By Zephyria 
“Focus on the Bondmate Ceremony!”
The soldier overseeing the Bondmate Ceremony shouted. The disarrayed people found their places. Ho-eun lowered the heel he had raised. However, he couldn’t take his eyes off the door. But someone was loitering in front of Ho-eun.
“Excuse me…”
It was a God of War waiting for his turn. Ho-eun quickly offered his hand.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
He shook hands with the God of War, but he couldn’t concentrate at all. His nerves felt loose and scattered. Was it because he was tired? He had overdone it today. He had a feeling he would soon be very sick.
As expected, the God of War, who was not his Bondmate, passed Ho-eun by. So did the next God of War, and the one after that. By then, the Crimson Rain Brigade and everything else had faded from his mind. He felt like he was about to die.
“Deok-woo…”
Ho-eun called out to Deok-woo in the air after letting another God of War pass. But Deok-woo didn’t appear. How far had he gone to find a chair? He could have just come back without one. It was then, as he tapped his throbbing waist and sighed.
Thud, thud. Thud, thud.
Footsteps were approaching. It was closer to a squelching sound, as if the soles of the shoes were sticky. Half the people here were wearing combat boots, but these footsteps were quite different from theirs. Much heavier, thicker, and more threatening.
Ho-eun inadvertently turned his head toward the sound.
“….”
A man with a huge stature was walking this way. He was so large that his head stood out above the others. The biggest man in the capital was Deok-woo, but this man seemed even bigger.
Ho-eun knew who he was at once.
‘That person.’
The most famous God of War in the Great Han Empire. The God of War who had exterminated the most Devouring Ghouls in history. The immortal God of War who never died on any battlefield.
At the same time, the God of War who was rumored to have become addicted to exterminating Devouring Ghouls and had finally turned into a murderer, secretly eating human flesh like a Devouring Ghoul.
He wanted to see his face, but it was too dark inside to see clearly. He could only make out his silhouette.
“….”
He walked past the Bondmates, tapping their hands with his fingertip as they reached out. The tips of their fingers brushed, making a soft, thudding sound.
Thud, thud, thud.
He wondered how he could find his Bondmate like that, but he didn’t hesitate for even a moment. He seemed to know exactly what he was looking for. At the same time, he seemed skilled at this kind of Bondmate Ceremony, and in a way, he looked like he was tired of it.
“….”
Ho-eun was staring at him with his mouth wide open. He couldn’t take his eyes off him, fascinated by the sight of such a huge man moving. There was also a strange excitement that came from meeting a celebrity. He even thought about going home and telling his parents that he had seen the Crimson Rain Brigade today.
How long had he been standing there like a fool? Finally, he arrived in front of Ho-eun. Ho-eun, who had been lost in thought, didn’t realize it properly.
But at that moment.
Bang! The lights in the auditorium came on. Everything was bright. People who had adjusted to the darkness gasped as the light stung their retinas. Ho-eun also frowned, squeezed his eyes shut, and then opened them.
And then he realized. ‘That person’ was standing in front of him.
“Ah…”
Ho-eun looked up at his face.
He had slightly dark skin and distinct eyebrows. His eyes were deep, and his nose was high and straight. His cheekbones were nicely raised, and his jaw was handsomely angled, revealing his masculinity. His long, thick neck and prominent Adam’s apple were also manly.
He was definitely handsome, but not refined. It was as if someone had painstakingly sculpted him but hadn’t finished the job, leaving a strangely rough feel. The shaggy bangs that hung down to his eyes contributed to that rough atmosphere. The fierce glint in his eyes, visible between his hair, was like a wild animal running through the foothills.
Ho-eun already knew his name.
‘Lee Tae-muk.’
The general of the Great Han Empire and the leader of the Crimson Rain Brigade. The one commonly referred to as ‘General Lee’ in the newspapers.
Tae-muk wore a slightly different military uniform from the other Gods of War. The subtly glossy black color and the gold buttons with the Taegeuk pattern were the same, but the black cloak casually draped over one shoulder was different.
The cloak was black on the outside but red on the inside, and the edges were embroidered with dark crimson cloud patterns.
The Gods of War of the Crimson Rain Brigade following Tae-muk were also dressed in the same way. Every time they walked, the cloak fluttered and rustled. It was as if a group of clouds was moving.
Crimson Rain Brigade, an attire that perfectly matched the name.
Ho-eun, who had been staring blankly, belatedly remembered his duty. He quickly reached out his hand.
“Nice… to meet you.”
His voice involuntarily rose. It wasn’t because he was a famous person. He was a soldier of a very high rank, a ‘general,’ so he had to speak respectfully.
Until now, there had been no one of high rank. It was only natural. Having a high rank meant that he had achieved a lot of merit, which meant that he had killed a lot of Devouring Ghouls.
There was no way that such a God of War wouldn’t have a Bondmate. As proof, most of the Gods of War who came to the Bondmate Ceremony today were privates. So, when you think about it, it was strange that Tae-muk, a general, had come here. No, should he think it was strange that he had become a general without a Bondmate?
Ho-eun waited for Tae-muk to take his hand, thinking trivial thoughts. But Tae-muk didn’t move.
“You… you have to take my hand.”
“….”
Tae-muk didn’t answer. Instead, he stared at Ho-eun very intently. Ho-eun’s white face was reflected in his black eyes. Everything, from his large, distinct eyes to his pale pink lips, was captured.
Then, his gaze swept over Ho-eun’s hair tie, jeogori, and vest, which were made of high-quality silk. The gaze was so blatant that Ho-eun couldn’t help but check his own attire.
Soon, Tae-muk’s gaze landed on Ho-eun’s hand. A white, slender hand with neat nails and no blemishes.
Tae-muk looked at it and, as he had done with the other Bondmates, tapped his hand with his fingertip.
It was a fleeting touch. But Ho-eun felt a very intense sensation.
Hot.
Tae-muk’s hand was very hot. It was like a heated iron. He was quite familiar with fever, but this heat was new to him. He was amazed that a person could be so hot.
That wasn’t all. He also felt a tingling sensation. It was as if small bolts of lightning were flowing from his fingertips into his body. He had shaken hands with hundreds of people today, but this sensation, this feeling, this mood, was new to him.
This is… definitely…
Ho-eun, his eyes wide, looked up at Tae-muk. But.
“….”
Tae-muk passed by Ho-eun as he was. As effortlessly as he had brushed past the other Bondmates. Ho-eun was flustered. Was he the only one who felt the sensation a moment ago? Didn’t Tae-muk feel it? How could he not feel it? It was so obvious. It was so… special.
“Excuse me…”
It was the moment he called out to Tae-muk in a small voice. Tae-muk turned around and reached out his hand toward Ho-eun. The approaching hand was so big and fast that it was like an eagle swooping down on his face.
“Uh…”
Before Ho-eun could even scream, he was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and pulled toward him. And when he came to his senses, he was in Tae-muk’s arms.
He smelled a scent. The scent of the wind, or rather, the scent of the outdoors. And there was also a faint, fishy smell. It wasn’t like the fishy smell of fish, but more like something he had smelled in a hospital.
There was also the unique smell of wool from the military uniform, the smell of tobacco, and a smell he was smelling for the first time. He guessed it was Tae-muk’s body odor.
Surprised, Ho-eun stopped breathing and froze. Then he belatedly realized where he was, what the situation was, and how many people were around him.
“Um, just a moment…”
He couldn’t bring himself to touch Tae-muk’s body, so he tried to back away and get out of his arms. Then, Tae-muk’s hand, which was holding Ho-eun’s neck, tightened. It wasn’t so strong that it would strangle him, but it sent a chill down his spine.
With this kind of grip, it would be as easy to break his neck as it would be to break a reed, he could feel it.
As the frightened Ho-eun stiffened, Tae-muk pulled him back to himself. Then, he bent his huge body and buried his face between Ho-eun’s chin and neck.
“Ha…”
He let out a long breath. It was a breath that sounded like a sigh, or a lament. It was excessively heavy, hot, and clear. It was so clear that it seemed to linger nearby without dissipating.
“….”
Ho-eun could neither move nor speak, his eyes wide open. He hoped that Tae-muk would stop this strange behavior. But Tae-muk didn’t stop there.
He groped Ho-eun’s white neck with his rough, hard fingertips. The feeling of the soft flesh being rubbed, stroked, and pressed was very vivid. It was the moment Ho-eun swallowed his breath backward at the unfamiliar sensation.
“Young Master!”
A familiar voice was heard. It was Deok-woo. Deok-woo, holding a wooden chair, was running this way. Ho-eun stared at him with hazy eyes.
“Deok-woo…”
“You bastard, who are you! How dare you to our Young Master!”
Deok-woo, who had been running like an angry bull, raised the chair high. He seemed to be trying to strike Tae-muk with it. Ho-eun, anticipating the impact, cringed.
But.
“Cough…”
There was no impact. It was because Tae-muk had snatched and twisted Deok-woo’s neck as if catching him. He grabbed Deok-woo without even looking at him, while holding Ho-eun in his arms. It was as if he had eyes on the side of his head.