Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 9 Not this time

Kloff’s visits became less frequent than ever before. A monotonous daily life flowed on. Since he couldn’t even play chess anymore, this time he immersed himself in gardening. He thought Kloff would be angry if he saw him doing this, but it was unbearable if he didn’t immerse himself in something.

Every morning, Aeroc swallowed painkillers and rose, recalling the contents of a few horticulture books he had read before. From memory, he transplanted bulbs of profusely blooming flowers nearby and collected seeds. He pruned tree branches and sometimes picked a large armful of flowers, put them in a bucket, and decorated the hut. The yellow daffodils and vibrant tulips scattered around the hut were originally bulbs planted by Aeroc’s mother.

Though he barely remembered it now, his mother’s hobby was gardening, and she was said to possess skills comparable to a professional. The rose garden, the pride of the mansion, was originally unremarkable, but his mother had transformed it into something so splendid and beautiful. She had bought all sorts of rare rose saplings and arranged them elegantly, making the garden most beautiful in early summer. That’s why his father always gathered people for tea parties in early summer. It was partly a noble’s duty, but perhaps also to show off his mother’s rose garden.

Someday, in early summer when thousands of roses burst forth in colorful petals, he wanted to visit the garden once more. It was the only trace of his mother left to Aeroc.

One day, as he spent his days like that.

Suddenly, a child’s voice was heard. Aeroc, who was just transplanting daffodils, looked up, and small footsteps pattered beyond the cypress trees. A high-pitched, gurgling laugh too. He stood up and fixed his gaze on the small creature that seemed to be the source of the sound. A moment later, a child suddenly appeared from the cypress path leading to the hut.

The child, who looked about four or five years old, had blonde hair that shimmered dazzlingly in the sunlight. Their white faces were as pretty as a decorative doll crafted by an artisan. Above all, their eyes, clearer and bluer than the sky, were incredibly lovely. The child seemed surprised to see Aeroc, their eyes wide, and stopped abruptly, staring intently this way. He knew the moment he saw them, without needing to be told.

That child was the firstborn. The Omega boy Aeroc had given birth to.

Suddenly, his heart pounded loudly. He felt like he should say something, but he had no idea what words to utter. He stiffened, then unconsciously smiled again, and the child, seeing it, smiled back as if in response. He saw the most beautiful flower in the world smile.

Even thinking that Kloff might kill him this time if he found out, Aeroc couldn’t help but approach the child and touch them. The child, who seemed well-loved and confident, showed no fear when Aeroc’s trembling hands gripped their shoulders. He was too flustered to even think of letting go of the yellow daffodil in his hand. The child reached out a small hand and took the flower stem.

“Wh-What’s your name?”

When he handed over the daffodil and asked in a voice that trembled uncontrollably, the child smiled brightly, as if amused. The moment they opened their cherry-like lips to answer, a desperate male voice called out from the other side, “Raphiel!”

“Papa!”

The child, Raphiel, immediately ran back. Kloff appeared from around the dense trees on the other side. He rushed over like a parent who had found a lost child and lifted the small body into his arms. It was the first time Aeroc had seen such a worried expression on him. He felt the small hands and legs to ensure the child was safe, then let out a deep sigh of relief and kissed the small forehead. Then he looked at his son with slightly stern eyes.

“What were you doing here?”

Despite the stern reprimand, the child was not intimidated.

“I met him. I got this.”

Raphiel pointed at Aeroc with a bright expression, then showed off the daffodil in his hand. Aeroc continued to stare blankly at Raphiel. It was the first time he had stood so close, so he wanted to remember every detail. However, the child’s other parents didn’t seem to think so. He urgently called out to Kloff, who was turning away with the small blonde child in his arms.

“Wait, Kloff?”

“We’ll talk later.”

The usual cold response returned. But his eyes were a little strange. Recently, he had been filled only with scorn and disgust, but now he glared at Aeroc with a renewed expression of anger. Aeroc could no longer utter any words. Soon, Kloff turned his body, shielding his son from view, and quickly took him away. Aeroc continued to follow with quick steps as far as he was allowed, trying to catch another glimpse of that blonde curly head. The child, cradled in his father’s arms, waved at Aeroc. Aeroc’s heart swelled, and he waved back.

Raphiel.

It was common for the first Omega child to be named after the mother. It was a name that suited the lovely Omega child very well.

Late that night, Kloff came. Aeroc, who had been waiting for him, unable to do anything, sprang up from where he was sitting the moment the tall man entered the hut and approached him. With a slight sense of expectation, he began, “Um, earlier. That child…” He was so nervous and his heart was pounding so much that Aeroc couldn’t properly look at Kloff.

“Raphiel, you said. Very pretty.”

He wanted to know even a little. There was no need to ask why. Wasn’t it perfectly natural for Aeroc to be curious? He wasn’t asking to meet him. He just hoped Kloff would show a little mercy and tell him something, however trivial, about Raphiel. But when Aeroc looked up with anticipation, all that returned was a rage that seemed about to explode.

“Are you done talking?”

Kloff, who spoke in a calm voice despite his anger, grabbed Aeroc by the collar and threw him to the floor. His light body hit the floor hard and rolled. Before he could even understand the situation and properly stand up, a blow landed.

Slap.

Clutching his throbbing cheek with one hand, he turned his head back to look at him.

Kloff threw the unfastened cufflinks onto the table. As the cufflinks clattered and rolled, Aeroc’s body was paralyzed by the encroaching fear. Seeing the man’s shadow, rolling up his sleeves and approaching, slowly covering his body, he eventually closed his eyes.

He didn’t know how many times he was hit. It was far more painful than when his clothes were torn before. Instinctively curled up like a fetus, Aeroc occasionally spat out the bloody fluid pooled in his broken mouth whenever Kloff, breathless, gave him a moment’s respite. There was something wrong with his beaten back and ribs; even just breathing caused excruciating pain. His cheek, struck repeatedly by a large hand, was already swollen and burning hot. Cold drops of water fell onto it. He barely managed to turn his eyes, which were difficult to open.

Ah.

More unbearable than the pain were the clear tears falling from Kloff’s eyes, deeply furrowed with anger, even as he struck. Kloff, whose own fists were entirely covered in red and blue bruises, shouted with a voice full of malice.

“Never again! Absolutely never again! Don’t you dare lay your filthy hands on my Raphiel! I’ll burn you alive!”

It sounded genuine. Aeroc could only nod, unable to speak. Later, exhausted, Kloff staggered to his feet. Until the very end, sorrowful tears flowed from his eyes. Aeroc was proof of the one who had nothing.

Left alone, Aeroc barely managed to faint. From the incurable wound on his red cheek, fragments of a once utterly pure, shattered soul flowed down.

Kloff, with the deep, deep hatred in his eyes from when he wailed, holding the corpse of his devastated wife, frequently came and beat Aeroc. The encounter with the child seemed to have ripped open his wounds again. When he got tired of beating him, he sometimes had sex.

In truth, it was much rougher and more painful than could be called sex, but towards the end, Aeroc also felt a slight pleasure. Then, another heat cycle came, and he became pregnant. The beatings finally decreased. He felt relieved that he no longer had to be hit. When told about the child, Kloff couldn’t hit him anymore, his fists trembling. He wondered if he would hit his cheek like before, but he didn’t.

This pregnancy was very difficult. Aeroc couldn’t easily keep food down, and even without being hit, he sometimes felt unbearable pain and swallowed painkillers. He survived several miscarriage scares. The child, born after barely completing the term, was a very small Omega son.

He had given birth to two children in the two years since returning to the hut. Aeroc had given birth to a total of four children, but Kloff had never even properly told him their names. The one name he knew constantly reminded him of his sin.

Aeroc groaned, curling his aching body. His weakened body, unable to withstand repeated childbirths, rapidly deteriorated. He couldn’t endure a moment without painkillers. Aeroc barely got up and swallowed the vegetable porridge he was now quite good at making, and the leftover meat from his pregnancy. But he soon threw it all up. He couldn’t digest it. He continued to bleed intermittently and frequently ran a fever.

Every night, when he lay his creaking body down, it felt like lying in a shabby coffin. He even thought of closing his eyes and never opening them again. Because it hurt too much. But even that wasn’t easy. In the pitch blackness, indistinguishable from dream or reality, he would occasionally revive, hoping to see the man who sometimes appeared and looked down at him, just one more time.

If only you would look at me and smile just once. Then I would leave so your sorrow wouldn’t continue. Yes. As you said, I am a demon with blue blood. I should just let go, but I cling greedily to what is never allowed, regardless of the pain that person writhes in because of it.

Now, he couldn’t even properly distinguish the passage of time. How long had he been unconscious?

Today, the bed felt incredibly soft. And his body didn’t hurt. It was strange. His skin should have been cut by the cool air, but something warm was tightly embracing him.

What is it?

He opened his eyes, and instead of the dimly shaded walls of the hut, he saw someone’s embrace. He blinked, barely managing to focus. A familiar nape. It was Kloff.

His quiet heart began to race. Why was he sleeping here? What else had happened? Or was he trying to revive him, as before, when he was dying?

In truth, none of that mattered. It just felt too good. It felt so good to be held in his arms, even for a moment, that he wished time would stop like this.

Fearing he might wake up and leave, Aeroc held his breath and inhaled his scent. It was dizzying, like inhaling a stronger anesthetic than any painkiller. He felt like he had completely become an Omega now. No, he was an Omega, so he had given birth to his children. Just smelling his scent made all physical and mental pain disappear, and only peace settled in. No matter how forbidden his greed, his body had long recognized him as its Alpha.

How did it come to this? What was so good about Kloff? He was just a country bumpkin noble, after all. He smiled a little. If he had known, he wouldn’t have committed such an act. What good would it do to wonder now?

Aeroc carefully rested his forehead on Kloff’s chest.

Thump-thump.

He felt the strong heartbeat close by. He wanted to die and disappear like this. But it was impossible. Soon, Kloff would open his eyes and give him a scornful sneer. See? I told you so.

“What’s so funny?”

“I don’t know either.”

“Crazy bastard.”

Kloff, who spoke dismissively, pushed Aeroc away. As their warmly joined bodies separated, a chill naturally ran through him. Aeroc curled up, regretting, trying to hold onto that warmth a little longer. Meanwhile, Kloff got up and sat on the bed. He seemed displeased with the situation, muttering a small curse and irritably rubbing his face.

Lying down, he watched him, and suddenly realized he was aroused. It was clearly a morning physiological phenomenon. He was still a young Alpha in his prime, after all. Strangely, today, even when Kloff spoke scornfully, it felt somewhat blunt. Was it because he hadn’t fully woken up? Feeling his heart pounding in his chest, Aeroc unconsciously blurted out.

“Want to have sex?”

At that, Kloff sharply turned his head and glared.

Intoxicated by his Alpha scent, uncontrolled nonsense had spilled out. He remembered being called a vulgar noble and other harsh words when he had asked this before. It was obvious that “crazy bastard” would follow. He wondered what insult would come this time, but contrary to his expectation, Kloff said nothing. Instead, he smiled a twisted smile and got onto the bed.

For the first time, he understood the phrase “sex is sweet.” Though it was only once, Aeroc felt like he was melting like candy. If it had been his heat cycle, he felt like he would have conceived twins. He also realized that there was such a thing as sweet poison.

“Is this so good, you demon?”

“Ah… Hmph… Kloff… Mmm.”

“Despite being beaten and hated so much, you’re like a dirty whore with no pride. Who would know that someone like you was once a noble?”

He whispered scornful curses in a sweet voice. Even though he knew the intense hatred he possessed, it was hard to keep hearing the blatant accusations. His ravaged soul still felt pain, it hurt so much. It felt like his chest was being ripped open alive.

May his nerves quickly become numb. May he quickly forget reality and be immersed in false happiness until the end comes.

After that, he appeared quite often. The previous violence and anger had disappeared somewhere; each time it was sweet sex. With the repeated happiness, fear gradually grew. If it happened a few more times, he might start believing this was reality. But the harsh lessons, and the kind yet cruel avenger, did not allow him to fall into madness.

Before the dream-like ecstasy had even cooled, Kloff, without even withdrawing his ejaculated penis, gently whispered into the Omega’s ear, who was panting softly.

“I’m trying this hard. If you’re human, act like one. Beg for forgiveness with tears.”

Each time, Aeroc tried his best. He contorted his face and tried to open his unwilling mouth to beg for forgiveness, but it wasn’t easy. Because no tears came out. If it were possible, Aeroc would have cried enough to melt his entire body. Kloff smiled, stroking his slightly flushed cheek, which was only wrinkled and feverish.

“Disgusting demon spawn.”

Left alone, Aeroc wanted to cry. He truly did. Why wouldn’t the tears come? Later, he felt as if Kloff would forgive everything if he just cried. He felt as if everything would be resolved if he cried and knelt and begged.

He was increasingly pushed to his limit. Even after realizing that gentle sex hurt more than rough and violent sex, Aeroc couldn’t show any emotion. Kloff was cruel. It was utterly miserable and agonizing to feel pleasure from his gentle, stirring movements while he made no attempt to hide his disgust. He was surrounded by sheer cliffs, and Aeroc stood with his foot on the edge. A little further, and he would fall into an abyss of unknown hell. With a slightly rough but incredibly gentle sway, Aeroc clutched the hem of the person pushing him away.

His heat cycle came. For two truly agonizing days, Kloff held Aeroc like a very kind lover. When the warmth that started from his toes gradually rose and reached his heart, Aeroc felt climax. Salty bodily fluid, identical to tears, flowed down his trembling eyelids. How he wished they were tears. Kloff let out an exhausted sigh and got up. He went to the bed, put on the clothes he had taken off, and said.

“If you get pregnant, give birth. And this is the end.”

“Why?”

“It’s enough now.”

The world crumbled. He was clearly lying on a solid bed, but his insides churned with the feeling of constantly falling. Would he be abandoned? Would he finally be abandoned this time? He wanted to beg for forgiveness and just be kept by his side. But there was no way to beg for forgiveness.

It felt like the first time he had ever prayed not to be pregnant. But his body, faithfully responding to its Alpha, diligently conceived life even in its terrible state, unable to endure without medicine. When the first nausea came, Aeroc had to sit blankly, utterly dismayed.

While his belly grew, Aeroc, unable to hold onto Kloff who made brief visits, came out to the door with a distorted expression and just watched his retreating back. There wasn’t much time left now. He wanted to see him a little more, but his body hurt so much that it was hard to even walk properly anymore. He couldn’t follow for more than a few steps and would sit down, clutching his swollen belly.

The time he thought was happiness was fleetingly disappearing, and the deceit of being satisfied quickly shattered in pain. It hurt. It hurt so much he couldn’t bear it. He searched for the painkiller bottle and spilled it. He sobbed, picking up the white pills rolling on the floor like the raisins that day. Even then, no tears came.

His head was dizzy from the strong medicine. How could he escape this place of only pain? All night he groaned in agony, tossing and turning, then remembered Kloff’s gentle whisper. Clutching his belly, which seemed much larger than usual, perhaps due to emaciation, Aeroc stood on trembling legs.

From the beginning, no one was holding him back. Kloff had merely kept him alive; he hadn’t tied him down here. As he had said before, the door wasn’t locked, and Aeroc could leave the hut whenever he wanted.

Deep in the early morning.

For the first time, Aeroc left the mansion of his own free will.