BR 4.5

Early dawn, though he hadn’t slept much, Erons opened his eyes.

‘Why am I in my brother’s arms…?’

He was cradled in Urno’s embrace. Just before falling asleep, Urno had been sitting in the chair beside the bed, yet somehow he was now holding Erons close, fast asleep.

“… It feels like a dream.”

Staring intently at Urno’s face, Erons nuzzled his cheek against Urno’s chest, wrapped his arms around his waist, and felt his warmth. Just enough so Urno wouldn’t wake. Breathing in Urno’s scent, Erons closed his eyes. 

It would be wonderful to fall asleep like this and wake up together in the morning, but perhaps because he’d slept for so long when he was injured, he found it hard to drift back off.

“… I can’t. I need to step out for a moment.”

Erons carefully slipped out of Urno’s embrace, careful not to wake him. He stroked Urno’s hair, still deep in sleep, and kissed it gently.

‘Sleep well, brother. You went through a lot today because of me. Thank you.’

Erons’s footsteps as he slipped out of the bedroom were extremely cautious. He hoped Urno wouldn’t wake up until he returned.

Ouch! Just as he was about to close the door and leave…

The moment he turned around, he bumped his head hard on something.

“Ah!”
“What are you doing here?”
“What brings you here?”
“What brings me here? Is it so strange for me to walk around my own house?“
“It’s just that you rarely come up here.”
”That’s my choice. Hey, let’s go get some fresh air.“
“Oh! I was just about to head to the garden. Would you like to come too, Fedor?“
“What are you talking about? If we’re going, we’re going all the way to Gelbin’s center.”

Fedor grabbed Erons’s wrist without waiting for an answer.

“Hold tight.”
“Huh? Wait, hold on! No!”

When he suddenly tried to drag him out of the mansion, Erons frantically pulled his hand away. Because of that, Fedor’s tone dripped with irritation.

“Why? What’s the problem?”
“I left without telling my brother anything. If he wakes up, and I’m not here, he’ll worry.”
“… Did you sleep with that bastard?”
“Huh? Yes. He’s sleeping in my bed right now.”
“Haah…”

Fedor pressed his fingers to his forehead and let out a deep sigh. For a brief moment, his eyebrows seemed to twitch slightly. His brow was furrowed, too, clearly displeased that Erons and Urno had slept together.

“Why? Can’t I sleep with my brother…? ”
“I don’t know. Just shut up and follow me.”

Erons’s shoulders flinched under Fedor’s fierce glare. But Fedor roughly grabbed Erons’s wrist again and pulled him along.

“Wait, wait!”
“What now? Why? What’s the problem now?”
“What if… if His Grace finds out I’m gone…?”

Erons wasn’t cautious just because of Urno. It was still a time when someone might be awake, and he worried someone might see him and tell Nike, potentially causing a commotion. Even though he was just going out to the garden and back.

“You worry about everything. Do you think I haven’t prepared for that?”
“But there was that situation last time. We agreed not to wake him, yet you woke him anyway…”

He almost died. He didn’t even show up when summoned, then appeared drenched in Fedor’s pheromones, ending up with his throat squeezed.

“That was a mistake. I never woke Father up. I don’t even know what happened that day myself, but anyway, that wasn’t me.“
“Really? You’re not lying about this now either?“
“If anyone heard you, they’d think I only ever tell lies.”
”You’re right. You’re a liar.”
“…”

He couldn’t bring himself to deny it. Fedor knew better than anyone that his record was impressive.

“Alright, I’ll accept you don’t trust me completely. But I swear, this time it’s different. Will you take my word for it?”
“Wh-why would I take your word?! Fine. I’ll believe you.”
“Really?”
“I don’t lie, after all.”
“You’ve got a knack for leaving people speechless. Take my hand.”

This time, he extended his hand politely. He didn’t try to drag him away forcefully, nor did he grab his arm roughly. Only then did Erons chuckle and take Fedor’s hand.

“Hold on tight. If you slip and fall somewhere weird, I won’t be responsible.”

He said that, but Fedor wouldn’t put Erons in danger. His arm was already firmly wrapped around Erons’s waist.

Leaving the quiet mansion behind, a cacophony of noise assaulted their eardrums. Their bodies, which had risen lightly, landed in the center of Gelbin City. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Fedor pulled out a pitch-black robe and draped it over Erons.

“Gelbin.”
“This isn’t your first time, so I won’t need to give you a detailed tour, right? It’s dawn anyway, so the only places open are taverns. There are a lot of weirdos around, so just follow me and avoid them.”
“Yes, I will… Huh? Wait a moment! Come with me!”

If you brought me this far, shouldn’t you at least show the courtesy of walking alongside me, matching my pace? He hadn’t expected him to take his hand, but Fedor indifferently passed by Erons and walked ahead.

Despite the late hour, the streets were overflowing with people. Naturally, there were no children; only crowds of people with flushed cheeks, likely drunk. They gathered in small groups, bickering, chatting, and making a racket.

‘Time really has passed.’

It was a scene so different from when he’d been struck by Jowen’s blade. Back then, it had been so cold he couldn’t step outside without a shawl; now, it wasn’t. As Urno had said, summer must truly have arrived. Everyone passing by wore short sleeves. 

Had they not been wearing long robes covering their entire bodies, their winter-weight nightshirts, unchanged since winter, would have caught everyone’s attention.

“Huh? Isn’t that an Omega scent?”
“An Omega?”
“Where? Where?”

Erons was barely keeping up with Fedor as they pushed through the crowd when a man nearby spoke, his words piercing Erons’s ears.

‘… Omega? Could they be talking about me? What do I do? They can’t find out I’m an Omega…’

Erons flinched and looked around, but saw no one else who appeared to be an Omega. Only brown or black hair. That meant Erons was the only Omega in the vicinity.

“Talk some sense. What kind of lunatic would be wandering around this time of night without a care?”
“No, it’s definitely an Omega. Want to go find one?”
“Find one and do what?”
“What else? Strip them bare until dawn. I’ve been feeling a bit pent-up lately anyway. Come find one with me, hey.”
“Sounds good. If we find one, I go first.”
“Are you crazy? Of course, I go first!”

Even though he wasn’t excited, the fact that his pheromones were noticeable enough for others to detect shocked him. But more than that, Erons was desperate to get away from the scene. 

Wrapping his robe tightly around himself just enough to avoid blocking his vision, he ran towards Fedor, who was already far away, and threw his arms around him.

“Hurry, hurry up! Quickly! Quickly!”
“What’s the rush? Is someone threatening us? See? I told you to stay close.”

Fedor, who had been looking around, nodded as if he spotted the people searching for Erons. 

So it’s them. 

He casually draped his arm over Erons’s shoulder. It was an affectionate gesture, as if he were treating his lover.

The Alphas who had detected Erons’s scent immediately fled in terror. Fedor had sprayed pheromones at them. Among them was a dominant Alpha, yet even he was running for his life – proof that the hyper-dominant Alpha was indeed a formidable presence.

“Welcome!”

Opening the door to a tavern, the owner’s booming greeting welcomed them. The tavern, not particularly spacious, was packed with people, making it even noisier than outside. Unlike Erons, who still found the noise unfamiliar and covered his ears despite it not being his first time, Fedor settled comfortably into a corner.

“Hey, owner. The usual.”
“What? Huh, really. You’re not even old enough to have dried blood on your head, and you’re already talking back? Hey, do you know who I am!… Huh?”

A single button, bearing the Duke’s family crest, rolled across the table from Fedor’s pocket. The owner, who had been glancing at it dismissively, thinking it was just a coin, suddenly widened his eyes.

“Ho, could you possibly be… the Young Master?”
“I’ve been here more than once or twice, and you still haven’t caught on?”
“Oh my, Young Master! You come in with a different face every time – how could I possibly recognize you?!”
“Shut up. I told you not to call me Young Master.”
“Ah, right, I forgot! My apologies. Well then, I’ll give you one special free side dish today!”
“Only one?”

The owner’s gaze shifted from Fedor’s chin to Erons, seated across from him. After staring at Erons’ face for a moment, he burst into a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha! Understood. Looks like today’s a pretty special day for you. Well then, I’ll pay extra attention and give you two plates! No, three plates!“
“You should’ve said so sooner.“

The owner, about to set up a free table of drinks, grinned like a fool as he walked away. Erons, following him with his eyes, suddenly realized something was off about what the owner had said.

”Um, Mr. Fedor.”
“Calling me by name here won’t do you any good. Just call me ‘brother’.”
“Ah, sorry. Brother.”

Erons, who normally would never call him anything but “sir,” suddenly switching to “brother” didn’t exactly make Fedor feel great. It felt like he was finally on the same level as Urno, yet it also annoyed him that Erons could change such a stubborn title so easily.

Why hadn’t he done it sooner?

“But what did he mean by ‘different faces’?”
“I made both you and me appear with different faces. If we went around as our true selves, it would get pretty troublesome.”
“Why me?”
“Don’t you know you’re more famous than me? Rumors are flying that you’re the fox who completely drained the Duke’s soul.”

Erons’s expression froze for a moment. He was anxious, wondering if rumors had spread in that direction. Had the servants been spreading the truth about him and Nike?

“Relax your expression. It’s not the kind of rumor you’re thinking of. Fortunately, the servants kept their mouths shut. Guess they wanted to keep their heads on their shoulders. And anyway, since Father was determined to hide you away, you won’t run into anyone talking about you, so there’s no need to pay attention. Forget it.”

“Ah… That’s a relief.”
“Here we are, your food is ready, sir!”

Just as the conversation was getting started, the owner burst in. He’d talked a big game about pouring his heart into the service, but he set out the side dishes and accompanying drinks much faster than expected. Was it even possible to cook three dishes this quickly? It was clear he’d just been spouting empty promises; he’d simply reheated pre-prepared food.

“Um, Young Master.”
“What now? Asking for money?”
“Oh, no! How much have you already given me! It’s just that over there…”

“Hey? Hey, why.” 

The owner, having finished setting the entire table, crept up to Fedor and asked in a whisper, glancing sideways at Erons. “What brings you back from the red-light district?”

“… What?”
“You can smell it just by looking, can’t you? That sweet scent… seems like quite a good product. Someone who always came alone bringing an Omega along… must have quite the talent for night work, eek!”

A glass flew past the owner’s face so fast it was barely visible, smashing into the wall. Fedor had thrown it. 

Clang! 

Shards scattered, and Fedor magically pulled only the larger pieces toward him. The sharpest edge of one shard was aimed squarely at the owner’s throat.

“One more word and you’re dead.”
“I’m, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Damn it, you’re ruining my drink. Let’s go.”
“Huh? But the food just came out…“
“Shut up and get out.“

Fedor shoved the bottle at Erons and stormed out of his seat. Once Erons, clutching the bottle, had followed him outside, the shards fell limply to the floor, and the owner slumped down where he stood.

”Whoa… I really thought I was gonna die…. What the hell is with that Omega, making him act like this?”

Fedor sat cross-legged on a bench in front of a restaurant that had closed for the night, and Erons sat beside him. Fedor snatched the bottle Erons was holding, and the cork popped right out. 

It was the kind of action that made you think, What a waste of that supposedly great magic, using it for something so pointless. 

Fedor handed the bottle to Erons.

“Drink. Don’t hold back on the bastard.”
“… Yes.”
“You know how to drink?”
“I’ve never had a drink before.”
“Try it.”
“What if I get drunk?”
“Drink first, then talk.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Erons brought the bottle to his lips. 

Gulp. 

As he swallowed a mouthful of wine, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Contrary to his expectation that it would be so bitter it would make his tongue curl, the surprisingly sweet taste made Erons’s eyes widen.

“It’s delicious!”
“Huh. This guy’s a total drunk.”
“What is this? It’s sweet.”
”Just wine. Drink in moderation. If you get drunk, I’ll leave you behind.“
”Okay!”

His first drink ever. It didn’t look particularly expensive, but the lingering sweetness in his mouth and the tingling, almost hot sensation of the alcohol as it slid down his throat were subtly addictive.

Fedor, who had been staring at him blankly, burst into a series of hollow laughs. He was gulping it down without a care, as if he’d never drunk anything before. 

He didn’t seem weak with alcohol, but Fedor didn’t want to deal with his drunken aftermath, so he snatched the bottle, already more than half empty.

“Slow down. Is this water?”
“Ah. Sorry, it’s just so delicious…”
“More importantly, what are you going to do now?”
“What?”
“Father.”

The alcohol had him feeling high, but the mention of Nike’s name instantly dampened Erons’s mood.

“… Why bring up His Grace all of a sudden?”
“You need to do what you have to do, don’t you? You caused quite the uproar when that happened. Father’s madness flared up.”
“What madness?”
“Simply put, it means he’s crazy. Father has never been in his right mind, not then and not now. That’s why he seeks Mother in you.”
“… Since when? Since he brought me to the mansion?”
“No. It’s been quite a while. Even in our earliest memories, Father was already mad.”

Fedor tilted the wine bottle he had snatched. A streak of red wine trickled down the corner of his mouth. The expression on his face as he wiped away the red wine streak was profound. It seemed sad, resentful, and aggrieved all at once.

“It probably started after Mother passed away. He hated Urno and me intensely… despised us. Because what mattered to Father wasn’t us, but Mother. The man he cherished more than his own life was gone, leaving only two bloody blobs behind. He must have hated us enough to want to kill us.”

“That can’t be! No matter what, you’re his sons. The Duke couldn’t have hated you two, his own sons, to the point of loathing…”

“Father could. This is kind of funny, but we didn’t even know Mother’s face until you appeared. Father just kept saying ‘Riman, Riman’ every day, so we only knew that was his name.”
“How could that be possible… Didn’t he tell you even when you asked?“

”Yeah. He said we weren’t worthy of seeing Mother’s face. Didn’t tell us even when we asked Keld or Pelson. They’re Father’s lapdogs. It wasn’t impossible to find out, but when I actually tried, I felt guilty for no reason. It’s not like we’re completely innocent.”

“No! You two aren’t at fault. It’s just, it’s just…”

It was Riman’s innate destiny. No one could defy it.

“Anyway, that’s how much Father hated us.”
“… Still, didn’t he care a little? You’re his son…“
“Have you ever lived locked in a basement?”
”… Where?“

”Even when we were old enough to think, we didn’t know the sun existed. That door you once said you heard human screams coming from? We grew up under it with the nanny. In a basement where the sun never shone and only the smell of mold filled the air.”

Though he’d never been there himself, Erons vaguely understood the reality of basements, so he couldn’t easily believe Fedor’s words. They called it a basement, but that place was no different from a prison or a torture chamber. It was absolutely no place for a child to live.

“You lived in a place like that… Not just for a little while, but the whole time?”

“Yeah. The whole time, until it was time to enter the Academy. I got yelled at countless times, and when my father went crazy, I got beaten sometimes. Oh, and by the way, you enter the Academy before you turn ten.”
“That’s impossible…”

As Fedor revealed more of Nike’s past that Riman hadn’t shared, Erons couldn’t contain his shock. 

Of course, Erons had always found Nike strange. 

He was always kind and warm. But only to him. The man who was warm only to the child he’d picked up treated his own child coldly, even resorting to physical abuse.

It was hard to believe that the twins, whom he had assumed were raised as nobly as other aristocrats, had actually grown up in conditions worse than his own. The fact that this unbelievable past had actually happened made Erons’s heart ache.

“Why. Do you pity us?”
“It’s not that… I mean, I lived in an orphanage, so that’s one thing, but Lord Fedor didn’t even have that…”

“Hey. Even an orphan shouldn’t be treated like that, you idiot. What kind of crazy bastard hits a kid? You just had the misfortune of ending up in a strange place, so don’t take it for granted.”

Fedor tugged his cheek to lighten the mood. The soft cheek stretched obediently with the pull. It was subtly funny and cute, making Fedor’s lips twitch upward, while Erons still wore a deathly pallor.

“Why that expression? You’re not worried about me, are you?”
“Yes.”
“… Huh?”

“I really am worried. I was abandoned without knowing my parents’ names or faces, but you’re not like that, Fedor. You have family… Family connected by blood.”

‘Of all things, I’m getting sympathy from this kid.’

Fedor couldn’t speak for a moment, meeting eyes filled with pity directed at him. Fedor chuckled softly and tapped Erons’s round forehead with his finger.

“Ow!”
“Who do you think you are to pity anyone?”
“Dammit, I can do it too, you know? And why do you keep hitting me!”
“It’s my choice. Anyway, your father is that kind of person, so be careful.”
“… Yes. But why are you telling me this?”

“Because you’re such a fool. If I didn’t say anything, you’d just keep getting taken advantage of. Since we’re on the topic, want a tip?”
“What is it?”

Fedor’s thumb traced across his lips. Before the dawn air could fill the void, his lips approached. As if trying to fill the accumulated longing right then and there, the lips that had lightly touched soon devoured Erons. 

The deep kiss, sucking and pulling at his lips, nibbling with teeth, and mixing tongues, continued until Erons, gasping for breath, pushed him away.

“What… what kind of tip is this?”
“Just… because I wanted to eat you.”
“Huh?! Wh-what do you mean, eat… eat what?!”
“Shut up. Keep your voice down. The tip I’m giving you is this: when you can’t stand it anymore, call his name. That’s it.”

He couldn’t believe it. Erons desperately hoped it wasn’t that name.

“… What name?”
“You should know that better than I do.”

‘Nike.’

Fedor had said the name that person wanted most, but Erons didn’t want to say. It was as expected.

“Get up. We should be going soon. This is the last day I’ll be doing this. Once we’re back, I’ll be back to scheming to bite and suck like before, so take care of yourself. I don’t want anyone passing out midway.”

“What are you talking about? I won’t do that anymore – !”
“If you don’t hold on, I’m leaving you behind.”
“… You’re so mean. Why are people so stubborn?”

When Fedor offered his hand, the same sensation of floating up filled his body as when he’d arrived here, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Soon, he felt himself settling down, and it wasn’t the lukewarm dawn air but a familiar body scent that tickled his nostrils.

“Brother’s still asleep. Good.”

He had safely returned to Urno’s side, who was still asleep.