The Affairs of Those Noble Brothers Chapter 15

At his brother’s unmistakable mutter, Irodel’s eyes trembled with unease. When his hand rose toward his ear as if to confirm his fear, Logan caught it. That aesthetically perfect face looked down at him, carrying a chill.

Why… are you looking at me like that? As if reading the question that only wandered in his mind, Logan lifted his lips slightly and inclined his head. It looked like a smile, and it also looked like satisfaction.

“It’s a gift for you, Irodel.”

With that whisper, something hot engulfed his ear. A deep, thick… sound like a kiss. It sounded like that, but it couldn’t have been a kiss. Irodel closed his eyes like a person falling from a cliff.

∞ ∞ ∞

He opened his eyes at the sensation of motion ceasing. It was nightfall, but the surroundings were dazzlingly bright from the lighting. It was the Lockperth family mansion, which bought light with wealth and status.

“Go inside and rest.”

Irodel gazed silently at Logan. Any other day, he would have clung to him, asking, “Aren’t you coming in? When will you come back?” But today was different. He just stared, opened his mouth slightly, and closed it again. He did that for a long while, and in the end, he said nothing and obediently got out of the car. The rain-soaked grass in the garden gave off a deep fragrance.

“Are you going to the Academy tomorrow as well?”

What a surprise. Logan, who always left without looking back, spoke through the open car window. Irodel hesitated awkwardly in his reply, then gave a small shake of his head.

“It’s the weekend, so it’s a day off.”

“I see.”

Logan gazed intently at Irodel. He knew where that gaze was directed. Irodel covered his ear as if to hide from that look. What pricked his palm was not soft skin, but something hard and cold.

“Don’t touch it too much. It might get worse.”

If it might get worse, then why did you put this on me? That reproach, which couldn’t escape his lips, must have shown on his face. Instead of answering, Logan merely smiled faintly. He soon turned his head away. The window rolled up, and the car, pulling away carefully, passed through the main gate and disappeared from sight. Irodel stood there for a long while, then shuffled toward the mansion. Behind him, the sound of the main gate being sealed shut rang out harshly.

At the hotel… after an incomprehensible stretch of time, a doctor had come to the room and treated him. Every time the cold antiseptic touched his ear, his shoulders flinched. It was because he recalled something that had probed the same spot. What was it? What could it have been? He didn’t particularly want to recall it—it felt like some kind of punishment kiss.

The guard standing at the mansion’s entrance spotted Irodel and opened the door. Facing the two wide-open doors and the corridor stretching inward, his chest felt blocked. It wasn’t a house—it was like a snake standing with its mouth agape. He felt that if he entered there, he would never escape from the snake’s belly.

Slowly backing away, he turned around. Then this time, he saw the firmly shut main gate in the distance. Perhaps it was because he had just been outside. He felt like a beast trapped alone in a massive cage. He wanted to scream wildly for someone to let him out, but suppressing the surge of cries, he ran through the garden. He tore through the maze-like hedges, trampled the gardener’s manicured lawn, and frantically opened the door to the annex, locking it behind him. He tossed the chairs he’d previously stacked and removed against the door, and even that wasn’t enough—he hurled all the baskets from the desk as well. He was even lifting the drawer from the shelf to throw it down when, without warning, a strong force wrapped around Irodel’s body.

“Let go, let go of me!”

“What’s wrong with you? Calm down!”

The drawer that had left Irodel’s hands flew off in some random direction and shattered into pieces. At the sound, Irodel came to his senses and stopped moving. Only ragged breathing spread through the wide space.

“Beyond failing the medical corps, have you now gotten yourself kicked out of the Academy? Why are you throwing another fit?”

The familiar voice was Tibane’s. For a moment, he was confused about where he was. Had he entered the main building? Seeing the herb-grinding machine he’d used just yesterday, this was indeed the annex. Suddenly breaking out in goosebumps, he pulled himself out of Tibane’s embrace. Why is this bastard here? He’d clearly snuck into a place where no one was supposed to be. He had absolutely no idea what was going on. Backing away to avoid Tibane, just as he was about to stumble, his arm was caught.

“Are you going to roll around again and blame me? That won’t work this time.”

“…”

As if waking from a dream, his mind cleared sharply. Irodel stared at Tibane, who was smirking crookedly, and looked around. The door to the bedroom beside the trashed laboratory was open. This barbarian had sneaked in like last time and collapsed there, and then he’d woken up when Irodel came in. Slowly, the strength drained from his shoulders.

“Let go.”

“Letting go isn’t hard… but how about telling me why you were throwing a fit? You went out with your beloved brother, whom you long for day and night, and it seems it wasn’t as good as you’d hoped?”

“Why would I tell you something like that? Let go, you filthy bastard!”

“Here we go again.”

Tibane frowned, then yanked Irodel toward him. He resisted with all his might before being pulled into an embrace, but the difference in strength was beyond imagination. Both arms were pinned with one hand, and his mouth, opened to bite, was blocked by a hand gripping his jaw tightly as he was slammed against the wall. A dull pain spread through his back.

“Behave yourself. You call me a barbarian every day, but you’re hardly one to talk—do you know that? Even those savages don’t go around biting people.”

If it’s people, maybe. But if the other party isn’t human, then teeth or whatever—you have to use what you can to escape. As Irodel glared at him, Tibane casually licked his lips. Truly, like a beast.

“I told you before—whenever you go wild like a madman, I feel like I’m going mad too. I just think, maybe that’s okay. Is this what they call twins understanding each other…”

Now he’s shifting the blame for his own insanity onto someone else. Irodel’s brow furrowed in disbelief, and between his legs, Tibane’s thigh pressed in. The hand gripping his jaw tightened, and their lower bodies pressed flush together. A sigh like a moan brushed past his head. It was itchy and sent chills down his spine, so he struggled, and the constricting grip loosened slightly. Seizing that gap, he tried to slip into the bedroom and lock the door, but it was too late. Tibane forced the closing door open and entered, hoisting Irodel up and slamming him onto the bed.

“You smell nice. Looks like you went to a hotel in the busy district. The scented oil there has a bit of omega pheromone mixed in… damn. You didn’t get subjected to anything by your brother, did you? I need to check.”

“You crazy bastard, what are you doing! Let go!”

“Stay still… wait, what’s this?”

Tibane’s hand touched his earlobe. Reflexively, Irodel slapped it away, and a sharp crack rang out. Tibane’s face showed a flash of indignation, but his gaze remained fixed on the diamond piercing attached to Irodel’s ear. After narrowing his eyes and staring at the earlobe for a moment, Tibane let out a light scoff.

“Hmph… I thought GPS was still under development. That perverted bastard Logan finally did something I approve of for once.”

“Watch your mouth. Who are you calling a pervert!”

“After having this done to you, you still want to take his side?”

Having what done to me… Irodel was at a loss for words and stared at Tibane. Just as he had looked up at his brother at the hotel, Tibane’s face was in a similar position. But perhaps it was because his face looked so much like his own—there was none of that tension from before. Instead, exhaustion crashed over him like a massive wave.

He was already tired from today, so why did he have to put up with this even at home? If he was going to hit him, hit him; if he was going to bite him, bite him. Either way, he wished he’d just disappear somewhere quickly. With a sigh, the strength in his hands pushing against Tibane weakened for a moment. That cunning bastard took the opening and tried to pull down his pants.

“Don’t! What are you doing!”

“Nothing. Just checking. Even if something happened, you’d never tell me with your own mouth, so I have to check myself.”

“What do you mean by checking! There’s nothing there!”

“Why would there be nothing? No matter how much you say you’re not interested, you can’t just erase the existence of it entirely, can you?”

The color drained from Irodel’s face.

“Wha—when you say checking, you mean checking whether it works or not?”