BR 1.6

He made it to the office but hesitated to enter. Lelis had told him he looked incredibly handsome, and he liked the new look himself, but he worried Nike wouldn’t approve of his changed hair.

Twenty minutes passed like this.

Seeing him just keep stalling and not even thinking about opening the door, Lelis, growing impatient, stepped forward.

“Just go in.”
“Huh?! No, I can’t, Lelis – !”

Whether Erons screamed or raged didn’t matter. Lelis flung the door open on her own. It was a decision made because she felt he wouldn’t enter until nightfall otherwise.

The door opened unexpectedly, catching him off guard. In that moment of surprise, his eyes met Nike’s.

Thud.

Nike dropped the quill pen he’d been holding. The pen rolled several times across the table before landing on the floor, touching Pelson’s foot. 

He remained frozen in place.

“… Riman.”

Nike sprang up, strode over with long strides, and suddenly embraced Erons.

His chest heaved with ragged breaths as his cheek touched Erons’s.

Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, Erons instinctively wrapped his arms around the Duke’s waist.

“Your Grace. How does my hair look? Is it okay? Honestly, I really like it, but…”
“Yes… yes, it’s fine. More than fine. I like it very much. “
”Really? That’s a relief.”

Erons’s face finally brightened, his worries vanishing like an old blockage clearing.

Nike, who had been holding him in a suffocating embrace, cupped Erons’s cheek as he smiled dazzlingly. Erons’s hair, which had reached his waist, had been transformed into a short cut like his.

The shorter hair made his already youthful face appear even younger. As a result, his unique, delicate aura was amplified. Facing Erons’s smile, Nike smiled back at him as if overcome with emotion.

“But, Your Grace. ‘Riman’? What does that mean? Is it a noble word?”
“…Riman is…”

At his question, Nike and Lelis both flinched simultaneously. Lelis immediately bowed her head, while Nike, after a brief pause, looked down at Erons and smiled faintly.

“It’s a term from the social circles of my youth. When referring to someone so beautiful they could steal your heart, we called them ‘Riman.’ It’s a term from over twenty years ago, so no one uses it anymore.“

”Ah… Ha ha. I… I see. That’s what it meant.”

Understanding the meaning, Erons felt his face flush hot.

‘Me, beautiful…? And to be seen that way by someone like His Grace the Duke? How…?’

Having always been treated as inferior, Erons was unaccustomed to such words. 

He had realized his place was far below ordinary people from a young age. So Nike’s treatment felt too unfamiliar. Yet this unfamiliar affection wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

“Very… very beautiful. It suits you very well.”
“That much?”
“Yes. But then again, anything would look good on you.”

The constant praise made Erons feel a little awkward.

It was true that short hair suited him better. He’d been too lazy to cut it, so it had grown long and shaggy, making him, an Omega, seem even more Omega-like.

He didn’t like it.

Even so, saying anything suits me perfectly seemed a bit much.

“It’s not that much, I… .”
“No, it’s more than that. You just don’t realize it yourself.”

Erons blushed at the few compliments, while Nikae’s eyes overflowed with love as he gazed at him. The two seemed far too close to be just father and son. They looked almost like ‘lovers’. Those around them couldn’t say it, but honestly, the sight was cringeworthy.

We get it, but you have to know when to stop.

“My Lord. It’s almost time for the banquet. We should head down soon.”
“Already? Well then, let’s go.”

“Yes, aha!” Erons’s body floated up like a feather. Nike had lifted him up.

“Your Grace, my leg doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m not tired either.”
“It’s fine. Let’s just go this way.”
“But…”

This is embarrassing!

Erons deliberately infused his voice with a hint of refusal.

Outside was one thing, but even here in this room, Pelson and Lelis were already present. Their gazes were directed elsewhere, but Erons knew. They were watching this display of affection with displeasure.

“Do you dislike me carrying you so much…?”
“Huh? Ah, no! Of course not! I don’t dislike it at all. Whatever the Duke does is wonderful.”
“Then that’s settled. Let’s go like this.”
“Yes, yes? No, Duke!”

But Erons, who was often swayed by Nike, couldn’t escape his embrace.

Having reached his own conclusion, Nike beamed with a wide smile, seemingly delighted by something. He smiled so broadly that he looked a bit foolish.

Seeing Nike so pleased, Erons couldn’t bring himself to refuse again. Reluctantly, he had to walk around, still embraced by Nike.

Though the stares of others were burdensome, Erons liked Nike so much that he could easily overcome such gazes.

For the sake of the one who showed me kindness, what couldn’t I do?

Erons didn’t hear the deep sighs of Lelis and Pelson pouring out toward the receding pair. At the same time, he didn’t know how tangled his future, which he thought would be smooth sailing, would become.

Nike’s study. A place always filled with coldness, mirroring its owner, had recently taken on a warm atmosphere. Within it lingered the sweet pheromones of an Omega, like melted sugar cubes.

“Huh…!”
“Doing this again. Try to hold back.”
“Wait, just a moment. Stop…!”

Erons collapsed where he stood, wrapping his arms around himself. His legs trembled sweetly, refusing to hold his weight, preventing him from standing again.

Nike repeatedly released and withdrew his pheromones. Even the base pheromones were overwhelming for Erons, yet Nike’s pheromones grew increasingly potent.

Surrounded by pheromones so overwhelming that he could barely breathe, Erons’s body couldn’t resist the excitement and collapsed countless times.

“Hey, give me the medicine, some medicine, ugh!”
“The medicine I brought last time is already gone. I’ll soothe you myself for now, but is that okay?”
“Yes… yes, quickly. Your Grace, quickly, hmph.”

Nike, who drove Erons to the brink of losing consciousness, soothed his body with medicine, and sometimes with kisses like this.

When it became unbearable, even with medicine, he clung to Nike. He already knew from experience that a kiss was more effective than medicine.

Hot breath exchanged between their rubbing lips. As his tongue probed his mouth, suffocating him, Erons unconsciously released his own pheromones.

Then, along with his breath, Nike’s pheromones entered his body through their mouths. His pheromones suppressed Erons’s once more.

But he wasn’t yet accustomed to controlling it.

When Nike’s lips parted, the restrained pheromones began to rise again.

“Huh… I’m sorry, Your Grace. I guess I just don’t have a knack for this…”
“You don’t need talent. If your will is firm enough, you’ll get it quickly. With consistent practice, you’ll be able to handle it on your own. You can do it.”

Nike showered him with praise, as if he were a child. Encouraging him, they kept kissing, suppressing the pheromones, stopping, then kissing again when they still emerged, repeating the process countless times.

“Haa. Your Grace, I can’t do this anymore – .”

Knock knock.

Just as the struggle became unbearable, a knock sounded. Perfect timing.

Erons, inwardly rejoicing, gently pushed Nike’s chest away. Whoever was knocking, he thanked them tearfully in that moment. He’d truly nearly suffocated to death.

“S-someone’s here. I’ll get up for a moment.”
“… Alright. Who is it?”
“It is I, my Lord.”
“Tsk. Come in.”

The savior who rescued Erons was none other than Pelson. The moment he entered, he frowned and covered his nose.

The study was still thick with potent pheromones. Pelson grimaced deeply at the repulsive scent greeting him.

Even amidst Nike’s pheromones, which were among the strongest dominant traits, Erons’s scent stubbornly persisted.

It was intensely sweet. Enough to cloud one’s mind. Pelson found himself almost admiring Nike for not yet having taken Erons.

“I’ve brought the partially completed garments for Lord Erons.”
“Faster than I expected. Put them here. Since the child is here, we can try them on right away.”
“Understood.”

Pelson placed the clothes on his desk and dashed out.

Watching his hastily retreating back, Erons was puzzled, but Nike, who had already stopped paying attention to him, spread the clothes out on the desk.

The several garments were all snow-white and simple in design, similar to what Erons was wearing.

“They look just like the nightshirt I’m wearing now.”
“I suppose they made the indoor clothes first since they’re easier to make. The more intricate ones will probably be brought in a few days later.”
“I see. This fabric is incredibly soft. It feels softer than what I’m wearing now.“

Erons’s eyes sparkled as he touched the new clothes. Watching him open his mouth wide and carefully touch the hem, Nike smiled.

”Do you like it that much?“
”Yes! I love it so much.”

Even though the clothes were given to him as his own, Erons couldn’t bring himself to touch them openly and only fiddled with the edges.

His smile, fluttering with excitement at receiving proper clothes for the first time since he was born, was truly beautiful.

His excitement was fully conveyed to Nike. He smiled faintly, like Erons, but Nike’s smile seemed somehow bitter.

“If you want, I can make sure you get new clothes every day.”
“New clothes every day?”
“Yes, every day.”
“No! That would be too hard on the people who make them. I don’t need that many clothes.”
“That’s their job. Isn’t that why I hired them, paying them with my money?”

Nike wrapped his arms around Erons’s waist and pulled him closer. Then he picked up the garment right in front of them and held it up to Erons’s body.

“It should look good on you. I’ll help you change, so go ahead and try it on.”
“… Here?”

“Yes. It would be a hassle to go somewhere else just to change clothes, so change here.”

Nike slipped his hand under the shirt Erons was wearing.

But Erons refused the hand offering to dress him personally.

Strangely, he didn’t push it away outright or pull it off. He just held it firmly, preventing it from going any further.

He was biting his lower lip slightly.

“You seem embarrassed.”
“… A little. I have to show my body, don’t I?”

Truthfully, something else bothered him more than showing his body. The wounds he’d received in the tailoring room still remained.

He didn’t want Nike, who’d been heartbroken over even a slight scratch on his cheek, to see the scabs from needle pricks scattered here and there.

Completely unaware of these thoughts, Nike just smiled brightly and said things that only made Erons feel even more embarrassed.

“I’ve seen your naked body before, even put my hand down there. Is there still something left to be ashamed of?”
“Wh-what?! Y-Your Grace! Please don’t say such things, I beg you…”

Memories of the past, long forgotten, came flooding back thanks to him. 

The first sight in the bathroom: a sturdy, adult male. An Alpha’s naked form. His gaze, more sticky than the hands touching his body. Even the thick penis that almost pierced through him.

‘Ah. I shouldn’t have thought about it.’

Heat rose to his flushed cheeks. Erons hastily covered his face. If Nike saw him like this, he’d instantly know what he was thinking.

It was too embarrassing to be seen blushing over the memory of that day.

“How cute. Now, we have many clothes to try on, so let’s hurry.”
“Huh? Duke, no!”

While Erons looked away, Nike pulled up his nightshirt. As he slipped off the dress-like garment, his naked body, clad only in underwear, was revealed. Nike couldn’t tear his eyes away, tracing the fair, delicate skin from his toes upward.

“… What is this?”

But the higher he looked, the stiffer his face grew. Marks were on Erons’s body that hadn’t been there when they bathed together.

They were clearly scabs. Not just one or two, but dozens. They covered unhidden areas like his chest and back, as well as the inside of his arms and places obscured by his upper body, appearing in countless places.

“Explain. What is all this? Who the hell dared to scar your body?”
“Ah… That… ‘”

Nike, grinding his teeth, seemed furious. A strange, murderous intent radiated from his eyes, eyes that wouldn’t look out of place on someone who’d killed a man.

It was even more intense than the killing intent he had shown to Keld and Pelson before. Erons intuitively knew. If he spoke honestly, someone might actually die.

“Well, that… They said I had to take my clothes off for the procedure. But since they were all women, I specifically asked to keep my clothes on.”
“And…”
“They told me not to move because they had to pin the fabric with needles, but I was uncomfortable and moved, so I got pricked a little.”

“A little? Just looking at it, there are dozens of them. You call this a little?”
“… I’m sorry, Your Grace.”
“Haa…”

His eyes darted around nervously, busy trying to gauge Nike’s mood. His voice gradually trailed off. 

Even during this brief excuse, Nike’s eyebrows twitched several times. Seeing him look even angrier than when facing Fedor, Erons felt intimidated even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Your Grace. Are you angry…?”
“ … Yes.”
“I’m sorry. I was wrong. I’ll be more careful from now on.”
“I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at the ones who made you like this.”
“Don’t do that, Duke. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

Erons threw himself into his arms. He wrapped his arms, which looked like they might break if touched, around his thick waist.

It was an attempt to restrain him. Nike wasn’t about to do anything right now, but Erons was already scared.

“It’s my fault for moving. It’s my fault, so punish me.”

Erons desperately prayed he wouldn’t do anything to the maids. Those with such wicked hearts wouldn’t change their ways just because they got punished once.

They’d surely rush to take revenge somehow.

He could endure persecution like that time, but what if they charged with the same intent as Jowen in his dream, who tried to cut off his ears? Erons didn’t feel confident he could withstand that.

“You know as well as I do. How could I punish you?”
“It’s my fault. I moved, and that’s why it happened.”
“Yes, even if that’s the case,”
“It’s my mistake, so I’ll take the punishment. Please do that, okay?”
“I know it’s not your fault.”
“No, it’s my fault. My mistake – !”

As if he couldn’t bear to hear more, Nike covered Erons’s mouth. He claimed it was all his fault, but Nike didn’t believe his words.

There was no way to sugarcoat it. The wounds were clearly visible to anyone. It was obvious he’d been stabbed on purpose.

This was beyond being kind; it was downright stupid.

“Alright, calm down. Fine, it was your mistake. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“… Yes. It was my mistake.”
“You look soft, yet you’re stubborn as hell.”

Stubborn? More like unable to make excuses, trembling like a leaf.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t good for wanting to protect a mere maid and taking the blame himself, but that kind of thing rarely plays out well. Especially the higher your position, the worse it gets. Nike wanted to teach him that.

“If this truly is your mistake, are you confident enough to say you won’t take back your words even if I punish you?”
“Punishment…”
“To prevent repeating the same mistake, you must receive a very stinging, terrifying punishment. Are you still willing?”
“… ”

Of course not. No one in the world would say ‘thank you’ when being punished. Moreover, Nike emphasized the words ‘stinging’ and ‘terrifying’. He would not be handing down an ordinary punishment.

Erons paused briefly before nodding. He didn’t know how terrifying the punishment would be, but having endured countless verbal and physical assaults, he was confident he could endure whatever it was. And he trusted Nike. At least, he believed he would not be punished so severely that he would cry in agony.

“Yes.”
“What kind of punishment do you think I’ll give?”
“Whatever punishment the Duke gives me is fine. I’ll take it.”

Nike’s eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised by this answer. With a soft, almost breathy chuckle, Nike swiftly lifted Erons and sat him on the desk.

“Your Grace? I wasn’t going to be beaten?”
“I couldn’t bring myself to raise a rod against you. So I’ll do something else instead.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”

He tugged the last remaining strap of Erons’s undergarment. As the strap released, the fabric fell away. With that, Erons became completely naked. The kiss disguised as pheromone suppression had been quite stimulating for him, too, as his small thing bobbed up and down in a rather lewd manner.

“D-Duke. Why the clothes, ah…!”

As Erons tried to cover his now fully exposed member, Nike grabbed it. Shaking it, which fit snugly in one hand, Erons immediately curled his legs and trembled. But Nike didn’t stop.

Nike spread his wriggling legs wide, preventing him from closing them, and moved between them.

“Ahh, ah, no, ugh, ha…!”
”Tsk. It’s punishment, yet you enjoy it so much.“
”Haah, Duke… my lord.“
”You needn’t call me so desperately. I’m right here, before you.”

After just a few shakes, droplets formed at the tip. The tiny thing, in heat and dripping wet, seemed to mirror its owner perfectly.

“Ahh, ah! No, Duke, stop, please, ugh…!”

A thin moan spilled from Erons’s mouth. 

The trouble started when Nike, who had only been touching him with his hands, suddenly bent down and took his member into his mouth. The touch of his hot tongue and lips sent him into such excitement that he leaked pre-cum, and it wasn’t long before he was swelling up, ready to come.

Erons pushed him away after he swallowed his member in one gulp, but the harder he pushed, the more fiercely Nike sucked his cock.

As his lips clamped down on the shaft without a single gap, his cheeks hollowed out. A tongue as thick as his own wrapped around the cock and rubbed it, making Erons’s body tremble.

“Ah, Your… Your Grace, I… Huh… I’m… I’m coming, ah…!”

Only then did his lips release, and the trembling that had been felt even through his tongue erupted in a cloud of milky semen.

Nike licked the semen splattered on his cheek, deliberately showing it off.

“Your Grace, why are you eating that! Spit it out!”
“Why waste such a precious thing? It feels good to taste your seed.”
“I… I don’t like you saying that…”
“Then I’ll keep doing it until you like it.”
“Your Grace!”
“Ha ha ha!”

As Erons’s face flushed crimson and he shouted, Nike laughed heartily. He wiped the corners of his mouth with Erons’s discarded clothes.

New clothes had been made anyway, and since they were stained with blood from minor wounds, there was no need to put them on him now.

‘What kind of punishment is this? What kind of punishment is this!’

Erons, who had expected a standard corporal punishment, found this absurd penalty hard to accept.

Do nobles punish people like this? Not with a cane?

A new shirt was pulled over Erons’s head, still panting. The lack of undergarments was a flaw, but Erons was once again neatly dressed. Needless to say, the new shirt suited him perfectly.

“You really are pretty.”
“Thank you. “
“Do you regret it now? Taking the blame for someone else’s mistake.”
“A little. Just a little.”
“How cute.”

A soft kiss landed on his cheek from Nike’s lips. It was a gentle kiss, but Erons felt slightly uncomfortable.

After all, those were the same lips that had just been sucking on his… And he’d even swallowed bodily fluids.

“Don’t do this again. Today, I’m letting it slide as a warning.”
“…This is a warning? Then how much worse is the non-warning…”
“Better not to know. The day you find out, you’ll be receiving that punishment.”

A chill ran down his spine. He recalled the murderous glint in his eyes moments ago, directed at the maids who weren’t even here.

Erons swallowed hard and nodded silently.