Episode 17

When Das didn't come back to sleep, Samael felt anxious. He couldn't sleep, so he paced around the house all night while sending messages to Das that were never seen. As soon as dawn broke, he ordered the driver to take him to the orphanage. When he arrived, he saw Das helping the children have breakfast. He looked happy; it was a genuine smile, not the forced smile he had been giving him for the past few months. Seeing him so happy without him made him angry. He waited for Das to leave the orphanage and dragged him to the car. Das tried to get out, but before he could, the driver started the car.

"I told you not to come for me!"

"Why? Did I ruin your happiness? You looked so happy without me."

Das was silent and horrified.

"Since when are you so irrational?"

His tear-filled eyes looked at Samael in confusion; his voice was soft, as if he had no strength.

"Don't you know they are my family? Do you want me to show a miserable face to them?"

Samael grabbed his wrist tightly and pulled him towards him.

"You... You smiled. You don't smile at me like that anymore."

"That's because I'm not happy. How can you expect me to be in a situation like this?"

Samael's face turned red, and he tightened his grip on his wrist. Das endured the pain until they reached the mansion. Samael locked himself in the room with Das and released him abruptly.

"Why aren't you happy? Are you missing something? You have everything here!"

Das looked at him sadly. Material things had never mattered to him, but it was as if Samael had forgotten that.

"Do you think I have everything?"

"Yes! And if not, tell me what you are missing, and I'll give it to you."

"Then give me my freedom."

Samael walked toward him and grabbed his face tightly.

"Don't ever say that again. You are mine. Do you understand?"

Seeing that Das was scared, he softened his grip and hugged him.

"Remember all our time together. You know I love you. You are mine, and I am yours."

Das gently pushed him away by his chest and looked at him fixedly as he cried.

"You are not mine anymore."

"I am. It's just a marriage to maintain an image."

"It's not. I know you love her too."

Samael was silent. He began to feel nervous as he looked at Das. They had been together for so long that each knew very well what the other was thinking or feeling. He wanted to deny it, but he knew that if Das had mentioned it, it was because he was sure of it, and nothing he would say was going to change his mind.

"Listen, love… I love you more."

Das's heart broke into a thousand pieces. Even though he already knew the truth, he didn't expect Samael to confirm it. He was so desperate that he would have accepted his sweet lie as something real. He walked to the bed, where he sat down, covering his face with his hands to stifle his crying. Samael knelt in front of him, looking at him sadly.

"I'm sorry. I never thought I would love her. At first, I thought she was nice, and without realizing it, those feelings arose."

Das stopped crying and became filled with anger. He looked at him with a cold expression and spoke weakly.

"Choose."

"What?"

"Her or me."

Samael stared at him, his face hardening. He stood up, turning his back on him.

"I can't choose."

"Didn't you say you loved me more?"

"Still, I love her too. I won't let her go."

Samael turned around and saw Das's expressionless face as he stared at the floor.

"Let's all three be happy. Things can work out if you do your part."

Das looked at him with vacant eyes.

"Is it okay if I love her too?"

Samael went blank. He wasn't expecting that kind of response.

"You're right. She's nice and beautiful. Lately, I haven't been able to get her out of my mind. I think if I try hard enough, I can love her too."

Samael lunged at him and squeezed his face again.

"You can't. Only I can love them. Your heart can only belong to me."

After saying this, Samael stripped Das, who offered no resistance but didn't move either. When he finished taking his body roughly, he lay down beside him and hugged him against his chest. Das had not reacted to anything he had done to him.

"You can have my body whenever and however you want, but you will never have control over my feelings."

Das got up and went into the bathroom, where he spent two hours cleaning himself. Samael sighed, hurt, on the bed. It was the first time Das hadn't had an erection while with him.

After that, Das didn't say another word to Samael. Even when they went to sleep, he would lie as far away as possible, trying to avoid the touch of their bodies. But every time Samael pulled him toward him, he would stay still, letting him do whatever he wanted, but always with an emotionless face. Each time that happened, the phrase he had said echoed in Samael's mind: "You can have my body whenever and however you want, but you will never have control over my feelings."

Alone in his office, he regretted having lost the love of his two loved ones, but even if they didn't love him, he wasn't going to let them go. Before freeing the birds, he preferred that they die in captivity.

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