BLBJ 13.2

“Haa…”

Had he just passed out again?

The moment he opened his eyes, Eizen stared blankly at the notification that popped up.

[Stream has ended]
[Peak viewers: 31,870]
[Subscribers: 15,873]
[Likes: 28,647]
[Balance: 53,478,912 won]

[Hidden Quest Complete]
★ Let’s surpass 10,000 subscribers!
[Reward]
★ XX ability increases by 100.

“Wow…”

The peak viewership exceeded 30,000. That means 30,000 people tuned in to watch a sex livestream. The subscriber count also surpassed 10,000. The current balance exceeded 50 million won.

‘And amidst all that, my tightening ability keeps rising.’

Should he be thankful the system cares about his anal health? Or should he say it was beyond belief? Eizen laughed hollowly. It would be incredibly helpful during sex…. but it didn’t really help his life much.

Still, it was fortunate that he was making good money. If things kept going like this, he could level up his skills and increase his abilities. Boasting an enormous amount of 500,000 won per point.

‘Wait. If that’s the case, does giving me 100 points in tightening ability mean it’s worth 50 million won?’

The absurdity made him laugh hollowly.

Eizen grimaced as he unconsciously tensed his buttocks. Even if he couldn’t feel the difference himself, would the tops who put it in there feel the difference?

Shaking off the absurd thought, Eizen got out of bed.

Even without drinking a potion, his body felt refreshed, likely thanks to sleeping well.

Glancing absentmindedly at the clothes rack, Eizen burst out laughing.

He’d expected yesterday’s clothes to be carefully mended and hung up, but thankfully, a fresh, clean outfit was hanging there instead.

“Ha…”

Eizen quickly washed and slipped on the clothes. Was it because the Emperor had given them? The feel against his skin was exceptionally pleasant.

Just as he finished adjusting his attire, brushing off the clothes before the mirror, someone knocked on the door.

“Yes.” Eizen opened the door slightly.

The attendant bowed his head and said, “Are you awake? His Majesty the Emperor wishes to have breakfast with you.”

“Ah… I understand.”

Breakfast should be fine.

Eizen turned on the broadcast a bit early. Might as well film a breakfast mukbang while he was at it. And get Jeremiah on camera too. Two birds with one stone, right?

‘Should I go see Christian today?’

With that thought, he arrived at the breakfast table to find Tennes already seated there.

“Huh?”
“Good morning, Eizen.”

Jeremiah’s slightly irritated expression stood in stark contrast to Tennes’s usual cheerful smile.

“Did you sleep well at the Imperial Palace?”
“Yes, yes.”

Eizen answered somewhat reluctantly.

💬What’s going on? What even is this?
💬I don’t know. As soon as the stream started, Jeremiah and Tennes showed up together.
💬Isn’t it breakfast? Judging by the time, it looks like breakfast.
💬Since he asked if he slept well at the Imperial Palace, he must’ve known he stayed there and came by first thing in the morning.
💬lololol After all the chaos last night, it’d be weirder if he didn’t know.
💬Still, the fireworks were beautiful last night.
💬Ah, I missed it live, so I had to watch the edited version 😭

While the audience murmured and chattered, Eizen sat with as composed a face as he could manage.

The breakfast table, set with mostly light fare, looked refreshing, perhaps because it was morning.

Just as Eizen scooped up some soup and brought it to his mouth, someone tapped his toes lightly with their foot.

‘Who is it?’

Jeremiah? Tennes?

If he knew who it was, he could at least think about how to react. But since it was just a tap on his toes, he couldn’t tell.

Finally, Eizen quietly shoved his foot firmly under his chair.

At that moment, Jeremiah’s face stiffened, and Tennes gave a slight smile.

💬Such a subtle reaction lololol

Was the situation down there being broadcast too?

Eizen shook his head and quickly took a spoonful of soup. He liked the creamy texture that spread smoothly across his tongue. The moderately savory flavor and the sensation of it warming his insides were also pleasant. The morning bread was piping hot too; steam billowed out the moment he cut it in half. And the slightly runny fried egg yolk, the fluffy potatoes, the crispy bacon.

Eizen simply tuned out Jeremiah and Tennes and focused on eating.

‘Delicious.’

It was truly delicious. Delicious enough to make him forget about Jeremiah and Tennes. If he could hire a chef, he’d hire one from the Imperial Palace.

Eizen stuffed a jam-smeared slice of bread into his mouth and chewed slowly. The orange marmalade was so wonderfully thick and sticky, he could have eaten just that by itself.

💬The best meal companion, highly recommend.
💬I actually watch Eizen’s mukbang while I eat, you know.
💬It looks so good I can taste it just watching 😭
💬Eizen eats quite a lot, doesn’t he? Must be unlimited since it’s in-game.

Did he really eat that much?

Still, it was amazing he didn’t gain weight. Maybe it was because he never ate properly while growing up.

At the table where three people sat, only Eizen was busily shoveling food into his mouth.

After the silent breakfast ended, Eizen rose from his seat.

“Leaving already?” Jeremiah blurted out first.

“Yes, thank you. Thanks to you, Jeremiah, I ate well and…” When he called Jeremiah’s name, His Majesty the Emperor lifted his head slightly. 

Tennes gave a faint smile.

“Are you going home now?”
“Yes… I guess.”

He’d have to stop by home. Eizen nodded, thinking something along those lines. Both seemed to have much to discuss, but perhaps because the three were together, they didn’t bring up anything else. Eizen slipped away from the spot as if escaping.

‘Still, it’s a relief I got two people to appear.’

Now, if he could just meet three more people, he could wrap up the broadcast.

Eizen smiled wryly as he watched the viewers slowly start to tune in.

💬What? Has the stream been going for a while?
💬They did a breakfast mukbang.
💬Tennes and Jeremiah even had a little showdown.
💬Aaah! I missed it! 😭
💬The edited version will go up later.

“Now the only people left to date are Christian and Tennes. And the only people left to do it with are Pike and Christian.”

💬Christian hasn’t done either of them yet?
💬Sob sob, please give our Christian some love.
💬But it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long since Christian last XXed.
💬Let’s go, Christian! Time for some XX or a date!

“I suppose I should. I guess.”

“What should you do?” Eizen flinched at the voice that suddenly came from behind.

💬It’s Bartholomew!
💬Wow, that makes three of them already?
💬You’re not ending the stream early today, right?

“.=Bartholomew.” As Eizen slowly turned around, Bartholomew’s bright blue hair came into view. “It’s nothing.”

He gave a faint smile, and Bartholomew stared intently with his golden eyes.

“Did you enjoy the fireworks yesterday?”
“Huh?”
“The fireworks. Did you enjoy them?”
“…”
“I made those.”
“Oh.”

Eizen’s lips twitched. Jeremiah had prepared them, but Bartholomew had made them.

Should he say thank you?

After hesitating, Eizen finally found the words. “They were truly beautiful.”

“… Did you have a good time with His Majesty?” Bartholomew’s long fingers lifted Eizen’s chin.

Eizen’s face flushed bright red. He saw Bartholomew’s lips twist slightly.

What should he say? Saying no would be a lie. But saying he enjoyed sex with Jeremiah would imply that Bartholomew was just another capture target.

Bartholomew’s lips slowly descended, his breath mingling with Eizen’s. And just before his warm body touched him, Eizen pushed Bartholomew away with all his strength.

“…”

A moment of silence passed.

“Thank you, Bartholomew.”
“What exactly are you thanking me for?”
“…”
“For letting you have such a good time with His Majesty?”
“I meant thank you for creating something so beautiful for me.”

Bartholomew’s expression seemed to darken slightly, then his eyebrows flicked.

“You got out of that one nicely.”
“You knew I’d see it, didn’t you?”

Instead of answering, Bartholomew crossed his arms.

Eizen pursed his lips.

“Thank you.”

Impulsively, he grabbed Bartholomew’s collar. Lifting his heels slightly, he pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Because the fireworks were so beautiful. Though Jeremiah had ordered the preparations, it was Bartholomew who had made it while thinking of Eizen.

Eizen, who had attached all sorts of reasons to his own actions, rubbed his slightly flushed cheeks.

Then he turned around immediately and strode off.

💬Wait, wait – he hasn’t picked a route already, has he?
💬Well, that much is fine, I guess.
💬But then shouldn’t he give the other characters cheek kisses too?

No matter what the viewers said, Eizen kept his mouth shut. After putting in that much effort, what was the harm in giving a single peck? 

Of course the [♥Secret Shop – Bartholomew] proved he was an utterly insane pervert.

‘What does it matter, anyway.’

Eizen let out a short sigh.

As much as the capture targets were falling for Eizen. No, even if it wasn’t quite equal to the capture target’s feelings, Eizen himself could feel that his own heart was leaning towards them to some degree.

“I’ve already met Tennes. And I went on a date with Pike last time… So I’ll meet Christian.”

💬Eizen, be honest with us, you haven’t picked a route yet, right?
💬Don’t start talking about routes over a simple cheek kiss.
💬Ah, come on, let’s not fight 😭 Besides, he’s still giving the affinity potions out evenly.
💬He hasn’t given them to Christian or Pike yet, has he?
💬He will soon! He said so earlier!

The viewers were fighting amongst themselves.

Instead of making excuses, Eizen quickened his pace.

‘I’ll meet Christian like this. If I meet Pike at night, I can wrap up the broadcast perfectly.’

It’s better this way, no need for any nonsense about pajamas or whatever.

Eizen confirmed Christian’s location.

🏰 [Christian – Imperial Palace – En Route]

[En Route]?

Where could he be? Should he head back toward the Knights’ quarters? Or should he move around, hoping for a chance encounter?

After some deliberation, Eizen slowly walked toward the entrance of the Imperial Palace.

Just then, he caught sight of Christian’s back as he was about to step outside. Someone with hair that bright red wasn’t exactly common.

Eizen quickly ran up to him and called out, “Christian!”

At the sound of his name, the man slowly turned around.

“Eizen.”

Christian gave a faint smile and waved.

Eizen tilted his head slightly at the smile, which seemed a bit fainter than usual, and quickened his pace to catch up.

“You’re leaving?”
“Ah, just heading home.”
“Oh…”

The timing wasn’t great. Why did he have to be leaving after the night shift?

Hearing that, Eizen noticed the slight darkness under Christian’s eyes. Well, it wasn’t a major flaw on Christian’s face.

“Are you leaving, too?”
“Yes.”

Eizen stepped outside the Imperial Palace grounds with Christian.

Christian walked silently beside Eizen without saying much.

‘Huh, this isn’t right.’

On any other day, he’d be approaching with his usual sly words and teasing. Today, he was more subdued than expected.

Glancing sideways at this unfamiliar demeanor, his eyes met Christian’s. Eizen reflexively gave a slight smile, and Christian chuckled softly.

“Eizen, did you enjoy yourself yesterday?”
“Huh?”
“The fireworks, I mean.”

💬Yeah, after a show that flashy, it’d be weird if word didn’t spread.
💬Jeremiah made such a grand spectacle of it that everyone seems on edge.
💬Tennes even showed up first thing in the morning.
💬And Bartholomew brought it up the moment they met.

Well, it didn’t make sense to expect him not to notice after such a spectacular display.

But everyone was talking about that fireworks show. Was his affinity rating skewed heavily toward Jeremiah? That was the first worry that came to mind.

‘But the Affinity Potion only makes a one-point difference at most.’

Was the scale just too big? Eizen pursed his lips. He was confused about how to respond.

“Did you see it too, Christian?”
“Everyone around here must have seen it.”

Christian chuckled softly.

Eizen sighed lightly and pressed his fingers to his forehead. Should he try to stop him from pulling off such large-scale stunts in the future? It seemed the affinity ratings of the others fluctuated wildly depending on what the capture target did for Eizen.

‘He’s never done anything on this scale before…’

His head throbbed painfully.

But he couldn’t just give everyone except Jeremiah another Affinity Potion either.

Nor could he lie now and say he hadn’t actually been with Jeremiah. Everyone knew the truth anyway.

Eizen forced his creaking brain to work. He’d just realized that when someone like this shook things up, he was the only one left holding the headache.

💬Are we entering Jeremiah’s route like this?
💬No way. Eizen, tell me that’s not it.
💬Ah, just let all six of them be together already.
💬Oh, SixthSense, you just got here?
💬Guess he started the stream early today.
💬Yeah, there was a breakfast mukbang this morning.

As the viewers’ celebrity SixthSense came on, the chat window grew slightly noisy.

Eizen casually ignored the chat window and looked at Christian.

‘What should I say to smooth things over?’

Maybe just give him a peck on the cheek like he did to Bartholomew. Seemed to work surprisingly well. Anyway, it’s part of the job to build affinity.

“I wanted to see it with you. Glad you got to see it too, Christian.”

Eizen said that and gently tugged at Christian’s collar. The moment his lips pressed firmly against the slightly stiff cheek, a soft chuckle escaped Christian.

“But the person you actually watched it with is someone else, Eizen,” Christian whispered in his ear and lightly wrapped an arm around his waist.

“Well, that’s true, but…”

The moment Eizen stammered a reply, his earlobe was gently nibbled. His breath sounded unusually loud as it drifted into Eizen’s ear. When Eizen stiffened his shoulders, Christian let out a long sigh, bowed his head, and pressed his forehead firmly against Eizen’s shoulder.

‘What should I do?’ 

Eizen cautiously wrapped his arms around the broad shoulders. He felt passersby glance their way, but he didn’t care. He barely managed to place his palm on Christian’s broad back and slowly patted it. Christian chuckled softly.

“Eizen.”
“Yes?”
“You know you’re easier than I am, right?”
“…”

💬I have no words.

Someone in the audience voiced what Eizen was thinking.

It was true. He had no words.

He didn’t sleep around with just anyone, but still, it was a fact he’d slept with five different men.

“But somehow, I find myself thinking it doesn’t matter.”
“… Um, like that, with just anyone.”

“I know. It’s not just anyone.” Christian abruptly cut off what sounded like an excuse and lifted his head. “You have feelings for them, don’t you?”

To that question, he simply nodded. Whether these feelings were fabricated or not, it was true he had begun harboring an incomprehensible affection for the capture targets.

Christian stared intently into Eizen’s dark eyes and smiled faintly. It was the same smile as always. Somewhere between sly and debauched.

“Well, it’s fine.”
“What is?”
“His Majesty the Emperor even puts on fireworks for you.”
“…”
“There are things only I can do.”

What on earth does he plan to do? As Eizen stared at him with a dazed expression, Christian firmly grabbed his shoulder.

“Since things have come to this, shall we enjoy ourselves today?”
“Huh? But didn’t you just finish your night shift?”
“Two or three days won’t faze me.”

💬As expected of a true top’s stamina.
💬A proper top shouldn’t get tired even after XXing for three days straight.

Eizen simply moved forward at the touch pulling him along. He’d planned to meet Christian for a date anyway. Plus, he needed to replenish the affinity lost thanks to Jeremiah’s actions.

‘Ah, come to think of it, Christian and Jeremiah are quite different.’

Eizen had given Christian one less affinity potion, had sex with him one less time, and hadn’t even gone on a date yet. The gap in affinity with Jeremiah felt unavoidable.

‘This date should help fill it a little.’

Eizen met Christian’s smiling gaze, who looked perfectly nonchalant, and reflexively smiled back.