The Tyrant's Happy Ending - Chapter 18.4 Side Story Part 2

Laile’s eyes softened, pain flickering in them. He reached out, his fingers trembling as they brushed away Yernen’s tears. “You think I don’t want to? That I’m holding back because of that? Yernen, you don’t know how hard it is.”

“Then why?” Yernen whispered, the plea evident in his voice, desperation seeping from every pore. “Why do you treat me like I’m some fragile thing you can’t touch?”

Laile exhaled shakily, his thumb tracing Yernen’s cheek.

“Because… I’m terrified of hurting you. Every time I touch you, I remember how much you’ve suffered, and I’m afraid that one wrong move will break you again.”

“That’s not true.” Yernen’s eyes, though damp and pained, held a fire Laile hadn’t seen in a long time. “I’m not fragile. I’ve endured more than you can imagine, and I’m still here.”

Laile’s silence spoke volumes. The weight of what they had been through, the violence of their shared history, lingered between them like a phantom.

“Do you really believe I’d be here, caring for you like this, if I thought you were dirty?” Laile’s voice was tight, emotion straining every word. “I saw those things, yes. I saw what they did to you, what you endured. But it didn’t make me see you as less—it made me see you as more. As someone stronger than I ever thought possible.”

Yernen’s breath hitched, eyes wide as he processed the words. The room seemed to hold its breath, the silence only broken by the faint rustle of sheets.

“I keep my distance,” Laile continued, his voice breaking slightly, “because I’m terrified of failing you again. Of making you feel like you’re just an object. But if this distance is hurting you, if it’s making you feel unloved or unwanted, then I’ve been a fool.”

Yernen’s tears flowed freely now, no longer restrained by pride or fear. “Then stop. Stop holding back. Show me that I’m more than just someone to be pitied.”

Laile’s eyes searched Yernen’s face, and in that moment, something shifted. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead gently against Yernen’s. Their breaths mingled, the space between them charged and fragile.

“I’m sorry,” Laile whispered, voice barely audible. “I’ll do better. For you. For us.”

Yernen closed his eyes, the weight of the past days, weeks, even years, momentarily lifting. For the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to believe in the promise of warmth, in the possibility of being seen—not as broken, but as whole.

“But why aren’t you doing anything? In the past, even if I told you to get out, you would still run wild like a horny calf.”
But the voice was sharp, as if attacking, and it was sharp enough that anyone who heard it would know that there was no room for complacency.

“Now… do you not even want to look at me?”

Yernen, who had said that, turned his head with an annoyed expression on his face. And Lyle, who had heard that… made a face of bewilderment.

It was truly an absurd misunderstanding.

In order to cool down his swollen buttocks, he had to lay Yernen down on the bed and pour cold water that felt like it would freeze him to his bones for a long time. Despite that, he had been playing with his hands in the cold water to cool down his lower body that wouldn’t go down.

Why don’t you act like a horny calf? It was such a sad thing to say. Even at this moment, after seeing her reddened eyes, her cheeks were swollen again and she was lifting up her bathrobe.
I can’t bear to touch Yernen, who has bad memories of relationships, so if I were to explain how much effort I put into calming down the lower body that wakes up every day without a sense of urgency, it would probably take three full days.
Anyway, it seemed like this was the moment when I had to show my sincerity.

Lyle sat up, leaned against the bedside table, and placed his hand on top of Thorazin Yernen’s. He then pulled the snow-white hand through his bathrobe.

“Me? That can’t be possible. Yernen.”

“…! What, what is it!”

Yernen was startled by the sensation, as if he had touched a red-hot iron bar from a furnace, and withdrew his hand. Then he saw the gigantic monstrosity standing proudly right next to his head, its bathrobe hanging open… and he thought it was disgusting.

“Aren’t you going to clean it up right now?!”

It was so shocking that the annoying feelings that had been building up until a moment ago were blown away without a trace. Could it be because I haven’t encountered it properly recently? It must have been a while since I finished growing up, but somehow that monstrosity seemed to have grown bigger. What the heck… I wondered if such a horrible thing could be attached to a human.

“Isn’t it hurtful to say that?”

But Yernen, as if he didn’t even hear those ridiculous words, jumped up and threw the blanket he had been covering himself with over his hideous lower body.

“Ugh.”

Even the touch must have been stimulating, as a faint groan escaped Lyle’s lips. Then, as if enduring something extremely painful, he swept back his bangs and spoke.

“Something provocative?”

“You crazy bastard!”

Lyle shrugged his shoulders and said, looking at Yernen, who was looking at him incredulously.

“It’s unfair, Yernen. I’ve always been like that, an animal whose lower body would jump up just by looking at you. But I’m holding myself back because you might not want it.”
Lyle said that, hugged Yernen in his arms and whispered in his ear.

“I was willing to wait as long as you wanted.”

“… … .”

The tips of Yernen’s ears turned red at those words. What a foolish thing to say.

“… Then you can do it now.”

Lyle said with a smirk.

“Not now. It’s still hot.”

Lyle, who had said so, put the herbs in the cold towel lying on the table. As if he had no intention of doing anything.
Yernen, who was watching the scene, released a pheromone.

“…I said no.”

But even as he spoke, Lyle remained frozen as if nailed down, and did not reject the hand that reached out to touch his cheek.
The hand that had been sweeping the ball slowly reached the chin, and a faint shadow appeared on the reddish eyes along the closing golden eyelashes.

Yernen brought his lips to hers with a clumsy gesture. Perhaps it was because the night air was cool compared to the hot daytime, but her soft lips somehow felt colder than usual.