Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 22.1 The Bitter with the Sweet

A month flew by, and by the second month, the butler’s intensity seemed to wane, perhaps from exhaustion or because there was nothing left to teach. Kloff’s posture was impeccable, and he had already devoured dozens of humanities books. He even tangled his legs and played footsie with Aeroc.

Afterward, the butler made an absurd attempt to teach Kloff a musical instrument and only gave up after nearly ruining a precious heirloom violin. Kloff’s table manners were already perfect, and he was an excellent horseman. He was skilled in all other sports, and his swordsmanship was almost unmatched. With nothing left to criticize, they eventually returned to square one: the matter of his status.

“Have you accomplished anything? Don’t even mention your wealth.”

“Not yet.”

“Then you’ll have to wait.”

He gnashed his teeth, but there was nothing he could do. He had half-given up on a formal marriage even before the butler could forbid it. Instead, he resolved to somehow solidify Aeroc as his undisputed Omega during this heat cycle. The butler might not like it, but what could he do if an “accident” happened? Aeroc, realizing that a wedding ceremony couldn’t be held yet—and indeed, that its day was still far off—surprisingly seemed a little disappointed.

“If you want a grand affair, you could reveal yourself as an Omega to the world and have a magnificent ceremony at the cathedral.”

Even though Kloff said it half-teasingly, Aeroc seriously considered it. He should have flatly refused, as his countship could be jeopardized, but he couldn’t, which greatly pleased Kloff. He wanted to kneel before him and propose grandly right then, but he held back. He would save it for later. After a long moment, Aeroc shook his head.

“Not yet. But I can’t just let this pass without doing anything.”

“Of course not. How about a simple dinner?”

“Dinner? Where?”

“Anywhere. Wherever you like.”

Aeroc pondered again, then finally nodded. At that moment, Kloff took Aeroc’s hand and kissed the back of it. And just as he was about to kiss his lips again, he gave up, thanks to the butler coughing as if he had consumed.

“I will prepare dinner.”

“I’ll leave it to you. Oh, and it’s not a grand dinner, just a simple evening meal. I’d prefer it to be as private as possible.”

“Don’t worry.”

Though the butler was very strict and formidable, he was equally meticulous in his work, so after that exchange, Kloff was able to go to his office that day without any special torment. Aeroc stood by the window, looking his way. Kloff looked up at him, smiled, and raised a hand, and Aeroc returned the gesture. There weren’t many days left for them to part like this. After this heat cycle, Kloff would stay by his side to protect his wife and child. Then, neither the butler nor anyone else would have the right to stop him.

During the few weeks awaiting the commemorative dinner, Kloff occasionally visited the mansion, but nothing significant happened. Instead, he struggled fiercely to elevate his status. He tidied up his affairs, handed them over to trusted colleagues in the industry, dealt only with key clients, and devoted all his remaining time to managing the national fund.

It was still an early stage, so there weren’t major achievements, but he was confident it would bear fruit before the year was out. People with influence in this field held quite high positions, so he was very busy meeting them. Thus, his visits to the mansion decreased slightly. Aeroc was doing well at the mansion, and there were no major worries.

As the promised date approached, Kloff experienced a strange sensation, his heart inexplicably pounding. Especially when he touched the ring he had re-prepared to fit Aeroc’s finger, he became even more restless. He hadn’t felt this way when he prepared to propose to Raphielle before; now, he was incredibly nervous and anxious. A slight fear also crept in, wondering if something might go wrong.

“Kloff Bendyke. If you’re like this already, what will you do later?”

He tried to calm his excited heart with self-talk, but it was hard to suppress the laughter that escaped. Seeing his boss chuckling to himself, his secretary looked at him as if he were a madman, so he cleared his throat and pretended nothing was amiss.

On the appointed day, he dressed much more meticulously than usual. After nagging Martha into preparing a perfect suit, he looked quite good even to himself. Leaving Martha behind, who saw him off with a plea to succeed this time, he headed to the mansion. And he couldn’t close his mouth when he saw the Count’s estate bustling with all sorts of carriages from the entrance.

Even as he entered the mansion’s front door, the impeccably dressed butler bowed slightly and greeted him, “Good evening. Please show your invitation.”

“Where’s my invitation? And how is this a private dinner?”

“It was prepared privately, sir. By the Count’s standards, of course.”

He gnashed his teeth and glared at the butler, but the situation had already unfolded, and there was no way to fix it. Seeing the elderly butler with a rare faint smile, it was clear Kloff had been tricked. He trusted him too easily. This foxy old man.

It was useless to argue with the butler. He had to find Aeroc immediately. Following the footman’s guidance, he entered, only to find that the tables were set outdoors, not in a banquet hall. Seeing the lavishly decorated tables and garden, reminiscent of a concert, made him momentarily dizzy.

Thanks to Kloff’s efforts, the Count’s finances were much stronger, and this scale was no big deal, but the important thing was, how on earth was this a private dinner? Especially, wasn’t that his former fiancée, chatting with a tall Alpha with silver eyes over there, waving at him? Kloff felt like he was going to faint, but he decided to find the culprit and strangle him first, then faint.

“Aeroc!”

He scoured the vast dining area, looking for him. Some guests saw Kloff and extended their hands, greeting him, “You have a special day today, don’t you? Is it your birthday?” He unconsciously put on a polite smile and hastily shook hands, saying, “It’s not my birthday. There must be some misunderstanding.”

“Excuse me. I’m currently looking for the Count.”

“I saw Teiwind over there.”

He quickly ran in the direction the guests pointed. In the middle of the huge garden banquet hall, bustling with servants busy attending to the throngs of guests, he found Aeroc in a dazzling white suit.

Looking even more radiant than usual, as soon as he spotted Kloff, he discarded his usual mask-like smile and smiled beautifully, as if in a dream. At that moment, not only Kloff but everyone nearby simultaneously looked at him.

“The Count looks exceptionally charming today.”

“Hmm. What happened? He seems very happy.”

“Is he in love?”

“Which Omega is so fortunate? Is it that one from Westport, after all?”

Hearing that far, Kloff’s mind snapped awake. And he snatched Aeroc’s arm, who was exchanging pleasantries with someone.

“Excuse me. I have an urgent matter and will borrow the Count for a moment.”

His cold tone seemed to startle the guests who had been chatting, but knowing that Kloff was the Count’s financial manager and had a strangely informal relationship with the Count, they didn’t stop him. Aeroc and Kloff were already rumored to have a quite intimate relationship among the nobles. They thought nothing serious would happen, but the prevailing opinion was that it was an inexplicable friendship between eccentric Alpha bachelors. So, people didn’t think much of it when Kloff grabbed Aeroc’s arm and dragged him to a corner.

“What are you doing to the guests so rudely? People will think it’s strange.”

It was Aeroc who was angry. But since they couldn’t argue there, Kloff dragged him to an empty corner of the garden. Since the previous incident of violence, no one approached where Kloff was, but just in case, he instructed a passing maid to prevent anyone from coming their way. The maid, a servant of the Count’s estate who knew well that the relationship between the two was more than just ‘inexplicable friendship,’ nodded without showing any emotion.

As soon as he dragged him to the corner, Kloff grabbed Aeroc by the collar and yelled.

“How is this a simple dinner?”

“I cut the guest list in half.”

Aeroc shook off Kloff’s hand, annoyed. Even that sight was dazzlingly beautiful, so he wanted to throw him down immediately, but he had to express his anger, so he held back. He deliberately put his hands on his hips and paced back and forth, arguing. Otherwise, he felt he would reveal his excitement.

“I thought there would be no guests!”

“How can there be no guests at a dinner? Don’t talk nonsense.”

He was completely unreasonable. What Kloff wanted was a romantic moment, just the two of them, privately and secretly whispering sweet nothings while sharing fine wine. He didn’t want a grand banquet that gathered all the nobles in the city, let alone his former fiancée, but it seemed his message hadn’t been conveyed at all. In disappointment, Kloff sighed, loosening the tie that was choking him.

“After attending to all those guests, what then?”

“What then?”

Seeing Aeroc retort as if he didn’t know, Kloff truly seethed.

“It’s your heat cycle!”

“……Ah…… Not yet.”

When Kloff spoke loudly, Aeroc quickly became flustered, stammering and denying it. Kloff scoffed.

“Don’t lie. I can already smell the sweetness.”

“Really? I put on perfume.”

Aeroc raised his arm to his nose and asked with a worried expression.

“Did anyone else notice?”

“Not that much. Only I can smell it. Others will only smell the perfume.”

He spoke with a slight taunt, wondering if Aeroc was worried, and Aeroc blinked blankly, looking at Kloff. And he added one more comment.

“What, am I a dog, not a person?”

“……”

Being treated like a dog. Kloff grinned. And he made him face reality.

“If I’m a dog, you’re a bitch. Come on, let’s go make puppies.”

He grabbed the flustered Aeroc’s hand and tried to enter the mansion, but he pulled his hand away and resisted. When Kloff turned around, Aeroc, his face flushed, made strange gestures and couldn’t speak, then calmly sighed and opened his mouth again.

“Wait a minute. What about the guests?”

“They’ll eat well and go home on their own. The butler will take care of it. With so many people, nothing will happen if you’re not there.”

“Still, as the host, at least a greeting…”

He quickly grabbed his waist to prevent him from backing away and looked him straight in the eye, warning him.

“When do you plan to greet a hundred people? If you have that much stamina, I hope you’ll devote it to sex.”

“Kloff!”

As Kloff strode away, Aeroc was dragged along, almost stumbling. No matter how much he called out, no matter how much he tried to make excuses about remembering something else, Kloff ignored him and went straight to the bedroom. As if he understood the meaning of this banquet, Aeroc’s bedroom was decorated quite romantically. A subtle scent lingered, and pale-colored flowers were placed everywhere. There were even simple drinks and snacks on the table.

“You’re always so well-prepared.”

“I didn’t do that…”

As soon as he pushed Aeroc into the room, who was fumbling and avoiding eye contact, he locked the door. He locked the other doors and closed the windows and drew all the curtains, just as Aeroc had done before.

He didn’t want to be disturbed, so he had signaled to the maid and footman with his eyes when he entered the mansion; unless a war broke out, he wouldn’t be disturbed. He was sure the butler, being perceptive, wouldn’t interfere this time. No matter what, he wouldn’t want to see his beloved young master, disheveled with heat, receiving an Alpha.

Aeroc looked back at Kloff, a little uneasy. He didn’t seem like the person who usually taunted so well, or sometimes acted like a seductress. It was truly incomprehensible and, in a way, a little cute how he always became docile when Kloff took the lead in creating a sexual atmosphere.

He seemed a little afraid of sex initiated by others. Once, after seducing him in the inner chambers, and another time when they hastily had sex in the study to avoid the butler’s eyes, Aeroc was stiff and didn’t know what to do.

From behind, especially when Kloff held his wrists and pinned him against the bookshelf, his expression was so pitiful, begging to be let go as if he was about to cry. At that time, after climaxing, Kloff had to hold Aeroc, who collapsed to the floor, for a long time. While stroking his trembling back and whispering “it’s okay” repeatedly, Aeroc sat on Kloff’s lap and buried his head in his neck, clinging and crying a little. Kloff learned that it was not good to push him when he didn’t actively desire it.

Since it was his heat cycle, Kloff assumed Aeroc wouldn’t refuse, so he had dragged him here, but seeing him like this made him uneasy again. He had no intention of forcing him. He had already waited, and waiting two more months, or even four more, would make no difference.

“Are you uneasy about spending your heat cycle with me? Should I postpone it until you’re ready?”

He spoke as gently as possible. Aeroc then hunched his shoulders slightly, then soon raised his head and gazed at Kloff. Despite his anxiousness and not knowing what to do, he shook his head. It didn’t seem genuine, so Kloff reconfirmed, “Really. It’s okay to postpone it. As long as you don’t abandon me and run away.”

“No. I’ve been waiting for today too. I’m just a little… nervous.”

“Really?”