[Warning: Slightly Mature]
AFTER RAPHAEL COLLAPSED, the entire estate was thrown into chaos. Lucian, Pedro and Camilla had already been frantic by the fact that he had disappeared, but now that he suddenly collapsed on top of that, they became even more panicked.
The doctor arrived, practically dragged there, to check on Raphael’s condition while the three members of the Ducal family trembled in anxiety.
“He just fainted due to lack of energy. The Young Master will get better soon once he’s taken some medicine and food that would be good for recovering stamina.”
The three sighed in relief when it was confirmed that Raphael didn’t have any particular chronic disease.
But they weren’t entirely relieved just yet.
“Amber. I need to talk to you,” Camilla said, beating her husband to the punch when he also wanted to interrogate Amber.
She still felt bitter that her husband was taking care of Liam’s son better than the son he had with her, but underneath it all, she felt indebted to both the Duke and Liam.
Author’s Note: Liam is Raphael’s Father
And she was quite fond of Raphael.
His persistent visits and letters were enough to open the door to her heart, even if only slightly.
“Wife, I’d like to talk to her first,” Pedro said as he glared at Amber, but Camilla politely refused.
“It’s up to me to deal with the Duchy’s internal affairs. I deeply regret that I have not been attending my duties responsibly as of late, but please entrust this matter to me, Duke.”
Astonished, Pedro was rendered speechless. When his wife, who had always been detached, came forward voluntarily like this, it felt like the tip of his tongue had gone numb.
Camilla glanced at her son as he hovered by Raphael’s bed, then spoke to Pedro again.
“If you would like, then why don’t you come with us, Duke? If you have something to ask.”
“…Hmm.”
Pedro didn’t want to leave his son alone with Raphael in his room, but he couldn’t refuse his wife’s suggestion.
He felt remorse for the woman who should have lived happily and loved by her husband. If only the previous Duke had not drawn her in.
Pedro looked back at Lucian before he followed Camilla out the door.
“It would be best to rest as well, Duke,” Camilla said, at which Pedro was forced to turn forward again.
Even after the two left, Lucian stood motionless and simply stared at Raphael.
He looked at his pale face with cold sweat and held his hand. His own fingertips were sweating, and he recalled Enzo’s words.
“What do you want to do…?
He didn’t know. He just wanted to be by his side.
Whenever he saw Raphael, all he wanted was for him to look at him as well.
He wished he would follow him around everywhere like before, just as naturally as the wind blew, and just as the sun rose when morning came.
It was no exaggeration that his memories began at the age of fifteen.
It had been a long time since he had forgotten the memories he had before he met Raphael, and even now, he didn’t want anything to do with his parents.
He didn’t want anything or anyone else. Only Raphael.
Only Him.
Him.
That’s why he didn’t quite understand what Enzo was asking him. As he was in deep thought, he kept moving his hands.
He brushed his fingertips over his forehead that was damp with sweat, touching his palm over it to feel his temperature.
Then, his gentle hand swept down to his temples, then down his cheeks in a caress. As he did this, with one knee on the bed, he gradually leaned down.
They were the only two people in the room, so no one could stop him.
His other hand, with veins protruding slightly, was on the bed next to his face. While he approached closer, the bed creaked under his weight.
The tips of their noses touched slightly but soon came apart. Lucian’s golden eyes had only his face in his sight.
Then, Raphael exhaled a prolonged breath. In his deep sleep, his hot breath blew over his face and dispersed.
Blink.
His rich black eyelashes moved slowly, then he tilted his head to the side.
When he was younger, he tilted his head to the side and blinked slowly just like this when Raphael had fed him grapes.
“Uugh…”
He leaned back and watched his toss and turn, then sigh.
As he sat on the bed next to him, Raphael was still the only one in his eyes. His hand, which was on his cheek, went down and touched the scorching base of his neck—then he could feel a prickly sensation.
It was an unfamiliar sensation that he also felt when he first fed him food.
For the first time in his life, he wondered what something would taste like as he stared at his nape.
As his calloused hand moved away from the soft skin of his nape, even as it was clammy, his neck looked like the flesh of a ripened peach.
His lips opened slightly, and out came his tongue that licked his red lips and disappeared.
Gulp.
His throat felt indescribably dry. Even as he didn’t want his touch to be separated from him, he slowly moved his hand away and stared at his open palm.
It was glistening with beads of Raphael’s sweat, and on impulse, he brought a fingertip to his lips and licked it.
The salty taste bloomed inside his mouth.
He licked the rest of his fingers slowly, from the base of his hand to the very end of his fingertips.
—Sooo!
After feeling a surge of emotions, Enzo returned to the forefront of Lucian’s mind.
—So, what do you want to do?
It was the same question that he already asked, and Lucian’s gaze grew heavy.
There was only one thought that flashed like gold.
“…I want him.”
—Yeah, well, you don’t have to tell me what you want. How do you want him? Kehehe.
His gaze meandered back to Raphael, then he murmured—
“I want to devour him.”
It wasn’t enough just to have him. He wanted to eat every single part of him.
He wanted to lick everything and stop his tears from going to any other place.
But, more… he needed more than that… deeper… more…
His red lips glistened, both his saliva and his bodily fluids fusing together.
“Not a brother. I want him to be my lover.”
Lucian now had a definite answer. He realized what relationship he wanted with Raphael.
—From head to toe, make all of him yours. Otherwise, you’ll lose everything. Ensure that only you are the one who could see him.
But Lucian couldn’t hear any of Enzo’s unusual mutterings, but he instead murmured to himself, engraving the words in his mind.
“My Ray…”
His shining gold eyes were dyed pitch black for one second, like a drop of black paint, but it dissolved in an instant.
Only then did the black magic’s energy, which was fluttering underneath the bed, disappear.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───
IT FELT LIKE I WAS IN A DEEP SLEEP. I definitely thought of something before I fell asleep, but I couldn’t remember it.
“Haaa…”
I stretched out while I was still lying down, then burrowed underneath the quilts more while enjoying in lethargy.
“Young Master!”
But then I heard Amber’s trembling voice, so I had no choice but to open my eyes because of the unease laced in the maid’s tone.
And at the same moment, I remembered what happened to me before I went to sleep.
I tried to sit up immediately.
“Huh?”
“You can’t, Young Master.”
Amber rushed to my side and quickly stopped me from sitting up. Strangely, I felt limp as though I didn’t have any strength left in my body.
“Young Master woke up after three days.”
“…What?”
“You’re not allowed to sneak out anymore. Not ever. I will never help you from now on, Young Master.”
I was startled by Amber’s firm tone, but I soon relented.
“If this happens again, I won’t just end up getting fired. Not only me, but my entire family would be held in contempt.”
Ah, you must have been berated a lot.
Amber was still trembling, and I held her hand in reassurance.
“I’m sorry, Amber…”
“I’m just glad Young Master is alright. Please wait a moment, I’ll call the doctor and—”
Slam!
But before Amber could finish her sentence, the door burst open.
“My Son!”
The Duke was practically running as he approached my bedside. His voice roared throughout the whole room.
“Your Grace…”
The Duke sat on the bed and held my hand tightly.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes… I’m fine.”
“Yes, yes, it’s good that you’re safe.”
As he held my hand and patted it repeatedly, my nose feel stuffy all of a sudden as I watched him.
Come to think of it, his face seemed to have aged.
When I first met the Duke, he didn’t look like he had a son of Lucian’s age, but now there were traces of time on his face.
“If there’s somewhere you want to go, just tell this Dad of yours. Ask me anything if you’re curious. I won’t lie to you anymore.”
Seeing him speak with a serious look on his face, I contemplated.
As expected, he really was hiding something.
What was it that he was hiding from me? I could only think of one thing—the Count of Elrand.
I was wondering if he was really going to tell me, but the door opened with a violent force once more.
“Raphael.” The calm voice contrasted the sound of the roughly opened door.
I watched as the Duchess entered in a graceful manner.
“You should have sent for me if you found out that Raphael’s awake. How could you just cling to a child who’s just woken up?”
“…I didn’t think of it,” the Duke replied.
I stared blankly between the two as they spoke to each other.
I knew that they were acting more like a couple than before, but it was such a different experience seeing it with my own eyes.
While I was in a daze, the door was opened forcefully once again. Of course, I knew who had come last.
I faced the doorway with a bright smile on my face.
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