⚠ Content note for this chapter: explicit sexual content.
The goddess’s gift, Corax.
Around the neck of the man with that lofty name hung the necklace meaning “sex slave.”
Da-on, not knowing why people were murmuring, only rolled his bewildered eyes. Atar chuckled and tilted his head at Da-on.
“Corax. You should come here.” Atar tapped his own thigh.
Surely he doesn’t mean sit there.
Da-on, believing Atar to be at least a minimally sensible person, quietly went and stood beside Atar. He didn’t sit on the thigh. He couldn’t have meant that, he thought.
“Ah, really. He never understands at once.”
Atar said, narrowing his brow as if pitying.
Atar’s hand settled on Da-on’s waist, and the rough hand pulled his body. Da-on, plopped onto Atar’s thigh with a thud, gasped in shock.
“What are you doing!”
“Shh. You mustn’t make a scene.”
Atar tapped Da-on’s lips. Da-on, dumbfounded, raised his head and looked around.
Everyone who met Da-on’s eyes coughed dryly and lowered their heads.
Atar, holding Da-on’s waist firmly, swallowed his laughter.
“Strange. Corax is a body that descended to this world at the goddess’s call. Isn’t that right, Tashishi?”
“Yes. That is right.”
Tashishi? At the familiar name, Da-on’s eyes went wide. Tashishi is here?
At Atar’s question, Tashishi stepped forward a few paces. Confirming that shameless face, Da-on swallowed his curses. If he had his way, he’d rush over right now and pluck out every hair of that mustache.
Atar continued the conversation in an exaggerated tone, so all could hear.
“Yet how strange. Not one person pays Corax proper respect.”
“They must have lost their wits to Corax-nim’s beauty. May I, this Tashishi, enjoy the honor of greeting you first?”
“Granted.” It was infuriating.
What? Lost their wits to his beauty? It was clearly mockery, not praise. As if his mood weren’t foul enough, everyone gathered here wore expressions of utter disagreement.
Da-on had never once thought of himself as beautiful. Why is everyone looking at me like I’m crazy when that bastard’s the one spouting nonsense!
And Tashishi. The very man who’d dropped him straight into Atar’s clutches. Tashishi acting like he was dealing with a stranger gave him chills.
Tashishi strode up to Da-on and bowed politely at the waist to greet him.
“It is an honor to meet you, Corax-nim. I am ‘Tashishi Ran,’ come from the Duchy of Atar.”
Should he punch that face, Da-on wondered, grinding his teeth.
Being held in Atar’s arms like a pet was hard enough; he didn’t want to draw more attention.
Tashishi withdrew with a hearty laugh at the perfectly ignored greeting.
Tashishi’s greeting was only the beginning. Starting with his greeting, the gathered people came forward one by one and began introducing themselves.
“I-it is an honor. I am ‘Fleur Glope,’ who runs a troupe.”
“I own a small merchant company…”
“I brew the finest liquor in Quantara.” Da-on never once returned any of those greetings.
The situation itself was bizarre, and Atar was still grinning, kneading Da-on’s waist. Besides, it didn’t seem like everyone gathered here was paying him proper respect.
The people each holding a position in Quantara continued their greetings with queasy faces. For their part, bowing their heads to someone marked as a sex slave was itself unpleasant. They were offering these greetings only because they knew the title “the goddess’s gift.”
Da-on waited, fists clenched tight, until the long greetings ended, and let out a sigh.
At last, all was quiet. His body was already unwell, and fatigue was already piling on.
Atar’s hand seized the chin of Da-on, whose shoulders had slumped. Atar forced Da-on’s face up and spoke.
“My Corax is rather particular. I ask you all to understand.”
“Of course, Your Majesty!”
A thunderous answer came back. Atar smiled faintly and squished Da-on’s cheek.
“What. Is the seat uncomfortable? Still, you could at least receive a greeting.” “…”
“My. Now you ignore even my words.”
Atar wrinkled his nose and glanced around playfully. The people seated around the garden burst into awkward laughter.
“Ah, Luca. I enjoyed the liquor last time. It had a lovely scent.”
“I put special effort into the fermentation. It is an honor that you liked it, Your Majesty!”
“I’d like to receive some more of the same liquor. Would that be possible? Of course, I’ll pay properly.”
“Are you — truly?!”
She had said she brewed the finest liquor in Quantara, had she not. Luca, as the woman called Luca was, grew visibly delighted and paid her respects to Atar.
“I brought more of the fine liquor. It would be a peerless joy to share it with all gathered here, Your Majesty.” Like the merchant she was, she seized the opportunity. Luca’s eyes shone as though she might haul out the liquor at once.
Atar nodded readily. Luca lifted the jar of liquor as though it weighed nothing and carried it over.
When the liquor came in, the frozen atmosphere of the garden loosened. Almost as though Da-on had never entered this place.
Da-on, sitting dazed and blinking on Atar’s thigh, bit down hard on his lip. This was just…
being treated like a folding screen.
So this was why he had been summoned to the garden. It smelled strongly of the intent: sit here and don’t do anything until the gathering disperses.
Fine. Sitting on his lap was at least something. Better than taking that weapon-like cock up his ass, at any rate.
Da-on quietly held his breath. He had no wish to draw even a single person’s eye — he would rather have erased all trace of his presence.
Then Atar’s hand came up over Da-on’s chest. Huh? Before Da-on could register anything was wrong, his nipple was openly pinched through his clothes.
“Atar!”
Startled, Da-on snatched Atar’s wrist. At his shouting the name, every eye turned to him — making all his efforts till now worthless.
To speak the emperor’s name so recklessly.
The mood went icy in an instant. And Atar, the cause of that mood, only smiled and tilted his head.
Putting on a look that said he had no idea what was wrong, Atar picked up a wine glass.
A transparent pink liquid flowed into Atar’s mouth. Atar swallowed a few mouthfuls, then brought the glass straight to Da-on’s lips.
“Have a sip, Corax. It’s good.” Atar brazened it out, shaking the glass.
“What are you trying to do?”
At Da-on’s flare of temper, Atar twisted up the corner of his mouth in a smile.
Atar slowly tilted the glass he held. The liquor sloshed right out and soaked Da-on’s clothes through.
“Ugh…!”
At the cold sensation Da-on shuddered and tried to rise.
The moment Da-on’s body stirred, Atar put strength into the hand around his waist. His arm might as well have been a boulder. Unable to spring up like the wind, Da-on glared daggers.
“Corax. It seems sharing the night last night has loosened your heart.” Atar spoke slowly and snatched Da-on’s hand. Da-on’s hand was pulled down below.
Clink. Metal met Da-on’s hand. At the cold touch, Da-on flinched and shut his mouth.
“……”
This was only a gathering where the high and mighty relaxed together, wasn’t it? Who would have thought he’d come armed even to a place like this.
When Da-on went quiet, Atar’s eyes curved round. As if to say, you were going to tuck your tail this fast, why fuss in the first place. Atar looked around with a smile.
“We were briefly noisy. My apologies.”
Da-on’s face crumpled.
Atar’s apology was directed at everyone except Da-on. Though it was Da-on the liquor had been poured over. Irritation flared.
When Atar himself settled the situation, the mood quickly turned warm and friendly again. They were all such fine actors. Da-on clicked his tongue at the people wearing their thick masks.
When their gazes withdrew, Atar’s hand went up over his chest once more.
Quantara’s thin clothing, once wet, clung to his body without leaving anything out. His poking nipples showed in all their shameful glory.
Atar grabbed Da-on’s breast with his large hand, then brushed the nipple gently with his index finger.
“Nngh…!”
At the fingers worrying the sensitive spot, Da-on jerked his body. He bit his lip so no vulgar sound would slip out and bowed his head deep.
It was broad daylight, in the middle of the brightly open central garden. And their seats were at the very center of the crowd — so there was no one who hadn’t seen his breast being fondled.
People glanced at Da-on, then hurriedly looked away, carrying on conversations among themselves. Everyone was minding Da-on.
“So, the poor harvest…”
“The corn, the corn crops took a big hit, they say.” They were laughable theatrics.
Not far from their topics of conversation, but he could feel they weren’t truly focused on the conversation.
Listening to the voices reaching him, Da-on chewed his lip. This was the worst.
“Ah, I heard the southern provinces aren’t getting water supplied smoothly.”
“Hmm…”
Atar cut into their conversation. At the emperor’s voice, the group in conversation lifted their heads as one.
At the same time, Atar’s index finger flicked Da-on’s nipple. Da-on let out a small sound of pain, then hurriedly clamped his hand over his mouth.
“…Ah, Your Majesty.”
“You came up from the southern provinces, didn’t you? You must be worried.”
“…! I didn’t think you would remember. It’s an honor!” With Da-on seated there, the conversation continued among them.
Who conversed without looking at their partner? The people who had come to exchange words with the emperor naturally had no choice but to look at Atar and Da-on.
Especially, every time Atar opened his mouth, their gazes gathered, and each time Atar played a trick — twisting his nipple or tapping it.
Anyone could see he was timing his hands for when eyes gathered. Da-on read Atar’s intent and hated himself for being unable to resist at all.
Gritting his teeth and squirming, Da-on quietly took hold of Atar’s hem.
“Hm? Is there something you’d like to say?”
At the faint tug on his clothes, Atar lowered his head. With that grinning face he kept scraping at another man’s nipple.
He couldn’t say “stop.” It had to be something that didn’t read as stopping the emperor’s behavior, yet could get him out of this situation.
Da-on swallowed hard and leaned his face close to Atar.
“Yo-Your Majesty.”
“I’m listening.”
“My clothes are wet, and I’m a little co-cold… may I go change?” The one who asked watched Atar anxiously.
Surely a question of this level wouldn’t displease him. Thinking so, his heart still fluttered helplessly. Da-on gulped and waited for Atar’s answer.
Atar craned his head to look at Da-on. Surprise dwelt in his lowered red eyes.
He’d learned a lot of tact in a few days. He even knew how to turn a phrase quite prettily. Much better than screaming no, I won’t, throwing a tantrum.
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