Honestly, Li Shen had never seen anyone like him before.
And that's probably why, even though Somnus had just confessed love to him, Li Shen didn't feel any disgust.
Not even confusion about it.
Still… as far as he remembered, for the past seventeen years, he'd always been into girls.
Not that he had any memory of ever actually having a girlfriend, but still!
And Somnus wasn't just anyone—he was the ruler of this entire nation.
Wouldn't loving a man, someone like Li Shen, damage his public image?
Li Shen's thoughts were spinning in too many directions, and before he could stop himself, the jumble of concerns started tumbling out of his mouth in a quiet, muttered mess.
And yet, Somnus only smiled even more brightly and said, "Same-sex relationships are common on every continent. In fact, the queen of the neighboring country's ruler is both of a different species and the same gender. Even if I were to make a formal announcement to other nations declaring that I love you, it wouldn't cause any trouble at all. Hmm… That wasn't a bad idea. Perhaps I should go ahead and seal things off politically first."
Li Shen nearly choked on air. "Let's not do that! Please!?"
Why, oh why, had he woken up in another world, only to be suddenly declared someone's lover—by an Emperor, no less? It was exhausting just trying to figure out where he even stood in this world, and now this?
While they argued over these completely overwhelming topics, Somnus had calmly begun feeding him something like rice porridge.
He kept lifting spoonfuls to Li Shen's mouth, wordlessly offering them with gentle persistence.
In the end, Li Shen gave up trying to resist and just ate everything without a word.
Once he finished the meal, he passed out almost immediately.
"I won't do anything until you say it's okay.
So rest easy, Li Shen. Sleep well."
Somnus whispered this while sitting by the bed, his deep voice soft in the room.
As he spoke, his fingers gently combed through Li Shen's hair, moving slowly, tenderly.
What the hell does he mean by "nothing"—like what exactly was he planning to do!?
Also, that thing earlier totally counts, doesn't it?! What the hell is this guy thinking!? Oh wait, right—he's the freaking Emperor!!
Li Shen's mind screamed, even as his body surrendered to sleep under the warmth of Somnus's hand.
He had been holding back a loud scream in his mind, trying to endure everything.
And before he realized it, he had fallen asleep again.
Honestly, he had only meant to take a short nap, but when he opened his eyes, the light filtering in through the windows was clearly morning light.
Why? Had he really slept that long?
Was this reality finally telling him to give up on the hope that this might all just be a dream?
As those kinds of lazy thoughts drifted through his mind, he slowly pushed his body up and glanced around the spacious room. Oddly enough, the figure he had become used to seeing over the past few days was nowhere in sight.