BR 2.10

Erons visited the shrine regularly whenever the sun was out, always carrying flowers. 

It wasn’t purely for prayer.

“Jen, I’m here.”
–You’re late today.
“Sorry. I overslept a bit.”
–I told you to go to bed earlier.
“I usually go to bed early! It was only yesterday that I stayed up late.”
–Liar.
“… Ugh.”

Jen, whom he’d feared might vanish forever, was there every day Erons visited the shrine. Naturally, the time he spent with Jen increased, and he learned several things about the creature.

One was that the voice he’d heard back then was indeed Jen’s, and that the creature could speak. Another was that Jen was truly a demon beast. 

Jen’s red eyes were proof of that.

Though not human, Erons regarded Jen as a friend. 

Jen was the only one he could confide in without reservation. 

Jen didn’t judge him. He didn’t look down on him. He simply treated him like a person. 

Erons didn’t realize how much comfort that brought him. 

No one else in the mansion treated him like an ordinary person.

But it took Erons quite a while to belatedly remember something he’d forgotten. It had been far too long since he’d seen Fedor. He should have thanked him for helping build the shrine, but at some point, Fedor had vanished without a trace.

“Lelis. I haven’t seen Lord Fedor around lately. Where has he gone?”
“You didn’t know? Young Master has been away for quite some time, summoned by the Tower of Magic.”
“I had no idea. When will he return?”
“That is something probably no one knows. He doesn’t set a fixed period for his departures, nor does he announce his return date before leaving.”
“I see…“

Somehow, it had become a wait with no end in sight. 

It wasn’t much, but as a token of goodwill, he wanted to give him at least one of his best paintings. Unfortunately, Fedor wasn’t at the mansion. 

If he was going far away, he wished he’d at least said something beforehand.

“But there’s happier news. A guest has arrived for you, my Lord.”
“… A guest? For me?”
“Yes. For you, my Lord. It is a very distinguished guest, so you must hurry and prepare.”
“But I don’t have any guests coming…?”

Few knew Erons was even here. 

Aside from family members and hired staff, only the priest and the workers building the shrine knew. The priest was in a position where he couldn’t just leave his post, and he wasn’t the type to show up unannounced. And the possibility of laborers he’d never even spoken to coming was even more remote.

With question marks floating all over his face, Erons finished preparing and headed for the reception room. He hadn’t figured out the answer to his dilemma even as he reached the door. 

Who on earth would come looking for me?

“You’re here?”
“… Could it be that my guest is the Prince?”
“Ugh.”

The unexpected figure who appeared when he opened the door was the Prince himself. Stunned by this unanticipated visitor, Erons froze in place, unable even to offer the customary greeting.

“Is my arrival really that surprising?”
“Th-that… Why has Your Highness come to see me…?”
“Why do you think I came?”

If I knew that, I wouldn’t have asked. 

Erons racked his brain. What possible reason could the Prince have for seeking him out, not the Duke?

“… Ah.”

“No time for punishment today. I’ll deal with it later. I’ll be back soon, so wait here.”

He’d forgotten – the punishment. 

Remembering the Prince had specifically said he’d return to administer it, Erons fell deep in thought.

“I’m sorry!”
“… Huh?”
“I, I truly didn’t mean to! It wasn’t intentional, but if you insist on punishment… I’ll accept it willingly. But please, don’t harm His Grace or anyone else. I beg you!” 

If he wanted to live, what choice did he have? He had to beg.

Erons knelt, pressed his palms together, and literally begged humbly. Yet no response came from the Prince. When he opened his tightly shut eyes to look at him, the Prince only stared blankly down at him.

Is this not enough…? What else should I do?

At a loss, Erons chose to prostrate himself. He bowed his head forcefully toward the floor. But contrary to his courageous action, a soft, cute thud sounded as his forehead barely touched the ground.

“Pfft.”

That was the Prince’s laugh. Perhaps the sight of him flat on his face begging was amusing. When he lifted his head slightly, the Prince was doubled over, clutching his stomach and laughing.

It was a reaction that could have been hurtful, but Erons actually felt relieved. At least he wasn’t angry. Maybe he found it funny and would let it slide.

“Your Highness…?”
“Haha, ah, sorry. You’re really cute.”
“What…?”
“I said you’re cute.”

A sudden rush of heat made his cheeks flush red. 

The warm hand resting on them wasn’t his own, but the Prince’s. 

Erons was more surprised by the fact that the Prince was at his eye level than by the hand itself. The Prince had crouched down to meet his gaze. 

Right in front of him.

“Everything you do is cute, everything you say is cute.”
“Your Highness. You’re too close.”
“Your face is cute, too.”
“No, not at all…”
“Even your blush is cute.”

The Prince ruffled Erons’s hair just like he had back then. The touch, the kind of skin contact Nike might make, was so unfamiliar. 

If it hadn’t been for Lelis arriving with the tea just then, the awkwardness might have made him bolt out.

“Sit down first. You have to drink the tea I brought.”

The Prince helped Erons up and seated him opposite himself. 

Lelis, who entered with the Prince’s permission, placed different teacups before each of them. Steam rose gently from the freshly brewed tea. 

As always, Erons’s was sweet. Milk tea with just the right amount of sweetness to suit his taste. The Prince’s was Ceylon tea. 

Unlike Pelson, who insisted on the Master’s preferences and orders, this tea revealed Lelis’s consideration for the Prince’s tastes.

The Prince waited for Erons to speak first, but he showed no sign of opening his mouth, nor did he lift the teacup away from his lips. Finally, growing impatient, the Prince had to speak first.

“Shall we start with how you met the Duke?”
“The day I first met His Grace, I was wandering outside when some strange men grabbed me. His Grace saved me.“
”Your tone changes just because we’re sitting differently? No need to tiptoe around. Just speak freely.“
”… Is that… acceptable?“

”… Answer like that one more time, and I’m leaving. I won’t be your real brother, but just think of me as a close neighborhood big brother. That way, I’ll feel more comfortable talking too.“
”Yes… I’ll try.“
”Good boy. So who were those strange men? Criminals?“
“Well… they were men rumored to be rapists in that neighborhood.“
”Ah.“

The moment he said rapists, the Prince immediately knew who he was referring to. 

Not long ago, when he opened the enormous box the Duke had sent to the palace as a gift, four men lay inside, beaten to a pulp. Each had fingers, tongues, and even testicles severed, their minds half gone. 

Their state made it clear just how severe the torture they’d endured had been.

These four were notorious figures, their reputation spreading far and wide – even reaching the Emperor himself. 

Empire law enforcement had mobilized knights to capture them, yet only reports of their mysterious disappearance surfaced. 

Ultimately, it was because they were held captive by Nike.

A strange pity welled up, and the Prince’s gaze toward Erons changed. How terrifying it must have been to be captured by such men.

Had he cried? Or begged on his knees? Like he had done to me.

“That must have been terrifying.”
“It was terribly frightening, but I’m fine now. Strangely, the situation that should have been my worst memory is the most hazy. I must have been out of my mind from the pheromones, so my recollection isn’t clear. It could be because most of my memories are of His Grace, the Duke.”
“… Oh?”

It was an unexpected answer. Having endured such an ordeal in an Omega’s body, he should still be trembling in fear, yet Erons said he wasn’t scared. 

His memories of Nike, who saved him, had taken such a strong hold that they had drowned out his fear of them.

He looked young and frail, yet the Prince found himself unexpectedly impressed by Erons. He was stronger than he’d thought. 

Or maybe it was just stupidity.

“How old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
“… How old?”
“Twenty-one. I came of age last year.”

The Prince couldn’t help but chuckle.

What kind of twenty-year-old looks like this? Smaller in both height and build compared to the Prince, Erons had a distinctly youthful face. While it was a trait of all Omegas, Erons was especially so. He looked younger, more delicate.

“You’re my older brother.”
“Huh?”
“You’re older than me.”
“The Prince is younger than me…?“
”Uh-huh.“

Erons’s mouth gaped open in surprise, unable to close.

”Why so shocked?“
”I just assumed I was younger than you… …“
“…”

Calling him old to his face? Of course, he hadn’t said it directly, but did Erons even realize what he’d just said?

The Prince frowned, stung by that innocent reaction. It didn’t seem intentional, so he couldn’t really say anything, but he couldn’t just let it go either. 

Sigh.

“I was going to let it slide because your actions were cute, but I can’t anymore.”
“Huh? Ah, no, why?”
“Because what you said hurt me a little. Now, what punishment should I give you?”

The Prince rose from his seat and began to walk. 

One step, two steps, leisurely circling the wide table as he approached Erons. 

His hand, which had been tracing the back of the sofa Erons sat on, suddenly stopped, gripping Erons’s shoulder tightly.

“What do you think would be good? How about a spanking on the butt? Fitting for the offense?”
“… A spanking is fitting?”
“Why, don’t you like it? You were even willing to kneel and accept any punishment just now.”
“Well, yes, but… ”

Erons’s expression darkened sharply. It was distinctly different from moments before. 

He seemed not just to dislike being hit, but to be genuinely scared and fearful.

Realizing his lighthearted words had been taken differently by Erons, the Prince immediately expressed his apology.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you disliked it so much.”
“It’s not that! I don’t mind at all. If Your Highness wants to do it, then do it. I’m fine, so don’t worry about it.”
“How can you say that? You don’t even realize what kind of expression you’re making right now?”

“Was my expression that strange?”
“More than strange, it just made me feel a bit sorry.”
“I didn’t know… But why are you using honorifics? You can speak more casually.”
“I’m not sure if I should ask this, but how old are you, Your Highness?”
“How old do I look?”
“Twenty… three?”
“… I told you I’m younger.”
“Then you’re nineteen…?”
“Eighteen.”
“Eighteen?!“

Setting aside his striking good looks, the Prince didn’t appear young like Erons. Even after hearing he was young, he looked mature enough to pass for twenty-three. 

Hearing he was not just one year, but two years younger than him, Erons’s voice rose in surprise.

“…. Why are you so surprised? You’re the one who looks unusually young. Alphas in this age group usually look like this. Well, there aren’t many guys as handsome as me, either.”

It was true he possessed striking looks. Unless one was of Duke-level blood, no one could refute that statement. That much was fine, but bragging about it himself was a bit much. 

As Erons’s brow furrowed deeply, the Prince pressed his fingers firmly between the creases and smoothed them out.

“I just got hurt by you again. Do I look that old? Your expression just now… Was that really something to show such obvious dislike?”
“Ah, no!”
“Then?”
“Well… I’m not really sure what expression I made. It wasn’t on purpose… Did it really upset you that much? I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful from now on. But I really didn’t mean it like that. I swear.”

Erons, his eyebrows lowered, pleaded desperately. Seeing him scared and apologizing profusely looked pitiful, a little sad, and even a bit funny. But to the Prince’s eyes, he just seemed utterly adorable.

“This is driving me crazy. Do you want to just live with me in the palace?”
“Why the palace all of a sudden?”
“I want you by my side. Your antics are adorable. If you live with me in the palace, we can live even more splendidly than here. You can buy whatever you want, eat whatever you crave, do whatever you desire – nothing will be lacking. I can take you anywhere you wish to go. What do you say? Will you come with me?”

Buying, eating, doing whatever he wanted. He could do all that here, too. Erons lived comfortably enough in the mansion, lacking nothing. 

In fact, life here was more than ample for him, almost excessive. He dared not hope for more.

One thing captivated him: the promise of going wherever he wanted. Leaving the mansion was the only thing Erons was restricted from. But he couldn’t abandon this place and the people so precious to him, just to gain that one thing.

“No. My family is here.”

There was a brief pause, but the reply that came back was utterly firm. It was so clear in Erons’s eyes that asking again, or even issuing an order as a Prince, would be embarrassing.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if you refuse now, you’ll end up begging to live with me later.”
“Why would I?”
“Because I’ll make it happen.”

The Prince chuckled softly, leaning down to press a kiss to Erons’s cheek. Startled by the unexpected touch, Erons flushed, quickly covering his face.

“Your Highness!”
“Why are you so embarrassed? You were perfectly fine pouncing on me back then.”
“I didn’t mean to! And our lips didn’t touch!”
“Didn’t they? I thought they did.”

Pushing his hand away, the Prince leaned in once more. As his face drew closer, Erons didn’t try to dodge; instead, he shut his eyes tight.

As if begging for a kiss.

The Prince barely resisted stealing the lips that danced before his eyes and embraced Erons. As their closeness deepened, his warm breath brushed Erons’s neck, making his shoulders flinch slightly.

“You’re really my type, you know. Everything, even your pheromones.”

Like the day they first met, but burying his nose a bit deeper this time, the Prince naturally rested his chin on his shoulder.

“Actually, I didn’t come to punish you.”
“Then why?”

“Because I missed you. It wasn’t like I hugged you; we just bumped into each other, but it felt weird. I kept finding myself looking for you. Your face is one thing, but your eyes are so intense, and your scent is as sweet as ever. I barely held back from coming again the very next day. I wondered if I was just deluding myself, caught up in a momentary flutter.“

When Erons turned his head, his eyes met the Prince’s. The face smiling prettily looked exactly like a boy of his age. 

It was a pure, clear smile.

“But seeing you now, I’m glad it wasn’t a delusion.”

It wasn’t direct, but it was a kind of confession. A self-serving confession, unlike any he’d ever heard before, expressing a desire for them to become lovers. 

Since the first confession he’d ever received was from someone younger, and that someone was a Prince, Erons’s first thought wasn’t excitement but that he had to refuse.

“Um, Your Highness. You’re still too young – ”
“You’re going to say I shouldn’t be doing this with someone who’s an adult?”
“…Yes.”
“You said you were twenty-one this year? I thought you looked young. Who would see you as an adult? You look so young.”
“T-thank you… ”

The Prince grabbed Erons’s chin. Startled by the sudden physical contact, Erons’s eyes darted around. The Prince chuckled softly, slowly turning his face to examine it before lifting the corners of his mouth.

“You said I look older than I am, right? Then surely a kiss or two is allowed?”
“Huh?! No! Absolutely not!”

The Prince chuckled mischievously and stuck out his lips. His arms were still wrapped around Erons’s neck, so their lips nearly touched. When they grazed the Prince’s cheek, Erons recoiled in horror and pushed him away.

“I know. Adults aren’t supposed to do that with minors. So absolutely, absolutely not. I won’t do anything with you, Your Highness.”
“Ah, what the hell. You know everything. How boring.”

Half of it was playful, half serious. Though he resented the forceful push, the Prince shrugged it off with a laugh, seemingly unconcerned.

“If I wanted to, I could kiss you anytime. But I’ll hold back this time because I think you’d faint.”
“…Don’t tease me.”
”Don’t let your guard down. You’ll get caught.“

He planted a quick peck on his cheek, then another on his lips, before striding swiftly toward the door.

”Your Highness!“
”It’s unfair for me to be the only one who knows, so I’ll tell you my name too. Rune Rilderon. Not too hard, right? I won’t say it twice, so remember it well. Well, I have business with the Duke, so I must be off. See you next time, big bro.”

Rune, who had rattled off his words like a machine gun, simply walked out of the reception room. Left alone again, Erons just stared blankly at the spot where he had vanished, just like before.

“Why is it like there are no normal people around me…?”

He was only three years younger, but was it because he was younger? Or was it a personality difference? 

Rune was truly bold. He didn’t just openly say he liked him; he practically shoved his face in his face to kiss him. 

That self-centered streak felt somewhat similar to Fedor.

Emerging from the reception room, Rune stood tall before the stairs, not ascending. Going all the way up to the fifth floor just to see Nike? That was far too inefficient. He hailed a maid who happened to be passing by.

“You.”
“Yes? Gasp, yes! Your Highness!”
“I need an errand run.”
“Yes, Your Highness! Whatever you command.” “
”Take this to the Lord of this house.“
”Understood. Should I say it was sent by Your Highness?“
”No.“

Beneath the wax seal bearing the imperial crest was the sender’s name written on the letter.

”Not me. My father.”

Emperor Rilderon

It was an edict written by the Emperor himself.