Chapter 30

Julian confessed easily. Not only that, he surrendered every scrap of information he possessed. Capitalizing on this intelligence, Clyde planned to extort a massive indemnity from the Trois Kingdom and force them into a heavily lopsided treaty. This provided the kingdom’s opposition nobles with the perfect pretext to finally drag their wretched King from the throne. Everything was resolving exactly as desired, yet a bitter taste lingered in Aiden’s mouth.

It’s likely because Julian was once a comrade with whom I shared life and death. Releasing a heavy sigh, Aiden rubbed his right shoulder, where the old gunshot wound throbbed with a dull ache.

“I happen to know a surefire way to banish wandering thoughts,” Clyde’s voice drifted over Aiden’s gloomy reverie. “Shall I teach you?”

The silken, honeyed tone was incredibly unsettling. A blaring warning siren went off in Aiden’s mind, screaming at him to flee, yet he found himself nodding almost involuntarily.

“Alright.” Flashing a blinding, refreshing smile, Clyde took a step closer. “By the way, our dear Admiral Rosley’s lips are quite chapped,” he murmured.

Long, elegant fingers gently brushed against his mouth. Every slow sweep of that abnormally high body temperature made Aiden’s skin flush a fiery red.

“I’ll have to ask them to bring some ointment.” The breathy whisper tickled Aiden’s ear. It was a voice steeped in pure affection, yet it sent an inexplicable shiver down his spine.

As Aiden swallowed dryly, watching his Adam’s apple bob, that sweltering heat drifted lower. Tilting his head, Clyde’s gaze trailed downward, tracking the very path his burning touch had just carved.

“It looks like we’ll need to apply some here, too.”

The gentle touch landed squarely on the marks Julian had left behind. As Clyde lightly dragged his fingernail over the marred skin, every hair on Aiden’s body stood on end. When a faint shudder wrecked Aiden’s frame, a low chuckle seeped into the air. Simultaneously, the gaze that had been pinned downward slowly swept up to meet his.

“Leaving such a filthy mark on a married man. How terribly rude, wouldn’t you agree?”

Despite the neatly curved lips, the slight dimple, and the beautifully crinkled eyes, the stare meeting Aiden’s was terrifyingly cold and fathomless. He looked half-insane.

“And after I’ve treasured Admiral Rosley so deeply.”

How incredibly annoying. Spitting out a sentiment that hovered dangerously between a joke and a terrifying truth, Clyde hovered his lips perilously close to Aiden’s nape. The slight peek of his tongue made it seem as though he was a second away from licking the vile marks away one by one. Meanwhile, his fingers trailed down the column of Aiden’s neck, settling heavily on his collarbone. The once gentle touch had morphed into something deeply possessive and sticky.

“W-Wait a moment…!”

Just as a flustered Aiden attempted to shove the man away…

“Aargh!” A sudden, sharp shriek burst from his lips.

Aiden stared at Clyde in absolute disbelief. Meeting his shocked gaze, Clyde’s eyes curved into a blindingly bright crescent.

“How is it? Did your wandering thoughts vanish all at once?” As he spoke, Clyde firmly pressed his thumbs into the pressure points around Aiden’s collarbone again. “I heard that regularly massaging this area does wonders for the body.”

It was a smooth motion with barely any physical force behind it, yet every time his fingers dug in, a pained yelp tore from Aiden’s throat.

“Our poor Admiral. Fighting so fiercely must have tied your shoulders up in knots.” Clyde’s fingers glided languidly past the collarbone, finally gripping Aiden’s shoulders with a firm, kneading pressure. “Relax,” he whispered.

The scorching breath and languid voice piercing his ear made Aiden’s entire body jerk. That calmly sunken blue gaze tracked his every micro-expression with a predatory obsession. He looked exactly like a starving beast cornering its prey. Suffocated by the strange, thick atmosphere, Aiden’s crimson eyes wavered violently, the corners damp from the sudden pain.

“Does it feel refreshing?” Clyde beamed, his expression clearing instantly as if the terrifying predator had never existed. It was a pure, entirely harmless smile befitting an innocent child.

“W-Why… why would you massage me l-like that…!” Aiden’s voice cracked and scattered, barely managing to form the words. It even sounded faintly wet with unshed tears.

Forcing down the corners of his mouth that threatened to curl upward, Clyde tilted his head, perfectly adopting a look of utter, wide-eyed innocence.

“Hm? Like what?” Clyde cooed. “I was merely doing my absolute best for my darling husband.”

“W-Why were you trying to lick my neck, and w-why were you looking at me like that?!”

“Ah, that?” Clapping his hands together lightly, Clyde continued with maddening nonchalance. “Just a bit of ulterior motive.”

A breathy, disbelieving scoff escaped Aiden’s lips at the brazen reply. So this lunatic Grand Duke deliberately sexually harassed me under the guise of banishing my wandering thoughts? As the realization settled, a fresh wave of fury boiled over.

“You crazy, lunatic Grand Duke!”

The insult he had intended to keep entirely internal erupted from his mouth. Despite the shockingly blunt curse, the man in question seemed completely unfazed. He merely shrugged.

“Why? We’re married. Can’t I do at least this much to my husband? If you’d like, I could do so much more—”

“Aaagh!” Aiden shrieked, violently slapping a hand over Clyde’s mouth to muffle him.

His face and the tips of his ears burned with a fiery heat, the sensation exacerbated by the explicitly sensual touches and the heavy, unfamiliar atmosphere he had just experienced for the very first time in his life. If he didn’t remove this lunatic from his sight this very instant, he felt like he might genuinely faint from the feverish heat rushing to his brain.

Jabbering a finger toward the door, Aiden shouted, “I don’t need anything! Get out this instant!”

“I actually came here to work. Are you really kicking me out?” The soft, lilting voice dripped with exaggerated hurt. Anyone else might have caved, but Aiden remained absolutely resolute.

“Yes! Do not work here. Return to Your Grace’s room and work alone!” Aiden placed a particularly venomous emphasis on the word ‘alone’.

At that, Clyde dropped his eyes into a pathetic, pitiful droop, looking utterly wronged. “But Admiral Rosley, you were the one who offered to help me because I had too much work.”

Refusing to be bewitched by that puppy-dog gaze, Aiden averted his eyes and snapped, “I changed my mind.” With that, he shoved Clyde’s broad back. He expected the man to stand his ground like a brick wall, but surprisingly, Clyde let himself be pushed toward the exit without resistance.

“We’re in our honeymoon phase… Are you truly abandoning me?”

“…”

“What a cold-hearted, cruel husband.”

Even as he was being forcibly evicted, Clyde’s mouth never stopped running. Aiden aggressively ignored the whining, successfully shoving the Grand Duke out into the corridor.

Slam! The heavy oak door shut with a resounding thud. Staring at the closed barrier, Clyde raised his voice.

“I want to keep my promise to stay by your side forever, but how can I do that if my Admiral refuses to cooperate?”

“…”

“It’s almost dinner time. Aren’t you going to eat with me? I’m going to be so lonely.”

Silence was his only answer. Despite the childish complaints spilling from his lips, Clyde’s deep blue eyes sparkled with overwhelming, unabashed affection. The corners of his mouth curled into a smooth, devastating smile.

This should be enough for now. Releasing a soft chuckle, Clyde leaned against the solid wood. Getting kicked out was a minor price to pay to ensure Aiden wouldn’t sink into a miserable depression over another man. If it meant Aiden could smile as brightly and unburdened as he did when facing the ocean, Clyde would gladly be thrown out a thousand times over.

I didn’t expect him to get that terribly embarrassed, though. Then again, for a chronic workaholic like Aiden, perhaps that level of teasing was a bit too stimulating. He couldn’t see through the door, but he knew with absolute certainty that Aiden was currently screaming silently into a pillow. Just imagining the sight sent a thrill of euphoria coursing through his veins.

Overwhelmed by sheer satisfaction, Clyde covered his face with his hand. The faint, lingering scent of citrus drifted from his fingertips—Aiden’s scent. I suppose I won’t be able to see his face for the rest of the day. Still, knowing he would absolutely dominate Aiden’s thoughts until the day ended was enough of a victory. He could concede this much.

“See you tomorrow, Aiden,” he murmured. I’ll work incredibly hard tomorrow, too, making sure you can only think of me, leaving absolutely no room in your head for that filthy rat. Leaving behind a greeting that would never reach its recipient, Clyde turned and strode back toward his own quarters.

***

“Admiral, it’s Logan. I’m coming in.”

Having been informed his commanding officer was still in his bedroom, Logan pushed the door open without waiting for a reply, just as he always did. However, through the slowly widening crack, the muffled voices of Clyde and Aiden drifted out.

“I was wrong. Please forgive me, hm?”

“I sense absolutely no sincerity in that apology. My parents taught me that an apology is worthless if it lacks genuine sincerity.”

Logan froze on the spot. Thinking he was perhaps still half-asleep and hallucinating, he vigorously rubbed his eyes. The absurd scene unfolding before him, however, remained completely unchanged. He had merely come to deliver his morning report, yet he was greeted by the sight of the Grand Duke kneeling squarely on the floor while Aiden stood over him, looking down with his arms crossed.

If anyone else had witnessed this, they would have immediately dragged Aiden away for committing lese-majesty against the Imperial family. However, placing complete faith in his superior’s sanity, Logan remained perfectly still, silently observing the situation.

“Then, if I hand over the entire indemnity sum directly to the naval budget, will you forgive me?” Clyde bargained.

“Do not act cute. It’s incredibly annoying.”

“Okaaay, understooood.”

“I specifically told you not to act cute, so why are you dragging out your syllables?”

Completely oblivious to the slightly open door, the two men continued their bizarre negotiation.

“I’ll even install luxurious facilities on your warships,” Clyde coaxed. “So please, let’s go out together, hm? We’re going to be swamped starting tomorrow because of that damned Trois King.”

“Tsk. Stop doing that with your eyes.” Folding his arms tighter, Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose in severe irritation.

Clyde immediately slumped his shoulders, muttering pathetically, “I was born looking like this. What am I supposed to do?”

“Then keep them completely shut.”

“But then I won’t be able to look at my handsome husband’s fa— Alright, alright, I’ll keep them closed.”

Listening closely, it seemed Clyde was desperately trying to soothe a highly irritated Aiden. It was also incredibly likely that the Grand Duke had dropped to his knees entirely of his own volition. The sheer cringe-inducing domesticity of it all was exactly the kind of obnoxious behavior one expected from newlyweds.

Our dear Admiral. He constantly insists he dislikes His Grace, yet he secretly enjoys all this attention. Swallowing the observation that would have undoubtedly earned him a glare of pure, unadulterated contempt, Logan quietly and carefully pulled the door shut.

Meanwhile, entirely unaware of Logan’s brief intrusion and subsequent retreat, Aiden stared down at the kneeling Grand Duke.

He truly is a deeply strange man. Scurrying over first thing in the morning to grovel and beg for forgiveness, claiming he had reflected on his actions all night. Offering the perfect, tailored bribe the second he was asked to prove his supposed remorse. Actually squeezing his eyes shut just because he was told to.

…And refusing to grant Aiden even a single, fleeting second to sink into his own gloom.

As a soft, amused scoff escaped Aiden’s lips, Clyde cracked an eye open. “Oh? Are you starting to find it in your heart to forgive me?”

“Not even close. And I don’t recall giving you permission to open your eyes.”

“Okaaay.” Dragging his syllables out once more, Clyde squeezed his eyes shut tight. His long, thick eyelashes fluttered softly in the gentle breeze slipping through the crack in the window.

Quietly observing the peaceful sight, Aiden finally bent his knees, bringing himself level with Clyde’s face.

“Your Grace.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

The deep blue eyes, previously hidden beneath those long lashes, slowly fluttered open. Reflected entirely in those vibrant irises, Aiden was smiling brightly, his eyes curving into breathtaking crescents.

“Thank you for allowing me to see such a beautiful sea!” It was the exact same smile that had originally caused Clyde to fall so helplessly, irrevocably in love with him.

“I’m still incredibly annoyed that you injected your own ulterior motives into it, but… the effect was undeniably good,” Aiden confessed softly.

Thump, thump. Clyde’s heart slammed against his ribs so violently he thought he might actually die on the spot.

“I’ll let it slide today, but if you pull another stunt like that, I will tattle to His Imperial Majesty that you attempted to embezzle the indemnity funds,” Aiden warned lightly.

Even though you’ve buried me deep in your memories… I’m a foolish man who still loves you, who has fallen for you all over again. 

The desperate confessions he had locked away in his heart felt as though they would burst forth if provoked even a fraction more. Clyde bit down hard on his inner lip, violently suppressing the tidal wave of truth before it could spill over. At that exact moment, the sweet, crisp scent of citrus wafted into his lungs, accompanied by the shockingly cool press of a hand against his forehead.

“Your Grace, you feel like you’re running a fever. Are you alright?” Aiden asked, genuine concern knitting his brow.

“…My core temperature runs naturally high,” Clyde choked out, barely managing to formulate a coherent response.

True, his hands were quite hot yesterday, too. Accepting the logic without a shred of suspicion, Aiden nodded. Having confirmed his husband wasn’t sick, he immediately pivoted. Forgiveness was one thing, but he was still a Naval Admiral who never missed a golden opportunity.

“So, about giving the entire indemnity sum to the naval budget?”

“…Yes. I’ll do it.”

“And the luxurious facilities?”

“…I’ll install them.”

“Excellent!” Bursting into a bright, unclouded smile, Aiden extended his hand toward Clyde. When the Grand Duke merely stared at it blankly, entirely short-circuited, Aiden gently prompted, “You suggested we go out together, didn’t you?”

“Ah… I did.”

“Your Grace, are you truly alright?”

Seeing the usually sharp Grand Duke looking so uncharacteristically dazed, fresh worry bloomed on Aiden’s face. Assuring him he was perfectly fine, Clyde slowly exhaled, desperately trying to rein in his racing pulse. His heart was still hammering a frantic rhythm against his chest, but there was absolutely no way he was passing up a chance to spend time with his husband. Besides, there was somewhere he absolutely had to take him today.

Grasping Aiden’s outstretched hand, Clyde smiled. “Yes, let’s go.”

“Where are you planning to take us, exactly?”

“Somewhere Admiral Rosley will thoroughly enjoy.”

Somewhere I would enjoy… His mind instantly leaped to the ocean, but out of sheer courtesy, he mentally sifted through a few other options. The downtown district was immediately disqualified. They needed to actively avoid the Trois King’s surveillance until tomorrow, so wandering into a crowded area was out of the question. Mountains, then? He vehemently disliked mountains, so cross that off. By process of elimination, the sea was the only logical answer.

Aiden’s voice lifted with unmistakable excitement. “Could it be… the sea?”

Even as he asked, his crimson eyes sparkled brilliantly with uncontainable joy. The boy who once declared he hated the sea because it was dark and gloomy now loved it more than anything else in the world. Despite knowing perfectly well that he was the very reason for that profound shift, Clyde couldn’t help but feel a sudden, irrational pang of jealousy toward the ocean itself. Masking his complex emotions, the Grand Duke plastered on a mischievous smirk.

“Hmm, aren’t we literally floating on the sea right now?”

“The sea viewed from the deck of a ship and the sea viewed from the shore are entirely different entities,” Aiden declared, planting his hands firmly on his hips and lifting his chin in defiance.

Having absolutely no idea what the fundamental difference was, Clyde merely nodded along agreeably, offering appropriate sounds of affirmation.

“Furthermore, we are currently anchored deep inside a gorge, so the horizon is completely obstructed.” Aiden gestured toward the balcony. Towering, jagged cliffs boxed them in on all sides. It was a natural trench pirates frequently used to conceal their vessels; they had temporarily anchored the passenger liner and warship here to facilitate their operation.

“Mhm. Everything my brilliant husband says is absolutely correct,” Clyde cooed.

“…Why do I get the distinct impression Your Grace is making fun of me?”

“Perish the thought. It’s just your imagination.” Chuckling low in his throat, Clyde reached out and tucked a stray, unruly lock of black hair behind Aiden’s ear. His touch was as light and reverent as handling a delicate feather. “As you deduced, Admiral Rosley, we are indeed heading to the sea. But that’s not the final surprise.”

“May I look forward to it?”

“Yes, absolutely.” I guarantee you’ll love it. Eager to get going after Clyde’s promise, Aiden immediately rang for a servant to help him prepare.

“Ah, if it’s not too much trouble, could you wear your formal naval uniform today?”

“My formal uniform?”

“Yes.”

“But if I walk around in full military regalia, wouldn’t word eventually reach the Trois King’s ears?” No matter how deserted their destination might be, a man strolling around in a foreign nation’s high-ranking military uniform was bound to attract stares.

Clyde simply waved the concern away with a honeyed tone. “It’s perfectly fine. That fucking bastard King’s lackeys won’t be anywhere near this place. I’ve meticulously prepared everything to ensure we won’t be discovered.”

Despite possessing a face that looked like it should only ever utter beautiful poetry, Clyde continued to seamlessly attach the most vulgar profanities to the Trois King’s title. Finding that deeply satisfying, Aiden felt his reluctance waver, deciding he might as well humor the request.

Whether he sensed that shift or not, Clyde cheekily tacked on, “To be completely honest, it’s mostly because I absolutely love the sight of Admiral Rosley in full uniform.”

Aiden’s face instantly scrunched up in profound regret. Ah. Maybe I shouldn’t wear it after all. Despite that fleeting thought, when the servant finally entered, Aiden explicitly requested his formal naval uniform be prepared.

Our dear Admiral truly is such a sweetheart. Watching his husband overtly express his extreme displeasure while still granting the request, Clyde laughed softly to himself.

That filthy rat must have known exactly how tender-hearted my husband is, which is why he dared to orchestrate such a repulsive scheme in the first place. The brief thought of Julian, currently locked away in the warship’s brig, flashed through his mind before being instantly eradicated. He was a disposable pawn that had already served its purpose. Nothing more, nothing less.

“I’ll go get ready as well. I’ll see you in a bit,” Clyde smiled.