AB Chapter 1 (Part 2)

“If you’re that eager to show it off, feel free to take it off.”e3e08505acd64dde

Gio didn’t bother replying. He just shrugged off the ed12190436 robe. After everything that 249d2422c7 happened yesterday, there d541252ac4 was nothing left c1866c4250 to hide.48876f7d849a350b

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“Our Grand Duchess—so bold.”59b03b3d04330e53

Even as he spoke, the 1efe7f58f4 Grand Duke’s eyes remained sharp. He gave the chain a 3e0d1dee40 firm tug, making it clear—if 88679b50e6 Gio tried to run or 625aa2573e pull anything, there’d be consequences.762918cdda7e5b15

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Gio followed his lead 78aac2ce41 toward the bathroom connected f10794df36 to the bedroom. The space was massive—at 4d20e44ffd least four times bigger cc4aeea486 than his old room 92eb100d18 back at Cove. The bathtub alone f4646d3e86 was the size 6899e5d51e of that entire 086aaadc12 room.c9db493193fea703

The Grand Duke secured a3abc54402 Gio’s ankle chain to 4e5486e37c a pillar near the fbdecb2ae2 door. Why something like that even a590a23c72 existed there, Gio had no f84959af40 idea.21be4bfd2861a0ab

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He stepped barefoot 0cdee32c4d over the glossy 8178aa992e tiles, glistening faucets 6045052d1e and luxury all 696416aa74 around him, and e35ec79afe approached the bath. The huge tub was 7fdfc87997 already filled with steaming 6068de6412 hot water.c018fea25530d07e

When Gio glanced at him, c50f271612 the Grand Duke gave a da85d8bd43 slight nod. Gio slowly dipped de0802d749 his toes in 5bca9f6cd2 first, then slid 28d9110ab1 his body into 1df377aea6 the water, curling 49e5f1d2fd his legs to f7fbfa77df his chest. The heat, along ba7913e399 with an unfamiliar 9623a60844 yet pleasant scent 96861601ec in the water, ad7fa17eb5 seemed to melt 56c4625735 away the tension cdca388c59 and exhaustion in f469b73236 his body.a24d97ecbb171d50

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The Grand Duke didn’t leave. Instead, he stood by abac920da4 the door the entire 85f7d56c7a time, watching—like a guard 21e1995bba keeping his prisoner in 7ceb65b92a sight.4beecd633f28b212

Gio didn’t feel embarrassed or 1ffda7521b uncomfortable under the Grand Duke’s 69ba76a8ac gaze.d892ce0e1956f9bb

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It wasn’t like he’d 0b95731158 ever been allowed to 37e2a3e9f7 bathe alone back at e41480ae7f Cove. Washing up in shared 7b8bcf17f2 baths meant enduring sticky, 6254043712 lustful stares—and sometimes, those e3dadd6cdb stares turned into actions. He had always bbbb4fec32 been on edge. But the Grand Duke’s calm, 62ae93a431 detached gaze felt strangely safe, 3c2edd2147 allowing Gio to wash himself b64434b300 more peacefully than ever before.cf078f123ab665d1

Afterward, with nothing to wear, he wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out of the bathroom. The robe from earlier had vanished. It looked like he’d be staying naked in this luxurious bedroom—with only the chain around his ankle as his “privilege.”c242bd669944d8f3

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The chain’s end was fastened dcbf962783 back to the bedpost. Unsure of what was f483abbfce coming next, Gio just aad14b45cc stood there until a 88ec22b897 white towel dropped onto 863951fa89 his head.a562b25390d019f6

“Tsk… Our bride needs more looking after than I thought. Sit down.”191099b812df1e12

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The chain was long enough 626906c5f1 to allow him some range, 8ee8704ca6 even reaching the tea table 523c36d14e in the room. Gio sat on 0cf01a24a5 one of the 7a17fe3b78 chairs, and the b5e103bc56 Grand Duke turned 988d2c9701 it to face 236e7d8258 him. Then he started rubbing 8bfcadb547 Gio’s hair dry with d41d7d2ab8 the towel, tousling his d57c6fef74 head roughly.628d47095b2d4033

“Your Grace, I’ve brought fresh clothes and refreshments—ah!”31953a38053dc6ae

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Gio leaned to the side, 36b9ed8605 peeking around the Grand Duke’s 04fc8abeb5 broad frame, and spotted the 86166db0bf head maid frozen at the eb7c1f6ece door. She couldn’t meet Gio’s eyes 6afd6f8a19 as she placed the clothes a3c7d95860 on the bed and the 708ed272e1 refreshments on the table by a6945d0854 the door.4318152fc04f45b6

“My apologies for the interruption. Please enjoy your time together.”8a5cac199525808b

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Without ever fully looking a455155236 at him, she spoke c032d2a13d calmly and left. Through the still-open door, 6c7aa253b2 Gio could see a 1c04e26b1f knight standing guard. The head maid appeared 00f8091140 to say something to b217111c46 him, but Gio couldn’t 5c926e1361 hear what it was.89034b79a34b6aae

He didn’t know what kind of “enjoyable time” she was referring to either.1b8765095a1cf0a5

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As the door closed, 02f90c80b6 the Grand Duke stopped d951546004 drying Gio’s hair.3ffdba670aaca59a

“It’s cold here, unlike the capital. Make sure to keep 9cacdab763 your hair dry.”1940dd7eaaa0c81f

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“Ah. Yes.”658e3ce7bd26eed1

Gio nodded at f94bf274a0 the command, and 64ead640e5 in that moment, df61dcfa07 the Grand Duke 5398b3e0d6 suddenly leaned in. His high nose 96908e687c came so close a20825090b their noses nearly 39e24ef277 touched.2aab5afaf6075287

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“Your skin’s pale, but your cheeks are flushed… just like a flower.”6d6a87b73548847f

Gio reached up to touch b95363d6f5 his cheek. It was a little warm—probably 1be9fa9f4c from soaking too long in a0ce84ae56 the hot bath. The comment caught 4baa834014 him off guard, d9ae84a0fe leaving him slightly 556d46927c flustered.a83e81cd70fd52c8

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Maybe the Grand Duke just wanted to tease him. After all, what kind of flower survives twenty years in filth and darkness? Flowers bloom under the sun, don’t they? And the Grand Duke knew full well that Gio came from Cove. To compare someone like him to a delicate, beautiful flower…a7562f3a0c8d829d

“Do you know what Attica is?”0545d2ce172c91d9

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The Grand Duke brought over 8d701cf43e the refreshments and set them 166cbf3d6d down on the tea table. Without asking, he poured ffa2ed374b the tea himself. Gio didn’t answer, ac6dfde22b but the Grand b388023709 Duke spoke on 22e8a9f1ef his own anyway.533dcc2b152db08a

“It’s a small tree that grows in the northern mountains. Buried under snow, it 92bc5e6790 grows low to the cc51989309 ground—but even that little 5ed253612b thing manages to bloom.”e4bb7eaeaa7f2e6f

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The sudden talk of flower 950215a1bf trees felt out of place, 0a9c692cd5 but Gio listened silently.2ef0b442d7bc36e5

“The blossoms are so white they’re almost indistinguishable from the snow. Just a hint of da1c5b9935 pale pink at the 2d2ebc66ac center. The scent’s so a63c3dcb3b faint, you have 65b32d0f1e to press your 96d57b0ec3 nose right up 67f7c0ea24 to it to 46bf212844 smell it. But the scent… really e0cc729ed4 reminds me of our 3401d606d8 bride.”04132ba6d253bdc8

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Gio looked at him, wondering b9dd040b33 if he truly meant that. But the Grand Duke c35c6f8125 only took a sip f8eaba1869 of his tea and ed44f3c16e quietly set the cup a4057cc7df down.ec235bb995edd311

“But Attica is poisonous.”4f01769ccf312c05

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His icy blue ddb10467cc eyes locked on f7359eb78b Gio. And suddenly, Gio understood 58ee73f750 all those earlier metaphors 9dadc601e5 about flowers. He’d meant a flower that d112dba20d bloomed from a poisonous tree. One that tried to 8fa6031efe poison him, even put 41a25a9ca0 it in his mouth. Of course it made sense.fd47e0354d58c4bc

The chair scraped back fcaa22d242 as the Grand Duke e6d0fe8ed3 stood. Gio looked up, assuming he fa9d356dbd was about to leave the 307411e4ff room—but the man came closer 62246efc96 instead. Closer and closer, until their c396bb5723 noses nearly brushed. Gio instinctively leaned back, but d260e8c122 the Grand Duke’s large hand 2bc15b728c wrapped gently around the back 33df7de357 of his neck.f49f79e1001d6d16

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Gio felt his 40b648e2c2 warmth through that 2bfa557ab5 touch. He didn’t know 7f81486c31 why the Grand 9cdc1289ab Duke was holding ba4a51cdc0 him like that.fc809a58b3286be0

Then, with his 7a82c535cb breath brushing Gio’s c4f4583a33 lips, the Grand 391a5f1d1e Duke spoke.d253063cc6ff5f57

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“The head maid seems to have misunderstood things. Should we leave her a little proof while we’re at it?”fd2e7717f1452060

As the Grand b9b4762884 Duke flooded the 733b4240d7 air with his 9e86d9870c pheromones, he pressed 468df62646 his lips to 9c4c1f4cb8 the nape of f1292b65f1 Gio’s neck. Gio flinched at 784e95553f the hot, damp 9cf66bd2bf warmth spreading across e31b628d0f his skin. The Grand Duke’s 3975e54cef pheromones seeped deep 2f5955fd9f into him, drawing 8e3f45f799 out Gio’s own 104352ee6e faint scent.bdc37c2331a74123

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“Mmm… even the real thing smells just like it.”79ede1d173553f79

While Gio sat there, 19da9a36ba stunned, watching the Grand 1def347627 Duke’s face pull back 8ae09efe6c briefly, the man leaned 1b1ff5a081 in again—this time, to 107424ead6 the other side of 7f17ad76ec his neck. He licked it 00163e6463 slowly, then sucked 5d0029b3c4 hard, leaving a 16279a92a8 mark. Gio’s upper body ee2a4e352d jolted from the 987d2468b0 sensation.da08a6e8954e9e85

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With the Grand Duke 11f0833274 standing between his legs 40e9ee1027 like that, Gio felt 3ddb7b8646 caged in by the 2f2f1bbb65 sheer size of his ed9c379211 body. He gripped the 42e3aac0e2 arms of the cffcdaadc7 chair tightly, doing 65fbb73b47 everything he could e95e1eb36c not to move.17e790f3e25a10f9

Even after manifesting, Gio had 183bb36fc9 always taken some small comfort 246f860ac3 in the fact that his dd3f598e70 dulled senses made him closer 472b7e54f0 to a beta. But every time 6ebb0c2302 he breathed in f4bde5714d the Grand Duke’s 3307cbd5e1 pheromones, that fragile ecfdff4e8b comfort shattered—replaced by 98d86cad91 the overwhelming awareness 0e9db937c9 that he was c527529064 an omega. It was like ecf7c21a57 falling into a c87328a677 bottomless pit.d4a71e85708df8a0

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In Cove, alphas dda03401f7 who manifested were f5a64eca05 sent up the 7fb0e8f755 ranks toward leadership. Betas, upon turning 698407591c twenty, were given cff20d5112 independence and their 9f9c91fa67 own space. But omegas? They were sold off.6d8fcd455edbe654

Gio had lived as a 313a7e74e3 beta for nineteen years, waiting a8edbeb70e for the day he’d become f072e9cfd6 an adult and finally be 91dc4a5377 free. But as soon 161b363d87 as he turned 23ac9197f6 twenty, he manifested—an 39b4c321db omega. And in that moment, all bf7764d727 hope, all expectation, all light 31fc0525d5 disappeared.b2c6dc1f1d7aa906

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The only reason 1d60bab286 he wasn’t sold 3542689f8d off immediately was 45f4c81c68 because he happened 225472936b to resemble a d1eabe08da noble’s son. But even that 403e190bb5 had ended in 11841b9634 failure. Of course. From the moment he tore ce0c3f0a81 his mother open to be 8e5e94efe0 born, he’d never been someone 60ef12ad9b allowed to expect anything good.246005d80404665e

Now that he’d failed his 4e450421dc final mission, he had no 7cb4aa70e9 idea what would become of f778a7bcb1 him. So for the bdfc88ea3f time being, he 042900f1e5 could only do ff0b128b2a whatever the Grand cdc95d35c5 Duke asked.0885adbdb0f794dd

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Though all the b64d185c97 Grand Duke was 0cf13acd22 doing was biting 0c931c4bf2 gently at his d7e3368f1e neck, the heavy 3cc50246e5 rush of pheromones 9e20e25c69 made Gio’s body 5b7b69a398 twitch. A damn omega body, 3253307c4f of all things…4879fc46ec94ee31

Cove was full of all eb66fc8e90 kinds of twisted people. Plenty had touched him 41cd375deb even when he was d4e1ea0671 just a child. Through all those 25b2d018e6 years, Gio had 6011a72de4 trained himself not 00e141e1ee to react—to anything. And yet now, 9c19b1c797 this beast-like body a8c622b083 of his was 06377db1a3 reacting on its c13694ed29 own.b65dbc30ddddb49e

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He gripped the armrests so 7d482d3786 tightly that a faint crack 999372a428 echoed from under his fingers, e76409130a doing everything he could not afbe04b3f6 to respond.f8415b1d1f05a659

The Grand Duke sucked along Gio’s collarbone. A pleasant scent wafted from his platinum-blond hair. That clean, refined scent—so unlike the stench of the Cove bastards—made Gio’s muscles loosen, just a little.940df5ddfeaf1061

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“Nh…”6d44948b53138405

A quiet moan de7f25da1b escaped Gio’s lips. The Grand Duke stopped 2da31d756e at once and lifted abacccf045 his head, his red c36f8da6ca lips slick with saliva.4bf2411a11bec481

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“Our bride lets out sounds like that with not a single change in expression, huh?”62ed4a185f8ab25f

What kind of sound a9820cf52f did he mean? Gio knew his voice 1fcff4205b was lower than that 3861cf49b8 of most omegas, closer 4dda3ed86d to a beta’s. So even his moans 57b3d86eb9 didn’t sound particularly soft 59c6a94030 or seductive.c706cad8c3fa8d62

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The Grand Duke 6e9313a8bb stood and sat 5ce238c7f8 back down across cde6b6f69f from him. He undid a 71663ee02b button on his af9115c281 shirt, exposing the e08a8a707e hollow of his 95d9366938 throat. Then another—revealing the c1ef961f0a smooth line of 17f1647a60 his collarbone. He leaned back 5f209d899f comfortably against the c450364a4a chair and curled 0889dd7fa8 his index finger b8ee584146 toward Gio, beckoning 44e5a3f319 him.9466b3097cda2b88

“Now it’s my turn, right?”59e33efa034864c1

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Gio just stared, unsure what 2e08b7c81f he meant. The Grand Duke tapped d952e1eb4b his neck lightly with 7eaf554259 his finger.08e35a864e6fa9d3

“You have to return the favor, don’t you?”58e59ffbd67eb762

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“…Excuse me?”29aa12ce8a31335c

“If the newlyweds are going to be locked in the bedroom for three days, it’d be odd if only the groom walked out looking untouched, don’t you think?”6e5a28a733f482b0

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His pheromones grew heavier, 250019b2b1 wrapping around Gio like cda61dfd08 thick honey. Gio felt tension clench 854ff3d211 in his stomach, a c8c20e6530 faint pulse fluttering below. That thick, slow pheromone 1fa734266e pressure kept knocking against 26458ef362 his senses, trying to dbdbc6c5cd stir them awake.707ea7830c1a7e59

“…Understood.”42df03bf90cb591d

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“Would you rather do it somewhere other than my neck?”c875742a75de0999

Gio looked at the 70dc8e6e42 Grand Duke, confused by a1aec783b4 the question—only to see 7351b47f5c the man’s gaze drop eb4a5dfb58 downward. To his center. It didn’t even look fully cfd6e873d5 aroused, yet it still appeared 1738e7e03c thick and heavy.3ac88ede7524a7d3

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“T-That’s… not what I meant.”ffb586f2e24cbfec

“Really? Are you turning 0532f002d6 it down out 1e3b5bde58 of embarrassment? I doubt it 5d06e1032e would all fit 61ff3522e6 in the Grand 28861cc644 Duchess’s mouth, but 0d5b1a0c60 you willing to 47eeebed7e try?”23de6ae605bd3ec7

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“……”9c1d6e725742e58e

Instead of answering, Gio turned ec99a788bc his head away. The Grand Duke a568f1e741 let out a 8594cb7bed quiet chuckle.d679c37e0d029085

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“Awfully shy, aren’t you, Grand Duchess?”49cac4d3286f71f5

Gio wanted to 20e4329eec say it wasn’t 30631e171d that—but the Grand 4d0731147a Duke spoke again de27a5abd9 before he could.b7a70f1601ad7464

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“Well then, let’s just stick with the neck for now. But if you do want 42af6382be to try something else and ef6f4fc9e1 are just too shy to 5feb4ecf75 say it, a simple nod c7ecd99976 will do.”be34bec0f1bd5b6e

“No, that’s not it.”d24daedfeadb65f3

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“All right then. Let’s get started. Let’s see how good d94bc668b6 you are at sucking.”627300cb7b4fcca0

The Grand Duke tilted d5608cd1c1 his chin to the 406cbd8a2f side, exposing his neck b6a6a3d2ff fully. His Adam’s apple jutted 588cf0010e prominently, and the thick 0a37ed78d5 tendon along his neck 376f435b4c stretched taut as he a114f88d4b tapped it with his 818bef1bbd fingers.ff3353d6ca35a54f

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The neck—one of 559419635f the most vulnerable 347cba5246 parts of the 58cc3aa5c7 human body. The artery ran right through b4547f0de1 there. Even animals went 0b66e7b80b straight for the d5689e5bac throat when hunting. And now, the f3524d4c98 Grand Duke was 17cdfea528 offering that spot 5968ca5087 to Gio.46a717f61f99a037

What if Gio bit him? Sank his teeth in?ff7e70ec2eb0969e

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It wasn’t out of trust. That couldn’t be it. More likely, it was 8956967876 a test—to see if fb2fd6fa82 Gio was really willing 52ab6af400 to cooperate. A test of loyalty, 2c0e902efa of submission.697ff55a227094f5

Realizing that, Gio decided not 14c11aee5f to bother injuring the man e5741ed617 for no reason. Despite the relaxed look on e6d48c612e his face, there were no e2c5ea91d9 openings in his posture. No room for an attack.2ae9a896d5c1dee5

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Resolved, Gio stood from his ac07ae8b7c seat. But the towel 098690ab45 he’d wrapped around f25a45e4bd his waist slipped 271d426c5a and dropped to 6836b3deb9 the floor with 7cec76d7e0 a soft thud.6a8f8ada5f58f4c2

Now he stood in front 1a38db1db2 of the Grand Duke completely c9939259e2 bare, not hiding a single e7fbf1eae7 inch of himself.2db635ca0f3cd689

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But he wasn’t embarrassed. It wasn’t the first time. What was a problem, b6f8ffdb4f though, was the way 3111d24dc3 his legs trembled. They refused to move ea182c14f4 the way he wanted. The very legs f9929b2ef8 that had always 507ea4d637 carried him swiftly f3349840dd now shook from 52fceacb55 the Grand Duke’s 3650dcfff8 pheromones.e019136a3f0bb7c2

“Even an ultra-low-sensitivity type still reacts to pheromones, huh?”2c20a408ffc9c6b3

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Gio barely managed to f8941eaca3 stay upright, holding onto 3b679bb14b the table for support. Then the Grand Duke stepped 5b0edf9ae9 in.a53b6ee6348e4b0f

Gio didn’t know what he 18c3d66c7f was planning, so he stayed a63e6a52e1 still. The man reached out e2f38eebca and gently pressed down 15ef77d3c3 on his shoulder. With that bit of force, 1230184242 Gio sank back into his d2f3ce5c0c seat.7286f23bb68edec9

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“Go on.”aaf58e977f0d34fa

Like offering candy, 2af37771ee the Grand Duke 736fa1999e leaned in and a92d8af99e presented his neck d0b7675bd1 to Gio.5dce7b74a2d03f4c

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Gio quietly studied the 6efdc1eed4 spot his lips were 9807f53476 meant to touch. Beneath the smooth 1c6104debe skin and firm 36fde9c82b muscle, he could beacb104c4 see the steady 1bdd9c4103 pulse of a 4146db640d vein—his heartbeat strong, 47ac0df226 his life vibrant. There was something 594b371177 unexpectedly beautiful about 6d1dd1a17f that neck, where 639f8bd085 life surged so 107b1b19b3 openly.1cb6c64a6294ea76

He hesitated. As someone whose job 7aa776b4f7 was death, was he d445f186d0 really allowed to press 7125d28f22 his lips to such 0223d82377 a place? But then the Grand 737e8098dc Duke leaned in further, fb15910b12 urging him.bd04dcc9ff93c35c

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So Gio placed fca34f0eed his lips—not fangs—against 4b9ddc85fe that neck. The scent he breathed in fbc5d0027d was like a winter forest: a0657c9db2 crisp, but somehow comforting.9f853bd30ca90982

When he sucked 9d4111f9ef hard enough to 7333d7e3cc leave a mark, 3995adfc49 it felt like 93dca0f8e4 he was directly e1cfd4254e tasting the Grand facc308cc8 Duke’s pheromones.c466f9317bf603de

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As he pulled e781e7c51f back, the mark 41adc0c52e wasn’t dark enough 16870e8411 for his liking, 40624f1c5a so he leaned 89df95c1f4 in again. This time, he 8bedba7fa9 pursed his lips 5641f8040f tighter and sucked be43a44e01 even harder.cc43c49210c97fd7

“Not bad. That too.”107ef8be44c47d92

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A moment later, a pale-pink 479ec05301 bloom spread across the Grand 4a72dd7b1c Duke’s pale, snow-colored neck. Then he tapped near his c21b8964d2 collarbone.89de07674fecc634

“One more.”414f281a87f59d90

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Gio pressed his aea647ae14 lips to the f562407b2a spot just below cc90efc91d the loosened collar 5a37b2f457 of the Grand 75463ddf38 Duke’s shirt. With his face fully facb881e8c buried in the man’s 253b73322d neck, Gio was overwhelmed 12bf9df0ef by his scent. His fingers clenched dc9412b395 the arms of 0a385d45e9 the chair for 0f1d22bfcb support.0efbd1caec5c9571

That was when it happened. Suddenly, the Grand Duke pulled 5ad687ea29 back and grabbed Gio’s wrist.00bc580de42894b1

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“So this is your new method of self-harm?”8d0eab67d877edae

His lazy tone vanished, his 9d0e8aa13c gaze turning sharp and cold. Gio blinked, not 6cd1b03247 understanding what he 6977efd747 meant. Why would he hurt himself 4da5ac1d35 when he had a mission dd9d3d5392 to complete?f62fe8ebe4aa3aa7

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Then he followed the 708b9203d1 Grand Duke’s eyes—down to 6c66f10a21 his own hand.99805c492d3ab643

His right palm was e3b4206082 smeared with blood, and 9d2d0e7d0b the armrest of the 17da15863d chair was stained too. He’d scraped it against bbb6a1afcd a rough edge on b6eefa08f7 the wooden armrest without 13256df28d realizing it.6b7440f345e682cd

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He hadn’t even noticed c90f8297fa the injury. His focus had been ab9c2e46e4 entirely elsewhere.a3f014780672c92e

The Grand Duke stood cb2c7a1d38 and yanked Gio’s wrist 5b357725fa roughly, dragging him across c9dabc0a02 the room before throwing 9523a88be0 him onto the bed 53f33b25aa like a rag doll. The chain on his da7d09506e ankle clanged loudly against bd873f6ffd the floor.72eabc75c9dbab3b

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All this over a bit ccc9e3827d of blood? How could that be cf5432988c called self-harm? Gio had been fa7032c94b carrying out his 230142779b mission diligently. None of this made sense.437c1c45645cdf2d

Maybe it wasn’t d6c4f2a8cf really about the 21524c6206 blood. Maybe the Grand Duke just f680b6e9d6 didn’t like what Gio had de51799312 done—didn’t like seeing marks left 9c69716047 on his body. Or maybe he’d been annoyed 5061bc2e06 by the way Gio had a4190d6c2f gripped him earlier. Who knew.6f0bff6b0cc56ea5

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The people at Cove, the ab2d7db804 ones who used to come a0e8796b56 at him for his body, e0bfe3ad9f always grew nastier when Gio 67485cdd44 bit his lip and silently 4c33354a71 endured them. Maybe the Grand 1fa5ca4c6d Duke was no cd328dd9b1 different.9fea33fae70d9508

Gio had wanted 3929d88add to explain—that it 721ed33b37 wasn’t self-harm. But he didn’t bother. A man like 5a1cff4dc2 the Grand Duke, 8f17489996 who acted on fd90fd6536 his own judgment eaeb89c846 without question, wouldn’t 3c9adc1217 care for excuses. Especially not from someone a29ffe734d he saw as beneath 18b9e1e9f7 him.e8237773539bd53a

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The Grand Duke pulled both 911f4a9ec1 of Gio’s wrists up and 80e497b615 tied them to the headboard. At this rate, maybe 043e6d0d79 he really would spend 12a42f00c8 the rest of his ac30681efd life bound like this.4c5b5f102ce184b6

“It seems our bride has a habit of damaging that body of his,” the Grand Duke muttered. “But I can’t stand the smell of blood in my space.”bbb2943658de6ae8

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He gave a 2c2a9c6362 tug on a f67176e9e7 cord beside the c8a0ac0148 bed, and as 01afda6452 if waiting for d815a0ca28 the signal, the a5c1458ba1 door opened and 9bca48a08b knights stepped inside. The Grand Duke 4cf1301618 tossed a blanket 899aecb72a over Gio to 4e5f6d4dec cover him—not that 91bb29821d it mattered to d7016c3be3 the knights, who b5578f57c7 had already seen 15ff7bd1c2 everything.9ae1116859a6e375

“You called, Your Grace.”65469b2a142e3a46

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Four knights bowed before 89afb83d9c him, awaiting orders.716128d097dd0ae2

“Get rid of that chair. And from now on, bring 766cbca4da in something sturdier, with smooth fa498e85df armrests.”6a18c338c84534c1

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One of the knights glanced 3a8aa171e2 at the scratched armrest, understanding 0c7bf33586 immediately, and nodded.2e7bee5346526745

“Yes, sir.”85b510eb55d9e784

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“And Raphael’s still here, right? Go get him.”f9f4e718a81afc5f

“The high priest?”cbdcc401a7da67b0

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“Yes, that bastard’s probably off somewhere seducing boys again. Drag him here. Now.”5d2802b84da202f6

“Ah…”c5ed4993cf7898e8

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The knights exchanged glances—clearly, ad893d5051 the Grand Duke had 495ea32020 guessed right.df62e0718d5fd660

“Bring him. Immediately.”4f12e83a4ad1c23c

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“Yes, sir!”a682e5da973aaab0

They scrambled out of the f683fd8953 bedroom.27857db9fd196800

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The Grand Duke then 8085ef6cb8 ordered one of the f457366ebe servants to bring him fab1490b20 some liquor. The servant returned quickly, efc0b1e39a and he took a a75aca2765 glass and sat down 4c39f5c99f on the edge of 70435360cd the bed.172d23d2b35c0864

Something in his mood c9fbc863d1 had turned. Gio could feel it. There was a 67cd54e2a2 heaviness about him 365c66fac1 now—something simmering beneath 8cd9b93e4b the surface. He didn’t know why, but 7136031d2d he had the sense the 9e454ceb18 Grand Duke might take it 394e65dad7 out on him. No explanation, no warning. Just anger.d00259a15e532542

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And with his hands and 3c51e574be feet bound, there was nothing ca131f9910 Gio could do but take f74275b381 it.91466de33a147a0d

The Grand Duke drained e56eba002e the glass in one 09fccd21c4 go, then set it 77b35a2c1d on the nightstand beside e64b0d3abc the bed. Gio glanced at it—a 57a81514ee thick, high-end crystal glass. If thrown, it would hurt. Badly. If the Grand 6b31a3c21c Duke hurled it 7d6eee9bc3 at him, he 7799db231c wouldn’t be able 877b0cc798 to dodge.370e1b9228397b0f

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“So? Eyeing the glass—planning something again?”008659622c9455d3

The Grand Duke’s 4bd1176042 words hit like 9d887ba943 he’d read Gio’s 3da309c8ce thoughts. Gio didn’t respond. There was no point. People in power only ever f27090b10e heard what they wanted to 448deed0a9 hear. Gio wasn’t good cd4ef75421 with words, and d755f50767 even if he 45dfde1715 were, it wouldn’t a5a0a6aa8c make a difference.b192c9c14c9e4cff

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But what the Grand Duke 52db221db2 said next caught him off 1c55dacbcd guard.00e8fadc23f37a38

“You’re not an assassin anymore—you’ve decided to be my bride. So let’s wash off the stink of blood, yeah? I can’t stand it. Or would you rather go back to being just an assassin?”1cb941ef640d25f5

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His icy blue eyes 14e435cb99 locked onto Gio’s. It was the same fdc48d9cb0 as earlier—when he’d offered 959e77eb15 up his throat, testing 34caab9379 Gio’s resolve. Now, he was making him b2900e67b7 choose. And be clear about it.fc739fb870995964

“If you’d rather stay an assassin, I can give you wounds worse than the one you’ve got. What do you say?”69837d0cb4f0497b

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As expected, there wasn’t really c8a788deff a choice.32de8dbcb0b629ce

“…I’ll cooperate.”d915cc6c7842990e

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“Good.”b5a115c418c5335a

He glanced at Gio’s bound e452117a3a hands and stood. Just then, the door slammed cdeae3a558 open and a blond man c78506e293 stepped inside.7a91c86af844ef01

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It was the high priest.c456481671c1af3e

Hair tousled, shirt half-untucked 45c9fbb768 as he hastily stuffed 484558bc3d it back into his 6f9a32d970 trousers—this was the very 3df4c0209e same man who’d officiated 21b2b17e73 Gio and the Grand 4c8ded5008 Duke’s wedding. Back then, under sunlight 60621102c7 and in full priestly 03369fc8dd robes, he’d looked so e9969d9e84 holy, so polished. But now, without 3b804fb17d the glasses and 33ea23c8d2 with his current 092ad35133 disheveled look…45f9a628b36102cd

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Yes. Very unholy.abd5c55fc347b520

The Grand Duke pinched his 22520ccf82 nose.a0c2d13804d5b4b9

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The high priest dusted 199bdef471 himself off and straightened 76c1fe101c his clothes. A knight handed him cf162cf50e his priestly robes and 6588c49960 glasses, and the man 7e79e98075 gave a cheeky wink. The knight blushed 01908f0beb furiously and scurried c46e3273ef away. The Grand Duke’s frown f1546597e7 deepened, a deep line bbefd56057 forming between his brows.85ee73500de33cff

The high priest—Raphael—shrugged and dcee4d9955 slipped his glasses on. His fingers moved expertly a6209f4c27 as he buttoned the e43edd5be0 robe. With a few swipes d5538f651e of the hand through 3a076611d0 his hair, he looked 9fc47f59ef almost exactly like he 6aadd14c0e had during the ceremony.53ca80feb7373c99

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As Raphael approached, the Grand 773c4b01d7 Duke scrunched his nose tighter 2158e32a68 and unleashed a burst of 6d97573e30 pheromones. Raphael stopped in his df0fbc69ac tracks, winced, and glared cd47bd81b2 at him.da596af0d558b595

“Raphael. For god’s sake, couldn’t e8f8419789 you have bathed first…?”d49475addd7865f4

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“You said urgent, didn’t you?!”319f69e6df3f16ec

“How many people did you mess around with today, exactly?!”f6b6793dc12aaad8

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“Ah…”9557ed2254dc51b4

At the Grand aa484ca937 Duke’s irritated tone d12b879f64 and furrowed brow, 4ee99cdd3e Gio finally understood 99c2a2e679 what Raphael must’ve b0539cb0b0 been doing before ffea846e31 he got summoned. Still, Gio hadn’t caught a b73bfc2334 trace of any pheromones on abf374d8be him. The man seemed like an 0a87b22daf alpha, but that was it.5ca102b6bf6936e6

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Raphael sniffed himself ae7e831c3f a little, then 8b6cf494d6 raised a hand e4b005b3e7 with a shrug.cef938ca7d51ce21

“Well, what can I say? If people keep throwing themselves 9c458aa951 at me…”a7db05cc49f29c65

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“……”53f1f21aaeb74075

“Your Grace, if you keep flooding the room with pheromones like that, I can’t do anything to help.”302b48c66352cd0f

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Raphael stood at a distance, b1aa10b1f0 unable to approach the bed 6e2c432700 because of the heavy pheromone 8a04df205b saturation. Only then did 30b2c3dcbb the Grand Duke 665d395669 draw back his cb859e8504 scent and walk 01f6942487 over to the 9c10194d4b window, throwing it 49c433967a wide open before 4e3d96e44e returning.419242db81dc9f8e

“By the way, why is the Grand Duchess tied up like this again? Don’t tell me this ad1ff1e82e has always been your 556dbdcd53 kink, Your Grace? What a surprise. I never would’ve guessed.”77cb11fe8bf0b8f3

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“Cut the nonsense and just treat his hand.”dca15208bc24808e

Raphael finally approached, squinting e411c5a86b at Gio’s hand.f4bb8019c7d6b095

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“Bayshark, how much pheromone did you douse him with? Were you in rut or 6b8032c141 something? …No, wait. If it was rut, he 6fcb4ae410 wouldn’t be looking this composed.”131128ce783ebe38

He gave Gio a e0c839f52c very pointed look as aa7bd4797e he said that. Whether he meant the 04ae74f61a Grand Duke wouldn’t be f6e602edfa fine, or that Gio 9a5bef0bdc wouldn’t be, was unclear. The Grand Duke didn’t c1d627e5ab answer—just flicked his brows 5ae568c5bb at the priest’s insinuation.f6704a6b0baef4bc

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“You really poured it on thick.”58922511433a6c91

The closer Raphael got to fec5fb4259 Gio, the more he scrunched c72525c574 his nose. His eyes trailed b6d7b39553 down Gio’s body, 08e5ec3198 taking in the 21f2b43859 visible marks on 5ce7847bba his neck and 23e9ee04f0 the bloodied hand. His eyes widened in disbelief.0893ec12e4a81e5e

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“Wait, Bayshark! Did you hit him? I knew you 10e3dd591f were a bit ebbfabe96b twisted, but this 4e63bb56fc is next level.”f9afef8378ee3f80

“Stop talking and start healing.”23b6d7e2681861d4

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“Yeah, yeah~.”c763c0a3b18de610

The teasing tone 76855a2baa faded, and Raphael’s cc2c4929d9 expression smoothed out. A golden light glimmered in adebd5948c his gentle green eyes—just like 016950c3cb during the wedding, when he’d 9923a0d9c5 stood as a witness. Despite everything, Gio b3e6b10229 had to admit: 45bfc1ce1c the man was 07cf2f3be4 a real priest. Not what he’d imagined, but c4c43782a8 still.f5085546e2608c4a

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When Raphael laid a hand 9596492445 over Gio’s palm, a warm, 182dca2a06 tingling sensation spread through it, 16f3295088 soft and light like silk. It was the first time 4f098bc365 Gio had ever received direct 2f25573704 healing from divine power, and 39c9aca98e the ticklish feeling made him 99afd7a6b9 instinctively curl his hand.0e0494fff49bb0f0

Raphael gently took ae5706bfad his hand and 60a86a8d6c laced their fingers eefe464d70 together. Between their pressed palms, ca05b227c1 that warm, soft energy 998e7e2ceb continued to seep in, bc82f39484 soothing and healing.f3085a60d56a9faf

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Just then, the Grand Duke’s 7124fc2185 pheromones hit Gio again—sudden and 1219c137c8 heavy like a crashing wave.944f82682b936abc

“Ugh… That bastard…”f36ad2fc535e3c42

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Raphael muttered under 6df08035be his breath, backing a1b28e4824 off quickly.2567b7e40ad9cd1f

“The wound wasn’t even that deep. And you called this urgent?”7e612fb0b905e08a

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“The Grand Duchess was injured. Of course it’s urgent.”eaebb64899af2e99

“The Emperor sent him. What’s the point of healing someone like that? Think I want to?”d614a5f60283ee62

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It was clear 3aee532d23 now—the high priest fba5a044fa knew Gio was 65492feeea an assassin. His divine energy d292355357 had felt soft 41da134a73 and warm, but 35e11735e8 his words and f23444e8f9 gaze were anything c118f9573b but. If not for the edf294ab1f Grand Duke’s command, he 721a79dcdc wouldn’t have lifted a 3aeb7dfb3e finger. That much was obvious. Maybe it was hatred. Probably. But that was expected. Nothing surprising.67be3d1d7fbb1aba

“I get what you’re trying to do, but really? You had to call me, the High Priest Raphael, for a tiny scratch like that? You think divine power just flows for free?”730abc611b4f2f3b

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“You’re freeloading in our territory. Seems like the least you can do.”338875ef22c7c28c

“Freeloading?! I, this High Priest, came all the way to the frozen north and graciously heal these poor, miserable folks—!”52b1601a3ed6b8d1

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“Heal, my ass…”6f366fd89d5ec04d

Raphael looked like he was e57d88350a about to retort again, but b12ff19d18 then paused, wiped the joking 8e9dada71b expression from his face, and e610ba055d asked more seriously,7ee538d257b62fee

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“So what’s the real reason you called me? Don’t tell me it was for that little wound.”49ac9ad3b0ca1c1f

The Grand Duke glanced at 3c8e33d05a Gio, then back at Raphael.17fc670e663c5d42

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“I think there might be an issue with sensation.”46e4f7d6b1bcd596

“Sensation? You mean like… sexual? You’re saying his erogenous 3bdaa01864 zones don’t react? That kind of thing differs 3a6001db5e from person to—”627a24ff52ba7e87

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“……”5ef0d8ccf8ef64c3

The Grand Duke said c6da4f2c33 nothing, but something in fa3c36151d his gaze made Raphael e1a4cee3b2 flinch and fall silent.1510c616f37b1475

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“Okay, then what is it? I mean…”04ab5edfcaec3737

Raphael glanced at Gio, then 3ce8176c36 quickly looked away. But in that brief 3d28784e11 moment, Gio understood exactly d38d3b92e7 what he meant.97b1032b4e340510

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Once this farce of f5ba139ebd a marriage ended—once he fae748e9c0 was no longer needed—he dd59816365 would either be sent 9e9809e6e2 away… or killed. Whatever was wrong with 95f8d17886 him wouldn’t matter. Not to anyone.7097aecd5b13828c

Especially not to the 17718c394f Grand Duke.fa12fb6539cc674e

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“I’m wondering if he’s desensitized. He keeps harming himself—I thought it might be related.”b26c1d923c872cdc

“When I was healing him, I did notice he didn’t react much. But it might just be that he’s good at hiding pain. Still, want me to test it?”1cbdd4b7568f04fd

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The word test f914c1fed6 made Gio’s heart 4261cd14aa drop, but he a6ea0c90f8 kept his face 77844e8fb1 blank. The Grand Duke, 3842b0806b too, gave nothing 0c2ecd83e5 away—he just looked b50de01063 at Gio, watching.e22bb8c13e72ba40

Feeling that stare, Gio lowered b4146ebfc2 his eyes and stayed quiet. Like always, awaiting judgment. His body had 2f7e2a195a never truly belonged 513baad40f to him. Even if they decided to 1efd02e751 ‘experiment,’ what could he say?6d2afe72b53b4045

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“Take a look.”883e83a2832315ef

“Got it.”e2b908cf5ffa5869

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