Chapter 65 - Alphie's Little Backstory

Alpheus went home with a bright face because he had just got two new toys from that magical shop with Sir Junshik Hyung. He kept waiting for his tail on the way home.

He looked up and saw that Sir Junshik Hyung was frowning. He looked very displeased.

Well, of course, he was displeased. He had to buy two new toys for Alpheus after this stubborn dog refused to leave before Junshik bought them for him. 

'This goddamn dog better pay me with something because the cost of his daily meat is so expensive, and he still wants me to buy him unimportant stuff! Damn it!'

Meanwhile, Alpheus had a different idea in his mind.

'Why is Sir Junshik Hyung looking angry? Is it because I asked him to buy me new toys? Hngg… I have to make it up for him. Now, what kind of thing would Sir Junshik Hyung like from me?' Alpheus started pondering.

He continued pondering until they arrived at Junshik's apartment. He unlocked the door, and Alpheus jumped out from Sir Junshik Hyung's arm and then turned around to look at his master.

"Arf! Sir, thank you for the gift!"

"Hm," Cha Junshik replied with a low, dissatisfied hum. Which got Alpheus worried.

"S—Sir, please don't be mad! Alphie just likes that collar so much!" Alpheus jumped and circled around Junshik's feet, hoping that it would curb Sir Junshik Hyung's anger a bit.

But Cha Junshik grabbed him by his nape immediately, "Go to the living room and sit down. I will cook for our dinner," he said without smiling. His tone also sounded harsh. 

Now, Alpheus actually panicked and scared because Sir Junshik Hyung always tolerated him for stuff that he did. He didn't know what he did wrong compared to the other days. 

Alpheus whimpered and made a sad face, but Sir Junshik Hyung didn't seem to care. He just put the Pomeranian down and pushed him slightly to sit in the living room.

Alpheus sat pitifully in the living room, staring at Sir Junshik Hyung, who started cooking their dinner as usual. 

Cha Junshik washed his hand, rolled his sleeve, and started cooking as usual. He didn't even bother taking out the collar and choker that he bought for Alphie.

He felt the pitiful stare from Alpheus, but he tried to ignore it because from what he read, you had to discipline your pet if they were being stubborn, or else they would do whatever they wanted just because you never said no.

Meanwhile, Alpheus started to think that Sir Junshik Hyung didn't like him anymore.

'What if… what if Sir Junshik Hyung is truly angry, and I will get kicked out of his domain?!'

'Noooo! I don't want to get kicked out! Sir Junshik Hyung's domain is my second home now! My life would be over in this world if Sir Junshik Hyung kicked me out!'

Alpheus quickly ran towards Sir Junshik Hyung out of fear that he would get kicked out of the house. He sat in-between Junshik's feet and looked up pitifully. 

He whimpered, trying to get Sir Junshik Hyung's attention.

Cha Junshik looked down coldly, "What?"

"Wuu… Sir… please don't get mad at Alphie. I—I just like that collar…." 

"Yeah, I know. That's why I bought it for you," Junshik replied, and he continued cooking instead of looking at Alpheus. 

"Sir, Sir, please don't be mad…." Alpheus tried to get Sir Junshik Hyung's attention by rubbing his head on Junshik's feet, hoping that Sir Junshik Hyung would forgive him. 

Cha Junshik sighed and stopped cooking. He grabbed Alpheus by his nape and brought him to his room. He put the dog on the bed and then closed the door.

"SIR?!" 

Slam!

Alpheus was shocked when Sir Junshik Hyung closed the door. He felt that his heart had been shattered into pieces. 

Alpheus sat on the bed, looking at the door with eyes pooling with tears in his Pomeranian form. 

"Ah, finally, some peace," Junshik took a deep breath and continued cooking for him and Alpheus. He felt a little bad for Alphie, but at the same time, Alphie needed discipline, or he would think that Junshik would do anything as long as he threw a tantrum. 

"How old is he in human form anyway?" Junshik wondered as he resumed his cooking. "If measured by his face in human form, he is probably in his late teen or early twenty. He was definitely younger than him, though. 

Cha Junshik finished cooking the dinner and plated it on the dinner table for them. He returned to the room to take Alphie out for dinner.

But what he saw was shocking.

He saw Alpheus had already returned to his human form. He was sitting on the ground, folding his leg to his chest, and letting tears stream down on his cheek nonstop.

"Wha—why are you crying?" Cha Junshik asked. He was confused because he had just locked Alpheus in his room for 30 minutes, and he was already crying as if he had been abandoned. 

Alpheus looked up to Sir Junshik Hyung, and his tears streamed even more, "Sir… do you not like me anymore?"

"… what are you saying? How could you think like that?" Junshik asked. He didn't understand how this wolf prince's mind worked. 

"You… locked me here for thirty minutes. Sir, do you want to throw me to the forest as well? My parents locked me inside a tower when I was only four because I did something bad. I kept crying, begging them to release me because I was so scared. But they ignored my plea…."

"They said that I'm a monster, and I shouldn't be around people… that's why they have to throw me in the forest to live with my Uncle," Alpheus said. He continued crying but slowly looked down. "Sir, no matter how many times my parents told me that they did it out of love, I still can't shake up this heaviness in my heart. I don't want to be thrown away for the second time, Sir…."

Cha Junshik saw the heartbreak in Alpheus' eyes. It was so real that Cha Junshik couldn't lie that he felt guilty in his heart.

He might be cold, but he wasn't heartless.

Yet, he didn't know how to show say sorry to Alpheus for locking him in this room. Even for thirty minutes, it must've triggered Alpheus' trauma about getting locked up for something that he couldn't control. 

But Junshik wasn't someone who liked to apologize, nor someone who looked like he was sympathizing.

He also had a bad experience with his ex that made him realize that being too emotionally involved with someone else wasn't good. Because it would make him vulnerable.

So, even though he really wanted to hug Alpheus to calm him down, he tried to hold back and approached Alpheus slowly.

He patted Alphie's head and said, "I locked you up because you're disturbing me when I'm cooking. Do you know that the kitchen is dangerous? There are a lot of sharp objects, and the heat and oil might burn your fur. That's why I put you here to keep you safe."

Alpheus continued sobbing, but he looked up to Sir Junshik Hyung.

The man didn't smile at him, nor did he try to pamper him like a baby, at least not currently.

But Sir Junshik Hyung's head pat felt so warm and sincere that it calmed him down. 

He never really got a head pat from his parents back in his original world. He got it when he was a child, but not after being thrown to the Elune forest. 

They treated him like a savage. Even after he was allowed to return to the kingdom as the Crown Prince, he was still treated like a savage beast. 

They praised him for being the legendary wolf that would protect the kingdom. Yet, they were so afraid of him that they sealed 80% of his power.

Everyone was afraid of him. That was why he didn't really have friends in his original world.

Yet… 

'Sir Junshik Hyung… has no fear of me….' Alpheus thought. 

He finally stopped crying and closed his eyes. He pushed his head up, so Sir Junshik Hyung would pat his head more. 

"Are you feeling better now?" Junshik asked. He saw that Alpheus started to feel comfortable with his head pat, so he also caressed Alpheus' ear to calm him down.

Alpheus' ears twitched, but he was indeed comfortable. He leaned on Sir Junshik Hyung's shoulder and snuggled in. 

"Sir, how can you feel so warm?"

"Uh… because I work out every day? That's why my body has a lot of heat," Junshik replied.

"Un, that means Alphie also has to work out every day, so I can be as warm as you, Sir," Alphie said.

"Sir… can I hug you?"

…

Cha Junshik felt conflicted. He didn't like hugging someone in a non-sexual way. What he did with Alpheus before was out of sexual craving, but not this kind—

This was Alpheus wanting to be embraced, hugged, and spoiled.

Cha Junshik took a deep breath and then got up before Alphie hugged him, "Let's go, your dinner is ready."