“You have a point. I did get a little too absorbed in playing the villain.”
Jeha, quick to admit his fault, paused in thought before speaking again.
“Then how about this? At first, I, as Marquis Belgarga, was forced to… well, you know. And then, Hereis gradually becomes intoxicated by that… pleasure, and falls into depravity. That kind of setup.”
“What exactly did Marquis Belgarga do to me, and what is this pleasure that intoxicates me?” Hereis asked with a faint smile, even though Jeha had trailed off, too embarrassed to articulate his words. A hint of mischief radiated from him.
‘He’s flirting again.’ Jeha grumbled inwardly. ‘Isn’t this man too free with his charm?’ He was, of course, relieved that Hereis seemed to reserve it just for him. If Hereis were to flirt indiscriminately, the entire continent would surely be in an uproar.
Instead of answering Hereis’s mischievous question, Jeha gently stroked Kkamangi, who had curled up beside him and was sound asleep, snoring softly. After a few strokes of their soft fur, Kkamangi let out a wide yawn, then rolled onto their back, exposing their belly. Soon, a rumbling purr echoed through the carriage.
“Hey, you’re a dragon, for heaven’s sake! What’s with all the cat impressions?”
Jeha grumbled, yet continued to lovingly stroke Kkamangi’s belly. The purring grew even louder. At this rate, Kkamangi would probably still be purring even after transforming back into a demonic dragon.
****
The luxurious carriage glided along the road with barely a jolt or discomfort. With the curtains all drawn, the interior was somewhat dim. A soft ray of sunlight, piercing through the curtains, subtly illuminated Hereis’s silver hair. While stroking Kkamangi with one hand, Jeha’s eyes lingered on Hereis’s beautiful silver locks.
“Do you like my hair?” Hereis asked, sensing Jeha’s undisguised gaze.
“I do. I’ve never seen such pure, lustrous silver hair as yours, Hereis…” Jeha answered honestly.
“I’m glad it pleases you, Jeha-nim. I’m delighted.” Hereis said, idly touching his hair, which was loosely tied back. The slight curve in his eyes truly conveyed his joy. Seeing him so pleased by such a small thing made Jeha’s heart flutter unexpectedly.
Jeha deliberately shifted his gaze to Kkamangi, focusing on stroking their black fur. He didn’t want to appear too smitten. It was one of the ‘rules of romance’ he’d vaguely heard, and also a matter of male pride. After all, humans are fickle creatures; once they consider a fish caught, they stop offering bait, don’t they?
Even as Jeha pretended to concentrate on Kkamangi, Hereis’s gaze never left him. Jeha felt a strange sense of self-consciousness.
“So, what kind of city is Encarosha?” To lighten the mood, Jeha posed a neutral question. Hereis’s eyelids slowly lowered slightly once more. He remained silent for a moment, as if choosing his words, then spoke slowly.
“It is a very opulent… and bustling city.”
A hint of bitterness tinged Hereis’s voice as he described Encarosha as opulent and bustling. Jeha had already glimpsed the ravaged slums of Encarosha where Hereis had been brutalized. Thus, he could vaguely surmise the reason for the bitterness in Hereis’s tone.
“All the world’s most precious and rare treasures gather in Encarosha. It is also a place constantly bustling with devotees from all corners of the Central Continent, who come to offer prayers at the Grand Temple. I don’t know what you’ll think, Jeha-nim, but there will be quite a few things worth seeing. I shall guide you myself.” Hereis said, setting aside his bitterness.
Jeha briefly envisioned himself as Bellarossa, recalling the dimension he’d come from. A bustling city with a grand temple… he supposed it would be something like the Vatican. He’d never been there personally, but he knew the gist of it: a city with the Pope’s palace and a grand cathedral, a religious center always overflowing with tourists.
Of course, what he needed to consider now wasn’t the modern Vatican, but the Vatican of the medieval era. The Vatican that was the center of immense wealth and power.
Jeha wrinkled his nose slightly. His own family was non-religious. Or, if he had to choose, perhaps Confucian? He wasn’t particularly bothered by religion, though. ‘Those who want to believe, believe; those who don’t, don’t’… that sort of attitude. Oh, of course, he held a certain respect for practitioners like priests, nuns, and monks.
However, he also had to remember that this dimension was vastly different from modern society. From what he’d vaguely gathered, there was only one monotheistic God in this Central Continent, and the authority and power of religion were absolute. Again, thinking of the historical, medieval Vatican seemed to be a fitting comparison. And to a modern person, the historical Vatican, while mysterious, didn’t necessarily evoke a positive image.
“Well… at least there’ll be plenty to see, then.” Jeha said dismissively, letting out a short sigh. He had a premonition that his days in Encarosha, entering as the wealthy Marquis Belgarga and Hereis’s lover, would not be entirely peaceful.
“Do you regret it?” Hereis suddenly asked. Jeha, who had been lost in thought, lifted his eyes to meet Hereis’s gaze. His eyes were calm and serene. Looking at him now, it was hard to believe he was the same blood-soaked figure Jeha had first encountered.
“I don’t regret it. I just have a feeling there will be a lot of troublesome things… Hmm… Annoying? Something like that.” Jeha said with a face that clearly indicated his dislike for anything bothersome, and Hereis smiled faintly.
“You cannot possibly know, Jeha-nim, how reassuring it is to have you by my side… how immense and absolute a salvation you are to me.”
‘And you, in turn, can’t possibly know how utterly mortifying your words are to me,’ Jeha muttered inwardly. His skin practically crawled with embarrassment.
“Anyway, a promise is a promise, so feel free to use Marquis Belgarga however you wish. I’ll let myself be used as much as you need.” Jeha said, trying to mask his embarrassment. Hereis then reached out and gently placed his hand over Jeha’s. It was merely a light touch of skin, yet it felt as if electricity coursed through him.
“Please use me as much as you desire, Jeha-nim. I am wholly yours. To be used by you is the greatest joy and pleasure of my life.”
‘Aaaah!’ Jeha screamed internally at the overwhelming mortification. Unable to bear it any longer, he blurted out a remark.
“Always so charming.”
Hereis tilted his head, a look on his face that clearly said he had no idea what Jeha meant. Jeha, half-relieved that Hereis didn’t understand and half-wishing he would curb his blatant flirting, clicked his tongue inwardly.
Unaware of Jeha’s internal turmoil, Hereis’s sapphire eyes deepened. He leaned in slightly, bringing his face closer, and whispered.
“Shouldn’t it be shaking a little by now?”
“…?” Jeha was momentarily confused. ‘What exactly is supposed to be shaking? Is he asking if I should be ‘shaken’ by his flirting by now?’
As Jeha stared blankly, his mind experiencing a brief lag, Hereis spoke more directly.
“Wouldn’t a slightly shaking carriage help solidify our relationship to the outside world?”
“…Ah.” Only then did Jeha understand Hereis’s meaning, letting out a foolish sound. He mentally tore at his hair, exclaiming, ‘Why does this man have to be so confusing with his words?’
“Well… that would be good, but it’s not like we can jump around in this cramped carriage…” Jeha said, trying to hide his flustered expression. Hereis’s gaze, fixed on Jeha, seemed to deepen even further.
“There are many ways to make the carriage shake without jumping. For instance…”
“Fo-for instance…?” Jeha asked nervously, his mind racing. ‘Surely this man isn’t going to try anything lewd right now? Isn’t it a bit too soon for that? Or… no, maybe a little is okay? But would a little make the carriage shake?’
Jeha felt his resolve waver, swayed by Hereis’s beautiful appearance and the aura he exuded. The memory of their deep, long kiss earlier made his lips tingle. Yet, on the other hand, his inner ‘Confucian boy’ was screaming, ‘This is not right!’
“Would you prefer I do it?” Hereis asked, his face still close to Jeha’s.
Jeha felt his face grow hot. ‘Wh-what are you going to do?’
Hereis lifted his free hand, leaving their intertwined hands as they were. For a brief moment, Jeha intensely debated whether to stop him. Just as he was about to blurt out, “Wait, just a moment!”…
*Tap*.
Hereis’s fingertip lightly touched the carriage wall. A pristine white light emanated from his fingertip, seeping into the wall. Soon, the carriage began to creak at a steady rhythm.
*Creak- creak- creak-.*
Jeha, sitting in the creaking carriage, covered his face with his hands and let out a sigh. He felt as though the man before him had thoroughly teased him. Yet, despite that, Hereis’s expression remained utterly clear and innocent.