Chapter 68

“Wait, mmph……!”

Not letting Renato speak a word, the lips that suddenly approached took his breath and voice away at once. The flesh entering through the gap between his open lips scanned his even teeth once, then invaded a little deeper.

Renato’s eyes were tightly closed when their flesh rubbed against each other. Unlike when they were alone in the drawing room, they were currently outside, so the thought that people could see them made his entire body tense.

“Mhm, nngh.”

When the man’s tongue wildly rubbed against his tongue, glided along his teeth, then immediately licked up the roof of his mouth, Renato let out a groan. Their third kiss was different from the first and second.

The first time they kissed, everything was so strange and unfamiliar that he couldn’t come to his senses, and the second time, he was busy crying and trembling because his scar was suddenly stimulated. And now, the inside of his mouth was being dug up, and every corner was heated up as if a rash had broken out.

All three times felt different, but one thing was sure: he got caught up in strange feelings every time and didn’t know what to do.

Renato felt the nape of his neck stiffen and his eyelids shiver. He was terrified at the thought of having to feel this new sensation every time he kissed Khalid. He thought that perhaps he would never get used to kissing the man.

“Huu……”

As their breath mingled and their tongues intertwined, his mind quickly became hazy. Renato let out a low groan and grabbed Khalid’s shirt to hang onto the man. The soft fabric crumpled up in his hands. He clumsily moved his tongue, trying to follow Khalid’s movements.

Last time, he did nothing and was swept away by Khalid’s lead, so this time, he wanted to do something right. But it was still not enough. Renato had a hard time accepting the pleasure the man gave him, let alone following Khalid.

Unlike Renato, who was still unfamiliar and awkward with kissing, Khalid led him quite skillfully, just like when the man said he was good at everything he did with his body.

Squelch.

Their saliva-soaked lips touched and rubbed against each other, creating a wet sound. Renato’s shoulders shivered as he tried to keep his mind clear. His body seemed to be floating along with his dazed head.

“Ha, wait, mmph.”

His skin, which had turned cold in the night air, quickly heated up. Feeling suffocated, Renato let out short, quick breaths. Khalid took in every breath he let out.

Due to the intense kiss that didn’t give him a break, Renato’s body staggered. Only then did Khalid stop the kiss and part his lips away.

“Huu……”

A transparent thread between their lips moistened with saliva glistened in the moonlight. Khalid looked down at Renato who was gasping a flushed face, and then lowered his head again.

Smooch, smooch.

When Renato caught his breath, Khalid’s wet lips repeatedly touched and parted away from his lips with strange friction sounds. Then, at some point, their lips were deeply entangled again.

“Ugh.”

Renato let out a groan when the man softly bit his lower lip. The continued kiss made his back twitch. His eyes became hot, and his vision was blurry.

“Ngh…… nngh.”

His groans occasionally slipped out from the gap between their lips. When their kiss deepened, the strange heat spread from inside his mouth to his entire body. His lower abdomen was also hot like boiling.

Renato didn’t know what state of mind he was in anymore. His waist was feeling numb, and his legs were trembling. If he hadn’t been hugged by Khalid, he might have already collapsed on the ground.

At that moment, a large, hard hand gently stroked his back to soothe his trembling body. Khalid gave strength to the arm that was holding Renato and pulled him closer. He also shoved his knee between Renato’s thighs that were squeezing together.

“Ah!”

When the man’s thigh filled with rock-hard muscles gently pressed against Renato’s soft inner flesh, he could not overcome the dizzying pleasure and let out a high-pitched moan. His slender waist also bent up. Khalid firmly hugged the trembling body and whispered, his lips still touching Renato’s.

“Raise your arms…… and wrap them around my neck.”

After finishing his words, Khalid swallowed his lips again. Feeling the heat rushing in his mouth, Renato clasped both arms around the man’s neck. Because of their height difference, his heels naturally moved up.

Then, the man’s hand that was holding his waist came down a little lower and firmly grabbed his pelvis. Their bodies were so close that they could not overlap any closer.

Ah.

Realizing that the body he touched was as hot as his, Renato let out an exclamation. Even with the thick clothes in between, he could vividly feel Khalid’s heat. With that, an inexplicable feeling of satisfaction filled his heart.

I don’t want to part away from him.

Renato, seized with a moment of intense desire, tightened his arms around Khalid’s neck and clung to him. As if responding to that, Khalid embraced Renato with enough force to lock him in his arms. The particularly bright moonlight was pouring over the two who seemed to have become one.

* * *

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

Maximo dashed out of the carriage and spat out swear words inwardly. He just rushed here when hearing that Khalid and Renato had appeared together at Marquis Kyle’s birthday banquet.

“Fuck! Just what the hell are you doing?”

Maximo gritted his teeth and moved his feet. Rumors of an unusual relationship between Khalid and Renato had now spread outside the capital. Newspapers also published articles about the two every day. Because of that, Maximo had been on the edge lately.

If it had been Maximo’s usual personality, he would have gone to see Renato and questioned if the rumors were true. But he couldn’t do it this time.

‘I really hate you.’

After hearing that Renato hated him, Maximo became a little strange. It was ridiculous to himself as well, but he couldn’t visit Renato like he used to.

Whenever he tried to go see Renato to inquire about the rumors, the vivid expression and voice saying he hated him came to his mind. Then, his body would stiffen, and an unknown fear would rise. As if he was afraid that Renato would say that he hated him again.

Maximo couldn’t understand himself. Why would he be afraid of someone like Renato? He didn’t want to admit that he was deeply shocked by Renato’s rejection.

Was that perhaps the reason? Maximo fell into a contradictory situation where he wanted to confirm the truth behind the rumors but didn’t want to at the same time.

What if Renato didn’t deny the rumors? What if he and Khalid truly had that kind of relationship? What would he do then?

Once that thought came to his mind, he couldn’t move his feet. In the end, Maximo only told Hans to find out if the rumors were true while keeping his worries to himself.

Meanwhile, he was formally appointed as the second negotiation officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was a seat that Marquis Medus had created for Maximo. He immersed himself in his work for a while, thinking it would be better. Since it was his first job, he needed some time to adjust, and the busy work allowed him to stop thinking about Renato for a while.

But that also ended today. When Maximo heard the news that Hans had brought over in a hurry, he abandoned his work and ran to the Kyle Marquisate.

“Please show me your invitation.”

“Ugh, so annoying!”

Maximo angrily rummaged through his jacket pocket when the gatekeeper asked him to show him the invitation. He tossed over the invitation card and entered the banquet hall.

“Huh? Lord Maximo?”

When he entered the banquet hall, someone recognized Maximo and warmly greeted him. As he turned his head with an annoyed expression, Maximo paused when realizing it was Marquis Kyle.

“It has been a while, lord Marquis.”

“Did you just come? It’s a little late.”

“My apologies. I was busy with work. Happy birthday, my lord.”

“Haha. Thank you. I heard that you have been working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since last week…… Now that you are a full-fledged adult, should I call you young Duke?”

Marquis Kyle said with a friendly smile. In the Empire, when a noble lady or lord without a peerage title had a job, they would be called by that job’s title. However, if they were already appointed as the heir to their families, they would be called young Duke or young Marquis instead of the job title. Maximo was also like that.

“Excuse me, I heard that His Imperial Highness the 1st Prince also attended the banquet today…… May I know where he is?”

“Hmm? His Imperial Highness? I think he was with his highness the grand prince a while ago……”

Hearing Maximo’s question, Marquis Kyle turned his head and looked around the banquet hall. However, Renato and Khalid were not in the banquet hall.

“Since they aren’t in the banquet hall, I guess they are resting in the lounge or have gone out to the terrace. They must be tired because they have suffered quite a bit from people today.”

“Excuse me?”

“You also know the rumors going around the capital these days, right? Everyone seems to wonder if the rumors are true or not. The protagonist of today’s banquet wasn’t me but them. Haha.”

“……I see.”

Maximo forced a smile when Marquis Kyle pleasantly laughed. He congratulated the Marquis once more and turned around with a ferociously twisted face. He really wanted to find out if Renato and Khalid were really in love just like what the rumors said today.