Chapter 97
Joo Yi-Gyeol was quite flustered upon hearing Sethian’s words. He wished he had been as quick to catch on as usual, but for some reason, he couldn't understand the meaning of what Sethian had said.
Seeing the confused look on Joo Yi-Gyeol's face, Sethian brought his lips to his cheek. The droplet of water that had been falling touched his lips, and the tip of his tongue, which had come out from between them, licked it up. The lips that paused near his eyes grazed his dampened eyebrows, lightly brushing over them before settling on his eyelid.
The spot where their lips met felt so hot that it almost burned, and that heat tormented Joo Yi-Gyeol’s chest even more. The strange sensation, ticklish yet aching, made his body tremble.
“You should cry for me. Don’t show any tears if it’s not because of me.” The possessive warning sounded almost like a sweet confession.
“I’m sorry... Did I make you worry because of me?” He thought he had acted well, but why was it that he was caught?
With those thoughts, he also felt sorry for making Sethian turn back from his busy work because of him. He had made him worry about him.
After giving him a kiss on the other eye, Sethian finally pulled away and looked at Joo Yi-Gyeol. His eyes blinked repeatedly, as if trying to hold back his tears, and his hands, which had been held tightly, began to fidget anxiously.
“I won’t cry anymore. You don’t have to worry...”
“Cry. And then tell me.”
Joo Yi-Gyeol’s blinking stopped in shock.
“That way I can stop you from crying.” His words, so gentle, caused another wave of tears to fall.
“Seth…”
Sethian gently wiped away the tears before they could fall to the floor, as though not wanting to waste even a single drop.
“Can I ask you something…?”
“If it’s something you want, I’ll do anything.”
Don’t say that.
Don’t say those things to someone like me, a burden that eats away at life.
Amidst the countless words swirling in his mind, only one remained. With all his courage, he decided to ask that one question, “Why do you treat me like this?”
Sethian, who had been wiping away his tears, stared at him silently. After asking the question, Joo Yi-Gyeol couldn't bring himself to meet his gaze and lowered his eyes.
“Why are you so kind...?”
He knew that Sethian was unusually kind to him. There were times when his people would look at him curiously, and at first, he thought it was because of his appearance or the way he spoke so freely to a prince.
But little by little, he realized that wasn’t it. They found Sethian’s actions themselves more interesting than his own. And also the evidence of his possessiveness.
Because of that, he had never asked why Sethian was kind to him. He simply assumed it was because he was useful, that Sethian treated him kindly to make him easier to handle. He thought that, and it was easier to believe. His heart was at peace, as if this kindness was compensating for all the negative special treatment he had received in the past. The tenderness that came toward him with such large steps made him feel nothing but joy. Even the marks of possessiveness, which were deeply engraved, felt as if he wanted to savor them more with each passing day.
But now?
There was not a trace left of Sethian’s possessiveness, as if he wasn’t even his, and the brothers who had tormented him were no longer around. Now, it seemed that Sethian was about to become the emperor without any more struggles, and it wasn’t as if he needed Joo Yi-Gyeol right now. So why was he being so kind?
Every word was so kind that it felt like he might die.
“Now that everything is sorted, I’m useless. I don’t understand why...”
He wouldn’t have said such things before, but once they started coming out, they didn’t stop.
“I’m just a burden, aren’t I? But why...” After speaking, his vision became blurry to the point where he couldn’t see anything in front of him. It felt like his sight, veiled by tears, was growing darker. It felt like he was walking down into a deep abyss.
Sethian said nothing. Despite the tears falling, soaking his fingertips and wrist, he didn’t flinch.
“A reason...” Sethian muttered softly and suddenly kissed Joo Yi-Gyeol’s lips. Gently licking his lips, Sethian’s tongue slowly ventured in, moving at a much slower pace than before. It carefully traced his teeth and licked all the way to the roof of his mouth. As his tongue dove deeper, it felt as if it were a kiss with someone else.
After thoroughly exploring every part of his mouth, Sethian twisted and tugged at his tongue, and at that moment, Joo Yi-Gyeol couldn’t help but let out a soft moan, overwhelmed by the sensation.
After finishing the soft and gentle kiss, Sethian rested his forehead against Joo Yi-Gyeol’s and whispered quietly, “It’s because it’s you. Do you need a grander reason?”
Joo Yi-Gyeol’s chest thudded loudly. His trembling lips hesitated, but he finally managed to speak. “I… I don’t even have a mark that says I’m yours…” After saying that, he felt his face turn red. He worried that Sethian might be disappointed with his childish complaint.
But Sethian didn’t give him the look he feared; instead, he did something completely unexpected.
“Ah—!”
Sethian pressed his lips against Joo Yi-Gyeol’s neck, and suddenly, he sucked hard, biting him. It had been a while since he felt such a sensation, and the strength of the sucking and biting was so intense that Joo Yi-Gyeol couldn’t suppress the sound that escaped his lips. Heat seemed to spread from the spot he was bitten, radiating throughout his body.
“You don’t know anything, do you?” Sethian’s voice, low and filled with something suppressed, sent a chill down Joo Yi-Gyeol’s spine. He feared he might be bitten to death right then.
As Joo Yi-Gyeol gasped for air, Sethian placed his fingers around the bite on his neck. The deep and vivid mark was already clear there. Sethian, appearing to be no longer holding back, pressed his fingers against it, letting the heat he had kept inside for so long come out.
Sethian’s hand moved from his neck down, passing over his prominent collarbones, then unbuttoned his shirt. His fingers slowly descended between his exposed chest.
“This isn’t just a mark of ownership anymore.” Sethian’s fingers continued their descent, but his gaze never left Joo Yi-Gyeol. “If I leave marks on your body, not as a possession, but in another sense, I might want to leave even more.” His deep possessive tone made Joo Yi-Gyeol’s body react as his words sank into his ears.
“Can you withstand that?” Sethian’s hand passed over his stomach and touched lower down, causing Joo Yi-Gyeol to flinch in surprise. Sethian’s touch immediately withdrew as he recoiled.
“Listen well, Joo Yi-Gyeol.” Sethian withdrew his body from where it had been leaning toward him and said, his words mixed with heat, “Everything about you belongs to me. You can’t die even if you want to, and I’ll keep you by my side forever.”
Sethian’s sharp eyes reflected Joo Yi-Gyeol’s huddled form and shocked face.
“I’m holding back for that reason, so don’t provoke me. If I could, I would tear you apart from the inside and swallow you whole.” Sethian, after saying that, turned away from Joo Yi-Gyeol, watching as the tears in his eyes finally stopped. Joo Yi-Gyeol’s gaze remained restless, his eyes darting around in confusion.
Just as Sethian was about to leave the room, Joo Yi-Gyeol’s voice stopped him, “Please… do that…”
Sethian froze in place.
“Please, tear me apart and swallow me whole…” Joo Yi-Gyeol muttered without even realizing the words escaping his lips. His hand moved to where Sethian’s mark had been left just moments ago. Covering it with his hand, he felt the heat spreading throughout his body.
If he were covered in these marks, maybe he could endure it. Maybe if there was evidence that he was worth possessing, he could leave with a lighter heart.
“Can you leave more marks...?” It was a selfish desire, but was it so wrong? After all, there wasn’t much time left.
Though he knew he shouldn’t act this way, he couldn’t help it. It was his greed.
Maybe this would be the last time.
Unable to absorb his vitality, he could still accept any of Sethian’s marks, kisses, or more. Anything that proved ownership.
“Everything about you belongs to me. You can’t die even if you want to. I’ll keep you by my side forever.” Hearing those words, Joo Yi-Gyeol understood the feelings Sethian had for him. It wasn’t just possessiveness; it was something deeper, a feeling that made him want to smile just thinking about it.
And so, he was happy, and at the same time, his heart ached.
Why would he care about someone like me?
Without needing to confirm if the feeling he imagined was correct, Joo Yi-Gyeol had already made up his mind after hearing what Sethian said. So, he pressed all the other questions and feelings deep down and kept them to himself.
He forced a smile, the same smile he had shown to his family over the years, “Anywhere is fine. Could you leave them all over...?”
Seeing the confused look on Joo Yi-Gyeol's face, Sethian brought his lips to his cheek. The droplet of water that had been falling touched his lips, and the tip of his tongue, which had come out from between them, licked it up. The lips that paused near his eyes grazed his dampened eyebrows, lightly brushing over them before settling on his eyelid.
The spot where their lips met felt so hot that it almost burned, and that heat tormented Joo Yi-Gyeol’s chest even more. The strange sensation, ticklish yet aching, made his body tremble.
“You should cry for me. Don’t show any tears if it’s not because of me.” The possessive warning sounded almost like a sweet confession.
“I’m sorry... Did I make you worry because of me?” He thought he had acted well, but why was it that he was caught?
With those thoughts, he also felt sorry for making Sethian turn back from his busy work because of him. He had made him worry about him.
After giving him a kiss on the other eye, Sethian finally pulled away and looked at Joo Yi-Gyeol. His eyes blinked repeatedly, as if trying to hold back his tears, and his hands, which had been held tightly, began to fidget anxiously.
“I won’t cry anymore. You don’t have to worry...”
“Cry. And then tell me.”
Joo Yi-Gyeol’s blinking stopped in shock.
“That way I can stop you from crying.” His words, so gentle, caused another wave of tears to fall.
“Seth…”
Sethian gently wiped away the tears before they could fall to the floor, as though not wanting to waste even a single drop.
“Can I ask you something…?”
“If it’s something you want, I’ll do anything.”
Don’t say that.
Don’t say those things to someone like me, a burden that eats away at life.
Amidst the countless words swirling in his mind, only one remained. With all his courage, he decided to ask that one question, “Why do you treat me like this?”
Sethian, who had been wiping away his tears, stared at him silently. After asking the question, Joo Yi-Gyeol couldn't bring himself to meet his gaze and lowered his eyes.
“Why are you so kind...?”
He knew that Sethian was unusually kind to him. There were times when his people would look at him curiously, and at first, he thought it was because of his appearance or the way he spoke so freely to a prince.
But little by little, he realized that wasn’t it. They found Sethian’s actions themselves more interesting than his own. And also the evidence of his possessiveness.
Because of that, he had never asked why Sethian was kind to him. He simply assumed it was because he was useful, that Sethian treated him kindly to make him easier to handle. He thought that, and it was easier to believe. His heart was at peace, as if this kindness was compensating for all the negative special treatment he had received in the past. The tenderness that came toward him with such large steps made him feel nothing but joy. Even the marks of possessiveness, which were deeply engraved, felt as if he wanted to savor them more with each passing day.
But now?
There was not a trace left of Sethian’s possessiveness, as if he wasn’t even his, and the brothers who had tormented him were no longer around. Now, it seemed that Sethian was about to become the emperor without any more struggles, and it wasn’t as if he needed Joo Yi-Gyeol right now. So why was he being so kind?
Every word was so kind that it felt like he might die.
“Now that everything is sorted, I’m useless. I don’t understand why...”
He wouldn’t have said such things before, but once they started coming out, they didn’t stop.
“I’m just a burden, aren’t I? But why...” After speaking, his vision became blurry to the point where he couldn’t see anything in front of him. It felt like his sight, veiled by tears, was growing darker. It felt like he was walking down into a deep abyss.
Sethian said nothing. Despite the tears falling, soaking his fingertips and wrist, he didn’t flinch.
“A reason...” Sethian muttered softly and suddenly kissed Joo Yi-Gyeol’s lips. Gently licking his lips, Sethian’s tongue slowly ventured in, moving at a much slower pace than before. It carefully traced his teeth and licked all the way to the roof of his mouth. As his tongue dove deeper, it felt as if it were a kiss with someone else.
After thoroughly exploring every part of his mouth, Sethian twisted and tugged at his tongue, and at that moment, Joo Yi-Gyeol couldn’t help but let out a soft moan, overwhelmed by the sensation.
After finishing the soft and gentle kiss, Sethian rested his forehead against Joo Yi-Gyeol’s and whispered quietly, “It’s because it’s you. Do you need a grander reason?”
Joo Yi-Gyeol’s chest thudded loudly. His trembling lips hesitated, but he finally managed to speak. “I… I don’t even have a mark that says I’m yours…” After saying that, he felt his face turn red. He worried that Sethian might be disappointed with his childish complaint.
But Sethian didn’t give him the look he feared; instead, he did something completely unexpected.
“Ah—!”
Sethian pressed his lips against Joo Yi-Gyeol’s neck, and suddenly, he sucked hard, biting him. It had been a while since he felt such a sensation, and the strength of the sucking and biting was so intense that Joo Yi-Gyeol couldn’t suppress the sound that escaped his lips. Heat seemed to spread from the spot he was bitten, radiating throughout his body.
“You don’t know anything, do you?” Sethian’s voice, low and filled with something suppressed, sent a chill down Joo Yi-Gyeol’s spine. He feared he might be bitten to death right then.
As Joo Yi-Gyeol gasped for air, Sethian placed his fingers around the bite on his neck. The deep and vivid mark was already clear there. Sethian, appearing to be no longer holding back, pressed his fingers against it, letting the heat he had kept inside for so long come out.
Sethian’s hand moved from his neck down, passing over his prominent collarbones, then unbuttoned his shirt. His fingers slowly descended between his exposed chest.
“This isn’t just a mark of ownership anymore.” Sethian’s fingers continued their descent, but his gaze never left Joo Yi-Gyeol. “If I leave marks on your body, not as a possession, but in another sense, I might want to leave even more.” His deep possessive tone made Joo Yi-Gyeol’s body react as his words sank into his ears.
“Can you withstand that?” Sethian’s hand passed over his stomach and touched lower down, causing Joo Yi-Gyeol to flinch in surprise. Sethian’s touch immediately withdrew as he recoiled.
“Listen well, Joo Yi-Gyeol.” Sethian withdrew his body from where it had been leaning toward him and said, his words mixed with heat, “Everything about you belongs to me. You can’t die even if you want to, and I’ll keep you by my side forever.”
Sethian’s sharp eyes reflected Joo Yi-Gyeol’s huddled form and shocked face.
“I’m holding back for that reason, so don’t provoke me. If I could, I would tear you apart from the inside and swallow you whole.” Sethian, after saying that, turned away from Joo Yi-Gyeol, watching as the tears in his eyes finally stopped. Joo Yi-Gyeol’s gaze remained restless, his eyes darting around in confusion.
Just as Sethian was about to leave the room, Joo Yi-Gyeol’s voice stopped him, “Please… do that…”
Sethian froze in place.
“Please, tear me apart and swallow me whole…” Joo Yi-Gyeol muttered without even realizing the words escaping his lips. His hand moved to where Sethian’s mark had been left just moments ago. Covering it with his hand, he felt the heat spreading throughout his body.
If he were covered in these marks, maybe he could endure it. Maybe if there was evidence that he was worth possessing, he could leave with a lighter heart.
“Can you leave more marks...?” It was a selfish desire, but was it so wrong? After all, there wasn’t much time left.
Though he knew he shouldn’t act this way, he couldn’t help it. It was his greed.
Maybe this would be the last time.
Unable to absorb his vitality, he could still accept any of Sethian’s marks, kisses, or more. Anything that proved ownership.
“Everything about you belongs to me. You can’t die even if you want to. I’ll keep you by my side forever.” Hearing those words, Joo Yi-Gyeol understood the feelings Sethian had for him. It wasn’t just possessiveness; it was something deeper, a feeling that made him want to smile just thinking about it.
And so, he was happy, and at the same time, his heart ached.
Why would he care about someone like me?
Without needing to confirm if the feeling he imagined was correct, Joo Yi-Gyeol had already made up his mind after hearing what Sethian said. So, he pressed all the other questions and feelings deep down and kept them to himself.
He forced a smile, the same smile he had shown to his family over the years, “Anywhere is fine. Could you leave them all over...?”
Comments
Post a Comment