By Zephyria 
“Where did I drop it?”
Entering the painting studio, Seo Yi-kyung slid both hands into his trouser pockets. He was sure he had put it in there. Or perhaps he had dropped it while coming downstairs.
However, after retracing his steps and searching everywhere from the inside of the elevator to the hallway leading to the bedroom, the bracelet he was looking for was nowhere to be found.
“Did you find it?”
Butler Do, who entered the room shortly after, asked.
A moment ago, Seo Yi-kyung had put his hand in his pocket while asking him in the painting studio, ‘Do you think a broken bracelet can be fixed?’ Seeing him flustered because the bracelet that should have been there was missing, Butler Do had joined the search.
Still, Seo Yi-kyung shook his head, checking his pockets over and over again.
“No.”
He was certain he had brought it downstairs, but he had no idea where he had dropped it.
“I’ll take another look around.”
Perhaps there was a spot he had missed.
“I will help you look as well.”
Butler Do followed behind Seo Yi-kyung. Since Seo Yi-kyung had been wearing it on his wrist constantly for the past few days, Butler Do would recognize it immediately upon seeing it.
Stepping out into the living room, Seo Yi-kyung gazed at Min Ra-hyeon’s back, which kept catching his eye, before casting his gaze down to the floor. Right now, finding the lost item was the priority.
Clink. Min Ra-hyeon set the coffee cup he was holding down onto the saucer. Watching Seo Yi-kyung scan the living room, Min Ra-hyeon tilted his upper body slightly. On the nape of Seo Yi-kyung’s neck, which was exposed as he craned his neck to look at the floor, sat a reddish bruise. Although he was wearing a turtleneck, the area of the bruise became more visible whenever he focused on looking down.
Min Ra-hyeon braced himself against his thigh and slowly stood up.
Yi-kyung.
Seo Yi-kyung, who had been looking at the floor, straightened his posture. Min Ra-hyeon approached him with a smile. Seo Yi-kyung stared blankly at his smiling face. His hair was shorter, and the clothes he wore were so formal they looked business-like. He looked plain, as if there had been some dramatic change in his state of mind.
“…….”
As Seo Yi-kyung stood there expressionlessly, Min Ra-hyeon glanced briefly at the floor and then gazed at Seo Yi-kyung.
“Let’s have lunch together later. Seung-jae asked me to take care of you when he left this morning.”
Having said his piece, Min Ra-hyeon stepped away. He headed toward his room, passing by Butler Do, who was still focused on the floor.
Seo Yi-kyung did not take Min Ra-hyeon’s words seriously.
A request, of all things. Since when was Han Seung-jae the type of person to ask someone for a favor? There was no way he would say such a thing. A request was something made by the party in the weaker position. Why on earth would Han Seung-jae be in a position to make such a request?
Furthermore, he wasn’t the type to chatter about trivial matters regardless of what they were. Therefore, everything Min Ra-hyeon just said must be a lie.
If it had been the ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ from the original novel, he would have accepted even that lie as a gesture of goodwill, but he was not that person.
Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze lingered on the table where only the traces of Min Ra-hyeon having sat remained.
‘Probably not.’
Min Ra-hyeon had been sitting in the same spot the whole time, only drinking coffee. Thinking this, Seo Yi-kyung continued walking past the sofa. However, before long, Seo Yi-kyung came to a dead stop.
[You shouldn’t trust people.]
In the original work, Han Seung-jae used to say things like that. And had Seo Yi-kyung ever agreed with his words as much as he did now?
He turned back and headed toward the sofa where Min Ra-hyeon had been sitting. Perhaps he should have come here from the beginning. He carefully searched the table with the coffee cup that showed the bottom and the sofa where the man had sat.
Then, Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze followed the retreating back of the disappearing Min Ra-hyeon.
* * *
By the afternoon, the dining room was filled with delicious aromas. Min Ra-hyeon walked toward Seo Yi-kyung, who had already taken his seat. As Butler Do, who had brought him, pulled out a chair, Min Ra-hyeon sat down with a smile.
Seo Yi-kyung looked over the side dishes in front of him. Having paced the living room all morning, he felt hungry, but he still had no appetite. He considered taking the food to his room, but he had no reason to avoid Min Ra-hyeon. Moreover, he worried that if he really didn’t eat, it would affect the child in his womb.
Because Seo Yi-kyung was not alone in his body right now. Reminding himself of that fact several times, Seo Yi-kyung picked up his chopsticks and scooped up a bit of white rice. It was then that Min Ra-hyeon, tasting the soup, let out an exclamation of admiration. Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze naturally shifted forward, drawn by the sound. Min Ra-hyeon drank the broth repeatedly.
“I missed this taste while I was studying abroad.”
Since it was close to a monologue, Seo Yi-kyung felt no need to respond. Even if it weren’t, he didn’t want to exchange words.
Still, he could just go up to the second floor once the meal was over, so Seo Yi-kyung ignored Min Ra-hyeon and put food in his mouth.
“Ugh.”
Min Ra-hyeon, who had been tasting the soup, looked over. Simultaneously, Butler Do, who had been moving back and forth with plates, rushed over. He set a plate on the table and looked at Seo Yi-kyung’s back, who was bowing his head, with eyes full of worry.
“Young Master, what is wrong?”
Mr. Yi-kyung, are you okay?”
Seo Yi-kyung lifted his lowered head. He barely managed to grab the water glass beside him and drank. However, his stomach felt nauseous again.
“Your morning sickness seems to be quite severe.”
At Min Ra-hyeon’s words, Seo Yi-kyung took a thin breath in and let it out. When he had visited Han Seung-jae’s family home, he had acted this way in front of Min Ra-hyeon, but back then, Seo Yi-kyung had been pretending. This time, however, his body was truly rejecting the food.
“Is it very difficult?”
Huu. Seo Yi-kyung caught his breath and calmed his stomach. As he did, he wiped his wet lips with the back of his hand. Butler Do turned around, brought a napkin, and held it out in front of Seo Yi-kyung. Taking it and wiping his lips, he spoke.
“I lost my bracelet.”
When he answered, Min Ra-hyeon dropped the spoon he was holding.
“The one Seung-jae’s mother gave you?”
“…….”
Seo Yi-kyung had only said one sentence, yet Min Ra-hyeon’s words came back without pause. It seemed he didn’t even need Seo Yi-kyung’s answer. Or perhaps he didn’t need to hear it.
“Where did you lose it? I’ll help you find it.”
Seo Yi-kyung stared blankly at him before parting his lips slightly. Perhaps because he had drunk water, his stomach churned even more, making him feel as if he were on a boat.
Opening his mouth to speak, Seo Yi-kyung suddenly covered his mouth with the napkin. Ugh. He eventually stood up, bracing himself against the dining table. Butler Do hurriedly followed him.
Min Ra-hyeon picked up the spoon and tasted the soup. It had cooled slightly, but because of that, it seemed to taste even better.
Seo Yi-kyung did not return by the time Min Ra-hyeon finished his meal and came out to the living room. He entered his room and reached back to close the door.
Min Ra-hyeon put his hand in his pocket. A thin piece of metal wrapped around his fingertips. He looked at the broken bracelet he pulled out and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Oh dear. It seems Yi-kyung’s stomach is quite upset because this is gone.”
* * *
Butler Do placed an ice pack on the forehead of the lying Seo Yi-kyung.
“Please lie down for a moment. I will go down and call the doctor immediately.”
Since there was a doctor dedicated to Seo Yi-kyung’s treatment, he would come quickly if contacted. Butler Do turned to leave, recalling the doctor who had visited the house. However, a weak voice drifted from behind him.
“I’ll be fine if I just lie down.”
“But……”
Butler Do straightened his body, his voice trailing off. Seo Yi-kyung’s complexion was extremely poor. Throughout the short trip up to the second floor in the elevator, Seo Yi-kyung had even felt dizzy. Butler Do had been the one to support him and bring him to the room.
With a pale face, Seo Yi-kyung closed his eyelids. His voice leaked out, small but clear.
“I’m okay as long as I’m in this room.”
That much, he could affirm.
The scent of Han Seung-jae’s white musk wafted through the room.
Yesterday, it had driven him to a fever pitch, pushing him forward, but today, it was calming his dizzy stomach.
Falling into a deep sleep, Seo Yi-kyung tossed and turned. He opened his eyelids at a sensation felt on his wrist. The surroundings were dark because the thick curtains were drawn. Because of that, he couldn’t tell what time it was.
Seo Yi-kyung slowly lifted his wrist, which felt heavy. Click. As he turned on the lamp, the IV line extending from his wrist to above his head swayed back and forth. He had said there was no need to call, but it seemed Butler Do had called the doctor after all.
It was understandable, for while his stomach might have settled, Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t eaten anything properly. Thus, it was understandable that the butler was anxious. He could vividly imagine the man being restless with worry, eventually calling the doctor, and not knowing what to do while bringing him to this room.
Feeling his throat burning dry, Seo Yi-kyung turned his head. On the nightstand sat a ceramic bowl that seemed to contain porridge and a water glass with a cover on it.
Seo Yi-kyung struggled to push himself up from the bed. He was still wearing the sweater he had worn during the day.
Normally, he wouldn’t have lacked strength to this extent. But perhaps it was because he had used up all his physical energy having sex with Han Seung-jae last night. He felt even more devoid of strength.
Seo Yi-kyung gripped the water glass on the nightstand. Just as he was about to lift it, his gaze lingered on a box beside it. Inside the wide-open velvet box, there was nothing.
Suddenly, Seo Yi-kyung looked down at the wrist gripping the water glass. A long string was draped like a shimmering silver thread.
“……?”
The bracelet had returned.