IBPC | Chapter 15.3

Seoyul looked up at Heegon, who had moved up on the bed. Heegon guided Seoyul to lie flat, then leaned down to kiss him again, careful not to press on his body.

He rubbed his skin against Seoyul’s, slowly lifting his manhood with his hand.

Seoyul seemed to understand what Heegon was thinking. He hesitated for a moment, then opened his lips wider, accepting Heegon’s tongue deeper. He lowered his hand, grasping Heegon’s manhood, slick with his own fluids.

“…Ha.”

Heegon’s low moan escaped between their lips. Seoyul and Heegon’s hands intertwined, moving quickly. Heegon’s breathing grew rougher, his breath brushing against Seoyul’s cheek.

Seoyul licked and sucked on Heegon’s tongue, spreading his legs slowly. He rubbed his inner thigh against Heegon’s outer leg, pressing their bodies together.

“Ugh…”

With that, Heegon buried his head in Seoyul’s neck. Inhaling Seoyul’s lingering scent, Heegon moved his hand faster. He swallowed several moans deeply, then climaxed.

His semen spilled through Seoyul’s fingers, onto Seoyul’s wet body.

“Hu… ha…”

Heegon released Seoyul’s lips, tilting his head back. He gritted his teeth, holding his breath before exhaling all at once.

After savoring the afterglow of his climax, Heegon looked back at Seoyul. Below, he saw Seoyul’s eyes, still flushed, looking up at him.

“…”

Seeing Seoyul like that, Heegon couldn’t contain the overwhelming feeling in his heart.

“I like you, Your Highness.”

He almost crushed this being that flew into his life, trying not to let go, almost breaking bones and flesh. Even the heart.

“Every time I see Your Highness… I get so excited… I’m afraid I won’t want to go back… That feeling scares me… But I can’t stop.”

Yet Seoyul nestled into his embrace. It might be the last piece of his heart allotted to him. …It probably is.

Now that he fully realized what Seoyul meant to him, what he had to do became clear.

Heegon reached out, pulling Seoyul into his arms. And he kissed him again.

⊹₊⟡⋆

Seoyul was still lying on the bed. His heated body and consciousness had cooled, returning to their place. But Heegon’s arms still held him. Heegon was still embracing him, his hand gently stroking Seoyul’s now cool shoulder.

“…”

Seoyul felt it all but didn’t say or react. He just stared blankly at the empty space in the room, lost in thought.

After quite some time, Seoyul finally spoke. There was a hint of hesitation, but his determined eyes focused.

“I only found out recently…”

As Seoyul began, Heegon quietly looked at him. Seoyul continued, his back turned to Heegon.

“Your Highness and I, we’re not imprinted.”

“…”

Heegon’s hand, which had been stroking Seoyul’s shoulder, stopped. Feeling this, Seoyul took a moment to breathe.

He didn’t know how Heegon would react to this revelation. But if he didn’t resolve this issue now, it would surely come back to haunt him.

“Where I come from, I learned that imprinting is something a Yangin does to an Eumin. So I thought that was the case. …But it seems different here. Here, imprinting is something an Eumin does.”

“…”

“So… Your Highness biting me didn’t imprint us. Actually, I smelled Kangmu’s scent recently.”

Seoyul trailed off, but soon added a firm note to his voice.

“I don’t want to imprint with Your Highness.”

“…”

“And I can’t promise I won’t go back. I like Your Highness… but I don’t know how far my feelings go… So I can’t do anything yet.”

Still, Seoyul’s voice trembled in the end.

And Heegon, who had been silent, lowered his gaze. He was grateful Seoyul couldn’t see his expression as he lay with his back turned.

Not imprinted―

Hearing that, two emotions tangled within him. Relief that the oppressive chain binding Seoyul was gone, and anxiety that the chain connecting them didn’t exist.

The fact that he could release what he had bound Seoyul with, even causing him pain, split into relief and the inability to bind him.

Something surged momentarily, but Heegon quickly suppressed it.

He couldn’t repeat the same mistake. If he broke into Seoyul’s sanctuary once more, there would be nothing left to hold. He knew well what Seoyul lying with his back turned meant.

“Never again…”

After much thought, Heegon finally gave a delayed response. He pulled Seoyul’s shoulder into his embrace, resting his face gently on it.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want.”

“…”

“So that’s enough.”

Yes, if you willingly come to me, that’s enough. The task of nurturing that feeling is now mine. So even the thought of leaving…

Heegon swallowed words he couldn’t bear to say.

Hearing Heegon’s response, Seoyul finally seemed to relax, letting out a soft sob, covering his face with both hands. He tried to hold back, but emotions overwhelmed him, and he cried. Strangely, the tears wouldn’t stop.

“…”

Heegon watched Seoyul. Though his hands covered his face, tears filled his eyes. He tried to stifle his sobs, but seeing the sorrow flow, Heegon’s heart ached.

Yet he couldn’t tell him not to cry. He couldn’t claim not to understand, so he just comforted him.

Heegon gently pushed Seoyul’s hands aside, slipping between them. He wiped away Seoyul’s tears, which were falling rapidly. Though he said nothing, Seoyul rubbed his wet cheek against Heegon’s hand.

He wanted to cry a little more and be held entirely in his arms.

⊹₊⟡⋆

To Seoyul, his father wasn’t a significant figure. He was someone who hadn’t existed since his first memory, so there was no longing or affection.

His mother’s presence was like a foggy memory, faintly appearing. She passed away before he turned ten, so there weren’t many memories. She didn’t dislike him, but she was always busy, so most memories were of her back.

All of Seoyul’s memories and longing belonged to his grandmother. She was the one who raised him in place of his mother and was his entire world. So when his grandmother’s passing was near, it felt like his world was ending, and he cried endlessly.

But even so, there was something unfulfilled. Though he received deep love from his grandmother and reciprocated it, young Seoyul grew up being cautious. Whenever relatives visiting his grandmother clicked their tongues at him or whispered about sending him to an institution, he couldn’t help it.

So, as a silly excuse, he probably never had a proper relationship.

When someone showed interest in him, his heart would flutter, but he couldn’t easily respond. He kept gauging the other person’s feelings and being cautious, never showing his true feelings. As a result, those who showed interest often grew tired and left.

After that happened several times, he didn’t feel a strong need to meet someone.

So even when he realized he was drawn to Chanseok, a fellow student, he never approached him. To him, affection meant being cautious first.

In the end, he was left with doubts about whether he could truly receive someone’s complete affection or genuinely like someone purely and honestly.

When his grandmother regained consciousness for the last time before passing, she stroked Seoyul’s face, who was crying uncontrollably, unable to breathe properly.

Seoyul, who cried out not to leave, not to die, couldn’t fully understand his grandmother’s last wish.

“Seoyul, even if I’m not by your side after I die, don’t be too sad. You’ll soon meet someone who will love and cherish you. You’ll meet the person you choose, create your complete family, and live happily. I’ll wish and pray for it with all my heart… My beloved Seoyul, live bravely and well.”

Her last words seemed too vague to be his. He thought they didn’t apply to him.

Now completely alone in the world, an unwanted child. He believed that was his only fate.

Yet he traveled through this long, distant time and came here. And the person he met was Tae Heegon―him.

“I like Your Highness. So… it’s hard.”

He had never told anyone he liked them before… thinking back, he hadn’t. But what was even more unbelievable was the response he received.

“I love you, Yul.”

Grandmother, it’s strange.

In front of this person, I don’t feel cautious. Is it because it’s not the era I lived in, like a dream? My emotions just spill out without filtering, and I can’t control them. It’s my first time feeling this way, so I don’t know what to do. I can’t gauge how much or how far to give this feeling. Is it okay like this? But even if it’s not okay, there’s no other way now. Even if I get hurt more later, I want to be by this person’s side now.

But I’ll keep the promise to return. For now, just that one thing.

But… if even that one thing disappears… what should I really do?

⊹₊⟡⋆

Seoyul opened his eyes.

It felt like he had a dream. He wasn’t sure what it was about, but he felt strangely calm and settled.

He blinked his heavy eyelids and looked up. There was Heegon, holding him in his arms.

Last night, it seemed he had cried himself to sleep in Heegon’s embrace. He hadn’t thought he was that exhausted. Perhaps letting go of a part of his heart had allowed the tension that had been stretched tight to finally relax.

Even without looking in a mirror, Seoyul could feel his face was swollen, so he rubbed his eyes with his hands. At his slight movement, Heegon tightened his arms around Seoyul.

“You’re awake?”

Heegon’s voice was deeper than usual, slightly drowsy from sleep. Hearing it, Seoyul curled his arms inward.

He couldn’t bring himself to meet Heegon’s gaze.

Now fully awake, he couldn’t shake off the embarrassment from the emotional rollercoaster of the previous night.

He had said many things, but in summary, it all boiled down to the fact that he liked Heegon.

He had said he couldn’t give Heegon anything, yet he couldn’t hide his feelings for him. The awkward reality of that made Seoyul squirm even more in Heegon’s arms.

Sensing Seoyul’s discomfort, Heegon, with his eyes still closed, raised his hand and gently stroked Seoyul’s back. Seoyul, who had been unable to decide what to do, paused at the soothing touch. Heegon pressed his lips to Seoyul’s hair, took a breath, and spoke.

“Like I said yesterday…”

“…?”

“I won’t do anything you dislike from now on. I’ll do whatever you want, so don’t hide or hesitate to tell me.”

Heegon’s breath settled over Seoyul’s head. Feeling it, Seoyul averted his eyes, which Heegon couldn’t see, and then closed them again, reaching out to wrap his arms around Heegon’s back.

Admitting that they weren’t imprinted had been the right choice. It seemed Heegon thought so too. His understanding made Seoyul feel less self-conscious.

Honestly, he couldn’t say he didn’t regret the emotions and words he had poured out yesterday. Until just now, he hadn’t been sure of the steps he was taking.

But Heegon’s warm and comforting words melted away his many anxieties. Even if they were the soft sprouts of thorny vines that might hurt him again, he wanted to embrace them now.

Seoyul stayed like that, nestled in Heegon’s arms for a long time.