By Zephyria 
===
“It seems they want to solidify a bond of trust, ensuring neither side betrays the other by forming a familial tie through marriage. It’s too strange, isn’t it? While it’s a common occurrence here, it must feel like an absurd suggestion to you, Eun-won.”
Eun-won blinked blankly at the unexpected words. An arranged marriage…? He had seen such things in dramas, but this was the first time he had ever heard it mentioned in real life. It felt that surreal. He couldn’t even immediately grasp how they could possibly suggest an arranged marriage.
“Everyone knew that Yun-han was the only child of Baum. That’s why such proposals never came our way. But… it’s become known that you exist, Eun-won.”
“…….”
“I didn’t particularly intend to hide you; I planned to introduce you naturally…. But that day we went shopping, the staff and many others saw us. I think rumors started then. Rumors are like that—they spread incredibly fast in these circles. This is a place where people are inevitably sensitive to even the smallest whisper.”
The more he listened to the madam, the more a sense of bewilderment washed over him. So, what she was saying was… the party Sewon wanted as a partner for an arranged marriage…
Was him.
The conversation took such an unexpected turn that it was difficult to react. Eun-won simply stared blankly at Yeo Hee-jin.
“So, Sewon found out about you… and they made a proposal for an arranged marriage. To be honest, it’s not as if we are in a position to arrange a marriage with Sewon. I’m not ignoring your value, but you know how it is. Are we even on their level? In truth, a proposal like this… is far too much of a loss for them. That’s why I never imagined such an offer would come.”
Eun-won could understand what Yeo Hee-jin was saying. Even to him, who knew little about these things—no, to anyone—the Sewon Group and Baum could not be placed on the same level.
The Sewon Group was the first name that came to mind for any Korean when they thought of a chaebol family. And in the dramas he’d seen, arranged marriages usually happened between families of similar status to solidify cooperative relationships. But suddenly, they wanted to marry him…?
“…But why me…?”
“I wonder…. Whether they want to pair you with a son or a cousin… I don’t know the details yet. But there must be a reason. Perhaps some kind of handicap. For a family like Sewon… it feels a bit wrong to say this in front of you, but… I honestly don’t know why such a prestigious family would want someone like us… and an illegitimate child at that.”
Yeo Hee-jin, the very person who had used the “handicap” of the Sewon Group’s second son’s promiscuity to use Eun-won as bait, lied fluently with a face that looked as if it might crumble at any moment, pretending to know nothing.
“But it’s absurd. How could I send you away because of a company? You’re my son I’ve only just found…. How could I use you to save the company? That’s nonsense. Because it’s nonsense, that’s why I’m telling you this…. Your father was absolutely appalled. He said he’d rather lose the company than send you as a hostage….”
“…….”
“So your father is looking for another way. It’ll work out somehow. So just let everything you’ve heard go in one ear and out the other, and don’t worry about a thing, Eun-won. All my Eun-won needs to do… is focus on school. All right?”
Though she repeated the words “don’t worry” several more times, Eun-won could not shake his anxiety. It was only natural. If there had been another way, his father would not be staying up every night, skipping meals with a face that looked like his blood was drying up.
But… even so… an arranged marriage was out of the question. Marriage, all of a sudden…. And not a marriage to someone he loved, but using ‘marriage’ as a means to solve a problem…. That, too, made no sense.
“Still, I feel a bit relieved now that I’ve confessed this to you, Eun-won. I suppose this is why one needs a son. Thank you for listening, and I’m sorry.”
“…Thank you for telling me.”
“Forget everything I said. How could I send you to that house? It’s absurd. I’ve already discussed it to some extent with your father. If all else fails, we’ll just accept it all. It breaks my heart to lose the company, but still… we’ll find a way to survive.”
Yeo Hee-jin, who did not forget to drive Eun-won toward a precipice while pretending to care for him until the very end, sat down beside him and patted his back.
Now that she had succeeded in cornering Eun-won, the only thing left was to hear his answer. Thanks to the promiscuous life of Sewon’s second son, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
Furthermore, Eun-won was an eye-catching omega, inheriting his mother’s pale complexion and Seo Jun-hyeok’s blood. No Alpha would be able to refuse this face.
“Look at the time. Go up and get some rest.”
“…Yes…. You rest too.”
“Yes. Sleep well, Eun-won.”
Watching the worried-looking silhouette of the boy as he greeted her and climbed the stairs, Yeo Hee-jin leaned back against the sofa and dabbed away her barely-dried tears with a tissue.
Her eyes, unable to hide the desire to get rid of Eun-won from this house as quickly as possible, lingered deeply on the stairs where Eun-won had just been.
* * *
After returning to his room, Eun-won found it difficult to fall asleep until dawn. The words he heard from the madam drifted through his mind, weighing on his heart until he felt breathless and stifled.
The fact that the company—the very fence of the family he had felt such a strong sense of belonging to—was collapsing made him feel increasingly uneasy.
Even though he wanted to find a way to be helpful, the only phrase that came to mind was ‘arranged marriage.’ It was something he could do, yet something he could not. He whispered the word ‘marriage’ several times in his mouth, but it felt too awkward and strange.
That night, and the night after, and as day after day passed, nothing improved. His father hardly came home anymore, and the madam could not sleep while waiting for him.
As he lacked sleep, he felt himself becoming mentally exhausted. Tossing and turning in his troubled mind, Eun-won got out of bed and left the room. He was too stifled to sleep. He felt that he needed to go out into the garden and face the night breeze to clear his head.
“…….”
As he stepped into the garden, the heavy, somewhat humid air clung to him. Normally, he would have gone back inside, displeased by the humidity that had not yet forgotten summer, but today, he welcomed this heaviness. Eun-won sat on a garden chair for a long time, cooling his complicated thoughts.
No matter how worried he was, and no matter if there was a way he could help, he tried to erase that one method—the one he could never actually do—from his mind. Just because he wanted to forget didn’t mean it would be forgotten, but he wanted to drive it out somehow.
After staying there for about an hour, he returned to the house to find the living room noisy. Eun-won walked toward the source of the loud voices. From the lit study, the voices of his father and the madam arguing drifted out.
“Honey! Please stop! How can you do that to Eun-won! This is absurd. I absolutely, absolutely cannot do it.”
“Then what do you want me to do! The embargo will be lifted next week. Everyone will know by Wednesday morning! Are you telling me to just stand by and watch the company collapse?”
“Still, I can’t. We only just brought him here. How can you sell off a child who hasn’t even adjusted yet!”
“Sell off? How can you put it like that! I’m not saying we should marry him off immediately! I’m saying we could at least meet them once to buy some time. They said they want to see Eun-won once….”
The voices of the two agitated people were thick with emotion. Hearing the voices that sounded like wails of desperation, Eun-won leaned against the stair railing and lowered his head.
“Even so, how can you tell Eun-won that…. It’s no different from telling him to go on a blind date…. Honey, let’s just give up on everything. There’s no other way….”
“…I, I don’t want to say this to you either. I know…. Losing the company… I hate losing what I’ve spent my whole life building, but I know… I can’t do that to Eun-won….”
“…Honey….”
“…I’m sorry. I must have lost my mind for a moment. I’ll contact Sewon tomorrow and tell them it won’t work. You’re right.”
With his father’s voice fading away weakly, only the sound of the madam sobbing remained, and the conversation did not continue. Eun-won barely moved his weakened legs to climb the stairs.