A cool touch combed through his hair, soothing the overheated scalp. The hand was gentle, almost teasing.

Normally Leonardo would have pushed him away for treating him like a child, but now he did nothing. He merely lowered his head slightly under the touch, then looked up at him as the hand withdrew.

Share... together?

His lips moved without sound, embarrassed for no reason. All kinds of possibilities flashed through his mind.

Already? This fast...?

The sudden suggestion caught him off guard — yet he didn’t want to miss the chance either. There were still reporters outside; wouldn’t they follow? But since the host had personally invited him, refusing would be rude.

As his silence dragged on, Hugo asked calmly,

“Do you have plans afterward?”

Leonardo covered his mouth with the hand holding the gauze and answered,

“...No.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want a duke to be stood up on his birthday.”

With a faint smile, Hugo tapped his cheek twice. The certainty that he wouldn’t refuse was ridiculous, but Leonardo didn’t deny it. Instead he frowned in thought, then abruptly asked,

“Do you have a bath there?”

“Hm?”

“A big one. Big enough to swim.”

Golden eyes watched his reaction carefully. Hugo’s brows lifted slightly before he nodded.

“Of course.”

“Then is there good food too? I want steak. And turbot. And octopus — grilled with butter.”

“There is every delicacy you can imagine.”

Leonardo listed requirement after requirement as if evaluating the place. Each time Hugo answered without hesitation, as though the place truly contained everything in the world.

Only after several exchanges did Leonardo finally seem willing, replying generously,

“Then... we’ll share.”

Despite ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) being the host, it sounded like he had just been granted permission. Hugo let out a small laugh.

“Alright.”

He smoothed the hair he had tousled himself, bent slightly with a hand on the bedside table, and leaned toward his forehead.

Sensing what would follow, Leonardo shut his eyes tight. The moment warm breath touched the center of his forehead, a sharp shiver ran through him.

When the lips lingered briefly and pulled away, his trembling eyelids opened again.

“...What was that for?”

“My honor.”

Those curved blue eyes offering “honor” always weakened his resolve. Leonardo deliberately made a sulky face and looked up at him. They had already done far worse — yet he still closed his eyes just from a forehead kiss.

Hugo brushed the lingering warmth from his forehead and straightened.

“See you later.”

Leaving the simple promise, he draped the cloak over his arm and stepped out. Leonardo’s eyes followed him until the door clicked shut.

When the outside noise disappeared completely, the reality of being alone sank in.

His throat bobbed. The metallic taste of blood spread again, but he ignored it.

Still dazed, Leonardo grabbed his bangs, revealing a flushed forehead.

...What do I do?

***

The moment Hugo stepped outside, he ordered the guards to tighten security and turned the corner — only to run into approaching unit members.

“Good evening, Commander.”

“Commander.”

He returned the greetings while walking quickly. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“Good work.”

Normally he would have at least patted their shoulders for staying late, but he only answered in passing and kept moving.

The men exchanged awkward glances, then noticed his unusually disheveled attire and convinced themselves he must simply be exhausted after the incident — and with the opening ceremony on top of it, even the Commander couldn’t avoid fatigue on his birthday.

They hurried back to work.

Meanwhile Hugo entered a deserted restroom down the hall. After confirming it was empty, he closed the door and froze the handle so it couldn’t be opened from outside.

He passed the urinals and stepped into a stall.

Bang—

He shut the door roughly and threw his cloak over the hook. His lower body, hidden until now, was revealed.

The strain was obvious at a glance — he had endured it for far too long.

Without hesitation he undid the buckle.

Metal clicked sharply. The moment the front opened, pent-up heat and arousal burst free all at once.

His blue eyes looked down coldly, then slowly closed and opened again. Veins stood out at his temple.

“...I’ve lost my mind.”

***

Knock knock—

“Excuse me. Operations Headquarters. May we enter briefly to deliver the match results?”

Leonardo, pacing the lounge in thought, jerked his head up. It was already past midnight — earlier than expected.

He moved toward the door, then quickly climbed back onto the bed and folded his arms on the table as if he had been resting all along.

“Come in.”

The door opened — but instead of an official, a familiar face appeared first.

“Hyung—!”

Ero rushed in as if visiting an injured brother, inspecting him in a panic.

“H-hyung, what happened? Were you badly hurt? Your nose—”

“...I didn’t say you could come in.”

“Ah, hyung, don’t be like that!”

“The two of you partnered during the match, and he remained worried about you, so I brought him,” the official explained, adding that Ero had helped capture reporters by diverting them.

Therefore, although both had entered a restricted area, there would be no match penalty.

The official continued with a polite lecture about security protocol. Leonardo nodded along absentmindedly, relieved there was no penalty.

“So — the result?”

He never thought he’d be eliminated. The Council wouldn’t waste a spectacle like him.

The official smiled.

“Congratulations. Both of you have passed Test Round One.”

“Waaah! Hyung!”

Ero shook his hand wildly.

“It’s all thanks to you! Please take care of me during the League!”

“Who said I’d team up with you again—”

Leonardo was about to brush him off when something more important came to mind.

“The whip guy. Is he out?”

“If you mean the League alias ‘Appendix,’ he withdrew voluntarily.”

“What?”

“With one fewer case requiring deliberation, all final portal passers were approved.”

Leonardo blinked repeatedly.

“He fought that hard and then quit? That makes no sense.”

“The participant signed the withdrawal form personally and refused further questioning.”

“...Where is he now?”

“We cannot disclose participant personal information.”

Leonardo frowned.

That’s even more suspicious.

The man had blocked the tower and fought desperately — yet disappeared once passing became likely.

Did he know who I am? Trying to remove a contender beforehand? Or...

He remembered the person who had been tailing him recently.

Does he have a grudge against me?

Ero tried to lighten the mood.

“Forget him. Since we passed, want a drink? My treat!”

“The medical team advises avoiding alcohol due to nasal bleeding.”

“Then dinner—”

“No.”

Leonardo stood up.

If I ask the Commander... I might learn something.

He brushed back his hair with a warm hand, exposing his forehead, then shrugged at Ero while gripping the note in his pocket.

“I already have plans.”