Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 26.5 - Side story 1 : Hey there, pretty Count. What's your name?

His earnest gaze subtly distorted. It was somewhere in between, unable to acknowledge or deny. Hmm, that wasn’t a very clever answer, was it?
He called him an angel, but he’d already figured out his name. From the start, a wealthy noble count with so many servants was rare, and even just by listening casually, his name and basic information flowed in.
Aeroc Teiwind.
That Count Teiwind. A single Alpha.
Even if his personal memories were gone, his knowledge hadn’t vanished. He fumbled through his remaining memories a few more times. They were completely unrelated. Naturally, questions arose. He began to observe with interest.
After a while, he felt that their relationship might be surprisingly deep. Back then, at the art gallery, the count, who bought all sorts of artworks indiscriminately, was conscious of Kloff before signing the order form. The desire to possess the rose in his hand was clearly felt by Kloff as well.
Wanting a rose held in another Alpha’s hand? No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t a simple relationship. It wasn’t a misunderstanding, as he could confirm through various other channels later. The count’s subtle glances and tone when dealing with him. Furthermore, the suffocating sexual tension created by freely crossing private spaces. The count’s actions were excessively intimate. Even when he tried not to, his attention was drawn to one side.
He kept such thoughts confined to himself. Just in case it was indeed a baseless misunderstanding. He didn’t want to create unnecessary awkwardness and ruin the atmosphere. But as time passed, his imagination grew in volume.
If he hadn’t had a completely different personality before losing consciousness, he would surely have been attracted to Aeroc Teiwind’s outstanding looks. Despite being an Alpha, he possessed the appearance Kloff ideally imagined. Slender limbs and straight shoulders. A slightly arrogant yet delicate face. Golden hair that completed his aristocratic aura.
He also possessed a rather interesting personality and intellect. He didn’t understand half of the conversation between him and the curator at the art gallery. While confirming his own lack of interest in art, he also realized that the count possessed such high-level knowledge that even the expert curator bowed his head. It wasn’t strange, as it was a field often called an “aristocratic hobby.” It was simply impressive that at such a young age, he had deeper knowledge than the middle-aged curator who made a living from art.
The count didn’t go out often. Perhaps because Kloff was there, he mostly spent his time at home. He woke up at regular hours and dressed impeccably even when not going out. He ate meals in the dining room and drank tea, preferably in the study. When invited to a simple yet luxurious tea party, Kloff realized that the count was more interested in literature than art.
-There’s no reason to keep unread books in the study.
He had no memories and nothing to do. Just to check how much his brain might have been damaged, he skimmed through books, and the count would briefly explain their contents just by hearing the title. No matter which book he picked, the explanation flowed without a hitch. When Kloff expressed surprise, that was the answer he received. What kind of relationship could a count, who was beautiful, rich, and even a genius, have with him? The questions only grew.
While he was lost in thought, the count approached, took the heavy book from Kloff’s hand, and put it back.
-Don’t overdo it. I also hope your memories return quickly, but you might make it worse.
Then, with a gentle touch, he stroked Kloff’s upper arm. His demeanor was so natural. He didn’t even seem to be conscious of it, just smiled sweetly. Was this really an accountant and client relationship? Even if he’d lost his memory, he wasn’t an idiot. Someday, his memories would return, or he’d learn the truth through other means. Would the count one day push him against a wall, press hot lips against his, and undress him, saying he couldn’t bear it anymore? It was vulgar, but he couldn’t deny it was a rather pleasant fantasy.
He was too naive, only imagining short, secret rendezvous away from prying eyes. Could he have ever dared to imagine the count suddenly diving into bed without any warning? No, he could grudgingly accept that much. It was very surprising, but he could just consider it a slightly accelerated progression. Even though they were both Alphas, if the count was that attractive, he should have prepared himself immediately.
But what? So, what was inside that flat stomach? A puppy? In a human’s stomach, that is, in the stomach of a count officially recognized as an Alpha due to his title being inherited by Alphas, there was a puppy, and he, Kloff Bendyke, had made it… was that what he was saying?
He felt like he’d been hit hard on the head and wondered if he was in the afterlife. This must be a dream shown by God before he died. The person named Kloff Bendyke seemed to have tried to live a good life, but apparently, he hadn’t met God’s standards. That’s why the dream was like this.
While he was blankly reflecting on what kind of person he might have been, the count continued with a very bitter expression. He said he was an Alpha, but he had become like this after meeting Kloff. It must be a curse from God. No, wait. Was this a curse? It should be seen as an awful blessing rather than a curse. Either way, what he had done, impregnating a perfectly normal Alpha, was immense.
“…Was I, by any chance… a scoundrel?”
The subtly distorted expression soon settled into bitterness. The angelic count seemed disappointed. What was he expecting… Ah. He was hoping his memories would return. The person who, despite being an adult Alpha, sometimes showed such naive behavior, looked a little lonely. Whether true or not, he had confessed to having another Alpha’s child. The count must have loved him deeply. And he missed Kloff Bendyke terribly. The person in front of him was the angel’s lover, and yet not his lover. It felt like a heavy weight pressing deep in his chest.
“You, Kloff, were not a scoundrel. I admit your personality was terrible. You can call yourself a scoundrel, I suppose. But that’s not your true nature. He is kind and considerate. He’s also very jealous, but that’s because he loves me so much. I do think that his tendency to resort to violence needs to be fixed.”
“He resorted to violence? Towards an angel? How could that be. In that case, it would be much better if my memory didn’t return.”
Perhaps it would be better, even if only to lighten the heavy stone in his heart. Envying a self he didn’t know was a difficult emotion to bear.
“No, that’s not what I meant at all.”
The angel hastily added. He shook his head vigorously and reached out to grab Kloff’s arm. He leaned closer to meet his gaze in the darkness. His breath brushed his cheek. A little dangerous.
“I… I made him that way. All the fault lies with me. So don’t blame yourself.”
“Of course, you might have made me that way. But ultimately, the one who committed the sin is Kloff himself.”
The only fault of such an attractive person could not be anything other than catching the eye of a bad-tempered Alpha. The bad-tempered scoundrel must have acted on his nature as soon as he saw him. That habit remained even now. Just the touch of the angel’s soft hand was enough to make him harden. Goodness, was he really a scoundrel?
“…”
The angel couldn’t speak anymore. Instead, he stared for a long time with an incredibly sad look. The tears in his eyes seemed about to fall at any moment. He hadn’t intended to make him cry. Was it necessary to criticize someone who had lost his lover—no, who was alive but still lost him? Regret came belatedly. He said he was very jealous, and it seemed that was truly the case. He shouldn’t have criticized someone he didn’t even know like this. He should have just listened to the angel’s story.
The hand holding his arm loosened slightly. The angel straightened his body. The bed, which had been warm just moments ago, quickly cooled. His heart grew heavy with the lonely gaze.
“By the way, what brings you here tonight?”
It was then. The rain, which had been falling, suddenly grew heavier. The sound of it beating against the tightly closed window was loud. The angel slumped his shoulders in the darkness, like a poor kitten drenched in rain.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d read a book in the study.”
“And?”
“Because the study is past this room.”
“Did you come in because you were curious if I was sleeping well?”
The other person nodded quietly. For that, the unfamiliar pillow on the bed bothered him.
“As you can see, I’m fine.”
Just as he was about to tell him to go to bed, the angel looked at him with an almost desperate gaze. With a short sigh, the angel turned his head, saying, “I’m sorry to disturb you.” His shoulders trembled slightly. He made to get off the bed, but didn’t actually get off. And with his turned back, he made a strong appeal. He didn’t know the exact intention, but it was definitely successful. Of course, it was a success. Even if it wasn’t a success, he had to make it one.
“Ah, suddenly my head…”
“Gasp, are you okay?”
The angel quickly approached and placed a hand on his forehead. The soft palm was slightly cool. It felt good.
“Do you have a fever? Are you dizzy? Should I call a doctor? No, I should call one right away.”
He hastily grabbed the angel, who looked about to dash out.
“No, it’s just a slight headache. You don’t need to worry too much.”
“The brain is a delicate organ. You shouldn’t easily dismiss any symptoms.”
“I’m fine. Really. I feel better since you touched me.”
What kind of childish excuse was that? He added a fawning smile. Surprisingly, the angel remained still, then nodded.
“Perhaps because of that. Maybe it’s because our contact time has decreased recently.”
Muttering to himself, the angel then resolutely began to tidy the bed, as if he had made up his mind. Moving the pillow to the foot of the bed, he laid Kloff down, then boldly pulled out an arm and rested his head on Kloff’s shoulder, embracing him. Kloff was bewildered. It felt good, but the count was moving too fast. He had mentioned pregnancy, but he was still an Alpha. He was incredibly bold.
“I’ll sleep here today.”
He understood that to mean, “I’ll sleep in your arms.” He hesitated a little before saying that because he was a bit stiff. In the meantime, the angel expressed his intention not to tolerate refusal. His boldly approaching hand firmly gripped the chest part of Kloff’s shirt. The weight of his naturally relaxed arm was fully felt.
After wiggling around to find a comfortable position, the angel began to breathe evenly. He couldn’t have fallen asleep already, but the soft breathing that followed the quiet, conversation-less time made the silence even more precious. He gently pulled his fingertips, which were pressed under the heavy body, and stroked the back wrapped in a silk shirt. He patted the angel, who clung to him naturally.
He had only thought of him as an Alpha, but the body that touched him was much softer than he expected. Come to think of it, with his delicate eyes and jawline, he looked like an Alpha at first glance, but it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say he was an Omega. Perhaps he just looked like a somewhat masculine Omega. The belly touching his side was soft like freshly baked bread. He had little flesh on his limbs, but his belly was plump. Pregnant, really? If so, he was an incredibly foolish person who lost his memory while his pregnant lover was left behind. How lonely must the angel have been until he snuck into his bed at night?
He used feigned illness as an excuse to keep him, but in truth, it was the angel who needed his embrace. He clung to him without moving. He was truly adorable. How did this scoundrel, who had lost his memory, capture such a lover?
The sound of rain in the distance began to subside. The air was cool, but the bed was not. Both the person occupying the embrace and the person offering it felt warm body heat. It was a peaceful night.