In My Bed, Not by Choice

Eren tore open the envelope and checked its contents.
Inside was a transaction proposal, likely newly written and sent by Arnold, along with a small letter.
Eren took out only the letter and unfolded it.
As if revealing his character, a brief phrase written in a refined handwriting caught his eye.

[How about a cup of tea with me next Wednesday?

I will provide my home address, so please visit between 1 and 3 PM.

-Arnold Harrison]

At the bottom of the letter, Arnold’s home address was written.
Kazen had clearly told him not to meet with him, but Eren hadn’t expected him to send a letter directly like this.

He couldn’t disobey Kazen’s words, so he naturally intended to refuse.
Still, out of courtesy, he had to send a reply.
He took out a fresh sheet of paper to write the letter, when suddenly a throbbing pain shot through his temple, and a headache washed over him.

“Ah, my head hurts again.”

He didn’t even have the energy to go to bed, so he just buried his head on the desk and lay propped over it.
Pressing his forehead against the cool wooden surface seemed to ease the headache a little.
The feeling wasn’t so bad, so Eren remained lying there quietly.

Then, at some point, he heard familiar footsteps.
Judging by the wide stride, it was clearly a very tall person.

‘Is it His Grace?’

He thought Kazen was just passing by the corridor, but he felt the steps gradually getting closer.
Then, without a knock, the sound of the door swinging open was heard.
He wanted to sit up and check, but Kazen’s cold voice made him freeze instantly.

“I’m sure I told you not to work.
My words don’t seem to mean much to you.”

Tsk. Along with the click of a tongue, he heard Kazen’s footsteps approaching.
Kazen came to a halt right next to him and muttered quietly.

“…Is he asleep?”

He was actually awake, but it seemed awkward to sit up straight now, so Eren just held his breath and remained still.

He thought Kazen would leave the study quickly upon confirming Eren was asleep, but strangely, he just stood there silently, making no sound.

‘Is he angry?
Is he waiting for me to wake up so he can scold me?’

Thinking he couldn’t keep deceiving Kazen like this, just as Eren was about to straighten his back, he heard a rustling sound above his head.
It seemed he had picked up the letter sent by Arnold.

If Kazen saw that letter, he might misunderstand that Eren intended to continue meeting with Arnold. A belated sense of ‘oh no’ hit him.
He should have hidden it immediately upon seeing the contents.

He felt he should pretend to wake up now and explain.
He had been just about to send a reply saying he wouldn’t meet, anyway.

But the moment he made that resolution, something touched his shoulder.
Startled, Eren, forgetting he was pretending to sleep, nearly screamed.

“Cooperate with me this time.”

Kazen muttered quietly as he slid his other hand under Eren’s thigh.
Then, his body suddenly lifted into the air.
Eren was so shocked he snapped his closed eyes wide open.

“Y-Your Grace?”

“You’re awake.
Then wrap your arms around my neck.”

Not understanding the meaning, Eren stared blankly up at Kazen, who spoke again with a calm face.

“Wrap your arms around my neck before I drop you on the floor.”

Fearing he might actually hurl him to the ground, Eren did as he was told and wrapped his arms around Kazen’s neck.
The position was akin to embracing him, which made him feel slightly embarrassed.

Undeterred, Kazen moved his steps and headed for Eren’s bedroom, which was right next door.
He opened the door without hesitation and walked toward the bed.

“You’ve been living in a place this tiny?”

Kazen asked as he threw Eren onto the bed as if it were nothing.
Moonlight poured through the large window, ill-fitting for such a cramped room, making his hair glisten.

“Yes, this has always been my room.”

Originally, this was a small storage room attached to the study.
But Kazen had commanded Eren to use this room as a bedroom, meaning for him to work diligently at his desk.

Come to think of it, this was the first time Kazen had visited here.
He looked around the room, which contained a bed, a wardrobe, and a very small washstand, as if seeing it anew, then lightly sat on the edge of the bed where Eren lay.

Eren wanted to explain about Arnold’s letter, which Kazen must have seen, but he hesitated, not knowing how to begin.

“The whole room smells of you.”

Startled by Kazen’s remark, Eren forgot everything he was about to say.

“Do I smell?
I wash myself thoroughly every dawn….”

He instinctively made an excuse first, then belatedly buried his nose in his arm to check for any odor.
Though his clothes were old, he couldn’t detect any particular bad smell.

Surely, he hadn’t been smelling bad all this time and Kazen had just been tolerating it?
The thought made him unbearably ashamed.
He silently resolved to run into town tomorrow and buy some perfume, no matter what.

“You don’t know what kind of smell you have?”

Kazen’s eyes crinkled in amusement at Eren’s reaction.

“I’m not quite sure.
Could you perhaps describe what kind of smell it is?”

If it was a bad odor, he thought he might find a way to correct it, so Eren cautiously asked.

“Hmm, well, what could it be?”

Kazen, seeming lost in thought, abruptly lowered his head and brought his nose to Eren’s shoulder.
Startled by his sudden contact, Eren stiffened up.

“Y-Your Grace…?”

“You, well, you have a smell like blankets dried in the sun.”

Eren, who had been trying to pull back away from the suddenly close body heat, paused.
A smell like blankets dried in the sun was certainly not a bad odor.

“So, it’s not a bad smell then?”

As if trying to confirm, Kazen buried his face in Eren’s shoulder and sniffed.

“At least it’s better than the perfume Harold wears.”

The moment Harold’s name was mentioned from his lips, Eren’s expression hardened.
It felt as if he was being compared to him.
Of course, Harold was incomparably more noble and beautiful a person.

A gloomy feeling washed over him, and he bit his lip slightly, when Kazen suddenly wrapped an arm around Eren’s back.
Startled, Eren reflexively grabbed his shoulder.

“Your Grace, just a moment….”

“Don’t move.”

Hearing Kazen’s trembling breath, Eren could sense it.
His anxiety symptoms were starting again.

When in a quiet, dark room like this, Kazen would often recall memories of that day.
The moment he faced his father’s brutally murdered corpse.
Eren had been by his side that day too, so he remembered it vividly.

“…Eren.”

“Yes, Your Grace.
I am here.”

Responding to Kazen’s call, as if to comfort him, Eren lowered the hand that had been on his shoulder and gently stroked his back.

Looking at him trembling in his arms, an indescribable feeling welled up along with a sense of pity.
But it was dampened by his low, husky voice that followed.

“That day, it should have been me who died, not my father.
Why did you stop me that day?”

“It was for you, Your Grace.
I can do anything for you.”

Kazen sat still for a while, holding Eren in his embrace.
Only after hearing his even breathing did Eren realize he had fallen asleep.

“Your Grace, are you asleep?”

To think Kazen had fallen asleep on this narrow, old bed.

Eren sat there for a moment with a troubled expression, then carefully removed Kazen’s arms that were wrapped around him.
He worried the movement might wake him, but Kazen just collapsed onto the bed and fell into an even deeper sleep.

Eren removed his shoes and lifted both his legs onto the bed.
As he was about to let out a sigh of relief, he suddenly realized the predicament he was in.

‘There’s only this one bed in my room.’

His bed was taken, and now he was troubled over how to solve his sleeping situation.
With all the countless rooms in this vast mansion, why did Kazen have to fall asleep in his tiny bed of all places?

Eren looked at Kazen, deeply asleep with a face more peaceful than usual, and then carefully perched on the edge of the bed.
The old wooden legs let out a faint creak.

The Duke had barged into his bed uninvited, so he didn’t necessarily have to give it up, did he?
This thought suddenly occurring to him, he cautiously removed his shoes and lay down beside Kazen.

It was already cramped, and Kazen’s body was so large that he felt he might get pushed off the bed at any moment.
With no other choice, Eren carefully wrapped an arm around Kazen’s waist to keep from falling off.
Pressing his forehead against Kazen’s chest, he could feel the thumping beat of his heart.