Chapter 65

Kinaine felt like crying. Wasn't this too much, acting this way while remembering nothing?

"...I don't smell anything."

When he replied calmly while hiding his complex emotions, Asad furrowed his brow and asked back.

"You can't smell it?"

"No, I suppose being recessive means I can't smell weak pheromones."

As he spoke and stepped back one step, the distance closed just as quickly. What? When he stepped back again in confusion, the other approached by exactly that much again.

After repeating the same motion several times, Kinaine's back finally hit the wall. With nowhere left to retreat, he swallowed a sigh that threatened to escape and raised his head.

"Why are you following me?"

"Why are you running away?"

"I'm not running..."

"Or."

Asad's eyes narrowed. It was a gaze that seemed to see through everything.

But that couldn't be possible. He was probably just feeling that way because he had so many things to hide...

"Does being close to me make your heart flutter?"

"What?"

It felt like his heart dropped. If it had been anyone else, he would have found the words laughable, but because it was Asad who said it, he could only ask back in surprise.

Since Asad's appearance, he had been more careful than usual about managing his expressions, so he could guarantee his feelings hadn't shown on his face. For him to say such things... could it be he remembered something? Despite resolving several times not to, hope that he couldn't give up raised its head.

Just then, long white fingers poked Kinaine's left chest. When he slowly raised his head, he saw Asad's face with the corner of his mouth turned up mockingly.

"Your heartbeat has been too noisy since earlier."

"..."

Of course that couldn't be. The reason he felt both relief and slight disappointment was probably because he was a pathetic human who couldn't help it.

Self-loathing made Kinaine fall silent. In contrast, Asad, looking down at him, seemed to be enjoying himself like someone watching an interesting show.

"Looking at your expression, you seem like someone who finds nothing in this world interesting, but here it's causing quite a commotion."

"..."

Acting like nothing was wrong was what Kinaine did best, but unfortunately, his opponent was formidable. No matter how good someone was at lying, it was impossible to control their heartbeat at will.

"That's..."

Kinaine barely opened his mouth. Usually, he would have made excuses easily, but his mind had frozen in confusion and wouldn't work properly.

Seeing Kinaine acting so unlike himself, Asad thought he had hit the mark. A pleased smile spread across the dragon's face, who never hid his emotions.

"Well, I understand. After being with an alpha like me once, you probably can't even think about others. Do you even remember that dead Hel-whatever anymore?"

Kinaine lowered his head to hide his expression. Even if it was himself, he didn't want to hear Helio being spoken of carelessly.

As a result, Asad naturally ended up looking down at his crown. There was a spiral-shaped whorl on the round crown, and seeing it somehow made his fingertips itch.

"...?"

Asad clenched his hand once for no reason and tilted his head. He felt like he was holding something back in a way unlike himself, but it was strange that it wasn't killing intent.

At least it didn't feel bad. He was usually in a bad mood most of the time, but strangely, today was an exception. He was sure he had felt the same when he woke up in the morning.

'When did I start feeling good?'

This time, Asad didn't hold back the urge and reached out his hand. When he caressed the small, round earlobe, the human shuddered. Unlike Asad, who calmly appreciated the sensation thinking it was soft, the human raised his head with a surprised face. Black eyes, larger than usual, stared at Asad.

"What are you..."

"What?"

Asad replied shamelessly. His hand that had been caressing the earlobe as if it belonged to him naturally traveled down the neck.

The pale skin under his hand was cold like its color. However, he knew how hot this skin could become. The urge to make the human reach that same temperature as before naturally arose.

As he usually didn't hold back from doing what he wanted to do, as soon as that thought occurred, he grabbed Kinaine's chin and lowered his head.

"Mmph...!"

Surprised by the tongue parting his dry lips, Kinaine instinctively tried to push Asad away. But naturally, Asad didn't move back even a step.

The dragon focused on the kiss like a child tasting candy for the first time. It was still a violent act that showed no consideration for his partner at all.

Only after a long while, when Kinaine finally collapsed to the floor with blocked breath, could he be freed from his hands.

"Haa..."

Watching him sitting weakly and catching his breath, Asad licked his lips as if looking at food he hadn't finished eating.

Even after his breathing returned to normal, Kinaine couldn't hide his wavering gaze.

"Why..."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you kiss me?"

They had truly only made eye contact. The kiss that started without any context or sign was bewildering. While not remembering anything...

Unlike Kinaine's complex state of mind, Asad's answer was simple.

"Just because? I wanted to. It feels good."

"..."

"Don't tell me you thought there was any deeper meaning to this act?"

Asad snickered and grabbed Kinaine's arm, pulling him up in one motion. When Kinaine staggered from the momentum, he clicked his tongue and picked him up like a sack, starting to walk upstairs.

"What... Put me down!"

"Stay still."

Though Kinaine struggled after belatedly understanding the situation, to Asad it felt even less than the flutter of an insect's wings. He was so weak that it even made him think how cute his struggling was.

"Oh?"

When they went upstairs, Ramu, who had come out after organizing the gifts, stared with wide eyes at Asad and Kinaine in his arms.

"Little one, you go out."

Though Asad jerked his chin, Ramu hesitated. No matter how she looked at it, her master seemed to be getting kidnapped. Then a low voice threatened.

"Out."

Under the pressure that suggested something terrible would happen if he had to repeat himself, Ramu finally left the room as if being chased out. Having succeeded in driving out the servant, Asad strode into Kinaine's room with steps as proud as a victorious general. It was still the narrow, old room that wouldn't even be used as storage.

After putting down the human he had carried on the bed, he soon faced a face looking at him impassively. Asad tilted his head askew.

"What, got something to say?"

"Are you going to do it?"

Though the subject was missing, it wasn't difficult to understand. Asad stroked his chin.

"Hmm... Originally, I didn't come here planning to."

Asad had come here to warn Kinaine after hearing Jet's advice.

He hadn't wanted the human to strut around proudly using their one night together as leverage, so he had intended to tell him to know his place. He also had something to tell the human.

But what could he do when seeing that pale face naturally made his mouth water? He thought he could hear Jet's voice saying "You mustn't" from far away, but...

"Well, it doesn't matter."

As always, Asad ignored his subordinate's advice and climbed onto the bed. The old bed creaked as if unable to bear the weight of two people.

The bed really should be replaced. Since he had no intention of taking the human to his main palace, replacing this bed was the only option. As he glanced at the bed post making the annoying sound, a voice came from below.

"Don't you hate me, Lord Asad?"

Asad answered immediately without even thinking.

"I do hate you."

"...This isn't something you do with someone you hate."

Asad looked down at the face speaking impassively and lightly kissed his cheek.

"I think you said something similar before. Is it your hobby to live promiscuously yourself while giving advice to others?"

"I..."

A soft kissing sound cut off his words. Asad, who had lightly kissed the human's lower lip, smiled mockingly.

"I hate you but I don't hate your body. Isn't that enough?"

Though he could feel the body beneath him stiffen, Asad continued speaking calmly.

"Don't talk about love when it doesn't suit you. There are plenty of others who say such things to me. True mate or whatever. It's not even funny."

Kiss, kiss. Asad dropped kisses all over the human's face. As if demonstrating that one could do such things even without loving the other person.

"Nine."

When he called the name he remembered, the human blinked slowly. Perhaps because he was so white and pale, the human's eyes stood out like black ink dropped on paper. Asad quietly gazed at his own reflection in them.

Somehow feeling even more elated than before, he couldn't help but smile.

"Do you think your heart is racing because you love me?"

"..."

"That's because my pheromones still remain in your body. They say when an alpha and omega mix bodies, the remaining pheromones make them feel attraction to each other. It's just an emotion that will disappear soon along with the pheromones."

Meanwhile, the pheromones that had clung to Asad's body had long since disappeared. Though the human's pheromones had been fragrant enough to enchant even Asad, recessive was recessive. They didn't last as long as dominant pheromones.

So while he was perfectly rational now, the human must be feeling attraction toward him.

Foolish human.

Asad thoroughly mocked the stupid human swayed by pheromones.

Not realizing that his good mood had started when he noticed the human's heart beating faster upon seeing him.