The sweet fruit fragrance wafted again. The scent I had caught a glimpse of earlier wasn’t a mistake. It seemed like grapes emit their sweetest fragrance just before they rot. And yet, when I tried to smell it to the end, there was a strangely bitter scent reminiscent of burning wood. Without even knowing what it was, I clung to and chased after that fragrance.
“The pheromone scent is too strong. Sir Aila, can you not control it?”
“Your, Your Highness?”
Only after hearing the familiar voice did I realize that the object I was clinging to was His Highness. However, I couldn’t really understand what he was saying. The pheromones wouldn’t move according to my will. Since entering Aila’s body, something that had been instinctively possible, though clumsily, had become impossible, so even if told to control it, I didn’t know how.
“I’m, I’m sorry, no, I, I apolo…”
“No. I made an excessive demand. You don’t need to beg forgiveness. The physicians who failed to notice that your heat cycle was approaching despite treating you daily are the real problem.”
The scent suddenly drew closer and my body was lifted up. I realized His Highness had picked me up and tried to immediately request to be put down, but the more I smelled His Highness’s pheromones, the more my will broke.
‘Can’t I just stay like this for a bit?’
I instinctively entrusted my hot body to His Highness. Surprisingly, there was no hand stopping me. I could hear someone noisily saying something beside me, but as if I had fallen into water, everything around me was buzzing and I couldn’t hear clearly. More than that, I was more concerned about my current state.
‘Is a heat cycle originally like this?’
As I breathed in His Highness’s scent deeply, heat gathered around my belly. If it had been just that, it would have been bearable, but what I couldn’t bear more was below. Water flowed moistly enough that my underwear felt damp. Though I had never experienced it, I instinctively realized what this was. What was surprising was that rather than feeling shameful, a subtle anticipation rose up. Even though I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what I was anticipating.
“Bury your head deeper. So others won’t see.”
“Yes.”
Since I wanted to hide somewhere, His Highness’s command wasn’t difficult at all. In fact, wanting to hide was closer to the desire to be alone with the one holding me rather than shame. My head was filled only with the desire to somehow do something about the heat inside my body, about the itchy place below.
‘No. What am I thinking right now……’
Rationality returned and then quickly faded again repeatedly. Before I knew it, I had buried my head in His Highness’s nape. As if responding to my released pheromones, the scent was growing increasingly thick. I could feel the scent that had been faint spreading around us.
“Everyone leave. Among those who are not betas, those who haven’t taken suppressants should switch with the external guards, and prepare both medicine and a priest.”
“Understood.”
Upon arriving at the room, a cold voice that felt even frigid fell. Even knowing it wasn’t directed at me, my body instinctively shrank. Whether noticing that signal, a gentle hand contrary to the cold voice carefully tried to place me on the bed.
“No, I don’t want to. I don’t want to be separated.”
Being put down on the bed meant His Highness would leave. I didn’t have the confidence to endure this pain alone. I knew I was showing an ugly appearance, but desire preceded reason. The fear that it might be better to die rather than be separated from this scent like this swept away hesitation.
“I get to see you acting spoiled. Bad things don’t always happen, do they?”
“Yes, yes.”
Though I didn’t understand at all, when I just answered yes, low laughter greeted me. Instead of pushing me away, His Highness climbed onto the bed with me and soothed me. Gradually, an impulse stronger than not wanting to lose the scent arose.
“Please, do something. Your Highness. Please help me. My body is so hot, I don’t know what to do, I feel like, I’ve become an idiot. Please.”
“Oh my.”
The slick flowing from below was now running down my thighs. Without even checking, the inside of my underwear must be a mess. I had thought that heat cycle, and rut called ‘estrus,’ was too beastly an expression, but that was a thought I could have because I hadn’t experienced it.
“Your Highness, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But, I also… hng, ngh.”
This wasn’t the kind of thing that could be controlled or endured at all. If I didn’t relieve this heat right now, if I didn’t stir up what had become damp below, it felt like something terrible would happen. Not even a beast would experience such a mentally deranged heat cycle. I had never experienced such violent impulses, so I had no immunity.
“I brought the medicine.”
“Give it and leave.”
Noticing someone had come beside us, I burrowed into His Highness’s embrace as if hiding. If I had my reason, I would have said I didn’t want to show this appearance to His Highness of all people, but now I wanted only His Highness to see.
“Since the heat cycle has already started, taking medicine won’t make it better right away. Will you still take it?”
I didn’t care what it was as long as I could escape this state. I nodded my head blindly, but the medicine wasn’t given to my hand. In fact, even if given the medicine, I wasn’t in a bodily state to take it properly. My intermittently trembling body seemed like it would drop the medicine straight to the floor.
‘If I take that, will he leave me alone and go?’
When my thoughts reached that point, I wondered if it might be better not to take the medicine. If my head hadn’t stopped me saying that absolutely wasn’t the case, I might have changed my words.
“Open your mouth.”
As I was being tormented by all kinds of impulses and stupidly didn’t listen to the command, His Highness’s finger entered my mouth. The inside that had only been hot felt ticklish as if a butterfly had landed when the finger touched. The problem was that ticklish sensation didn’t disappear and remained like a brand.
“Good. Swallow it just like that. Don’t spill it.”
I expected medicine to enter my mouth, but what actually touched was His Highness’s lips. As if it were the water of life, I hurriedly entwined my tongue. There was no room for stray thoughts to intervene. Just as I was concentrating on the soft tongue parting between my lips, liquid soon flowed in. His Highness persistently sent the bitter medicine that made my tongue tingle beyond my throat.
“Nn, mmph, ngh.”
Without time to suffer from the bitter taste, His Highness’s tongue entered my mouth and began to tease my mucous membranes. As if plundering the bitter fragrance remaining in my mouth, he entwined tongues and scraped the ticklish places with his pointed tongue. My toes curled inward and the overripe fruit scent became thicker.
‘Are we kissing?’
At the belatedly arriving recognition, I hastily furrowed my brow to correct my hazy vision. I wanted to confirm whether the person before my eyes was really His Highness.
The moment I opened my eyes, I saw red eyes shining as if blazing. When our eyes met, His Highness smiled slightly and covered his own face with my palm. It was as if making me recognize that the one kissing me was himself.
‘How could I dare.’
The awareness of my place that had naturally followed quickly curled its tail. Intoxicated by the sensations His Highness gave, I was busy hastily gulping down saliva. Though it must be the same saliva, it was incomparably sweet, and as I eagerly drank it, the long tongue came in deep enough to almost touch my uvula. A faint nausea arose, but even that was stimulating. When I pressed my tongue down firmly, wanting it to go deeper, I felt a faint vibration from the body embracing me.
‘Is he laughing?’
Though I was in a hazy state, I was happy. The tongue’s movements gradually became rougher to the point of feeling like piston thrusts.
‘Can this really be grouped under the act called “kissing”?’
Though it was my first time experiencing it, it didn’t seem like others would kiss like this.
‘But I like it.’
I tried moving harder to match the tongue that had invaded my mouth. However, the kiss that seemed like it would last forever ended as soon as His Highness withdrew his body. I was shamelessly regretting the loss of His Highness’s warmth.
“Tell me exactly what you want.”
His Highness asked in a low voice that sounded almost hoarse. When I had difficulty saying exactly what I wanted, options were given.
“Whether you’ll wait like this for the medicine to take effect.”
A light bird kiss fell on my lips, then a question that could never be light burrowed into my ear.
“Or whether you want me to stir up your insides.”
