In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 90

Before they knew it, the sky had turned red, casting long shadows behind the two walking side by side. Without a word, they strolled leisurely through the forest bathed in golden hues.

As she admired the tranquil afternoon scenery, Bellona stole a glance at the man, wondering what was on his mind. His face was still grim—clearly, he was in no better mood than before.

With his thoughts already in turmoil, Lycaon’s interference had only added to the chaos. Hoping he could clear his mind even for a moment, Bellona quietly looked away.

As they continued walking, Minelia Palace came into view. The abandoned palace still felt eerie, yet it no longer repelled her as much as before, perhaps because it held memories of his childhood.

Why had he come here again?

The sorcerer and the traitorous nobles had already been moved elsewhere—there was no one left here now.

Was he longing for his mother?

Without a word, Bellona followed the man as he entered the palace.

He remained silent as they passed through the empty corridors. The sky had darkened, yet lost in thought, he walked on without a word.

After winding through the labyrinthine palace, he finally stopped in front of a room. At last, Caelus, who had remained silent all this time, parted his lips to ask an odd question.

“Do you dislike rough men?”

His voice carried no emotion, making her look at him in puzzlement.

“What do you mean…?”

Only then did he look at her. A strange tension filled the space between their gazes.

It wasn’t her imagination—his eyes truly seemed more dangerous now.

“I feel like I’m about to get rough.”

“……?”

“Even on the way here, I had trouble holding back.”

She felt like she understood his words yet was confused by his utterly indifferent expression.

He slowly opened the door.

As it creaked open, she turned her head and was met with an unexpected sight.

The room was pristine and vibrant, as if a young prince still resided there to this day.

Why was this room so immaculate?

Before she could dwell on it, he stepped inside, pulling her along.

He seemed to have expected it, scanning the neatly arranged room without any reaction before turning toward her.

Loosening the cravat neatly tied around his neck, he introduced the room in a languid voice.

“This was the room where the imperial crown prince spent his childhood.”

He tossed his waistcoat and cravat onto the sofa.

“I was an arrogant brat who only cared about himself.”

Unfastening his cuffs and slipping them into his trouser pocket, he then began unbuttoning his shirt, continuing his story.

“I was so disobedient that even the graceful Empress would lose her composure whenever she saw me. ‘What will become of this wild colt when he grows up!’”

Bellona’s eyes widened.

Mimicking a woman’s voice, he let out a chuckle.

“I doubt His Majesty ever knew just how bright and lively the woman he loved truly was.”

Though his tone was lighthearted, an unmistakable wistfulness laced his voice.

But why was he undressing?

Reminiscing about his happy childhood hardly seemed like a reason to strip.

By the time he flung his shirt onto the sofa, he suddenly stepped toward her. Startled, Bellona instinctively took a step back, but he smirked crookedly and closed the distance again.

As if cornering her.

Her back hit the door with a thud, leaving her with nowhere to retreat. She looked up at him, his gaze now unmistakably predatory.

“His Majesty never knew. That his son, who had lost his mother, acted cruel and cold in desperate longing for his father’s love and attention.”

Caging her between his arms, he lowered himself to meet her eyes and continued his story.

“If I had been honest instead, would he not have given up on me so easily? No… nothing would have changed. He had already placed too much in Violentia’s hands.”

So, he resented him too.

The father who had abandoned him…

A dull ache spread through her chest.

“That’s why, from now on, I will always be honest. So I won’t regret it later.”

She wanted to embrace him. To tell him it wasn’t his fault.

But his gaze had changed.

“You need to know exactly what kind of man I am. That way, you won’t abandon me later.”

“……!”

“Even knowing how pitiful I am, would you still leave me?”

“Your Grace.”

The man abruptly leaned in, gazing at her with eyes unlike his usual self.

As if he had returned to his days as the crown prince, his golden eyes were filled with arrogance and ferocity, gleaming like those of a beast consumed by obsession and possessiveness.

His words wavered between a desperate confession and a threat, and then, as if concluding this inexplicable story, he murmured, “So even if I’m a little rough today, understand me. I’ve been honest with you… so acknowledge my feelings.”

“Hmph!”

Before she could react, his lips crashed onto hers, his scorching tongue mercilessly invading her mouth.

Her vision blurred as his fervent flesh swept through her, hungrily exploring every inch of her mouth.

She had known this would happen, yet his completely different demeanor left Bellona trembling like a trapped animal.

His thick tongue traced her palate, teeth, the delicate insides of her mouth, plunging deep into her throat with ruthless fervor.

Startled, her own tongue shrank away, only to be relentlessly pursued, captured, and sucked as if he intended never to let go.

Their mingled, glistening tongues tangled feverishly, as if driven solely by raw desire.

With no chance to breathe, she was pinned against the wall like a butterfly ensnared in a web, clutching his bare shoulders in desperation.

Still pressing his lips hungrily against hers, he straightened slightly and pulled her waist flush against his body.

Her head tilted back under the force, her flushed face deepening in color.

Was this intentional?

Or was this truly a part of him?

Confused, her body, accustomed to his touch, gradually succumbed to his relentless seduction.

Lost in the endless kiss, his skilled fingers deftly loosened the strings of her dress.

Before long, her bodice fell away, followed closely by her skirt, pooling helplessly at her feet.

As if that wasn’t enough, his hand moved to her undergarments, but this time, she swiftly blocked him.

Only then did the relentless kiss come to a halt.

His eyes, still gleaming like those of a predator, barely restrained himself as he met her gaze.

As she caught her breath, her face hardened, and she asked, “Are you trying to force yourself on me?”

“…Of course not.”

His expression wavered slightly.

He hadn’t expected her to perceive his actions that way.

She understood his feelings, but she couldn’t fully grasp his intent.

Was he asking her to accept everything about him, no matter what he did?

Or did he expect her to pity him because of his past?

Showing this side of himself wouldn’t create sympathy where there was none, nor would it make any affection disappear.

She had fallen for Caelus as he was.

But what exactly did he want her to understand?

“You must think I’m terrible.”

“……”

“I suppose even if I had been honest back then, His Majesty’s heart wouldn’t have changed.”

As he forced a bitter smile and began to pull away, she caught hold of his belt buckle.

“What a childish brat.”

“……!”

“No, not a brat—just a selfish, stubborn child who never grew up.”

His neatly arched brows shot up momentarily.

“I don’t understand a single thing. I have no idea what Your  Grace wants from me.”

“I told you—”

“I like you.”

“……!”

“I want you. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but right now, at this moment, I just want to be with you, without thinking about anything else.”

His golden eyes widened at her blunt confession, his chest rising and falling as if struggling to breathe.

The tables had turned, and now she was the one making his heart race uncontrollably.

Her steady gaze met his before she frowned slightly.

“This is how you should say it. How else would I understand? How am I supposed to grasp your meaning when you cut yourself off and talk like you’re making some grand declaration?”

As he stood frozen like a fool, she suddenly yanked his belt buckle.

With a soft ‘clink,’ the belt came undone, and beneath it, his arousal strained visibly.

Fixing her gaze on his trembling golden eyes, Bellona slowly undid his trousers’ buttons.

And then, as if answering his earlier question, she rebuilt the pride he had just lost.

“I don’t like rough men… but if it’s you, Your Grace, I think I’ll be fine. It means that no matter what you do, I won’t see you as terrible. So… ngh!”

Once again, he seized her lips.

But this time, the kiss was entirely different.

Rough, yet gentle. Desperate, yet unhurried. An intoxicatingly deep kiss that sent shivers down her spine.