Chapter 7

“Starting the night with a nightmare was a clear sign of awful luck.”

Muttering the complaint under his breath, Aiden dragged his feet back toward the main ballroom. The grand hall was still packed to the brim with nobles. Aiden possessed absolutely zero desire to mingle and converse with that suffocating crowd ever again.

However, leaving the party early wasn’t an option either. Unfortunately, his former superior—who boasted a terrifying alcohol tolerance—was still perfectly sober and eagle-eyed. Resigned to his fate, Aiden headed straight for the dessert tables with the sole intention of killing time.

“Hmm?”

Near a towering cake that practically reached his face, Aiden spotted an incredibly familiar, round, chestnut-like head.

“…Jerome?”

At Aiden’s cautious call, the chestnut—or rather, Jerome—violently flinched before slowly lifting his head. Aiden immediately locked eyes with Jerome, whose cheeks were currently stuffed to the absolute limit like a hoarding squirrel. Jerome’s eyes went wide with panic as he frantically chewed and swallowed the massive bite.

“Admiral Rosley, sir!”

Dropping his fork, Jerome snapped a rigid salute. The flustered, messy display was comical enough to warrant a laugh, but Aiden solemnly returned the salute.

“Jerome. Where did Logan go? Why are you alone?”

“Ah, Major Donovan was aggressively correcting the false rumors spreading among the naval officers regarding your situation, sir. It seems he exhausted himself, so he stepped away to take a short break.”

“Really? Logan must have suffered quite a bit.”

Imagining the sheer annoyance Logan must have endured trying to wrangle the gossiping officers, Aiden chuckled wickedly. It was entirely unintentional, but it served as perfect revenge for Logan’s betrayal yesterday.

“But Admiral…”

“Yes?”

“Forgive me for overstepping, but did something unpleasant happen, sir?”

“No, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Aiden shrugged nonchalantly. However, in stark contrast to his dismissive gesture, his crimson eyes were clouded with deep, undeniable irritation. Having faithfully served by Aiden’s side for years, Jerome noticed the contradiction immediately, but he simply nodded without pressing further. That silent acceptance was the greatest courtesy he could offer his superior.

“Anyway, Jerome. Could you recommend the most delicious thing on this table?”

“Yes, absolutely, sir!”

Jerome meticulously scanned the sprawling array of desserts. Unfortunately, he couldn’t spot any treats containing Aiden’s absolute favorite ingredient: lemon. However, noticing a massive crystal pitcher filled with Aiden’s second favorite flavor—peach—he quickly poured a glass and offered it.

“This is a juice absolutely packed with peaches, sir. It is incredibly sweet and refreshing.”

The crystal glass was filled to the brim with a vibrant orange liquid and clinking ice cubes. Taking the glass, Aiden brought it to his lips. The chilled beverage sliding down his throat was intensely sweet and wonderfully cold.

Feeling the suffocating stress that had been boiling inside him since morning finally start to cool, Aiden eagerly downed the juice. One glass. Two glasses. Yet, strangely, the more juice he drank, the more it felt like a mysterious heat was radiating from deep within his stomach.

“…Maybe it’s because I’m so annoyed.”

As Aiden muttered the excuse and furrowed his brow, Jerome asked with palpable concern.

“Admiral, what is the matter? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m just feeling a bit hot. I’m going to step outside for a moment.”

“Please have a safe rest, sir!”

Offering a brief nod, Aiden swiftly exited the ballroom. The humid, heavy air brushing against his flushed cheeks felt incredibly unpleasant tonight.

Aiden aggressively yanked at his suffocating collar, loosening his tie. Simultaneously, he whipped a silver fork—which he had unconsciously carried out with him—straight into the pitch-black darkness of the garden.

Swish! The fork sliced through the humid air, tracing a deadly parabola.

“Come out. Stop tailing me like a coward,” Aiden warned in a dangerously low voice.

A moment later, a man stepped out from the shadows. Even under the pale moonlight, his brilliant blond hair gleamed flawlessly, and the deep blue eyes hidden beneath thick, luxurious eyelashes were unmistakable.

“Good evening, Admiral Rosley.”

It was Clyde, the Grand Duke and Aiden’s prospective husband.

“Actually, I arrived quite late, so I was hoping to speak with you priva—”

“Aaaaargh!”

Before Clyde could even finish his sentence, Aiden shrieked in absolute panic. Sprinting forward without an ounce of hesitation, Aiden aggressively grabbed Clyde’s face with both hands.

Everywhere those surprisingly cool hands touched, a blistering heat seemed to bloom across Clyde’s skin.

“I know it’s highly unlikely, buuut did it graze you?! It would be an absolute national tragedy if this handsome face got scratcheeed!”

“It was a bit close, but no, it didn’t graze me.”

Still desperately clutching Clyde’s face, Aiden aggressively tilted his head left and right, meticulously inspecting every inch for injuries. Still seemingly unconvinced, his brow furrowed into a deep, troubled V.

“Just in case, may I ask for your naaame?”

He had already introduced himself properly days ago, so why on earth was Aiden suddenly asking for his name? Clyde tilted his head in profound confusion. Wait a minute… As a sudden realization flashed through his mind, Clyde swallowed hard and cautiously asked the question.

“Admiral Rosley. Are you, by any chance, drunk?”

“Drunk?! Are you seriously asking meee?” Aiden released Clyde’s face and demanded, deeply offended.

Before Clyde could even answer, Aiden launched into a passionate defense.

“That makes absolutely zero sense! I didn’t even drink any alcohoool, so how could I possibly be druuunk?”

For someone claiming to be drunk, his pronunciation was shockingly crisp, and his posture was completely unwavering. However, the tail ends of his sentences were dragging out with a distinct, sloppy slur.

“Besides, if I were druuunk, could I have thrown that fork so incredibly accurateeely?”

“…Huh?”

“Well, I suppose an elite talent like meee could probably pull it off even if I was completely trasheeed.”

No matter how I look at it, he is completely intoxicated. Clyde muttered the observation under his breath while watching Aiden giggle goofily. Setting aside the fact that this display was dangerously cute, Clyde needed to accurately assess Aiden’s condition. Taking a slow, centering breath, Clyde called his name.

“Admiral Rosley.”

“Yes, please speaak. Handsome young master.”

“Did you truly not drink any alcohol?”

When Clyde pressed the issue again, Aiden’s face aggressively scrunched up into a furious pout. Looking profoundly wronged, he began violently pounding his own chest with his fist. He hit himself so hard that dull thwack, thwack sounds echoed in the quiet garden.

“I definitely had a really crappy day, buuut I never drank any alcohol, and I am absolutely not druuunk!”

“Wait, stop that. You’re going to bruise yourself.”

“I’m so wrongeeed! Why won’t you believe me?! I’m telling you I’m not druuunk!”

I’m not drunk. I’m not drunk! Completely ignoring Clyde’s attempts to calm him, Aiden stubbornly repeated the exact same phrase on an endless loop. He looked fully prepared to stand there screaming until Clyde officially certified his sobriety.

Exhaling a long, defeated sigh, Clyde gently reached out and wrapped his fingers around Aiden’s wrists. He used absolutely minimal force, treating him as delicately as spun glass.

“Admiral Rosley. I am so incredibly sorry. I made a foolish mistake. You are absolutely not drunk.”

“Riiight?”

Right on cue, the moon, which had been obscured by heavy clouds, revealed itself.

Bathed in the brilliant, silvery moonlight, Aiden was beaming with overwhelming satisfaction. His crimson eyes were curved into dazzling, beautiful crescents, and a heavy, rosy flush stained his snow-white cheeks.

“…Damn it, this is driving me crazy.”

Aiden’s smile, which he hadn’t seen so freely displayed in years, was still devastatingly beautiful and overwhelmingly endearing. Perhaps because of that intense visual assault, all the blood violently rushed south, making his lower half throb with painful tightness. Hastily releasing Aiden’s wrists, Clyde violently ruffled his own hair. Haa. The breath that escaped his lips was laden with heavy, stifling heat.

“Why the sudden changeee? Are you just being petty because you don’t wanna admiiit that I’m riiight?”

“…No.”

He couldn’t exactly look at a drunk Aiden and admit, ‘I got half-hard because your smile is too pretty.’ Hell, he couldn’t even say that to a sober Aiden.

I’m not a pervert. Desperately trying to tear his sticky, lingering gaze away from the Admiral, Clyde mumbled the denial. Noticing the evasion, one corner of Aiden’s mouth slowly crooked upward into a sly smirk.

“Seems like you are thoough?”

“I’m telling you I’m not…”

Ultimately unable to withstand the teasing scrutiny, Clyde dropped his head in defeat. Thanks to the relentless heat coursing through his veins, the tips of his ears were dyed a faint red, but an intoxicated Aiden was far too oblivious to notice.

“Is that sooo? I see. I understand completelyyy.”

Just as Aiden surprisingly accepted the denial and nodded agreeably, a sudden gust of wind swept through the garden. Befitting a spring night in the capital, it was a warm, muggy breeze.

“Ugh…”

But to an intoxicated Aiden, it clearly felt completely different. He shivered violently, letting out a voice dripping with tragic, heart-wrenching sorrow.

“Handsome young masteer. Hug me.”

“…What?”

A completely breathless, dumbfounded sound slipped past Clyde’s lips. The request was so utterly shocking that the heat violently boiling in his body instantly evaporated. Unable to process reality, Clyde snapped his head up to stare at Aiden.

“I’m cooold. Hug meee!”

Aiden was genuinely trembling as if he were freezing, and the corners of his eyes had flushed a deep, tearful red, looking as though he might burst into sobs at any second.

“Don’t be mean, just hug me this onceee!”

Despite his tragic appearance, his tone was unbelievably shameless. He actually sounded profoundly entitled to the hug.

He was practically the world’s most adorable extortionist. Feeling the blistering heat radiating off his own cheeks and the muggy air filling his lungs, Clyde offered a logical rebuttal.

“Cold? It’s incredibly hot out here.”

“If I freeze to death right here, it’s entirely your fault, handsome young masteer!”

“I have never heard of anyone freezing to death in this kind of weather.”

Clearly displeased that his extortion was being met with cold logic, Aiden finally threw a full-blown tantrum.

“Hug me! I said hug meee!”

The adorable extortionist was rapidly evolving into a hopelessly stubborn drunk. If Clyde left him like this, he might end up dealing with an even bigger disaster than the fork-throwing incident.

I suppose I have no choice. I’ll just have to endure it. Resigned to his fate, Clyde reluctantly opened his arms. As if he had been waiting for that exact cue, Aiden unceremoniously abandoned his crutches and launched himself into Clyde’s embrace.

The moment that slightly cool, firm body pressed intimately against his own, Clyde’s mouth went bone dry. The heat that had briefly subsided instantly erupted into a raging inferno. Amidst the chaos in his body, a single, absolute resolution cemented itself in his mind.

I must never, ever let him drink alcohol in front of anyone else. Comforting this incredibly cute drunk was a privilege strictly reserved for him and him alone. As Clyde made the solemn vow, a sudden question flashed through his mind, causing him to tilt his head.

“By the way, Admiral Rosley. Did something unpleasant happen inside the party?”

“Weeell, I had a tiny little argument with a subordinateee.”

In an instant, the ambient temperature plummeted, the air growing piercingly, lethally cold.

“Who was it? Would you like me to punish them for you?”

In stark contrast to his incredibly sweet, soothing voice, Clyde’s blue eyes flashed with murderous intent, looking fully prepared to slaughter the culprit on the spot. Completely oblivious to the lethal aura radiating from the man holding him, Aiden buried his face deeper into Clyde’s chest and mumbled.

“It’s fiiiine. I’m an Admiral and he’s just a Captain anyway, so it doesn’t really matteer.”

A Captain. Mentally pulling up the guest list of every single Captain attending the party, Clyde remained silent, gently and rhythmically patting Aiden’s back. Finding the soothing touch incredibly pleasant, Aiden lifted his head to meet Clyde’s gaze.

“Ah, that’s riiight.”

Despite being completely intoxicated, those crimson eyes reflecting absolutely nothing but Clyde were shining with breathtaking clarity. It felt as if the blinding fury that had just filled Clyde’s mind was instantly washed away.

“Handsome young master. When are you going to tell me your nameee?”

He really is too much. Clyde playfully poked Aiden’s flushed cheek. Ow. An exaggerated, overly dramatic whine slipped through Aiden’s lips.

“Think carefully. You already know my name.”

Clyde offered a perfectly painted, devastatingly affectionate smile. However, clearly unsatisfied with the cryptic answer, Aiden aggressively scrunched up his face in displeasure.

“I dunnooo.”

Shaking his head vigorously, Aiden stubbornly repeated that he didn’t know. To prevent him from making himself dizzy, Clyde gently cupped Aiden’s cheeks to hold his head still.

“My name is Clyde.”

The exact moment the name left his lips, a sharp, incredibly loud Tsk! echoed between them. Clyde’s brow furrowed slightly at the blatant display of disgust.

Seeing that handsome face subtly contort with displeasure, Aiden panicked and launched into a frantic apology.

“Handsome young masteer! I’m sorry! It’s not you, it’s just… I’m being forced into a marriage! And you have the exact same name as that damn Grand Duke, so I was just surpriseeed!”

I didn’t mean to insult you… As Aiden endlessly babbled his excuses, a low, rumbling chuckle vibrated in Clyde’s chest.

“Admiral Rosley. I’m sorry to break it to you, but I am that damn Grand Duke.”

“What are you talking abooout! Sure, that damn Grand Duke is handsome tooo, buuut…”

As if vividly recalling the Grand Duke’s face, Aiden broke into a goofy, lovestruck grin. Clyde gently stroked his cheek and asked the baiting question.

“Is the damn Grand Duke really that handsome?”

“Yeees. His face is totally my type. But your face is my type tooo, handsome young master.”

Even while blackout drunk, Aiden’s physical tastes remained flawlessly consistent. A strange, twisted wave of immense satisfaction washed over Clyde. Of course, completely unaware that he was talking to the exact same person, Aiden began passionately venting his grievances.

“Honestly, since I’m getting a husband who literally looks like he was sculpted perfectly to my tastes, I really don’t care that much about the marriage itseelf, you know?”

“Then isn’t everything perfectly fine?” Clyde asked, offering a casual shrug.

At that, Aiden’s expression hardened, and he practically shouted his outrage.

“There’s a massive problem! I have to go back to the freezing North where those disgusting monsters areee!”

As if the mere thought revived his profound sense of injustice, Aiden stuck his bottom lip out in a massive pout. Every single sluggishly drawn-out syllable was absolutely saturated with sorrow.

“So, my master plan was to get married, hop on a warship immediately, and run awaaay! But they told me the Northern sea froze over because of a cursee.”

Aiden’s sorrow deepened into a bottomless trench. His massive, sparkling eyes looked like they were going to start dropping heavy tears at any given second.

“The Grand Duke insists we absolutely have to live in the North, and my old man locked me uup…”

Technically speaking, Clyde was the architect behind almost all of this misery, meaning he should be dropping to his knees to apologize. However, watching Aiden whine and complain was so unbelievably cute that Clyde couldn’t stop smiling like an absolute lunatic.

Yet, he knew that if he dared to laugh out loud right now, there was no telling how this incredibly stubborn drunk would react. Biting down hard on the inside of his cheek, Clyde desperately held it in.

“Our dear Admiral must have had a truly awful time.”

Having successfully suppressed his laughter, Clyde offered a soothing, gentle voice of comfort. In response, Aiden balled his hands into tight little fists. He looked exactly like a brave, fiercely determined kitten preparing for war.

“So! I’m going to go to the North first, find a way around the curse, and escape from that damn Grand Duke no matter whaaat!”

And just like that, the brave little kitten committed the fatal error of happily confessing his highly classified escape plan directly to the primary target. Letting out a soft snort of amusement, Clyde gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of Aiden’s eyes.

“But what will you do? I heard that damn Grand Duke desperately needs you.”

“Reaally? That’s a shame, ’cause I don’t need anything from him except his faaace…”

It was an aggressively honest, devastatingly shallow answer. Ultimately unable to hold back any longer, Clyde burst into genuine, ringing laughter.

“Handsome young masteer. You sure laugh a looot, huh?”

Meeting Aiden’s bewildered gaze that practically screamed ‘why on earth are you laughing’, Clyde managed to catch his breath and answer.

“It’s just that you are so incredibly cute and adorable, Admiral Rosley, that the laughter just slipped out on its own.”

“Well, I suppose I am pretty cute and adorableee.”

As if he had heard that compliment a million times before and fully accepted it as objective fact, Aiden didn’t even bother trying to deny it.

“Hey, handsome young master. It’s a tiny thing, but I’m actually really sad about one part of this forced marriage. Wanna hear it?”

Clyde looked down at the man securely wrapped in his arms. The moment their eyes met, Aiden let the corners of his eyes droop pathetically.

“I always had this romantic fantasy about getting proposed to, but those old geezers completely ruined iit.”

“A proposal?”

“It’s an arranged marriage, so a proposal is pointless. Well, I didn’t want one from the Grand Duke in the first place, buuut.”

Ah, a proposal. Having completely overlooked that crucial step, a soft gasp of realization slipped from Clyde’s lips. Since things had turned out like this, he decided he absolutely had to give Aiden the exact proposal he had always dreamed of.

“If you could have your dream proposal, how would you want it done?”

At Clyde’s question, Aiden scrunched up his nose as if seriously pondering the logistics. Suddenly, struck by a brilliant idea, a radiant, breathtaking smile bloomed across his face as he looked up at Clyde.

“First of all, it has to be on a day with perfectly clear, warm sunlight. The location has to be a quiet beach with no one else around… And the ring—yeah, the ring has to have a super expensive, massive blue gem.”

Just describing the fantasy seemed to fill him with overwhelming joy, coloring his snow-white cheeks a delicate, happy pink.

“May I ask why it specifically has to be a blue gem?”

“Ahhh. Because that child’s eyes were blueee.”

“That child?”

As Clyde tilted his head in feigned curiosity, Aiden gladly elaborated.

“My first love. We met in the capital… how old was I again?”

Lost in his precious memories, Aiden let out a soft, nostalgic giggle and buried his face back into the warmth of Clyde’s chest. Staring down at him with an unreadable expression, Clyde cautiously asked the burning question.

“Do you still miss him so much that he’s the first thing you think of for a proposal?”

“I miss him an incredible amouunt. I joined the Navy entirely because of hiiim.”

“Then have you never considered searching for him?”

Clyde’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously as he swallowed. The fleeting seconds waiting for the answer felt like an eternity. Letting out a soft, sleepy groan, Aiden sluggishly moved his lips.

“There’s no need to look for hiiim.”

The answer made Clyde’s heart plummet straight into his stomach. Having his worst, unspoken fear confirmed as absolute reality was a localized kind of torture.

“I buried that child safely in my memories, and I just take him out to look at him sometiiimes.”

“…I see. Is that so.”

I’m far too pathetic and lingering to ever do something like that. Muttering the self-deprecating truth under his breath, a deeply bitter smile spread across Clyde’s lips.

“You know, Captain Ionata, the person I respect the most in the world, told me that humans are beings meant to move forward. We shouldn’t stay chained to the paaast.”

As Aiden continued his quiet, slurring ramble, his crimson eyes swirled with a complex, melancholic storm of emotions.

“Plus, I still have the blue sea that child gifted me, so it’s okay. No matter what happens, the sea will always be by my siide…”

The continuous stream of words abruptly cut off, replaced instantly by the soft, rhythmic sound of shallow breathing.