Bondage and Marriage - 59

“How do you make someone feel good?”

“…What?”

Daniel, who was tied to his salary and heading to work as usual, questioned as he doubted his ears. For some reason, Ian, who had been feeling down recently, stared at Daniel. Knowing that Ian disliked being asked twice, Daniel quickly snapped back to reality and, holding the documents he had to get approved today, he hesitantly spoke.

“Umm… maybe you could give them a gift they like… or do something they enjoy…”

“…”

Ian’s face grew even darker as he thought for a moment after hearing Daniel’s words, making Daniel panic. He could understand that Ian might be upset. After all, this kind of thing happened often. But… this kind of discouraged look on Ian’s face was something Daniel was definitely not used to.

As he wondered why Ian was acting this way, Daniel desperately tried to come up with an answer that would lift Ian’s mood. If Ian wasn’t in a good mood, Daniel’s day would become miserable. No, until his boss felt better, it was guaranteed that work would feel like hell.

“Maybe… did you get someone you like?”

It was hard to believe, but since Ian was struggling to figure out how to make someone feel good, Daniel cautiously asked. Of course, Ian was married, but since Daniel had been unintentionally helping Ian torment Noah, and had been observing his boss’s actions all this time, he wouldn’t be too surprised if Ian had someone he liked.

When Daniel asked if there was someone Ian liked, instead of scolding him, Ian just furrowed his brows, which Daniel took as an acknowledgment. Daniel clicked his tongue inside, thinking that Noah was the one who would suffer the most. Maybe it would be better for both Noah and Ian to end things now.

“Well, then… maybe you should divorce Noah. It might be better for both of you.”

“What?”

Ian’s eyes suddenly lit up, and Daniel shrank back. He realized he had made a mistake.

“What’s this about divorce?”

“No! I didn’t mean that! No… I must have been mistaken… haha, yes…”

Daniel quickly realized that the word “divorce” was a taboo subject. So, Ian didn’t want to divorce Noah. Why? A thought suddenly struck Daniel’s mind. Of course, the person Ian liked was Noah Frost! At that moment, Daniel struggled to hide the smile spreading on his face. He had promised to give a month’s salary to anyone who could make Ian feel flustered, and today seemed to be that day.

In fact, it would have been wise for Daniel to leave when Ian was in a bad mood, but he couldn’t pass up the rare opportunity to be asked for advice by his boss.

“If you tell me what he likes, I can recommend a good brand.”

As the chief secretary, Daniel was highly skilled at remembering important people’s birthdays and anniversaries, sending them gifts and congratulatory messages. Because of this, finding the perfect gift for someone was almost second nature to him. However, when Daniel asked, Ian just furrowed his brows even more. Seeing this, Daniel deflated. Was he wrong again? But, surprisingly, Ian wasn’t angry.

“…I don’t know.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what he likes!”

When Daniel asked again, Ian snapped. Lately, Ian had been in a really uncomfortable state of mind. Whether it was because of the trouble he caused with the android or threatening that damn alpha, Noah had been looking gloomy and upset like never before. No matter how much Ian tried to do something nice, it never worked… he had never really cared about others before, nor did he have to.

Trying to look serious, Daniel couldn’t help but feel pleased. Ah, it shouldn’t feel so good to see the mighty boss in this state… but it did! Daniel couldn’t help but want to bow down to Noah, who had Ian acting like this. Others might not understand, but after nearly ten years of being Ian’s secretary, Daniel could see things differently.

“Last time, I noticed that he liked sweet desserts. How about something like that?”

Caught up in the excitement, Daniel bluntly asked, then realized his mistake. Surprisingly, Ian seemed indifferent, but Daniel noticed a slight hint of interest.

“Desserts?”

Now that he thought about it, whenever he brought cookies and tea at work, Noah would always eat them happily. For Daniel, who had a picky appetite, it wasn’t much to think about. The problem was whether Ian’s chef would make something so delicious that Noah wouldn’t like other store-bought desserts. Ian tapped the desk lightly, considering.

“Anything else?”

“Hmm… anything else…”

Daniel hesitated. Although he had met Noah frequently recently, it was still not enough time to fully understand Noah Frost. As he thought, an idea suddenly popped into Daniel’s head—one that could work well for both Ian and Noah.

“How about going on a honeymoon?”

“A honeymoon?”

Now that he thought about it, Ian had canceled his honeymoon right after his wedding. Of course, that had been intentional. But remembering all the things he had done from the start of the marriage until now, Ian felt a tightness in his chest. Well, it hadn’t even been a year since the wedding, and only a little over two months had passed. It wasn’t too late to go, Ian thought, trying to convince himself.

“Then, let’s look into it for this weekend. I’ll rearrange the schedule.”

“Yes, understood.”

Daniel answered politely, but inside he was thrilled. He promised himself that he would enjoy a few days of peace without Ian’s sharp words and nagging, and with that, Daniel left.

“Already the third day…”

Noah murmured gloomily. It had already been three days since Ian last touched him, following the truly fantastic android encounter. After moving to the couple’s bedroom, Noah had secretly been looking forward to it. He thought that if they stayed in the same room, the teasing time would increase, which was a natural expectation. However, instead of increasing, Ian, nowadays, would just pull Noah into a tight embrace and fall asleep as soon as he entered the bedroom.

From the sensation of something firm pressing against his waist while sleeping, Noah knew that Ian probably wasn’t entirely indifferent. But Noah couldn’t understand why he was holding back. Don’t hold back! Just… let loose, Noah thought, though he didn’t know Ian’s reasons. As a result, both Ian and Noah had been spending their nights in bed, with Noah unknowingly squeezing his thighs in an attempt to fall asleep. (Of course, this was only in words—Noah would fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.)

Noah wasn’t usually so driven by sexual desire… No, in the past, there were only a few days in a week—days when he had private lessons with Gabriel, days when he indulged himself with masturbation, and days when he freely partied at clubs. About three times a week was enough. Noah felt a bit disappointed. I’ve gotten so used to Ian’s teasing… Having been teased every day, Noah felt that he could no longer be satisfied the way he once was.

But being married, Noah couldn’t just sleep with someone else, could he? There was a significant difference between Ian bringing someone to their bed for teasing and Noah going out to find someone else. Though he didn’t think much about it, it was still marriage, and doing that now would be like cheating, unless they divorced.

Noah, sulking, lay lazily on the sofa in the living room, scratching the fabric in frustration. Suddenly, there was a knock. Without thinking, Noah called out to let them in, and his face lit up with a bright smile at the sight of a familiar face.

“Hayden! It’s been a while.”

It was Hayden, who had been on vacation. It had been at least a month since Noah last saw him. Hayden greeted him politely, just as usual, though he seemed to have a bit of a tan. Perhaps due to his rest, he also looked much healthier.

Hayden was clearly delighted that Noah had moved into the couple’s bedroom and had even received a study. After all, most of the servants in the mansion held Noah in high regard, so it wasn’t too surprising.

Indeed, with Hayden around, there was a different level of comfort. While Noah enjoyed chatting with him about Hayden’s vacation and his granddaughters, Ian came home earlier than usual. However, Noah noticed that Hayden’s gaze was full of fondness when he looked at Ian. It suddenly dawned on Noah that Hayden was thrilled about Ian and his union.

“Welcome back, Hayden,” Ian greeted as he entered. But when he saw Hayden’s expression, Ian showed a faint, uneasy look. Still, Hayden’s expression was of little concern to Ian at the moment. He sensed that Ian had something to say to Noah, so Hayden excused himself, saying he would prepare dinner, and quietly left the room.

After a brief silence, Ian spoke up.

“How about we go on that honeymoon we didn’t take at the start of our marriage?”

“What?”

Noah blinked in surprise. To be more accurate, it wasn’t so much that they didn’t go on a honeymoon, but that they canceled it. Noah didn’t care either way, but given how much time he’d been stuck in the mansion lately and the frustration building up inside him, Ian’s suggestion sounded quite tempting. After all, it was supposed to be a honeymoon!

“Why… don’t you want to?” Ian asked.

“No, no! I’d love to,” Noah replied eagerly, smiling brightly.

Seeing Noah’s excited reaction, Ian paused for a moment, studying Noah’s smiling face. His expression seemed to be a mix of warmth and something else, perhaps bitterness, which left Noah puzzled. Then, with a soft cough, Ian extended his hand, and Noah realized he was holding a small shopping bag.

Noah reflexively took it, noticing the pleasant scent rising from it and the beautifully wrapped tart visible under the transparent plastic lid. The tart was topped with a glossy syrup, vibrant red strawberries packed tightly, and adorned with delicate golden flakes along with sugar and chocolate decorations.

Noah was so mesmerized by the exquisite appearance that he remained silent. Meanwhile, Ian’s face grew rigid, his expression completely stiff. When Noah finally looked up, he heard the door slam shut as Ian left the room. Noah stared at the door, bewildered. What’s going on? Why did he just leave without a word?

Noah hesitated, wondering if he should eat the tart or not, before finally deciding. It’s too beautiful to not eat. It would be inhumane to not enjoy it.

Still unsure, Noah waited for a moment, just in case Ian might return. After about a minute, Noah smiled happily, carefully unwrapping the tart and taking the fork from the bag.