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Sethian’s hand wrapped around Yi-Gyeol’s face. His eyes were still fluttering with anxiety, but Sethian’s figure within it didn’t falter.
“Are you afraid that I’ll get mad?”
“Mhm [1] .”
Perhaps because he was pleased with Yi-Gyeol’s gentle reply, the sharp air around Sethian quickly disappeared in an instant.
“You don’t want me to abandon you?”
“Mhm
.”
It was a short but steady and satisfying answer. The corners of Sethian’s eyebrows curved nicely.
“Then I want you to do whatever you want.”
“But
.”
Sethian blocked the words that were about to flow through Yi-Gyeol’s mumbling lips with a short kiss, then lowered his lips to his neck afterward. As soon as his hot lips touched the cold skin, its complexion quickly changed.
“Stay by my side and don’t go into another bastard’s hand.”
He searched for a white spot with no marks around Yi-Gyeol’s neck, where red marks were scattered, and obstinately kissed him. As if to fill all the places where there is no trace of him.
“I won’t be angry and throw you away no matter what you do.”
As Yi-Gyeol’s whole body twitched at the heat left on his neck, Sethian’s lips slipped through the slightly open shirt and sucked on his collarbone. A small moan escaped Yi-Gyeol’s lips in the unexpected tingle, but he didn’t push or avoid it.
Sethian, licking the teeth marks with the tip of his tongue, touched Yi-Gyeol’s left chest. The intense beat, which one would not think to come from a made-up body, was clearly felt through the thin shirt.
“Only
.”
The hand that was touching Yi-Gyeol’s chest slipped slowly, crossing his waist, brushing his pelvis, and sweeping his thighs. Yi-Gyeol breathed a bit roughly from the heat that settled in his neck and collarbone, and fixed his gaze on Sethian’s fingertips, which passed by as if carving a path on his body.
“If you ever try to break away from me, I’ll lock you in here forever. Never to meet anyone, never to see anyone.”
He imagined Yi-Gyeol leaving him and going to Zair, to his other siblings, or to his family. The fingertips that were touching Yi-Gyeol’s thighs readily gained strength.
If that happens, without any hesitation. No matter where he is, he will kill all those who are with him, forcefully drag him away, and crush the legs he was touching with his fingertips at the moment. Or perhaps it would be better to just break his ankles or remove its tendons rather than the entire leg. He doesn’t want to see him in pain unlike the others, so let’s give him anesthesia and just let him see it once his legs were already ruined. After that, it would be good to control his vitality so that he won’t be able to move as well as before.
Sweeping the thin legs, which are only the width of the palm of his hand, makes him think even more viciously.
“Without my permission, neither the servants, aristocrats, my siblings, let alone the emperor; do not let them touch you. Whoever it is, I will kill them all and set them on fire.”
Yi-Gyeol felt a chilling sensation at Sethian’s heartfelt words. Yet, strangely, he did not feel the desire to escape.
Yi-Gyeol’s trembling hand wrapped around Sethian’s back. No matter how cold and terrifying his words may be, for Yi-Gyeol, he was the only resting place and warm domain he did not want to escape. He will even stay as docilely still as a bird trapped in a cage if Sethian says he wants him to.
Sethian embraced Yi-Gyeol tightly, who hugged and clung to him, then whispered in his ear with a satisfied expression on his face.
“Do not forget. You’re mine.”
The pure white ears that Sethian’s breath touched gradually dyed red. Seemingly brainwashing him, he engraved his voice in Yi-Gyeol’s head.
“I’m the only one who can touch you, and I’m the only one you can touch.”
⋆♚⋆♛⋆♚⋆
After that day, at first glance, nothing seemed to have changed with Yi-Gyeol at all.
He still has a pure and bright appearance as usual, and he smiles without hesitation over the smallest things. In addition, he gained some weight and built up stamina, making it possible for him to run even a little. Roa’s periodic inspection and Eda’s mana supply were still there, but he was apparently healthy enough now that they aren’t really necessary.
However, Roa was still not satisfied.
‘It’s good that he’s filled with vitality but
.’
He furtively glanced down and scanned through Yi-Gyeol’s left chest where his hand was placed. The red traces that had previously only remained around the neck and collarbones had now tread downwards to his chest and colored it darkly in a lot of places.
‘No matter how much I think about it, this
.’
He tried to think more deeply, but then stopped immediately. That’s because the chilling gaze of the man behind him is so sharp that it feels like he was dissecting and looking into his head.
After the inspection, Roa pulled out his hand and smiled as if nothing had happened.
“It’s remarkably good. You have plenty of vitality and your body is also healthy. Just don’t be impatient and build up your stamina slowly.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Yi-Gyeol returned Roa’s smile and got up from the chair where he was sitting and started getting dressed. Thanks to high-quality meals and vitality, Yi-Gyeol’s body gained weight quickly and healthily, and although it was still thin, it now just seemed slender, and it wasn’t bad to look at. Still, the impression of being delicate remained.
Sethian personally took care of Yi-Gyeol’s clothes and glanced at Roa with cold eyes.
“Until when do we have to do this test?”
Although he seemed indifferent, there was clearly annoyance and displeasure within his voice.
“The next inspection and mana supply will probably be the last. He is getting better much faster than I expected.”
“Just as well.”
Sethian meticulously adjusted Yi-Gyeol’s shirt buttons and stroked his hair.
“Since you’re healthy, let’s go for a walk together tonight. Be good and stay here until I get back.”
“Mhm, I will.”
As if he liked the way he answered compliantly like an obedient child, a slight smile surfaced on Sethian’s lips. Roa looked at them and thought that his prediction was right.
After Sethian and Roa left the room, Yi-Gyeol, who was left alone, sat down on a chair and opened the book he had been reading a few hours ago. Now, instead of reading a picture book with only one or two lines on the illustration, he was reading a thick book full of unknown languages. He wasn’t able to completely read yet, but even though it takes him a while, to some extent, he can grasp the context and understand its content. It took him quite some time, but as he only stayed in the bedroom and kept reading all day, his learning ability improved pretty quickly.
After reading the contents by reciting them several times in his head, Yi-Gyeol wrote down the parts he did not understand or was difficult to read on a piece of paper. Sethian will read and explain it to him when he comes back, so he was organizing it in advance so that he could show it to him right away.
‘I need to grasp them quickly.’
He even copied the handwriting on the paper with a quill pen that Sethian got him. Yi-Gyeol wants to be able to fully write, read and understand the language of this world perfectly as soon as possible.
‘This is the only thing I can help Seth with.’
Sethian said that he would make use of his ability, but didn’t really want anything from him. Whether it being used as a spy or being sent somewhere for espionage, if Sethian really wants to use his out-of-body ability, Yi-Gyeol would be willing to do it. However, Sethian seemed to have no intention of doing so at some point.
‘It’s because I’m not good enough.’
There’s nothing he can do.
Yeah, there’s really nothing he can do, and he couldn’t also help anywhere. That’s why.
In Yi-Gyeol’s opinion, there were two things that he’s lacking at the moment.
Physical strength, and language.
He ate whatever food Sethian prepared to improve his stamina. Even if he didn’t want to eat because he was full, he’d just rest and didn’t skip eating. Whenever he was left alone in the bedroom and recalled vague memories, he would stretch repeatedly, and recently, even if it was difficult, he did some exercises that would make him sweat enough. He thought that the stretching and exercise he did in his PE class during his middle and high school was not something he learned in vain.
The problem was language. Conversation can be done as seamlessly as possible, but writing or reading is greatly limited. Even if Sethian offered to help, he was obviously busy with work, so he couldn’t keep him by his side and ask him to serve as a teacher. He also couldn’t ask to get someone to teach him, thinking that he was bothering Sethian for no reason, so he can only keep his mouth shut. He was quite apprehensive of having someone else enter the room as well, so he had no choice but to learn on his own.
‘Seth will be able to use me once I can read and write perfectly.’
He can’t stay by his side like a barley sack forever. Sethian is rather nice and caring unlike his appearance, but after he becomes emperor, he may have more work to do, so he may not even get a chance to see his face. Then, if he gets in the way of Sethian and becomes a stumbling block, he will gradually neglect him, and eventually
.
‘No, I’m never going to let that happen.’
Yi-Gyeol’s eyes gleamed with determination and focused on the book densely filled with elaborate letters. His hand, holding the quill, moved quickly and accurately, perfectly copying some of the sentences in the book.
Then, Yi-Gyeol’s hand abruptly stopped. He turned his head stiffly and looked outside the window. Through the half-opened window, he could see a large branch of a tree. And even the black crow sitting calmly on it.
It was a crow that he kept seeing daily since a few days ago. Occasionally, whenever he turned his eyes to the window, he would get this feeling that it was looking at him and even stare straight into his eyes. And as it is now, he could feel the way its gaze was focused straight only at him it somehow stings.
Yi-Gyeol put down the quill he was holding and went to the window. In the meantime, the crow’s gaze that was hooked on him remained.
He opened the window wide and placed his hand on the frame to support his upper body. He slanted his head slightly and smiled gently.
“Why are you watching me every day?”
He knew it wouldn’t be able to answer, but he was curious and no one was looking so he let the words come out of his mouth. Correspondingly, the crow tilted its head as if struggling to understand what he was saying. The end of his eyebrows curled thinking that it looked so cute, when suddenly, he heard an unexpected voice.
−Because Zair-nim is worried about you.
Yi-Gyeol’s hand trembled as he grabbed the window sill. The voice of a young man that he had heard for the first time was clearly transmitted to his head.
There was nothing to look around. He’s the only one in the bedroom, and this is the third floor. There is no one in the close distance where a voice can be transferred as clearly as it is now. Except for the crow in front of him.
The crow’s blinking eyes narrowed like it was smiling.
−He’s been worrying about how you’re doing every day.
TL Notes:
Sound of agreement. I’ll use this moving forward.