MBD | Chapter 15

Karl Heinrich cursed under his breath. Viktor flinched at the sudden outburst.

“Oh, haha. You two were together.”

“Everhart doesn’t look well, so I’ll take him with me.”

“No! I’ve been with Everhart-nim all this time, so I’ll take responsibility and take him.”

As Viktor approached, Karl Heinrich swatted his hand away and turned his body to shield Everhart.

“Grabenhaupt.”

“……”

“I’m warning you, get lost while I’m being nice.”

At Karl Heinrich’s warning, Viktor’s face turned bright red.

“Ugh! I-I’m a noble! No matter how powerful the Stein family is in Bergent, this is, this is rude!”

“Is that so? Then it wouldn’t matter if I said you’re having an affair with Maria Lebenstein and have two illegitimate children.”

Maria Lebenstein was the daughter of the Prime Minister and the current wife of the Minister of National Defense.

“What nonsense are you spouting! You crazy bastard, without any evidence!”

“Wouldn’t the Minister of National Defense be delighted to know you set up a publishing company with the money you coaxed out of her, evaded taxes, and replaced all the paintings at home with fakes to sell on the black market?”

The power struggle between Viktor and Karl Heinrich didn’t last long. It was Viktor who backed down first.

“Ugh, no matter what, I can’t stand this insult! Just you wait!”

Viktor stormed off, fuming. Only then did Karl Heinrich check on Everhart’s condition.

“Can you walk?”

Everhart nodded weakly. He tried to walk but couldn’t manage more than a few steps before needing support again.

“You’re quite the troublesome junior.”

“Then… leave me…”

“Stubborn too.”

Karl Heinrich had no choice but to take Everhart to a nearby hotel room.

࿐⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆

“Need some water?”

Karl Heinrich first propped Everhart up on the bed.

Everhart, whose memory was spotty, answered a beat late.

“Give…”

“‘Give’ is informal.”

Even at Karl Heinrich’s words, Everhart didn’t respond. It seemed he had been given something quite strong.

“Viktor is a lunatic who babbles about spiritual exchanges with his bizarre books.”

Everhart frowned and glared at Karl Heinrich. It didn’t seem like Everhart had approached Viktor just for the sake of it.

He wanted to ask, but seeing Everhart’s condition, he knew he wouldn’t get an answer.

Karl Heinrich placed a glass of ice water on Everhart’s hand.

“You didn’t know Viktor was feeding illegal magic refining drugs to his followers?”

“How would I… know.”

Everhart added the honorific a beat late. Karl Heinrich went inside and brought back a pill.

“It’s an antidote.”

It was an emergency general antidote, but it was effective enough to neutralize the drug Everhart had taken. Everhart stared blankly at the pill in Karl Heinrich’s hand.

The water cup tilted, spilling onto his clothes instead of his mouth. Realizing belatedly, Everhart grabbed the half-full cup.

But his hand holding the cup trembled.

Karl Heinrich, unable to watch any longer, reached out. Startled, Everhart sighed without the energy to react.

“I can do it.”

“Don’t be stubborn.”

“I…”

Seeing Everhart’s half-dazed eyes blinking slowly, Karl Heinrich took the water cup from his hand.

“Lift your head.”

He put the pill in his mouth and took a sip of the water Everhart had been drinking.

Everhart’s throat moved slowly as he sat there blankly. Before he could ask why Karl Heinrich was saying such things, Karl Heinrich’s smooth lips covered Everhart’s.

“Mm-”

Water trickled down between his parted lips. Karl Heinrich used his tongue to force the pill down.

“Cough-! Ugh…!”

Everhart, pushing Karl Heinrich away, turned towards the bed, retching.

“Everhart.”

“……Ugh.”

“Everhart von Friedrich.”

Karl Heinrich called Everhart’s name. He straightened Everhart’s slumped body.

Though he had given him the antidote, it didn’t seem to take effect immediately. Seeing Everhart sitting there blankly, Karl Heinrich crossed his arms and looked down at him.

“Reckless fool.”

Viktor hadn’t lured nobles with just bizarre ideologies.

Karl Heinrich knew Everhart must have approached with some purpose. Yet, he let it be, because whatever the purpose, it didn’t matter to him.

The cocktail Viktor had made contained a truth serum particularly effective on magicians.

Karl Heinrich knew Everhart, with his pride, wouldn’t easily reveal why he approached Viktor.

So, though he didn’t like it, now was the chance.

“Why did you meet Viktor?”

Everhart’s wet lips moved very slowly.

“Why else, for money.”

Money? Karl Heinrich was taken aback by the unexpected answer.

Of all people, the eldest son of the five great families risking such danger for lack of money? It didn’t make sense.

Karl Heinrich knew the effect of the truth serum would soon wear off.

“How much money?”

“Ten million, Ardenrian Gold…”

First, he was shocked by the lack of money, and second, by the unexpectedly large amount needed.

Ten million Ardenrian Gold was enough to buy several houses in the capital.

It wasn’t an amount to simply buy something or for a fling.

As soon as the answer was given, Everhart’s mind snapped back.

“Gasp… Ugh.”

He clutched his chest, breathing heavily. Leaning on the bed, he took deep breaths to calm himself.

After a while, he brushed back his sweat-soaked hair and looked up at Karl Heinrich. With the drug’s effect fading, his eyes were clear.

“Where’s Viktor?”

“He left you behind.”

“Damn it…”

My money. I was so close to persuading him. But Everhart hadn’t expected whatever he took to have such a potent effect. And he only drank half of it.

Though the drug’s effect had worn off, the slight after effects lingered.

Everhart ruffled his hair and hung his head.

The drug’s effect was gone, but in another sense, his body felt languid, and his nerves were gradually on edge.

“Is money that important?”

Everhart struggled to lift his head.

“That…”

Everhart was flustered. How did Karl Heinrich know… At that moment, memories of talking with Karl Heinrich flashed through Everhart’s mind.

He remembered talking with Karl Heinrich, but couldn’t recall what was said.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“You said you needed ten million Ardenrian Gold.”

“Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”

Everhart bit his lip, drawing a line with Karl Heinrich. He knew what Karl Heinrich would think of him in this situation.

He’d think he was a fool risking danger for money. He didn’t want Karl Heinrich, of all people, to think that.

Karl Heinrich felt a sense of discord from his gaze again.

What do you know?

The resentful look for no reason annoyed Karl Heinrich.

“……Fine. I’ll just handle it-”

Trying to smooth over the situation, something felt off. There was a throbbing below. Looking down, he saw the bulge in his pants. He realized what the languid heat meant.

‘Damn it.’

The situation was truly messed up.

Everhart wasn’t the type to get aroused in such a situation.

His lower body throbbed as if it would burst. He tried to endure it, pretending nothing was wrong, and finished his sentence.

“-myself.”

“You look like you’re struggling.”

“No, but isn’t the aphrodisiac effect curable?”

Knowing he was a pervert, he expected it, but experiencing it firsthand was quite unpleasant.

Grinding his teeth, Everhart finally snapped.

“For an illegal drug, isn’t that a minor issue?”

“A minor… Right.”

Given his improved condition, it was an undeniable fact. Not knowing what the drug was.

Everhart suppressed the rising sensation.

Karl Heinrich laughed, finding it amusing. He blatantly looked between Everhart’s legs.

“What will you do about that?”

“Do you really need to ask? I’ll handle it myself.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“Are you going to help me, sunbae-nim? I appreciate you bringing me to the hotel… I’ll handle it myself, so please leave.”

It wasn’t a joke—Everhart was truly at his wit’s end. His breathing grew more labored, and his grip on reason was slipping.

“Were you planning to sleep with Viktor for ten million gold?”

“That’s not it.”

“You eagerly accepted the mysterious cocktail. At least to my eyes, that’s how it seemed.”

At Karl Heinrich’s words, Everhart stood up irritably. He had been careless, but he had no intention of sleeping with Viktor. Just as Everhart was about to retort in frustration—

“If I give you ten million gold, can I sleep with you too?”

Karl Heinrich scratched at Everhart’s pride.

No matter how large the sum, it was hard to believe that a noble, full of pride, would lower himself for money.

“What did you just…”

Everhart’s mouth hung open. He asked again, but there was no reply.

Karl Heinrich wasn’t the type to repeat himself.