The Rogue System [BL]

Early in the morning, Ryan woke with a start. Staring blankly at the familiar ceiling above him, he let out a soft sigh. He had the usual dream again.

It was a very strange dream, one he had been having ever since he had come of age. The strangest part was that no matter how hard he tried, he could never remember what the dream was actually about. The moment he woke, its contents would disappear from his mind like mist.

But the feeling it left behind always remained.

There was a deep sense of loss, accompanied by a strange sadness that seemed to creep into his bones and chill his very soul. He could never explain where it came from or why it affected him so deeply, but every time he woke from that dream, the emptiness was there.

His grandmother had been so worried about him that she had consulted numerous shamans and priests over the years, hoping someone could find a remedy. Yet nothing had worked. No ritual, prayer, or medicine could stop the dreams from returning.

It was as though they had already been etched into his bones, deeply rooted and sealed within his soul.

Ryan slowly exhaled, trying to shake off the lingering heaviness.

Then, suddenly, a soft arm fell across his stomach.

Turning his head, he found himself looking at his new wife.

The absurdity of his marriage made him want to sigh all over again. Of all things, he had somehow ended up sharing his bed with the prince of the very empire he had fought against.

But before he could dwell on it any further, he froze.

The young prince had shifted closer in his sleep. His face was relaxed, completely devoid of the hostility he usually showed when awake. He wrapped his arms around Ryan in a tight, almost instinctive hug and murmured something softly beneath his breath.

Ryan lowered his gaze toward him.

"What did you say?" he asked quietly. "I can’t hear you when you mumble."

He gently pulled back from the embrace, trying to hear him more clearly.

The young prince merely frowned in his sleep before nuzzling against Ryan’s side, his voice barely audible.

"Stay still, Aaron."

The moment he heard that name, Ryan froze.

He slowly sat up, pulling away from the prince completely.

Aaron.

His wife had just murmured another man’s name in their marriage bed.

The audacity of it made a surge of anger rise within him. Ryan’s expression darkened as he stared down at the sleeping prince. He could hardly believe that this man had the nerve to call out another man’s name while lying beside his husband.

He was furious.

Yet beneath that anger was something else—something he couldn’t quite understand.

Why did it bother him this much?

Ryan clenched his jaw before forcing himself to calm down.

But why does it irk me so much...?

He took a slow breath and reminded himself of the truth.

This was nothing more than a sham marriage.

It was the empire’s ridiculous way of weakening his family’s power and keeping him under control. There was no affection between them, nor was there any expectation that this marriage would become genuine.

If he wanted, he could take as many concubines as he pleased.

So why should he care what name his male wife called out in his sleep?

Ryan’s expression grew colder as he glanced at the young prince one last time.

Without another word, he threw back the covers, got out of bed, and walked away.

Eric, however, woke up quite late, groaning as he rolled lazily around in the enormous bed. For a moment, he had completely forgotten everything that had happened over the past few days. Right now, all he cared about was enjoying the luxury of having a huge, comfortable bed all to himself. He had slept incredibly well.

With a satisfied grin, he finally pulled back the thick furs and sat up.

The spot beside him was empty and cold.

His so-called husband had already left early.

That was probably for the best. Eric really didn’t want to see that man first thing in the morning and have his good mood ruined. Who knew? The bastard might even perversely insist on watching him poop again.

Just the thought made Eric scowl.

He climbed out of bed and took care of his morning business. Once he was finished, several servants entered the room and began helping him get dressed.

It felt as though they were playing with a giant dress-up doll.

One after another, they simply picked out clothes and placed them on his body, layering one piece over another until Eric completely lost count of how many garments he was wearing. By the time they were finished, he looked like he had stepped straight out of some elaborate historical drama, dressed from head to toe in luxurious fabrics and enough jewelry to make him sparkle whenever he moved.

He... looked like a typical villain.

Unfortunately, his face wasn’t helping matters either. With his naturally sharp features and the haughty expression he wore whenever he was annoyed, the extravagant clothing only made him look even more like some spoiled, arrogant prince plotting something sinister.

Eric sighed and finally walked out of the room.

Only to be greeted by the sight of his new husband sitting peacefully at a table, enjoying his meal.

Eric stopped. His husband looked in peace. How could he possibly let that be?

A playful grin slowly spread across his face. He walked over and dropped himself down beside Ryan without asking for permission.

"Good morning. What do we have here?"

Before Ryan could react, Eric casually plucked the bowl from his hands and began eating from it himself.

He took a bite and paused thoughtfully.

"Hmm. Just plain rice porridge." He glanced at Ryan. "Your taste in food is unique."

Ryan simply stared at him with a cold expression, his steel-gray eyes giving nothing away.

Eric’s chewing slowed.

He suddenly realized he might be pushing his luck a little too far.

"Ahem."

Clearing his throat awkwardly, he placed the bowl back in front of Ryan.

"So..." Eric glanced around before asking, "what now?"

Ryan didn’t answer.

Instead, he abruptly stood up and walked away.

Eric stared after him in disbelief.

"Hey! Can’t you answer before leaving?"

There was no response.

Eric clicked his tongue and slumped back in his seat.

"Tsk. Such a cold-ass bastard."

Grumbling under his breath, he picked up the bowl again and continued eating the plain rice porridge.