By Zephyria 
“…From now on, I should have Secretary Lee be drafted for these events.”
“It’s been months since you returned. Do you really think hiding your face from public events will make people less suspicious?”
At those words, Hui-won let out a small sigh. He couldn’t refute a single word.
“So… are you saying I should accompany you as your spouse?”
“Wouldn’t it be nice, like a date?”
Kwon Young-je brazenly offered his elbow. It was a signal to take it. Hui-won shook his head.
Everyone here likely knew they were married, but he still couldn’t bring himself to cling to him so embarrassingly in front of others. It would be more accurate to say he wasn’t that brazen.
“I can’t… link arms.”
“Then how about holding hands?”
“Give me a break….”
Hui-won muttered, almost like a ventriloquist. He was usually the type who didn’t get flustered easily, but his face had turned beet red. The fact that he had forgotten they were outside and spoke informally to Kwon Young-je made it obvious how flustered he was without even asking.
“I’ll let you off this once.”
Kwon Young-je spoke as if granting a favor. Then, he placed his right hand against the small of Hui-won’s back. Guided by the skillful escort, Hui-won’s feet moved forward naturally.
For the rest of the event, Hui-won performed the roles of Kwon Young-je’s spouse and executive secretary simultaneously. He met people, exchanged greetings, and participated in conversations. He was completely exhausted, his mind spinning from the double effort of taking care of Kwon Young-je while staying engaged in the dialogue.
“Excuse me… Mr. Kim Hui-won?”
A woman wearing a white cashmere shawl over an elegant evening dress lightly tapped Hui-won on the shoulder.
“Yes?”
“Hello, I am the wife of CEO Park Young-geun of Taeryong Construction. Could we speak privately for a moment?”
Since it was an unexpected request, Hui-won instinctively looked toward Kwon Young-je for a cue. Kwon Young-je gave a small nod, as if it were no big deal.
“Ah, yes. Let’s move to another spot then.”
Hui-won moved to a more secluded area with the woman. As they walked, he began searching through the database in his head.
If it was CEO Park Young-geun of Taeryong Construction, wasn’t he quite a renowned figure? He was someone of such outstanding ability that he had risen to the position of CEO in his early fifties, despite not being a member of a chaebol family.
If his memory served him correctly, the man was an Alpha, and his spouse would certainly be an Omega. Indeed, a sweet pheromone resembling the scent of flowers wafted from the woman beside him.
At most in her early forties, the woman boasted beautiful features befitting an Omega. The slight haughtiness in her expression was likely a characteristic of the upper class who held money and power.
“I imagine you were surprised that I spoke to you so suddenly upon our first meeting.”
“No, it’s quite alright.”
“I’ll be blunt. I want to invite you, Mr. Kim Hui-won, to our gathering.”
The madam threw the main point out there without hesitation. A gathering? Hui-won couldn’t even blink at the sudden proposal.
“What kind of gathering are you referring to?”
“It’s a place where the spouses of young entrepreneurs gather. Everyone is an Omega. We figured there would be a lot of common ground, so we wanted to build friendships through conversation.”
“Ah….”
“Our gathering is quite exclusive, so we don’t just accept anyone. While talking among the members, we felt that someone like Mr. Kim Hui-won would be acceptable. I’m a bit embarrassed to say it myself, but we are in a different class. Where else can you find an upper-class gathering consisting solely of Omega madams?”
She didn’t look embarrassed at all…. Hui-won watched as her nose pointed higher and higher toward the sky right in front of him. Was he supposed to bow and thank her for this? Unable to gauge how to react, his response was slightly delayed.
Perhaps seeing that as a rejection, the madam put more effort into her sales pitch.
“Vice President Kwon Young-je fits our class, and above all, Mr. Kim Hui-won is a Dominant Omega. I think you would fit in well with us.”
“Um…, Madam. I truly appreciate the offer, but this isn’t something I can decide on the spot, so it’s difficult for me to give you an answer right now.”
“Of course, there are still a few days until the weekend, so please think about it slowly. Oh, here is the invitation.”
She pulled a crisp card from a small luxury handbag.
The Banquet
Even the name of the gathering written on the card was extraordinary.
“Our gathering focuses on supporting Alpha spouses. It was created as a place for spouses to communicate and unite their intentions in assisting their partners.”
“…I see.”
“Then I sincerely hope to see you there.”
Having said her piece, the madam turned and walked away abruptly. As she navigated the banquet hall again, she scattered bright smiles at everyone she encountered, fully utilizing her Omega charm. Was that what they called a queen of domestic support? She was indeed the polar opposite of his professional demeanor.
Domestic support…. Hui-won leaned against the wall and took some time to think. It was true that, unlike other spouses, he was somewhat—no, actually, quite stiff.
That didn’t mean he had any intention of changing his attitude. Domestic support? While it was an important part, he believed that supporting someone as a spouse wasn’t fundamentally different from assisting them as a secretary.
However, having received an invitation, he couldn’t just flatly refuse. There were already plenty of bad rumors circulating; if he didn’t attend, how much would they chew him out? It would be lucky if they only targeted him. The problem was that Kwon Young-je’s name would inevitably be mentioned.
Fine, since it’s a high-class event, I’ll just go once. Hui-won carefully tucked the card into the inner pocket of his jacket.
A few days passed after he made his decision, and the fateful Sunday arrived.
Hui-won had been busy preparing to go out since early morning.
He had been shut in the dressing room for an hour. He tried on this outfit and that outfit, and carefully groomed his hair. He didn’t think he had dressed up this much even when going to meet Kwon Young-je, but given the nature of the event, he had no choice but to put in the effort.
“Who are you trying to seduce?”
Kwon Young-je, who had been watching from behind, spoke up with a dissatisfied tone.
Hui-won glanced at the reflection of the man behind him in the mirror. Having ignored the piercing gaze for a while, he saw that Kwon Young-je’s eyes had become chillingly cold.
“Everyone there is already spoken for.”
Hui-won turned around to reveal his look to Kwon Young-je.
“How is it? With this, I won’t be overshadowed by the madams, right?”
Kwon Young-je scanned Hui-won from head to toe with a cold gaze. His hair was neatly swept back, fully revealing his handsome features, and he wore a white dress shirt with a navy striped tie. Needless to say, he looked radiant.
As if he were getting more annoyed the more he looked, Kwon Young-je pressed the inside of his cheek with the tip of his tongue. Consequently, his expression became even more prickly.
“This is really irritating.”
“You mean I look great.”
Hui-won skillfully interpreted his words. Only then did he feel at ease, even humming a little tune.
“I’m sorry I can’t be by your side on my day off.”
“It’s a waste of time anyway.”
“I can’t just ignore it when I’ve been invited. I have to show my face, even if it’s just once, otherwise I’ll be badmouthed. And I hope you realize that this is all for the sake of Mr. Kwon Young-je.”
“For my sake?”
“Domestic support doesn’t happen easily.”
Hui-won approached the glass display case in the center of the dressing room. While he was contemplating with a solemn face which watch to wear, Kwon Young-je, who had been perched on a side table, stood up and walked around the display.
He opened a drawer and took out a watch instead. Then, he pulled Hui-won’s wrist and fastened the most expensive watch onto it.
“You can’t let yourself be intimidated at a gathering of haughty madams.”
“Oh, everyone’s nose will be flattened once they see this watch.”
Kwon Young-je pulled Hui-won by the waist. It was a tender embrace, as if seeing off a husband heading to a battlefield. Not to mention, he thoroughly saturated him with his pheromones.
“Don’t be intimidated, and if anyone dares to bully you, make a complete mess of the place and then leave.”
“Then the Vice President’s reputation will also become a mess, won’t it?”
“I don’t care about my reputation, so just act high and mighty.”
Hui-won smiled and patted his back. Kwon Young-je’s words felt like a more reliable guard than the expensive watch.
The venue for the gathering was a gallery located somewhere in Seoul.
A few days prior, when Hui-won mentioned the location, Kwon Young-je had frowned.
‘Silencium? Why on earth did that person provide the venue?’
‘Who? Do you know someone at the gallery?’
‘Woo Sun-kyung… he’s the director there.’
Kwon Young-je’s expression clearly showed his reluctance.
At those words, Hui-won searched for ‘Woo Sun-kyung’ on his phone. He was a person of such fame that he was listed on portal sites. A Dominant Omega and the same age as them. Moreover, one could tell just by looking at the photos that he was a beauty.
When asked if they were close, Kwon Young-je replied, “We don’t get along at all.” The tone of sheer disgust was unexpected.
Considering the other’s trait, he might simply dislike him because he was an Omega. While it was fair to say that Kwon Young-je’s aversion to Omega pheromones had almost disappeared, only the physical rejection had vanished; he still didn’t find them particularly welcome.
Hui-won suppressed a laugh inwardly. There was absolutely no way he would ever cheat with another Omega.