The brothers, who were finally released only after writing an IOU, staggered to their feet. Just as I was about to stand up thinking my face might be revealed, a large hand pressed down on the back of my head. And made me bury my face in broad shoulders. Deus spoke in a pleasant voice.
“Thanks for the gift, I’ll use it well.”
“Hic, sob……”
“But leave now. I feel bad when I see guys crying pathetically.”
When Deus waved his hand as if telling them to leave quickly, the brothers hurriedly rushed out of the guest room as if they’d been waiting. It was amazing that he’d cowed the haughty brothers like that, but I got a bit creeped out by the thoroughness of creating this entire situation in that short time. How should I put it, it felt like being handed well-prepared prey. As Kiss said, I thought he really wasn’t ordinary.
“Shouldn’t you call me master given the circumstances?”
“……”
“I bought you for 3,000.”
Deus, who smiled faintly, rubbed away the bloodstains on my face with his thumb. I frowned at the rough touch rubbing my lips painfully and turned my face.
“You didn’t need to go this far. The family treating me like that isn’t just a day or two.”
“Since we’re on the topic, I’m asking.”
Deus, whose expression suddenly became chilly, embraced my waist. A sunken voice pierced my ears.
“Hearing the sailors who work here talk, apparently it’s quite common for old nobles to buy young humans and tame them to their taste.”
“……”
“If that story applies to Ash too…… I think I’d get angry. So tell me honestly.”
It was unpleasant, but it was rational reasoning. Actually, the case Deus mentioned was more common.
But fortunately, Lucius had never once touched me sexually until now. If he had touched me, the long question of ‘why does Lucius cherish Ash’ would have been solved. Seeing me silently shake my head, Deus, who let out a sigh of relief, lowered his head.
“I’m relieved. I was so anxious.”
“……You know it’s funny to worry about that after doing everything you could to me?”
“I was anxious.”
Deus, who gripped my hand, met my gaze.
“Now I can protect you but……”
“……”
“I couldn’t protect young Ash.”
My lips parted slightly at Deus’s words. Just as an unknown heat made my belly hot, a series of explosions pierced my ears. The fireworks that were the original purpose of this arduous journey seemed to have started.
My stomach somehow churned at the colorful fireworks embroidered in the sky. I glanced to check Deus’s face. The moment I saw Deus looking only at me instead of the beautiful fireworks, my stomach churned once more. No, perhaps…… the identity of this churning was clearly……
“Urgh.”
At the nausea I absolutely couldn’t hold back, I eventually vomited everything I’d eaten. Deus looked expressionlessly at the vomit flowing down his shoulder. No wonder my stomach kept churning from earlier—only after vomiting everything did I realize. It was that Ash was very weak to seasickness.
This sickly body seemed determined to show it was weaker than others wherever it went. Deus, who confirmed the chunks that fell from his shoulder to his thigh, smiled brilliantly.
“You ate pie for lunch. I like pie too.”
“……”
“So can I eat this? I’m not asking in a lewd sense, just because I also like pie……”
“I already feel sick, so be quiet!”
I snapped in embarrassment. Deus, who unusually obediently closed his mouth, stroked my back. I thought it was quite an affectionate touch unlike his crude sexual tastes.
Although I’d somehow accomplished the goal of seeing fireworks, something still remained. I asked in a voice with all energy drained.
“How was it? Your impression of seeing your first fireworks.”
Silence continued. My heart grew impatient at the answer that didn’t come right back. Just as I was about to demand an answer again, my hair was grabbed and my head bent back.
My eyes widened at Deus’s action of suddenly kissing me. Without time to be surprised at the stomach that kissed the mouth I’d just vomited from without care, my tongue was sucked.
Along with the squishy sound of saliva tangling, thighs with a difference in volume pressed together. My waist lifted involuntarily at the obscene touch gently rubbing my scalp with fingertips. Tears pricked at the tongue deliberately pushing the wobbling molar.
The moment our lips finally separated, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.
“You…… you know you kiss at odd moments every time, right?”
At my disgusted voice, Deus, who just blinked, grinned. Deus, who forcibly pulled up my downturned mouth corners unlike his own, whispered in a voice with a strange sense of fullness.
“I just decided.”
Fireworks bursting sporadically reflected in eyes devoid of light.
“To definitely make Ash my wife.”
* * *
Whether the carrot tactic worked, Deus, who returned from the outing safely, mastered etiquette at a surprisingly fast pace. Even Rowena, who had taught numerous aristocratic children, was impressed.
<Actually there’s something a bit peculiar. How should I put it. Fundamentally, he has difficulty reading others’ expressions. He’s clumsy at grasping whether the other person is in a good or bad mood…… so he just seems to memorize all the appropriate expressions or reactions for each situation.>
Ordinary people notice whether their words and actions are right or wrong through the other person’s expressions or reactions, but Deus’s ability to detect that was remarkably poor.
‘There’s probably some innate aspect, but there must be acquired reasons too. Since he had few opportunities to interact with others from childhood.’
Actually, low empathy and strong controlling tendencies were the same for Kiss. The difference would be that unlike Deus who grew up alone in the Void from childhood, he at least steadily interacted with people and developed social skills.
I headed to the dressing room where Deus was, following the Head Butler’s guidance. From morning, exclusive attendants dispatched from the imperial palace had been busy decorating and dressing Deus. Since he was the Crown Prince being publicly revealed at an official occasion for almost the first time, the imperial palace seemed to be paying attention in various ways for appearances.
‘When he was in beast form, they didn’t even look at him.’
The Head Butler, who knocked on the door, nodded as if it was okay to enter. Originally I’d planned to depart separately, but growing fond even of someone you dislike is a thing. Thinking Deus might be anxious alone, I couldn’t callously go alone. I looked around the somehow quiet dressing room and called his name.
“Deus?”
Just as I made a puzzled expression, my expression froze the moment I discovered the wide-open window. An uneasy feeling assailed me.
Don’t tell me this bastard ran off saying he didn’t want to play Crown Prince on the day of the banquet. I hastily walked to the window to check below. Nothing was visible except luxuriant bushes.
“I suggested installing anti-cat screens several times.”
Just as I sighed and turned around, a black shadow fell over my head.
The handsome man before my eyes, wearing dark dress clothes with neatly combed hair, looked exactly like an actor from some classic film. I felt a refined beauty that didn’t permit a single dishevelment. Sharp eyes with a sense of leisure curved into crescents. It was a uniquely outstanding appearance that seemed to deny all handsome men I’d seen until now.
“Ash.”
My shoulders flinched at the voice affectionately calling my name. Honestly, at first I thought no matter how much you dress up a psycho, a psycho is a psycho. But once properly dressed up, my heart stirred as if facing a completely different person.
Deus, who looked at me as if I were strange since I was speechless and couldn’t even meet his gaze properly, tilted his head slightly to the side as if realizing something.
“Why? Too handsome?”
“……”
“Want to have a quickie before we leave?”
My pounding heart chilled at the vulgar vocabulary that didn’t match his elegant appearance at all.
Deus, who arbitrarily took my silence as affirmation, loosened the necktie he was wearing. I hastily grabbed Deus’s wrist at the atmosphere suggesting he’d carry out the deed, banquet or not.
“Don’t take it off!”
“Hm? But you definitely had the face of a female in heat……”
If only he’d keep that cursed mouth shut, it would be really great. It was incomprehensible why he stepped forward to lower his own score. Deus, who laughed quietly at my tired expression, handed over the necktie he’d loosened with his own hands. Then added in a monotone voice.
“This is originally something a wife does.”
Normally I would have confronted him asking who’s your wife, but today was a bit different. Because I vaguely felt that Deus was enduring a lot.
Just as I obediently tried to tie the necktie for him, I frowned. When tying it myself it wasn’t this difficult, but tying it for someone else was more confusing in direction than expected. Deus, who had been intently watching my confused face, overlapped his hands with mine.
“It should go this way here.”
Following the direction Deus showed, it was much easier than before. Only after tying the necktie diligently without time to be conscious of our entangling fingertips did I let out a sigh of relief. Even though it wasn’t my social debut, I didn’t know why I was this tense.
I emphasized once more toward Deus who was fiddling with the necktie I’d tied.
“You know, right? You absolutely can’t cause trouble today.”
It was time for the prince maker spanning several weeks to show results.
IOU/Promissory Note (차용증) – Written promise to pay debt
A wild cat groomed and styled~