Chapter 26 …
A soft kiss was pressed against my cheek, then another at the corner of my eye, and finally a light kiss on my lips.
As I let Ryuka do as he pleased as usual, he eventually seemed satisfied and looked into my eyes.
âAre you getting hungry? Shall we go somewhere for lunch?â
âThere were various shops on the way here, and thereâs food being sold inside the arena too.â
âThen letâs eat upstairs. Do you want to watch a few matches while weâre at it?â
âMm, I want to.â
Since we had come to a place like the Colosseumâsomething out of a fantasy worldâI definitely wanted to see it properly. The day we were worried about was still half a month away, so although anxiety lingered, it felt fine to take a short break.
So we returned to the surface.
In the lobby, we checked what matches were scheduled. It seemed that a party-based tournament would be held in the afternoon at the circular arena.
We bought seats, and I even placed a betâone silver coin, ten thousand Gâon which team would win.
After that, we bought lunch. There were many shops, making it hard to choose, but we picked food we could carry to our seats: juice, several savory bread rolls, salad, and fries.
Once we sat down, we started eating immediately.
Even though I often ate fast food inside dungeons, today it tasted better than usualâmaybe because Ryuka was with me.
Occasionally, I noticed people glancing at us. Things like âThe prince is eating fried chicken bread,â or âEven the prince uses a straw?â
They were doing the same things themselves, though.
I could understand why Ryuka, as a prince, drew attention. But this was the Soleil Kingdom. Even though he had received royal orders, Ryuka still traveled with Noel alone, and nobles could be seen walking around normally. Even knights and magicians were mostly nobles.
Nobles had their own society, but outside of it, they were expected to follow common rules. That was why they ate the same food as commoners, in the same way. Even if their manners revealed their noble upbringing, openly declaring it was considered foolish.
So there was nothing strange about Ryuka eating fries.
Nothing strangeâbut still.
âAn âahhâ feed from his loverâŚ!?â I could hear people whispering. âTheyâre flirting even here, how unfair!â
My face grew hot.
If I was feeding Ryuka fries, it was only because he opened his mouth and said âahh.â It wasnât my fault.
The match viewing was very enjoyable. It was my first time properly watching human combat like this, and it was a full party battleâ8 vs 8.
Front-line shields, backline mages, swordsmenâthe coordination was impressive.
Even though my bet didnât win, I spent a fulfilling afternoon.
When we left the Colosseum, it was already evening.
âIâve reserved a hotel for dinner.â
âGot it.â
I had no reason to refuse, so I agreed.
The last time I was taken to a hotel, I had been surprised because I wasnât told in advance, and I also didnât know that same-sex marriage was possible. I wasnât used to intimacy back then either.
But four months had passed since then.
I had grown used to walking through the city holding Ryukaâs hand, and to spending nights together. Staying at a hotel again wasnât a problem anymore, because Ryuka always made sure we were alone together.
âŚStill, I always end up relying on Ryuka for everything.
Maybe I should do something for him too. But when I tried to think of something I could do, nothing came to mind.
Ryuka was socially skilled, always prepared, rich, and held the highest position in status and authority. What could I possibly do for someone like that?
âZagan, whatâs wrong? Is there something on my face?â
âYour eyes, nose, and mouth are there.â
âY-yeah⌠I guess so. Youâve got them too. Haah⌠cute.â
Ryuka covered his face.
I had answered honestly without thinking. I decided to leave it alone.
At the hotel, we were guided to our room and ended up alone as expected. The dinner laid out on the table was luxurious.
We also took a bath together.
Afterward, we went to bed. We were embraced, kissed, and held close. Ryuka whispered softly.
âWanna have sex?â
I nodded.
He kissed me again, and I trembled slightly.
It was pleasantâbut I felt that if I stayed like this, Iâd be overwhelmed again without doing anything myself.
So before that happened, I pushed Ryuka down.
I sat on his thighs as he tried to rise in surprise.
âToday, Iâm on top.â
âEhâŚ? Wait⌠are you serious?â
I nodded.
I had won the sparring match earlier, so I had the right to decide. Ryuka looked flustered, but I didnât intend to back down.
I exposed his upper body and then removed my own robe.
We were both already aroused.
Ryuka hesitated, but I moved closer and began taking control.
I explored him hesitantly at first, uncertain, but gradually continued, learning through touch and reaction. Ryuka guided me gently at times, encouraging me.
As things progressed, I took more initiative.
Eventually, Ryuka pulled me closer, guiding me into position.
We moved together carefully, slowly adjusting, learning each otherâs rhythm.
The intimacy deepened, becoming overwhelming in sensation and emotion. We clung to each other, breath shaking, warmth spreading between us.
At some point, everything became quiet except for our breathing.
We held each other for a while afterward, exhausted and calm.
Ryuka smiled softly and kissed my forehead.
âNext time, Iâll make you feel good properly. Let me love every part of you.â
I nodded slightly.
After that, we stayed together for a long time, wrapped in warmth and closeness, until eventually we both relaxed completely.