Chapter 76

Already desperate to leave, Lino asked the man who grabbed him with a slightly irritated tone.

“I was wondering if you had a partner.”

“…A partner?”

“Yes. Since you’re leaving alone… if you don’t have a partner, would you like to leave with me?”

What kind of situation is this? Furrowing his brow, Lino tried to decipher the meaning behind the man’s words. If I don’t have a partner, leave with him…? Lino tilted his head and met the man’s eyes. The man was staring intently at Lino with a glossy, expectant gaze.

‘Does he want to go somewhere else and grab another drink?’

Unlike the other knights, this was Lino’s first time in a club like this, completely missing the man’s true intent. While the watchers assigned to monitor Lino were practically dying of frustration, Lino actually felt sorry for the man. He must be someone who couldn’t properly enjoy the club because of the holy knights. I guess I look the same, so he wants to leave together.

Completely oblivious to the man’s sticky gaze, Lino offered a sympathetic expression. He felt bad for the man who paid to enter the club, only to leave because of him.

So, he nodded and replied.

“I’ll buy.”

I won’t drink, though. 

Alcohol and tobacco were absolutely forbidden for his pregnant body. Hearing Lino’s response, the man’s cheekbones shot up in pure joy.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

When he confirmed it again, the man boldly wrapped an arm around Lino’s waist.

‘What the hell. This guy.’

Displeased by the sudden physical contact, Lino tried to push the arm away. However, the forearm—thicker than Lino’s own—refused to budge.

“Excuse me, could you remove your arm?”

“Haha. You must be quite shy.”

“?”

Pointing out the rude physical contact only to receive a completely irrelevant answer, Lino realized their conversation was fundamentally misaligned. Sensing things were about to take a bad turn, Lino pulled the wallet from his pocket, grabbed whatever bills his fingers found, and shoved them at the man.

“Excuse me. I really have to get going, so use this money to buy yourself a drink.”

“Huh? I can’t hear you!”

However, claiming the loud music drowned out Lino’s voice, the man pulled Lino even closer against his side.

“I said I’m not going with you!”

“Huh? What was that?”

Is this bastard for real?

Even though Lino was shouting directly into his ear hole, the man claimed he couldn’t hear, burying his lips into the crown of Lino’s head. Only then did Lino realize that when the man said, ‘If you don’t have a partner, let’s leave together,’ he had omitted the word ‘sex’ before ‘partner.’

‘Ah, fuck. I’m screwed. The watchers are definitely seeing all of this.’

Lino was well aware that Grondil had assigned watchers to him. Grondil had explicitly told him, ‘I don’t know what might happen, so I’m assigning people to you.’ Lino knew perfectly well that even someone simply offering him a drink was immediately reported. Whether a man or a woman sat next to him, what kind of beverage he drank, how many times he went to the bathroom, which stall he used, and whether the adjacent stall was occupied or not—every single detail was relayed back to Grondil.

Even without Lino setting a specific return time, the limousine meant to take him home was always on standby right outside the venue.

Therefore, Lino figured he just needed to get out of here. 

I’ll just peel this thug off, get in the limo, and go home to the estate. If I take a hot shower and bury myself in the Beast’s arms, this unpleasant feeling and all my exhaustion will completely vanish.

However, the man—whose brain seemed comprised entirely of muscle—refused to take Lino’s rejection at face value, opting instead to grope Lino’s ass with a bruising grip.

Lino wrenched the offending hand away, his heart hammering against his ribs in sheer shock. Unfazed, the man merely chuckled, leaning in to whisper against Lino’s ear.

“Playing hard to get is cute and all, but you gotta know when to stop before you kill the mood. Keep it up, and I’ll spank that ass until it catches fire.”

“What did you just say?” My ass? Catch fire? Lino furiously rubbed the ear the man’s hot breath had just defiled, staring at him in utter disbelief before quickly scanning his surroundings. The watchers were undoubtedly observing this entire exchange. They had probably already reported to Grondil in real-time that this fool had not only wrapped an arm around Lino’s waist but squeezed his ass.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Lino studied the man’s rather handsome face. You really are finding innovative ways to completely fuck up your life. Even without looking into the future, Lino could vividly picture the mangled state this man would be reduced to by tomorrow.

“Hey.”

“Hm? Must have liked my touch. Dropping the shy act already?”

A sleazy grin split the man’s face as he brazenly ground his crotch against Lino’s hip. Lino’s expression darkened into a deep scowl.

“If you want to keep breathing, fuck off right now.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Keep hitting on me if you have a death wish.”

“You’re saying… you’ll give me a night so ecstatic I’ll die for it?”

This fucking bastard is hopeless. 

No matter what was said, he twisted it into some vile sexual invitation. For the sake of world peace, it might genuinely be better if he just died. Deciding to abandon any further attempts at saving the unsalvageable, Lino drew the dagger holstered at his waist and mercilessly drove it straight through the back of the man’s hand.

“Aaargh!”

I really didn’t want to see blood tonight. 

But since the idiot refused to listen, he left him no choice. Yanking the blade free from the flesh, Lino casually wiped the blood off on the man’s shirt before sheathing it. The harasser collapsed, clutching his bleeding hand and screaming in agony, but his cries were entirely swallowed by the club’s deafening music.

Leaving the irredeemable scumbag behind, Lino stepped out of the club, only to release a long, exhausted groan at the sight of the limousine waiting for him, its rear door already swinging open.

“I’m going to get chewed out again today.”

Still, I stabbed the guy in the hand, so hopefully, that counts for some leniency. 

Sliding into the plush leather seat, he texted Grondil to let him know he was on his way, silently praying that the man wouldn’t be in his beast form by the time he reached the mansion.

The number of people who sexually propositioned Lino was alarmingly high. His magnetism didn’t just transcend gender; it transcended age. Once, a ten-year-old girl walking down the street had suddenly slipped a candy ring onto his finger, while on another occasion, an elderly gentleman with a shock of white hair had brazenly handed over a business card with his hotel room number written on the back.

Regardless of where he went, Lino’s mere existence drew every eye in the room. Enoch considered it an absolute miracle that Lino had been sequestered away in the Order of St. Margia for so long. Had he been out in the real world, he undoubtedly would have suffered an incredibly turbulent life. Furthermore, it was nothing short of divine intervention that he had survived the slums without falling victim to some horrific abuse. For Lino to reach his master unscathed with a body that incited such rampant desire… Enoch truly believed it was the will of the gods.

“In any case… you really ought to be returning early today.”

Grondil’s mood had been spectacularly foul thanks to these farewell parties dragging on for days. Lino had gone out fully aware of Grondil’s volatile state, so one would assume he’d have the sense to come home early. However… knowing Lino’s personality, Enoch harbored a dreadful premonition that he would, once again, fail to return on time. He could perfectly picture Lino inadvertently getting tangled up in someone’s unwanted advances, wasting precious time. Peace would only descend upon them once Lino finally wrapped up these damn farewell parties and departed for Isberg with their master.

Should I just wipe out the Order of St. Margia entirely?

Eliminating the knights attending the party seemed like an exceptionally efficient solution. But then Lino might be sad, and negative emotions were terrible for prenatal care. Resigned, Enoch decided he had no choice but to leave them be.

“I wonder what tea is best for calming the mind and body.”

Reluctantly burying his murderous urges, Enoch headed toward the kitchen to brew something that might marginally soothe his master’s immense irritation.

***