DGMYF 13

I don’t know what the water of life was, but since it was something Hayward always had with him, it was certainly a dangerous and insane thing. So it was unlikely that anyone in the party had touched it.

“Isn’t it possible you drank it all and are mistaken?”

“No. I calculated how much to drink until we reach the capital and divided it precisely. I’m sure there was about half left! Who was it, who was it!”

Hayward panted and looked around. But everyone just shrugged their shoulders or waved their hands in denial. Kaiso grabbed Hayward’s arm.

“The lid was probably open. Stop it and sit down and have a beer.”

“Sob, it was me.”

Everyone’s head turned to one corner. Troy was raising one hand high.

“I… drank it all.”

Troy spun his head around and then slammed it into a nearby tree stump with a thud.

“What’s wrong with him?”

Kaiso rolled his wheelchair to get closer to Troy. Up close, his face was red and his eyes were half-lidded.

“Did you really drink it?”

“Hehe, Duke, I am hurt….”

Troy whined as he hugged Kaiso tightly.

“Please blow on it to make it better.”

Kaiso pushed Troy’s red and swollen forehead with his hand and urgently asked Hayward.

“Hayward, that water of life, could it be…?”

“Yes, it’s alcohol. A strong liquor, 50 proof at that.”

Hayward glared at Troy with a displeased face. Then, as if the single drop falling from the leather pouch was precious, he licked it up with his tongue.

Kaiso was dumbfounded.

“Troy, why did you drink that?”

“To become pretty!”

“What?”

Troy squeezed into Kaiso’s embrace and crumpled his body against his chest. Kaiso was on the verge of suffocating from the heavy weight.

“Move away a bit.”

“Mmm, no.”

When not a single drop of alcohol came out of the leather pouch anymore, Hayward, furious, threw it on the ground.

“Don’t tell me you believed what I said earlier? I’m sorry, but my beauty is natural!”

Hearing those words, Troy seemed shocked and covered his mouth with both hands. Then he touched his face here and there and asked with a very disappointed look.

“Gasp, then what do I do?”

“Mr. Elliot isn’t harshly featured either. Though you are not my type.”

“Hayward, you’re not helping at all, so shut up.”

Finally freeing himself from Troy’s rough hands, Kaiso rolled his wheelchair far away from him. However, Troy strode over again and hugged Kaiso’s two knees tightly. Now he couldn’t even run away.

“Hmph, I need to become pretty too.”

“What are you going to do by becoming pretty?”

“I am going to be loved by the Duke!”

He rubbed his curly hair against Kaiso’s legs like a puppy. Only then did Kaiso realize the cause of this commotion.

‘He’s making this scene because I said he wasn’t pretty earlier.’

A sigh escaped him. To touch Hayward’s alcohol just because of that remark, what a foolish thing to do. Kaiso, left with no strength to stop him anymore, remained still, held by Troy’s hands.

“Gasp, Duke…!”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you so thin?”

Troy whimpered and then suddenly began to touch Kaiso’s body fumblingly.

“What, what are you doing!”

“You only ate a little for dinner too….”

Troy sniffled and then started to peel nutshells. Soon, he was pushing them into Kaiso’s mouth one by one.

“Duke, ah~!”

“No, it’s alright.”

Kaiso blocked his hand. Then Troy pouted his lips and whimpered.

“You’re not going to eat…?”

As if greatly shocked by him merely saying he wouldn’t eat a nut snack, tears welled up in Troy’s large eyes.

“Alright, alright. I’ll just eat this one.”

“Just one?”

Troy knelt on the ground, slammed his fists on the floor, and wailed loudly. At the sudden commotion, the servants started murmuring in this direction. He couldn’t hear the content of their conversation, but he could see them casting pitiful glances towards Troy.

Kaiso felt wronged. He had only said he wouldn’t eat the nuts, but he felt like he had become a villainous boss who made his innocent aide cry.

“I’ll eat it, I said I’ll eat.”

Then, as if nothing had happened, Troy shot up and put the nuts into Kaiso’s mouth one by one.

“Hehe, Duke. I will make you full.”

“Oh, that sounds intriguing.”

Hayward smiled slyly, stretching the space above his lip. Kaiso threw him a warning glance, then obediently accepted and ate the nuts Troy gave him.

“Mr. Elliot is drunk?”

Escort knights Carter and Cole ran over and grabbed Troy’s arms.

“We will take him to the tent, Duke.”

“I’m n-not drunk!”

Troy struggled to break free from the two knights’ hands.

“That’s impossible. It’s a strong liquor I brewed myself. It’s strong enough to make any grown man pass out with one glass, and you drank it all.”

Hayward grumbled, wiping his cloudy glasses with his sleeve. He had little interest in the chaotic scene unfolding before him, and was only focused on his precious strong liquor.

“…What are you, who always has such a strong liquor on hand?”

“I have alcohol flowing through my veins.”

Carter and Cole tried to pull Troy down, but they were no match and fell backward.

“Oof!”

“No, I can never be separated!”

The more Carter and Cole pulled at Troy, the more strongly Troy clung to Kaiso’s legs. It seemed it would be better for Kaiso to calm Troy down himself before he caused a bigger disturbance.

“Troy, let’s go in now.”

“No. I am going to stay with the Duke.”

“Okay, I get it, so let’s go in together. Okay?”

“Really?”

Only then did Troy stagger to his feet. Then, as if not to give Kaiso a chance to change his words, he immediately pushed the wheelchair into the tent.

Troy lifted Kaiso in one arm and carefully laid him on the bed. Morgan, who had followed them in, stopped Troy.

“Mr. Elliot, what are you doing now?”

Morgan approached angrily, but Kaiso waved his hand to say it was fine. Morgan hesitated for a moment, then went out of the tent. He carefully closed the tent flap and then dismissed everyone around.

Still not sober, Troy lay down on top of Kaiso with a plop, without even taking off his clothes. Kaiso let out a choked sound, “Gak.”

“Troy, wait!”

With his upper body pressed down, Kaiso couldn’t move an inch. He barely managed to reach out his hand and push Troy’s shoulder hard, but Troy didn’t seem to feel it. Instead, he kept muttering something, and listening closely, it was this:

“Duke, why have you become so small…. When I was young, I fit perfectly in the Duke’s arms….”

“It’s not that I’ve gotten smaller, it’s that you’ve gotten bigger.”

Kaiso, who finally succeeded in pushing Troy to the side, took a deep breath. It seemed that sending Morgan out was a mistake. Handling a drunk Troy alone was more difficult than he thought.

Troy wriggled and then burrowed into Kaiso’s side. He could feel the scorching heat from his body. Worried, Kaiso placed his hand on his forehead. Then Troy rubbed his face against his hand and whined.

“Duke, I think I have a fever.”

His forehead was truly as hot as if it had been burned by fire. Kaiso clicked his tongue and gave him a flick on the forehead.

“Who told you to pick up and eat just anything?”

“Hmph, I am sick.”

He was a little worried. Since he had drunk a strong liquor over 50 proof all at once, his body couldn’t possibly be in a normal state. Moreover, it wasn’t just ordinary alcohol, but illegally brewed by Hayward, so it was even more dangerous.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Yes. So please hurry up and cherish me.”

Troy subtly leaned his head against Kaiso’s chest. His shameless hand was already wrapped around Kaiso’s waist. Far from looking hurt, he appeared even healthier than Kaiso. At this point, it was questionable whether he was actually drunk. Kaiso let out a short, incredulous laugh. But he didn’t dislike Troy’s affectionate drunken behavior. In fact, he wanted to join in on the playful antics.

“…What do I need to do to cherish you?”

“Well, you say I’m pretty, touch my cheeks, stroke my hair, and then give me a kiss.”

Troy slightly lifted his head and stared at Kaiso. His large eyes, blinking slowly, looked somewhat cute. Feeling the sensation of soft hair tickling his chest, Kaiso felt a dizzying sensation. He wanted to stroke the fluffy hair as Troy suggested. He wanted to touch the soft, fuzzy cheeks.

“…….”

Suddenly, it was as if cold water had been poured over him, snapping him back to reality. What was he thinking, having such thoughts about someone so young? Moreover, it hadn’t even been a full day since he vowed to keep his distance from Troy, yet here he was, lying in the same bed with him again. Kaiso felt utterly disgusted with himself.

‘Why did I send Morgan away in the first place? Why did I leave Carter and Cole alone?’

He was confused. Was he really tipsy from just one glass of beer? His judgment didn’t seem clear. He started to feel a bit uncertain about why he had brought Troy under the tent in the first place.

‘Troy may be young and clueless, but as the adult, I need to get a grip.’

With that resolve, Kaiso firmly pushed Troy’s head away.

“What’s so pretty about you?”

Troy pouted and muttered that the elixir of life was ineffective and that Teacher Hayworth was probably a quack after all. Then, as if realizing something, he suddenly sat up.

“Then can I cherish you, Duke?”

“Why me all of a sudden?”

“Hehe, because you’re really pretty, Duke.”

Kaiso was dumbfounded. How could Troy say such embarrassing things without even blushing? Whether sober or drunkenly wavering, his shamelessness was consistent. No, the one truly wavering was Kaiso himself. He barely resisted the urge to nod in agreement. Instead, his long eyelashes trembled as he averted his gaze.

Troy’s hand slowly moved toward Kaiso’s face. Though Kaiso wasn’t looking in that direction, it felt as if all his senses were focused on his cheek, every sensation vivid. Very slowly, Troy’s fingers touched his cheek.

“Oh, so pretty.”

It was an extremely gentle touch, as if stroking delicate flower petals. It tickled. His cheek tickled, and another part of him tickled too.

Troy’s hand moved past his cheek to Kaiso’s long hair. His slender fingers combed through the strands.

What was the order again? Say they’re pretty while touching their cheeks, stroke their hair, and then…

Kaiso turned his head. Slowly, Troy’s face came closer. He tightly shut his eyes.

Chuu.

A short kissing sound was heard. But there was no sensation on Kaiso’s skin. When he opened his eyes, Troy was kissing his long hair.

Chuu chuu.

After a few more kisses, Troy finally put the dark hair down, seemingly satisfied. Then he giggled as if something was incredibly amusing. Meanwhile, Kaiso let out a hollow sigh. Only then did the tension in his body release.

‘What was I even expecting?’

Embarrassment made his face flush with heat. Even in his younger days, Kaiso had never hung out with someone so much younger. So why, at this age, was he feeling flustered by a kid over ten years younger than him? He couldn’t understand himself.

‘Even though there aren’t even pheromones.’

Separate from Kaiso’s dislike for Alphas, being drawn to pheromones was instinctual. He, too, had once made a mistake one night, intoxicated by the pheromones of an unknown Alpha. But Troy, who hadn’t manifested, had no pheromones, and even if he did, Kaiso wouldn’t be able to sense them now. Yet, despite that, being drawn to Troy was probably because…

‘I must be too weak.’

His current situation was so desperate and lonely that he likely wanted to lean on anyone, even someone like Troy. Especially when an adorable guy like Troy clung to him, saying he liked him, anyone would easily be swayed.

Troy gently stroked Kaiso’s hair. The long strands flowed like a waterfall through his scarred fingers. Troy gazed at the sight in fascination.

“Do you like me, or do you like my hair?”

Kaiso asked, feeling oddly sulky.

“Of course, I like you, Duke. But I can’t forget the way your high-tied hair fluttered when you saved me.”

Troy continued to fiddle with his hair. Though hair shouldn’t have any sensation, Kaiso felt a strange sensation, as if Troy were stroking his body.

“So, you fell for me back then?”

“No, not exactly. Actually, I fell for you at first sight. Even before you saved me, I was already smitten.”

“What did you see?”

Kaiso asked pointedly, knowing what kind of answer he’d get.

“Wow, I’d never seen someone so handsome in my life. After that, the whole world looked black-and-white. Everyone else seemed half-finished…”

Troy’s excited and exaggerated words were pleasant to hear. Kaiso had heard plenty of compliments about his looks throughout his life, but hearing it from Troy felt special somehow.

Before long, Troy was snoring softly, fast asleep. Meanwhile, Kaiso, trapped in his arms, couldn’t fall asleep until late for reasons different from usual.

The next morning, Kaiso lay still, bathed in the sunlight streaming through the tent’s gaps. Troy was half-pressing down on him, making it impossible to move.

“Troy.”

No response. Kaiso squirmed a bit to escape and called again.

“Troy, wake up.”

Still no answer. But Kaiso noticed Troy’s nostrils flaring.

“I know you’re awake.”

“…Oops, caught.”

“Get off me.”

Troy reluctantly let go of his arms but then hugged Kaiso tightly again, rubbing his head against his chest.

“Can’t we stay like this a bit longer? It’s really nice.”

“Aren’t you being too shameless for someone who caused a drunken ruckus?”

“I don’t remember much.”

“You little—”

Kaiso lightly flicked Troy’s forehead and pushed him away. Troy slid back as Kaiso pushed.

‘It’s probably for the best that he doesn’t remember.’

Kaiso inwardly sighed in relief. Hadn’t he almost crossed a line last night too? Troy could use drunkenness as an excuse, but Kaiso had been sober.

“Sorry. I drank that bitter stuff hoping to be cherished by you, Duke, but it was all for nothing.”

“Don’t touch Hayworth’s stuff carelessly from now on. That guy’s not in his right mind.”

“Then why do you keep Teacher Hayworth around?”

“Because he’s skilled.”

Emily Hayworth was an exceptional talent who graduated at the top of the Royal Medical University. Normally, someone with those grades would become a royal physician, but Hayworth’s personality prevented that. He knew he’d be beheaded within a week if he entered the royal court.

Despite his serious personality flaws, it was Hayworth who saved the dying Kaiso and the escort team nearly wiped out by a forest dragon’s attack.

“But are you feeling okay?”

Kaiso asked with concern. Troy’s complexion hadn’t looked good for a while.

“No, I don’t think I’m okay. I’m dizzy…”

Troy curled up into Kaiso’s arms.

“Get away.”

It was obvious he was trying to pull something again. Troy whined about his headache for a while, but Kaiso ignored it all. It wasn’t until Troy said he’d skip breakfast that Kaiso realized the seriousness.

“Are you really not eating?”

Kaiso asked, eyes wide with surprise. For a guy who always ate huge amounts to refuse food—it seemed he really had a hangover.

“My head hurts so much, and my stomach feels like it’s turning upside down.”

Troy said this while serving Kaiso tea and toast. Though he said the smell of food was hard to bear, he didn’t forget to take care of Kaiso’s meal.

“Hayworth, don’t you have anything good for a hangover?”

“There is, but I can’t guarantee its safety.”

“…Forget it.”

Instead, Hayworth gladly gave up his carriage seat for Troy, who was suffering from the hangover.

“Thanks for testing that you can drink it all and still survive.”

Whatever the intention, Troy was deeply moved to ride in the carriage alongside Kaiso. As the carriage rattled along, Troy pulled out a small notebook and started scribbling something.

“What are you writing?”

“Oh, I’m recording today as a special day.”

“What special day?”

“The ‘first time I rode in a carriage with the Duke’ day.”

With that, Troy handed the notebook to Kaiso. Kaiso flipped through it with a suspicious look. The pages were filled with so many notes that there was hardly any white space left.