“I brought breakfast to the room. I figured it might be hard for you to move.”

D’Élysée backed into the room, pushing the door with his body. On the silver trays in his hands were slices of toast that smelled richly of butter, sweet jam, sausages, and boiled eggs. The delectable aroma made Egru swallow hard. If his appetite was this strong, he must be doing okay.

“We still have plenty of time, so there’s no need to rush, hyung. The dungeon exploration team is scheduled to depart at noon.” D’Élysée smiled as he set the silver trays on the table.

Despite the fiery passion of the previous night, he seemed completely unaffected. If anything, his skin had a healthy glow, and he was brimming with energy.

“Hyung.” D’Élysée offered him a piece of toast slathered generously with butter and jam. Egru pushed his trembling body upright and accepted the chewy bread. “Th-Thanks.”

“You went through a lot yesterday, so I want to take care of you.”

“Don’t worry. This is nothing.”

“Really? You’re so sturdy.” D’Élysée leaned in and kissed Egru’s cheek so hard it squished. “Thanks to you, hyung, I felt really good yesterday.”

At the low whisper, Egru’s posture straightened with pride. A sense of accomplishment for having pleased his younger brother made his dark brown eyebrows rise with confidence. He began to eat the toast with a vigorous appetite.

“By the way, there’s something I want to ask you, hyung.”

“Hm?”

“Do you remember me?”

The unexpected question made Egru’s throat seize up. Cough! He choked, hacking for a long moment. D’Élysée silently patted his back.

After what felt like an eternity of the large, calloused hand rubbing his slender back, the coughing that had desperately tried to stall the conversation finally subsided.

“Are you… the hyung I know?” D’Élysée asked, his tone placid. It was another way of asking if his memories had returned.

Egru stammered, “Wh-Why are you asking all of a sudden?”

D’Élysée didn’t answer. He simply watched him. There was no doubt; he knew something. Egru cautiously flicked his eyes over his brother’s face. Though his expression was neutral, it was shadowed by a heart-wrenching bleakness.

“A-Actually…”

He couldn’t deceive him any longer. Egru finally lowered his head and confessed. “I remember.”

“Thank you for telling me the truth.” D’Élysée smiled faintly.

“H-How did you know?”

“I just did.” D’Élysée shrugged, placing his hand over Egru’s. “You’re a terrible liar, hyung.” The firm palm gently stroked the back of the soft hand, his rough thumb rubbing over the small, protruding knuckles. “I’ve been waiting. For you to be ready to tell me.”

“A-Are you angry? Because I lied…”

“Of course not. I figured you must have had a good reason. If anything…” D’Élysée hesitated, as if embarrassed, before finally speaking. “Then you also remember when we met at the Papal Court?”

Egru nodded, carefully watching his brother’s expression. I’m the one who lied. Yet D’Élysée looked far worse off than he did. He lowered his gaze, his face grim. “Then you must also remember how cruel I was to you.”

“Cruel?”

“I must have lost my mind back then. I was blinded by jealousy and did something unforgivable to you.”

“D-D’Élysée.”

“It was all my fault. I never should have let you go like that…” A transparent sheen flickered in his verdant eyes. Startled, Egru scrambled to grab a tissue. “I’ve regretted it endlessly. Even now. I hate myself for causing you so much pain.”

Egru, tissue in hand, decided to bring the entire box over instead.

“If I hadn’t been able to see you again, I truly…”

“It’s okay, D’Élysée. It wasn’t your fault. Stop crying.” You’ll get a headache if you keep crying. With that thought, Egru persistently stroked his brother’s forehead. D’Élysée closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The feather-light touch of the small hand brushing back his bangs felt wonderful.

“I’m sorry, hyung.”

“I-I’m sorry, too. For leaving you to live all alone.”

“No, hyung, you did your best. The real culprit is someone else.”

“I’m still sorry.” Egru whimpered, wringing his hands. His brother’s tears were, as usual, contagious. “I’m just…” He swallowed a sob and forced the words out. “I-I’m so happy we’re together again, D’Élysée. I want to stay with you, always.”

“Me too.” D’Élysée pulled him into a fierce hug, burying his nose in the crown of his head, which smelled faintly of sweet butter cookies. “Me too, hyung.”

***

After finishing their breakfast, the two lay down on the bed together. The air was warm and affectionate, likely thanks to their heart-to-heart conversation.

“Your belly is sticking out, hyung.”

“Mhm.”

“From just that little bit of food?”

Embarrassed, Egru pulled down his shirt to cover his slightly rounded stomach. D’Élysée caught his hand as if to say, don’t, and instead lifted the shirt up to his chest. He then proceeded to blow raspberries all over the chubby belly. The tickling made Egru burst into peal after peal of laughter.

“Should we get washed up now?”

D’Élysée lifted Egru into his arms and headed for the bathroom.

I-I can walk on my own… Egru thought, looking down at his own toes. He was truly being treated like a king. The feeling was a little embarrassing, but not unpleasant. How could it be, when someone—his own precious brother, no less—was taking such good care of him?

Soap foam bubbled up from the soft shower ball.

“Come here and stand.”

“Hyung, I can do it myself…”

“Hurry up.”

Following an old habit, Egru washed D’Élysée’s entire body first. From his neck, to his shoulders, his chest, his stomach, and… Gulp. Washing between his legs, he felt a wave of embarrassment he’d never felt before. With every pass, the large shaft brushed heavily against his wrist. He couldn’t believe something so big had been moving in and out of him.

Hiding his reddening face, he pretended to be nonchalant as he moved behind D’Élysée. He stretched his arms as far as they could go, scrubbing the broad back with all his might.

“Now it’s your turn.”

D’Élysée took Egru by the shoulders and began lathering his front. Then, with a calm expression, he washed every nook and cranny of his body.

“Turn around.”

With the soft splash of his feet on the wet floor, Egru obediently turned. D’Élysée took extra special care as he rubbed his buttocks, which were rosy and swollen. “I cleaned you out once while you were sleeping, so there shouldn’t be any semen left inside.”

“Okay.”

“But I’ll do one last check, just in case.”

“Ah…”

A thick, rinsed finger pushed its way inside him in an instant. As the finger slowly stirred within, Egru gripped the wall and held his breath, his toes curling involuntarily at the ticklish sensation.

“Nngh, D-D’Élysée…”

The sound of the hot water pouring from the showerhead masked the wet, squelching noises from behind him. Egru gradually grew dizzy. It might have been because the steam filling the marble bathroom was blurring his vision like a thick fog.

“D-D’Élysée.”

“Yes?”

“How long… are we lovers for?”

“…”

D’Élysée’s hand froze. The faucet was slowly turned off, and now the only sound in the bathroom was the drip, drip of water droplets.

“Why?” D’Élysée asked, his hand resuming its movements as if nothing had happened, his voice soft. “Is there a reason you want to know?”

He was painfully aware of what had happened. Though he had tried his best to hold back, by the latter half of the night, he had lost his reason and simply ravaged his brother. It must have been an incredibly difficult first experience. What if he had left him with a painful memory…?

“Did it hurt a lot yesterday?”

“No.” Egru let out a slow sigh, a breath tinged with a strange pleasure. He was already starting to feel it again. “That thing yesterday… it felt really good…” Egru murmured, trembling at the feeling of the rough fingers filling him. “N-Next time, I’ll be sure to put it in you, too.”

Huh? At the unexpected declaration, D’Élysée’s eyebrows shot up for a second, and then he smiled. So, he had enjoyed it that much.