By Zephyria 
eight
Silence returned once more. Ashley continued in a voice devoid of emotion.
“A friend of mine had a younger sibling, and he didn’t seem to like it. I told Grayson about it, and….”
‘You can get rid of it.’
Grayson whispered to his friend.
‘If you don’t like it, just get rid of it.’
And he told him the method he had read about in a book. It’s easy since it’s just a baby, he said. The friend listened and did exactly that. He used a pillow to cover the baby’s face….”
Dane involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut. When he slowly lifted his eyelids again, his eyes met Ashley’s dry gaze.
“Fortunately, the parents found out before anything serious happened, and the baby was saved.”
‘It’s just that Grayson, it’s just that I did as Grayson told me….’
“When I asked him why he said such a thing to his friend, my child said this.”
He couldn’t hide his bitterness and muttered self-deprecatingly.
“‘I was trying to help, Papa.’”
Dane silently looked at him. As if he had expected it, Ashley asked without much change in expression.
“Do you understand now why I locked that child in the basement?”
There was no hint of regret in him.
“There’s only one thing that doesn’t change about Grayson. ‘I was trying to help.’ He hurts his sibling all the time while saying he’s just trying to play with them, but he always says he was just trying to help. You’ve experienced it too, haven’t you? How dangerous his so-called help can be.”
Dane couldn’t argue with that. He had experienced it firsthand. Not only the basement incident, but also when he went to rescue someone who was trying to commit suicide recently, he clearly remembered how absurd Grayson had been.
‘You have to let them do what they want to do.’
Did Grayson think he was helping him then too?
Feeling a headache coming on, Dane made his final rebuttal.
“Then you could get professional counseling….”
“Do you think I haven’t tried that?”
Dane had no choice but to shut his mouth again. Ashley Miller was shouting with his whole body that he had done everything he could.
But the result was….
Ashley finally pressed a hand to his forehead. And he dredged up the worst memory.
“I taught him that he had to get rid of his Pheromone no matter what, and he tried to do it to his sibling.”
Ashley bit his lip as if in pain. And he spat out roughly through his clenched teeth.
“He tried to graft Chase onto a dog.”
Dane froze. It was an idea that was impossible to imagine in any common sense, but Grayson had done it. What must the parents who saw it in front of them have thought? Ashley quickly provided the answer.
“Can you understand that? Should I just comfort and appease this child, saying that he was born with such traits and can’t help doing such things? Chase has been almost completely estranged from his family ever since. It’s only been a short time since they started sharing news over the phone.”
Unable to contain his emotions, he gripped the cigar between his fingers. The burning end of the cigar, which had been burning red, smoldered in his palm, emitting white smoke. There seemed to be a faint smell of burning flesh. He glared at Dane with a fierce look and gritted his teeth.
“I had no choice but to teach him, even by physical means, what he could and couldn’t do. Of course, most of them were things he couldn’t do. I did my best!”
Ashley’s eyes were bloodshot. After glaring at Dane for a while, he soon averted his gaze and swept his hair back with his remaining hand. Suddenly, he looked terribly tired.
“The fact that my children inherited my Trait completely is also a punishment for me.”
Ashley let out a deep breath as if exhausted.
“The reason Grayson is still alive without killing anyone or being killed is thanks to my discipline. There are only two things I want from my children: not to kill someone and go to jail, and to get rid of their Pheromone in time so they don’t ruin their minds,
Just like me!”
He warned with a firm attitude, still showing no regret.
“Don’t be fooled by that child. Grayson is very good at lying. He’ll try to deceive even me if he gets the chance.”
And Ashley Miller added one last thing.
“If you’re careless, you’ll die too.”
Dane couldn’t say anything until then.
Desire Me if you can
“It was really nice to see you today, Dane.”
Koi, who had come to the front door with Grayson to see Dane off, said in an excited voice and hugged him tightly. After pausing for a moment as if reluctant, Koi let go and looked up at Dane, urging him.
“Please take good care of Grayson.”
Koi then turned to Grayson next to him. After hugging him tightly as well, Koi raised his eyes to his son. Even Dane, who was watching from the side, could tell that it was a gaze full of love. However, Ashley, who was standing a step away, only stopped his gaze once each on Dane and Grayson.
“Goodbye, Daddy. Papa.”
Grayson waved to them as they got into the car. As Koi leaned out of the open car window and waved his arms vigorously, the car seemed to drive away and soon disappeared from sight.
Watching the disappearing car, Dane finally let out all the breath he had been holding in. Suddenly, fatigue washed over him. He had heard too much today. He never wanted to be so familiar with the private stories of another family.
How did this happen?
He suddenly felt hopeless, but it was already too late. Dane already felt like he was neck-deep in a swamp. With a bitter feeling, he turned his head and immediately met Grayson’s eyes. As if he had been waiting for Dane to turn his head and look at him, Grayson smiled brightly.
Is that expression real?
Dane wondered again. He couldn’t tell how much was acting and what was real. Still confused, Dane looked at Grayson.
No, stop it.
A warning bell rang deep inside his chest. Don’t step in any further, you’re already in too deep.
I know that.
Grayson tilted his head to one side. As if asking what he was thinking.
“Grayson.”
No.
“Yes.”
Grayson answered immediately. While listening to the siren ringing madly in his head, Dane moved his lips.
“There’s one more condition for me staying in this house.”
Grayson blinked and waited. Dane continued slowly in a deliberate tone.
“From now on, when you’re with me, show the expression you actually feel. If you don’t know what expression to make, that’s okay too. You can just be blank. Don’t make an expression because you think you have to do this mechanically, got it?”
Grayson didn’t answer immediately. He just looked at Dane with the corners of his mouth raised. It was clear that he didn’t understand what he was saying at all. Dane pointed it out immediately.
“Yes, like right now.”
Seeing Grayson pause, he added an explanation.
“If you don’t know, it’s okay not to make any expression at all. You don’t have to smile.”
Grayson’s mouth corners didn’t move easily. Dane stubbornly stared at the raised ends of his lips as if they were fixed. Until it hesitated as if hesitating and slowly came down.
“Okay.”
Only then did Dane smile and say to him, who had ended up making an awkward expression.
“Good job.”
Grayson just blinked and stood there at his action of tapping his arm. But Dane didn’t drag it out and turned around to go inside the mansion first. Grayson was just looking at his back when Dane suddenly stopped, as if he had thought of something, and said, “Ah.”
“There’s one more thing.”
He didn’t bother waiting for Grayson’s answer and said.
“In the future, if you have to help someone, ask me first. Don’t move on your own judgment, got it?”
Grayson paused and then nodded. Dane nodded back once and turned around, walking across the hall. Grayson was still standing in the same place, watching him as he skipped up the stairs two or three at a time and quickly reached the floor where the bedroom was. And even after Dane had completely disappeared from sight, he remained standing there, unmoving.
A cool and soft night breeze brushed past Grayson’s ears as if caressing them.