Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 19.1 Mad dog hunt and finally mine

It was work again. Now, there was nothing but work. He needed to earn money to build the iron cage that would trap and confine that bastard Aeroc.

Ah, this is truly insane.

Kloff, who had just written “Aeroc Teiwind” on an important document, threw down his pen and sighed. It had been two months since he last saw Aeroc. At this rate, he might truly go crazy from sexual frustration, or perhaps cough up blood and wither away.

Occasionally, he spent a night with omegas, but it was no help at all. It was like drinking saltwater when parched; it only made him burn hotter. Unable to endure it any longer, he finally put on his jacket and left the office. Picking up the cane propped by the door, he hurried down the stairs.

It was late evening. He walked a bit instead of taking a carriage. The way home was long, but not unmanageable, and it was perfect for a change of mood when his mind was complicated. As he walked, the streets gradually changed. The office was in the city center, and his home was in the suburbs, but in between, besides shopping districts and residential areas, there were also dark alleys and red-light districts. Most people took detours, but Kloff didn’t have the energy to go around, so he went straight. His gloved hand, gripping the cane, tightened.

Soon after entering a shadowy, foul-smelling alley, drug-addled omega prostitutes and male prostitutes appeared from somewhere, lifting their legs and exposing their chests. However, to Kloff, it was merely a very unpleasant sight. Their dead eyes brought a strange, suffocating frustration, as if something was about to surface but never quite did.

All along the way, he pondered what was bothering him, but it was like a seal deliberately pressed down; the deeper he tried to dig, the more it vanished, and eventually, he’d even forget what he had been trying to recall. Yet, he had grown accustomed to his legs moving on their own while lost in thought, leading him to unfamiliar paths.

“Where is this now?”

Kloff frowned. In the deep alleys of the slum, known as the ‘underbelly,’ there were no proper streetlights. He could only see a dilapidated bakery at the far end, and the dying light seeping from it was all there was.

As he approached to ask for directions, two people who appeared to be Alphas emerged from the alley opposite Kloff. They were dressed quite well and glanced at the stranger walking the dark street with a cane in his hand, then quickly turned their heads away. They then entered the bakery. When Kloff reached the bakery, walking neither slowly nor quickly, the baker was about to close the shutters. When Kloff blocked the door with his cane, the rather fierce-looking owner grumbled.

“What do you want? We’re closed.”

“I just want to ask for directions. Which way do I go to get to the riverside from here?”

He asked, pulling out a few coins despite his informal address. The baker quickly snatched them and gestured with his chin, “That way.”

When Kloff looked towards the alley the baker had indicated and then back at the bakery window to nod his thanks, he saw the two men he’d seen earlier sitting at a table inside the bakery. It was a small shop, and the surroundings were quiet, not even a rat, so their loud voices were clearly audible.

“That omega bastard showed up again?”

“He came for drugs. I gave him some for now.”

“How did a nobleman and rich man, who looks like he’d never set foot here in his life, know you sell drugs?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he had his servants find out.”

“Is it dangerous? It might be a crackdown.”

“Indeed, lately, there are more than a few guys who’ve been half-crippled by some unknown demon. Could he be connected to that guy?”

“Let’s find out first.”

Just then, the baker looked at Kloff and asked, “Anything else you want to ask?” At that, the two men, who had looked over, fell silent and turned their heads away.

“No. Then.”

He nodded and turned away. The baker, watching Kloff walk away, soon closed the shutters and shouted to his two companions.

“Where is that omega bastard? We should deal with him first to prevent future trouble.”

He was a little tired and just wanted to leave. There were plenty of other bastards for this unknown demon to deal with, not just these guys. However, the thought that an omega, especially one who seemed completely out of place in this world, might suffer at their hands, made it impossible for him to ignore.

When he first started cutting through the underbelly on his way home, he had merely dealt lightly with those who picked fights with him. The rumor quickly spread that a physically robust, upper-class Alpha, occasionally appearing with a cane, possessed formidable skill. At first, those who thought they were strong enough ganged up on him, but when he unleashed the boiling rage within him, they no longer dared to challenge him on his path. It was a little regrettable.

Those who realized that he would quietly pass by unless provoked, even if they fought among themselves, didn’t bother Kloff, nor did they particularly care about him. They soon resumed their usual dirty and depraved acts. Kloff didn’t care what they did among themselves.

It was different a while ago when he saw two Alphas, who looked like they’d spent their entire lives in the underbelly, raping an omega woman in the street. The crime he detested most was that of vile mad dogs touching an omega.

From the moment his eyes met hers, the woman was too terrified to even cry properly, until a moment later when the two Alphas, their heads cracked open, stumbled and half-crawled away, he had no memory. When he came to, his cane was sticky with blood, and the woman, trying to straighten her torn clothes, was trembling in terror as if she had seen a demon. At that time, Kloff was also slightly flustered and quickly left.

That day, he lay in bed, ignoring Martha’s worried nagging about the bloodied cane. He probably thought of the Count. It was a very irrational association to see a miserable prostitute being gang-raped in an alley and then think of Aeroc Teiwind, who stood high in society, enjoying luxurious food, clothing, and shelter, attended by countless servants.

It seems my brain went wrong then.

Kloff tucked his cane under his arm and pulled on his gloves, checking that his long, thick fingers moved freely, then hid in the darkness, watching the bakery. A moment later, the two men and the baker, a total of three, emerged. They looked around cautiously and began to move quickly somewhere, and Kloff quietly followed them.

They were very cautious and turned through the confusing alleys many times. It was impossible to follow them from a distance without being detected, yet not lose track of these underbelly residents who moved so quickly through this labyrinthine place. They must have sensed someone was following them, as they immediately split into three directions and scattered, and Kloff eventually lost them. A great rage, coupled with an unbearable anxiety, swept over him. He had to find them. Otherwise…

Since he seemed to have been discovered, Kloff didn’t bother to quiet his footsteps and strode through the alleys, searching. Sometimes he even ran lightly. But they were nowhere to be seen.

Just as his impatience reached its peak, Kloff arrived at the heart of the underbelly. It was a shabby and dirty place incomparable to the city center where his office was, but it had relatively wide streets and some streetlights. He saw groups of people gathered at outdoor tables, drinking cheap liquor. Just as he was about to approach them to ask if they had seen a strange omega or the baker, he spotted a familiar face.

Finding that person here was truly surprising. Kloff himself created a sense of incongruity in the underbelly, but that person’s very existence was alien. Sitting nobly at an outdoor table, listening to his counterpart, he too seemed surprised to see Kloff, his wolf-like, gleaming silver eyes widening.

A moment later, Kloff followed behind a taciturn man who was guiding him. This subordinate of the other man said nothing, carrying a lantern and turning through the alleys, moving briskly.

“Is this the right way?”

He only nodded in response to the question. His appearance was rough, but there was something about him that inspired trust. Even so, Kloff had no idea how such a man could be acquainted with the Marquis. What was most surprising was that he was helping Kloff with his task.

Those guys don’t appeal to me either.

The Marquis had only said that, but for someone who had previously harbored an inexplicable hostility towards Kloff, he was surprisingly cooperative. To even send a companion to guide him. He seemed to know the underbelly well and appeared to be a man with many hidden secrets. But that wasn’t important to Kloff right now. For now, the mad dog hunt was more important. The wolf could wait until all the dogs were dealt with.

“The one you’re looking for is over there.”

With a gruff remark, the man pointed to a narrow alley. As they approached a little closer, several presences could be heard from within the usually gloomy alley. Giggling laughter and hurried footsteps too. Kloff gripped his cane and looked at the man, who then set the lantern down on the ground.

“I’ll stand guard here. It’d be troublesome if they escaped. Go on.”

The alley was very dark, but outlines were barely discernible. Someone ran towards a dead-end wall in the distance. The loitering figures behind them were so engrossed in the fleeing target that they didn’t notice someone appearing from behind. A person in a hooded cloak reached the blocked wall and looked back.

“Hey, omega over there. Three silver coins for a quick screw, huh? I’ll be your husband.”

The three men exchanged lewd remarks and chuckled. The person called omega stood frozen, saying nothing.

“You smell so sweet, you must be in heat. Don’t take any drugs, I’ll treat you well. One thrust from me will cure your heat, I tell you.”

“They say noble omegas are so tender and a true delicacy. Why don’t you bestow some charity upon us poor underbelly lives?”

As the Alphas closed the distance, the omega suddenly lunged forward. He seemed to have tried to push them away and escape, but to Kloff, it was futile. He had thrown himself into the Alphas’ grasp and couldn’t even scream. The Alphas covered his mouth, grabbed his body, and tried to force him to the ground.

“Take your hands off that person.”

Startled by the chilling warning from behind, the three Alphas jumped up. At that moment, the omega got up and tried to escape. Too surprised to even look properly in this direction, the omega, his hood pulled deep, checked the Alphas who had stopped behind him and sped up even faster, eventually colliding with Kloff. He stumbled and was about to fall backward, so Kloff instinctively supported his waist. A sweet scent wafted from between the fluttering cloak.

The feel of the waist against his arm was surprisingly familiar. And this scent…

It was impossible. He had clearly said he was at the villa in the countryside. There was no reason for him to be chased by such men in such a dangerous place. But his instincts said otherwise. The person who had been caught by him and frozen was none other than that person.

Kloff quickly pulled off the hood. And met the equally astonished blue eyes.

“Aeroc?”

He was so surprised that he couldn’t grasp the situation. He couldn’t believe it even seeing him right in front of his eyes. Words failed him. Aeroc, too, was terrified upon seeing Kloff. He looked up blankly at the person holding him, then, perhaps regaining his senses first, tried to push away the arm wrapped around his waist. The thought of him trying to escape again snapped Kloff back to reality. He gripped Aeroc’s waist tightly, preventing him from fleeing.

“Let go.”

“If you run, you die.”

He warned, his own lips so cold they felt frozen. As he gripped Aeroc’s waist as if to tear it off, Aeroc flinched and then fell silent. He relaxed his body and leaned slightly against Kloff. The sweet scent spread further amidst the acrid aroma. Kloff was so enraged that he wanted to bite Aeroc’s neck right then and there for carrying such a strong scent that he could be mistaken for an omega.

Meanwhile, the thugs approached.

“What? That omega’s my wife, isn’t he? You touched him, so hand over five silver coins.”

They smirked and pulled out daggers. Without a word, Kloff took out the silver coin pouch he always carried and threw it on the ground. Silver coins spilled out from the opened pouch, shimmering. There were easily thirty of them.

They licked their lips with greedy eyes, then said, “Have your fun,” and started to leave. One of the three, in particular, gave a strange look and whispered something to the baker, as if he knew Kloff. They exchanged meaningful glances and were about to pass by.

“Wait. I have a question.”

Kloff adjusted his grip on the cane, pushing the foolish Count, who wandered these streets naked, behind him. The men, who had picked up the silver pouch and were about to pass, turned back with grim expressions, asking, “What?” Kloff asked with a polite smile.

“Did you say this one is your wife?”

“She’s my wife, but I haven’t screwed her much, so her hole is still tight and fun. Kil…”