It was only when I saw his stunned expression that I realized I had misspoken. The words had come out wrong. I had meant to ask if the scales appeared when he became aroused, but my mind wasn’t quite clear, probably due to the haze of post-cl*max exhaustion.

“I misspoke. What I meant to ask was…do the scales come out when you get aroused?”

“Well, it’s more like…when I let my guard down a bit or something…”

Zetak trailed off, seemingly unwilling to talk about it any further. But the fact that he didn’t try to hide it again suggested that he didn’t despise his body as much as he once did. I ran my fingers slowly over his face. His usually cool skin was now warm, probably from the heat, making him feel more human. For some reason, there was an air of sensuality about his face.

“You really are quite seductive.”

His eyes narrowed slightly at my words. The look he cast down at me shone with satisfaction, and the slightly upturned corners of his lips betrayed his contentment. He was truly seductive. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what about him exuded that quality – perhaps it was everything. Even his eyes carried the allure.

The slight smile that tugged at his lips was no exception. Somehow, I felt my mind becoming hazy. I looked up at him and traced his lips with my fingers. Was that really mine? Something seemed to be bubbling endlessly deep inside my chest. I didn’t know what it was, but it made my heart race in an unexplainable way.

“I really… I really… Your Highness.”

His gaze, fixed on me, twisted slightly. Those eyes were filled with l*st, and his lips were tight, as if he was holding something back. It seemed as if Zetak wanted to say something, but in the end he remained silent. Instead, he ran his large hand through my hair, touching the corners of my eyes, and simply repeated the motion.

He was slowly retreating. Or so I thought, until he grabbed my waist and turned me halfway around. The sensation of him turning inside me caused a m*an to escape my lips. With a sharp sound, he thr*st upward in one swift motion. The impact sent my body lurching forward, but he held onto my waist and refused to let go.

“What… are you going to…?”

There was no answer. Zetak pushed up mercilessly, leaving my body shaking uncontrollably, unable to ask any more. Nine times, we must complete nine. I thought I heard him mutter something like that – was it just my imagination?

Zetak glanced at the display case on the wall and let out a laugh. Following his gaze, I saw a shimmering bottle inside that I had completely forgotten about. He reached for it and raised it to his lips.

“Looks like you didn’t throw it away before. Holy water.”

“That… I just forgot…”

I wished he would stop thrusting, even when he was talking, but he wouldn’t let up. Eventually my arms gave out, leaving my hips in the air. If he hadn’t held my waist, I would have collapsed completely. The wet, sticky sounds grew louder, probably from the way his release filled me. With my face buried in the sheets, I panted heavily and managed to speak

“Seven years… I mean, the holy water. It’s too old…”

“Holy water has no expiration date.”

As his voice reached my ears, something slithered over my body. Gray, serpentine tendrils wound around me, wrapping my body in a single loop. Crawling upward like a snake, one of them stopped in front of my face. It had already taken the shape of a phallus, glistening wet as if already prepared.

Why? It was already inside me, so why the tendrils?

“Bite it.”

 His deep, raspy voice sounded unusually seductive.

***

For a few months after his return, life was peaceful. We shared a room, as we had long ago, and spent quiet afternoons sipping tea in the garden. Despite the seven-year gap, it all felt incredibly natural.

Zetak’s return was quiet and unremarkable, attracting little attention-at least for the first few months.

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

I asked as we walked down the corridor. The whispers of passing attendants and nobles reached my ears as their eyes lingered on Zetak. I knew exactly what they were murmuring about. The palace had been buzzing with rumors about him lately.

“I’m fine, I’m more concerned if these rumors are causing trouble for Your Highness.”

“No, not really.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

He glanced at me with a faint smile, and I noticed one of the passing attendants blush at the sight. It was clear that people’s attitudes toward him had changed significantly from before. I remembered the first rumors about him: There’s a man coming and going from His Highness’s chambers. That must have been how it started.

Prince Jaibid shares a room with a man. Didn’t he always have young servants with him in the past? That’s why he refused every marriage proposal. The rumors quickly snowballed, growing louder and more absurd. It wasn’t long before Zetak’s identity was revealed. As soon as I presented the necessary documents for his entry into the Administration Palace, the speculation was put to rest.

“Is this the monster child from seven years ago?”

“He has completely changed. But can we even call him a person?”

“Who cares? He looks human enough. Honestly, he’s probably better looking than most nobles.”

The nobles giggled and whispered to each other, their laughter echoing faintly in the corridor.

“Did you see the testimony that the temple guard gave? Wow, I know he’s a monster, but I was kind of moved. With that level of devotion, monster or not, even I would’ve fallen for him.”

One maid said, drawing laughter from the others, who nodded in agreement.

The looks Zetak and I received were polar opposites. There were those who looked at us favorably and those who clicked their tongues in disdain.

“Disgusting. To consort with a monster is a disgrace to the Empire.”

There were certainly those who whispered such things. But neither Zetak nor I paid any attention to them.

When we reached the garden amidst the polarized stares, Neiri had already finished setting the table. She stepped back with a satisfied expression and looked at Zetak and me with a look of approval.

It was truly a peaceful moment, sitting in the garden and drinking tea with him. Perhaps, more than my dream, this was the time Zetak had longed for. He seemed truly content these days. Whenever our eyes met, he softly curved his eyes into a smile, the kind that had no pretense – just pure happiness.

Another peaceful day, or so I thought – until I noticed that Zetak’s expression hardened slightly. Following his gaze, it didn’t take me long to understand the reason. Three nobles approached from the garden entrance, their stern faces making their intentions clear.

“Your Highness.”

They greeted me, their eyes fixed on me.

“Please forgive us for this unannounced visit. We’ve been unable to get a response from Your Highness despite numerous attempts to reach you. We learned that you are often in your private garden at this hour, so we decided to come here.”

“If I don’t answer, it means that I don’t want to see you. Surely you understand that. Should I take that as a deliberate act of disrespect?”

A flash of unease crossed the faces of the old nobles, but they quickly composed themselves. Their years of experience showed as they feigned calm and began to speak again.

“If that’s how Your Highness interprets it, we apologize. However, this is a matter of the Empire’s reputation, and we had no choice but to address it directly. Your Highness, please exercise restraint in dealing with this… monster.”

As one spoke, the others nodded in agreement, showing their solidarity.

“Rumors about Your Highness have already spread beyond the palace and throughout the capital. It is said that a member of the royal family is mixing with a monster. If this reaches foreign nations, the dignity of the empire will be severely tarnished.”

“How amusing, seven years ago you had nothing to say. Why this sudden concern now?”

“At least he was human then. But now he’s a complete monster.”

At her words, Zetak tilted his head slightly and grinned. At the sight of his mocking expression, the faces of the nobles stiffened, but they refrained from retorting. Instead, they looked down at him with the arrogance of those who consider themselves above such petty provocations.

I looked at them and spoke firmly.

“Restrain myself because he’s a monster? No, it’s because Zetak is in your way, isn’t it? You’re desperate to marry me off to one of your daughters and establish ties with the royal family.”

Their faces stiffened at my bluntness. Some frowned deeply, clearly offended. Before they could protest, I continued.

“Shall I elaborate? You didn’t care before, when I was the discarded prince with a ruined arm. It didn’t matter if rumors spread about me playing with monsters or indulging in tentacles. Even though I’m a royal, marrying me would have been considered a disgrace to your families back then.”

“Your Highness, that is too much.”

“I’m just saying it because it’s amusing. I’m well aware of the numerous marriage proposals that have come my way. I haven’t dealt with them personally, but they have been blocked at lower levels, along with the many invitations to social gatherings. Do you want me to tell you exactly when all these invitations and proposals started coming in?”

I looked at her slowly before I spoke. 

“The banquet incident at Karial Castle, seven years ago.” 

At my words, their faces faltered, their expressions stiffened. They couldn’t feign ignorance. Surely they knew the point at which my reputation had begun to rise. Nobles so attuned to gossip wouldn’t have missed it. 

“A powerless, one-armed, discarded prince. A fool who clung to a monster-tainted boy and fell out of favor with the emperor. At that time, not a single proposal came my way. But then the rumors spread: that I had the strength to stand alone and face the monsters. Suddenly, I looked different, didn’t I?”