“Why?”
Rosetta wrapped his arms around Seoho’s waist as he startled and tried to pull away to the side, pulling him into a complete embrace from behind.
‘Seoho’s scent.’
Ah, he loved this firm yet soft body that fit perfectly in his arms. And the same fragrance as his own wafting gently beneath his nose.
He loved how Seoho, seemingly awkward at the physical contact that was slightly different from usual, squirmed but couldn’t bring himself to push him away forcefully. Rosetta let out a laugh from his throat and rested his chin on Seoho’s shoulder, casually gesturing with his eyes toward the letter.
“Tell me what it says. Hm?”
Beyond the touching skin, he could feel Seoho’s tense body vividly. Rosetta barely managed to hold back his desire to cling even closer.
He wanted to bury his nose in that white neck and breathe in the scent deeply. Then he’d be able to feel the trembling of that tense body even more intricately.
‘And the sound of this pounding heart too.’
But if he went any further from here, there was a high chance he’d be pushed away.
So it was better to hold back a little for now. More than anything, if he held Seoho any tighter than this, heat would probably rise to a place he couldn’t possibly mention to him.
‘That would be troublesome.’
When he glanced aside, he could see Seoho’s reddened ear. Instead of biting that soft-looking earlobe, Rosetta rubbed his face against his shoulder as if throwing a tantrum to Seoho, who was still frozen stiff without moving.
“Seoho?”
Then Seoho shuddered and let out a sigh.
“Th-then, Rosetta, if you’d move back a little…”
“No.”
As if playing around, he deliberately let out an audible laugh and shook his head once more, causing his face to rub against Seoho’s shoulder again. Then Seoho made a “ngh” sound and opened his mouth.
“Fine. You can hold me. But please stop rubbing like that.”
“Okay.”
He was quite satisfied with the current situation where he’d adequately fulfilled his selfish desires and Seoho was no longer paying attention to the letter.
But still, he absolutely had to check the letter, so Rosetta had no choice but to extend one of the hands that had been wrapped around Seoho’s waist and gently grasp the wrist holding the letter.
“Now, shall we focus on the letter?”
Once again, a sigh escaped from Seoho. And at that sigh, heat inevitably rose.
Since he absolutely couldn’t show this to Seoho, Rosetta licked his dry lips with his tongue and pulled his body back a little. Thinking he’d moved back because he was uncomfortable, he could hear Seoho quietly murmur his thanks.
‘So innocent.’
He caught a glimpse of Puti, who had been positioned in a corner of the room, leaving quietly with a disgusted expression, but Rosetta naturally paid him no mind at all.
***
Despite receiving the letter he’d been waiting for these past few days, Seoho couldn’t concentrate on it at all. The cheek where Rosetta’s lips had touched was still burning hot.
The hand wrapped around his waist and the large hand gripping the wrist holding the letter.
The large embrace that generously enveloped his body wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, but the chin touching his shoulder and the body heat made goosebumps rise on the back of his neck.
‘It tickles.’
Rosetta’s hair brushing against his exposed neck even tickled. Seoho raised his hand to scratch his neck, but because of Rosetta’s face positioned there, he had no choice but to lower his hand again.
And as Rosetta firmly grasped his wrist once more as if urging him, he had no choice but to read the letter.
“Seoho-ssi. I’m sorry for the late reply. Having received a letter I couldn’t even imagine, I didn’t know how to start writing back.”
He put more strength into his voice than usual, hoping it wouldn’t tremble as he read.
“It’s so nice to see Hangeul again after such a long time. It’s been so long since I’ve written in Hangeul that I’m worried whether I’m writing properly now.”
Letters written with pressure. The sentences seemed plain, but he could almost see the longing contained within them.
‘It definitely was that way.’
When he first read the letter, every word had felt vivid and heavy as if being etched into his mind, but now, perhaps because of Rosetta holding him, he didn’t have the same feeling as before.
“If it’s alright with Seoho-ssi, I’d like us to exchange letters once a week from now on. There’s so much I want to ask and hear from you, but since this is the first letter, I’ll end it here today.”
“Hmm.”
When Rosetta exhaled softly, goosebumps rose again. Seoho decided to use the end of the letter as an excuse to push him away.
“P.S. I’d like it if you could call me Grace.”
With the last sentence, Seoho turned his body and pushed against Rosetta’s chest. Thanks to that, the body that had been embracing him separated, but the distance between Seoho and Rosetta was still too close.
Averting his gaze as if avoiding those blue eyes he faced, Seoho put a bit more strength into the arm pushing him away and took a step back.
“It’s not particularly significant content.”
“I see.”
Seoho lightly shook the arm that was still being held.
“Um, how about going to wash up now?”
“Why?”
“Obviously because you went outside, right? You should wash before going to sleep.”
“It’s fine to wash a little later, isn’t it? I like it right now.”
Rosetta gently swung Seoho’s hand and tried to embrace him again. Seoho, who had subtly moved back, let out a small sigh.
“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
When Seoho put force into his eyes, Rosetta burst into laughter.
“Why? Last time, Seoho kissed me first.”
Come to think of it, that was true. It had been an action that took courage in its own way because Rosetta had looked so dejected.
“That was just… to let you know that you’re also a person of great significance to me…”
“Yeah, thank you.”
At Rosetta’s bright smile, Seoho finally closed his mouth. Since he’d said it was nothing here, there was no need to raise his voice unnecessarily.
“…From next time, tell me beforehand.”
“Hm?”
“I said tell me beforehand.”
Even as he spoke, it seemed like he’d be even more embarrassed if Rosetta actually gave advance notice, but Seoho stubbornly just waited for Rosetta’s answer.
“If that’s what Seoho wants, I’ll do that. Then can I do it again now? Your cheeks are red, it’s cute.”
Rosetta took another step closer. At those words, Seoho jumped in surprise and shouted.
“Ah! Don’t!”
When Seoho backed away as if fleeing, Rosetta approached by the same amount and tilted his head.
“You only said to tell you, you didn’t say to get permission.”
Right, he shouldn’t have said to tell him beforehand, he should have said to get permission! Seoho hurriedly corrected himself.
“Then get permission!”
Waiting as always for the answer that he’d do as he wished, a completely unexpected response came back.
“I don’t want to do that.”
Rosetta reached out once more to embrace Seoho and whispered.
“I’m already holding back a lot right now. If I’m rejected even from kissing, I might cry again, you know?”
At the absurd words, Seoho, who had even forgotten he was pushing him away, found himself buried in his embrace again and asked.
“Are you threatening me right now?”
“Threatening? It just means I like you that much.”
A sweet laugh scattered beside his ear. At that somehow heavy-sounding voice, Seoho wanted to see Rosetta’s face.
What kind of expression was he making right now as he said he liked him?
But because Rosetta’s embrace was so warm, Seoho just followed his lead and reached out his hands to embrace him back. The embrace seemed to grow even warmer.
***
Last night, after reading the letter and spending some slightly embarrassing time, when he’d handed over Yun’s note that had come with the letter to Rosetta, he had readily permitted the meeting with Yun.
‘Really. But why is he acting like this?’
Rosetta was currently throwing a tantrum and dragging his feet.
Seoho, who had been caught by Rosetta and was sitting on the bed, gently stroked his hair resting on his thighs and spoke to him.
“Rosetta, you’re already an hour later than usual.”
The blonde hair flowing down naturally without any particular styling swayed softly under Seoho’s hand. Then, a languid answer flowed from Rosetta, who had been keeping his eyes closed as if feeling that touch.
“It’s fine. I came out after handling all the urgent matters.”
Actually, Seoho didn’t dislike spending comfortable time like this either. Still, since that person was making such a tearful face, he had no choice but to urge Rosetta. If he had really handled all the urgent matters before coming, Puti wouldn’t be standing behind them fidgeting restlessly like that.
Seoho sent a small smile to Puti, who was sending him desperate eyes, and then soothed Rosetta again.
“You have to go work quickly to come back at the usual time.”
“I can come back at the usual time even if I go late.”
Based on what he’d observed while staying here, there was no one who could openly scold Rosetta, who was the Emperor, so naturally that would be the case.
But the time for his appointment with Yun was gradually approaching now. Seoho removed the hand that had been stroking his hair and said.
“But I have to go out soon too, you know?”
When Seoho’s hand left his hair, the beautifully closed eyes slowly opened. And those clear blue eyes without a trace of sleepiness gazed at Seoho.
“That’s what I don’t like.”
It was a face similar to usual, but somehow there was a hint of sulking visible. Seoho let out a chuckle and answered.
“You said it was okay yesterday though?”
“…I was too hasty.”
Rosetta had certainly seemed to be in a good mood yesterday. Well, even if it had really been an impulsive permission, now that Seoho had already sent a reply, he couldn’t cancel the appointment now.
After all, the other party was a prince.
Seoho, still wearing a smile, answered in a firm tone.
“I already sent the letter. No.”
