Bondage and Marriage - 33.2
Noah was confused for a moment, unsure if Ian was teasing him or asking a sincere question. Of course, what Ian had said was clearly meant as a taunt. But Noah was feeling a bit drowsy and disoriented from the pheromones, so he hesitated to give a proper response. Ian, who had a keen eye for detecting any suspicion, raised his eyebrows.
“Why can’t you answer?”
“…I…”
“…Don’t tell me you actually like it?”
As Ian’s tone became more demanding, Noah shook his head in panic. He definitely didn’t want to be caught enjoying this so soon, not when he hadn’t even fully savored it yet. Shouldn’t he be able to enjoy this for a while, now that they were married?
Seeing Noah’s suspicious behavior, Ian narrowed his eyes. As the CEO of Tear, he naturally knew all about those who find pleasure in pain.
So, how should Noah respond? Knowing it wouldn’t be good to stall any longer, Noah blushed with embarrassment and spoke in a small, hesitant voice.
“It’s… It’s… good, good, Ian…”
Noah carefully avoided directly saying that he liked Ian abusing and humiliating him, but the way he responded and his posture made it seem like he was saying “I like it because it’s you, Ian.” Noah sweated nervously inside. I didn’t lie, really… Liking a part of someone is still liking them, isn’t it?
Ian’s suspicion quickly disappeared. To him, Noah was just a naive Frost who had no idea about the harsh realities of the world, so Noah’s words seemed very credible. Ian smoothly curled up the corners of his mouth into a smile. So, he’s staying because he likes me, huh?
Ian still remembered how Noah had once rambled on about how one should understand their partner’s sexual preferences after marriage. He had thought it was just Noah being annoyingly naive, but it seems the reason was even more ridiculous than he had imagined. Tanner should have taught him that the world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
“Well then, let’s see how long you can endure. As long as you keep presenting your rear properly, you won’t have to leave this mansion.”
Greatly satisfied, Ian lightly slapped Noah’s cheek, where his semen was drying. Then, he straightened his rumpled clothing and left the room. Only after the door closed did Noah let out a sigh. He felt a bit pricked by the almost-lie he told Ian. Noah wanted to avoid any messy emotional entanglement, even if it meant getting divorced.
“It’ll be fine, right?”
After all, it’s not like Noah truly liked Ian, and Ian didn’t like him either, so divorce wouldn’t be a problem. Feeling drained, Noah dragged himself to the bathroom. This was the first time he had been exposed to such thick alpha pheromones for so long.
Normally, one should maintain their pheromones at a subtle level out of courtesy, to avoid misunderstandings. Noah had been strictly taught this since childhood.
Even when going to clubs, Noah would avoid partners who exuded pheromones too strongly or tried to mark him. Alphas are especially sensitive to other alphas’ pheromones, and Noah’s entire family was made up of alphas. Noah always asked his partners to control their pheromones during play, and would shower afterwards, just in case. So, being exposed to pheromones as blatantly as Ian had done was a first for him.
Thinking about pheromones, Noah entered the bathroom and turned on the warm water to shower. As the water washed away the mingling of his and Ian’s fluids, Noah’s pheromones settled a bit, but he knew it would linger for a couple more days. Sensing the foreign scent on his body made Noah feel a bit strange. He had never dated anyone before, so this was his first time experiencing pheromone marking.
Noah looked in the mirror, idly rubbing the sore bite mark on his neck, then shrugged and left the bathroom to go back to sleep.
Since this wasn’t just any ordinary guest, but an important one, Noah had woken up early for once, just like he used to do when important visitors came to the Frost mansion. Thanks to Ian’s early departure after tormenting him, Noah had slept soundly and felt very refreshed this morning.
With a very pleasant mood, Noah went outside and saw the staff diligently polishing and tidying the already spotless and grand mansion, getting it ready. Ian must have already left for work. Yawning softly, Noah felt a bit embarrassed by the lingering alpha pheromones of Ian’s that wafted from his own body.
“Good morning, you all have been working hard.”
“Oh, Master Noah.”
Unlike usual, the staff member paused in cleaning the decorations and bowed respectfully, recognizing Noah’s early rising. The mansion staff tended to feel sympathetic towards Noah, who was often kept up late by Ian’s torments, rather than thinking him lazy for sleeping in.
“I’ll have breakfast prepared shortly. Please wait just a moment.”
“Take your time, it’s going to be a busy day today.”
Maintaining his poker face and being extremely polite as always, the staff member’s gaze briefly brushed over the messy bite marks on Noah’s neck left by Ian, causing Noah’s face to flush slightly. As he walked to the dining room, Noah fidgeted with his fingers. Hmm… this feels a bit strange…
Noah arrived at the restaurant, pondering this indescribable feeling. Even though he knew he would be busy with a lunch and dinner banquet, the expertly prepared dishes still impressed him. Noah couldn’t help but admire the chef’s skill.
When Noah first got married to Ian, he was curious about the chef’s exceptional cooking abilities. Apparently, Ian had a hard time recruiting this chef, who was reluctant to leave the restaurant he was working at before. Divorce would have made it difficult to take the chef along.
After a leisurely breakfast, Noah noticed some new items on the neatly made bed. Examining the clothes, he realized they were perfectly fitted for him. It seemed Ian wanted Noah to wear them today.
As Noah looked at himself in the mirror, he thought the outfit suited him well. The V-neck exposed his neck nicely. Noah wondered if the occasion was that important. The alliance between Miller and Frost seemed solid after the social gathering on Cube Island. But the ending of that event might have looked a bit awkward to others.
“It suits you well,” Noah smiled at his reflection. He wondered if he could have been a good actor too, though his father would never allow it. Maybe he could learn something new after the divorce and independence.
Soon, guests arrived, and the staff stood ready to receive them. Ian entered with five companions, and Noah greeted them with a graceful smile. Ian returned an affectionate smile and put his arm around Noah’s shoulder.
The gentlemen introduced themselves politely. Noah responded with humble compliments about the manor’s elegance, engaging in very social exchanges. Most of them seemed to be either alphas or betas.
One man wondered where Solovyov was, and Noah noticed a clear sign of annoyance on Ian’s face. Solovyov… Noah had heard that name before, probably at the social gathering.
Ian cheerfully led the guests to the dining room. The chef’s magnificent banquet dishes satisfied everyone greatly. One man subtly suggested recruiting the chef, but Ian promptly refused, disappointing Noah.
After lunch, the manor became quite lively with the guests chatting and laughing. But Solovyov, who was supposed to arrive in the evening, did not show up until nearly 10 PM, when the other guests had already finished their dinner and dessert.
Waiting for Solovyov, the disgruntled Ian and the restless Noah finally heard a knock. The servant announced the arrival of the final guest. Noah eagerly followed Ian, remembering now that Solovyov was the Russian-accented man who had talked extensively with Ian at the social gathering.
Solovyov apologized for being late, saying his wife Sasha had insisted on coming. When Solovyov introduced the much younger-looking Sasha, Noah was surprised. In the social gathering, Solovyov’s peculiar Russian accent had only seemed a bit unique, but in the manor, he was quite rude.
Despite Ian’s polite smiles, Noah could see he was struggling to endure Solovyov’s behavior. Solovyov, who seemed to be a heavy drinker, openly groped his wife in front of Ian and Noah. The poor Sasha’s face turned bright red.
Noah soon realized Solovyov had a condescending attitude towards omegas. It was understandable why the meek Sasha behaved so timidly.
It was already close to midnight, but Solovyov kept rambling on, trapping Ian in a tedious conversation. As Noah was about to leave, Solovyov made a shocking proposal to Ian.
“So, Ian, my friend… How about we… *swap?”
Blinking in disbelief, Noah looked at Ian, whose lips had curled into a seemingly forced smile.