RODH Side Story Chapter 9

Side Story 9. The Life of Newlyweds

By the time Ian came to his senses, he was already clutching every piece of Nevan’s clothing in his arms.

“What day is it today?”

With rising dread, Ian quickly scanned the calendar hanging on the wall.

Ruined!

His heat cycle was right around the corner.

If not today, then by tomorrow or the day after, his grip on reason would snap entirely.

He hurried to return the clothes to the hangers.

But then his body felt strangely weightless, and a ringing filled his ears.

Beeeeep—

The pain in his ears made him collapse to the ground, dampness spreading beneath him.

He needed to call someone.

But his parched throat could squeeze out no words.

“Blo…”

He tried calling Blony’s name but fell to the floor tangled with the clothes.

He had to get up.

Yet Ian listened to the sweet voice of instinct instead.

It whispered, “What would happen if you lay your body down on those clothes you’re holding?”

An easy solution to the surging thirst.

“Just roll on the clothes steeped in the pheromones of your bonded alpha.”

In the end, Ian shoved reason far aside and obeyed his instincts.

And even went beyond what instinct suggested.

He balled the clothes up tightly and curled himself onto them.

As his body temperature climbed, the fabric grew warm and soft.

“See? I was right.”

Instinct laughed smugly as it crushed his reason.

Ian laughed foolishly along with it.

Rubbing his cheek against the fabric, Nevan’s pheromones seeped into him.

From the still-damp patches came the scent of a rain-soaked forest.

His insides heated further.

Below, his body clamored desperately for release.

“What do I do…”

Ian could barely even rise, like a newborn fawn.

Cold sweat drenched him, and the unreasonably wet stickiness below left him feeling uncomfortable and wretched.

Gasping, he once more called Blony’s name.

“Blony…”

But no sooner had he spoken than a shadow fell over him.

Help me, Blony.

My head, my stomach—there isn’t a part of me that doesn’t hurt.

But the reply came in an entirely different voice.

“Ian.”

Even in his haze, Ian recognized the speaker.

“Nevan?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

Ian thought the scene absurd.

Lying helpless across Nevan’s clothes, unable to move an inch.

“I’m sorry.”

The apology burst out unbidden.

And he had more he wanted to say…

Wrapping his arms around Nevan’s flushed nape, Ian whispered with a voice as bright as if he’d been given the world’s most precious gift.

“I missed you.”

“…”

“Nevan?”

Ian wasn’t the only one breathing raggedly.

Nevan was enduring the heat of a dominant omega.

The flood of pheromones made his head swim.

One wrong step, and he might push Ian to the point of real pain.

But… wasn’t a kiss safe enough?

He lowered his head and pressed his lips to Ian’s damp ones.

There wasn’t a part of Ian’s body that wasn’t soaked.

Even their clasped palms were slick, and sweat beaded across his fever-hot brow.

Nevan wanted to dive into that wet warmth.

Shoving away the dangerous thought for now, he focused on the kiss.

He swallowed Ian’s lower lip, tangled their tongues, and drew out a sweet nasal moan.

“It tickles…”

Surely no one else would accept an alpha’s courtship this adorably.

While devouring his lips, Nevan lifted the panting Ian into his arms.

Then, almost like a vow, he declared,

“Ian.”

“Hm?”

“I can’t hold back.”

Ian, not fully grasping what he meant, answered honestly.

“You don’t have to hold back…”

“….”

Ian was thrown onto the bed.

The cool sheets soothed his fevered brow as he rubbed against them.

Even as he squirmed, hot lips returned.

“Mm.”

He let out a faint moan and shook his head.

It’s too hot, open the window.

“You’ll catch a cold.”

“I won’t.”

“Ian…”

Burying his nose against Ian’s neck, Nevan drew in a deep breath.

His dizzy head abandoned reason altogether.

“From now on, I’m going to do it.”

Beneath him, Ian blinked dazedly and nodded.

Nevan crossed his arms and ripped off his shirt in one motion.

A splendid body revealed, slick with sweat just like Ian’s.

“It’ll hurt a little.”

“I don’t like pain.”

When Ian whined, Nevan exhaled heavily, forcing out the words.

“Then I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt…”

Their wet lips collided again.

* * *

“Ugh…”

Even without groaning, such a sound slipped out of my mouth on its own.

It wasn’t simply because of the cold—most likely, my body had been pushed too far.

I clenched my fist lightly, just to confirm I was really alive.

But even the smallest twitch sent a burning pain rushing up from below.

Before long, the door opened and Nevan entered with Blony.

“I’ve brought painkillers and fever medicine, Your Grace.”

“Are you feeling any better?”

I shot a glance at shameless Nevan and then accepted the medicine.

Swallowing the painkiller once.

“Ahhk.”

Swallowing the fever medicine once.

“I hate this…”

The memory of our naked conversation returned.

Yet Nevan’s crimson eyes were filled only with genuine worry.

When I hesitantly offered my hand, he held it as if handling something fragile.

“Today, I will go hunt a bear.”

“…Excuse me?”

“If you eat bear stew, you’ll feel a little better.”

“This is something I can recover from with just rest—”

“Please accept my sincerity.”

I hadn’t expected him to insist like that, so all I could do was nod.

Nevan asked Blony to look after me carefully.

With her strong sense of responsibility, she tended to me as if it were her final mission.

“Your Grace, shall I prepare some water to wash with?”

“Your Grace, is the bathwater temperature comfortable?”

“Your Grace, how about the strength of the massage?”

“Your Grace, would you like warm ginger tea and cookies?”

In an instant, the room became full of everything.

Appetizing snacks, tea, and even a light soup just enough to fill me up.

I began to suspect that tonight’s dinner really would be bear stew.

And indeed, dinner was bear stew.

Because of my condition, I decided to dine in my room.

By now, they must be raising a toast in the hall.

Perhaps I should’ve pushed myself to join them.

Regret welled up, but before it could linger, Nevan entered my room.

Behind him, Blony carried in side dishes and simple drinks to go with the stew.

I quietly asked Blony if she’d added any alcohol to the drink.

“No, none. I should’ve prepared an aperitif instead—my apologies.”

“No need. I don’t really like alcohol anyway.”

I couldn’t bring myself to explain it was because of my past experience of drinking myself to death.

I sat with Nevan and tasted the stew he had made from the bear he hunted.

The flavor was so addictive I couldn’t stop spooning it into my mouth, and Nevan’s lips curved into a faint smile.

I felt a sudden urge to tease him.

“This is where you’re supposed to ask if it suits my taste.”

“Does it suit your taste?”

“Of course. I could eat a hundred bowls.”

This time Nevan laughed a little more openly.

Before coming to the Grand Duke’s estate, I had asked the physician about my history of alcohol dependence.

“You’ve nearly recovered, so a light aperitif shouldn’t be a problem.”

Still, to be safe, I avoided alcohol completely.

Thanks to my constitution, I managed to overcome the critical moment without it.

Relationships were such strange things.

I had agonized hundreds of times over how to start ours, yet it had been an unexpected heat cycle that triggered everything.

I was considering whether I should track the next cycle in advance when Nevan suddenly spoke.

“Next time, I will do better.”

“Cough—”

“Are you all right?”

My mother and Nevan both had a habit of saying things I least expected.

I waved my hand and insisted I had just swallowed wrong.

That seemed better for both of us.

* * *

Northern time passed faster than expected.

Perhaps it was the heat cycle in between, or maybe it was simply that the sun set so quickly here.

Ian had been reading Berkisto’s journal about the structure of northern castles.

From the diagrams, it was the same as in any ducal or count’s manor—the location of “that” was always the same.

The castle’s underground.

Ian decided to explore the underground with Blony, carrying a candle.

“Where are you going?”

On the way, they encountered Luke. When Ian explained, Luke offered to guide them.

A guide was welcome—at least they wouldn’t get lost.

Following Luke’s lead, they descended to where the protective magic stone was kept.

The stone was unlit, with newer ones stacked around it.

The faint warmth suggested they were freshly made.

Luke looked at the stones with clear disapproval and said,

“Everyone says the problem lies with the estate itself, but I’m certain the fault lies in these magic stones.”