Even if I tried to pretend I didn’t notice, I just couldn’t.
It was demanding my attention with overwhelming presence even now.
Inside the cave, silence had settled like a heavy fog.
The Emperor remained motionless, as if time had stopped.
I was no different.
But someone had to muster the courage to move past this incredibly awkward moment.
“I-it’s… why is it like that?”
Finally, I managed to open my mouth.
It was a disaster.
My nerves had zeroed in on that, and the words just slipped out differently from what I intended.
Even when I tried to look elsewhere, it kept drawing my gaze with an overpowering pull.
At my question, the Emperor’s face twisted into a contorted grimace.
Another beat of silence.
Then came his response, cloaked in calmness and shameless composure.
“A perfectly natural phenomenon.”
If I didn’t respond properly now, it would be worse than saying nothing at all.
I had to force my twitching lips into another unnatural expression.
“W-wow, it’s… impressive!”
And then neither of us could say a word.
I wished I hadn’t said anything.
I wished I hadn’t even tried to be brave.
The wave of secondhand embarrassment crashing over me now made everything before seem mild.
As I turned my head away, I spotted a familiar pattern near his chest.
“Huh…?”
It was a symbol that looked remarkably like the ancient markings carved into my horn.
I moved closer cautiously to get a better look.
“This… wasn’t here before, was it?”
“Don’t come any closer.”
But the Emperor raised a hand to stop me, almost as if to push me away.
I couldn’t get a proper view of the symbol, and it was frustrating.
“Just a moment, please! It’ll only take a second! I swear, it looks just like what’s on my horn—!”
As I pushed against the hand blocking me, his body gave out and collapsed to the ground.
Somehow, I ended up straddling him.
“It really is the same symbol as mine…”
I confirmed what I needed to see—but below, something firm and upright was pressing directly against my abdomen.
I supposed I should be thankful he was still wearing underwear.
Still, the sheer weight and hardness of it couldn’t be concealed.
Just thinking about it made my face burn like fire.
“I-I’m sorry! This wasn’t my intention…!”
“…Just get off me already.”
He tried to sit up by pushing off the ground with his hands.
But of all things, his palm landed on a jagged rock.
The sudden pain made him flinch, and I ended up falling forward—right on top of him again.
That massive erection, now damp with my clothes, rubbed against me and let out a sound that was nearly a whimper.
“Hngh…!”
“I-I’m so sorry!”
I sprang up immediately, not caring about the rock or the pain anymore.
Even from a distance, with my back turned, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding in my chest.
“At this point, I’m starting to think you’re doing it on purpose.”
“There’s no way! Why would I do that to a man who’s already taken?!”
“Taken?”
“Ah, well…”
I hesitated, unsure if I should reveal what I knew—but since he’d danced with Sir Samuel at the ball, I figured it wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
“You and Sir Samuel… I know you two are, you know… together.”
“Ha.”
At that moment, a hollow laugh escaped me.
What came back was a voice so cold it could only be called cynical.
“There’s nothing going on between me and that guy.”
“But when we came out of the labyrinth, you carefully wiped the blood off His Majesty’s face with a handkerchief.”
“That’s just because Samuel has a lot of younger siblings. Ever since they were born, I’ve been the one washing and feeding them—it’s become a habit.”
“But didn’t you ride in a carriage to the tea party hosted by the Duchess the other day because of Sir Samuel?”
“That wasn’t because of Samuel…!”
The Emperor, who had explained that far, let out a deep sigh.
He looked at me with eyes soaked in exhaustion.
“Anyway, there’s absolutely nothing like that between us, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
“…Then why did you dance with Sir Samuel at the ball?”
“Because everyone kept pestering me about marriage and such. It was annoying.”
I found such an Emperor rather fascinating.
Even though there were rumors he favored men because of that, he didn’t seem to care one bit.
Come to think of it, wasn’t there a rumor before that he was impotent?
That was definitely false.
I had confirmed it with my whole body.
He was like unstoppable energy itself.
Like a beast, once he bit, he wouldn’t let go.
Just remembering it still gave me chills.
Let’s not have weird thoughts.
At that moment, thick pheromones began to seep out.
Suddenly, he cursed under his breath and stood up.
“Stay here. I’m going out.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? Where are you going in this downpour?”
“Anywhere.”
He really seemed intent on leaving me alone in the cave.
My heart sank as I watched him pick up his rain-soaked clothes.
Outside, not only was it pouring rain, but dangerous animals lurked.
There might even be more assassins.
I couldn’t just stand by while someone that was visibly exhausted walked out alone.
“…Don’t go! Just until the rain stops… Stay here with me.”
But he ignored my words and took a step forward.
Panicked, I hugged him from behind to stop him from leaving the cave.
“Your Majesty said it yourself. Wandering the forest in the rain is no different from choosing death. Once the rain lets up a little… let’s go out together then.”
The skin touching mine through the wet undergarments was hot like a piece of heated metal.
The chest I was embracing with both arms was hard as stone. The damp scent of rain mixed with his natural scent.
Maybe that alone was enough stimulation—his pheromones grew even thicker than before.
He clenched his teeth and let out a slow breath.
“Do you know what I might do?”
“…What?”
“Keeping a beast in heat by your side means you’re ready to take whatever comes with that.”
His voice dropped low, making goosebumps rise.
It was clear from one look—he was extremely aroused.
I, too, knew I would be swept up in his pheromones just like last time if this continued.
Even knowing that, I didn’t want to let him go out of the cave.
“I-I just thought… maybe I could use this chance to properly confirm what I couldn’t last time…”
At the faint, lingering sound of my voice, he turned to look at me.
His eyes, twisted strangely as if devoured by darkness, sent a shiver down my spine—they seemed otherworldly.
“You’ll regret those words.”
The Emperor lifted me effortlessly and carried me deeper into the cave.
The pounding rain faded into the distance, replaced by a suffocating gloom.
He laid my damp clothes roughly on the ground before lowering me onto them.
His expression was that of a starved beast, so ravenous I couldn’t possibly mistake his intent.
My heart pounded, breath hitching as a strange tightness coiled low in my stomach.
The mere fact that he was looking at me with desire made my body tremble.
Maybe it was all just the work of pheromones—but for some reason, I didn’t hate it.
He studied my tense face, as if savoring every flicker of emotion, before burying his lips in the curve of my neck.
Hot, soft flesh pressed against my chilled skin.
“Mmm…”
His movements were deliberate, like he was breathing warmth into me.
His lips lingered, slow and teasing, as if his tongue were a brush soaked in paint and my body a blank canvas.
“Hah… It tickles.”
When I squirmed, he suddenly nipped at my skin with his teeth.
The sharp sting mixed with heat, sending an odd thrill through me.
A low, restrained growl vibrated against my ear.
“I’m exercising as much patience as I can.”
His slow exploration paused at the hollow of my collarbone.
Suck— A lewd sound escaped as he lavished attention there, relentless as melting candy.
“If this continues, I’ll end up hurting you.”
“Nngh…”
Large hands tugged my undergarments down.
Soft flesh, trapped beneath stifling fabric, spilled free.
The cool air against my skin made me shiver.
He sucked greedily at my collarbone while his fingers rolled a sensitive peak between thumb and forefinger.
The pressure bordered on pain, but when his nails scraped lightly, an unfamiliar heat stole my breath.
“Ah—hah, nn…!”
He watched, enthralled, as I writhed under the unfamiliar sensations, then slowly trailed his lips lower.
One hand kneaded my breast roughly while his mouth closed over the other, sucking with shameless hunger.
Schlick, schlup—
The lewd sounds mixed with the stimulation of oversensitive nerves.
He alternated between sucking hard, lashing with his tongue, and grazing with his teeth.
“Ngh—ah, ah…!”
Everything felt obscene—the sight before me, the sounds I never imagined the Emperor could make, the feverish heat that left me unable to stay still.
The rougher he was with my sensitive flesh, the more my breathing fractured.
My hips jerked, thighs rubbing together—only to brush against the hard length of him.
“Ugh…!”
His pained groan sounded sweeter than ever.
The sheer size of what brushed against my thigh dwarfed even my forearm.
If that… enters me—
This wasn’t our first time, yet dread and anticipation twisted inside me.
As I swallowed hard, I caught sight of his icy smile.
“You shouldn’t provoke me.”
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