BR 2.3

Erons went to see Fedor at the same time as yesterday, just as he had said. As Erons approached, the door opened by itself, and Erons now stepped inside without a hint of fear.

“You want to try writing it?”

Erons’s eyes sparkled as he looked down at the desk. That was because Fedor had already laid out paper and a pen.

Erons naturally nodded vigorously at Fedor’s words.

“Take it.”
“Yes!”

Why was he so pleased over such a trifle? When Fedor handed him the paper and pen, Erons gladly took them and headed for the sofa.

Fedor suppressed a chuckle that escaped him unnoticed.

A few minutes later, Erons returned with a satisfied look, presenting a paper smeared with messy ink. Fedor frowned as he took the paper.

“Did you memorize it all?”

The ink smudges suggested he’d probably never held a pen before. He didn’t know how to write.

In clumsy, wildly slanted handwriting, he had diligently written down the Imperial Language. He had memorized all the spellings in just one night.

The book Fedor had given him yesterday was an Imperial Language textbook. Designed for children, it was simple enough for Erons to study entirely on his own.

Of course, not knowing how to read meant he needed help at first.

“You managed to read the note, I see.”

Since it wasn’t hundreds of characters long, memorizing the entire Imperial language only took a few hours. 

But Fedor had recklessly left a note telling someone who couldn’t read to just memorize it, so he’d naturally expected Eron to come back with a blank slate.

“Ah, I couldn’t read that.”
“Then you figured it out on your own?”
“No, I asked Lelis. When I said I wanted to learn to read, she was thrilled and taught me the order of the letters and all the pronunciations.”
“Hmm…”

What a pity.

If Erons hadn’t memorized it properly, he would have made him do all sorts of things as punishment. Even without insertion, there were plenty of ways to play with an Omega.

But Fedor hadn’t anticipated the maid would help him. Thanks to that, he’d blown his chance, but it was his own fault for being complacent.

What could he do?

“I suppose I’ll have to silence them.”
“Silence them?”
“There are ways.”
“Oh, and this.”
“What’s this?”
“Take a look.”

Erons handed him a small piece of paper, crumpled and folded multiple times. On the newly received paper were a few words written.

In handwriting even more unattractive than what he’d just written.

“Pie, de, br? What is this? …Surely you didn’t write my name?”

Fedor’s brow furrowed deeply as he read aloud the strangely spelled word. Whether glanced at or studied closely, it was indeed his name.

And it was a combination of letters he’d never seen before. It was so different from the name he knew, it wasn’t even funny.

Erons, noticing his displeased expression, hung his head low.

Last night, after learning to read and write slowly but surely, he’d gotten so excited he’d scribbled all sorts of things. That was the root of the problem. Maybe he should have held back. Getting excited for nothing and making a fool of himself.

“… I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. You didn’t know how to write; you just wrote what you heard. Of course it’s wrong.”
“But it’s Lord Fedor’s name.”
“What’s my name?”
“I wanted to write it well…”
“Why?”

There was no particular reason. Just. He just wanted to write it well. He could have asked Lelis, but he deliberately didn’t. He wanted to write it out on his own.

Especially Fedor’s name.

“Out of gratitude?”
“Why end with a question mark? Use a period.”
“Because I’m grateful.”
“Good enough. Now, watch.”

As Fedor crossed his arms, the quill pen, standing upright on its own, scurried across the paper. It wrote new characters directly beneath what Erons had written.

Written slowly and neatly so Erons could follow, just as it reached the period, Erons’s hands were busy fanning his flushed face.

“It’s completely different…”
“At least remember your teacher’s name properly, kid.”
“Is Lord Fedor my teacher?”
“Anyone who teaches you anything is a teacher.”
“Teacher Fedor?”
“…”
“Teacher.”

Instead of answering Erons’s call, he kept his mouth shut. Then he swept his untidy hair back.

He hadn’t known this day would come. A day when the title teacher would spark such strange thoughts.

He wanted to ram his cock into those lips that cheerfully called him teacher until he screamed loud enough for the entire mansion to hear.

If he could mess up that sniveling brat, it would be more thrilling than he could imagine.

Even though it was just a brief fantasy, his lower body felt sore. 

Perhaps because he’d enjoyed similar acts just yesterday, the sensation felt vivid even though it was only imagination. If he hadn’t seen that scene, he wouldn’t have felt this way.

I can’t even call myself an Alpha at this rate.

Fedor, exasperated, covered his face with his hands.

“Sir?” Seeing his grim expression, Erons’s voice crept in again. He was intimidated, thinking Fedor was angry. The reality was completely different.

“Stop spouting nonsense and just do what you were doing.”
“Ah… I’m sorry. Did I upset you?”
“Cut the damn ‘I’m sorry’ already. It’s a bad habit, really.“
”Yes, sorry. Ah. You told me not to. I won’t… do it.”

This person, devoid of any trace of self-assertion, was remarkably obedient. Do this, and he’d do that.

Perhaps because he grew up in such harsh conditions, he was painfully sensitive to others’ reactions, to the point of being foolish.

Even now.

Through the gaps in his fingers, Erons fidgeted like a dog desperate to relieve itself, afraid Fedor might get angry.

Finally, Fedor chuckled and handed him a new book.

It was slightly thicker than yesterday’s. Turning the cover, the text was so dense it was almost crammed together. Erons frowned slightly, unnoticed. 

Not just one page, but every single page was like that – impossible to memorize even if he stayed up all night.

“Memorize all this today?”
“I’m not that crazy, you know? Just as much as you can manage. No need to look at the small print. Focus on the big letters here.”

When he turned the page, the word Madeleine was written in large letters, accompanied by a drawing that looked as though it had been done in crayon.

On the following page was Mango Soda. Then came Red Velvet Cake, Chocolate Cookies, and Earl Grey Tea.

“Desserts?”
“Yeah. You eat them every day, the sweet stuff. It’s probably better to start with what you’re familiar with.”
“Yes. Desserts seem easy to memorize. But how did you know I eat sweets often?”
“I’m a magician. I should know that much without even looking.”
“Ah. Right, that’s true.”
“Alright. That’s enough for today.”
“Yes. Thank you. I’ll come again tomorrow at this time.”

Erons turned his back. Watching the small back recede, Fedor suddenly thought of a new way to tease him.

And without even a moment’s hesitation, he acted on it immediately.

“Hey.”

Pulled abruptly by the arm, Erons ended up falling on top of him. Fortunately, Fedor caught him, so he wasn’t hurt, but he had to play the part of the other person with wide-eyed surprise.

Suddenly, Fedor’s lips lunged forward. Startled by the abruptness, Erons pushed against Fedor’s chest, but he grabbed the back of his neck, preventing him from pulling away.

His grip was surprisingly strong for such a slender frame. Was it because he was an Alpha? Erons froze, as if forgetting how to move.

Fedor bit down on his lips and sucked.

Suck, slurp.

A sticky sound came from between the two lips, drenched in saliva. Erons’s body, trapped in those firm arms, twitched and trembled.

Compared to Nike, who devoured his lips like a beast, Fedor’s kiss was surprisingly gentle. Yet it was also intense.

His determination not to release his lips was palpable.

Ignoring her stubborn refusal to part them, Fedor sucked relentlessly, then thrust his tongue forward. 

The obstinate lips, soft and yielding, twitched briefly as his tongue swept over them. Startled, Erons pushed him away again.

“Stop!”
“Why?”
“Why? Of course…!”

Finally, the strength left Fedor’s arms, and Erons could escape his embrace. 

As if proving they’d just shared a deep kiss, his face burned madly, and his lips, coated with saliva, glistened beautifully.

Truthfully, the real reason Erons was like this lay elsewhere.

The moment he missed the timing to close his eyes, from the instant their lips touched until they parted, he had been held captive by that gaze.

Those enigmatic eyes that had never once looked away, that had stared at him the entire time. It was those eyes that had driven him mad.

“Right now, this, this, this is a ki, ki, kiss… right?”
“Why are you stuttering like that? So what if it is?”
“Why did you do this to me…?”
“No need to be surprised. It’s just a greeting.”
“…You call this a greeting?”
“It was a bit intense today, but starting tomorrow, you do it first. This is how brothers greet each other among nobles, so don’t think it’s strange.”

Fedor, unusually, showed a smile.

It wasn’t a purely innocent smile; there was something strangely sinister about it.

Soon, Fedor’s hand covered Erons’s face like a mask. His body fell back under the pressure of the hand, and when Erons opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling of his own bedroom.

The lingering sensation of the kiss that had been thrust upon him without permission left Erons unable to sit up immediately.

“Are nobles truly insane…? They seem out of their minds.”

He couldn’t understand it, no matter how hard he tried. Brothers kissing each other, even sticking out their tongues? And as a greeting? 

He hadn’t done it recently, but Erons had kissed Nike every time he visited him. But that wasn’t just for physical contact. It was for learning.

The thought of having to do that with Fedor every day from now on worried him. He didn’t feel that close to him yet. 

With a faint sigh, he sat up.

“But you said we’re brothers… right? Definitely…”

Erons’s mouth twitched for a long while as he chewed over Fedor’s words.

Long past mealtime, in the middle of the day, the steak, still steaming hot, was not on the dining table but on a table placed in Erons’s bedroom.

“It’s still too big.”
“You mean this is big?”
“Yes. Just make it a little smaller, not too much. And you got the fork wrong, too.”
“Ah, the fork. This one, right?”

When Erons set down what he was holding and picked up the largest fork at the innermost position, Lelis nodded.

“Phew… Was eating a meal always this difficult?”

A noble’s meal was never simple. The cutlery required for each course was strictly defined. No wonder there were three forks laid out.

“You’ll get used to it soon. You learn quickly.”
“Do His Grace and Lord Fedor follow all these rules every time they eat?”
“Of course. Hmm, it’s been about three hours already. Shall we end today’s lesson here?”
“Yes!”

Erons’s weary face lit up instantly.

He learned writing from Fedor and received etiquette lessons from Lelis. The curriculum Lelis had devised was demanding. 

Sometimes the lessons lasted four hours straight without a break, and the problem was that Lelis kept pushing him harder because Erons followed along so well.

After his lessons ended, Erons always went to see Fedor. At first, Fedor only opened the door when Erons arrived, but now, perhaps finding it bothersome, Fedor kept the door unlocked so Erons could open it himself.

“Fedor!”
“You startled me! At least knock first.”
“Ah, right. Sorry.”

Knock knock. 

He knocked on the door that he had already opened. Fedor chuckled at the absurdity of it.

“You already opened it and came in, so why knock again?”

“Uh… you’re right?”

“Silly. Never mind.”

Fedor flicked his fingers. Erons approached him, hesitated, then pressed a quick kiss to his lips. He ruffled Erons’s hair, who dutifully obeyed even when showing reluctance.

“Good job. Now write down what you memorized.”

Erons wrote down yesterday’s lesson on the paper without hesitation.

The second book was a dessert recipe book. Matching the words to the treats he tasted daily, he quickly memorized most dessert names.

After that, he focused on studying everyday vocabulary. Specifically, the noble terminology he would need to know.

His thirst for knowledge was remarkable. While others dreaded studying, Erons not only enjoyed it but craved it.

Whatever he was taught, he grasped it quickly. 

His handwriting was still poor, but watching Erons memorize everything without a single spelling mistake, Fedor often felt inexplicably proud. 

So this is why people become teachers.

“You pick things up faster than you look.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Wow…”
“Why wow?”
“It’s my first compliment ever!”
“…What?”

He claimed he hadn’t even learned to read, but did he really live twenty years without ever receiving a single compliment? 

Fedor knew he’d grown up in harsh conditions, but he hadn’t expected there to be not a single adult around to offer him praise. Of course, even if they existed, they might not have given it, but Fedor felt pity for Erons for the first time.

“Hey, you…”
”It’s my first time being praised by Lord Fedor. Right?“
”… Damn it.”

Of course. 

Of course. Fedor’s brows furrowed sharply, and he slammed his fist down hard enough to make Erons’s forehead turn red. He definitely hadn’t meant to hit him hard, but he completely failed to control his strength, and the sound echoed faintly all the way to the end of the hallway.

“Ow! Why did you hit me!”
“Why the hell are you scaring people, you little brat?”
“What did I do…?”
“That’s exactly it. From now on, ask your maid to teach you anything else.”
“You won’t teach me, Lord Fedor?”
“It’s a pain. I’ve done enough already. What more do you want? You think teaching an illiterate to read is easy?”

Turning away, Fedor flopped onto the old sofa. Pretending to sleep, he stole a glance. Erons, looking dejected, let the corners of his mouth droop.

The already wretched-looking boy acting like that made him feel unnecessarily bothered. Was this pity? Somehow, he felt like a criminal.

Having never felt such emotions toward anyone in his life, Fedor found the constant wellspring of unnecessary feelings toward Erons utterly unfamiliar.

He’d never felt this way before. Why him, of all people?

“Look at your face. You’d think someone died. Are you that disappointed?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“What else do you want to do?”
“If I tell you, will you teach me?”
“Depends on what you do.”

Having never had any opportunity to learn, the things he wanted to study piled up like a mountain. Economics, music, art, dance, swordsmanship, mathematics. 

There were many more, too many to even remember them all.

Naturally, among them, there was what he wanted to learn most. The very first thing he’d wanted to learn once he reached the level where he could read books.

“Imperial History.”
“…Imperial History? History?”
“Imperial history and physiology.”
“… Imperial history? Physiology?”
“Yes. Those two.”
“You sure pick the hard stuff.”
“Those two were what I wanted to learn most. Ever since I thought about learning to read, I always imagined studying them first.”
“Big dreams.”
“…I know. But I still want to.”

Erons knew it would be hard for him, but he wanted to know even a little. About the place he was born, about the body he possessed. 

To survive in this place teeming with Alphas, he needed to know even the smallest things.

There was nothing he couldn’t learn. Because there was someone who could teach him those difficult things well. 

Erons lay sprawled on the sofa, smiling wryly as he looked down at Fedor, who was dangling his crossed legs.

“And even if it’s hard, I think I can do it.”
“Why?”
“Because I have a good teacher.”
“You can’t be talking about me, can you?”
“Of course I am.”
“Wow, now I don’t want to be your teacher.”
“… That’s too much.”

His plump lips pouted at the firm refusal. Just weeks ago, he’d flinch at a mere glance, but now there wasn’t a shred of wariness to be found, and he openly displayed his likes and dislikes.

That sort of thing could be seen as cute, but Fedor wanted to tease him a little. It was also annoying how he didn’t hold back his dislike at all.

Fedor wiggled his finger again. As Erons approached, he pointed to the floor right beneath the sofa.

The floor was lightly dusted with dust from neglected cleaning, but Erons, excited to learn something new, didn’t even notice such things. He promptly plopped down on the floor.

“I’ll give you a rough overview, so understand it to the best of your ability.”
“Is it Imperial History? Or physiology?”
“Imperial History. Just this once today.”
“Yes! Yes, okay. Hurry up!”
“Don’t rush me.”
“Sorry. I’ll wait.”

The excited Erons clamped his mouth shut and looked up at Fedor. He looked exactly like a young animal begging for food.

Thought he was a rat, but he’s a dog.