiff expression was the reason, and his gaze turned to the Rolls Royce waiting below the stairs.

The owner wasn’t in the car, so the driver wouldn’t be sitting in it.

The driver’s eyes met Yeon-ho’s, and he bowed his head. It was the man who had picked him up from the airport on his first day.

Yeon-ho, recognizing the first person he had met here, was about to return the greeting.

“Let’s go now.”

Marteo spat out the curt words.

The umbrellas prepared by the driver and Tony were quickly opened. He hesitated for a moment, wondering whose escort he should accept, but there was no need to worry. Marteo snatched Tony’s umbrella and tilted it over Yeon-ho’s head.

Naturally looking up at Yeon-ho, Marteo moved his lips in a still-dry tone.

“What.”

“…Nothing.”

The umbrella, tilted heavily to one side, firmly shielded Yeon-ho’s head as he descended the stairs and reached the car. Not a single drop of the heavy rain touched Yeon-ho.

Marteo, who stretched out his arm to open the car door, handed the umbrella to Tony, who followed behind, only after Yeon-ho had completely entered. He also waved his hand dismissively as if annoyed when Tony hurriedly tried to shield Marteo.

Marteo’s cheeks, who entered the car a beat later, were already damp with moisture. His left shoulder was much worse.

“Are you okay? You’re very wet.”

Yeon-ho reached out his hand without realizing it and leaned forward. Marteo, visibly stiffening, leaned back. Not only that, but he even moved his seated distance away somewhat.

“…I’m fine.”

It wasn’t just a simple refusal, but an attitude that clearly avoided contact. Embarrassment washed over Yeon-ho, and he clenched his lost hand.

Am I some kind of avian virus? If that’s the case, why did he put the umbrella over me?

But for Marteo, it was unavoidable.

He didn’t know that Yeon-ho, who was more elegant and pure than necessary, and whose attire seemed almost ascetic, could be so stimulating.

‘Why are the buttons fastened so tightly?’

‘Why did he unnecessarily sweep his hair back?’

He wanted to grab the collar and tear it off right away. He wanted to mess up his neatly arranged hair and kiss his round forehead.

In other words, he didn’t want anyone else touching Yeon-ho, but him touching Yeon-ho was an even bigger problem.

It was Tony who belatedly noticed this. Tony scanned Marteo with pitying eyes.

‘Being young is… a difficult thing.’

The sympathy was fully readable even without sound. Marteo glared at Tony, and only then did Tony pretend not to notice and bowed politely with a composed posture.

“Then, please have a safe trip, both of you.”

The expression “be careful” was, as expected, meaningful. Marteo, his cheeks twitching, slammed the car door shut with a rough hand. Yeon-ho turned to look at Marteo, who didn’t even have time to return the greeting, but this time Marteo avoided his gaze.

‘What’s really wrong with him?’

While he was wondering, the car, leaving Tony behind, began to exit the garden. As they passed through the gate, Marteo took out his tablet PC.

He couldn’t like the face that was sitting far away from him and focused only on the screen. Nevertheless, Yeon-ho tried to suppress his feelings and moved his lips first after a while.

“Um… how long does it take to get to the main house?”

“It will take about two hours.”

“That’s longer than I thought.”

“……”

“By the way, are you working now?”

“Yes.”

“Is it something urgent?”

“Yes.”

“Company work?”

“……”

Judging from the lack of an answer, it didn’t seem to be. But he didn’t seem to have any intention of putting down the tablet.

Is he going to be like that for the whole two hours?

Even when our mood was at its worst, he had never ignored me this much… It seemed useless to say anything more.

‘I wish I would get carsick.’

Yeon-ho, glaring at the tablet with a wish, eventually closed his mouth as well. His gaze naturally turned to the outside.

Almost tens of minutes passed like that. Another noise intruded into the space where only the sound of rain hitting the car was loud.

It was Yeon-ho’s phone. Yeon-ho frowned as he rummaged through his pocket and checked the caller.

Do Seo-jin. The reason was obvious anyway, and he turned the call to voicemail. In that instant, he felt a stinging gaze on his profile.

The man, who seemed like he wouldn’t even look at him until he reached his destination, was staring intently at him. To be exact, at the phone screen that was already off.

At the somewhat low and dark gaze, his mouth fell open without him realizing it.

“It’s my sister’s call…”

“……”

“I’m just annoyed.”

Why am I making excuses after saying that? But the thought didn’t last long. It was because Marteo turned his head again with an indifferent face.

“It doesn’t matter. Whose phone it is.”

Following yesterday, he said it didn’t matter again. At this point, embarrassment wasn’t the problem. Even if my mistake was big, still. What’s with this attitude like flipping a palm overnight? Why are you taking someone who doesn’t matter to the main house!

Tony’s farewell greeting now seemed very appropriate.

He would have to be very careful not to grab Marteo by the collar and shake him during the trip.

♥ ♥ ♥

The air inside the car had been cold and stiff for nearly two hours. The uncomfortable atmosphere from before departure was not resolved even with the long journey.

How much further do we have to go like this? He was so restless that a spider web would be strung on his constantly closed mouth.

“Are we still far?”

Yeon-ho, who couldn’t stand it any longer, finally opened his mouth after a long silence.

“We’re almost there.”

Marteo replied without even making eye contact. But there were still no buildings in sight.

The Rolls Royce, which had left the main road a while ago, was instead driving on a winding, narrow road.

There’s a house in a place like this? It was when he was starting to doubt. A steel gate, placed incongruously in front of the road, came into view.

There was no one guarding it, but on top of the gate was a stone decoration in the same shape as the Averto seal that was engraved on the marriage proposal. Next to it were also a sensor and CCTV to detect vehicles.

Only then did Yeon-ho realize that the road they had been driving on for a long time was all Averto’s private property.

As he turned around without realizing it, the car passed through the gate and entered.

He thought that the road leading to the mansion would lead directly to a wide garden or a well-maintained site, but from here, the forest became even denser.

The car continued to climb along the winding hillside. The dense trees eventually covered the car windows.

‘Is there really a mansion here?’

The road winding around the mountainside didn’t seem to lead to a residential area at all.

After a long time, the view beyond the forest path finally opened up. Yeon-ho turned his head reflexively, and then a sigh burst out of his mouth.

What was visible through the gaps where the raindrops clinging to the car window were flowing down was not a mansion but a castle.

The majestic and imposing ancient castle, standing on the hilltop of Bracciano and carrying dark clouds, looked like a giant raptor crouching with its wings folded.

The towering towers and thick stone walls, the windows facing the gate like eyes, and the raindrops falling on the ramparts scraped the earth like sharp claws.

This was not just a residential area, but the fortress itself where the Eagle family, passed down through generations, looked down on the world.

As the car stopped in front of the fortress, the sound of the rain became louder instead of the fading engine noise.

The driver, who got out first, held up an umbrella and approached the back door. Marteo, who took the umbrella he offered, tilted the umbrella towards Yeon-ho as if it were natural this time as well.

He wondered if Marteo’s already dry shoulder would get wet again, but there was no time to say anything. It was because a man appeared through the open side door of the castle.

A black uniform tailored like a knife, hair combed back without a single strand out of place. The wrinkled face, showing the passage of time, was stern, and the thinly closed lips had no hint of a smile. He seemed to be the butler here.

He narrowed the distance to the front of the car with a gait as disciplined as his image, glanced briefly at Yeon-ho, who was being escorted by Marteo, but bowed to Marteo without any particular change in emotion.

“It’s been a while, Marteo.”

A bow as if measured with a ruler. He was suddenly reminded of when he first met Tony. The polite attitude was similar to Tony’s, but there was no sense of affection in his tone or eyes. It was no different for Marteo.

Marteo, who replaced the answer with a short nod, took a step with the tilted umbrella instead of introducing the man.

Then, after entering the castle where the rain didn’t reach, he stepped away from Yeon-ho.

As a result, the cold air seeping out from the depths of the stone walls was felt even more clearly. Yeon-ho, who tried to straighten his shoulders that were trying to curl inward, rolled his eyes and looked around.

The long, long corridor leading from the entrance to the hall and the endlessly high arched ceiling. The chandeliers lined up above his head were gorgeous, but they couldn’t fill the entire huge space, casting deep shadows everywhere.

The sound of echoing footsteps with each step he took strangely stimulated his nerves.

In particular, portraits of what appeared to be past heads of the family were hanging on the walls of the corridor, and their gazes, as if they had been arranged, were all fierce and sharp. Just like eagles aiming for prey.

It felt like he was voluntarily crawling into the jaws of a beast. Anima Morpheus, who were herbivores, would have felt chills down their spines just passing through this road.

Perhaps they deliberately displayed something like this at the entrance, aiming for such an effect.

As his thoughts reached this point, his mouth suddenly felt bitter.

In such a majestic, solemn, and equally authoritarian and imposing atmosphere, was this where that guy spent his childhood?

It was when his gaze naturally turned to Marteo’s profile, who was walking about half a step away.

“It’s definitely true. I told you I’d be right, didn’t I?”

At the end of the corridor, along with a loud voice, the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from inside the hall was heard.

Yeon-ho, startled, stopped walking. And his eyes widened at the face that soon appeared.

‘Fabio?’

Ah… Come to think of it, that guy said he lived at the main house, right?

He was not a pleasant person to recall their first meeting, but rather, the strength in his shoulders was relieved. A frivolous attitude without any dignity. It was because the cold atmosphere had subsided somewhat.

Fabio also found this side. He raised his eyebrows as he alternated between Marteo and Yeon-ho. Then he burst out laughing.

“Wow, it’s a chicken after all? See? I told you I’d be right?”

He didn’t know what he was talking about, but he knew it wasn’t a greeting. Above all, the person he was talking to was neither Yeon-ho nor Marteo.

Within a few seconds, someone else appeared behind Fabio. Dark brown hair. A high nose and deep eye sockets. Even though it was his first time seeing him, he could easily tell who he was at a glance as a typical Western handsome man.

This man is… Lorenzo. The eldest son of this house.

He looked quite similar to Fabio, but the atmosphere was completely different.

He narrowed his eyes at Fabio, who was giggling alone, and spat out one word, “Fabio.”

Fabio shrugged his shoulders with a sullen face, but even so, the laughter quickly subsided, so it seemed that Fabio’s position was not very high here either. Meanwhile, the man who controlled Fabio turned to look at Marteo.

“It’s been a while. Aren’t you going to greet your brother?”

“I didn’t know you would be here either.”

“The eldest son can’t be left out of family matters.”

“……”

“More than that, where are the other companions?”

Judging from the atmosphere, it seemed like he had asked something, but Marteo didn’t open his mouth. Lorenzo clicked his tongue and glanced at the butler this time.

“Enrico.”

“This is the only companion.”

“Why are you even asking? I told you I’d only bring this guy?”

Lorenzo frowned once more at Fabio’s interruption, and Fabio approached Yeon-ho.

“We meet again? I don’t know if I should say I’m glad to see you again.”

It was said in English. Yeon-ho looked up at Marteo. He was reminded of the day he first met Fabio, when he had heard a lot of complaints about speaking informally.

‘But… it’s still unfair for only me to use honorifics in this situation…’

While he was worrying about something that didn’t pay off, Fabio frowned.

“What’s wrong? Why don’t you answer? Don’t tell me you can’t even speak English now?”

What the fuck, you little shit.

“Come to think of it, the atmosphere is a bit different today? Why are you so docile?”

Not only was his face brought closer, but his gaze was also caressing his body like he was licking it. Yeon-ho, who couldn’t stand it, was finally about to open his mouth.

Suddenly, Marteo pulled Yeon-ho’s body back. And the low voice that cut through his teeth.

“Get your eyes off.”

“…What?”

“I said turn your eyes away.”

Even Yeon-ho, who didn’t understand Italian, flinched. Not only the butler, who had no change in expression until now, but even Lorenzo couldn’t hide his surprise. Among them, the most dramatic change was Fabio’s.

Fabio’s face, which had been frozen for a few seconds, quickly heated up.

“What did you just say? Eyes what…?”

“……”

“I’ve been watching you, but this bastard is really!”

It was a bonus that the hand that reached out as if to rush at him grabbed Marteo’s collar. But Marteo immediately snatched the wrist of Fabio, who was holding onto his collar, and simply bent that hand behind his back.

“Ah!” Fabio’s pathetic scream echoed through the high ceiling. Words presumed to be curses followed noisily. Nevertheless, Marteo did not release the strength in his hand. Lorenzo also didn’t seem to have any intention of helping his brother.

Am I going to have to pay damages like this? How should I stop them? Yeon-ho was inwardly worried.

“What are you doing!”

A cold and clear voice newly shook the air. The first to flinch was Fabio, who was screaming.

Fabio, still with one arm bent behind his back, raised his head in an awkward posture.

“Mother…”

The pronunciation of ‘mother’ has similar aspects everywhere. But even if that wasn’t the case, it seemed easy to know who she was.

She must have been over 50, but her beauty was as if time had passed her by. Clothes that had been touched by others from head to toe. Above all, the butler’s attitude of immediately bowing at her appearance left nothing more to see.

Fabio and Lorenzo’s mother. Sergio’s second wife.

She glanced at her son, who was mumbling and calling her, narrowed her eyes, and took the remaining steps.

Marteo finally threw Fabio’s arm away as if throwing away trash. Fabio, who lost his balance and staggered, glared at Marteo again, but Marteo’s opponent was no longer him.

“It’s been a while.”

“Yes… it’s been almost a year.”

“You look healthy.”

“It must be thanks to your concern.”

This must be quite sincere. It must mean that her condition was good because she hadn’t seen your face for a year. She scanned Marteo and changed the subject.

“But what is this commotion? It seems like a harsh greeting.”

“This bastard suddenly started a fight! Did you hear that, brother? He told me to turn my eyes away!”

Fabio, huffing and puffing, pointed at Marteo as if he was tattling. She, who was tired of his foolishness for not being able to hide his feelings, raised her lips against her will. Then she turned to look at Yeon-ho this time.

“You must be Do Yeon-ho. I heard about you from Fabio before. I showed an undignified appearance in front of the guest. I apologize on his behalf for startling you.”

It was fluent English. As she said, she must have heard from Fabio that he couldn’t speak this language.

Fabio snorted once more at her apology.

“I should be the one receiving the apology! Look. There are handprints left here. This bastard twisted my arm!”

“Fabio. Lower your voice.”

“Mother!”

“I never taught you that. Don’t tarnish the Averto name with your foolish actions.”

Fabio’s face becomes even more distorted with injustice. But in a short time, Yeon-ho noticed. It wasn’t that she didn’t know the situation before and after that she was doing this.

When she talked about dignity, when she mentioned teachings and tarnishing, the place where her gaze subtly turned was actually towards Marteo, not Fabio.

If raising his voice was a foolish act, what kind of act was twisting his arm?

Even though she seemed to be scolding her son at first glance, she was targeting Marteo’s attitude. Seeing this, he could understand why Lorenzo didn’t help his brother.

Fabio getting hurt was a later problem. He must have known that Marteo’s extremely rough actions were not beneficial in a place where the butler was also present.

…They were quite a similar mother and son.

If it’s going to be like this, there’s nothing I can’t do the same. Yeon-ho finally pulled up his lips in response.

“Thank you for your concern. But you don’t have to worry. I wasn’t particularly surprised.”

“…Yes?”

“As you seem to know, as you said, I met your second son before. He seems to have a very straightforward and honest personality… Depending on the situation, he can grab his younger brother by the collar and swear. I don’t think that’s so undignified.”

“See!”

Fabio’s face brightened like a fool, thinking Yeon-ho was taking his side. On the other hand, the expressions of the others became strange.

Didn’t this just mean that Fabio laid hands on him and swore first?

Considering the ‘situation,’ it also means that Marteo didn’t do anything undignified by twisting his arm.

Caterina’s expression becomes even more displeased at Yeon-ho, who is winking and even smiling.

She thought he was a useless chicken and looked down on him… but his actions are quite seasoned.

However, Caterina is also a person who pushed out the original wife and came to this position. She quickly composed herself and smiled again.

“I’m relieved to hear you say that. Actually, as a mother, I was curious about what kind of person you were, since you had a blind date with my child, and I was worried about this and that….”

“Worried…?”

“I don’t know if I should say this, but we only found out later that you sent a marriage proposal to our house….”

She deliberately trailed off, then glanced at Marteo with a worried look this time.

“I know he’s been very independent since he was young… but marriage is another matter, isn’t it? I can’t help but worry that he might make poor decisions if he decides everything alone…. As parents, we couldn’t help but worry.”

A knife under her tongue. By our standards, your house was never a consideration, a subtle pressure that our approval is needed for this marriage to happen.

But even after understanding the words that touched his pride, Yeon-ho nodded as if agreeing. And he put on an even brighter smile than before.

“I understand. Especially in Marteo’s case, you must have been even more so.”

“…Yes?”

“After all, considering the legitimacy of the family, isn’t Marteo the most legitimate heir of this house? I think it’s only natural that your parents are worried in many ways.”

“……!”

The wink he gave earlier was nothing compared to this. Talking about legitimacy in front of the woman who didn’t give birth to him. If Caterina’s words were words hiding a knife, Yeon-ho’s words just now contained a thick bone that couldn’t be cut even with a knife.

It goes without saying that Caterina’s cheeks, which had barely regained their smile, trembled slightly, and everyone’s eyebrows were raised.

Nevertheless, Yeon-ho’s expression, still feigning ignorance, remains unchanged. Finally, as if to settle the situation, the butler cleared his throat and quickly turned to Caterina.

“First, let me escort you inside. The master is waiting.”

“…….”

“Let’s go.”

His gaze, which then turned to Yeon-ho, was somewhat different from the beginning. A little curiosity and added reverence.

Marteo bites his lip tightly.

Tony, and Fabio too, and now he’s charmed another person….

He regretted bringing Yeon-ho to the main house for the first time.

♥ ♥ ♥

Deep inside the castle. After walking a long way down a corridor that turned at a right angle past the hall, the butler stopped.

In front of them was a wooden door that looked quite thick at a glance. Marteo glanced at Yeon-ho and spoke in a low voice.

“You can wait.”

“……?”

“You can just stay here if you don’t want to.”

He had already met his half-brothers and stepmother… Now there was only one person left.

The owner of this castle and the current head of Averto. Marteo’s father. In a way, he’s the most important person in this house… What on earth is he talking about?

While Yeon-ho frowned at the words he couldn’t readily understand, the butler turned around. Yeon-ho, erasing his doubts, straightened his posture.

“It’s okay. What now.”

“…….”

“Please tell him I’m here.”

Marteo’s lips moved as if he had something more to say, but in the end, it was a small sigh that parted his lips.

When Marteo also straightened his posture, the butler knocked on the door knocker. There was no answer, but he pulled open the closed door.

Marteo went ahead, and Yeon-ho followed. The sound of the door closing again behind them echoed, but there was no time to look back.

As soon as they crossed the threshold of the door, a chilling current enveloped their skin. The stinging pheromone was definitely the presence of a bird of prey.

Yeon-ho’s head immediately turned to one point. Then, without having to search, he met a man’s eyes.

The upper seat of a sofa that resembled a throne. The man, who had been deeply buried in the sofa, slowly straightened his back and looked at them intently.

It was the same color as Marteo’s right eye. But the eyes, which felt no warmth at all, were not the sun, but a mineral gold nugget.

The long fingertips resting on the armrest of the sofa, and the impeccably arranged attire, were far more sharp than elegant.

Many parts resembled Marteo, but at the same time, the atmosphere was clearly different. It was Sergio Avvertone.

Marteo, like Yeon-ho, turned to look at his father and stopped in front of the sofa. After slowly scanning his son, who greeted him with a brief nod, he finally moved his lips.

“You’re later than expected.”

“…….”

“I didn’t expect you to be 40 minutes late.”

The voice, which was not only Italian but also did not have a large range, was not easy to distinguish whether it was a question or a statement. But one thing was clear.

He wasn’t in a very good mood.

But Marteo ignored what Yeon-ho could see.

“Speak in English if you’re going to say something.”

“……What?”

“You must have already heard that this person can’t speak our language.”

Sergio’s eyebrows twitched slightly. It was still not a good sign. Yeon-ho, who bit his tongue in his mouth, finally took a step forward.

“Excuse me. I apologize for not being able to greet you in my native language because I am not fluent in this language.”

“…….”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Do Yeon-ho.”

Yeon-ho’s timely greeting was a pair to defend Marteo’s rudeness earlier. He had to be able to communicate in order to give such a greeting. It was just that meaning.

Fortunately, whether the intention was conveyed or not, Sergio’s expression began to soften somewhat.

But the reward was short-lived. The next moment, Marteo grabbed Yeon-ho’s wrist and sat him down in the empty seat.

Yeon-ho, rarely embarrassed by the blatant rudeness committed before the host even offered a seat, quickly turned to Marteo. But Marteo still didn’t seem to want to change his attitude.

“Excuse me. I thought you weren’t offering a seat while making people stand.”

Suddenly, Marteo was reminded of the day he met his sisters. The time when he forcibly sat Seo-hee, who was about to leave.

‘Do Seo-hee… must have felt like this….’

It was uncomfortable. Especially what was uncomfortable was Marteo’s grip, which didn’t let go of his hand even after he sat down.

If his eyebrows only twitched a moment ago, now vertical lines had formed on Sergio’s forehead as he looked down at their intertwined hands.

But it was obvious that it would be much stranger to argue about letting go of his hand at this point.

‘Okay. I don’t know either…. It’s not like I grabbed it, right?’

Yeon-ho gave up quickly. He was second to none when it came to being shameless. As if he didn’t have a hand being held, Yeon-ho turned to Sergio. Then, just as he was about to force a smile on his face at the eyes he met again,

Strong force was transmitted once again through the hand being held. Marteo’s expression was not good. His face was full of dissatisfaction.

But what was stranger than anything else was the fact that Sergio, who was looking at him, burst into laughter. Then he slowly raised his chin.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this.”

“…….”

“…More than that, what about the other young ladies.”

“What young ladies are you talking about?”

“The guests invited to your house. I definitely told you to bring them together.”

“Well, I only invited this person to my house.”

“…Marteo.”

“If you’re so curious, why don’t you call them yourself? They’re probably packing their bags to go back to their own homes by now.”

It wasn’t Sergio who was surprised by Marteo’s reply, but Yeon-ho. But there was no time to ask anything. Because Sergio’s face had hardened more sternly than ever before.

“You’re acting quite selfishly.”

“…….”

“You must know why I sent those young ladies to your house.”

“I know you were taken in by Lorenzo’s trick.”

“It’s a family tradition.”

“It’s a tradition that’s already been cut off.”

“That’s why it’s more meaningful to you. I thought you’d have the brains to use it, no matter what Lorenzo was thinking… Did I misjudge you?”

Yeon-ho repeatedly hesitated. The voice had a subtle bitterness that was more than just a reprimand. He was about to check Sergio’s expression without realizing it.

Knock, knock, knock. The sound of knocking was heard. Caterina entered after a pause. Lorenzo and Fabio were also with her.

As Sergio turned his frowning gaze as if asking what was going on, she put on a smile.

“I brought tea. It seemed like there was an empty seat with a guest.”

At her nod, the maid outside the door brought in a tray cart.

Of course, it was obviously an excuse. If she was just going to deliver tea, there was no need to bring her sons along like this.

But Caterina took the lead before he could point it out.

“Also, I didn’t get a chance to properly greet the guest earlier. We might become family in the future.”

At the same time, Yeon-ho realized for sure.

Sergio, who doesn’t welcome him, and Caterina, who is friendly on the outside no matter what she’s thinking on the inside. What the gap between the two couples means.

As expected, Sergio, with a face that wasn’t very pleased, spat out in a cold voice.

“…Family. It’s too early to say that.”

“Honey.”

“We’ll greet each other later. We’re still talking.”

It was a sign to leave. But it was Marteo who stopped him, unexpectedly.

“There’s no need for that. It’s a story that doesn’t need to be long.”

“Marteo.”

“Whatever you thought of me, I don’t need it either.”

“…What?”

“I told you clearly before, but since you seem to have forgotten, I’ll say it again now. Whether it’s marriage or whatever, I’ll take care of my own problems. So don’t anyone think about getting involved in this.”

It goes without saying that ‘anyone’ includes Sergio. At this point, he was going all the way.

Sergio began to glare at Marteo with a face that had hardened more than ever before.

“…Then why did you come here?”

“…….”

“I thought you brought this friend to get my permission.”

I agree. Honestly, Yeon-ho isn’t stupid, and when he heard that they were going to the main house together, the first thing that came to his mind was this.

The head of the family. Getting Sergio’s approval for the marriage.

So he chose the most modest clothes he could find… But far from looking good, he’s been butting heads from the start.

Even Yeon-ho turned to Marteo with a face asking for an answer. At that moment, Marteo laughed.

“You must be mistaken.”

“Mistaken?”

“I have no intention of getting permission. The reason I brought this person here is… simply because I can’t take my eyes off him.”

It didn’t even take 0.1 seconds for a dumbfounded look to spread across everyone’s faces. Then, eyes poured down on Yeon-ho’s hand, which was still being held by Marteo.

‘See? I told you he’s completely crazy?’

Fabio clicked his tongue with a disgusted look. But the person with the stiffest neck was none other than Yeon-ho.

He can’t take his eyes off this person. The others seem to have taken this as a pretty romantic statement, but Yeon-ho didn’t feel that way. This was just surveillance. The same as what he experienced on the day he took the flight to Italy.

Yeon-ho’s face was subtly burning in many ways, feeling like a troublemaking child. After a while, Sergio, who had barely regained his expression, spat out in a rough voice again.

“So. You’re going to get married without my permission…?”

“…….”

“Do you think the same?”

It was also the first time he had spoken to Yeon-ho. Yeon-ho, who had hesitated, quickly straightened his posture.

What kind of answer would ease his mood even a little? Usually in dramas, the answer is ‘I’ll wait until Father’s permission is granted’…… But he was confused about whether he should say ‘Father’ here, or ‘Mr. Sergio,’ even the smallest word was complicated in his head.

But as a result, there was no need to worry. Because Marteo cut off the answer before Yeon-ho could even open his mouth.

“You keep forgetting. I clearly said ‘anyone.’”

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter what this person thinks or what he feels. Because nothing will change anyway.”

“Marteo.”

“I will definitely marry this person within this year.”

Yeon-ho’s eyes widened greatly at the words that were like a wedge driven in to the end.

But this was different from embarrassment. Rather, it felt like the inside of his chest, which had been constricted, was released with a thud.

─Anyway, your heart doesn’t matter.

─It doesn’t matter. Anyone’s call.

That’s… that’s what those words meant…….

It’s an absurd coercion and a power that ignores even basic intentions.

Nevertheless, what newly filled his melting heart was overwhelming relief.

The only problem was that his lips kept trying to rise, forgetting the time.

Yeon-ho desperately bit his tongue. If he burst out laughing at this point, everyone would think he was crazy.

Then,

“Honey….”

Caterina, who approached Sergio with a fluttering voice, placed her hand on his shoulder as if to use it. Then she looked at Marteo with a very benevolent expression.

“That’s enough. Marteo is going this far, so as parents, we need to step back. Besides, wouldn’t it be okay to let at least one of our children live as they please, regardless of the family?”

What…?

Yeon-ho’s lips, which had been trying so hard not to go down, stopped at this point. It sounds like she’s taking his side, but of course that can’t be the case. No, it’s different. Caterina’s eyes were already full of sparkling anticipation.

This time, she began to scan her own sons.

“As you know, Lorenzo is the kind of child who never goes against your wishes, and Fabio is about to marry into the Rugero family…. How can all your sons be to your liking? Frankly, isn’t this enough greed for children? So please let Marteo do what he wants.”

Sergio’s lips, which had been tightly closed for a long time, finally parted as if twisted.

“Do what he wants…. Do you really want that?”

“…….”

“I’m asking if you want to live as you please, regardless of this house and family.”

Yeon-ho, who swallowed hard, quickly turned to Marteo. The arsenic in his eyes didn’t seem to be going in a good direction no matter how he looked at it. And the prediction was correct.

“It wouldn’t be bad.”

‘……!’

“As she said, Father has two more sons.”

The expression ‘she’ used instead of the title ‘mother’ was intentional rudeness. But Caterina’s face was more radiant than ever.

The guy who had been stuck in her eyes and tongue like a thorn for decades was getting out on his own, so what did she care about this title!

It was an expression that couldn’t hide her feelings, as if she had broken a long silence. On the other hand, Yeon-ho’s head was dizzy. Even if he was endlessly happy with Marteo’s heart that wanted him this much, that was that, and this was this.

He thought he had escaped the melodrama a little. Why does he have to be in a position where he ruins a man’s life? More than anything, he can’t stand the sight of someone else, especially those nasty people, taking the rice cake he threw away!

Finally, Yeon-ho leaned his upper body forward. He was about to call out ‘Mr. Sergio!’ without worrying about this or that anymore and tell him to wait a moment.

But Marteo was one step ahead of Yeon-ho this time as well. He smiled and turned to Caterina, and he also let out a snort.

“Well… I don’t know if those two will be to Father’s liking either.”

At the meaningful words, not only Yeon-ho but even Caterina hesitated.

“What do you mean? What is it?”

And it was almost at the same time. The loud vibration sound began to ring out between the moments of silence.

The source of the sound was Sergio’s cell phone on the side table. Who’s interrupting at a time like this! Her eyes, which had been stabbing at Marteo, checked the screen before Sergio did.

But the face, which had been floating with a slight displeasure, quickly cleared after confirming the name. It was also a bonus that she raised her voice as if to let Marteo hear.

“It’s Mr. Rugero~.”

Rugero. It was the family that Fabio was said to be in talks with for marriage.

“I was going to have a meal with that family’s wife anyway. It might be about that.”

“…….”

“Answer it.”

Indignant, Caterina even picked up the phone herself and thrust it at Sergio. Her attitude of not even asking for understanding in front of a guest was, again, clearly meant to provoke Marteo. Sergio frowned briefly but didn’t refuse the phone.

However, the truly unexpected thing happened after that.

「Che cosa sta accadendo qui, di grazia!」

No sooner had he pressed the button than a rapid, agitated voice, loud enough for Yeon-ho to hear across the room, burst out.

Sergio frowned and paused before switching the phone to his other hand.

“Slow down, please.”

「How can I speak slowly at a time like this! What are you going to do? What a disgrace!」

Needless to say, Caterina, who had offered the phone, and the others wore equally clueless expressions. Except for one person. Marteo’s expression remained unchanged.

The moment he realized, Sergio’s gaze flew towards Marteo.

“I understand, so first… let’s talk again later.”

With those words, chewed out between his teeth, he hung up. Caterina, faltering, forced a smile and raised her voice.

“What’s wrong? What did Rugero say…?”

Despite her anxious tone, Sergio’s gaze remained fixed on Marteo. However, the name that escaped his lips wasn’t Marteo’s.

“Fabio.”

“…Yes?”

Fabio, who had been playing the role of a spectator until now, jumped. It was understandable. Even Yeon-ho could tell that Sergio’s voice was as cold as ice.

Fabio, looking around nervously, cautiously approached.

“F…Father?”

It was a stark contrast to Marteo, who seemed unfazed by the sharp gaze. Sergio’s lips twisted.

“What have you been up to?”

“What… what do you mean? What have I done…?”

“Yes, what’s going on? What did Rugero say? How can he answer if he doesn’t know what’s happening?”

Caterina couldn’t stand it any longer and stepped between them again.

Finally, Sergio’s gaze shifted from Marteo and landed squarely on Fabio. His expression was one of utter contempt, as if looking at something pathetic.

“Rugero’s side wants to reconsider you.”

“…Reconsider… what?”

“You idiot. They’re saying they want to call off the marriage!”

“Wh, what does that mean…?”

“I knew you were dense, but I didn’t think you’d be swayed by a barmaid. What did you do to have to buy her silence with money? I hear she even opened a shop with the money you gave her and is going around selling your name. Saying Averto is backing her!”

“That’s absurd! Who on earth is saying such things…!”

Fabio, who had shouted reflexively, stopped. Then, with wide eyes, he turned to look at Marteo. Sadly, Yeon-ho was no different.

He remembered Marteo examining something in the car on the way here and sending messages to someone. The suspicion was the same for everyone, it seemed.

Meanwhile, Sergio waved his hand and summoned the butler. He spoke briefly, and the butler immediately nodded and brought a tablet from the desk.

After a few taps, Sergio confirmed something and threw it at Fabio’s chest. Fabio groaned briefly from the blunt pain, but even then, he hurriedly checked the screen.

“When did this… how could this…?”

His widened pupils clearly showed his bewilderment. Then, with clenched teeth, he finally turned his agitated voice towards Marteo.

“You, this is your doing! You snitched to Rugero!”

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play innocent! Who else would do something like this if not you!”

“Well… it seems you’ve been doing things worth snitching about, haven’t you?”

“What did you say? You bastard!”

Sergio was watching, but he seemed to have lost all reason. Caterina’s head throbbed at the outburst of profanity. She raised her voice.

“Fabio! Can’t you shut your mouth?”

“Mother!”

“Calm down. And… you too. Listening only to Rugero and scolding the boy like this. Shouldn’t you listen to Fabio first? There might be some misunderstanding on their side…”

“Misunderstanding? Do you think Rugero is so bold as to yell at me without any basis?”

Caterina’s lips curled inward, unable to find an answer. At that moment, Lorenzo, who had been observing the situation, spoke quietly.

“As Father said, Rugero isn’t someone who would act rashly. That’s probably why he’s been hesitant about the wedding even after the engagement.”

Fabio, forgetting the occasion, flared up at that.

“What do you mean? Are you saying Rugero has been sizing me up?”

“…….”

“The wedding was postponed because Lavinia hasn’t graduated yet!”

“It’s a pity if you really thought that.”

“…What?”

Lorenzo, after snapping at Fabio, snatched the tablet from his brother’s hand instead of replying. Then, he frowned slightly as if looking at something dirty.

“This probably isn’t everything. What exactly did he say? If he was loud enough to Father, he must have had something to believe in, as you said.”

Sergio glanced at his eldest son, and a cold tone flowed from his lips.

“It seems the gossip rags caught a whiff of something. One of their employees seems to have had a connection with Rugero. Since they couldn’t be bought off, they’re going to cut Fabio off before they’re disgraced together.”

Fabio’s face, which had been faltering, contorted even more. On the other hand, Lorenzo wore a look of clean understanding.

“In that case, we should prepare as well. Let’s have Fabio step down from company affairs from now on. …It wouldn’t be good for the company’s image if the article really comes out.”

“Brother! What are you saying? Are you telling me you’re going to push me out like this?”

Finally, Fabio’s voice rose roughly. Even Yeon-ho, who didn’t understand the details, could see that Fabio’s anger was now clearly directed at Lorenzo.

Lorenzo turned to look at Fabio with a frown.

“Don’t you realize that your immature behavior has brought shame to Father? If you’ve done something wrong, you should take responsibility.”

“……!”

“I’ll go and apologize to Rugero’s side. I’ll only get angrier if I see that guy. Anyway, it’s also my responsibility for not leading my brother properly.”

“Brother!”

It was when Fabio’s voice rose once more that Caterina, who had been alternating between the two as quickly as Yeon-ho, suddenly changed the mood.

“Oh dear, why do you all cause me so much trouble….”

Lorenzo quickly put his arm around her shoulders as she swayed, clutching her forehead. She buried her head in her son’s arms as if she had been waiting for it.

“I’m so upset, I can’t live like this….”

“Mother….”

“You’re the only one I can trust, Enzo…. What would I have done without you? I’m always relying on you like this….”

“It’s alright. It’s only natural as the eldest son of this house.”

The atmosphere was read once more. The eldest son’s quickness to seize his brother’s crisis as an opportunity, and the mother’s ruthless calculation that went along with it. They had now cut off Fabio.

Sure enough, Fabio’s face turned a deep shade of red. His wide eyes, as if he couldn’t believe it, were even somewhat pitiful.

But what was important now wasn’t Fabio to Yeon-ho.

Yeon-ho looked at Marteo once more, at Lorenzo, who seemed to be gaining the upper hand in the situation. Of course, Caterina, who was embraced by Lorenzo, was the same.

So what if Fabio was disliked? I have another son who is so reliable. That was the look in her eyes.

At that moment, Marteo, who had been tilting his head, began to move his lips, which had been closed all along.

“It’s only natural as the eldest son…. Well, Lorenzo does take care of many things. Especially recently, he seems to be on frequent business trips.”

“……What?”

Caterina wore an uncomprehending expression. Without rushing, Marteo pretended to recall.

“Turin, Genoa, and where was the most recent one? Ah, was it Palermo…?”

It was hard for Yeon-ho to understand. Why would he praise Lorenzo at a time like this?

However, the answer to the question was unexpectedly found in Sergio. Every time Marteo recited a place name, his eyebrows twitched, and by the end, he turned to look at Lorenzo as if creating a gust of wind.

Lorenzo’s Adam’s apple bobbed for a moment. His complexion also noticeably hardened. Meanwhile, Marteo tapped his temple as if he had remembered one more thing.

“Oh… come to think of it, there was a great-uncle in Palermo…. I suddenly wonder. I wonder if my uncle and great-uncle are doing well. Lorenzo, do you know anything?”

It was a plain tone, but by this point, it was difficult for Yeon-ho not to notice. The people Marteo had mentioned were related to the place names mentioned earlier, and especially to Sergio, they were unwelcome presences.

As expected, Sergio’s face had turned even darker than when he had received Rugero’s call. Even the veins on his clenched fist were bulging.

To Marteo, the great-uncle was Sergio’s younger brother. The one who had competed the most fiercely until Sergio had officially completed his succession as heir.

And the great-uncle who had supported him, not Sergio, was the first to question the qualifications of the head of the family when Sergio had no heir. Saying that they should change masters even now.

After Lorenzo was born, Sergio was the first to exclude those who had opposed him from the front lines. He cut off their hands and feet and drove them to remote areas.

It was the same on this side, but they would not have good feelings towards Sergio either.

As his thoughts continued, Lorenzo, who had hastily released his mother’s shoulder, opened his mouth quickly.

“It’s a coincidence. I only visited all three places for business purposes, there was no other reason.”

On the other hand, Sergio did not open his mouth. And instead of Sergio, it was unexpectedly Fabio who spoke.

“Business? Ha. Who would believe that? Is there any business that Father doesn’t know about?”

A twisted smile was evident on his face as he even snorted. It was the remnant of the betrayal he had suffered a little while ago. Lorenzo glared at his brother.

“Shut up. This isn’t a matter for you to presumptuously interfere in.”

But that was even more of a problem.

“Presumptuously? How am I so different from you, Brother? Now that I think about it, weren’t you the one who leaked my story to Rugero’s side? To exclude me from the company and take my share!”

“What nonsense are you talking about now!”

“Well? You once said that there isn’t only one way to inherit the position of successor.”

“Fabio!”

“I, who am lacking in talent, didn’t know what that meant… but after seeing your actions, I understand. If you receive the shares of the great-uncle and uncles, you thought it would be worth a try even without Father’s approval. From their point of view, seeing a father being backstabbed by his son would be quite amusing, wouldn’t it? Isn’t that right?”

Marteo’s eyebrows rose slightly.

He thought he was just a hopeless idiot, but he was surprisingly quick-witted. There are times when Fabio can be helpful. There was no need for him to say anything more.

Lorenzo’s cheeks trembled.

“…It’s slander. He’s acting like a child because I didn’t take his side earlier. Father, you know what kind of guy this is!”

“What kind of guy? What kind of guy am I! No, no matter what kind of guy I am, I’m not as bad as you, who’s trying to stab his parents in the back!”

“I told you to shut up!”

Finally, Lorenzo grabbed Fabio by the collar, and Fabio grabbed Lorenzo’s collar in return.

Caterina, terrified, finally stepped between her two sons.

“Can’t you stop? What are you doing in front of your father!”

The sight of the three people entangled was a sight to behold. And after much pushing and shoving, the tray was finally hit by someone’s elbow and crashed to the floor.

The three people, startled as if on cue, stopped moving only after the loud noise that split the ears.

The silence after the commotion was truly heavy. Even the employees who had to clean the floor immediately could not move rashly and only looked around.

Only Marteo’s expression was light. Marteo glanced at the broken teacup and then slowly rolled his eyes towards Sergio.

“I don’t know if it suited your taste.”

“…….”

“Ah, it was smashed before you could drink it, so you can’t know.”

Everyone knew that he wasn’t referring to the tea.

Sergio, who was still scanning his two sons who were frozen in place, opened his mouth in a low voice.

“Did you come here with this intention from the beginning? You were the one who got the story to Rugero?”

“I received an excessive gift as a homecoming present, so I thought I should return the favor.”

“…….”

“Well, the business is over, so we’ll get up now.”

Marteo grabbed Yeon-ho’s wrist as it was. Just like when he had made him sit down, Yeon-ho was helplessly pulled by the strong force and took a step as if being dragged, then suddenly turned around. Then his eyes widened.

What was in Sergio’s eyes as he looked at Marteo’s back wasn’t the anger he had guessed. It was a fleeting moment, but one corner of his mouth lifted upwards and quickly went down. It was a smile similar to Marteo’s, whom he didn’t think looked alike.

The moment he realized, he unknowingly put strength into his feet. Then, after shaking off Marteo’s hand, he approached Sergio again.

“…What is it.”

Sergio’s low, cold voice, glancing at Yeon-ho, made him wonder if the expression he had seen a moment ago was a delusion. Nevertheless, Yeon-ho cleared his throat.

“I remembered that I couldn’t answer the question you asked earlier.”

“…….”

“You asked if I had the same thoughts as Theon, your son, about marriage.”

“And.”

“If you’re still curious about my answer, I… am different from your son.”

“…….”

“I am……,”

It was when Yeon-ho was about to forcefully continue the remaining words. Marteo, who had chased after him a beat late, grabbed his wrist again. Then, with tightly closed lips, he forcibly began to drag Yeon-ho’s body again.

“Wa, wait a minute. We’re still talking!”

“It’s not necessary.”

“Theon!”

“Don’t say another word!”

He was more than calm when dealing with his father, but now he spat out the words with his emotions crushed. Now, no matter how hard he tried to give strength and resist, it was no longer of any use.

Just before being dragged out of the room almost like a piece of luggage, Yeon-ho looked back at Sergio again. And he witnessed it once more. This time, both corners of his mouth were clearly raised.

There was no mistake… that was, even after seeing it again, a pleased expression.

♥ ♥ ♥

Ignoring Yeon-ho’s words, asking where he was going and to let go, Marteo, who had been pulling his hand, finally stopped only after finally leaving the castle.

The rain that had been steadily falling had stopped at some point. But the dark clouds remained on Marteo’s face.

Yeon-ho, who was about to protest about the red handprint, finally closed his mouth. Then, he let out a short sigh at the end of his furrowed forehead.

“What are you doing coming out like this.”

“…….”

“Don’t do that and let’s go in. Let’s go in and talk to Father calmly again…….”

But the persuasion was cut off in the middle. Marteo glared at Yeon-ho outright.

“Calmly what? What are you talking about doing again.”

“Theon.”

“I have nothing more to say or hear.”

I should have laid him down and spanked him… Yeon-ho, who was equally angry at the stubbornly cut-off words, twisted his arm with all his might and pulled it out.

“Is it all over if you’re done?”

“…What?”

“Why are you making a fool of people? I couldn’t even say what I wanted to say because of you!”

Of course, it wasn’t a good choice. Because Yeon-ho’s voice, answering that he had different thoughts about marriage than him, was revived anew.

Marteo’s cheeks, with his teeth clenched tightly, were throbbing. Even though he knew it, Yeon-ho continued to say the remaining words.

“Besides, you too. Even now, your brothers will be doing everything they can to please Father. What are you doing? Frankly, you were the one who charged in first. Even if it were me, I wouldn’t say good things if my child came out like that! Do you really want to be the only one to be targeted?”

“…I would have answered. That it wouldn’t be bad.”

“Hey!”

“I have no intention of pleasing him! Because he’s not the kind of person who will change his mind with that kind of thing.”

This time, Yeon-ho bit his teeth. Then, he unknowingly muttered.

“That’s… you don’t know. How can you know everything about a person’s heart….”

Without going far, Yeon-ho himself did.

His grandmother, who happily handed over the marriage proposal with the excuse of a great-grandchild, Do Seo-jin, who raised his voice, saying that if he married Averto, his life would be better. Yeon-ho didn’t know about the worries hidden behind that for a long time.

Perhaps it was the same for Marteo.

Until he directly faced Sergio, Yeon-ho guessed that he was a heartless father who had no interest in Marteo.

He was a pathetic fellow who, infatuated with his new wife, had sent his young child to a remote land. But his attitude toward Caterina and the expression he wore at the end were different from what I had imagined.

Perhaps the reason he drove Marteo out was his own way of protecting a child with a different mother?

His unwelcoming attitude could also be interpreted in the opposite way to Fabio, who didn’t want things to go well between Marteo and Yeon-ho.

But before long, Marteo’s mouth twisted into another mocking laugh. Then, he gritted his teeth at Yeon-ho.

“I don’t care about what other people think. I don’t want to know, and I’m not curious.”

“Theon!”

“The only thing I’m curious about is you!”

“……”

“So, tell me honestly. What exactly do you want to say? What are you worried about?”

“……”

“You don’t like a man who might be kicked out of the family, a non-Averto?”

“Hey!”

“Or is it just… that you don’t like me?”

He had said repeatedly that he didn’t care about Yeon-ho’s feelings, that he didn’t care what he thought… but that couldn’t have been his true feelings.

Yeon-ho had told his father that he had different ideas from him, and he didn’t have the confidence to hear the rest of that sentence.

It was the same now.

His heart kept sinking at the sight of Yeon-ho’s face, wiping at his eyes, gasping for breath, trying to say something.

Before he could even think, his body turned away first. Without even knowing what he was doing, his feet kicked off the muddy ground.

A beat late, a surprised Yeon-ho raised his voice.

“Hey! Where are you going!”

Of course, Marteo didn’t know either. His insides were burning with misery, and his head was boiling as if it would explode. If he stayed like this, he felt like he would say harsh things to Yeon-ho like yesterday. He didn’t want to regret it all night again.

Knowing that Yeon-ho was chasing him, Marteo’s pace only quickened. Yeon-ho was almost running now.

“Wait! Hey, wait!”

The sound of splashing footsteps followed quickly, one after the other. And the feet finally led to the outskirts of the castle, to a narrow path in the back.

The weather was cloudy, and the trees were lush. It was more like a secluded forest than a simple walking path.

‘Is he really going to keep going like that!’

Yeon-ho bit his lip, already out of breath from chasing him for so long. Then, with a final shout of “Hey!” he lunged forward, reaching out to Marteo’s back.

But alas! Just before his fingertips touched, he felt the ground slip beneath his feet. The muddy path, softened by the heavy rain, finally caused an accident.

“Ugh!”

With a scream, his feet lifted into the air and his body tilted to the side. The moment he realized there was no turning back, Yeon-ho instinctively grabbed his stomach first. Because of that, he didn’t even have time to regain his balance.

His completely unbalanced body began to roll down the edge of the forest, the twisted boundary.

“Do Yeon-ho!”

A shout burst from Marteo’s mouth as he finally turned around. Only after that sound did Yeon-ho come to his senses and frantically reach out his arms.

Dirt crumbled endlessly between his outstretched fingers. Then, finally, a solid texture caught on his fingertips. It was a tree root that had been revealed through the broken soil.

Desperately clinging to it, Yeon-ho’s body barely stopped rolling. But the situation was still not good. Even now, dirt was falling around his body, and there was a cliff far below.

Yeon-ho’s eyebrows trembled as he looked back. His heart was still pounding loudly.

Meanwhile, another shout came from above.

“Do Yeon-ho! Are you okay?!”

When he looked up, he saw Marteo’s face, kneeling close to the upper boundary, not caring that his clothes were getting dirty. He looked twice as anxious as Yeon-ho, who was hanging on.

“Wait. I’ll come down now!”

The words were spoken without hesitation, but they were unrealistic.

“No!”

At the same time as the shout, the boundary of the ground Marteo was standing on crumbled a little more. It felt like the tree root Yeon-ho was holding onto was shaking.

Realizing this, Marteo bit back a curse through his clenched teeth. Then, this time, he leaned his body down as if lying on the ground and reached out his arm.

“Can you reach out your hand? Grab it!”

For now, pulling him up from above was the best option. Desperately catching his breath, Yeon-ho groped through the dirt and barely raised one hand.

After much difficulty, Marteo’s grip caught Yeon-ho’s wrist. But no matter how light he was, it was still the weight of an adult.

The ground he was standing on wasn’t solid either, so if he made a mistake, Marteo was likely to roll down as well. He didn’t care if he fell, but he had to avoid Yeon-ho getting hurt.

Marteo gritted his teeth, then raised his voice again with a flash in his eyes.

“It won’t work. Release your Anima!”

“…What?”

“Turn into a chicken!”

It was a good idea. It would be twice as easy to save a chicken than a person.

Yeon-ho knew that his words were the most reasonable. But Yeon-ho, hesitating, shook his head reflexively.

“N, no…”

“Do Yeon-ho!”

“I can’t be a chicken. I can’t transform…!”

Even now, the soft dirt around Yeon-ho was constantly crumbling, it was an incomprehensible stubbornness. Marteo, anxious to the point of burning inside, tried to calm his voice.

“No one’s watching. If you don’t like it, I’ll close my eyes too, so hurry up and release it.”

“I told you, I can’t! Just call someone.”

“Who am I going to call now? There’s no time!”

Marteo’s voice, which he had been trying to suppress, finally rose sharply. He sounded angrier than usual. But his face, still unable to take his eyes off Yeon-ho, was filled with an indescribable anxiety.

“Release it quickly!”

Finally, Marteo dropped the honorifics. Yeon-ho’s face also distorted. Then, faint words began to leak from between his lips.

“I don’t want to… What if something goes wrong…”

“What are you saying! Do you really want to see me go crazy!”

“……”

“What the hell could go wrong!”

Just listening to his voice, it sounded like he was ready to fight.

He felt wronged. This wasn’t what he intended… He had carefully chosen Sambera. Why did it have to end up like this?

But even he thought there was no other way. Finally, Yeon-ho squeezed his eyes shut and shouted back.

“The baby! What if something happens to the baby! If I turn into a chicken and it puts a strain on the baby, will you take responsibility?!”

…What?

“I have a baby in my belly!”

Wh…at… the…

The rain had stopped long ago, but it felt like thunder was crashing all around.

His ears were ringing, and his head was numb.

Yeon-ho, who had shouted loudly and belatedly bit his lip, opened his eyes.

And the moment his eyes met Marteo’s, who was still looking down, his body began to be pulled upward with all his might.

“Ugh!”

A groan burst out involuntarily. Marteo’s grip, twisting his wrist so as not to let go, was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was the kind of strength that could only be described as superhuman.

Soon, Yeon-ho’s upper body crossed the edge of the slope, pulled by Marteo. His knees touched the soft ground in the blink of an eye.

Once when he rolled, and once when he was pulled up, the clothes he had carefully put on were a mess, but it was nothing compared to the relief of stepping on solid ground.

Finally, Yeon-ho, who had completely climbed onto the path, gasped for breath.

But the moment was naturally not long.

Marteo, who had used up all his strength, grabbed him from the shoulder as soon as he caught his breath!

The two different-colored eyes that met again were both boiling.

Filled with countless emotions… Yeon-ho, feeling unnecessarily awkward, slightly averted his gaze. But Marteo would never allow that.

Strength was immediately applied to the shoulder he was holding. The knuckles of the fingers squeezing his shoulder were white.

The voice that came out haltingly, unlike him, was next.

“A… baby. What, a baby…?”

Yeon-ho bites his lip. But he couldn’t even last a few seconds, and seeing Marteo’s eyes shaking wildly, his heart collapsed rapidly.

What the situation was, when it would be okay… it was all bullshit. He was just scared.

What the man who said he didn’t need children would think of his pregnancy. Whether he would see even the slightest unpleasant expression…

But now he knew. That could never be the case.

A faint voice flowed from Yeon-ho’s lips, finally gathering his trembling breath.

“What baby. Of course, it’s your baby…”

“……What?”

“It’s you, it’s our baby!”

“……!”

Then, his voice rose again. There was no need to check his reaction. Before the words were even finished, his body was pulled into Marteo’s arms! Marteo’s arms, hugging Yeon-ho’s body tightly as if he would crush him, were trembling.

His forehead, repeatedly pressed against his shoulder, was the same. Yeon-ho, who almost made a sound, barely suppressed a groan.

It was a long time before he hesitantly wrapped his hands around the back of the man who was just hugging him without saying a word.

Marteo’s body flinched. As if he was scared. As if he was afraid that the hand that had just touched him was real.

Yeon-ho stroked that body several times. Emotions that didn’t need words overflowed with the warmth of their bodies pressed together, but he still had to. No. He wanted to speak.

He didn’t know where to start or what to say, but after clearing away all the complicated things, there was only one thing left.

“…I don’t hate it. Even if you’re not an Averto.”

“……!”

“I like you. Whether you’re a Morpheus, an Eagle, or anyone else…”

The trembling that had been transmitted to his body stopped completely at that moment. After a pause, Yeon-ho, who had slightly loosened his embrace, slowly cupped Marteo’s hardened cheeks.

His handsome face was a mess. His heart tightened at the expression that couldn’t even be described, both happy and painful.

And the moment their eyes met, their lips tangled together without either of them knowing who started it first.

A hot tongue, a sweet breath that had been longing for a long time, flowed into each other’s mouths.

Yeon-ho’s hair, which he had wanted to mess up so much, was already a mess, and the clothes he had wanted to take off were just as bad.

But none of that mattered. He didn’t care that this place, where they were madly mixing their lips, was on a muddy dirt floor.

─I don’t raise Morpheus. Especially raw ones, I hate them.

Yeon-ho’s voice, which had cut him off on the day they first met, felt like a distant past. Only the words that he liked him, whether he was a Morpheus or an Eagle, whoever he was, lingered in his head, and he couldn’t think of anything else.

It felt like his chest was about to burst. A happiness that was almost scary to simply call it joy. He had never felt so full of heart.

Maybe he felt like crying. Even so, a thirst came over him that made him feel like he couldn’t bear it without touching him more.

It was even more so when he heard Yeon-ho’s nasal voice flowing through his crushed lips. Marteo’s fingers, which had been sucking away the tongue and saliva mixed in his mouth without leaving anything behind, finally began to rummage through Yeon-ho’s clothes.

But the moment his long fingers went into his pants, Yeon-ho suddenly opened his eyes and urgently grabbed his wrist.

He shook his head with eyes that had become clear as if he had woken up from a dream.

The lips that had been touching without a gap were subtly misaligned because of that. At the same time, an unbelievable sound burst from Yeon-ho’s mouth.

“No!”

It was a similar situation to yesterday. The feeling of falling from heaven to hell was still not the kind of thing you could get used to even after tasting it twice.

N…o?

It was when Marteo’s eyes, hands, and even mouth were all frozen by the rejection that had almost become a trauma, that he stopped breathing.

Yeon-ho, with flushed cheeks, swallowed hard.

“No sex… in the early stages of pregnancy.”

…What?

“It might put a strain on the baby…”

It was several seconds later that he understood what he was saying. The strength instantly drained from Marteo’s body, which had been stiff. And he realized one more thing. Marteo’s head quickly tilted back up.

“…Could it be that you pushed me away yesterday because of that? Because of the baby?”

Yeon-ho, still tilting his head to the side, nodded slightly.

Even when he looked at it again, he was rarely shy. His excitement didn’t cool down, but rather burned even more. He didn’t know what kind of expression to make, and a groan leaked out from between his teeth.

Marteo’s fingers, which had been digging between Yeon-ho’s open pants, changed direction and this time caressed Yeon-ho’s stomach as if embracing it.

A gentle and warm warmth that was different from the heat of excitement. Yeon-ho also placed his hand over Marteo’s hand.

“Theon…”

Marteo, whose fingers were intertwined, dropped his forehead on Yeon-ho’s shoulder like before. The words he muttered then were…

“He doesn’t seem to be a filial son…”

Yeon-ho, who had widened his eyes, soon wore a mischievous smile.

“Just like his dad.”

…As expected, he had nothing to say but groan.