# Chapter 80
Their lips were equally hot, as if matching temperatures. The metallic taste of blood smeared across both their lips. Knowing Ion’s blood could neutralize his abilities, Levi tried not to part his lips. He struggled to push Ion away, but not only was he unable to win against him in strength to begin with, the pain from his wounds only intensified with his movements.
Ion pushed the tip of his tongue between Levi’s tightly closed lips. For Levi, who didn’t know what a kiss was or how to do it, the sensation of something hotter than lips tapping against his teeth was startling.
As if seizing that moment, Ion’s tongue suddenly invaded Levi’s mouth. Ion slightly pulled Levi’s jaw, preventing him from biting his tongue, and went deeper inside.
“Mmmph—! Mm!”
Levi’s body, momentarily frozen stiff, now struggled more violently. By then, Ion’s tongue had completely conquered Levi’s mouth.
The inside of Levi’s mouth instantly grew hot just from Ion’s tongue sweeping through.
The medicinal pill Ion had been holding in his mouth passed into Levi’s along with the flow of his blood. Levi’s small tongue, busy trying to push it away to avoid swallowing, became helpless as it was entwined with Ion’s hot flesh. Watching for the moment Levi flinched at the tingling sensation, Ion pushed the pill deep into his throat.
He could feel Levi’s throat entrance writhing, trying to prevent the pill from going down. Ion, as if anticipating this, calmly stroked the entrance with his tongue tip, teasing it.
The quivering throat opened, and Levi finally swallowed the pill Ion had given him—along with all of Ion’s blood that had completely mixed with his saliva.
“Mmm, ugh…!”
Not long after Levi began to desperately twist his body with wide, panicked eyes…
The sleeping drug, which had already begun dissolving when placed in his mouth, took effect with its potent strength. His body, which had been struggling regardless of whether his wounds reopened, gradually calmed and all his movements noticeably slowed.
Ion, relieved that Levi had swallowed the medicine, didn’t remove his lips even though his task was complete. Releasing Levi’s jaw, which no longer had the strength to bite, he continued a gentler kiss, different from his earlier urgent assault.
He wrapped around Levi’s dulled tongue, tugging it softly, and circled the front of his throat—which still carried the scent of blood—as if drawing a picture. When he overlapped and rubbed against the roof of Levi’s mouth with his tongue, Levi responded with twitches even though he was succumbing to the drug, and when he tapped each tooth while exploring inside, shallow moans escaped.
‘I feel like I’m dying.’
Thoughts of wanting to delve even deeper, if possible, filled Ion’s mind.
Though somewhat surprised by the overwhelming, uncontrollable emotions, when he considered who was before him, it all seemed quite natural.
The emotions that had been accumulating since the moment he first met Levi had taken complete form during his absence, waiting for the day they would meet again. The moment their eyes met after fifteen agonizing years of waiting, he couldn’t even think of denying the emotion that shook his heart. Far from it—he was overjoyed, his heart nearly bursting.
He loved Levi. When Levi looked at him indifferently, when he harbored warm feelings, when he glared with cold killing intent, or when, like now, his eyes were stained with questions and wariness—Ion loved him consistently.
But the two words “I love” were far too inadequate to define it.
Could such an expression suffice for the feeling that he would gladly die of suffocation if it meant continuing this kiss without stopping? Could such a shallow definition represent the desire to not just pin Levi down and restrain him as he was doing now, but to confine him forever in his embrace?
No one knew better how he felt about Levi than himself, frantically yearning to consume even a bit more of Levi’s breath.
That’s why he wanted to hear it. Who was it that showered Levi with kisses without giving him room to breathe, who was it that monopolized his gaze—he was dying to hear it directly from the lips of the Levi he loved.
“Call my name,” he urged gently, lightly biting Levi’s reddened lips before licking them. In his hazy mind, Levi let out a small moan instead of a rough breath, and then slightly moved his lips.
“I…on…”
Levi finally spoke Ion’s name. Just from that, Ion felt his heart pounding as if it would burst with an inexplicable sense of fulfillment.
He softly kissed Levi’s eyelids as they fluttered, trying not to lose consciousness. Even after releasing his restrained hands and getting off his body, Levi remained lying down, just gasping for breath as if unable to move a finger.
Soon, Levi’s eyelids completely closed. Ion stroked his head affectionately and whispered in his ear.
“Sleep well, Levi.”
As if those words were a spell, Levi soon fell into a deep sleep.
Ion, gazing warmly at Levi, gently lifted his body. After resting Levi’s limp head on his shoulder, he headed out of the room.
“Your Grace!”
“Are you alright?!”
The Immortal soldiers who had been anxiously pacing outside the room hastily examined Ion’s condition with their eyes. Fortunately, apart from the wound on his left hand from grabbing the dagger’s blade earlier, he appeared uninjured.
As soon as they confirmed this, all the Immortal soldiers’ gazes naturally turned to Levi, asleep in Ion’s arms. Although he was clearly fast asleep, they still maintained their guard. That’s how deeply Levi was imprinted as a threatening presence to them.
“The cleanup?”
Unlike his manner with Levi, Ion’s voice was icy cold as one of the Immortal soldiers answered.
“Our troops have completely occupied all of Retrouva, including this castle. Just now, the Third Division has headed to the rear of Talan territory to assist the Second Division.”
A pleasant confidence appeared on the Immortal soldier’s face.
“Since we cannot possibly be defeated, a new beacon will soon rise over Talan territory.”
As the soldier said, they couldn’t lose. No matter how numerous the enemy forces or how brilliant their strategies, without a way to kill the “immortal” soldiers, it was obvious that time would only disadvantage them until they were defeated.
It might be different if their natural enemy, Count Levi Aden, were among them, but unfortunately, he was innocently asleep in the arms of the Immortal soldiers’ lord, like a child.
Without Levi, the only one who could counteract immortality, the Immortal soldiers could truly be called invincible.
Ion instructed one Immortal soldier to fetch a warm blanket as he walked.
“Leave the minimum number of soldiers here and have the rest return to our country.”
“What? But Talan territory hasn’t been completely conquered yet. Besides, it’s almost midnight…”
“There’s no time.”
A hint of anxiety appeared in Ion’s eyes.
Though he had neutralized Levi’s ability with his blood, it wouldn’t last forever. Since he hadn’t tested it, he didn’t know how long his blood could keep Levi “human,” so he worried that Levi might wake up during transport.
Unlike the port city of Antarbo, this territory was located quite deep in the Caron Empire. Even though all the paths they had crossed were now under their control, there were many more territories they hadn’t yet conquered surrounding them. Having burrowed into the middle of the land like an ant colony, they had to move as quickly as possible to return, not knowing when or how their path might be blocked.
Above all, they had succeeded in their most important and primary goal: “reclaiming Levi.” Ion had driven his army relentlessly for this one purpose, so even if they turned back now, Tis wouldn’t be able to say anything.
As he descended to the first floor, he was assaulted by the smell of burning flesh and hot waves of fire. Though the thick scent of blood was overwhelming and the screams of surviving enemy soldiers echoed, Ion’s face showed concern that such things might give Levi bad dreams.
‘Dreams…’
Mounting his horse with Levi wrapped in a blanket, Ion looked down at him with bitter eyes.
One day while staying with Levi in the Black Forest…
Levi had said he couldn’t “dream.” He said it was something given to those who enjoy “life” with the power of vitality as their source, so it was natural that he could never experience it.
Very briefly, Levi’s eyes held a vague light of envy directed at Ion as he spoke those words.
‘Having dreams isn’t always a good thing.’
For Ion, who had experienced nightmares of losing Levi every day for over fifteen years, he sincerely hoped that Levi would sleep peacefully without any dreams.
❖ ❖ ❖
Five days later.
Having returned to his country, Ion Verdit declined the enormous rewards offered by the Emperor of the Delos Empire. All he desired was complete rights over Count Levi Aden, whom he had brought back as a prisoner. Many nobles inquired about the reason for the sudden retreat and the identity of Count Levi Aden who could kill Immortal soldiers, but the Emperor dismissed the assembly with a meaningful smile, stating only that Grand Duke Verdit’s wishes should be followed.
Levi opened his eyes exactly one day after Ion had obtained all rights over him.
