By Zephyria 
But what could be done? I had a right to speak, and I was one of the attendees of the gathering. Moreover, Kwon Young-je had permitted it. The husbands of the people gathered here were all figures whose names alone were enough to make one recognize them, but my own backing was no less formidable.
Mrs. Choi cleared her throat with a loud ahem, refreshing the frozen atmosphere. She tactfully wrapped up the conversation by suggesting they think it over and moved on to the next topic.
“Does everyone know about this?”
The topics they slid into were mostly about luxury goods and private education. Occasionally, rumors circulating in political and business circles were brought up.
Hui-won simply listened in, as these were not topics he felt he could intervene in. He had no interest in luxury bags or jewelry to begin with, and he had nothing to add to their fervent passion for education. As for the behind-the-scenes rumors of politics and business, didn’t he already have a firm grip on them? Most of what they shared was so embellished that it was practically no different from a third-rate novel.
While letting the words flow in one ear and out the other, he felt it was quite a waste to spend his precious holiday like this. He would have rather be criticized a bit than mingle with these people.
He should have spent this time idling around with Kwon Young-je. Glancing over, he saw Yoo Jae-hee tucked away in a corner, looking equally silenced.
“I mean, Director Woo is also a Dominant Omega. Isn’t there any way to recruit him? I feel like the prestige of our gathering would soar if he joined.”
“As if he would bother mingling with us. He probably thinks he’s in a different league entirely.”
“Ugh, he’s so vicious, contrary to his looks. I spoke with him once when I was buying a painting, and I swear I thought I was going to die of fear that day.”
“Then shouldn’t we at least bring his husband along? This is a support group for wives, after all. An Alpha wouldn’t be a problem.”
“Right? I heard one of the lawyers in that twin household raised him; his parenting skills are probably better than ours. What do you think, Unni? Why not take this chance to accept an Alpha?”
“My spouse is not such a leisurely person.”
A cold voice abruptly cut through the cackling laughter. The ladies turned their heads in shock. The subject of their conversation had appeared.
Woo Sun-kyung, who had arrived without a sound, looked around the room with a pathetic gaze. His pretty face was deeply furrowed between the brows.
“Who is saying that? That Lawyer Han supports me?”
The stiff voice struck their ears like a bolt from the blue, accompanied by a frost-like glare. Under the blatant display of irritation, the ladies’ postures gradually wilted.
“No, Director Woo… that’s not what I meant.”
“If you’d like to receive a lawsuit, please, keep babbling. I’m becoming curious about how I’ll handle it.”
He was an incredibly prickly person. The way he could drain the life out of someone with just a look reminded Hui-won of Madam Im, making him admire him inwardly.
From what he had learned, Woo Sun-kyung was a descendant of a prominent chaebol family. Being noble by birth, his skill at grabbing the ladies by their hair was beyond ordinary.
Suddenly, he recalled how Kwon Young-je had looked disgusted while mentioning him. Indeed, looking at the two, their temperaments didn’t seem to match.
Usually, when people who are sensitive and have foul tempers meet, they loathe each other and refuse to even look at one another. Like the repulsion between the same poles of a magnet. A kind of kinship-based hatred, so to speak.
“And please pull back your pheromones. The smell is vibrating through the gallery, and it’s giving me a splitting headache.”
Woo Sun-kyung rubbed his forehead, venting his temper fully.
“I allowed you Omegas a loose flower-viewing party, and you make this kind of mess. You should know when to stop; did you come here to seduce someone?”
“I’m sorry…”
“If this continues, I will put both Silentium and Raum Gallery on the blacklist. This is your final warning.”
Woo Sun-kyung threw out those chilly words and left abruptly, as if he didn’t want to stay there a moment longer. He gave a short instruction to the secretary following him to bring a few more pheromone purifiers. When the door slammed shut, only a heavy silence lingered in the room.
After a long while, Mrs. Choi rang a small bell. She clapped her hands and squeezed out a smile that was unnaturally forced to anyone watching.
“Then shall we proceed with our bazaar? As I mentioned before, all proceeds from the sales will be used as donations! Everyone, please invest generously!”
Various valuables brought by the ladies were placed on the table. Their forced attempt to raise the mood, as if determined to forget the humiliation from moments ago, was almost pitiful. Hui-won lowered his head for a moment, stifling a bewildered laugh. It was the moment he decided he must never attend this gathering again.
After spending another thirty minutes of meaningless time, the meeting adjourned.
As he gathered his exhausted body to stand up, he happened to see a man standing outside the wide-open door. Hui-won was so surprised that he froze stiff in the middle of standing up. He wondered if he was seeing things.
Kwon Young-je was leaning against the wall, staring intently at Hui-won. The ladies who were leaving first beamed upon seeing him and greeted him one after another. Kwon Young-je merely responded with a simple nod.
“Oh my, how thoughtful! Did you come to pick him up?”
“No. I stopped by while I was here to see Director Woo.”
Still, he hadn’t completely thrown away his manners, as he gave a proper response to the lady’s question. Of course, he didn’t engage in any further conversation.
Hui-won stood awkwardly until everyone had left before finally managing to step forward.
Yoo Jae-hee, the last to leave, stood holding the door as if waiting for Hui-won. After an awkward exchange of glances with Hui-won, he cautiously left the gallery.
Kwon Young-je’s gaze, somewhat wary, pierced the top of Yoo Jae-hee’s rounded head. Then he turned his head back. When his eyes met Hui-won’s, the tension in his gaze vanished as if it had never been there.
“…Why did you come here?”
Hui-won murmured, sounding unable to understand. He peered closely at Kwon Young-je, wondering if he had truly come to pick him up.
“I wasn’t the only one. CEO Seo is waiting in the car outside. That man smoked half a pack of cigarettes in one spot.”
“The Vice President is the only one who came up here.”
“The conversation with Woo Sun-kyung was real.”
Kwon Young-je replied shamelessly and wrapped an arm around Hui-won’s shoulder. Naturally, Hui-won had no choice but to walk pressed close to him.
“What did you talk about?”
At that, Kwon Young-je snorted.
“We just exchanged mutual criticisms as a way of saying hello.”
In the end, it was practically the same as coming to see him. The excuse was utterly half-hearted. Still, the corners of Hui-won’s lips curled upward. What did it matter if the excuse was flimsy? The fact was that he felt good meeting Kwon Young-je unexpectedly.
As they went down the stairs, Kwon Young-je subtly nudged Hui-won back toward the second-floor gallery.
“He told me to pick a painting as a wedding gift.”
“I don’t know how to appreciate art.”
“Take your time looking around. You might find something you like.”
Kwon Young-je wasn’t the type to joke, and it was certain that the exchange of criticisms with Woo Sun-kyung was real. That made the fact that he was providing a wedding gift even more puzzling. Having witnessed Director Woo Sun-kyung’s prickly nature just a moment ago, Hui-won was deeply curious about his intention.
He walked through the empty exhibition hall with Kwon Young-je. As they took slow steps along the wall, Kwon Young-je suddenly stepped away, saying he had a call.
He could hear the man’s voice on the phone not far away. Using that as background noise, Hui-won admired the works hanging on the wall.
Suddenly, he stopped in front of one painting.
Inside a square canvas only 50 centimeters wide and high, pastel tones were beautifully blended. The somewhat dreamlike landscape looked like the sky. It reminded him of the sky from the day of the conception dream he once had.
“…….”
A bitter smile naturally formed. There were moments when he would suddenly remember the child he had sent away. Like an unavoidable accident, the thoughts rushed in, and his mood sank hollowly.
Kwon Young-je reacted very keenly whenever Hui-won brought up Yeoro. It was out of concern that he might fall back into a depressive state. Being a perceptive man, he saw through every time Hui-won tried to smile and act composed.
Still, he wasn’t as sad as before. Even now, he was facing the memories as comfortably as possible. Based on the belief that they would meet again someday, all he had to do was wait calmly.
As he stared at the painting unconsciously, the sound of footsteps approached from the side. Assuming it was Kwon Young-je, he turned his head, only to find the owner of Silentium standing there, much to his surprise.
Woo Sun-kyung gave a silent greeting with his eyes. Seeing him up close, it felt as if a bisque doll were standing there. While Hui-won was momentarily dazed, Woo Sun-kyung spoke while keeping his gaze on the canvas.
“Do you happen to believe in superstitions?”
“Pardon?”
“There are paintings that have an effect similar to a talisman. This is a work I looked at often for prenatal education when I was carrying twins. I’ve brought it back to the gallery now to find it a better owner.”
“Ah, I see.”
“It makes you feel very peaceful when you look at it. It’s also the unique style of this artist. They use colors very well. That’s why I’m an artist I support generously.”
Unlike before, Woo Sun-kyung’s tone was soft. He couldn’t tell if it was because the ladies were gone or because he had a painting he liked in front of him. However, he could certainly feel that this person was not simply mean and prickly.