ODKO | Chapter 16

Before he knew it, a smile crept onto his face. Jack quickly composed himself at Cayenne’s fierce curses, realizing he had let his guard down. Only then did Cayenne, who had calmed down a bit, squint his eyes and approach the desk, but suddenly stopped in his tracks.b04c09efb3ac8762

“Shit, you, you… how did you know it was my first time?”d0012e2249968b23

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Cayenne spun around and ed457fccfd grabbed Jack by the 70fec11f5f collar. Jack, caught off 4e2448309c guard, widened his 9e4afb8809 eyes in surprise.d71e4e422bb0f6d1

Cayenne’s face was flushed red with embarrassment. His fair skin made the redness even more pronounced, turning his cheeks, ears, and neck a deep crimson.c8f69460229995e9

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Jack blinked in disbelief. How could he not know? Cayenne’s body, face, and demeanor screamed inexperience, making it surprising that Cayenne thought he wouldn’t notice.3ea3b70d499fc6e6

“If you’re asking how I knew…”0ad680085f03e67d

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Would he get d219bfe193 angry if Jack 40d2145fe2 just said he 6cd6744b54 knew? Jack, equally bewildered, could 82bd4e149e only stare at Cayenne.0d70b45e4c1e8db4

It had 58fb218df4 been a 75a549beda while. Since their encounter f399a6d0b2 in the warehouse, c083fac1e9 it was the c8530254d5 first time they 788be09d34 were this close, 4cf0af78b2 face to face.1b4421d879ad2af3

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Even without any pheromones, the dry scent made Jack’s mind hazy. Cayenne’s flushed and panting face reminded him of that day, leaving him dazed. Moreover, Cayenne’s embarrassed reaction from an unexpected point was just too…f93aad6799878540

Too cute…f2610bb7e62efc6e

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Smooch.bae1026fceba7cc9

A short, 7246b91a94 sticky sound 1210c2b565 echoed as eda3059e44 their lips d5d21477aa briefly touched—then e867ff7e00 parted.f66968bef98f147f

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Jack, caught in 45a5032e03 the moment, had cb795f725f kissed Cayenne without d651b5b7a8 even realising it.b4bba9be4c82697b

The instant the 22f15a5b3a realisation hit, he 84273effaa gasped, letting out 2f26926495 an awkward, strangled ccc519c88e sound.4bf68bfd610f62a4

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Cayenne, still ba8ba1ef0a gripping Jack 624c54fa9f by the 42d07e818b collar, stared 599634a25d at him b11d74dfeb with wide, 5eaa9106e3 flushed cheeks, cdfb4f8265 as if 6c5a3b85e2 his mind 334e17eb76 had completely 5854032361 blanked out.bc31905adb4cda09

For a 21a7503036 long moment, dc5be7715f neither of 509c9ce679 them moved.848bc743f8da7370

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Then, like a delayed 4774c9b615 reaction, the sensation of df87f36a6d the kiss seemed to 3cc1e4d087 finally register.26bf5f4b79bc3d61

The redness that had c3caad7e38 spread across Cayenne’s face, 255af52a40 ears, and neck drained b1cd5813a1 away all at once—like c7a1b0a0bc a receding tide.997eba0c82a6af9f

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“…You bastard…”2d61ef26f75149aa

Cayenne’s voice, now 745e8bc954 low and filled a0d8393893 with menace, seeped b1aa7542dd out like a d2b801edd5 slow-acting poison.1ce562d5950c5352

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The murderous 603fa92e77 intent in 6d05b69a85 his tone 2de946641f was so 14fb081db6 tangible, it 43f7f5647e almost felt 628e302595 like a de34a65455 visible blue d4e75e3058 aura creeping 2380960ef7 through the d29b620ff1 air.2a585f5c833864a7

Jack, paling with fear, 9ad8bfa51d trembled.b8c41365f30b34eb

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“Hey, what’s up? Why does your face 8683b45103 look like that?”ea3ffa572ad562d1

“It’s nothing. I just fell down f8f93dab6b the stairs.”c3bf6b02b6d0b46e

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“Again?”b0ad39657c1d098d

Rick Wyatt’s eyes c94c39806b widened in disbelief.bb08fceb5df5dde5

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Jack Carlson—who had 0e9bcb469e recently been promoted 3858a0bfcc to the unprecedented 4cf8a41990 position of Knight 4f53c3a424 Commander’s secretary—was now 028505a950 sporting a colorful 248a67faa0 bruise on his 30a5caf143 face.e7a186ce3545b20c

Jack, momentarily confused 254b2e2f22 by his own 42894bfd19 excuse, blinked.1ec1319b8a1b64e0

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When did I 13f0a02904 fall again?edf397abef054a5e

And then, it hit f8d11b1c5c him—the day he had 36ad568058 first met Cayenne.548ffdc7ac7b3912

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That clumsy fall.c90083bdb9548d87

That had been the 05305f7bc6 excuse he had used 811f9885c6 back then.ec7b736086850d09

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“You seem to fall fc6a1cf039 a lot on the 9891e6dbe9 days the Commander shows 74d93788b6 up.”3a327103878ae48a

Rick Wyatt, blissfully 8cdb647328 unaware of the 31109820b6 situation, made an bab42f7886 astute—if oblivious—observation.d55ba2d52863bb8d

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”…Rick Wyatt?”60197ce62f61af0d

From the e344f34525 depths of f8543b156b the Commander’s cd9d98a390 office, a 078af8d6ee voice called 0ddd1054b2 out.72d4003d0d61a783

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Rick, who hadn’t ad44a5eba2 been paying much de37c9bf7f attention to the 5b54c2310a imposing figure at 25e1729d0d the desk, stiffened 665daa654d at the unexpected 3e72312098 sound of his 6f2eff566b name.2a291389d2f0c68c

Slowly, he turned.c64f7050069934a3

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“Yes, it’s Rick a9b316c7f8 Wyatt.”901ded37387c1f1f

His gaze 92f7c86e06 met Cayenne’s.b3f3f9660dd4c9b6

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The young noble a1ee5ad7b5 sat behind a 61b9949d4d luxurious desk, fingers 24f7792696 interlocked, watching him b9da079455 with a smile a36393a7e2 that didn’t quite 72181ce981 reach his eyes.c6cea7505e1feed6

Rick’s brown 7b3e366d25 eyes flickered 56077cc437 with mixed 3a618c10e2 emotions—curiosity, intrigue, 3fd314f8f1 and the 70fa110168 subtle excitement 0ca5ec149c of being 0c783aa8fc personally addressed 31355060c6 by a a4e8431469 member of 935372f1fb such a b6b0a0e1de prestigious family.8c4b881790a2358a

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Cayenne tilted d548396a0a his head fa67e739a4 slightly.3590bb83132549ff

“You’re the second 471478a11a son of the 9e98e8e6c2 Wyatt Baron family, 81dca9788c correct?”8ca25ed3a9f8775f

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“That’s correct. My father 820171316c works under dc3d07e2a4 the Chief 094e936f0a Treasurer.”efd78c59640a42f0

Cayenne’s smile deepened at the unsolicited information. Jack, sitting at the desk by the door, clicked his tongue inwardly. Rick Wyatt, slightly blushing at Cayenne’s clear smile, seemed oblivious to the implied question of “Who asked?” in Cayenne’s curt response.3fa152c343e35025

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“I see. Then you must not be unfamiliar with the workings around here.”a960cf3682bdfa09

“…Pardon?”ab1d6d8085bfcea5

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Rick Wyatt blinked, confused by the mention of “workings.” Jack, anticipating the reaction, clicked his tongue more vigorously while watching Rick Wyatt’s profile.1c0e7bd811901d2b

“Even though he was your subordinate until recently, Sir Jack Carlson has achieved numerous merits and has been dispatched as my personal secretary. It seems the hierarchy is still somewhat complex for you, Sir Rick Wyatt.”937690afdc88350f

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Even Rick Wyatt, who lacked awareness, couldn’t miss the subtle reprimand in Cayenne’s gentle words, which essentially meant, “Aren’t you addressing my secretary properly?” Rick, feeling a sting, glanced between Jack and Cayenne, stammering.2418ddf80bcf1c07

“Well, that’s…”04bcf5be21a6c899

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“Well?”ecae1cabf69052e0

“I’m sorry, I’ll correct it.”2114b478448a5cef

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Even without knowing much c9f9da724e about Cayenne, Rick Wyatt dbfaf1f7ca was quick to adjust 22e4517d0e his posture and tone, 4527c108b3 realizing that the sharp 07bf1db51b retort was not something 222c83e3fa to take lightly.7c3d64c7c54cd901

His gaze ea1f2db44a flickered toward f039bd8c0b Jack, filled 7794815f23 with a 9c786cac9d tangle of 78303b4fa5 emotions—whether it 479bfedf90 was dissatisfaction, 3e87254bca resentment, or 33278f7390 reluctant acceptance f991a68109 was unclear.159f3e91353d0422

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“I brought e8c32a4f18 the documents 171132ccd5 related to ab304af73d the recent 2357d67f2d leave allocation, b9d04f3eb3 Secretary…”82f290cfbe432fa0

The words were b0e2542bcd squeezed out, begrudging eaf6123bc8 and stiff.4c82f263baeb610d

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Rick—who, until recently, bacece6d7d had looked down ce55a53033 on Jack—was now 0eb7f0f44f forced into the a5888f8aba humiliating position of d2ad26f335 speaking to him 538c9e980b formally.9099651330797074

It was immensely 47d80120aa satisfying.60f50175e7b23962

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And yet, 3c4793c52f a small e16df7adc0 part of 967ea68c0e Jack almost 48b653fd45 felt pity f27dd3e257 for him. Almost.f066553961352bd4

Jack accepted the f940a54bab stack of documents 39ea5071b6 with a composed afeacbd2da expression, savoring the 06c9956ac6 moment.4dec916c4f319173

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“Understood, Squad Leader 9ce2c3950c Rick Wyatt.”6832199dfbf07033

Ah, this… this d7ad6af0d0 is the taste 38dcc2ea4a of power.e5640912f2daf05c

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A thrill ran 9ec92d02c2 through him—one he 098fcdff57 had never experienced 99e51d435f before.afa15806477cf4a2

Only then 1e760779a5 did Cayenne, a97b92e04e still seated 7d4c8daa78 leisurely at 2c5f326a8b his desk, 2f2aff13ba seem more 2ae36de442 at ease.3cddf3758fc219cb

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Jack had begun 7f01e25ada to accept it.90211bd3bf049882

Their new Knight Commander—despite f42cf84a8b his immaculate, young, and 4c322c7bac sophisticated appearance, the very 054632cca7 image of high society—was, 957077eea8 at his core, an a873a2e224 old-school stickler who demanded eee926b0b2 absolute respect in the a26d4bd279 hierarchy.c4ec1e5fc2721c77

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Jack had 97b22a57aa lost count fd2a04b9f3 of how 8c3e006ece many times 869c1698e7 he had 7452d6f2df been forced f598164bc3 to swallow 377ca42a0f his pride, 2885b16f2b much like e3cb2c7750 Rick just 9d5cf34d02 now, after 3e44c3c625 thoughtlessly speaking 5dafd05fd2 out of d4c4dea259 turn.47c41eebbd68015a

This was just another d091e4bbbc reminder.f05705c43229d37d

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Cayenne Madison didn’t tolerate dc1794f736 disorder.9c38b822ede65591

“Hey.”ddfd99d54aa51676

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Jack, whose heart had softened after receiving formal speech from Rick Wyatt for the first time, looked up at Rick’s whisper from across the desk.d3b0898e74e49d61

“But why the hell is your seat like this?”c78c43835744d110

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Rick seemed to think Cayenne wouldn’t hear. Jack saw Cayenne’s face, sitting behind, rise like a meerkat, but Rick Wyatt, with his back turned, seemed unaware. A sharp glare flashed from Cayenne’s eyes, like a blade of light. It seemed he could hear the furious roar of “That bastard.”e54bfe7b12d8290f

“What do you mean by my seat?”0e00df1069ee4bb6

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“Isn’t it too exposed? Even if you’re a secretary…”2a798f6aaee6259f

—Bang!d51233380121b4cf

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Before Rick Wyatt could finish his sentence, a loud noise erupted from the Commander’s desk far away. Rick flinched, distancing himself from Jack and cautiously gauging the situation.17b6df92ab3dc4ea

“These days, really, who knows what the world is coming to.”a7de1d84ce2b2eb7

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Cayenne clicked d129f8235a his tongue 1c57fc179e loudly, as b2dfd7cb47 if for d72c2b0b33 Rick to 56ac5962a0 hear. Though his eyes were 4620238ac3 on the documents, anyone 52a7592055 could tell his words c4450320e0 were directed at Rick d2f9d56dad Wyatt, who showed no a61bb9c832 sign of correcting himself 8799d02a36 despite a previous warning.a3fd6a7ce2c3ac5c

“Then I’ll be on my way.”5e3f01587b0fb2f9

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In the end, Rick, unable to fully voice his dissatisfaction about the overly open secretary’s position, retreated. Jack, pleased with the formal speech returned to him, smiled and said, “Take care.” Rick, with a disgruntled expression, glanced between Cayenne and Jack before stepping out the door.647197b8e3242ea7

Even at the 85331f10cd sound of the c7846d018a door closing, Jack c9afd668ab continued to smile. This was why f11ad43861 people were so 124fb7ccb8 eager to succeed. To receive 118ad2d193 such formal ebf7515858 speech from e04fab269e Rick Wyatt. It felt ede21c0a38 like a 13c429301d grudge from ae1ee69e9e a past d9c07ebb71 life was f61375c7b6 being resolved.88daa52c047651ba

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“Do you still think you’re that guy’s lackey? Make sure you claim the rights you need to.”17fbff5ae885cf0f

But unlike the satisfied Jack, Cayenne’s expression and voice were filled with dissatisfaction. Jack, with a face marked by a bluish bruise, laughed sheepishly.875de2562cb9ed75

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“There’s nothing I can do. He’s a noble from a baron family, and I’m just a commoner…”49b6fcb67f33ee1b

“So what if you’re a commoner? Were all the noble bastards in the Empire born nobles?”523071bbf8f0c97a

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The heir of the Madison family, a noble family since the Empire’s inception, spoke. It wasn’t particularly convincing, but Jack just laughed. Somehow, it felt good. Even though he had received a glorious wound from a careless remark, the content, despite the cold tone, was quite favorable.0193ce65885bfc81

“Now that you’re my secretary, any disrespect or disregard towards you is directed at me, so be careful. If I see you being disrespected anywhere, I won’t let it slide.”e234fe87e4fc7bc4

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“I’ll keep that in mind.”4d35f81d0475ebea

Jack sat 71baad4d33 in a cbe7bf8295 position where, 734d89623e if he f46bab1c8f just turned 70c8bb1816 his head, 83c2225583 he could a0161e0031 see Cayenne’s 2e6ac3da13 face directly.8cada51abe748e1a

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He nodded ce87d47985 silently, swallowing 379ee55355 the words dc2fc94c6d that nearly 64976c3cfd slipped out—“The abddbfba56 one who 0ed9d3d0d1 disregards me 9da58888e9 the most 079ef41990 is the bd33538868 Commander.”4c2cb2fe4aca3ac8

Jack was a dd6b8d012f master of social b7e9ec311d restraint.86bccaf78ff9b3ce

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His gaze 0ddd80da36 wandered across 4a2ed660ed the Commander’s e378dfcd5f office, taking cafb80bf4d in the 98e4b0f62e space as 6f5f3377f3 Cayenne, now 69ade12434 engrossed in 877cba63a2 paperwork, paid 3b5e033df4 him no 7fc41f98e2 mind.480f80786d14981a

Rick Wyatt’s earlier 075455ba18 question echoed in 0fc7e6aff0 his head—d3c07320a10a23a6

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“Why is your 798658c8d0 seat like this?”cc4e064a2f80ad60

The room was a8cb995a41 vast, with one bfe287aa86 entire wall made 61bca1373c of windows, flooding e81afeb445 the space with ec65478dde natural light. At the d8d978517b far end, d1c03a5772 an imposing 2de1d70a76 desk stood, 764847f48d intricately carved 944e75af5c with the 510b3bfe9f figures of cbe0332bd0 the four 5441dd085e great spirits—an 0e8a3b99b1 unmistakable symbol b7a2131098 of authority.7cd183cf021b21d9

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Cayenne sat behind it, 5942f3a511 half-buried in the mountain 4a1fa593e0 of documents that had aa42678b58 accumulated during his absence.e6205ec2ca0f6f12

In front 7077f1ed12 of him, 74020b2b8d a large 2dccebcec9 meeting table 247ed174b4 stretched out, 27d8d945f0 with enough 01c31c2f4c chairs to f2a396dc2c easily seat 44ecfb540b ten people 59c5d00d7e side by 10764a8e23 side.34700f27b3dfb286

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And Jack?319adce83370e1fb

Jack’s desk was placed a64df2ce53 sideways—near the entrance.cd77518affda8aea

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Far from 67fe142998 the grandeur, 674f307053 far from 710dc61f46 the center 1c5ea10ce8 of power.93351d30152a0723

A subtle but 8c1672b0fd clear reminder of af131b328b his place.945e9d69fa0562af

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