Define The Relationship Novel - Chapter 25

In this era, where the word ‘aristocrat’ itself feels awkward and even somewhat ridiculous, aristocratic etiquette varies depending on the situation. In Karlyle’s case, he prioritized gentlemanliness across the nation. Holding a door for the person behind you or helping someone in distress are actions naturally taught from a young age. Accordingly, Karlyle habitually picked up wallets or hats that fell in front of him and handed them over. When he picked up an item with a slight bow at the precise angle and an extended long arm, everyone who received it lingered, trying to say something to Karlyle.

However, Karlyle had no time to pay attention to them. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have bothered. Karlyle watched the Alpha woman, who was smiling happily and talking to Ash. Her gestures clearly showed interest. Her body pressed close to Ash, and her subtle hand movements touching his arm all felt unpleasant.

Ash continued talking for about ten more minutes. The Alpha woman hugged Ash and even gave him a light kiss on the cheek before letting him go. When Ash returned to his spot, the scent of another Alpha faintly lingered. An indescribably unpleasant feeling surged. His clamped jaw tightened rigidly.

“Did you wait long? Sorry.”

Karlyle turned his head. A petty sense of possessiveness and exclusiveness surged. However, Karlyle was a rational human being. He shouldn’t show these emotions to Ash. They were merely temporary sex partners.

“No.”

Karlyle held out the ticket. Ash looked at it for a moment, then approached, saying, “Thank you.” Before Ash’s lips touched his cheek, Karlyle took a step back. The scent emanating from Ash’s body was unpleasant. He disliked that someone had left such a scent on Ash.

Refusing a kiss on the cheek was something Karlyle had done for the first time in the past month. Ash, if nothing else, quickly noticed Karlyle’s slight discomfort. It was similar now.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

But Ash didn’t believe him. Karlyle looked at his silently observing eyes and added dryly, “It’s just that the scent of another Alpha is unpleasant, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mind.”

“Another Alpha?”

Ash blinked. Then he pressed his body against Karlyle again. This time, Karlyle missed his timing to step back. Ash’s slanted eyes narrowed. With a face full of laughter, Ash whispered, “You don’t like that?”

Alphas are inherently like that. His younger brother, Kyle, who was a dominant Alpha, also disliked the scent of an unfamiliar Omega on him.

“It’s not pleasant.”

“Then you can put your scent on me, Karlyle.”

Ash whispered subtly. Their fingers intertwined. The feeling of their hands, which hadn’t quite grasped each other before, now touching, melted the knot in his stomach. Karlyle looked directly at Ash. His pheromones deepened as if tempting him. A sharp tang was added.

“You smell like Omega too, Karlyle.”

The four people who had passed Karlyle came to mind. Ash lifted their clasped hands. Ash kissed the prominent bone on the back of his hand.

“I don’t like that either.”

“The scent I left last time has faded quite a bit.” Ash said that and rubbed his nose against Karlyle’s nape. His hair softly brushed against his neck.

Karlyle didn’t understand what Ash was saying for a moment. He felt people’s gazes. But Karlyle couldn’t move. Because Ash was touching him.

“I didn’t put too much on because I thought you’d be surprised, Karlyle, but next time, I’ll put a lot on.”

Ash was talking about pheromones. He probably meant the sex from a few days ago.

“You don’t have to go that far…”

“Then other Alphas won’t put their scent on me, will they?”

At that, Karlyle fell silent. Ash chuckled softly and pulled away. Their hands remained clasped. Karlyle felt a sense of relief at that fact.

“You know, Karlyle.”

Ash said, without taking his eyes off him.

“I really don’t understand you, Karlyle.”

Ash uttered words whose intention was difficult to grasp. But there was no time to answer. Ash shook the tickets and led Karlyle into the exhibition hall.

The BP Award is an exhibition that selects excellent portraits from people across the country, not just artists who have already debuted. Ash said he often buys paintings he likes after seeing the exhibition.

Their firm, straight hands remained tightly clasped throughout the exhibition. Contrary to the cool air from the air conditioner chilling the backs of their hands, their palms grew warmer.

As they walked through the exhibition hall, they talked about their favorite artists. Karlyle didn’t provide a clear answer. He knew about artists’ techniques, the history of art styles, and the value of paintings, but he had never considered anything beyond that important. Ash had many favorite artists.

“I also like Leyendecker and Waterhouse.”

At the mention of Waterhouse, Karlyle suddenly recalled the red roses Ash had brought. Then, a painting came to mind.

“You must also like ‘The Soul of the Rose’.”

“How did you know? I love it so much I regret not owning it first.”

Ash smiled brightly as if he had guessed correctly. Karlyle looked at Ash for a moment, then averted his gaze.

Ash said he was looking for a painting by someone named Michelle Whitewood. It hadn’t won an award, but Ash liked it even more for that reason, saying it hadn’t been sold yet. Karlyle finally found the painting in the farthest corner of the exhibition hall.

“Ash.”

“Yes, Karlyle.”

Ash turned his body, answering obediently. Karlyle quietly raised his hand and pointed to the painting.

“What you were looking for is here.”

“You found it?”

Ash walked towards it. Karlyle naturally followed, led by their clasped hands.

“You have a good eye, Karlyle. Thank you.”

Ash praised him even though he could have found it by circling the entire hall anyway. Karlyle always wondered about Ash’s way of thinking at times like this.

“It’s nothing.”

“Since Karlyle found it, I definitely have to buy it.”

Ash was silent for a moment. After looking at the painting for a long time, Ash spoke.

“I’ve never met her, but Michelle is Philip’s son. I love Philip Whitewood’s painting, ‘A Landscape of Lavender Fields,’ the most.”

Philip Whitewood was a name Karlyle hadn’t heard before. Karlyle quietly listened to his words.

“I expected him to have learned Philip’s painting style exactly, and it’s as I expected.”

Karlyle looked at the portrait in front of him. The brushstrokes were somewhat rough, but the colors were dreamy and vibrant. The emotions conveyed in the features were difficult to define.

“Do you own that painting?”

“No. The only two paintings Philip ever painted were sold long ago. He never painted again after that. It’s a painting that no one can acquire, not because of its price, but because no one knows who the owner is.”

Ash spoke with a somewhat bitter voice. It was a side of Ash he hadn’t seen before. Karlyle held back the words, “Then I…” It would have been an impertinent interference.

“I’m curious what kind of painting it is.”

“You won’t be able to find it online either.”

“So I’ll describe it to you.” Ash slowly turned. Karlyle followed him. As they left the exhibition hall, Ash described the painting in detail.

In the very center of a vast lavender field, mixed with deep blue and purple hues, stood a person. The back of their short hair made it impossible to guess their gender, and a moon as bright as midday illuminated the wide field with a white glow. The faint side profile, just before turning back, contained the overflowing emotions of the artist. Deep emotions, tender and precious, that made one feel as if they would fall in love just by looking at it.

Ash said he would never see a painting that contained such emotion again.

Time flew by frighteningly fast with Ash. While Ash bought the painting from the official, Karlyle received a call. The caller was Kyle.

“Kyle.”

“Did you wait long, Karlyle?”

Karlyle’s face relaxed ever so slightly. With soft eyes, Karlyle replied, “No.”

“I’m on my way back now. Tell me where you are.”

“I’m in Trafalgar, so take your time.”

“Did you have lunch?”

“Yes.”

Karlyle lied. He didn’t want to worry Kyle. Kyle chuckled softly and hung up. Nicholas’s voice could be heard in the distance.

“Who was that?”

Ash asked, walking over as if he had finished his business. Karlyle hesitated for a moment. He knew that Kyle and Ash weren’t that close, but there was no reason to lie.

“My younger brother.”

“Mr. Kyle?”

Ash asked, still smiling. Karlyle relaxed slightly at his expression, which didn’t show any obvious displeasure.

“Yes.”

“You seem to contact each other often.”

At that, Karlyle recalled his first meeting with Ash, or rather, the first meeting Ash remembered. Karlyle had reprimanded Nicholas for openly meeting Ash in the neighborhood while his younger brother was there. He was anxious whether Ash would recall that.

“The frequency isn’t high. It’s because of the business trip I mentioned.”

“Are you going together?”

Ash continued the conversation in a calm tone.

“That’s right.”

“Have a good trip, Karlyle.”

Ash said kindly, then smiled and asked again, “Do you have to go now?”

At that, Karlyle checked the time. The store Kyle had stopped at was in Chelsea. It would probably take about twenty minutes.

“Kyle is at Daisy Cot, so there’s still a little time.”

Ash blinked. At the sudden silence, Karlyle looked at Ash in confusion.

“Daisy Cot?”

A suffocating silence fell again. Ash raised a hand and rubbed his forehead, then smiled with a slight frown.

“Is Nick… pregnant?”

A feeling of dismay washed over him. He hadn’t expected Ash to know about Daisy Cot. No, he had naturally assumed Ash knew about Nicholas’s pregnancy. At the time Ash was introduced to Karlyle, Nicholas had known about his pregnancy. But now that he thought about it, there was no reason for Nicholas to tell Ash.

Because they were nothing to each other.

At least, to Nicholas.

He couldn’t grasp what to say. His heart felt squeezed, and Karlyle felt a stinging pain. Ash was clearly sad. He had never seen him smile like that before. Although he had only seen him for a few weeks, it was still the first time.

“Will you congratulate him for me, Karlyle?”

Ash rubbed the corner of his mouth and smiled again. Karlyle’s insides gradually crumbled at the crumbling smile. Pity and resentment for Ash surged. He didn’t know what the resentment was for.

“That…”

His expression hardened. Eight long months had passed. Nicholas had known Ash for less than two months. Whatever had happened between them, it was in the past now. And Ash still hadn’t forgotten someone who was already married. Karlyle couldn’t understand.

Why Ash held onto Nicholas so much.

“I don’t think I can convey that.”

He felt empty, as if all his insides had been scooped out. A pain, as if something was being forcibly torn away, came intermittently. This wasn’t right. Nicholas had Kyle. Kyle’s everything was Nicholas. He wanted no obstacles to stand between them in the future.

Ash’s smile faded at Karlyle’s words. His gentle eyes, filled with sadness, stared at Karlyle.

“Mr. Jones and Nicholas… are nothing to each other.”

Each word pricked his throat. Karlyle wanted Ash to no longer be hurt by Nicholas. He wanted Ash to forget him and be happy again.

“It doesn’t seem to be something Mr. Jones needs to worry about.”

A cold voice emerged. It was a bleak voice that Karlyle himself felt disgusted by.

Ash quietly looked at Karlyle. His beautiful lips, curved upwards, were tightly sealed and did not open. Each second passed incredibly slowly. Karlyle imagined if Ash would get angry like that day. Then his insides ached terribly.

However, Ash neither got angry nor showed resentment. He simply acknowledged it.

“You’re right.”

A tired, spiritless voice emerged. His choked voice sounded like someone crying. Karlyle despaired at the depth of that emotion.

“I was out of line.”

Ash looked away for a moment. Then he looked at Karlyle again. With the same smiling face as before, Ash spoke to Karlyle in a voice that was both gentle and cold.

“I’ve been quite rude. I’ll be going now.”

After finishing his words, Ash passed Karlyle. Without any hesitation, Ash walked past Karlyle and headed towards the exit.

Only Karlyle was left behind. He was the only one isolated amidst the peaceful whispers of people.

Karlyle wanted to ask.

What kind of relationship they had.

He knew they were sex partners. He also knew that Ash met him for Nicholas.

But.

But…

If he was only meeting Karlyle for that reason, would he need to be this gentle? Would he need to look at him so lovingly, touch him, and constantly draw his gaze?

If there was no exception to Ash’s actions… if his existence held only a trivial meaning incomparable to Nicholas…

He felt like he would be incredibly sad.

Karlyle briefly lowered his gaze. He raised the hand that had been holding Ash’s and looked at it for a long time. He looked at his straightened palm, then slowly turned his hand over to look at the back of his hand where Ash’s lips had touched. The only warmth left was his own. Karlyle raised his hand and quietly pressed his lips to the back of his hand where Ash’s lips had been.

It smelled of Ash.

The lovely scent he had left on him.