By Zephyria Even with such a strong realization hitting his head, he couldn’t come to his senses. That white face turned towards him was too beautiful, making it impossible to regain his composure. Thanks to that, Ryle could only stare blankly at Hae-jin. Still, the world, which had been like a broken screen until now, was gradually starting to look normal again.
Thanks to Hae-jin’s sudden appearance, everyone in the hallway froze like statues. And Hae-jin, receiving the gazes pouring onto him, unknowingly stepped back, faltering.
The resentment in his face eventually turned into sorrow.
It was only then that Ryle regained his senses and felt his heart plummeting again. Just by looking at his eyes, he could tell what Hae-jin had misunderstood. A pheromone filled with fear pierced his body like a giant spear.
He had to clear up the misunderstanding.
With only that thought in mind, Ryle approached Hae-jin. He realized that this was a foolish and hasty act only after the guy retreated completely, as if running away.
Seeing his eyes distort as if it were about to rain, he felt like he was dying of urgency.
“……You said to rest assured…….”
It was already upsetting to have expectations for Ryle, who he least wanted to rely on. But the moment even those expectations were mercilessly trampled on was as miserable as that night.
Was the sudden heavy downpour a prelude for this? Ryle’s wavering pheromones surrounded Hae-jin as if engulfing him. The closer Ryle got, the more his body trembled. Just as Hae-jin, suffocating, unknowingly raised his hand near his neck.
Ryle grabbed both of his wrists.
“It’s not like that. It’s not what you think.”
“It’s not……?”
His hands were shaking terribly, as if they had been exposed to the cold rain from earlier. The funny thing was that Ryle’s hands were shaking just as much. Surprisingly, the two hands that were holding each other felt nothing. It was as if Ryle was desperately trying not to grip too tightly.
Just then, the Secretary, who had been watching, quickly intervened.
“He seemed to be sleeping in the hospital, but suddenly his body is showing abnormal reactions. We’ve called his doctor, so he’ll be here soon.”
Reflexively turning around, he finally noticed something strange. The Secretary’s shoulders were soaked from the rain. Behind him, a few people were also drenched in the rain, looking back with fearful eyes.
And rainwater was flowing down his wrist. It was flowing from Ryle.
“Let’s get you cleaned up first. Your body is too cold. Mr. Bright, I’m sorry, but may we borrow the bathroom here?”
Mark intervened with a face full of concern. He didn’t forget to carefully remove Ryle’s hand. Ryle, who had approached quickly as if to grab him, flinched at the touch and stepped back, embarrassed.
The situation unfolding was very strange. Hae-jin’s gaze moved busily here and there, trying to grasp the situation. Then, the moment he met Mark’s gaze, who was looking at him as if seeking permission, he nodded as if possessed. It was a reflexive action because his eyes were full of concern for Hae-jin.
The frozen space came to life as if by magic with his nod.
The bodyguards who had followed Ryle quickly retreated outside, contacting someone. The Secretary also hurriedly ran out with a phone. Mark instructed the servants and led Ryle towards the bathroom. One servant approached Hae-jin, anxiously holding a dry towel.
Until then, Ryle, who had not taken his eyes off him, disappeared into the bathroom, unable to hide his agitation.
Suddenly, Hae-jin realized that his body was no longer trembling. It was as if the trembling had been in Ryle’s hands, not his.
“……Hmm.”
Ryle’s doctor, who had rushed to his mansion in a hurry, groaned with a troubled face. From the moment he had left the hospital without permission, Ryle’s medical team had been operating in emergency mode. Thanks to that, the doctor was able to enter Hae-jin’s reception room as soon as he finished showering.
Due to the awkward timing, Hae-jin ended up attending his examination as well. He had naturally assumed that everyone would leave and was awkwardly stuck in the reception room, which led to this situation. He didn’t want to go near the bed in the current situation. If he had known he would be sitting together watching the examination, he would have gone to another room.
Surprisingly, no one here questioned Hae-jin’s presence. Not even Ryle, who was exposing his private examination. His eyes, which had been looking at him since earlier, were shaking with passion for some reason.
The doctor, who was examining Ryle’s body, looked at Hae-jin again with a troubled expression. As an Alpha, he could tell that Hae-jin was an Omega. Judging from the very faint pheromones, he must be an inferior gene.
“Doctor.”
Just then, as his gaze turned to Hae-jin, Ryle’s low voice was heard. As if telling him not to look at him carelessly.
Surprised, the doctor looked at Ryle’s face this time. He knew his Omega phobia better than anyone else.
Suddenly, he remembered the day Ryle had come to him complaining about a headache. He had diagnosed him as if he had been exposed to the pheromones of a compatible Omega.
Ryle’s pheromones, in rut, were swirling inside the reception room like angry waves. The Alpha doctor nearby was having a terrible time because of it. But surprisingly, the Omega sitting over there didn’t seem to be affected much. Although there was a slight hint of rejection on his face.
Currently, Ryle had been injected with enough sleeping pills to keep him asleep for at least three days. This was because forcibly pheromone release caused pain. The pheromone release drug used for rut was on a different level of pain compared to the oral medication he would temporarily prescribe.
Even so, Ryle had walked non-stop from the hospital to this distant place. As if proving the monstrous stamina of a Dominant Alpha, he had pushed aside all the security personnel who were trying to stop him and finally left the hospital. How could he have moved like that in a state of being soaked in sleeping pills?
At the end of Ryle’s reckless steps was that Omega youth.
“First of all, you need to sleep now. You’re not in a state to be awake.”
The doctor, who had slowly sorted out his thoughts, sternly reminded him of his condition. Ryle, with a troubled face, glanced at Hae-jin once before unnaturally averting his gaze.
First, the diagnosis was secondary. The pheromones of the Dominant Alpha, who had entered rut, were increasingly spreading irregularly in all directions. Moreover, if his body moved uncontrollably to this extent, accidents were likely to happen in many ways.
After hesitating for a moment, the doctor made a suggestion to Ryle, making an effort not to look at Hae-jin.
“If pheromone release is not possible, you need to be near the pheromones of a compatible Omega.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
The answer came out without even a moment’s gap. Ryle, somewhat angry, glared at the doctor with angry eyes.
He didn’t know what the circumstances were, but the doctor’s priority was his safety. Above all, he wasn’t making such an unreasonable request right now. It was just a temporary measure anyway.
“I’m not saying anything else. First, borrow something with pheromones on it and keep it by your side while you sleep. However, ……I think you’re an inferior gene, is that right? If so, a simple object may not be enough, so I’m asking.”
Preparing to receive Ryle’s stinging glare again, the doctor asked Hae-jin. Hae-jin, who had been quietly looking for a chance to escape, widened his eyes at the sudden question.
A compatible Omega, could it be him?
Only now did he realize that Ryle’s ‘strangeness’ was related to this. Something was really wrong with his body.
“Jin, go into the bedroom. You don’t need to listen. No, no. We’ll go out. Everyone, get out.”
With even anxious gestures, Ryle jumped up. The doctor also stood up as if to dissuade him. Hae-jin stared blankly at the strange sight. Clearly, the doctor who had just entered this place was naturally emitting Alpha pheromones. But now, even with such intense movements, he strangely couldn’t feel the pheromones.
All he could feel was Ryle’s pheromones surrounding him like a curtain.
“Calm down. If it’s okay with you, let’s borrow the bedroom that person is using.”
“……What are you talking about.”
The doctor frowned, uncomfortable with Ryle’s pheromones that were gradually tightening around him. He could clearly feel that he was intentionally creating a barrier with pheromones between the Omega over there and himself.
The desire to quickly prescribe and disappear was welling up.
“We’ve brought all the equipment we prepared at the hospital. We’ll try to induce sleep again in a place where that person’s pheromones are strongly present.”
“…….”
At the unexpected prescription, Ryle covered his mouth with a troubled expression. It was a mistake to have received a diagnosis in a place where Hae-jin wasn’t present from the beginning. He hadn’t been able to judge because the doctor had been waiting for him here as soon as he left the bathroom. His dulled mind was too busy capturing Hae-jin, who had come back into view.
Just then, Mark stepped forward in the silent situation. As a Beta, he didn’t know how the pheromones that were happening here were flowing. One thing was certain, Ryle’s pheromones were filling the space madly to the point that even he could feel it.
“If Mr. Bright allows it, I’ll have him stay in another guest room for a few days.”
Hae-jin nodded readily. There was no reason to refuse if this situation could be resolved with just that. After all, this wasn’t entirely his room, as these people were reacting.
However, he kept observing Ryle’s gaze that reached him with a strange feeling.
Ryle’s pheromones, thickly spread in the reception room, had a form he had never seen before. Surprisingly, these thick pheromones didn’t come close to Hae-jin.
It was as if he was a big, hot fire, a pheromone that gave a strange feeling.
“If you feel sleepy, it’s better not to take more medicine.”
“……No. Inject more generously.”
Ryle had no confidence at all. He had no confidence that he wouldn’t get up again blankly and crawl into the place where Hae-jin was. He would rather be unable to move his body at all with medicine.
Without even having time to contemplate that he had imprinting, Ryle wanted to fall asleep quickly. As the rut intensified, he couldn’t control the desire to go to Hae-jin.
But if he saw that guy’s sorrowful face one more time here, he really felt like his heart would stop with guilt.
“Come in for a checkup when you wake up.”
The doctor said to him with a somewhat dark expression. Ryle simply nodded, seeing that he seemed to have noticed something.
The doctor, who had adjusted the IV drip in his hand, darkened the room and quietly went outside. In the space that was quickly enveloped in silence, Ryle slowly closed his eyes. Hae-jin’s pheromones, which were permeated throughout the bedroom, caressed him as if they were a lullaby.
In the extreme sense of stability he was experiencing for the first time, Ryle was able to lose consciousness.
“Wasn’t it there?”
He asked eagerly, but Mark shook his head with a troubled expression.
“Yes. I checked the place you mentioned, but it wasn’t there. Could you have put it somewhere else?”
“Ah…….”
The other room prepared by the servants had a clean atmosphere as well. However, unlike the place where Hae-jin had been staying, it didn’t have a separate reception room and dressing room. It was in the outer building like Hae-jin’s old room, but it was quite large. It seemed that they had taken care to keep him as far away from Ryle as possible.
Hae-jin, who had suddenly had to give up his bedroom, had to come here feeling dazed. Thanks to that, he had forgotten to bring his important wallet containing family photos.
He couldn’t bring himself to go to the place where Ryle was lying, so he asked Mark to do it for him instead. However, he said that he had not seen the wallet even after going to that room several times, making Hae-jin uneasy.
Due to his attitude, all the servants nearby were restless and approached carefully. They had already been cherishing Hae-jin, who had many scars, as if they were looking at a glass craft. But suddenly, Ryle was taking away his bedroom, so everyone was watching carefully.
“We’ll all look for it again when the Young Master wakes up. I’m sorry.”
“We’ll find it even if we have to take out the floorboards.”
“That’s right. It might not have been visible because it was dark there now.”
Hae-jin, who had been dejected and lowered his head, looked back at them with an awkward expression.
He really didn’t expect to feel this way in this mansion.
“……Thank you.”
Strangely, his voice was a little choked when he answered.
A good smell wafted from the white sheets. It was the fragrant scent of fabric softener, not pheromones. Hae-jin, who was lying there with his face buried in it, suddenly thought of Ryle’s pheromones.
Ryle’s pheromones that he had felt in the reception room were definitely strange. He belatedly realized that they had moved like a gentle breeze despite being in rut.
It was quite different from when he had threatened him to stay in the mansion. At that time, although the pheromones didn’t contain the energy to harm him, they had clearly penetrated his body with a clear purpose. Perhaps because it was an experience in the same place, the difference was even more pronounced.
He definitely said that they were compatible pheromones.
He also recalled what the doctor had said while looking at Hae-jin. Due to the habitual anxiety, Hae-jin slightly hardened his face.
Now he understood Ryle’s strange behavior a little. Why he had tried so hard to keep Hae-jin in this mansion. He learned for the first time that pheromones had compatibility. But if Ryle was acting like that, it must have a big impact.
Then he suddenly became scared. What if Ryle didn’t let him go even after the contract ended?
He had a place to go.
Hae-jin, who had been moving his body restlessly, turned on the screen of the tablet that Mark had given him. He was using this machine very carefully so that even fingerprints would not be easily left behind. So that he could leave it here without any traces of someone having used it.
He carefully searched the internet for the information he wanted to know. Sure enough, there was a lot of useful information when he searched for pheromone compatibility.
[There are genetically particularly compatible pheromones. In this case, Alphas and Omegas often feel an unconscious attraction towards each other.]
Hae-jin smiled bitterly as he looked at the first piece of information that came up. Although it often happened, it didn’t seem to apply to him and Ryle.
Knowledge related to pheromones was well organized in a way that was easy for him to understand. There were many things he hadn’t known because he had developed late. It was information that he should have looked up sooner. Hae-jin, who had been reading several stories as if possessed, paused his finger.
“…….”
Was there really a need to know everything now? He also felt uncomfortable with his own actions of trying to adapt more than necessary. So he decided to quickly skim through only the necessary parts for now.
As he wandered through the documents for a long time, he began to branch out to side knowledge, not knowing what he had searched for wrong.
[Also, excellent compatibility is one of the conditions for imprinting. In the case of imprinting, there is a risk of death if the other person’s pheromones are not present…….]
Hae-jin, who realized that the knowledge had gone as far as the imprinting category, returned to the beginning with a blank expression. He had often seen the phenomenon of imprinting in movies. Again, it wasn’t very necessary knowledge in the current situation.
As he searched with a few more keywords added, he finally found the information he wanted. There were pheromones that were particularly compatible, but there was no need to be bound by them.
Only after examining that far could Hae-jin let out a sigh. He had been nervous that he might be in a situation where he couldn’t do without him, but it was a relief. Ryle had only offered the contract because he was the easiest person. The situation was gradually changing, so it would be okay.
As the worries disappeared, another worry assailed Hae-jin. Where had his wallet gone? He had definitely been holding it until Ryle came and put it on the bedside table in the bedroom.
He had hurriedly left because of the commotion outside, so he had just put it down carelessly. Wasn’t the place he had put it on the bedside table?
Hae-jin’s thoughts, which had been reflecting on the situation at that time, inevitably flowed to one place. Could the servants be touching his belongings again?
As soon as this thought occurred to him, he lowered his gaze gloomily. If the people who had acted so considerately towards him during the day had stolen it, he thought it would be truly too sad.
“……”
Once a suspicion arises, it grows endlessly, quickly increasing in size to fill this not-so-large room. Soon, having gained a massive bulk, it began to weigh heavily on Hae-jin.
Because of the suspicion that had grown in the darkness, Hae-jin felt his sleep completely vanish. The fact that even the room had changed in appearance made him feel even stranger. He even had the irrational thought that everything that had happened until daytime was just a dream, and that he had returned to five years ago.
He had to find his wallet.
In this state, he had no confidence in being able to properly face Mark, who would be coming to find him tomorrow morning. Perhaps he might have another seizure upon seeing Butler again.
He felt a sudden fear. Hae-jin got out of bed as if possessed and put on a gown. The weather was getting quite chilly even at night.
He just needed to find his wallet quickly and come back.
Hae-jin, not even bringing his crutches for fear of making noise, had to struggle quite a bit to get to the main building. Only after seeing the door to his former room did he suddenly come to his senses. Why had he come all the way here in the middle of the night without his crutches?
However, the thought of his wallet made him feel anxious again. What if it really had been stolen? He wasn’t worried about the cash inside. His only concern was the photo he had put in the wallet because he had nowhere else to keep it. It was the only family photo he had managed to salvage. He couldn’t lose it like this.
But if he opened that door, Ryle would be there.
Ryle’s pheromone during his rut was so strong that its presence could be felt even outside the door. Only after arriving here was Hae-jin able to recall the worry that he might get caught up in that rut.
In many ways, it was an irrational compulsion. If he had realized his mistake, he should have turned back, but he couldn’t make up his mind because he was so concerned about his wallet.
Thanks to that, he had to wander back and forth in front of the door he used to use, his ankles getting cold on this chilly night. His body, unable to do either, kept swaying precariously. He bit his lip anxiously, but he couldn’t feel the pain. He had lingered for so long that his cheeks had become cold.
At this rate, one of the servants might pass by.
The moment he thought this, he couldn’t wait any longer. Hae-jin took a deep breath and approached the door. He mustered his courage and grabbed the doorknob. He would hold his breath and quickly go from the reception room to the dressing room. Wouldn’t it be okay if he covered his nose and mouth with something he could grab and came back quickly?
Just as he pushed the doorknob slightly inward, creating a gap, the door burst open.
“……!”
Hae-jin couldn’t even make a small sound and was pulled inside. His unstable, staggering legs couldn’t maintain their balance because of the cast. In the blink of an eye, the floor was getting closer and closer.
Just before he fell awkwardly onto the floor of the reception room, a firm embrace supported him. Ryle’s intense pheromone enveloped Hae-jin as if it were a cushion.
However, this time he was so frightened that he froze completely. He had already realized that the owner of this embrace was Ryle because of the pheromone that completely enveloped him. Reflexively, he quickly raised his head and met the gaze of two bright blue eyes.
This was a disaster.
Only now did he suddenly realize what he had done. He had done something stupid. He had walked right into Ryle, who was in rut.
The intense pheromone made it hard to breathe. Hadn’t he been too reckless, not thinking about the consequences because of his family photo?
But how on earth was he awake? He had vaguely heard that he had been given twice the normal dose of sleeping pills. He shouldn’t have been able to wake up for three days.
“……”
In front of Ryle, who was just looking down at him silently, Hae-jin took a hesitant step back. The door, which had closed sometime ago, was now behind him. His body trembled. He was terrified of what Ryle might be thinking of him, having come to this room of his own accord.
Ryle, taking a large step forward, placed both hands next to Hae-jin’s head. He was completely trapped in his embrace, and he couldn’t even open the door. As Ryle lowered his head, hot breath reached his ear.
The downy hairs on his cheek, which he didn’t even know existed, stood up one by one like needles. The goosebumps that started near his cheek spread throughout his body as if paint were bleeding on a wet canvas.
“……”
A feeling of despair pierced Hae-jin’s head. Ryle’s pheromone was gradually filling the room, making him feel like he was about to drown.
But, even though he had been panting for a long time, Ryle, for some reason, didn’t move from that position.
“……?”
It was quite a while later that Hae-jin, who had been preoccupied with panting with his head lowered, came to his senses. He had finally realized that there was no impact being inflicted on his body.
Lifting his dim gaze and turning his head, Ryle was still close to Hae-jin’s neck. As if inhaling his scent.
The moment he thought of the pheromone, he realized another strange thing. It was definitely Ryle’s pheromone, which was so thick that it seemed to fill the room to bursting, but for some reason, it had no effect on Hae-jin. Pheromones during rut shouldn’t be like this.
Something was wrong.
Come to think of it, Ryle was strangely silent. The hands that were placed on either side of Hae-jin maintained a subtle distance and didn’t come any closer. That unknown distance barely allowed him to breathe.
Barely regaining his senses, he carefully moved his body. His legs trembled as he tried to escape from his embrace. It felt as if those large hands would grab him again at any moment. Just like that night when he had his heat cycle.
Hae-jin, unable to hide the pheromone filled with fear, barely moved his body with a tearful face. Ryle didn’t grab him until he had completely escaped.
At that moment, he stopped breathing again as he turned around in a strange relief. It was because Ryle, who had already straightened his posture, was staring at him intently.
“……Mr. Vermouth.”
A trembling voice escaped like a sigh. Yet Ryle only tilted his head slightly and didn’t answer. The obvious abnormal reaction made him even more frightened. Hae-jin rolled his eyes back and forth, unable to go anywhere because he was standing in front of the door.
He couldn’t control the pheromone that was filled with deep fear. Hae-jin had never been good at controlling his pheromones in the first place. It was even more difficult in this incomprehensible situation.
Then, suddenly, the color of Ryle’s pheromone in the reception room changed.
“What is this……”
Hae-jin couldn’t help but open his mouth blankly because of the feeling of the pheromone changing so drastically. It was because his pheromone contained such a direct emotion.
It was affection.
It was a sensation that he had never thought he would be able to feel from Ryle. In the first place, Hae-jin had never encountered such a primary pheromone in his life. That direct and instinctive language confused him all the more.
It felt as if he were releasing the warmth of his Beta mother in the form of pheromones. Of course, it contained a slightly more erotic meaning than that familial love, but Hae-jin couldn’t think of anything else similar.
It seemed that fear also disappeared easily when one experienced something too embarrassing. His breath, which had only been rapid, gradually returned to normal. He finally looked straight into Ryle’s eyes, wanting to ask what he was thinking.
His gaze was constantly directed at Hae-jin, but it was somehow blank. Only then did he realize that something was really wrong.
“Mr. Vermouth?”
“……”
As he carefully approached the door, Ryle didn’t move at all, only following Hae-jin’s movements with his eyes. It was the same even if he moved in the opposite direction. Occasionally, he would send his gaze into the air as if he could see Hae-jin’s pheromone.
Then, he noticed blood dripping from Ryle’s wrist. It was the wrist where the IV had been inserted.
“The wound……”
Hae-jin, suddenly frightened, decided that he should call Mark or the doctor. He carefully headed towards the door, but Ryle still didn’t move at all, only moving his gaze blankly.
After hesitating, he gritted his teeth and this time slowly moved towards the bedroom. As he moved about two steps away from him, Ryle finally moved.
Biting his lip, he clumsily released his pheromone. His mind was so confused that he couldn’t put any proper will into it. Some emotion that lumped together his urgent feelings flowed to Ryle.
Like a lie, he began to approach a little faster. Hae-jin, who was limping diligently, opened the bedroom door wide. He felt as if he were using himself as bait, which made him feel all the more anxious.
The moment he got close, Hae-jin pushed his back towards the bedroom. Surprisingly, Ryle disappeared into it obediently.
“Ugh.”
Quickly closing the bedroom door, Hae-jin hurriedly ran outside. He was by no means fast because of his leg, but he didn’t chase after him until he got out into the hallway. He didn’t hear the sound of the bedroom door opening again either.
Soon, Hae-jin met a servant in the hallway and was barely able to inform them that Ryle had been injured. A surprised Mark and others rushed towards where Ryle was. Some remained and took care of him, who didn’t even have crutches. Hae-jin, blankly watching their figures, belatedly blushed.
It was really fortunate that the Betas couldn’t smell the pheromones. He was embarrassed just thinking about Ryle’s affectionate pheromones that would be left all over his body and in that room.
It was truly a confusing night.
‘How could you do this to me!’
‘Just stop it.’
His mother, who had realized her father’s affair for the first time, was furious, threatening to destroy the entire mansion. Even his father, who always had a nonchalant expression, couldn’t restrain his angry voice that day.
Twelve-year-old Ryle watched their fight and pondered expressionlessly. Was that something they had to fight about so fiercely?
Even to young Ryle, their marriage had already broken down a long time ago. Hadn’t they been competing with their relatives as if creating excellent traits was their ultimate goal in the first place? There were no Dominants among the other relatives anyway. So Ryle, the most outstanding Alpha among them, was clearly a ‘success story’.
So what did it matter who they were with?
His father, unable to continue arguing, eventually left first. It was because his mother had started to pressure him with her pheromones out of anger. She didn’t seem to realize that she was pushing him further away because she always suppressed him with her pride as a Dominant.
Surprisingly, Ryle understood his mother even less. His father, who was shamelessly acting confident even though he was having an affair, was not in the realm of understanding from the beginning. That was definitely a stupid thing to do.
So he kept wondering. Why was his mother doing this?
‘If I just imprint on you, will you look back at me too?’
If she had just gotten angry and ended it, he wouldn’t have had these questions. A person who had been imprinted on was essentially subordinate to the other person forever. Mutual imprinting was just a fantasy that appeared in movies. It would have been easier to understand if his father had wanted to imprint on his mother instead.
So Ryle couldn’t understand his mother’s feelings at all, as she clung to him so desperately, wanting him to imprint on his father.
* * *
The light is blinding.
Ryle, who had been drifting in a dream, slowly opened his eyes. He was very tired even though he had slept for so long. As if he had swallowed sleeping pills but had never slept deeply. Through his blinking vision, he could see the window with bright sunlight coming in.
And in the middle of the light, he could see Hae-jin’s face looking at him.
“……”
As if he had never been tired, he raised his body as if possessed. It was just a reflexive action. It was because the guy in front of him was shining so brightly.
So bright that he looked faint, as if he would disappear soon.
As he got up, Hae-jin immediately held out both arms. Then, with an expression that couldn’t hide his bewilderment, he lightly touched his nose to the pheromone gland on his wrist, then repeated holding them out again. It was an unusual action.
Whether he was releasing pheromones to him or not, a scent resembling rain wafted to Ryle along the trajectory of his arm. It was definitely an inferior gene, so it must be made up of a light and insignificant proportion. But Hae-jin’s pheromone miraculously scattered his Dominant pheromone that was filling the room without any problem.
Ryle blankly continued to watch that action. As he didn’t move at all and continued to move his gaze along Hae-jin’s arm, the guy lowered his gaze and seemed to be contemplating something.
His pheromone was a strange shape, mixed with a very clumsy lullaby, a faint sense of stability, and a great deal of trouble. Hae-jin, who had been expressionless the whole time, slightly frowned as if something wasn’t going his way.
At that moment, his heart dropped and he woke up completely.
“Jin.”
“Uh……”
Reflexively, he opened his mouth and called Hae-jin. Only now was he gradually waking up. He had definitely fallen asleep as if he had robbed the guy’s bedroom……
Why was Hae-jin here?
The moment he thought of that, Ryle jumped up. It was such a hasty movement that the bed shook greatly. Hae-jin, who was also surprised, widened his eyes.
His heart slammed to the ground again. Just because the guy had frowned a little.
“Jin, why are you here.”
Could it be that all those sleeping pills were useless? Had he gone to find the guy again and made him look sad?
Numerous questions gathered and created a frenzy inside him. Ryle’s pupils trembled gently as he observed how even Hae-jin’s eyebrows moved.
The guy slightly averted his gaze and opened his mouth as if he were in trouble. Ryle’s throat became parched and constricted at that action.
“……You keep coming to find me.”
“I……?”
In fact, Hae-jin had turned his head because he was embarrassed that Ryle, who didn’t know that Ryle had woken up, was doing clumsy things in front of him. Hae-jin had no way of knowing what kind of frenzy Ryle was destroying his inner self with because of his small actions.
Pheromone control was something that was usually learned naturally after it developed during puberty. Of course, Hae-jin was also able to do it clumsily because he had an instinct that he had realized when it developed. In fact, the pheromones that flowed out naturally according to his emotional fluctuations were also the result of that instinct.
However, it was quite difficult to release pheromones with a clear will like this time. So when he stretched out his wrist with the pheromone gland towards Ryle, he was aware that his posture was a bit ridiculous.
Of course, he never expected that Ryle, who he thought was still wandering around asleep, would be clearly watching this foolish posture.
“What did I do again?”
“……”
His voice was low and husky, as if he hadn’t fully woken up. Hae-jin, feeling awkward, glanced at his complexion for a moment before averting his gaze again. A violent earthquake began to occur again in Ryle’s eyes.
Hae-jin had barely escaped after coming to this room to find his wallet. He even vowed not to come near it for the time being.
But surprisingly, after that, this time Ryle was wandering around the hallway.
It was only natural that the servants were turned upside down. Hae-jin, who didn’t know that fact, was speechless when he saw Ryle wandering around the hallway like a ghost while he was moving to have a meal.
It was the same as Ryle coming to find Hae-jin because he couldn’t overcome the instincts of his rut, but he couldn’t feel any fear. It was because the hallway of the mansion was filled with ‘that’ pheromone again the moment Hae-jin hardened his face.
He tried to just ignore it, but Ryle came close to Hae-jin and just wandered around without doing anything. Hae-jin had no choice but to intervene in the situation because he felt so sorry for Mark’s elderly body, who was following Ryle around with a blanket.
As a last resort, he walked in front, scattering pheromones, just like when he had pushed him back into the bedroom. He really felt like he had become bait, which made him feel fearful at times. Then Ryle would pour out affectionate pheromones as if he were having another seizure.
Hae-jin had to keep Ryle tied to this bedroom, even if it was embarrassing. He also learned that he wouldn’t come out of the room if he came here occasionally and filled it with his pheromones.
His fear was gradually fading. Ryle’s ridiculously blind pheromone kept blurring his boundaries. But it was only natural that all of this was still overwhelming and uncomfortable for Hae-jin.
He didn’t know who he was seeing in his dreams. In any case, those pheromones were definitely not directed at his real self. So Hae-jin couldn’t stand the feeling that he was peeking into Ryle’s private life, which he didn’t want to know about.
It was ironic that the only way to escape those pheromones was to not be afraid.
He concludes that he can’t say that he ended up doing this because you poured out pheromones made of affection so desperately.
“Sorry.”
Hae-jin’s answer became awkward, and as he was choosing his words, a heavy word dropped. At that moment, he couldn’t understand what Ryle was saying.
So, he decides to leave. He had already found his wallet the second time he came to this room. The wallet was dropped and stuck in a very ambiguous place between the side table and the wall that he had mentioned.
“Then, I’ll be on my way.”
Hae-jin said calmly and slowly left the bedroom. That expression of Ryle’s, as if he was saying all sorts of strange things to his apology, remained imprinted on Ryle’s retina.
The apology, which unknowingly popped out from the depths of the Abyss, fell to the floor in vain because there was no one to receive it.
“…….”
Looking at his retreating figure, Ryle couldn’t shake off the feeling of throbbing near his heart.
The pheromones Hae-jin left in the bedroom only stimulated Ryle’s self-reproach.
The sense of stability engraved in the pheromones, though clumsy, lingered there, tempting the newly awakened Ryle. The more he wanted to be close to the guy’s pheromones, the more Ryle suffered from self-disgust. In the end, he had to run away back to his room, where only his traces remained.
Under the shower with cold water running, Ryle was lost in deep thought. Thanks to having sent the rut away through a shortcut, his physical condition was terrible. Still, he barely had enough mental capacity to think rationally about this situation.
Imprinting.
Only after realizing it could Ryle recall the moment of imprinting. Why he hadn’t realized it sooner, it was a terrifying sensation as if someone was stirring his brain.
On the day he spent the rut in ‘that room,’ Hae-jin heard the news of his parents’ death and looked at Ryle with a resentful face. It was at that very moment. His jet-black eyes pierced Ryle with resentment like heavy raindrops.
By the time he realized what had flowed in on that resentment, it was already too late.
Only now could he understand why the guy’s pheromones felt so strong ever since he brought Hae-jin back to this mansion. He couldn’t even find it strange that Hae-jin’s pheromones, being inferior, had never left a trace on Ryle in the past five years, even though he reacted extremely sensitively to his pheromones even in the rain.
It even felt like waking up from a huge dream. As if the flimsy reality that had made him up was actually transparent ice that shattered into pieces.
He had even excused himself by saying that his judgment was clouded because he hadn’t done pheromone release properly when he brought Hae-jin back here. Yet, the fact that he thought he had to catch the guy again was at a time when his head was clear after sending the rut away like that. It was absurd that he had been ignoring all these moments until now.
Could there be another case where the saying that pheromones are half a beat faster is so palpable?
“Haa…….”
Ryle trembled slightly, with an unknown premonition. The sensation of the cold water drenching his entire body was chillingly familiar.
However, Ryle could understand one thing. The reason why his mother was so obsessed with imprinting.
Because this was the most definite and cruel proof that could be expressed to the other person with pheromones.
“I have to hide it.”
So, Ryle decided to hide the fact of his imprinting. He was already forcibly holding Hae-jin here. If his imprinting was revealed here, it would become another shackle for the guy.
He couldn’t possibly do the act of forcibly pinning Hae-jin down again due to pressure from him or someone else. Because the guy already had more than enough of that pain.
So, he had to hide it.
Thanks to that, Ryle was frustrated. Because every single one of his cells was now clearly aware and craving to hold Hae-jin.
He finally realizes that he was wishing for something he shouldn’t dare to wish for.
As if the raging water was rain, Ryle slumped down on the spot.
Hae-jin, who had returned to the temporary bedroom, frowned in trouble as he felt Ryle’s pheromones faintly clinging to him.
Seeing the awakened Ryle in person, he still felt strange. Seeing him desperately seeking Hae-jin, the outlet for pheromone release, it was clear what his body wanted.
However, he couldn’t help but notice Ryle’s will to keep the promise he made to Hae-jin, even while suppressing the instincts of the rut, at this point. Thanks to that, Hae-jin, who had learned something unnecessary, awkwardly shook his arm. As if trying to scatter Ryle’s scent that stubbornly clung to it.
However, the pheromones had only moved to his hand. Just like Hae-jin’s mind, which kept thinking about it.
“Huu…….”
A sigh flowed out involuntarily. He should have realized long ago that something had definitely gone wrong when Ryle came to that dark motel room to catch him. There was a place he had to go once the contract was over, and this was extremely troublesome.
However, Hae-jin deliberately buried all these emotions deep inside him. Resolving never to open it again. Inside, there were things that Hae-jin had been accumulating, pressed down and swollen to the point of bursting. He even turned a blind eye to that critical state.
All he had to do was not think deeply about it. Recover his body just enough to be able to walk out, stay indifferently, and leave. That would be the best Hae-jin could do right now.
Ryle, who had regained his senses, first went to work and dealt with the piled-up tasks. It had only been a few days since he had been away, but his desk was full of various documents.
Visiting the hospital was next. The attending physician looked at Ryle, who had taken care of work first and came to see him late, with a somewhat weary expression.
“How is your body?”
“……Not very good.”
It was only natural since it wasn’t a proper pheromone release. Ryle couldn’t remember when he didn’t have a headache anymore.
The attending physician, who knew his condition best, looked at Ryle with deep eyes, and then carefully asked.
“Did you imprint?”
“Yes.”
Ryle calmly affirmed, as he had expected it anyway. If he had only shown an obsessive attitude towards Hae-jin, he could have denied it and moved on. The instinct of an Alpha obsessing over his Omega was common. Since Ryle had Omega phobia, it would have seemed unnatural, but it would have been better than the fact of imprinting being known.
However, the fact that he showed an abnormal reaction even in a state of being sedated became a problem in the end. Only after regaining his senses did he regret not showing Hae-jin or moving his pheromones as if protecting the guy when the doctor came to his mansion. He had given away too many clues because he wasn’t in his right mind.
However, the attending physician, as if knowing the seriousness of this situation, made an effort not to ask about the imprinting partner.
“You know it’s a dangerous situation, right?”
“Yes.”
Once imprinted, one would die without the pheromones of the imprinted partner. Even if it wasn’t pheromone release, the body would break down if one couldn’t periodically come into contact with the imprinting partner.
Ryle was now as good as dead if Hae-jin left.
“It seems like pheromones are causing the problem.”
Even knowing that, Ryle calmly recited the analyzed situation. Even in a situation where he might die if Hae-jin ended up leaving his side, he missed the guy.
Seeing that he even thought that this was the perfect punishment for him, it seemed like his brain was completely broken.
However, the attending physician, who was looking at Ryle’s appearance, couldn’t hide his puzzled expression and denied his words.
“That can’t be.”
“What do you mean?”
Ryle frowned, wondering if there was something he didn’t know.
“Imprinting is not a simple action of pheromones. It’s a subtle problem combined with emotions.”
“…….”
At the unexpected words, Ryle’s frowning expression didn’t return.
His mother also failed to imprint on his father, whom she was so obsessed with. What was between them must have been a deep and profound emotion. He didn’t know if that was what people generally called love.
But emotions? Ryle didn’t remember having any emotional exchange with Hae-jin at the moment of imprinting. He was just a little concerned about the guy’s thin body.
“Are you mistaken about something?”
“No. As you know, imprinting is definitely not common, but there is no disagreement that the phenomenon is a combination of emotions and pheromones.”
“…….”
Ryle was at a loss for words at the doctor’s rebuttal. Why did the saying that pheromones are half a beat faster come to mind again at this time?
The attending physician, as if guessing something from his serious face, turned the conversation by handing over the test results for now.
“Anyway, pheromone congestion is at a very dangerous level because of the rut overlapping this time.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“……Now, you can’t do pheromone release with anyone other than your imprinting partner. There will be a rejection reaction. Also, you must periodically come into contact with your imprinting partner’s pheromones. Even in small amounts.”
Ryle calmly prepared to get up at the worried addition. The doctor sighed and said that he would also gather accurate research data on imprinting.
“Okay.”
Ryle was strangely amazed by this heart that was so calm despite all those warnings.
Returning to the mansion, Ryle pondered the doctor’s words. To be exact, the words that imprinting was a product of emotions.
Surely that couldn’t be. Wasn’t imprinting something that only happened between people who were meant to be connected like fate? In fact, he knew the knowledge of imprinting, but he had never thought that it would actually exist. There was no one around him who had imprinted.
Wasn’t it just a fantasy mainly used in romance movies?
Anyway, no matter how he thought about it, he didn’t seem to have any feelings for Hae-jin. It was clear that all the actions he had taken so far were all because imprinting was swaying him.
At that moment, he felt Hae-jin’s pheromones from afar.
“Ah.”
Hae-jin, who was going somewhere, noticed him while walking with crutches and let out a short exclamation. The moment Ryle heard that voice, his head went blank and he couldn’t think of anything.
He was sure he had been thinking hard about something until now, but he forgot everything and just stared blankly at the Hae-jin he had encountered. Black hair and black eyes. And a slightly plumper white face.
As if trying to read his mood, he was observing quietly, and Hae-jin looked at such Ryle with a puzzled expression. He couldn’t bear the constant gaze.
“Mr. Vermouth.”
“Yeah.”
He didn’t think his answer had ever sounded so foolish. Yet, Ryle couldn’t stop staring blankly at Hae-jin’s lips.
“Is the rut over?”
“Yeah.”
The sound of his heart beating was loud. He was worried that Hae-jin in front of him would hear his heartbeat and frown.
“I see.”
Only after repeating the foolish answer did Ryle realize the intention of Hae-jin’s words. Looking at where Hae-jin had just come out, he must not have been able to return to his room in the main building yet.
Only then did Ryle, who had become anxious, open his mouth hastily.
“Ah, I’ll arrange for you to go straight back to your room…….”
“The room is fine.”
Before he could even finish speaking, the guy spat out his refusal. It was a very light tone that didn’t contain any worries. After all, it didn’t matter to Hae-jin where the room was or how small it was.
However, that small tone weighed heavily on Ryle like a storm.
Was it possible that he didn’t like the room? The room Hae-jin was using was the only guest room in the main building of this mansion. In the first place, the main building was an intimate place for direct family members. Allowing a guest to stay there was the best treatment.
“The main building only has that guest room, but if you didn’t like it, I’ll give you another room.”
Hae-jin had a pure question when he heard those words. The only room in the main building, just hearing the words made him feel the importance.
“Why did you give me such a room?”
Why would he bother assigning such a room to him? It wasn’t like there were no rooms in the outbuilding. In fact, the room Hae-jin was temporarily using wasn’t too bad for treating a guest.
Ryle was at a loss for words at that expectationless question. He felt like he was still being foolish.
He already knew it even before he realized the imprinting. The impulse to give him that room when he brought Hae-jin back here without any plan meant this after all.
He already knew that nothing was more important than Hae-jin in this mansion.
Come to think of it, there was another strange thing that had happened during the five years the guy had stayed here. The amount allocated to guests in the mansion’s budget had been noticeably increasing every year. He had some questions when he saw the numbers while investigating the corruption of the servants recently. He wondered if he had allocated that much money.
But Ryle, who was giving all this, didn’t know. Hae-jin, who was receiving it, knew even less.
He felt something indescribable and briefly touched his mouth. Since he didn’t hear an answer, Hae-jin’s gaze was still directed at such Ryle.
In the midst of the strong impulse to keep receiving this gaze, Ryle barely managed to open his mouth.
“Because you’re the most important guest in this mansion.”
“Is that so?”
Hae-jin didn’t react much when he heard those words. Ryle, who had been keenly watching Hae-jin’s mood since earlier, could easily realize it. The guy was taking it lightly, thinking that it was because he was the only guest.
He had made him react like this. To dismiss the interest in the guy as nothing, as having no special meaning.
“Anyway, I’ve already moved, so I don’t think there’s any need to go back. I don’t care where I am.”
He couldn’t leave Hae-jin in that small, cramped place. The corner room that didn’t get much sunlight before came to mind, and Ryle began to feel anxious.
It was possible that he just didn’t like the convenience he was providing. But what if Hae-jin thought he was being mistreated again?
What if he thought that nightmarish time was continuing?
“It’ll be the most convenient for the servants’ movements if you stay there as before.”
“I see.”
The excuse he carefully made after much deliberation was still foolish. Ryle covered his mouth and lowered his head to hide his self-loathing expression.
As if that was the end of the matter, Hae-jin nodded. Then, he walked unsteadily and passed by him. The fact that he couldn’t recklessly support the guy was strangely painful.
“Ah.”
“What’s wrong?”
Something similar to hope sparkled in Ryle’s heart. Hae-jin turned around slightly and said to Ryle, who had answered almost reflexively.
“Then, I’d like you to erase all the pheromones that will remain in that room.”
The small flickering flame scattered into the air in vain. As the guy feared, Ryle’s scent would be thickly left in that room. He knew very well that it would be uncomfortable.
Yet, at this moment, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of being completely rejected by Hae-jin. Thanks to that, he desperately realized the effect of this imprinting.
That he wouldn’t be able to refuse anything Hae-jin was going to do now.
“I’ll take care of it.”
Only a voice of self-mockery flowed from his twisted mouth.
* * *
Ryle had one of the few important tasks in his life.
“…….”
His instincts were endlessly craving Hae-jin. Even though he couldn’t dare to hope that the guy would stay by his side, he needed Hae-jin.
Ryle couldn’t understand the attending physician’s words that imprinting was the result of emotions. But since he had already imprinted, there was no turning back. He was even confused by the sense of stability he felt in the fact that he couldn’t go back.
Anyway, what was important now was Hae-jin. He couldn’t recklessly lock the guy up again. So, he wanted to at least let Hae-jin know that he was a very important person to Ryle.
The fact that the guy didn’t know that fact until now made Ryle shudder.
“Is Jin awake?”
“Yes. We’re about to escort him to the dining room for breakfast. Would you like to go together?”
“……Yeah.”
Before the rut came, he had let the guy eat alone for several days while struggling in a sea of worries. At that time, Hae-jin’s food intake had subtly decreased again. He didn’t know if the guy knew that.
So, Ryle couldn’t leave the guy alone at all. He loathed himself for being pleased that he had an excuse to visit him like this.
Ryle narrowed his eyes as he passed through the courtyard on his way to the dining hall. It was already getting cold, making it difficult to dine in the courtyard. No matter how many heaters were set up, the weather was dangerous for Hae-jin, who was physically weak.
Then, he suddenly remembered that his mansion also had a greenhouse.
“Mark.”
“Yes, young master.”
“The greenhouse that my mother used to tend, is it still there?”
The greenhouse had definitely been abandoned and left unmanaged when he had devastated the garden on the outskirts. He had destroyed the outer garden as if venting his anger, as it was the starting point of his headaches.
“The framework remains, young master.”
“Have it redecorated. …Clean enough to have meals there.”
Mark nodded kindly, as always.
With increasingly hurried steps, Ryle entered Hae-jin’s room. A slightly surprised face was etched in his mind. Ryle, who had become accustomed to being cautious, fell into despairing contemplation.
Was it a mistake to come?
“…If my presence is uncomfortable, I’ll leave. Don’t worry.”
He should have contacted him in advance. Only now did Ryle realize his mistake, and he hesitated as he asked. Hae-jin, who had been staring at him intently, slightly turned his head. Every time that gaze shifted away from him, it felt as if his heart was being torn to shreds.
“No. I just didn’t think you would come anymore, so it was a bit unexpected.”
Hae-jin, who had seemed slightly surprised, soon returned to his usual expressionless face. Ryle suddenly realized that he hadn’t seen many expressions on that face.
All he had managed to elicit was a fleeting smile that scattered like the wind.
“…I’ll come every day now.”
Perhaps Hae-jin would dislike this even more. He was at a loss as to what to do if he declared that he shouldn’t.
However, the guy awkwardly contorted his eyes and said nothing. Ryle could guess that what Hae-jin had just swallowed was the question ‘why.’
Barely ignoring it, the two headed to the dining hall side by side, matching Hae-jin’s pace.
On the way to the dining hall, Ryle discovered something unexpected. The security team personnel who had been guarding the rear of the mansion were moving across the hallway, presumably to change shifts. And among them were several Alphas.
It was common for Alphas with superior physical abilities to be employed in security or bodyguard work. Of course, all the servants who resided and worked in his mansion were Betas.
Ryle suddenly wondered if it was common for Alphas among the security personnel to enter the mansion so frequently.
“… .”
Ryle tapped the desk that resembled Hae-jin’s hair, lost in thought. The question that had suddenly occurred to him earlier continued to bother him.
He had been concerned about the Alphas temporarily guarding the interior of the mansion before. It was a fact he had known since then, but it was now stimulating him anew.
“Come in for a moment.”
Unable to bear it any longer, he summoned the Secretary.
The Secretary, who rushed in, waited nervously for his words. They were currently swamped with work due to the merger and acquisition of affiliates. They had decided to finally liquidate the underperforming affiliates.
Daniel Vermouth, Ryle’s uncle, was largely to blame for this decision. Beyond the mere underperformance of the business, it was threatening the financial soundness of other related affiliates.
Moreover, Uncle Daniel vehemently resisted the forced liquidation of the business. Ryle couldn’t tolerate his shameless logic that they could simply pull funds from other businesses to help.
As a result, the Secretary, who had become busier, had recently posted a new job advertisement. Staffing was urgently needed.
“How many Alphas are there on the mansion’s security team?”
“Yes? I’ll check. Um…, there are no Omegas, though.”
Knowing Ryle’s temperament well, there wasn’t a single Omega, even among the servants, in his mansion. The same was true when they were all replaced this time.
“I know. How many Alphas are there?”
However, seeing Ryle suddenly looking for Alpha traits, which he hadn’t cared about before, the Secretary quickly answered, while pondering his intentions.
“There are ten Alphas on the security team, and none among the servants.”
“…. .”
There were ten Alphas?
The moment he heard the answer, Ryle felt that the matter, which had been only slightly bothersome, had now grown to the point where it could not be ignored.
Then, suddenly, he thought that Hae-jin might be uncomfortable if he saw other Alphas. Wasn’t the former Butler who had oppressed him also an Alpha?
Surely that was the case. Now that he had belatedly realized this, it was time to change things.
“For now, prevent Alphas from entering the mansion. And advise them all to resign with good terms as soon as possible.”
“…We will take measures to ensure that all people with Alpha traits are only assigned to perimeter security. However, a full dismissal may be difficult.”
As expected, the Secretary, faced with an unexpected matter, made a guess while sweating nervously. Of course, Vermouth’s contract terms were extremely generous. There were hardly any people who quit on their own accord.
If they were suddenly fired from a job with such good conditions, there would naturally be resistance, unless there was a legitimate reason.
“Why?”
“First of all, the head of the security team is an Alpha. Also, there will be resistance if there is no appropriate reason.”
“…. .”
That was certainly reasonable. However, from the moment he realized that Alphas were present in the mansion, Ryle was plagued by an inexplicable sense of urgency.
“What’s wrong?”
“Jin will be uncomfortable with Alphas.”
“Ah.”
He pointed out the part he was worried about to the Secretary, who asked with a puzzled expression. The quick-witted Secretary immediately understood and fell into contemplation along with him.
“Try to persuade them well. If there seems to be resistance, offer them a transfer to headquarters with better conditions. That should quell their dissatisfaction.”
Ryle, who was thinking of gradually removing them from the mansion without friction, added a word because he was suddenly worried.
“Don’t use Jin as an excuse, even if it’s just in case. A stray arrow could come back.”
“Yes, I understand.”
It would be troublesome if they turned their resentment towards Hae-jin. What if they harmed him?
Thinking about this, he felt that the security for Hae-jin was insufficient. Since he would feel suffocated if he had a personal bodyguard, it would be better to make the mansion itself a fortress. The mansion was unnecessarily too large, so it would be better to prepare further.
“And increase the overall security personnel at the mansion. With Betas.”
“I will take care of that as well.”
The mansion’s security system had already been overhauled once before and was sufficient. Knowing this, the Secretary rolled his eyes with a strange premonition and obediently answered.
“Educate them thoroughly so that they do not make inappropriate remarks or actions towards Jin.”
“I understand.”
Writing down his detailed instructions without missing a single one, the Secretary vaguely realized what Ryle was worried about. It seemed he was determined to prevent the same situation as last time from the very beginning.
Even though it seemed like the matter was over, Ryle did not tell the Secretary to leave. When he cast a questioning glance, the Chairman, who had been hesitating, frowned.
“And could there be a problem with paying Jin the compensation specified in the contract in advance?”
“Without fulfilling the specified contract period, right now?”
“Yes.”
Usually, it would be a problem if he didn’t give what he was supposed to give, but paying in advance should be fine. The Secretary knew this well, but he fell into other thoughts.
For some reason, he had a feeling that Hae-jin would not readily accept them. The Secretary also vividly remembered the day when Hae-jin hadn’t even looked at the contract that specified the compensation plan.
“There doesn’t seem to be a problem with paying in advance. However, what if Mr. Bright refuses?”
“…I’ll think about that when the time comes.”
Ryle’s expression darkened as if he had expected it as well. While slowly observing the Chairman, the Secretary tried to remember the premonition that had popped up earlier.
It was a premonition that he would be involved with Hae-jin more often. He felt that he should hurry with the staffing.
Only after dealing with the security team issue that had been bothering him all day was Ryle able to concentrate on his work. Daniel Vermouth, his uncle, who had come directly because of the merger and acquisition, bothered him, which took even more time. Of course, he didn’t meet him. He was annoyed by having to chase away the man who was causing a commotion outside without even seeing him.
Ryle, who returned to the mansion late at night, asked Mark, who greeted him, as a habit.
“Is Jin…?”
“He’s asleep.”
Nodding, he moved not to his room this time, but to the courtyard outside. Although it was late, there was something he wanted to see with his own eyes.
Turning the corner of the mansion building, he saw a brightly lit place for night work. It was the location of the greenhouse he had mentioned in the morning.
Construction had started faster than expected. Mark was moving enthusiastically, as if he had been waiting for this garden. All sorts of construction equipment were lined up in the desolate place. Despite the chaotic appearance, Ryle carefully took in the progress.
“Create an atmosphere inside the greenhouse as if you are outside. Increase the size if necessary.”
“We will carefully repair the nearby garden as well.”
“How long will it take?”
“It will take at least a week, even at the fastest.”
It wasn’t taking long to renovate a greenhouse. Nevertheless, Ryle frowned unhappily, feeling somewhat impatient.
“Spare no resources and pay attention to it.”
“Yes, young master.”
Only after staring at the construction site for a long time as if he were supervising it did Ryle turn his steps towards his room.
As he entered the mansion, he could feel Hae-jin’s pheromone. He had said that he had fallen asleep a little while ago, so this was either his imagination, or his instincts were catching the faint traces of the guy that remained. He realized that this had happened often before.
As he climbed the stairs, focusing on the scent, he suddenly thought of the guy who had been holding onto the wall as he went down. Hae-jin’s white hand remained on the heavy-colored mansion wall like an afterimage.
Suddenly, he felt worried. He was worried that Hae-jin would lose his footing when no one was around. He was worried that his leg would only get worse while staying in this mansion.
“…. .”
“What’s wrong?”
“…I think we need to renovate the interior of the mansion a little.”
The more he thought about it, the more dangerous this old mansion seemed. He should have taken care of it together when he increased the number of CCTVs last time, but wasn’t that a foolish decision?
“Where are you planning to renovate?”
Mark, who had followed him into the room to help him change, asked with a puzzled expression. Ryle, who had been organizing his thoughts in his head, handed him his coat.
“I’m going to repair it safely so that it’s easier for Jin to get around. The Secretary will be visiting soon to discuss the mansion’s renovation. Discuss it together then.”
“Yes.”
No one except the doctor knew about his imprinting. Therefore, Ryle needed to be careful to ensure that Hae-jin and everyone else remained unaware of this fact.
In the first place, Ryle had not yet admitted that he even had feelings for Hae-jin. All of this was just close to acting out of obligation because it was necessary for him to live in the future.
“What has Jin been doing at the mansion recently?”
“Um… He mostly stays in his room. It’s not really weather for taking a walk outside.”
“…Does he go to the study often?”
“It’s been a while since he’s been there.”
“…. .”
He must be very bored, but he doesn’t even go to the study.
Thinking of Hae-jin being alone in his room, a sense of anxiety suddenly emerged. Desperately trying to maintain his composure, he turned his back on Mark.
“I understand. Get some rest.”
“Have a good night.”
As soon as the bedroom door closed with a click, Ryle roughly swept his hair up. He must have nothing to do, to the point of flipping through the same newspaper several times. Yet, he didn’t even go to the study, which made him frown.
Suddenly, he remembered Hae-jin’s face, which had somehow looked displeased as he stared at him in front of the study. Perhaps it was because the study was too shabby.
There were about five studies in the mansion. The one he had shown Hae-jin was the closest, but it wasn’t the best. The study used by the direct line was decorated in the most dignified way.
But to get there, Hae-jin would have to go up too many stairs with his uncomfortable leg.
“…. .”
Ryle, who had been pacing in front of the bed without realizing it, took out his cell phone from his pocket this time. The mansion renovation plan in his head was gradually becoming more extensive.
Ryle, who hurriedly contacted the Secretary, gave the Secretary an order that was like a bolt from the blue. He said that he would need to install elevators as well as safety facilities inside the mansion.
Although he had left work, the Secretary diligently sent a reply. He read a slight sense of bewilderment in it, but he didn’t care. Still, he thought that he should raise the Secretary’s salary soon.
As promised, Ryle visited Hae-jin the next morning without fail. The guy had an indifferent face that didn’t contain any expectations, but Ryle was relieved just by the fact that he wasn’t rejected.
Since having breakfast with Hae-jin yesterday, Ryle hadn’t eaten anything. He had been receiving reports on everything that went into the guy’s mouth every hour, but he himself felt nauseous. Since this level of forced march was nothing when he was busy with work anyway, he didn’t care about his physical condition.
But when he actually faced Hae-jin in the morning, he felt a little appetite. Thinking it was strange, Ryle looked at the Stelline soup placed in front of him. He heard that Hae-jin had also requested star soup for the first time in a while.
Since it wasn’t usually a time for friendly conversation, the dining hall, which was only occupied by the two of them, was enveloped in silence. As Ryle carefully counted the foods that Hae-jin ate well, he turned his gaze to the potted plant placed on the table as a decoration.
“Do you happen to have a favorite plant?”
It was natural that his thoughts quickly jumped to the greenhouse that was currently being built. Since he was going to decorate it anyway, it wouldn’t be bad to fill it with things that Hae-jin liked.
However, Hae-jin, who had abruptly stopped his hand at his question, cast an indifferent gaze at Ryle. Suddenly, Ryle felt his throat, which had been easily swallowing the soup, tighten.
“…. .”
Faced with Hae-jin’s silence, Ryle had no choice but to pour out the other words he had prepared. A strange tension consumed him.
“…The security personnel will be reinforced soon. If there is anyone who treats you rudely, be sure to tell me. Of course, I will make sure that doesn’t happen…”
Hae-jin’s eyebrows, which had been expressionless throughout, suddenly twitched slightly. Feeling a huge sense of foreboding, Ryle urgently asked.
“Don’t tell me, you’ve already experienced something like that? If you tell me what happened…”
Ryle, who had completely put down the spoon he was holding, lowered his hand under the table. His fist, which was digging into his knee, was clenched tightly.
Hae-jin cut off his hasty question as if with a knife.
“Mr. Vermouth.”
“…Yeah.”
Even though he had openly interrupted him, Ryle obediently answered and closed his mouth. Hae-jin, who had been staring at his attitude, let out a slight sigh and turned his head.
As a result, he didn’t see how much his sigh shook Ryle’s body.
“Why are you curious about that?”
It was another question that came out. Why.
Until now, Ryle had been unable to answer that question. He also didn’t know why he was so concerned about Hae-jin.
He knows the reason now. However, now that he knew the reason, he couldn’t answer that question.
“…Just.”
So, only empty excuses flowed out of his mouth. In fact, Hae-jin’s question was nothing more than a rebuke for the indifference Ryle had had until now. Knowing that fact too well, Ryle carefully lowered his gaze to the table and could no longer open his mouth.
Just, because I was curious.
He couldn’t add that one word to the end. And Hae-jin also didn’t answer until the end.
The next morning, Ryle sat in the study with a very dark face.
He visited Hae-jin again today without fail. However, no matter how much he rang the bell, the door did not open. He had not received permission to have breakfast together.
Ryle was on the verge of going crazy, worried that Hae-jin would start skipping meals again because he had offended him yesterday. The guy’s life was now his life, so he was so concerned. Considering that, the time he had spent loitering nearby without Hae-jin knowing was long, but Ryle tried to think that way.
Some time later, Mark relayed Hae-jin’s wish to have his meals in his room. Only then did Ryle breathe a sigh of relief and enter the study. The Secretary and Mark were also there to discuss the mansion’s renovation.
While they organized their opinions, he fell into a miserable dilemma. This was practically a warning. A continuation of yesterday’s question.
Hae-jin had made it clear that he didn’t want to exchange anything with him unless it was related to the contract. So, this kind of unprovoked interest was also not allowed. Ryle clearly felt that line.
With a wretched feeling, he ran a hand over his face and leaned back in his chair. Had anything in his life ever been this difficult? If he could, he wanted to chase after his past self and strangle him.
“Are you really going to go through with this?”
“Yes. All of it.”
“May I ask why you’re reorganizing this particular area?”
Mark, who was looking at the mansion’s blueprints, pointed to one area with a puzzled expression. It was where ‘that room’ that Hae-jin feared was located.
Occasionally, when receiving reports on Hae-jin’s movements, Ryle had felt a strange sense of unease. His legs must have been hurting, but the guy strangely chose roundabout routes.
At first, he thought it was for a walk. Then, the moment he spread out the blueprints to renovate the mansion according to Hae-jin’s movements, he wanted to shoot his own stupid head.
Whether consciously or unconsciously, the guy was avoiding the room that had given him trauma.
“Completely change it so that no one can even recognize that ‘that room’ existed there. Start with the nearby hallway and make the interior decoration of that area uniform. If that’s not possible, get rid of the building altogether.”
“…….”
“…….”
This wasn’t just about adding a handrail to the stairs. The Secretary’s face stiffened as he realized that. Mark, who narrowed his eyes at the mention of ‘that room,’ guessed that there was something going on and remained silent for the time being.
He, too, recognized that this was a reckless order. It might be an excessively large construction project. Nevertheless, he was often tormented by the violent impulse to destroy everything that tormented Hae-jin.
It was quite funny that the scope of that destruction included himself.
“Chairman Vermouth. Such a large-scale renovation won’t be finished quickly.”
The Secretary, who had been silent, said cautiously. He was pointing out the remaining period of the contract with Hae-jin.
Ryle knew that best. He was the one who checked the calendar so many times, as if he had received a terminal diagnosis. In fact, it was true that the situation was not much different from a terminal diagnosis.
“I know. But do it.”
He knew that, but he wanted to try something, anything, if it meant he could catch Hae-jin.
* * *
As the afternoon wore on, Ryle couldn’t bring himself to put anything in his mouth. Even when he was hungry, the thought of whether Hae-jin had felt this way made bitter water rise in his throat. He even had a premonition that he would never be able to swallow anything again if the guy wasn’t with him.
However, Ryle, with his excellent stamina as a Dominant Alpha, didn’t show it and focused on his work. The position he was in wasn’t one where he could show off his condition.
[Chairman Vermouth. Mayor Burns is scheduled to arrive in 10 minutes.]
“Show him in as soon as he arrives. And have the Secretary accompany us.”
Burns, the mayor of this Heavy Rain City, had urgently contacted Ryle, wanting to meet him. Ryle, roughly guessing what it was about, agreed to the somewhat urgent request.
While he was working on other tasks, the mayor quickly entered his office.
“It’s been a while, Chairman Vermouth.”
“It’s been a while.”
After briefly organizing the documents, Ryle led the mayor to a table on one side. The mayor, who had entered with a somewhat excited face, took a sip of the tea that the Secretary had brought in and quickly got to the point.
“I heard that Vermouth Manor is undergoing construction.”
“That’s right.”
As soon as he came to work, his capable Secretary had organized the mansion renovation plan and posted a notice. It was a procedure to recruit experts.
When the mayor called him in a hurry shortly after the notice was posted, Ryle vaguely guessed that his business was related to this.
“Looking at the notice you posted, it seems to be a very large-scale construction project.”
“I didn’t realize that a construction project concerning my personal space would be something that even the mayor would come to see.”
“Ahem, that’s not it. How could you overlook the symbolism of Vermouth Manor?”
The mayor awkwardly took a sip of the tea in front of him at Ryle’s sarcastic tone, which didn’t beat around the bush. Ryle, staring at him indifferently, who had paid attention to his appearance like a politician, glanced at the watch on his wrist.
“It’s not just a renovation, but it seems like you’re completely changing the structure of an entire building. As you know, Vermouth’s old mansion is a cultural heritage of this city.”
In fact, Vermouth Manor was an old mansion that was over two hundred years old. The Vermouth family had settled in this city even longer ago than that. Renovations had been carried out steadily in the meantime, so there were no difficulties in living there, but it looked like a huge castle when viewed from afar.
The city occasionally bothered Vermouth under the guise of cultural heritage management. Most of it was just an elegant swindle to extract more political funds, but they sometimes made efforts for the sake of the old mansion’s scenery. As a metropolis where only economic activity was extremely developed, there were no suitable tourist attractions.
The problem was that even if his mansion was treated as a cultural heritage, it was not something that the mayor should come and clumsily interfere with in this way.
He had been meeting with Daniel Uncle and the kinship council frequently recently, so were they plotting something troublesome?
“What I mean is, I hope you’ll think of this not as presumptuous interference, but as something for the sake of the city…”
“Is that what you think?”
“Ahem, of course.”
The mayor coughed repeatedly, as if he was displeased that his words had been interrupted. As a politician, he seemed to want to express his displeasure skillfully. Of course, there was also a bit of disregard for the young Chairman Vermouth in front of him.
“I understand.”
“…Ah, yes. Thank you for listening.”
He had come full of tension, so he answered dazedly when Ryle answered so readily. Ignoring all those reactions, Ryle glanced at his watch again.
“Actually, I have another meeting soon.”
“Ah, my. I’m sorry to have kept a busy person. I should get out of here quickly since I’ve rushed in.”
“I won’t see you off.”
The mayor, as if he thought he had achieved his purpose, smiled brightly as if he had never frowned and stood up. Ryle, who indifferently shook his hand once as he offered a handshake, naturally cast his gaze towards the door.
Even as he hurried out of the room as if being chased out, the mayor didn’t seem to realize this subtle situation.
“Shall we cancel the mansion renovation?”
Only the Secretary, who had been watching the scene from the side, asked with a strange feeling of unease. Ryle, who wiped his hand with a handkerchief as soon as the mayor disappeared from the office, threw it into the trash without hesitation and replied.
“No. Have them change the sponsoring party.”
“……The sponsoring party?”
“Yes.”
“……”
Ryle nodded as if there was nothing more to say. It meant that he could leave now.
The Secretary, who had gotten another job, swallowed a sigh and moved his steps out of the office. However, his steps were quite light. It seemed that Ryle had promised a huge bonus and wage increase because he had been busy recently.
Behind the Secretary’s back, only Ryle’s voice remained, muttering in a low voice. It had a somewhat chilly temperature.
“It’s time for the mayor to be changed.”
Ryle calmly continued his thoughts, thinking that it was also time to step on the relatives who had been watching quietly.
To be Continued in Volume 3