By Zephyria 
“Seung-jae.”
Butler Do turned his head. Looking at Han Seung-jae, who had entered the kitchen earlier than usual, Butler Do doubted his eyes. However, he quickly regained his composure and stepped forward to pull out a chair for him. As he did, he picked up a glass bottle and filled a crystal glass on the table with water.
Glance. Butler Do stole a sidelong glance at Han Seung-jae, who had taken his seat. Usually, the time he came up after exercising was fairly consistent. But today, he seemed to have come up exceptionally early.
“I will tell them to hurry with the breakfast preparations.”
A glimpse. After bowing his waist and straightening up, Butler Do checked on Seo Yi-kyung. His complexion was also poor, having come down earlier than usual.
Butler Do turned around and requested the chef to hurry with breakfast. While he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, it was clear that an indefinable current was flowing between the two. And wasn’t this their first breakfast together in a long while? Butler Do moved through the kitchen with even more urgency.
Seo Yi-kyung gripped the water glass. Had he not exercised? He couldn’t feel the usual heat emanating from Han Seung-jae’s body. The same went for his pheromones. Usually, he would sit down while filled with a burning heat.
“That arm.”
It was Han Seung-jae who spoke, as if breaking the silence. Seo Yi-kyung, gripping the water glass, flinched.
“I wondered where you did that.”
“…….”
Seo Yi-kyung felt his mouth go bone-dry. Despite that, he didn’t bring the glass to his lips. If he did, wouldn’t Han Seung-jae realize that he had gone down to the basement? He didn’t know if this was another test.
Seo Yi-kyung tried his best to maintain a calm expression, but it shattered at Han Seung-jae’s following words.
“I told you to just paint, so why are you doing things you don’t normally do?”
“H-how did you know?”
Seo Yi-kyung raised his opposite hand to grab his arm. It was as if he were trying to hide the bruised area. He was definitely being monitored even inside the house…
“You’re leaking your scent all over the place; how could I not know?”
At Han Seung-jae’s words, rose pheromones leaked from the startled Seo Yi-kyung’s body. At that, Han Seung-jae’s eyes narrowed.
Seo Yi-kyung hurriedly turned his head to look around. Butler Do was moving so quickly that he didn’t even glance over. The chef was the same. So were the helpers passing by. Because everyone inside was a Beta, they didn’t react to Seo Yi-kyung’s pheromones.
As an extreme dominant Omega, it was difficult for Seo Yi-kyung to manage his pheromones. When he was surprised, asleep, or lost in deep thought, he would unconsciously leak uncontained pheromones. Moreover, it seemed to be worse today because of the intense exercise yesterday.
“I didn’t know it was a place I wasn’t allowed to enter.”
Seo Yi-kyung murmured lowly while rubbing his arm. No one had ever told him such a thing. Was that why he seemed to be in a bad mood since morning?
“That can’t be. There is no place in this house that you cannot enter.”
Seo Yi-kyung blinked. He didn’t know how to take Han Seung-jae’s words.
However, just as there was nowhere Han Seung-jae couldn’t go, there was no place in this house that Seo Yi-kyung couldn’t enter.
“I apologize for the delay.”
Butler Do quickly filled the table with food. This was followed by the busy hands of the chef. Meanwhile, Seo Yi-kyung rubbed his arm and chewed over the words Han Seung-jae had said. So, did he let it slide even though he had a suspicion that he had searched the study? He didn’t say anything more about it. He had said it didn’t matter what he saw.
Once Butler Do withdrew, Han Seung-jae gave a nod of his head.
“Eat.”
Seo Yi-kyung slowly picked up his chopsticks. It felt like a very long time since they had eaten breakfast together after that incident. That was how noticeably busy Han Seung-jae had been lately.
* * *
…It’s strange. No matter how much he thought about it, Han Seung-jae’s behavior wasn’t easy to understand. Given his personality, it wouldn’t be strange if he poured out scathing criticism upon finding out that the study had been searched. That was how heartless a person Han Seung-jae was.
“Young Master.”
Butler Do approached Seo Yi-kyung, who was sitting on the living room sofa, from behind. As he turned his head, having been lost in thought while drinking tea, he saw Jin Seon-yu waving his hand. Had it already become that time? Seo Yi-kyung braced himself against his knees and struggled to stand up.
“Ugh.”
Seo Yi-kyung swallowed a groan of pain. At that, Jin Seon-yu, who was about to step toward the painting studio, asked with suspicious eyes.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”
Ever since he had seen Seo Yi-kyung faint, he was startled by even the smallest gesture.
“I did some exercise yesterday…”
“Exercise?”
Seo Yi-kyung nodded and entered the painting studio. He then gazed at the organized tools and the canvas positioned against one wall.
Jin Seon-yu took off the jacket he was wearing and hung it on the chair of the work table. Then, he habitually tied a stiff, well-ironed work apron around his neck. Seo Yi-kyung approached and did the same.
Seo Yi-kyung stepped in front of the canvas. Jin Seon-yu pulled over a chair and placed it in front of him.
“If it’s hard, sit and do it.”
Seo Yi-kyung didn’t decline and sat down, bending his knees. While it was uncomfortable to raise his arms high, his legs hurt so much right now that he could endure that.
“Why the sudden exercise?”
Jin Seon-yu dabbed a brush on the palette and reached toward the canvas. Seo Yi-kyung answered while touching a brush.
“I felt like my body was too weak.”
Jin Seon-yu turned his head and observed Seo Yi-kyung preparing to paint. A pale face, clear eyes, and a faint scar remaining dimly on his cheek. Despite that, Seo Yi-kyung, with his red lips pressed together, was captivating. His slender neck, delicate shoulder line, and the wrist reaching up toward the canvas were thin.
Perhaps because he was an extreme dominant Omega, the subtle yet thick rose body scent embedded in Seo Yi-kyung’s body was by far the best Omega scent Seon-yu had ever smelled. That, combined with Seo Yi-kyung’s appearance and his slow, lingering movements, made him elegant. However, Seo Yi-kyung himself didn’t seem to be aware of that fact.
* * *
Myungjun Financial Group, Director’s Office.
“Director Han, CEO Seo Young-hwan is outside.”
Secretary Park, who had opened the door and entered, approached Han Seung-jae, who was working at his desk, and conveyed the situation outside.
In the meantime, Seo Young-hwan had contacted Secretary Park several times, requesting that an appointment be made to meet Han Seung-jae. Every time, Secretary Park relayed the message to Han Seung-jae, but Han Seung-jae would not meet him. Furthermore, he had already made it clear that there would be no further support. Therefore, there was no need to waste precious time meeting him.
Consequently, CEO Seo Young-hwan had come all the way to the door himself.
However, Han Seung-jae was not a generous enough person to meet someone just because they came blindly. Secretary Park, who knew his temperament well, would have had a subordinate send the person away if it were anyone else. But CEO Seo Young-hwan was Seo Yi-kyung’s father. He couldn’t not inform Han Seung-jae of the visit.
And strictly speaking, ‘Myungjun Financial Group’ and ‘Woorim Construction’ were in-laws. He couldn’t just recklessly kick him out.
Han Seung-jae did not stop his hand from flipping through the approval documents. Watching this, Secretary Park groaned inwardly. As expected, Han Seung-jae seemed to have no intention of meeting him.
“I will send him back.”
Secretary Park bowed. It was just as he was about to turn around. Han Seung-jae murmured while signing a document.
“Tell him to come in. There are things I want to ask.”
Thud. Han Seung-jae closed the approval documents. As Secretary Park turned and walked out to open the door, Seo Young-hwan, who had been waiting in front, entered.
Seo Young-hwan’s wrinkled face looked haggard. He had requested to see Han Yechan, Han Seung-jae’s father, but there, he had been treated even more coldly and with more contempt. Thus, Seo Young-hwan didn’t have many options. The only person he could ask for a favor or visit was Han Seung-jae, who had married Seo Yi-kyung.
If he asked for help for the sake of Yi-kyung, perhaps Han Seung-jae wouldn’t refuse. In the meantime, Seo Young-hwan had attempted to meet Seo Yi-kyung several times, but every time he sent someone, they returned after suffering humiliation. There were always men on standby around Seo Yi-kyung. They had tried every possible method to approach Seo Yi-kyung, but that only made the situation worse.
“Your face has gotten much worse.”
Han Seung-jae slowly stood up. Come to think of it, there was someone else who had visited in such a state. At that time, they hadn’t come to see Han Seung-jae, but to meet his father, Han Yechan.
Min Chae-ho, the father of Min Ra-hyeon. For someone who chose love despite the family’s opposition, his complexion was not good. In contrast, Min Ra-hyeon had acted even more brightly and cheerfully.
“Please sit here.”
Secretary Park opened his palm and pointed to the sofa where Seo Young-hwan could sit. Following that, an employee entered through the open door and placed teacups on the table. White steam rose softly. Secretary Park took a step back and kept his position.
“Drink. The tea will get cold.”
Han Seung-jae gripped his teacup. Seo Young-hwan gripped his own knees with both hands. He had entered a competitive bid for Hyo-eun City, a super-high-rise observation tower reaching 120 floors, but he failed to win the bid. And as the fact that Myungjun Financial Group, which had always backed him, had withdrawn its support spread quietly, everyone began to avoid Seo Young-hwan’s calls. Truly, there was only one place left for Seo Young-hwan to ask for help.
“Please let me meet Yi-kyung.”