After taking quite a long time to soak and clean themselves in an atmosphere full of laughter, the four teenagers were finally finished. They began to put on their casual clothes, preparing to leave the academy dormitory area and return to the mansion located in the heart of the capital.
Ordion straightened his clothes, a constant smile on his face as he gazed at the ring and the contract symbol on his hand. Once everyone was ready, the teenage husband stepped forward first to turn the doorknob.
Creakk...
The dormitory room door opened. However, the four teenagers' footsteps came to an immediate halt. They were greeted by the sight of dozens of academy students who had gathered and crowded not far from the doorway.
Seeing the door open, a student who was Ordion's former classmate, Jenas, plucked up the courage to step forward and approach him.
"Hey, Ordion!" the student called out, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Is there really a contract symbol carved on your hand now?"
"Of course, Jenas!" Ordion answered, his chest puffing out with pride as he lifted and showed the back of his right hand to his friend. "Look at this! I already have the white Life-and-Death Contract Symbol!"
"Wow!" Jenas exclaimed enthusiastically yet in awe, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the white symbol on the teenager's skin. "Congratulations on your marriage, Ordion!"
Suddenly, Jenas's demeanor turned suspicious. The teenager looked left and right, then leaned his face in and whispered very softly into Ordion's ear.
"Hey... is there any chance I could become Arvin's spouse and join you?" Jenas whispered hopefully.
Hearing such a blunt question from his former classmate, Ordion was beyond shocked. His eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"What did you say?!" Ordion whispered back with a shocked expression. He looked Jenas up and down. "I mean... you are handsome, Jenas, but I think it would be very difficult for you to become his spouse. You can't just rely on your face! You have to get absolute permission from Allen and Alrain first. They are the key to our relationship, especially Allen, who is Arvin's first spouse."
"Ah... so the process is that complicated, huh?" Jenas said, sounding a bit frustrated as he rubbed the back of his neck. "That's a shame. Especially since when I heard you moaning so loudly in there earlier, you seemed so happy. It looked like you—"
In an instant, Ordion's eyes nearly popped out of his head. His previously cheerful face turned as red as a boiled tomato. Without a second thought, he immediately stuffed his hand over Jenas's mouth.
"Mmph!" Jenas struggled slightly.
"W-What did you just say?!" Ordion whispered with a tone of extreme panic, glancing back in horror at his husband who stood not far behind them. "A-Are you saying my voice was that clearly heard outside the room?!"
Jenas nodded vigorously behind Ordion's palm.
Ordion slowly released his hand from Jenas's mouth, his heart pounding with a mix of overwhelming embarrassment, shock, and a desperate urge to vanish from the face of the earth.
"I wasn't the only one who heard it from beginning." Jenas added suddenly, a follow-up fact that instantly made the red-haired teenager even more frantic. The student pointed at the dozens of teenagers behind him. "Everyone who happened to pass by your room or gathered in this dormitory hallway could hear your sounds of pleasure very clearly, Ordion."
Slap!
Ordion slapped his own forehead hard. He felt his knees go weak.
"A-Are... are you all also listening to our little argument about loyalty in there earlier?!" he asked, his voice squeaking small from the sheer embarrassment peaking in his mind.
Jenas nodded innocently. "Of course, we all heard it. Your argument was quite loud. But the three of you sounded so happy to belong to Arvin and be bound by a life-and-death contract with him."
Hearing the casual answer from Jenas's mouth, Ordion's face turned a deep, burning crimson. He couldn't bear the shame of being watched by dozens of pairs of eyes in that dormitory hallway any longer.
Without a second's hesitation, the flustered teenager immediately turned around, grabbed his husband's hand tightly, and dragged him away, leaving Jenas without another word. Allen and Alrain, realizing the third spouse's panic, could only burst into loud laughter as they followed close behind.
Jenas stood frozen, watching the four incredibly harmonious teenagers depart.
If I tried harder and could belong to Arvin, would I be as happy as Ordion? Jenas thought innocently, letting out a long sigh of longing.
Then, the teenager shifted his gaze to the others around him. I'm sure everyone standing here feels the same curiosity. We all really want to be proposed to by the 'King of Terror' in public so that the power within our bodies can awaken.
As it turned out, Jenas was just one of many at the academy who had become a hardcore believer in a ridiculous rumor: 'If proposed to by Arvin Vedegra, one's hidden power will immediately awaken'.
Meanwhile, under a golden afternoon sky, Arvin and his three spouses walked casually through the bustling streets of the capital of the Astoria Kingdom. A cool afternoon breeze brushed against their faces, providing a sense of peace after a very long and crazy day at the academy.
However, that peace was slightly disturbed by the sound of mischievous chuckling.
"Are you so embarrassed that you had to drag our husband away from the dorm just because they accidentally heard your moans?" Alrain asked suddenly, nudging Ordion's shoulder with his elbow, intending to tease the red-haired teenager who had been walking with his head down.
"Of course I'm embarrassed, Alrain!" Ordion answered in a hushed shout, pouting his lips with a face that was still slightly flushed. "Those sounds were exclusive for my husband's only, not for dozens of students eavesdropping outside the door! As his new official spouse, this is a truly embarrassing incident for me!"
Hearing his spouse's spoiled whining and frustration, Arvin, who was walking in the middle, immediately intervened. He gently wrapped an arm around Ordion's shoulder.
"You don't need to think too deeply about it, Ordion." Arvin said casually yet with a very wise and calming tone. "Just act like usual. I don't want you to become awkward or gloomy over such a trivial matter."
Hearing his husband's gentle words, Ordion stopped his footsteps for a moment. He turned and looked at the handsome face of the teenager standing beside him.
"Are you... are you not mad at me for embarrassing you with my loud moaning, My Dear?" Ordion asked softly, his eyes looking hopeful.
"Why should I be mad at you, Ordion?" Arvin answered without hesitation, the corners of his lips curling into a warm smile he only showed to his family. "In fact, I feel very proud and happy to have succeeded in becoming your husband. I hope you remain your cheerful self without caring about what others say, especially those who are just jealous of you."
Hearing such a supportive and loving answer, Ordion's heart felt like it exploded with fireworks of happiness. His cute, childish nature suddenly surfaced.
Ordion immediately slowed his pace, letting Arvin take a step ahead of him, and then with a sudden movement, he jumped onto his husband's back.
And without even wobbling, Arvin quickly caught Ordion's thighs at his waist, letting his spouse cling comfortably to his back, unbothered by the many eyes of the capital's citizens watching them.
"You really are the best husband in the whole world!" Ordion praised cheerfully, hugging Arvin's neck from behind and resting his chin on his husband's shoulder with pride. "I am so incredibly happy to be your third spouse! From now on, I'll make sure to always be myself without ever listening to the jealous words of others or those fools trying to bring me down!"
Arvin laughed softly at the reignited spirit. He gently stroked the top of Ordion's head with one hand.
"That's my great spouse!" Arvin praised.
Receiving a direct compliment while being carried on his husband's back, Ordion smiled so widely it showed his neat rows of teeth. Allen and Alrain, walking beside them, could only smile happily at the adorable behavior of the third spouse.
This rare sight certainly did not escape the public's attention. People passing by the capital streets never expected that Arvin Vedegra, the son of the most powerful, famous, and respected Duke, actually had three spouses who were all bound by life-and-death vows and contracts.
Moreover, what made many nobles swallow hard was that the three spouses were all teenage boys with incredibly handsome and cute faces.
The news about Arvin, the eldest son of a famous Duke in the Kingdom of Astoria who apparently only wanted handsome teenagers to be his spouses, spread very quickly through word of mouth that afternoon.
Among the crowd, some knew that previously only Allen was Arvin's official spouse. But seeing their formation today, there were now three charming teenage boys by his side.
Commotion was inevitable among the noble mothers and common citizens shopping on the roadside.
"Hey, look at that! Do you think my youngest son would be noticed and chosen by Young Master Arvin if they happened to meet?" a middle-aged woman murmured while staring at Arvin's group. "My son's face is very cute, no less handsome and cute than those three teenagers walking beside him!"
"What did you say?!" another woman shouted beside her, refusing to be outdone, her hands on her hips with confidence. "My son is definitely a much better fit to stand beside him!"
"Dream on, you two! That will never happen!" a third woman chimed in with a mocking laugh. "You're daydreaming in broad daylight!"
"Shut up, you chatty old lady!" the first woman snapped back, swinging her basket. "It's a good thing you don't have any sons, so you don't even have a chance to be in-laws with the Duke's family! Hahaha!"
Throughout the rest of the journey to the mansion, the capital streets that afternoon were filled with wild gossip, silly jealousy, and the harmony of a group of teenagers in love, unaware of just how much influence they held over the Kingdom of Astoria.