It was a bit strange now that everyone knew our secret. I still get scads of questions from omegas, especially when I am alone. Like today, I had to listen to a group of omegas going crazy around me. They asked questions so rapid-fire that I didn't even have a chance to answer them. What was the point of asking if you weren't even going to let me talk? Gosh Ronak. Why did you have to have an important meeting today of all days?
Ronak had sent word to the emperor about wanting to discuss things before dinner, and instead of waiting until the weekend to talk, Ronak had been called away for meetings for the day. I was left all alone to suffer the annoyances of others. No fair! None at all!
"Micha. I'm surprised you're not with the archduke." Terra! I excitedly left the flock of omegas that were annoying me and fled to the safety of Terra. Ever since Ronak put her on guard duty last week, she's been firm to make people leave me alone. I loved it. I rushed over to hug Terra, but she pushed me away with a perturbed look. "Whoa there. Too close. You smell like the archduke." I do? Is that why the other omegas didn't get too close either? I noticed that people were giving me a slight berth these days.
I leaned down to smell my clothes, but I didn't feel like it was that strong of an odor… "I'm not wearing any of his clothes right now…"
"You spend so much time together, it's not surprising that you smell like him." Terra folded her arms and gave me a scathing look.
I scratched my chin with one finger while thinking about it. "I guess I have been around him a lot since I moved in with him, but I haven't exactly been in close contact with him since waking up…" Did I smell just because we sleep in the same bed together-
My thoughts were instantly distracted by the omegas hovering around us, going nuts. Gosh! I didn't want to lose my hearing today! Stop it! Terra gave me a dull look, and when it finally settled down enough to hear her, she grumbled, "Keep your bragging to yourself."
"I… wasn't trying to brag…" My face was hot, but it wasn't like Terra didn't already know we shared a bed. She did wake the two of us up a few weeks ago, and she knew that I had to get rid of my dorm. "Ronak's at a meeting with the emperor. Do you want to have lunch with me?"
"Of course." Terra flashed me a smile and grabbed my arm. Huh… having my arm grabbed felt weird since I was getting used to grabbing Ronak's all the time.
As we walked to the dining hall, something caught my eye. "Hey, are bows no longer in fashion?" I thought the girls were going nuts for bows just a few weeks ago, and now they were all gone. It seemed that the girls had all sorts of different styles of hairpins. Granted, I was wearing one of the new ones Ronak bought for me. When he had vendors drop by the estate, I didn't realize he had an accessory one drop by just for him to get me a few things. That brat! He spent way too much money on me!
"Pft! Do you live under a rock?" Terra giggled. "Someone's bond partner started appearing on campus wearing hair accessories that their alpha had given them, and now everyone else wants hair accessories that look similar." They did?
"Someone else on campus has a bond partner?" I tilted my head to the side in surprise. This was news to me.
Terra pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers and scowled at me while the rest of the girls giggled. "No, dummy. You. All the girls are jealous that you have such pretty hair accessories from the archduke. I didn't even know that you liked hair accessories; you usually only wear that black ribbon."
"Ooooh…" They were mimicking me. That's odd… Why? They were special to me, but the hair accessories weren't anything that special. "Ronak purchased me some while on a date, but this one was a gift. He gave it to me over the weekend." It was a bit of an apology gift for burdening me with his feelings. Heh, it was a token of his l-love… "He says they look nice in my hair, so I make a point to have the attendant put one in my hair in the mornings." I forgot to put one in the other day, and felt oddly naked. I even teleported back to the estate to get one.
"I know you're not intentionally bragging, but it sure feels like you're bragging." Terra wagged her finger at me, and I scratched my head. I was bragging? Terra let out a sigh and patted my arm. "It's okay. You'll catch up, you adorable airhead."
"I-I'm not an airhead!" An airhead wouldn't have all the medical, herbology, and potion knowledge that I do! I'm the top student in most of my classes! I'm not airheaded at all!
"Oh, you're so cute." Terra reached over and pinched my cheek, which I found infuriating. Hey!
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Ronak
Gods, those old crows don't know how to stop fucking talking. I hate having to come to palace meetings. They're the worst. I'd much rather be sitting through boring academy lectures with Micha. At least then I can zone out and think about all the things I want to do to him. All the clothes that I want to make him wear, or lack thereof. Mmm, yeah, that would be far more pleasant than listening to bastards whine about change.
I came to the door I was looking for, and didn't even knock. I simply walked right in. Why would I need to knock? No one's ever said anything to me before. It's not like my uncle cares. He lets me do whatever as if that's going to make me want to become emperor. I swear he's daft.
"Archduke Abraxos… what brings you to my office?" Doctor Rayner pushed his glasses up his nose and glanced at me over the book he was reading. See? He wasn't fucking doing anything. Damn, instead of sitting around reading, he should clean up this messy ass office of his. There are documents strewn everywhere.
"I have questions."
"Is this about the chest pain-"
"No, I've figured that out."
Doctor Rayner gave me a slightly confused look. "What conclusion did you come to?"
"Doesn't fucking matter." It wasn't his damn business. He's the one who sent me down the goddamn rabbit hole in the first place. It… wasn't a complete waste of time, but I sure as hell didn't want to sit here and discuss this with him. I walked over to the chair he had sitting across from his desk and turned it around so I could lean against the back of it. I didn't want him to feel like we were on even footing because we fucking weren't.
"What sort of questions do you have?" He gave me a pleasant smile and closed the book he was reading.
"Why does Micha eat so many sweets?" His pleasant smile turned rather blank for a moment before he tilted his head to the side.
"Pardon?"
"I asked you, why the hell is Micha capable of eating endless amounts of sugar without gaining a single pound?"
"Micha… your omega?" I nodded my head, and Doctor Rayner scratched his chin. "Sounds like he has a good metabolism-"
"Someone with a good metabolism can't eat seven cookies, two slices of cake, nine chocolate truffles, two puddings, two fruit jellies, multiple chocolate-covered strawberries… I stopped fucking counting after eleven, a slice of cheesecake, and two plates of sweetcakes in one day without gaining a pound." Doctor Rayner looked a bit more flabbergasted with every word that came out of my mouth. "He'll do that every day unless managed."
"You're sure he hasn't gained any weight?" Doctor Rayner narrowed his eyes like I was the one talking crazy.
"Not an ounce. His weight stays oddly neutral no matter what he does."
"Is it causing any problems with daily life? Like is he having any negative health problems?" Why the fuck do you look puzzled? Aren't you the one with the answers? Why the hell am I wasting my time here when you don't seem to know why Micha is the way he is?
"No."
"Then I guess he's just blessed with an amazing metabolism? Is there a problem with this that you're not telling me?" Doctor Rayner adjusted his glasses and gave me another confused look.
"It's weird." I couldn't help but frown. This was turning out to be a massive waste of time.
"If it's not bothering him, and it's not causing any negative problems to his health, while incredibly unhealthy, it's not the end of the world. Though I recommend that he eats a balanced diet instead of sweets all the time…" Worthless. I already knew that. Why the fuck do you think I have to micromanage what he eats every day?!
I was about to turn and storm out, but another thing that had been bothering me returned to the surface. "How does he work?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Is he joking right now?
"He's obviously not a female. How does pregnancy work?" I didn't have any desire to get Micha pregnant at the moment, but I didn't want him to accidentally get pregnant because of me. I wasn't exactly being careful, but Micha didn't have women's parts. I didn't know how male omegas worked. What did I need to be careful of?
"Oh… There's not a lot of information available, but male omegas have to be in heat to get pregnant. Their reproductive organs are connected to the digestive tract, and only open during heats in order to keep harmful bacteria out. Kinda like a bird. Other than that, their pregnancies should be rather similar to regular omegas." I couldn't help the smirk that formed in the corner of my lips. This was incredibly good news. I could have all the fun I wanted with Micha until his heat appeared. Then I'd have to make myself sparse. I don't know if I could resist him during that.
"You're not to spread what we talked about unless you want to court death." I snarled as I stood and turned on my heel.
"Of course not, sir." Doctor Rayner's door swung closed, and I couldn't wait until I could return home to Micha. Mmm, talk about good news.
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Mmm, so he's still at the academy? I thought he would have returned to the estate as late as it is.
"I think you'd enjoy this book if you gave it a chance." Oh good. Terra's with him. At least I don't have to force someone from my dukedom to be friends with Micha.
"He should read this one!" Her name was Jade, right? The awfully fucking brave one who dared try, and stomp my toe… I suppose I can tolerate her hanging around Micha. There are worse options out there. At least she's not a disgusting snake.
"I can read both. You don't need to argue." Micha giggled as he accepted the second book from Jade. I exited my travel spell behind Micha with the intent to startle him, but the moment I emerged, he sharply inhaled and spun on his heel. "You're back." He exclaimed as he waltzed over to me. Is he even more sensitive to my pheromones now? The average person wouldn't have known I was back here. "How did your meetings go?"
Micha grabbed my sleeve and looked up at me with his big golden eyes as he waited for a response. I like this behavior shift in him. He's stuttering less and not avoiding me. If anything, he seems particularly drawn to me despite not wanting to admit it. Even if it was simply the bond mark affecting him, it didn't matter because it made me happy. "It was boring." I couldn't help but bring my hand up and pat his head. I'd stop doing it, but he's too obvious about liking it. Was he a big cat or something?
"You say that about every meeting." He snickered.
"That's because they are. It's nothing, but a room of old bastards who want nothing more than to disagree with you."
"But was the emperor open to your idea of reform?"
"For the sake of his own son, he better be." Elyas had better stop acting like a child next year and actually take his classes seriously. If I hear that he's skipped one, I'll personally smash his face into the ground and pull his toenails off one at a time. One for each class he misses.
"You don't need to get so annoyed over something like that." Micha snickered. You don't know half of it. "I'll see you two later! Thanks for the book recommendations." Micha turned back to his friends and gave them a wave before looking back at me. "I need to check these out, and then we can go."
I heard his friends snickering about something, but I ignored them as I followed after Micha. "What sort of books are they?"
"J-just some fantasy ones!" Why are you getting panicked over fantasy books? I was going to pop one out of his arms to see, but didn't. No, never mind. I don't really care. Micha can read whatever he wants.
He passed his books over to the old woman behind the counter, who gave me a sheepish glance as she wrote the information down in her books. "Here you go, dear." She said as she passed them back to Micha. "Enjoy your reading."
"Thank you. I will." Mmm, I wish he wouldn't give other people such warm smiles. He should only smile at me like that. "Okay. To the estate, right?" Micha asked as he grabbed my arm and snuggled against me. I guess he wanted to teleport us, so I nodded my head.
With a quick snap of his fingers, the air shimmered around us, and I felt weightless for a split second. My feet touched the ground once again, and I opened my eyes to see that we were in our room. Micha released my arm and walked over to his nightstand to put the two books he borrowed down. I thought for sure he'd return to me, but instead he started rifling through his nightstand drawer.
I let out an annoyed huff and flopped down onto the bed. I heard a soft snicker and peeked over to Micha, who was watching me curiously. "Was the meeting that bad?" I chose not to respond to see what he'd do, and to my surprise, he crawled over to me. His small finger reached out and poked my side. "Did the meeting kill you?" He poked me again, this time a bit harder. "Ronak. I know you're listening to me. I see your crimson eyes peeking out of your lashes."
He leaned down as if to make eye contact with me, but I quickly grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. Damn, just how many sweets did he eat at dinner? It was like someone dumped an entire bowl of sugar into my delicious spiced tea. "Did you eat anything good for you at dinner?" I asked as I lay back down.
My kiss must have taken him by surprise because Micha's cheeks were turning pink. That, or he didn't want to admit to me how much shit he ate at dinner. "I-I ate some potatoes…" Micha was already starting to lean against me, so I pulled him the rest of the way down. He was so damn light, though, that he didn't bother me at all. If anything, I liked him being so close. Micha's hands slightly fiddled with my shirt that had a wide collar, but then his fingers paused. "Did you eat dinner?"
"Yeah, the palace served us some food during the meeting." I would have preferred eating with Micha. Clearly, someone needed to keep an eye on him and his bad eating habits. Micha's feelings kept swirling around and disappearing as if he was suppressing them. I couldn't help but notice his eyes were trained on my exposed chest. "Apparently, those sweets made you rather greedy." I reached down and unbuttoned my shirt a bit more.
"Wh-what are you doing?!" Micha sat up in surprise and looked away.
"You like what you see, don't you?" I even intentionally purchased new clothes that Micha would enjoy for this purpose. He tried to pretend that he didn't ogle my chest all the time, but the moment his golden eyes drifted towards me, I knew. It was a bit indecent of me to run around with my chest exposed, but I enjoyed knowing that Micha liked what he saw.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about…" Heh, his face was turning bright red. It seemed like he knew exactly what I was talking about.
I grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down to lie against me. "You can keep denying the truth, but I'm all too aware of what you're feeling." Micha flinched and tried to pull his hand away as I slid it up onto my bare chest. He's always so warm. I prefer being cool, but for some reason, I'm drawn to his warmth, like a lizard desperate to bask in the sun's rays.
Micha kept trying to pull his hand away as I rubbed it up and down along my chest. Too bad my shirt's not unbuttoned further… "Ronak!" Micha squealed.
I turned my attention to him and his flustered face. "What? Did you want to touch me with both hands?" Micha let out a rather funny squeak, so I sat up and pulled him further onto my lap. He was straddling me at this point, and his emotions were all over the place. Heh. Is someone nervous?
I lay back down on the bed and unbuttoned my shirt as Micha shyly watched. I wanted to tell him to stop pretending that he didn't want me, but I didn't want him to flee. He let out another little yelp as I grabbed his hips and pulled him down to be closer to me. His hands nervously jolted away from my skin, but slowly returned. He was in a complete panic, but I wasn't bothered. I wanted Micha to learn to be comfortable around me.
"Do you know all the muscle names, and how they knit together?" I asked as I closed my eyes.
"M-maybe not all of them…"
"What's this one?" I managed to find his hand and pulled it down to the side of my chest.
"W-well, muscles aren't that simple. There are multiple layers, each with different names-"
"What's on top then?" I wasn't all that interested in the answer. I was simply trying to get him to calm down. Sitting atop me shouldn't cause him so much stress.
I released his hand, and it paused before trailing a little further down my side. "These are your serratus anterior muscles, and a little further back is the latissimus dorsi…"
"Such fancy names." My tactic to calm him down wasn't really working; if anything, he was getting worked up more.
"That's because-!" Micha let out a loud yelp as I grabbed his ass with both my hands.
"Someone's feeling a bit turned on." Using his ass, I ground him against me, causing Micha to yelp again. Holy shit, his emotions were a mess. I pulled him tighter against me and rolled, trapping him underneath. There was no escaping now. He had me all riled up.
"I-I-"
"You don't need to be embarrassed about being turned on. I want you to want me as much as I want you." Micha's face was beet red, and his eyes were definitely trying to avoid looking at me. "Shit, you're wearing way too many clothes." Why did the academy uniform have to have so many layers? Maybe my uncle should have them redesigned during the reform.
"Ronak, y-you seem tired." Micha grabbed my wrists as I continued to free him from his confines.
"I always have energy if it's for you." Micha let out a nervous yelp and released my wrists so he could cover his face. Fuck. Now I'm getting damn hard. I paused what I was doing to lean down and sniff Micha's neck. "Release more," I grumbled as I nibbled his soft skin.
He did just as I asked, and the delicious scent of spiced vanilla tea overtook my senses. I bit down rather hard on Micha's neck, and his body shuddered underneath me. Shit. I love how he reacts to my touch. Squirm about more. It gets me so turned on.
I wanted to rip Micha's academy uniform off of him, but I didn't want him upset with me, so I took it off properly. The moment his soft, pale skin was exposed, though, I just had to lean down for a taste. I loved how his skin shivered under my tongue, and the cute sounds he made as I suckled on his chest drove me goddamn wild.
"You might like my chest, but I enjoy yours quite a bit." Micha let out a loud squeal as I clamped down on his nipple and roughly sucked on it like a pup desperate for a meal. The way Micha's chest arched off the bed drove me nuts. I enjoyed knowing I could make him feel so much pleasure.
I sat up and tugged my shirt off as I watched Micha catch his breath. The blush in his cheeks was different from when he was embarrassed, but I liked both varieties. "See? Look at those greedy eyes taking in the sights." I pulled Micha up slightly so we could pull his shirt, vest, and jacket combo off his arms. He had no business being dressed in my presence.
"I-I-"
I pressed my thumb over Micha's lips to silence him. "Stop feeling embarrassed. You don't need to feel shy. I love knowing that I make you turned on." I pulled my thumb away and kissed him. I was rather pleased when his hands carefully touched my chest. Damn, he had way too many feelings happening at the same time. How did he stay sane?
Micha scooted a bit closer to me and kept touching my chest as I lightly ground against him. "I-is your chest s-sensitive?" I paused what I was doing and watched as Micha's hand hesitated next to my chest. Did he want to mimic what I just did?
"I don't think so." I pressed his hand down against my chest and scooted it up to where my nipples were. "I think being sensitive is a cute omega thing, but I do enjoy having my omega touch me." I wouldn't describe it as sensitive, but I did enjoy Micha's nervous fingers fiddling with me.
"Y-you must exercise a lot." His hand moved down my chest and slowly traced around my abs.
"I train with my uncle when I can, and every morning with the knights at the dukedom." I haven't exercised in a while because of Micha, but I'll have to return to exercising. "Enough teasing me. You're delaying the inevitable."
"T-teasing-?!" Micha yelped as I pushed him back onto the bed. Yes, he was fucking teasing me. Sitting in front of me with a hard-on as he rubs my chest is completely unfair.
I moved to the side so I could pull his pants off, and like always, the moment Micha's pants were off, he curled into a ball. Damn, he was so shy. I took the opportunity to slide my own pants off and lie down behind Micha. Guess this wasn't too bad. I liked being able to see the grand bond mark along his back as we made love. He let out a muffled yelp as I started grinding against him. I wanted to plunge right on in, but I knew he'd be way too fucking tight. I did once, and almost instantly regretted it. I thought for sure his tight ass was going to fucking cut my tip off.
"Stop curling up." I pulled his shoulders against me and admired how he squirmed as my finger plunged inside him. Damn, he's like an oven inside. Hurry up and loosen up so I can fully enjoy the warmth. Micha grabbed onto my arm he was using as a pillow, and let out a funny squeak as I poked one of his favorite spots. He even wiggled his feet around excitedly. "Do you like that?" I asked.
"Y-yeah."
"Do you want me to add a second finger?"
I thought for sure he wouldn't answer. He rarely talks to me when we have sex. It's mostly just me rambling on about how fucking hot Micha's body is. "Yes." He mumbled into my arm. Holy shit.
He doesn't need to tell me twice. Despite being tight, I plunged a second finger in to join the first, and went straight to teasing Micha's favorite spot as a reward. "You like that, don't you?" He didn't need to respond. His knees clenched together tightly. If I kept it up, he'd probably cum.
"Mhm." Micha moaned as his legs started to fidget more. Fuck, I really liked him talking to me.
"Are you about to cum?" Micha's fidgeting was getting worse. He didn't even need to respond for me to know the answer. I gave him a good jab with my fingers, and Micha let out a rather loud, muffled yelp as he cummed onto the bed cover. Interestingly enough, it wasn't anything similar to mine. His was thin and opaque, while mine was a viscous white. Guess it's because he can't get people pregnant.
While Micha panted, I reached over and scooped up his small load into my hand. Might as well make use of this. It was so slippery that it might as well be a lubricant. Micha was still pretty tight, but I wasn't too worried. He'd loosen right up the moment I got inside.
"Wh-what are you-?!" Micha looked back at me with a horrified expression as I used his cum as lube for my dick. I, however, thought it was fucking hot. Every single fiber of Micha's being was attractive to me. I don't think anything about him is gross.
"Are you nervous about having two types of cum up your ass?" I let out a little grumbling grunt as my own thoughts got me excited.
Micha wasn't having it, though. All he did was turn a darker shade of red and stutter something incomprehensible. I didn't care, though. I was too preoccupied with lining my dick up with his ass. The moment my tip made contact with his velvety butt, he made an adorable whine.
Fuck. He was incredibly tight as I plunged inside, but it got me all the more worked up. I was terribly familiar with every bump and vein inside Micha at this point, but the sensation never got old. I could feel him orgasm millions of times, and I'd never get enough. I wanted nothing more than to fuck him senseless every day, but Micha insisted upon me showing some self-control. Tsk! Who needs such a thing?
I leaned up and clamped down rather hard onto Micha's shoulder. His body shook for a second, and pain overwhelmed him as my teeth dug into his soft skin, but funnily enough, right when it should have really started hurting him, he'd get aroused. And he wonders why I leave so many temporary marks behind… His reaction makes me want to mutilate his skin with my teeth.
He let out a rather loud cry as I plunged further into him. "You like that spot, don't you?" I mumbled into his ear.
"Mhmm!" Fuck, talk to me more. Was it because I told him not to be nervous?
"What do you want me to do?" I wasn't quite inside of him, but maybe he'd like me to take a break from stretching him out-
"D-deeper, ngh!" My eyes went wide, and I tightened my arms around Micha.
"Your wish is my command." Maybe I should have been a bit more gentle, but oh well. Micha let out a rather loud cry as I thrusted the rest of the way inside. I brought my thigh up and rubbed it along Micha's hip as I ground against him. He was panting and squirming around a lot, so clearly he liked it.
When we first started having sex, Micha would complain like crazy and constantly whine or ask me to stop. The most frustrating part was that he clearly loved every second of it. I didn't need to feel his ecstasy and arousal flooding my senses to know that. Simply his adorable facial expressions, and how many times he'd orgasm, cued me in on that. I did enjoy how he was slowly becoming a little more open to the idea of me pleasuring him. Maybe one day, I could get him to wear some lingerie that I purchased.
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Micha
"R-right, ngh! Th-there!" Ronak had mostly pushed me face-first into the bed as he pounded away. It was rather intimidating, but the way Ronak got riled up from me simply attempting to talk to him was rather hot.
Ronak did exactly as I requested, and my body clenched up in excitement. I loved the feeling so much, like every nerve in my body was going crazy all at once. Then it would release, and my body would collapse onto the bed.
I knew I was in for a long evening because Ronak hardly even shuddered from my orgasm. I can't believe I thought he was tired… I swear he always has energy to make love- Eep!
Ronak grabbed hold of me and flipped me like a sweet cake. Dang, he acted like I was nothing more than a large doll. He plunged back inside of me and leaned down low to steal kisses as he went back to work riling me up. "Damn, being this hot and sexy shouldn't be allowed." Gah! Ronak would sometimes say some embarrassing things while we made love. It wasn't the same as when he said sweet things, but I liked it all the same. I… sorta liked how obsessed Ronak was with me.
I couldn't find it in me to vocally respond, mostly because I was desperately panting for air, so instead I did something I know Ronak likes. I brought my legs up and wrapped them around his waist. It was a difficult stretch because my legs weren't super long, but I managed to get my ankles crossed behind him. I even wrapped my arms around Ronak's neck and pulled him against me. My reward was a bite to the neck, but I loved it so much.
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Ronak
Holy fucking hell. Micha had clamped onto me with all his strength, and I was loving every second of it. Drool was trickling down his neck from my mouth. I was enjoying it so much. You want me to deeply grind against you? Message received, loud and clear. I'll do whatever you want, Micha, just don't let go.
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Micha
Too much! Ronak was too much! I must have really triggered something inside of him because he was relentless. I was struggling to stay conscious. I'm pretty sure he burst twice, but was back at it, sloshing everything around inside of me. I had become so intensely sensitive that it wasn't taking too much to make me orgasm. I needed a break, but there was no chance I was getting one.
Ronak hasn't been this wild in a long time. He was usually a bit gentler because I hated those pink pain-removal potions, but apparently that got tossed out the window. He kept moving me to different positions and absolutely wrecking my insides with his iron shaft. I'm sure I'll be crabby tomorrow, but I'm loving it tonight. Though I'm pretty sure my eyes were spending more time closed than open at this point.
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Ronak
No, no, no! You can't pass out yet! It was too late, though. Micha orgasmed one last time, and with an exhausted squeak, I felt his emotions slowly fade. Shit.
I poked his cheek a few times, but there was no waking him. He had hit his limit. That's it. No more sweets, and he has to do exercises every day. He can't keep passing out right when it gets good! Fucking him while unconscious is boring. I might as well use my hand. There are no sights or sounds to take in, and it's not like he'll orgasm again.
I let out a loud, frustrated grunt and flopped onto the bed beside my sleeping beauty. Wake the fuck up, you little brat.
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Micha
"Don't touch me!" I snapped as Ronak tried to rub my back. Every inch of me was sore. How does he have so much vigor? I don't even know when he stopped. I passed out during his third round. Woke up only to be assaulted by another round, and if you count what happened in the tub while I was only semi-conscious, we technically went another round there. I was currently in angry crab mode as I lay buried under multiple layers of blankets in the bed.
"I'm sorry." Ronak leaned down to peer into the hole my head was peeking out of.
"No, you're not!" I tried to growl like he did, but it ended up sounding like a child playing pretend. Grr!
Ronak snickered and tried hiding his grin. "I'm a little bit sorry…"
"Liar. You enjoyed every second of it, and you probably would have gone longer had I not lost consciousness." Ronak didn't need to respond. Him simply moving away so I couldn't see his expression was all the answer I needed. The perv! Constantly going at it like he can't get enough!
"Do you want to come to my office? I have work that needs to be done."
"No! Go to your office by yourself!" I snapped, the idea of moving sounded dreadful, and he wanted me to wander to his office?!
"Okay." He sounded extremely disappointed. I had gotten into quite the habit of crashing on his office sofa while he did paperwork for Elutra and his dukedom. Sometimes I would do homework, read a book, or simply nap, but I did enjoy just being in his presence. "I will have Olivia on standby if you need something…" Ronak departed from the bed, and soon afterward, I heard the click of the door closing.
That big meanie! I can't believe him! I know he's been busy at the palace recently as they discussed the future of the Draedor Magic Academy, but he didn't need to make up for that by going at it like a rabid animal. Was his goal to break me or something? I could barely walk to the restroom on my wobbly legs! Did he need to be so rough?! The worst part was, he tricked me! He started out so tender and sweet, listening to my every whim, but then turned into a beast halfway through. How did he expect me to act when he left, exhausted and sore every time?
As I returned to bed, my irritation started getting replaced by loneliness. This dumb bond! Was it being amplified because I wasn't feeling well? Our room felt so… empty… The desire to be next to Ronak was overwhelming. I didn't want anything from him. I just wanted to be near him.
I continued grumbling and groaning until the desire won out. I wobbled to my feet and pulled the spare blanket along with me. There was no point in using physical energy when I had oodles of mana at my disposal. With a simple snap of my fingers, I was outside of Ronak's office doors. This spell really feels like cheating…
"I thought you didn't want to come." Ronak glanced at me as I toddled inside and flopped face-first onto his sofa. Ugh. It's just as uncomfortable as I thought it would be.
"I didn't," I grumbled as I tilted my head to the side to breathe. I noticed out of the corner of my eye, Ronak was raising an eyebrow.
"Then why are you here? You should be resting." He already knew the answer to his dumb question. Why bother asking me? "Did you miss me?" This smug meanie!
I angrily sat up enough that I could move my arm, and flung a pillow from my storage at him as hard as possible. "Be quiet," I grumbled as I curled into a ball and hid under the blanket. Why did he have to catch it before it hit his face?! Couldn't he just let it hit him a little?
I jolted in surprise as the leather of the sofa squeaked next to me. Ronak tugged down the blanket that was over my face, and I saw that he was hovering above me. "Be quiet, huh? That's pretty ripe coming from the omega that came to my office and threw a pillow at me."
I let out a disgruntled groan and stared up at him. "You started it," I grumbled.
"Is someone a bit crabby? You weren't very crabby last night. Last I checked, you were loving every second of it as you moaned underneath me." My face started heating up, and I had to look away from him. J-just because I didn't hate it didn't mean you had to make me feel like this. "Does someone need some extra special pain reliever?" Ronak pulled the all too familiar golden-pink potion from his jacket pocket, and my face scrunched up.
"I-I'm not drinking it." I snapped. Nuh, uh. No way! That bitter stuff wasn't coming anywhere near me! I clamped my lips shut and nervously breathed through my nose. He wasn't going to force it into my mouth this time.
"How mean. I even specially formulated this one with your syrup that you showed me how to make." Ronak looked at his potion with a solemn expression.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I just had to ask. "Y-you tried making a syrup after I showed you how?" I knew Ronak was fascinated with my syrup, but to think he ran and brewed more of these disgusting potions just for me because I didn't like them… That was nice of him.
"Yes, I did. I wanted to make sure I could replicate it, so I can start working on a proper ratio. Yours are a bit too sweet for the general populous. I first need to find a ratio that will satisfy the general public, and then I want to start exploring different flavors. It would be boring if all potions tasted the same. After getting everything figured out, I'll move on to product testing, large batch practice runs, quality control procedures, consumer testing, approval from the Imperial Business Bureau, look into distribution channels, and proper promotion for the new product. There's a lot to do, and I'd like to get it done by the end of winter break." I blinked in surprise. Half of what Ronak was jabbering about, I didn't understand. He really got to work after I signed those documents, didn't he…
"I-I can try developing different flavors with you…"
"Oh, that would be fun to do together." Ronak's eyes drifted off for a second, but he returned his attention to me. "First, you have to see if I did a satisfying job, copying you." Ronak swished the golden-pink potion around, and I felt a little hesitant. The last few times I was forced to drink it, it was the most bitter thing in the world. Bleh!
I let out a disgruntled groan and rolled to face Ronak. Gosh, I was dang sore. I hesitantly accepted the potion and sniffed its contents after uncorking it. Huh… it didn't smell bitter… I nervously took a sip, and Ronak scowled at me. Hmm, it wasn't too bad… I drank a small dose, and while I did scrunch my face up a bit, it was mostly from my lasting fear of it being bitter. The potion was surprisingly sweet. Maybe not as sweet as I liked it, but still… "It's way better than it was. Though… it could use a bit more sweetener to counterbalance the intense bitterness of this potion. It still has a bitter aftertaste." I stuck out my tongue as the bitter flavor hung around in my mouth. Yuck!
Ronak used my disgruntledness to his advantage and leaned down to steal a kiss. Though it was less of a kiss and more him trying to eat my tongue! "Mmm, you do taste a touch bitter. How novel." Hey! Y-you can't just kiss me to investigate your own potion! It's weird! "I can never get enough of you." He leaned down again, and his now free hand grabbed the small of my back, pulling me up towards him. "Are you still sore?" His question seemed tame, but the look in his eyes as he leaned in for another kiss implied something far more intimidating.
"Ronak! You'll have to haul my unconscious body to dinner tomorrow if you try anything!" We have dinner with the imperial family tomorrow! I-I didn't want to show up sore and uncomfortable. Even worse, I sure didn't want to be on a dosage of this potion, and end up cutting through my finger with a knife again! They'd think I was crazy! I brought another pillow out of my storage, and rammed it into Ronak's dumb face. Bad alpha! Bad!
Ronak grabbed my wrist and pressed the pillow down against my chest. H-he looked particularly… mad… heh… "You, and these goddamn pillows." He snarled. "I thought I told you to return them to the guest beds. Just how many do you have in your storage?" His gaze was incredibly scary. It was like he was going to eat me! Eep!
"I-I returned… a f-few…" My eyes kept darting around nervously as I looked for an escape, but Ronak wasn't having it. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine, making it so the only thing I could see was him.
"Seems this naughty omega needs a punishment." He licked the bridge of my nose, making me squeal, and a low growl sent my whole body into shivers. Not again! M-my body really can't take it!
"My lord-" The door opened, and closed with a quick, "My apologies, my lord!" My entire face turned a flush red and was engulfed in heat.
Ronak let out an annoyed grunt and sat up on his heels. "Olivia," He called, and the door cracked back open. He was still basically sitting atop me, even though his weight wasn't on me, so I hid my face in the blanket. "What do you need?"
"I apologize for interrupting… I was simply wondering if you would like your usual morning tea?"
"You weren't interrupting much, but since you're here, I believe I told you to take all of this one's pillows." Ronak poked my stomach rather hard, and I let out a little squeal.
"I returned all the pillows that the little lord gave me out of his storage." My stomach dropped a bit. She wasn't wrong… I-I just didn't give her all of them back…
"Then what the fuck are these?" I peeked over the top of my blanket, and Ronak was holding the pillow I tried to hit him with in the air. He looked mad. "Did you not notice that guest beds were still missing pillows?!" H-hey! I-it's my fault, not hers!
"Ronak! I-I'm the one who didn't give all the pillows back! Don't yell at her-!" Ronak swiveled to glare at me, and I shrank back into the blanket. Eep! It was like he was glaring daggers into my soul. I quickly held out my hand and yelped, "I'm sorry! Take them!" Pillows rained down from my storage spell onto the empty coffee table, but it was a lot of pillows. Why two beds needed so many pillows was a mystery to me, but I still returned the ten pillows.
"How many goddamn pillows do you fucking have in there?!" I must have struck a nerve… I haven't heard Ronak talk to me like that in a long while…
"Total before I gave some back or…?" Ronak glared down at me, and I shivered in fear. This was the first time Ronak seemed legitimately scary to me in a long time.
"My lord, before you end the little lord's existence," Olivia! Why would you egg him on like that?!?! "Would you be interested in letting him receive one last letter from his parents?" She held out a familiar green envelope, and I wanted oh so desperately for him to accept her request.
"I won't need to worry about being a good son-in-law once I'm done with him!" Ronak snarled. I-I said I was sorry!
"I won't hit you with pillows anymore!" I nervously squeaked. Ronak leaned over me while growling, and I thought for sure my end was near. He pulled my arms away from my head and leaned in closer to me, causing me to shrink down into the sofa. D-did he need to growl like that?!
"I don't believe you." He snapped. I-I mean, it was rather satisfying… There was no guarantee that I wouldn't do it again…
"I will leave this here," Olivia said as she set the letter down on Ronak's desk and evacuated the room. Noooo! My only hope at survival! Come back!
Ronak grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me towards him. Our noses were practically touching as he glared down at me. "Now what to do with you?" I yelped in fear. What was he going to do to me? Without thinking, my mana surged and swirled around me in a golden shimmer. One second, I was cowering in fear, and the next, I was free-falling. Oof! My bottom hit the ground with a solid thump, and I let out a little yelp. Owwwie! D-did I just teleport?
I glanced around and realized that I was under the barren tree that Ronak and I had rested under during our tour. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, when my breath caught in my throat. I turned to look at the estate and saw a bubbling red pool of viscera quickly approaching me. How did he already catch up?! I-it's not fair that you always know where I am!
I scooted backwards out of reflex, but my back bumped into something solid. I turned around nervously to see a large red spike jutting out of the ground. I-I'm doomed… aren't I? One at a time, large spikes shot out of the ground around me, trapping me in what seemed to be a cage. Not that my legs could handle running away, they were still feeling rather wobbly. Guess the potion hasn't taken proper effect yet. I closed my eyes for a split second and held out my hand. It was the only thing I could do in this situation…
This time, I had control of my spell. I knew exactly where I was going as I snapped my fingers again.
I flopped back onto the office sofa and quickly scrambled over to my stack of pillows. I started putting them into my storage, but my legs were really hurting me. Did I not drink enough of that potion?
I picked up one of the pillows off the ground, and a shiver ran down my spine. "Come back here, you little brat!" I turned around to see one furious-looking Ronak burst through the doorway, and a loud yelp escaped me.
"Y-you're the one being a brat!" I squealed as I threw the pillow at him as hard as possible. Ronak managed to catch the pillow I threw, and dark flames crawled down his arm and started engulfing the pillow. Nooo!
I snapped my fingers once again and teleported behind him into the hall. He turned around at the perfect time for my next pillow to hit him in the face. "You big meanie!" I squealed as I hurled another two at him. He managed to bat them away with his hands, but as his claws came into contact with them, they burst, causing feathers to fly everywhere. I-I thought he was upset about the abduction of the pillows, and now here he was destroying them! Gah!
Ronak took a step forward, and I quickly teleported away. There's no chance I'm going to be caught by him now. He's angry and covered in feathers. My life really will be in danger when he catches me!
My feet touched the ground, and I scurried over to the guest bed so I could collect more pillows. I did this twice more before Ronak managed to catch up to me. "Why do we even have guest bedrooms?! We don't have guests!" I squealed as I hurled another pillow at Ronak. He managed to dodge it and got scarily close to grabbing me, but I managed to teleport away at the last second.
"Stop teleporting, and face the consequences of your actions!" Ronak snarled. As he batted away the pillow I threw, his claws snagged it, and feathers went flying once again. Nooo! Not another one! You monster!
"Never!" I childishly squealed before teleporting to another room to gather pillows. At this point, I was starting to get a generous amount in my inventory. Each bed had anywhere from five to eight on it, and I wasn't being picky. I needed all the soldiers I could get to survive this battle.
I teleported to the last guest bedroom to gather its pillows when Ronak burst in. "Stop running away!" He made it to the middle of the room and glared at me. This was it! I raised my hand into the air, and a massive flood of pillows fell from my storage, rapid fire, pelting Ronak. It was like a small avalanche pouring out. There were maybe forty or fifty pillows in my army. When I said it was a ridiculous amount, I meant it.
I didn't want to stick around to see what happened. I snapped my fingers and hurried off to our room. "I'm sorry, pillow. You're for a good cause." I carefully plucked my own pillow off my side of the bed when something grabbed my ankle. I let out a loud scream and tried to kick at whatever it was, but I wasn't able to shake free. I glanced down in my panic and saw a strange red arm holding onto me. Wh-what the heck is that?!
Try as I might, I just couldn't shake my leg free. It had the same scary strength Ronak had. I decided to try stronger ammunition than just my foot. With a quick wave of my finger, multiple light arrows pierced the arm's red flesh, and with a puff of red smoke, it disappeared. Finally free-!
I let out another loud scream as I was tackled onto the bed once again. "Got you." Ronak gruffly growled into my ear. My blood turned to ice as Ronak sat up just enough to look down at me. His gaze was terrifying. "You can run, but you can't hide, my little mouse. The cat will always find a way to catch you."
"I-I'm sorry! Please have mercy!" I closed my eyes as tears started to form in the corners of my eyes, but instead of an incoming impact, the only thing that touched me was Ronak's lips. Even more surprising were the calming pheromones that surrounded me. Wh-what?! I peeked at Ronak, who had repositioned himself so he wasn't squishing me, and his gaze was far more gentle than it was a moment ago.
"Micha." Ronak gently cupped my face in his hands and rubbed the sides of my face. "You probably wouldn't believe me, but I felt deep regret in the dungeon when I realized that I raised a hand to you, intentionally or not. I'm not going to do it again. I was just teasing." He kissed me again, and my breath caught in my throat.
"I-I didn't think you were going to hurt me… I-I thought you were going to t-torment me in b-bed…" My face turned flush as I admitted the truth. I thought for sure Ronak would have started peeling away at my clothes the moment he caught me.
"Pft, I still can if you're interested." His gaze turned a bit teasing, and I let out a worried yelp.
"I-I'm good!" I squeaked. Please don't!
Ronak flopped down beside me and pulled my hand over to feel his heart beating away in his chest. "You got me all riled up. It kinda reminded me of combat class, and I got a little too into the moment."
Was he trying to encourage me to touch his chest more? He had been pulling my hand over to his chest a lot lately. I… didn't mind it at all. His chest was so attractive. "Y-you don't say…"
"Are you okay? You kept feeling pain." Ronak gave me a worried glance, and it was my turn to roll my eyes.
"I'm just a bit sore because someone's a bit too vigorous. Besides, even if I wasn't, I could heal it." I said as I snuggled into the crook of his arm.
"Micha, that's no excuse for-"
"I'm fine, Ronak." I mumbled into his chest. Gosh, his pheromones were making me all sorts of tired, and a sleepy yawn escaped me.
"Micha?"
"Hmm?" I closed my eyes and enjoyed every second of Ronak cuddling me as I started to fall asleep.
"You know I'd never hurt you, right? I love you too much to hurt you." His hand gently rubbed circles around my back, and I nodded my sleepy head.
"Mmhmmmm." I know, dummy. I know.
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I was surprised that Ronak was taking a carriage when I could teleport, and he had a travel spell, but he said it was customary when invited, so I didn't ask any further questions. Ronak reached over and grabbed my knee, which was bobbing up and down like crazy. "I thought you said you weren't nervous."
"I changed my mind…" It felt a little too real now that we were rolling up the palace drive. Olivia made sure we were both dressed beautifully. Ronak was wearing a black suit with a red silk shirt and vest, while I was wearing a flowy white top with high-waisted black pants. Ronak even bought me a red ruby necklace to go with my outfit. I was rather startled when I saw it, but Ronak insisted upon putting it on me, and I couldn't tell him no. With that, my ring and my red hair accessory, I felt like we were matching a bit. I… liked matching. It made me happy.
"Well, calm down. Everything is going to be fine." I sure hope everything went smoothly. I didn't want them to think I was just some dirty, ill-mannered pauper from the sticks.
The carriage came to a stop, and the carriage driver opened the door. Ronak stepped out and turned to help me. My face turned pink as I stumbled slightly, but Ronak didn't let me fall. If anything, he easily covered my mistake by pulling me near.
My eyes caught sight of the bracelet on his wrist, and I had to stifle a giggle. It's like he never takes the thing off. How cute. I didn't realize when I selected the red tiger's eye bracelet with gold accents, that he'd like it so much. He even wore it in the bath.
"That's a much better emotion than what you were feeling earlier." Ronak brushed my bangs out of my face as we turned to face the palace together. W-was it really necessary to have so many attendants greet us?
"Welcome, Archduke Abraxos." They chimed in unison.
"Talk about putting on a show," Ronak grumbled under his breath. I was thinking the same thing… This doesn't seem necessary.
An attendant approached us and bowed. "I will show you to the dining hall." I'm sure Ronak knows where it is…
We didn't say anything, though, as we followed the attendant through the halls. Ronak wasn't talking, so I figured I shouldn't either. Gosh, this place is so fancy… At least I'm not dirty and covered in blood this time… I'm never going to live that down…
We arrived before a large set of wooden doors, and my stomach clenched. Ronak gently squeezed my hand that he was holding, and gave me an encouraging look. I-I can do this… I think…
The doors were opened, and I froze. I thought it would just be the emperor, empress, Elyas, and Bridget. Not the entire imperial family! Seated at the head of the table was, of course, the emperor; to the right was, I assume, the empress. She looked a lot like Bridget, but her long, wavy hair was pink, not black. Even her eyes shone a beautiful, soft pink. So that's where Elyas gets it. Next to the empress, there were two empty seats set aside for us, and down further sat the Commander, who watched us with slightly perturbed eyes, along with his wife. Whoa, no wonder Tyrone has swarthy skin. Her's is a beautiful caramel color that looks absolutely striking with her blue hair and eyes. I almost feel intimidated by her looking at me.
On the other side of the table, and to the emperor's left, sat Aunt Berengiere. Then Elyas, Bridget, and Tyrone, whom I wasn't excited to see in the slightest. It was like his eyes lit up when they saw me. Yuck. Stop looking at me, please. You're going to make Ronak mad.
"Welcome. I'm glad the two of you could make it. I almost thought for sure Ronak would avoid coming." The emperor called over to us with a smug look on his face. He seemed rather amused about our arrival.
Ronak let out an annoyed grunt as he guided me over to our seats. "You intentionally targeted Micha because he had no other option than to come."
"How did you expect me to get you to attend? You sure don't show up when invited, and you definitely don't respond to letters unless threatened. I simply took the easier route and summoned someone who couldn't ignore my request." The fact that Ronak got away with defying the emperor was shocking. I doubt anyone else could be so bold.
Ronak grumbled under his breath about how annoying the emperor was as he helped me into my seat. "Thank you, Ronak." I smiled up at him, and the tension in his brow seemed to subside slightly.
"So polite. Tell me, how are you tolerating our family's thundercloud of anger?" The emperor had an annoying look of amusement on his face as he watched Ronak sit down. Ronak is a thundercloud? Yeah, a bit…, but I don't particularly like you referring to him that way… I can see why Ronak gets annoyed with you when that's how you treat him.
Just to play it up, I intentionally tilted my head to the side and gave the emperor a funny look. "Thunder cloud?" I blinked a couple of times and glanced over to Ronak. "Are you referring to Ronak? He's been nothing but kind…" That got some funny responses. Aunt Bereingere even choked slightly on her wine. "He bought me this pretty hair clip and a matching necklace."
I let out a muffled yelp of surprise as Ronak grabbed my chair and dragged it closer to him. He patted my head and gave me a pleasant look. "Enough. You don't need to prove anything to them." Aww, but I wanted to. Look at the confused looks on their faces.
"I believe introductions are in order." The empress glanced past Ronak to me, and I nervously fiddled with my hands. "While you know us, I'm afraid a majority of us don't know who you are. You just randomly appeared at Ronak's birthday. He didn't inform any of us about his decision to select a bond partner, so it came as quite a shock. Especially since the two of you aren't married." Her eyes drifted towards the emperor, who looked away awkwardly. Did he not mention anything to anyone? H-he met me once… Not that it was anything to brag about.
"M-my name is Micha Verchiel… son of Lord Verchiel…" The room felt suffocatingly quiet after I introduced myself. D-did I do a bad job?
"A lord…" The empress turned her attention from me to Ronak with a scowl. Ronak didn't even react as he boredly swirled his glass of wine around.
Eventually, he lifted his gaze and glared back at the empress. "Is there a fucking problem?"
"I've asked you multiple times not to swear at family functions." The empress had quite the sour look on her face as Ronak rolled his eyes. A spike of irritation shot through me from Ronak, and I instantly knew he was going to start something as he turned towards her.
"Ronak…" Ronak glanced over to me as I tugged on his sleeve. "I don't exactly like it either… Could you keep it to a minimum?" Ronak let out an exasperated sigh and grumbled under his breath about attempting to think about it. I couldn't help but smile at him. "Thank you." I was so worried about attending this dinner that I didn't even stop to think about how Ronak would react. Did he only cause chaos when he was around? Pft, I guess I'll have to keep an eye on him. Once again, his family looked a little shocked by mine and Ronak's interactions. We weren't acting that strange… This was typical behavior for us… Especially on campus.
The empress cleared her throat, drawing our attention back to her. "There is nothing inherently wrong with his social standing. I'm simply surprised because lords tend not to be capable of wielding magic." She wasn't wrong. A lord being able to wield magic was basically unheard of. That's why the academy really only consisted of barons who could afford tuition and higher-ranking nobles. I was nothing but an outlier in so many ways.
Aunt Berengiere set her wine glass down and gave me a curious look. "To be attending the academy, you must be capable of wielding some sort of magic."
"Micha has light magic!" Prince Elyas spoke up excitedly, but it only made his parents scowl.
"So you escaped to Ronak's estate last weekend." The emperor glared at his son, who quickly avoided his gaze. W-wait! He said there was nothing wrong with him visiting! That brat actually ran away from the palace?
"Keep a tighter leash on your son. I don't need nobles barking at me to usurp him all the time." Ronak grumbled as he emptied his wine glass. W-was he trying to get drunk? We just got here…
"That will be twenty extra laps during your training tomorrow." The Commander spoke up while glaring at Elyas. I didn't feel bad at all as Elyas turned pink from all the negative attention. It's his own fault. I foolishly covered my face while snickering, and the Commander looked my way. "You should start training with the knights as well. Get that light magic dialed in for combat, and quick battle healing to keep our soldiers on their feet." H-he wanted me… to become a soldier? Has he looked at me? I'm not capable of such a thing…
"I hear he's expressed interest in becoming a palace doctor, brother. Please don't try stealing a bright mind away from me." The emperor gave the commander a stern look, but the commander gave him an annoyed one in return. D-did they think I was a possession or something?
The two started bickering back and forth, which I found a little alarming, but no one else at the table seemed concerned. I turned to give Ronak a wide-eyed stare of concern. Not only had we not gotten fed, but I didn't like them trying to fight for me. I-I had a Ronak now, and I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do after graduating…
As if he was able to read my mind, Ronak obnoxiously slammed his empty wine glass down onto the table. "Stop bickering over what's mine." He snarled, making the two of them fall silent. "Had I known I was only coming for the wine, I would have stayed home." Ronak reached past me and stole the wine from my table setting that was no longer lined up with my chair. He swirled it around a bit and took a sip while glaring at the emperor.
"Honey, please stop bickering." The empress hardly seemed annoyed at all. If anything, her passive behavior indicated that this was a common occurrence. Gosh, remind me to eat a snack before coming here…
The emperor let out a little huff and waved his hand. I wasn't sure how they knew, but the moment his hand touched the table, attendants entered with carts filled to the brim with food. I was rather impressed at how in sync they were… that was until the attendant serving me had to walk forward and fix my table setting for me. I-I could have sat at the table setting, but… this works too… After they fixed my table setting, the rest of the attendants joined in serving food. Whatever it was, it smelled good.
I didn't realize that the imperial family had such a love for seafood. This was… lobster, right? I think that's what Ronak told me it was. It was that white fluffy-looking meat, at least. It was served in the tail of the lobster, which was a bit surprising, but who was I to question the imperial family's eating habits? I was surprised to see that there was also a steak on the plate. Two proteins? Doesn't that seem like a bit much? A-and why were there so many vegetables?! Are all these people like super healthy or something?
My server asked me if I would like a replacement glass of wine, but I opted for water. I didn't want to risk anything with the imperial family and have them be the witnesses. Ronak, however, didn't seem to care as he kept throwing back the wine. I-if he gets drunk, I'm not dealing with him.
I waited until most of the imperial family had started eating before I picked up my steak knife. I went to start cutting, but Ronak stole my plate away from me. I looked at him with confusion, but he passed me his plate. O-oh… he cut up my meat for me. That's cute. "Thank you." I smiled up at him, and he let out a soft grunt. He probably would have responded, but there were just too many eyes giving us strange glances. It was probably best, though. I was still feeling nervous, and the chance of me messing something up was rather high.
I sampled the steak, and it was absolutely to die for. So tender and juicy. Whatever they used to season it was perfect! I wanted to gobble it right up, but the lobster kept drawing my attention. H-how do I eat this thing? As if sensing my confusion, Ronak leaned over with his fork and poked my lobster tail, pulling off a section of white meat. "You just pull off little mouthfuls like this. Don't eat the red parts. Those aren't edible."
"I didn't think they were." I snickered as he held up the bite of food for me. I was pretty embarrassed as I accepted the food, but I wasn't the only one at the table blushing. It seemed that most of our dinner guests were either blushing or avoiding looking at us. T-talk about uncomfortable!
I knew it was coming, but that didn't mean I was prepared to be bombarded by questions. Thankfully, none of them were intrusive or rude, but there were just so many questions. "What does your family do for work?" "Do your parents have any magic abilities?" "When did you manifest magic?" "What do you want to do after the academy?" "How's living with Ronak?" "Does Ronak treat you nicely?" The questions just kept coming, and coming. It was too much!
As if to distract everyone from me, Ronak strummed up a conversation with the emperor. "Did you look at my proposal for the magic academy?"
"I did. It was a rather bold proposition. You even asked for the removal of any and all, oh, what was the term you used? Oh right, 'useless wastes of oxygen that like money more than doing their jobs'." Ronak! D-did you need to phrase it like that?
"That was the nicest way I could put it." W-was it? "The real question is, are you going to improve the academy or are you going to continue letting it fester until the new generations are useless?" Ronak's gaze clearly moved to look at Elyas before returning to the emperor.
"I'm not against some changes, but I don't think that people will be fond of a complete revolution."
"What good is taking things slow going to do? Classes need to be completely redefined and restructured. If you're going to make changes, do so in one fell swoop. Stop pandering to the old and outdated."
"Of course you'd say something like that… You have always been one to move forward instead of focusing on the past." The emperor and Ronak continued their conversation, but I was starting to get lost in what they were talking about. It sounded rather complicated to me, and I didn't understand it enough to comment on it.
I thought for sure they were going to talk forever, but Ronak leaned over and grumbled into my ear, "If you keep childishly avoiding the vegetables, I'll childishly prevent you from eating dessert." My eyes went wide, and I quickly stabbed an asparagus with my fork. S-so mean!
The empress let out a chuckle and politely covered her mouth. "You don't need to be so harsh. I'm sure Micha can choose what he eats and doesn't eat."
Ronak slowly turned to glare at her, and irritation flooded my senses. "Last I checked, he's my omega, not yours. He's more than proven the fact that he's incapable of having unlimited access to sweets."
"Ronak!" I squealed. "I-is that necessary to bring up?!" My face turned flush, and I grabbed his sleeve to make him stop, but it was too late. Multiple people around the table chuckled.
"Is it necessary for you to eat a tray of cookies a day?" Olivia! That traitor! She wasn't supposed to tell him about my visits to the kitchens! My silence must have spoken volumes because there was more light laughter at the table as I sadly turned and started eating my vegetables.
"I didn't realize all it was going to take was an omega to settle you down." The emperor laughed and pointed his fork in my direction. What? Settled down? We're talking about Ronak, right? Yeah, he's stopped swearing a bit, but he still actively punches people like it's his favorite hobby. "I can't believe you made me find out via the newspaper that you're engaged, but when's the wedding? Do you want us to arrange it?"
Ronak turned to glare daggers at his uncle, and I couldn't blame him. He was acting like Ronak was simply a rebellious child. "We will get married when Micha is ready. Not because you want it to be done." He snapped, causing all the eyes in the room to drift to me. Th-thanks Ronak…
"You two clearly don't dislike each other. Why the hesitation?" The emperor set his fork down, laced his fingers together, and rested his head on his hands as he stared at me.
"W-we've barely informed my parents… I-I know it's a little late, but I want their approval at least to some degree… Ronak hasn't even met them…" How did he expect me to rush something like that? W-we've only known each other a little while! It seemed like the emperor was more interested in sweeping Ronak's little moment of impulsiveness under the rug than anything.
The emperor opened his mouth to speak, but Ronak cut him off. "Is there something wrong with us wanting to take things slow?"
"No…" The emperor said with narrowed eyes.
"Good. Then you will receive an invite if we send them out." Ronak folded his arms and glared daggers at his uncle.
Ronak's Aunt Berengiere wiped her mouth with a napkin and glanced over at me. "I think that Ronak has found a wonderful omega. He's very polite and clearly good-natured. I think he needs that in his life. I agree that there's no point in rushing things. People are already aware of what has occurred, and at this point, there's no reason for them to rush into marriage. Let them enjoy this time of their lives." Awww! I knew I liked her at the party. She was a bit rough around the edges, but was very level-headed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ronak snapped. Huh? Was there something I wasn't understanding?
"Bah, you're such a crab. I'm surprised your omega or anyone in your dukedom likes you." Aunt Berengiere scowled at Ronak, and I couldn't help but snicker.
I let out a little squeal as Ronak reached over and pinched my cheek. "Is something funny, Micha?"
"Not at all!" I managed to wiggle free from his hand and noticed Bridget giggling silently to herself. She was just as shy as she was at his party. I don't think she said a single thing during this entire meal.
My eyes wandered a bit further down the table, and I wish they hadn't. Tyrone was sitting there with a flushed face while staring into his wine. Was he… drunk or something? A-actually, I don't care. I-I don't want to get involved. Ronak getting mad at him once was enough for my taste.
Attendants came and cleared away our dinner plates, which excited me. Ronak was going to let me eat the dessert, right?! I was good and ate all the vegetables on my plate! I peeked over at him, and he watched me with an amused expression. The staff brought out the dessert, and my eyes went wide. On each plate wasn't just one dessert, but three. I had never seen anything like them before. The first looked like some sort of cheesecake, but it had multiple layers and was plated on a large flat spoon that stood on the plate. Next was a spherical chocolate orb. Maybe it was a mousse? It looked soft. Like if I poked it, my fingerprint would remain. Lastly, there was a disk that had layers of white and orange with little black seeds. It looked solid, but as the plate was set down, it jiggled slightly. I wasn't completely sure what any of them were, but I was excited to try them.
I wanted to dig in, but I waited patiently and used good manners so Ronak wasn't embarrassed by me. Everyone was sampling their desserts, so I took that as my cue to do the same. I decided to try them one at a time so I could get a feel for what they tasted like. By far my favorite was the chocolate mousse sphere that had a dark chocolate center. Then the layered cheesecake, and lastly the fruit jelly. I just wish there were more of each one. The cheesecake, especially, was only about two bites.
Ronak let out a sigh, and I peeked over at him. He was resting his head on his fist as he watched me eat the desserts. "I can't believe how much you like sweet things." I glanced around and noticed that most of the alphas had only poked and sampled their desserts while the omegas seemed to be enjoying them. M-maybe they weren't enjoying them as much as I was, but… still… I was a bit embarrassed to see that I was the only one to have finished off a dessert. I-I wasn't eating all that fast. I was making sure to savor each bite! I promise! Th-they were just little portions! "Stop worrying, and eat your desserts." Ronak patted my head, and I slowly resumed eating, but my face was a bit pink. How small of bites was I supposed to take?!
I finished off the cheesecake and fruit jelly before turning my attention to the chocolate mousse. I could eat an entire plate of these, and still want more! How could something be so delicious! I tried savoring each small bite of it, but before I knew it, the yummy mousse was gone.
"Whatever will I do with you?" Ronak grunted as he scooped up a spoonful of the chocolate mousse. I thought he was going to eat it, but instead he leaned over and held it up to my mouth. "Do you not want it?" Ronak! Wanting it isn't the problem! I glanced around at all the watchful eyes, and Ronak scoffed. "Micha, if you haven't noticed, I do what I want when I want. I hardly let others tell me what to do." N-no… I've noticed it, but this is embarrassing! Can't you decide to feed me in the privacy of the estate, and not while your family is watching?!
My desire to eat the chocolate won out, and I nervously accepted the yummy dessert. I wanted to die of embarrassment, but the taste was so delicious. I was like a happy baby bird being fed delicious chocolate mousse. Ronak stopped after feeding me the mousse, which I found slightly disappointing. Can't I have all your desserts? You didn't even touch them…
"Alright, I've had my fill of family, and I'm sure you're tired. We're leaving." Yay! I didn't want to stick around for interrogation round two. I got my desserts, and was happy as can be. I had no desire to stay.
As Ronak stood and helped me out of my chair, the emperor cleared his throat. "I've caught wind that you're having your dukedom estate remodeled. Does that imply that you'll be stationed there this winter?"
Ronak paused and glanced over at his uncle. "You've had all dinner to bring this up. Why are you asking?"
"Are you going to be cleaning house?" A shiver ran down my spine. Cleaning house? That sounds oddly ominous… Sorta like when Ronak was talking about removing mold or weeding…
"That was the plan."
"Will you send me details?"
"No. If any rats escape my grasp, I will be furious. You can find out the details after the rats have been taken care of."
"What if-"
The emperor went to speak, but Ronak cut him off. "Your opinion matters little to me. You're the one who turned a blind eye to the infestation all these years." I felt slightly confused, but clearly I wasn't the only one. Elyas, Bridget, and Tyrone all seemed puzzled, too. Ronak turned away from his uncle and hauled me with him as he exited the dining room. He seemed a little agitated from his conversation, but I didn't know what to say.
We finally made it outside, and I decided to break the silence that had fallen between us as we walked through the palace halls. "That went smoothly… I think…" None of his relatives seemed to downright hate me, or at least they didn't act like they did. I think I did a good job talking politely and using proper manners. I didn't even stutter as much as I feared I would. "The desserts were tasty."
Ronak snickered as he helped me into the carriage. "Do you like desserts more than you like me?" Oof… that was a difficult question…
"Hmmm…" I fell into thought as Ronak joined me in the carriage. There was a lot to consider. No two desserts were the same, and I hardly kept them ranked…
"I shouldn't have asked that…" I glanced up, and Ronak looked a bit crestfallen. He folded his arms and leaned against the back of the carriage's seat.
"W-wait a second! You just asked me to rank my desserts! That takes time, and consideration!" I couldn't just willy-nilly put together a list!
"No. I asked if you liked me more." He grumbled while staring at me like I was a complete and utter disappointment.
"I-I like you a smidgens more than chocolate cake." I hovered one hand slightly above the other, and Ronak let out an annoyed sigh.
"I'm in competition with cake? Do tell, are there any other desserts ranked above me?"
"Mmmm…" I stared out the carriage window for a second while thinking. "No. Not currently. I would say my parents rank above, if I had to add people to the list."
"I don't know what I was expecting…" Ronak still looked incredibly disappointed, so I moved to sit next to him. I grabbed his hand and spread his fingers wide.
"I think you should be honored. It goes, my mother, my grandma, my father, then you, and lastly chocolate cake. They're my top five. It would take a lot for you to dethrone my mother." They were my parents! What did he expect? Did he want to become my number one just because he bonded with me, and he's been a bit nicer?
He let out an annoyed huff and scrunched his fingers up into a fist. "At least I don't rank below a dessert. You would be in serious trouble then." I shuddered slightly. What would he have done had I ranked him lower than cake? I-I probably wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight…
A big yawn escaped me, and I continued to play with Ronak's hand as we traveled back to the estate. I think I might have fallen asleep because I don't remember walking into the estate…
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Ronak
Did this little pipsqueak fall asleep on the shortest carriage ride ever? I can't fucking believe him. The audacity to only rank me slightly above cake. I should stop telling the damn staff to make him cake. Then he'll have no choice but to like me more.
I reached over and pinched his cheek, but he only slightly stirred from his sleep. The carriage came to a halt, so I scooped Micha into my arms and exited the carriage. This sleepy brat. Don't just snuggle into my arms with a pleased look on your face.
I guess I can't be too pissed that his family ranks above me… It's not like I have any close family bonds, but I shouldn't be annoyed that Micha does. Though… I do desire to rank higher on his list. I want to be his number one…
"Greetings-" I glared at Olivia as she popped out of the estate to open the door, and she lowered her voice. "My lord. Would you like assistance changing?" She whispered. Thankfully, Micha didn't even stir in my arms.
"No. I will handle things on my own." I didn't want to risk the chance of Olivia waking him up, and I was more than capable of undressing myself.
"Yes, of course." Olivia bowed and left me alone as I wandered to our room. I didn't have a spare hand to unlock the door, so I simply slid underneath with my travel spell.
Micha made a soft grumbling sound as I sat him on the bed and stepped away. He's so sensitive to where I am while sleeping, and yet he's also dead to the world. I don't understand it at all. He says he can't sense where I am, and yet he clearly seems capable of doing so while sleeping.
I didn't waste too much time taking off my clothes and returning to him. He'd probably wake up if I were too slow. Hmm, what to do with you… Part of me really wants to see how far I can get before he wakes up, but the other half of me knows I should let him sleep. We do have classes in the morning, and he spent all weekend feeling stressed out over nothing.
That entire meal was nothing but a waste of fucking time. It was simply an opportunity for them to gauge Micha's personality. To see what sort of omega I picked out. It was honestly none of their business. It's not like they can make me change my decision. It's permanent. They're just being pathetic, sore losers because they weren't the ones who found an omega I liked.
I told myself I would be passive during the meal, but I completely crumbled when it came to Micha. Shit, I'm weak to him. I always said I had no weaknesses, but I personally hand-selected my own golden weakness. I didn't like hearing my uncle's fight over Micha, but maybe he should do some training under the palace doctors, and with the knights, simply to strengthen himself. He's far too weak at the moment. It makes me so incredibly nervous leaving him alone.
Fuck. I pulled his clothes off so he could sleep comfortably, and froze. How dare he wear such attractive-looking underwear? I knew buying him black lace ones would be problematic… I wonder if I can get him to wear the outfit I purchased… He'd probably be pretty mortified to wear it, but it would be completely worth it. Shit. Just thinking about it makes me feel turned on. Hmmm… maybe wearing it will have to be a punishment for when he messes up. Yeah, that would be fun. I can see it now. Him, with tears in his eyes, and a bright red face. Damn… I'll do everything in my power to make that a reality.
After pulling Micha under the covers, I leaned over and nibbled on his collarbone. I wish he were fucking awake. I want to hear him squeal. I'll have to leave him a little morning surprise for making me have to haul him inside, and leaving me alone while aroused. This little brat.