IBPC | Chapter 3.2

Grandma… I miss you. Tears rolled down Seoyul’s cheeks as he began to cry bitterly.

“Grandma… what am I going to do…?”

Sobs soon erupted from his throat.

“I miss you, Grandma. Huu… I miss you—”

Crying like a child, Seoyul clung to the longing for someone who was no longer in the world he had left. If he didn’t, he felt he wouldn’t be able to make it through the night.

Outside the door, Heegon listened to Seoyul’s weeping and lowered his gaze. When the court maid tried to open the door, he raised his hand to stop her. Understanding his intent, she let go of the door handle and stepped back a few paces.

“…….”

Heegon stood silently, listening to Seoyul’s sorrowful cries, before quietly turning away.

“Don’t tell him I was here.”

With those words to the maids at the door, Heegon walked back to his own chambers, his expression heavy with thought.

⊹₊⟡⋆

Seoyul looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face was still puffy. Did he cry too much yesterday? His face was still swollen. Seoyul ran his hand over his face and then got up from the chair. He flopped his tired body onto the bed.

“…Haah.” A deep sigh escaped his lips at the same time.

Today, too, he couldn’t take a single step out of this room. Every time he tried to leave, the court maids and attendants would panic and stop him. Even though he couldn’t let anyone find out he was an Eumin… What kind of life was this, being trapped in this room?

“I’m not some caged dog.”

Seoyul buried his face in the freshly changed blanket that smelled of sunlight. Taking a deep breath, he lamented his helpless situation.

So… were there only two options left?

Either really bear that man’s child, or hope to find another Omega. Neither was easy, and both seemed like distant possibilities.

Even if, by some miracle, one of those options worked out, there was no guarantee that Pacheon, that guy, would just let him go quietly.

After his grandmother passed away, he had felt alone in the world. But this feeling of having no one on his side, and the bleakness of thinking it would never change, was on a whole different level.

“I’m going to lose my mind, seriously.”

As he muttered those words to himself, someone quickly picked up on them.

“Is something bothering you?”

Startled by the voice that suddenly reached his ears, Seoyul jerked his head up. When he turned around, he saw Heegon standing there with his hands behind his back, as if he had been there for a while.

“Uh—”

He didn’t even hear him come in. Flustered, Seoyul sat up properly and looked up at Heegon, who then walked over to the table near the window and sat down.

Seoyul faced Heegon with a timid expression. Heegon, too, looked at Seoyul without saying much. Heegon was just recalling the sound of Seoyul’s sorrowful crying from last night, which he had heard through the crack in the door.

“Grandma… what am I supposed to do now……? I miss you, Grandma. Sniff…… I miss you so much—”

If he wanted something, no matter what or who it was, he didn’t need permission or procedures. He just had to grab it with his own hands. And anyone living in the Jinha Kingdom would want to share in his wealth and power, becoming his.

That’s why he couldn’t understand Seoyul’s desperate crying last night, and he had no intention of trying to understand it… but…

“If there’s something you want, you can tell me. I’ve already instructed them to grant your wishes as much as possible.”

He wanted Seoyul to understand. No, he wanted him to accept that being by his side would bring abundance and happiness.

Seeing Heegon suddenly bring this up, Seoyul pressed his lips together tightly. He chewed on them for a moment before looking out the window.

“Did you… find my belongings?”

“…No.”

“Did you even look for them?”

“I couldn’t find them.”

At Heegon’s short reply, Seoyul let out a sigh, as if he hadn’t expected much. Hearing that sigh, Heegon quietly watched Seoyul for a moment before speaking.

“I’ll replace them.”

“……? Replace what?”

“I don’t know what, where, or who you left behind… but I’ll replace them for you.”

Heegon’s dark, beautiful eyes turned to Seoyul. Seoyul stared at them blankly for a moment before belatedly turning his head away.

“What are you going to replace? Everything’s not here.”

“Then whatever you want.”

“…….”

Today, Heegon’s attitude seemed unusually comforting. Seoyul found it strange but felt a little swayed, hesitating before meeting Heegon’s eyes again.

“Then……”

He carefully began.

“I want to go outside. …Even if it’s just for a little while.”

“…….”

“Is… that not okay?”

Seeing Heegon’s face stiffen slightly at his request, Seoyul was about to express his disappointment again when—

“If it’s just within my residence, it’s fine.”

“……?”

“But you must always have Dubo by your side. And you cannot take a single step outside my residence.”

Surprisingly, Heegon agreed to the conditions, and Seoyul’s eyes widened.

Just his residence? But Heegon’s residence was probably the second largest in the palace after the Emperor’s. The number of attached buildings alone, the artificial pond, the garden…

“Really?!”

Feeling like he could finally breathe a little, Seoyul leaned forward slightly with a smile. Seeing his eyes sparkle like that, Heegon slightly parted his lips.

The pale face that had been heavy with gloom was now filled with an unbelievable vitality. And seeing the smile spreading across his lips, Heegon suddenly realized something.

Had he ever seen this child smile before?

Heegon tried to recall from the first time he saw Seoyul but couldn’t remember a single smile. Was that why? The bright smile on Seoyul’s face in front of him strangely stirred something in his heart.

How strange. It wasn’t like his rut was coming on, but this sudden surge of desire was inexplicable.

Heegon closed his lips again. Instead, he slowly rose from his seat. As he approached Seoyul, Seoyul looked up at him with a puzzled expression, still smiling. Heegon covered Seoyul’s face with his shadow.

“Cover yourself with the Crown Prince’s scent. According to records, Yangin used this method to monopolize Eumin by marking them with their scent.”

Ah, right. This must be similar to an animal’s instinct. The desire to mark one’s territory. During his rut, he often felt like a beast rather than a human. But it seemed this was possible even when he was in his right mind.

Heegon reached out to Seoyul. Then, he wrapped his arm around Seoyul’s waist and lifted him up.

“……?”

He carried Seoyul, who was still unaware of what was happening, and pushed him further onto the bed. Realizing what was happening, Seoyul quickly curled up.

“Why, why, why are you doing this?”

Seoyul erased his smile and widened his eyes. Instead of answering, Heegon slid between Seoyul’s legs and pressed his body against him. Seoyul propped himself up on his elbows, trying to push Heegon away.

“What… are you doing? You’re not… planning to do that, are you?”

“…….”

“It’s not your rut— or your erotomania, right?”

As Seoyul’s voice rose in urgency, Heegon grabbed the hem of Seoyul’s clothes and replied.

“A child.”

“……?”

“We need to make one.”

“……!!”

When what he had feared turned out to be true, Seoyul quickly covered his mouth with his hand. He wasn’t in heat, and it wasn’t Heegon’s rut, yet he wanted to do this while fully conscious? But a child…!

“…Ah.”

Wait a minute. He remembered hearing that Omegas could bear a Beta’s child even when not in heat. Was it different with Alphas? Could Alphas impregnate Omegas at any time, regardless of heat? Was it just that the probability increased during heat, but it was still possible at other times…?

His memories of health class were hazy, and Seoyul couldn’t come up with a proper rebuttal to Heegon.

Honestly, it had seemed like something unrelated to him, so he hadn’t paid much attention. If he had known it would come to this, he would’ve listened more carefully during sex ed.

“W-wait a second……!”

Seoyul, finally coming to his senses, looked at Heegon approaching him. Now completely covered by Heegon’s body, Seoyul had no choice but to lie flat on the bed.

“Uh… Your Highness?”

He called out to Heegon, though it was no use. The only response was a deep kiss.

“Ugh—” Whether the wet breath was flowing into or out of his throat, he couldn’t tell. In the midst of their feverish exploration of each other’s lips, Heegon had already pushed aside the last of his clothing. Now, Seoyul and Heegon, their bodies completely bare, pressed against each other, embracing tightly.

“Mmm……”

Heegon’s tongue delved deep into Seoyul’s mouth, swirling around every corner. Seoyul moaned softly, his body writhing as if it might wear away entirely under the sensation.

Just moments ago, he had wondered how he could possibly let Heegon hold him like this with a clear mind. But now, even just their kissing was enough to set his body ablaze, leaving him utterly lost. It felt like they had been kissing for at least 20 to 30 minutes, and the longer it went on, the stronger Heegon’s pheromones became.

It wasn’t as overwhelming as during a rut, where it felt like his entire body was being suffocated, but the tingling sensation at the base of his ears and the way it seemed to seep into his skin was maddening in its own way. This was just as torturous.

Even if it wasn’t heat, it felt too good—

Seoyul realized just how ridiculous it was that he had tried to hold back earlier. Now, he was rubbing his bare body against Heegon’s, wordlessly pleading for more. His lower half was already soaked and throbbing. The body of an omega who had already experienced an alpha’s touch was quick to open itself to the familiar pheromones.

Just put it in already.

That single thought consumed his mind. Last time, maybe because it was his first, or perhaps because he hadn’t known this pleasure, fear had often put the brakes on things. But now, all he wanted was Heegon, fiercely and desperately.

“Ah…!”

As Seoyul let out a low moan, Heegon’s hand slid downward. It traced down Seoyul’s abdomen, brushing through the hair there before lightly grasping his hardened length and then letting go.

Heegon’s palm gently stroked it before moving further down, past the perineum, and finally reaching the entrance that was already slick and ready. He rubbed the tight hole before slipping a finger inside. Seoyul’s body jerked as Heegon’s lips continued to claim his.

“Hng……”

Seoyul pushed Heegon’s tongue away and bit his lip. In response, Heegon licked Seoyul’s tightly pressed lips before lowering his head further, past the clearly visible veins on his neck, and down to his chest.

His lips found their target—Seoyul’s erect nipples. He used his lower lip to brush over the trembling tip before lightly sucking it into his mouth. When he bit down gently and began to suck, Seoyul threw his head back.

“Haah…! Ah……”

Short, ragged moans escaped him. As if that was what he wanted, Heegon bit down harder on Seoyul’s nipple, causing the tight entrance to clench even more. He quickly added a second finger, the sound of him swallowing loudly as he continued to suck on Seoyul’s chest.

It felt a little different this time. Last time, even though it had been tight, once he stretched it open, the inner walls had softened and yielded easily. But now, the walls felt firmer, more resistant. He wondered if it would be as easy as last time, but then again, his own length wasn’t as swollen as it had been during his rut.

What a curious thing, the bodies of a Yangin and an Eumin.

Heegon chuckled inwardly as he diligently worked to loosen Seoyul up. Meanwhile, he alternated between sucking on Seoyul’s chest and lifting his head to kiss him again. Seoyul panted heavily, his body fully accepting Heegon’s foreplay.

At some point, Heegon felt that it was enough. Or rather, his own desire, which he had been holding back with great effort, was urging him to push in.

Heegon wasn’t finding it easy to hold back either. The increasingly strong scent of Seoyul was chipping away at his patience. He had wondered what it would be like without the madness of rut, but it seemed that the existence of an Eumin for a Yangin was indeed part of some divine plan.

After giving Seoyul’s lips one last brief kiss, Heegon pulled his fingers out. The slick fluid that had been coating his hand dripped down as he withdrew.

He rubbed it a couple of times against his own length before spreading Seoyul’s legs wider. His thighs pressed against the inside of Seoyul’s legs as he positioned himself.

When there was no more space between them, the tip of Heegon’s length paused at Seoyul’s entrance. Seeing the transparent, slick fluid glistening there, Heegon began to push himself in.

“Ah……”