By Zephyria The sensation of the plush sofa against his buttocks jolted Hae-jin’s dazed mind. It was the same reception room, the same furniture, as when he first signed the contract with Ryle.
So, he’d returned to this mansion after all.
“…….”
He never imagined Ryle would personally pick him up and drag him here as if kidnapping him. His mind raced with the unexpected turn of events.
However, his body, having starved for days, felt like it was succumbing to a body ache, leaving him with no energy. As expected of a cheap motel, the heating system was inadequate.
He unconsciously glanced towards the door of the reception room he’d been dragged into. He could hear Ryle grinding his teeth as he glared at him, ready to devour him. The Secretary standing behind him also seemed slightly surprised. Hae-jin found the expression quite fascinating, as the man remained expressionless even when his business cards were thrown away in front of him.
“Renew the contract.”
“…….”
That damn contract. Why did Ryle keep seeking Hae-jin out?
Just as Hae-jin, whose presence had been faint for the past five years, had recently become irritating to Ryle, Hae-jin couldn’t understand Ryle’s sudden interest in him, after neglecting him all this time.
Come to think of it, the Secretary had only listed the conditions each time he came, without explaining any particular circumstances. Could there have been a problem with the blood test? No, if that were the case, he wouldn’t have been dragged here but taken straight to the hospital.
“What do you want? Forget the nonsense about disappearing and tell me what you want.”
Ryle seemed unable to comprehend that someone who had fallen in life might not want anything at all. He simply wanted to remain in his fallen state.
He didn’t want to explain his situation to Ryle now. Standing at opposite extremes, they would never be able to understand each other.
So, he asked. Why was he going to such lengths?
“Why are you doing this to me?”
He believed an answer would come immediately. He might not have been worth explaining to before, but Ryle must have his reasons.
However, unexpectedly, he simply closed his mouth and stared at him. Hae-jin found that sliver of hesitation puzzling.
“……It’s just that there’s no one as convenient as you.”
However, at the words that followed, Hae-jin couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating laugh. The fleeting questions that had arisen scattered to the floor like grains of sand.
Right, he must have been useful.
Hae-jin’s desperation must have manifested in that way. Perhaps his inferior gene meant he had fewer heat cycles, which was a plus. Ryle greatly disliked Omegas acting like Omegas. He especially loathed Omegas who became sticky during their heat cycle.
The first time he went into heat in this mansion, Ryle, who had coincidentally slept with Hae-jin, was greatly displeased. He couldn’t hide his disgust at the sight of his helplessly sticky body. Even with the eye patch, that disgust was palpable.
After that, he went into heat several more times, albeit irregularly. Ryle thoroughly avoided him during those periods, and Hae-jin had to endure it by taking medication. Once the heat cycle ended, he had to return to that room with his battered body and take Ryle.
So, there was no way someone like him wouldn’t be convenient.
“I suppose so.”
Hae-jin said calmly, his head slowly lowering. It was annoying to meet his empty gaze, but when that gaze blatantly turned elsewhere, he felt a thirst.
Even as he observed his incomprehensible state, Ryle tried to calm his emotions. It had been impulsive, but he didn’t regret bringing him to the mansion. He even felt it was something he had to do.
It was late at night, and he wasn’t wearing a tie, but strangely, his neck felt uncomfortable. As if something was caught there, Ryle groped at his neck. Of course, there was nothing there.
Ryle tried to ignore this unsettling and ominous feeling. Then, he coldly said to Hae-jin, who had been silent since earlier, “If you’re going to wander around and die anyway, let me use you.”
Unexpectedly, it sounded like a kind of answer to Hae-jin. So, that was the nature of this strange peace.
By now, he felt like his body was being dragged down to the floor. His swollen throat was blocked, causing a sharp pain. His body was reaching its limits in many ways, and the thoughts that arose quickly scattered into the air.
“Jin.”
Ryle was dumbfounded at Hae-jin, who was making a strange expression without answering. He irritably slammed the table between them. Strangely, that one expression made the anger he had been suppressing surge up.
He threw the contract in front of him, urging him to sign it. Now that he had forcibly brought him here, he had to persuade him somehow. At this moment, the option of finding another Omega didn’t exist for Ryle.
“I’ll let you live without lifting a finger, just like you used to, so sign the contract.”
“…….”
Hae-jin couldn’t help but feel that Ryle was more shameless than he had thought. Another self-deprecating laugh escaped him. There had never been a time when life in this mansion had been good enough to express it that way.
The breath entering his lungs strangely couldn’t come out properly. It was as if it was stubbornly staying there, like its owner. He didn’t even look at the white paper thrown in front of him. When he struggled to turn his eyes, the chandelier on the ceiling seemed strangely blurry.
Ryle, who had been unconsciously observing even a single strand of Hae-jin’s eyelashes since earlier, clenched his fist as he looked at that expressionless face. Hae-jin’s faint pheromone flowed to the floor without containing any emotion.
Feeling a strange sense of impatience, Ryle opened his mouth, knowing it was a threat. The words that flew from the tip of his tongue felt strangely rough.
“Or do you want me to force myself on you?”
Hae-jin shook his head weakly. That kind of emotional exhaustion was too much. He wouldn’t be able to endure it in his current state. Besides, Hae-jin knew very well that Ryle was someone who could force himself on him if he really needed to.
Thinking this far, he suddenly felt breathless. Only then did he realize that he really didn’t want to return to this mansion.
But he had already been dragged here. In front of him lay a restraint disguised as a contract. It was as if the paper contract was strangling his neck, making it difficult to breathe. He felt nauseous inside, even though he hadn’t eaten anything. The back of his head ached coldly, as if it had hit the slush ice of a frozen lake.
Hae-jin thought that Ryle was breaking him again. Just like when he first signed the contract here.
“……Jin?”
This time, Hae-jin didn’t have the desperation to endure these cruel words. He had nothing left.
So, Hae-jin simply collapsed.
“Jin!”
His body colliding with the floor felt terrifyingly numb.
Just before he lost consciousness, Ryle had an expression he had never seen before.
“…….”
Lying there with a pale face, Hae-jin was so still that he occasionally had to check if he was breathing.
When he unconsciously held Hae-jin, who had collapsed in the reception room, in his arms, he already had a raging fever. Thanks to the Secretary, who had quickly moved to assess the situation from behind, they were able to get to the hospital quickly. In the midst of the unexpected situation, Ryle postponed his morning work and waited for Hae-jin to open his eyes.
Last night was a series of impulses. Even this moment of postponing work was an impulse. Ryle liked to move with a plan in everything, checking even the travel time in minutes. But things related to Hae-jin had been deviating from his plans for a long time. Rut or pheromone congestion were problems that couldn’t be meticulously calculated.
Still, he thought he had become somewhat accustomed to these useless traits of his, but he was mistaken. Hae-jin was still an extraordinary existence to him.
Even he, with his somewhat different way of thinking, knew that this situation was unreasonable. In fact, Hae-jin had no reason to accept this contract. Even if he faltered from the grief of losing his family and died on the street, it was his life.
Yet, Ryle couldn’t tolerate this situation. When Hae-jin asked him why, he also wanted to find the answer. The assumption that he would know if he simply kept Hae-jin in front of him had long been shattered. He still couldn’t understand why he had to contract with Hae-jin.
It was also strange that he didn’t feel like letting go of Hae-jin in this state.
Since he had already resorted to the extreme measure of kidnapping, Hae-jin would have no way out if Ryle didn’t back down now. Knowing that, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going wrong. He should just ignore whatever the guy was thinking.
Why did he want so little from him?
“…….”
Coincidentally, Hae-jin opened his eyes when Ryle was deeply contemplating his complex inner thoughts.
The white ceiling he looked at with hazy eyes was familiar. The familiar hospital smell made Hae-jin tense. But the habitual tension soon dissipated in vain.
His family was no longer in the hospital. There was no longer any need to worry about the misfortune that might come every time he crossed the threshold of the hospital. It seemed that those who had already been swallowed by misfortune lost their fear for this reason. The fact that he himself was now in the hospital didn’t feel very important.
Forcing his dry, gritty eyes to turn, Hae-jin scanned the room. He saw the shadow of a person sitting in a chair. Anyone else might have been surprised to see someone by their side, but Hae-jin simply turned his gaze weakly.
Of course, it was unexpected that Ryle, not a nurse, was still by his side. But he soon changed his mind. For some reason, Ryle seemed to be acting strangely until this contract was signed.
He was glaring at Hae-jin like a stone statue. Feeling something foreign on his wrist, he looked to the side and saw an IV drip. The IV pack being injected into him had the logo of Vermouth Pharmaceuticals on it.
Strangely, the logo on the IV pack struck him more heavily than Ryle in front of him. It was a harsh realization of reality. Receiving an IV drip from Vermouth Pharmaceuticals in a hospital under the Vermouth Corporation, Hae-jin had to forcibly understand this situation.
Unless Ryle wanted it first, he wouldn’t be able to escape this situation.
“Are you going to keep pretending you don’t see me?”
At the somewhat angry question, Hae-jin’s gaze drifted weakly towards him. It wasn’t that he was ignoring his presence, but the reaction was strange.
Ryle, who had jumped up, slowly approached Hae-jin. Listening to the sound of Ryle’s shoes and the dripping of the IV, Hae-jin had to swallow his sorrow again. His swollen throat made that familiar action very difficult.
Still, he forced his mouth open.
“Three months.”
“……What?”
“Let’s make the contract for three months.”
The best thing would be to disappear far away as he was. But Hae-jin quickly realized that it was realistically impossible.
He felt that his current state was like a frozen lake. It was different from when he had endured in that mansion until now. Like when he had fainted, he was easily broken by even trivial things.
Even if he wanted to let go of everything, it wasn’t that he couldn’t feel the pain of breaking. So, he realized that the way to go was to accept the deal Ryle was offering.
Just as he had kidnapped him this time, Ryle had ways to force Hae-jin with extrajudicial actions. It was a dangerous situation where his existence, without any ties, could legally disappear. Strangely, disappearing wasn’t scary. But he was afraid of having to hurt more in the process.
So, in this reality, the contract Ryle was offering was nothing less than a device to protect Hae-jin. After running away several times, he finally looked back at the contract and saw that meaning contained within.
“……Why three months?”
“There’s no particular reason.”
“It’s too short.”
“It’s not short. If you can’t get what you want by then, it’s your lack of ability.”
“…….”
However, that wasn’t enough. Hae-jin didn’t want to be trapped there indefinitely. He deliberately said words that would provoke Ryle’s arrogant nature. Hoping that he would agree to his opinion out of spite. His chapped lips tore in the meantime, tasting of blood.
Waiting for peace after enduring some pain was the best direction he could take now. The IV drip hanging from his wrist felt like it was tying him up, just like when he mixed bodies with Ryle.
“Haa……. Fine.”
Hae-jin, who had been staring at the ceiling with an empty face as soon as he opened his eyes, looked like he would disappear soon even though he was clearly in front of him. It was clear that pheromones had invaded his brain and were even affecting his eyes.
Besides, Ryle was slightly nervous because he suddenly agreed to the contract he had been avoiding so much. It was the situation he had been hoping for, but Hae-jin’s sudden change in attitude made him very curious about what he was thinking.
While waiting for the guy who had collapsed, Ryle had analyzed his own condition. Perhaps he had become rigid because he had been using only one pheromone for release. If so, he could bring Hae-jin into the mansion and gradually neutralize it with other pheromones. In the future, it would be a good idea not to maintain too many contracts, even if it was a bit of a hassle.
So, it was beneficial to agree, even if it was conditional. But strangely, the word “three months” was scratching at his eardrums and was very annoying.
“And I need a clause that I can quit at any time, just like before.”
Hae-jin didn’t stop there and poured out words that stimulated him. Ryle suddenly felt a cold winter air invading the hospital room at the fact that even three months might not be guaranteed.
“……That’s not allowed. You have to fill the term.”
“If there’s no such clause, what meaning does the contract have for me?”
“…….”
It was a trembling voice, but the content pierced the essence. Narrowing his eyes, Ryle looked at those lips that had been bothering him since earlier. The blood that had burst out was clearly visible even in the dark hospital room.
“If you don’t like it, just tie me up and do it by force. Like you suggested.”
The sound that came from those rough, small lips strangely stabbed Ryle’s heart.
Were the words he had spat out in such a cruel tone?
“……I’ll include that clause this time too.”
Ryle had no choice but to nod. It was an achievement that didn’t make the commotion he had made overnight seem insignificant. He decided that it was time to back down to this extent for now.
“Get some rest.”
He spat out briefly and turned back without regret. Now that his business was over, there was no need to be here anymore. Without realizing that he had been staying in this hospital room without a clear purpose until now.
“…….”
Watching the hospital room door closing with a swoosh, Hae-jin sank deeply into himself.
He had even argued about one clause, but the contract had never protected him, as always. The period of three months was also only a temporary measure. Ryle had the power to change his words and detain Hae-jin at any time when the time came.
Unless Ryle wanted it first, he wouldn’t be able to escape this situation.
It had been revealed that a clumsy move like this time was useless. And for some reason, Ryle didn’t seem like he would let him go right away. So, he thought calmly.
If he wanted to get out of this mansion, he would have to find a more certain way next time.
And Hae-jin already knew that way.
“Prepare the contract. Include all the conditions I last presented to Hae-jin. The term is three months.”
Since the term was set so short, there was no need to fulfill all the conditions he had presented. Besides, Hae-jin was honestly not interested in all the material aspects he was presenting. He only showed an obsession with the end of the contract. So, Ryle decided to give more compensation than necessary, out of spite.
He might be showing such detachment now because he doesn’t realize what he’s been given. So, once he realizes what he has in his hands, it will be hard to give up.
“Do you still include the ownership of the building in the city and the penthouse in Rain Tower?”
“Yes.”
“……I understand.”
The Secretary, who had been silently taking notes on the conditions Ryle was saying, paused for a moment. Considering the shortened term of three months, it was an excessive measure. The city center of the metropolis Heavy Rain was so valuable that even with money, you couldn’t buy land or buildings.
So, when he was told to draw up a clause so that Hae-jin could quit at any time, the Secretary had to advise.
“Let’s limit those conditions to cases where the three-month contract term is fulfilled. The promised financial compensation will be paid without change even in that case.”
“……Do that.”
Ryle, who then realized that he had responded somewhat emotionally, frowned and nodded. In front of the Secretary, who was diligently taking notes, he kept recalling Hae-jin’s gaze, which had been scanning the empty hospital room. It was a pheromone and gaze as dry as the air in the desert.
“And make sure to include a clause that requires him to report his destination whenever he goes out. ……Report separately if there’s a need for a tracker.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Though he spoke indirectly, the Secretary understood at once and continued taking notes. He was well aware of what had happened while Hae-jin was being pursued this time.
“By the way, why wasn’t there a personal living expense clause in the last contract?”
“Well, Mr. Bright’s parents’ hospital bills were quite substantial. Besides, you mentioned that you would provide for his life in the mansion without any shortage.”
“I did.”
“Even so, I believe he deliberately didn’t mention it, intending to use any potential living expense issues as an excuse to renegotiate the contract to his advantage.”
“……I see.”
Suddenly, the image of a small hand signing the contract without a lawyer popped into his head. He couldn’t recall what he was feeling as he watched that faintly trembling white hand.
“Shall we include a living expense clause? It seems unnecessary this time since the primary goal isn’t paying for hospital bills.”
“Right. It’s different from then, so there’s no need to worry about it.”
Life in the mansion would be comfortable anyway. Ryle stared blankly at the black, glossy desk, lost in thought. Where was this irritating annoyance coming from?
Just then, the Secretary, who had finished taking notes, opened his mouth after some deliberation. He felt the need to make a few reports he had been putting off because he hadn’t expected Ryle to renew the contract with Hae-jin.
“By the way, didn’t you want a healthy Omega?”
The first thing that crossed the Secretary’s mind was the results of Hae-jin’s recent blood test. The Chairman wanted an Omega with faint pheromone and in good health, as he extremely disliked any disruptions to his schedule due to health issues with his partner.
In that sense, Hae-jin was no longer a suitable partner for Ryle, considering the conditions he had adhered to until now.
Whatever the reason, Hae-jin’s physical condition had become relevant. It was time to report it in advance before any problems arose later.
“And?”
“Well, the last blood test results showed that he was at a dangerous level of malnutrition. It was similar when he was hospitalized this time.”
“……Malnutrition?”
“Yes. The hospital where he was admitted also reported several issues. Therefore, it is judged that Mr. Bright is not in a suitable physical condition to proceed with the contract at this time. If you’re okay with it, I will continue to look for other healthy Omegas.”
As he spoke at length, the Secretary carefully observed Ryle’s reaction. He was merely someone who faithfully carried out his employer’s orders, not someone who made value judgments. Therefore, if the Chairman’s values changed, he would simply rearrange his priorities. Based on the decisions made this time, he would try to newly understand Ryle’s feelings, which seemed to have been subtly off since the last time.
Meanwhile, Ryle was utterly dumbfounded as he listened to the Secretary. Hae-jin had only been away from his mansion for less than a month. How could he have ruined his body to the point of malnutrition in that time?
“Did he perhaps resort to drugs?”
His vacant expression and staggering body made him suspicious. He felt a surge of annoyance at the thought of suddenly having to track Hae-jin’s whereabouts. Who knows which bastard he had met and clung to in the meantime? Beyond mere unease, an unpleasant feeling enveloped Ryle.
However, as if dispelling his misunderstanding, the Secretary handed over other documents and added calmly.
“That’s probably not the case.”
“What’s this……?”
“This is a summary of Mr. Bright’s hospital records. As you can see, it is presumed that he had chronic problems since he lived in the mansion. It’s not related to eating disorders.”
Hae-jin didn’t know, but his hospital records were faithfully being reported to Ryle’s Secretary’s office. The Secretary managed it on his own because Ryle’s schedule shouldn’t be disrupted due to health issues. He always received treatment at Vermouth-affiliated hospitals, as he often visited for hospital visits anyway.
“I was collecting these to report if the problem persisted.”
The hospital records at the time were not serious enough to interfere with the contract, so the Secretary simply waited for the right moment. If he had reported such minor issues to Ryle, they would have all been classified as ‘useless’ information.
“…….”
Ryle, who had been looking at Hae-jin’s records handed over by the Secretary, ended up contorting his face. The Beta Secretary probably didn’t notice, but the pheromone he was suppressing poured out because he was so dumbfounded.
He had always been bothered by his thin body, and it turned out like this in the end. Frowning annoyedly as he flipped through the documents, Ryle watched his reaction closely, and the Secretary offered an objective opinion.
“Anyway, I’m telling you because it doesn’t seem like he’s suitable for a long-term contract.”
Ignoring those words, Ryle continued to examine the documents. Beyond the summary prepared by the Secretary, he looked at the detailed records of when and why Hae-jin had received treatment at the hospital.
According to the records, Hae-jin went to the hospital often even if he was only slightly unwell. Perhaps it was because he had good access since he went to visit the hospital regularly.
Looking at those meticulous footsteps, Ryle felt that something was off again. He couldn’t understand why he would go to the hospital so diligently but neglect his body to the point of becoming so thin.
Frowning at his incomprehensible behavior, he suddenly noticed a document that the Secretary had set aside.
“What’s that?”
“Ah, that’s the diagnosis record from this hospital admission.”
As if possessed, Ryle took the document that the Secretary had set aside and gritted his teeth. Unlike his suspicions, Hae-jin’s drug tests were clean. It was just that his physical condition was endlessly terrible.
Moreover, an unexpected fact caught his eye.
“……Jin had a problem with his leg?”
“Yes. It’s a sequela of the accident. I confirmed it at the time of the initial contract, but you skipped it because it didn’t interfere with the performance of the contract.”
He had heard the report but seemed to have forgotten it because it wasn’t important. According to the record, his left ankle was shattered and recovered with surgery.
As Ryle looked at that part intently, the Secretary, who had been hesitating, added more. He remembered the request he had heard when he met the doctor instead of Hae-jin.
“He said he’s usually fine, but he shouldn’t overdo it.”
“…….”
At that moment, the image of Hae-jin resisting by deliberately dragging one leg was replayed in Ryle’s mind. It was when he grabbed him by the collar and roughly dragged him into the mansion.
What if he hadn’t done it on purpose?
Clearly, Hae-jin had said that he had been wandering around the city for some reason at that time. He had gone out alone to visit the hospital, leaving the mansion’s car behind. If so, he must have overdone it. It meant that he really hadn’t been acting rebellious on purpose.
Overwhelmed by a very strange feeling, Ryle slowly raised his hand and adjusted his tie.
No matter how much he adjusted the knot, his neck felt strangely tight.
Returning to the mansion late at night, Ryle leaned deeply into the chair in his study and sighed. He had spent a hectic day because his morning schedule had been disrupted. He was used to hiding and living even if he was a little uncomfortable, as he was in a position where stock prices fluctuated depending on his health.
However, there was still work to be done before falling asleep. Most of the mansion’s affairs were entrusted to the Butler, so now he had to let him know that Hae-jin would be returning.
“……Mr. Bright, you mean?”
“That’s right. Prepare for it.”
“Yes. How about the room…….”
It was supposed to be an order that would end with just one word, but the Butler’s question was strange. He had assumed that since there was a room where Hae-jin had lived for the past five years, all that was needed was for the owner to return. Ryle suddenly recalled that his room was in a very remote location.
It didn’t get any sunlight, and it was too far from the mansion’s main facilities.
“Is Jin’s room in bad condition?”
“Well, that’s……. Everything has been cleared out.”
He was puzzled by the sound that the room wasn’t the problem but had been disposed of altogether. Ryle suppressed his urge to leave for the bedroom right away. The Butler’s complexion had looked quite uncomfortable since earlier.
“I never gave such an order.”
“I’m sorry.”
The Butler immediately bowed and apologized, but Ryle waved his hand once. He had spoken out of the blue because he thought it was strange, but in fact, there was no reason to maintain Hae-jin’s room.
Ryle’s mood had been very bad recently, so he must have handled minor issues arbitrarily. He casually let this situation pass.
“That……, actually, there’s not much to clear out, since Mr. Bright personally disposed of most of his belongings…….”
“……Is that so?”
However, unlike Ryle, who was casually letting this situation pass due to fatigue, the Butler was very nervous.
As the head Butler of the Vermouth family, he took the recent unfortunate incident quite seriously. It was already a problem that he had secretly placed his relative in the position of Mr. Driver, but that guy had caused an accident.
No matter how ridiculous it was, it was stipulated in the contract that the Omega should go to the hospital. The Butler had a duty to fulfill that condition. He had ignored Hae-jin when he asked for him, thinking it was a hassle, but he never expected such a thing to happen.
Moreover, the ending was one that even he felt uncomfortable with. Only after regaining his senses did he realize that not quickly informing him of his parents’ death was a big mistake.
Still, he thought it was fortunate that he quit and left without saying anything. To think he would return.
In fact, the items left in Hae-jin’s room had already been taken by the servants, each taking what they wanted. The Butler had originally known that the servants were starting to touch Hae-jin’s belongings in earnest, but he had simply condoned it. After all, they were items that he provided to Hae-jin, and there were many luxury items that he thought were too much for a mere whore.
However, it should have ended there, but the servants, who had gotten a taste for stealing, committed a crime as soon as they learned that Hae-jin had left. This was also something that should not have happened in the Vermouth mansion. It was meaningless to find the people involved now. To explain their motives, the Butler’s long-standing condoning would also have to come to the surface.
Therefore, he had to hide it at all costs. If possible, it would be better if that Omega left the mansion on his own two feet before he opened his mouth.
“Then there will be a lot to prepare anew.”
“Yes, that’s right. Anyway, it’s not in a usable condition anymore……. I’ll prepare the room as it is.”
So, he deliberately threw out words that would cause misunderstanding and disgust, and as expected, his master frowned greatly.
The Butler, who had most recently prepared a new Omega and forced them into the room, recalled the face of the Omega who had cursed at him when he tried to undress him as usual. It seemed that the Omegas who visited this mansion recently were not obedient at all, so he was bringing Hae-jin back as a last resort.
However, Ryle gave an unexpected order.
“No. Change the location of the room.”
If he had to prepare everything anew anyway, there was no need to insist on that room. There was no need to insist on changing the location of the room either, but Ryle was simply reminiscing with deeply sunken eyes.
The image of the guy soaked in the rain in front of his secluded room.
“Give him the guest room in the main building.”
“……The main building, you mean?”
The main building was where Ryle resided. And the guest room there was, of course, where important guests of the Vermouth family stayed.
The Butler was taken aback by his words, but he did not change his mind. There were not many important guests who had to be accommodated in the Vermouth main mansion anyway. So, there was nothing wrong with giving Hae-jin the remaining room.
“Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s not that.”
But the Butler’s reaction was somehow strange. Something had been irritating him since earlier, but Ryle simply stared at the Butler because there was nothing he could pinpoint.
Suddenly, Hae-jin’s very thin body came to mind.
“By the way, I heard that Jin skipped a lot of meals.”
Listening to his casual question, the Butler felt cold sweat running down his back. Could that Omega have blabbered something?
Carefully watching Ryle’s reaction, he put words into his mouth that would be as much of an excuse as possible.
“It seems that Mr. Bright, doesn’t, eat well…….”
As expected, Hae-jin seemed to be picky about food. Still, Ryle still had questions. No matter how picky a guest was, wasn’t it the Butler’s role to manage and accommodate them?
“Then you should have held him down and fed him. If he has preferences, you should have catered to them. Isn’t that your role to treat guests like that?”
“That, that is…….”
The Butler quickly lowered his head with a troubled look. Watching that, Ryle clicked his tongue inwardly.
The Butler, who had worked in this mansion since his father’s generation, sometimes acted annoyingly like this. He still only remembered Ryle’s childhood and often tried to handle mansion issues on his own. Such actions occasionally subtly infringed on the owner’s authority.
Ryle knew that but condoned it.
The huge mansion was an old place that had been passed down through generations. Thanks to that, there were quite a few important parts that needed to be carefully managed. Except for the former Butler who resigned when his parents passed away, he was the longest-serving person here. He was the person the former Butler had marked as his successor.
Above all, the biggest reason was that Ryle had no particular attachment to this mansion, which was only good in appearance. This mansion was also where his parents were found dead in an absurd way. If occupying the mansion wasn’t symbolic of the person who controlled the Vermouth family, he would have moved his residence to a penthouse in the city long ago.
Anyway, this time, the Butler’s actions were too excessive to the point of being annoying. In particular, he suddenly thought that there were too many mistakes related to Hae-jin. Ryle pointed out that fact mercilessly.
“You’ve been disappointing me since the last time.”
“……I’m sorry.”
The Butler quickly bowed and took a posture of loyalty to the Vermouth family’s young owner. Ryle’s eyes narrowed as he silently looked down at him.
A strange unease was tormenting him.
A few days passed.
His head was still a little heavy, but Ryle managed to handle quite a busy schedule. He was someone in a position where stock prices fluctuated depending on his health. He was used to hiding and living even if he was a little uncomfortable.
However, today, a middle-aged man was sitting in the Chairman’s office. The Alpha had been glaring at Ryle, who was engrossed in his work, without hiding his uncomfortable expression since earlier.
“Hoo…….”
Regardless, Ryle, who had finished his urgent work, finally raised his head from his desk. Then, without hiding the fact that he had forgotten, he moved to the sofa where the man was sitting.
“Get to the point.”
“This guy, leaving an elder like this…….”
“You should speak properly. It’s not that I invited you, but that you barged in as you pleased, isn’t it? Even bribing one of my Secretaries.”
“…….”
Daniel Vermouth twitched his thick chin and watched Ryle’s reaction. He had pretended to have forced his way in using his relationship as an uncle, but how did he know that he had bribed the Secretary?
Watching Ryle rudely gesture at him, Daniel gnashed his teeth inwardly. He never expected that young guy to grow up so much.
After Ryle’s father, his Hyung, died suddenly, Daniel had a big dream for a while. He thought he could become the owner of this huge Vermouth family, replacing the still young Ryle.
However, Ryle, who had grown rapidly, quickly took his place. After a massive inheritance lawsuit, Daniel was defeated. Since that day, Ryle had been consistently arrogant, making it even harder for Daniel to suppress his anger.
“What’s the point?”
Ryle rubbed his forehead as if he was tired. Daniel, who was sitting in front of him, had a red face as if he was about to explode. Why didn’t he know that not kicking him out right away and dealing with him like this was a courtesy to his relatives?
Anyway, true to a member of Vermouth, Daniel quickly composed his expression. Then, he put on a suspicious expression and threw words at Ryle to test him.
“I heard that you’ve been bringing a lot of Omegas into the mansion these days.”
Annoyance surged in an instant. To come to a busy person’s office and only talk about this.
He was well aware that the family council was concerned about Ryle’s condition. After all, wanting a legitimate heir who would be the center of gravity was inevitable.
However, Ryle couldn’t understand why that was so important that he had to barge in without contacting him like this.
“Has that phobia of yours gotten any better?”
“Mind your own business. If that’s all you have to say, get out.”
“You’re really something….”
His uncle, filled with inferiority, sometimes harbored a greed that he couldn’t handle. He had been defeated by his father and was still swayed by such greed.
Ryle, unable to tolerate it any longer, immediately summoned a guard. His uncle, realizing what he had done, jumped up and glared at him. Then, before he could be dragged out, he disappeared on his own accord.
Ryle couldn’t hide his disgust at the sight of him, a Alpha so full of pride.
“Chairman.”
“Come in.”
The Secretary, who had briefly greeted the departing uncle, called him. Ryle, who was about to return to his desk, simply slumped onto the sofa. He had settled the matter for now and intended to clear his head for a moment.
“Fire the bribed Secretary. And make sure he can’t come here like this again.”
“Do you want to completely block his access?”
“No, let him make an appointment.”
“Understood. The one who was bribed was dismissed a little while ago.”
Nodding, he suppressed the emotions that had been boiling up. The faces of his relatives, who had come to his parents’ funeral and looked at him as if he were a delicious meal, flashed before his eyes. Disgust was one of the emotions he recalled most easily. The surrounding environment had led him to it.
After that, the Secretary reported on important matters that he couldn’t freely reveal in front of his uncle. Ryle gave appropriate instructions and pondered his afternoon schedule.
Just then, the Secretary’s cell phone rang. After checking something, the Secretary made a note in their business file.
“What is it?”
“Ah, it’s Mr. Bright’s discharge day, so I’m going to send a car.”
The moment he heard that name, a subtle ripple ran through Ryle. Today, it was raining from morning, and the sound of raindrops pattering against the large window of the office was particularly loud. Hae-jin, who had not been in good condition, had been hospitalized for some time.
He had occasionally heard reports that he was behaving himself, and today was his discharge.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Yes?”
Ryle twitched his eyebrows at the Secretary, who asked back in surprise. The words he had blurted out without realizing it were once again full of impulse.
“I’ll pick him up on the way home from work. The hospital is near here. And there’s the contract to finalize.”
But this time, there was a reason. The hospital was on the way to the mansion. Besides, he had to meet Hae-jin once today anyway to finalize the contract.
“Understood.”
The Secretary, who had asked back once, soon erased their doubts and answered faithfully. As he cast his gaze at the heavy raindrops outside the window, Ryle tried to ignore this impulse.
“……”
“……”
A suffocating silence dominated the car. The Secretary, sensing the atmosphere, occasionally glanced at the back seat and manipulated the tablet in their hand. Just because Ryle’s work was done didn’t mean their work was done.
Meanwhile, Hae-jin, who had been waiting after hearing that a car was coming after his discharge, was briefly flustered to see Ryle inside. However, seeing the Secretary in the passenger seat, he quietly got in, thinking there must be a reason.
They had never met except when they were doing pheromone release. Even then, pheromone release was hardly done face-to-face. So, naturally, a heavy silence fell between them.
Ryle’s pheromones were always well-managed. Thanks to that, Hae-jin couldn’t know his intentions. In the first place, he was clumsy at controlling pheromones or reading their feelings. He had barely manifested as a Recessive Omega when he was an adult in a family with only Betas, so he had few opportunities to learn in many ways.
Fortunately, the car entered the mansion without any problems. As he got out of the car, Hae-jin suddenly felt a sense of liberation. Unaware that Ryle was carefully reading those pheromones from behind.
“Let’s go.”
The Secretary took the lead and walked out. The Butler, who had come out to greet them, accompanied them to guide them to the room. The Butler’s gaze, which secretly scrutinized Hae-jin, who had come with Ryle, was filled with subtle astonishment.
Since no one spoke, another long period of silence began. Although he had received treatment, his legs felt a little heavy, perhaps because he had walked for the first time in a while. It couldn’t be helped that it ached more on rainy days due to the aftereffects of the accident.
Hae-jin tensed his thighs to avoid showing an unsightly appearance of dragging his legs. Then, he suddenly felt a gaze directed at his legs and turned to the side.
“……?”
However, Ryle next to him was silently looking ahead.
Before the strangeness could fade, Hae-jin felt a series of doubts. It was because they were heading to a place that was neither his original room nor the reception room. It was towards the main building, which he had never been to before.
In front of the large guest room there, Ryle suddenly said.
“From now on, use this room.”
As he entered through the wide-open door, the interior of the room, which seemed to have been carefully decorated, was revealed. The bright interior and the large window with a good view of the outside were impressive.
Hae-jin, who was looking at the raindrops hitting the window, couldn’t shake off a strange feeling. It had started when he got into the car heading to this mansion from the hospital.
“…….”
As he entered the room, Ryle inadvertently scanned Hae-jin’s expression. Seeing that expression filled with doubt, his heart strangely pounded.
However, Hae-jin’s face, after scanning the window once, calmed down as usual. The briefly revealed interest dissipated in vain.
Ryle suddenly felt anxious because that face seemed like it would become empty again at any moment.
“Here’s the contract.”
After the Butler, who had finished the guidance, left, the Secretary placed the documents in the small reception room attached to the room. Hae-jin, remembering the previous room that barely had a private bathroom, awkwardly sat on the sofa there.
The soft fabric brushed against his fingertips, making him feel even more awkward. Why would they give him such a nice room, so large that he couldn’t even see the bathroom at a glance?
It didn’t matter to him what kind of room it was anyway. If he didn’t intend to receive it in the first place, it wouldn’t mean anything.
“Do I have to stay in this mansion? The room I borrowed last time isn’t far away, so it would be fine.”
Hae-jin, who had brought up the topic lightly, silently stared out the window. As if estimating the distance from the shabby short-term room where he had thrown away all his belongings. The sound of rain pattering against the glass window felt particularly harsh today.
Now that he said it, it felt like a good idea. When he first signed the contract, he was so desperate for this position that he just nodded unconditionally. Now that the situation had changed, couldn’t he think of other things? He had reluctantly agreed to the contract, but he didn’t want to be swayed from beginning to end again.
However, the moment Ryle heard Hae-jin’s words, he felt as if the heavy rain outside was running down his back.
A damp and immense unpleasantness.
“No.”
“But……”
“Jin, being in this mansion is the condition.”
“…….”
It was already too late after he had blurted it out strongly without realizing it. Before he knew it, Hae-jin’s empty gaze was directed at him. His pheromones, which had been faintly vibrating when he entered this room, had already scattered without a trace.
As if he had never had any expectations from the beginning.
“And I’ve already packed your things, so don’t think nonsense.”
The outside was so humid, but the inside of his throat was dry and about to stick together. However, Ryle, who tried to ignore all of that, was just pressuring him. As if he shouldn’t even think about such things.
Despite Ryle’s harsh tone, Hae-jin only agreed by turning his head.
An impulse to somehow catch that gaze that was avoiding him suddenly rose up. However, Ryle, who had recently become accustomed to such impulses, barely managed to suppress it.
The Secretary, who had been watching their conversation from the side, subtly looked at them and placed a pen next to Hae-jin.
Without saying anything, he picked up the paper in front of him. Even though his proposal had just been rejected, he didn’t say a word.
Hae-jin, who was Recessive, lacked the ability to manage pheromones. So, while he was making rustling sounds as he turned the pages and read the long contract thoroughly, faint pheromones emitted a faint presence in the room.
The subtle emotions that pheromones should contain were somehow absent from him. Just a dry scent that flowed endlessly to the bottom.
For some reason, Ryle felt that this room had become even drier than before.
“The compensation plan is detailed on page 5.”
“…….”
After that, the Secretary added various explanations on behalf of Ryle. Despite all the explanations, Hae-jin only turned the pages of the contract one by one.
Ryle inadvertently stared at the white hand holding the documents. It was small and weak, but it was steadily turning the paper without shaking. The hand he remembered was trembling terribly.
Just when he thought that the gaze that was indifferently looking down at the documents was strangely insincere, Hae-jin, who had stopped in the middle of the contract, put down the documents as they were. It was an attitude that he didn’t need to see any more because he had found the desired clause.
The compensation plan that the Secretary had mentioned was on the very next page where Hae-jin had stopped.
Hae-jin, who had put down the documents as they were, picked up the pen. Then, he tapped the signature line of the documents and organized his thoughts. When Ryle frowned at his recklessness of not reading to the end, Hae-jin suddenly made a strange noise.
“When we do that, I’d like you to change the thing that binds my hands to handcuffs.”
“……What?”
He could quickly understand what he was talking about. However, Ryle frowned at the strange suggestion that wasn’t even a request not to be tied up.
Hae-jin, who was examining that expression, inadvertently sighed. Ryle tensed his spine at that sigh, but Hae-jin, who had lowered his eyes wearily, didn’t notice his agitation.
“At least let me prepare alone. I don’t want to take off my clothes in front of the Butler.”
“What, did you say……?”
The realization that washed over Ryle at that moment was that he knew that the Butler tied Hae-jin’s hands. The fact that Ryle had overlooked was that if Hae-jin had to take off his clothes in that state, the Butler’s touch would inevitably be needed.
Ryle, who had not been interested in it, had only thought it was convenient. But now he knew. The reason why the Recessive Omega who had come here instead of Hae-jin before was wearing clothes and waiting for him.
Until now, he had unknowingly made the Alpha Butler undress and tie up Hae-jin without any qualms. And even the aftermath of the helpless and immobile guy would have been done in such shame.
It was the result of Ryle himself giving the order.
“Can’t you do it?”
“……I will.”
Ryle, who had been suffering from the impulse to catch that gaze since earlier, turned his gaze away as if he had been troubled. For some reason, he was uncomfortable facing Hae-jin directly.
He was sure that it didn’t matter to him what he was enduring, but why now?
Suddenly, the sound of thunder echoed in the sky outside. In response, the heavy rain lashed against the window even more fiercely. It was a day when he could smell the rain just by breathing. Nevertheless, Ryle swallowed dry saliva while slightly covering his mouth. His throat had been so parched that he felt like he was going crazy since earlier.
Hae-jin, who had heard his answer, calmly picked up the pen and signed the documents. The moment when that hand was trembling was superimposed on it.
“……I hereby announce that the contract has been concluded.”
The Secretary, who was also concerned about Hae-jin not looking at the contract until the end, hesitated and declared.
Hae-jin still hadn’t turned his gaze to the huge compensation.
Perhaps because he felt uneasy, the Secretary carefully organized the documents and handed them directly to Hae-jin. With a polite remark that he should be sure to look at the back part when he had time. He nodded, but his head, which was shaking up and down, was lighter than a feather.
He had to leave if he was done with his business. Nevertheless, Ryle somehow felt that the way back to his room was far away. As he left the room, feeling Hae-jin’s questioning gaze behind him, the Secretary, who had been waiting, followed him.
“Chairman.”
“……”
There was no answer, but the Secretary, who had worked by Ryle’s side for a long time, knew that it was a silent affirmation. Just like Hae-jin had given a silent affirmation by weakly turning away from them earlier.
After briefly estimating how much he would be allowed to say, the Secretary let out a subtle sigh. Even though he was willing to do anything for the benefit of Ryle and Vermouth, it was true that he felt indebted to Hae-jin.
Although he occasionally crossed the line of the law, the basics of Vermouth Corporation were still within the bounds of the law. Hae-jin, who had even been kidnapped, would not agree, but that was why they continued to take the form of a contract until the end.
As Hae-jin had realized, such a contract became a shield in the face of too great a power gap. Oppressing the weak under the guise of a contract was only possible in the face of a moderate gap. Vermouth had more than enough power to wield Hae-jin without leaving any such paper evidence.
So, the Secretary, who had just seen a cross-section of Hae-jin’s past five years, was simply dumbfounded. He, in particular, was a Beta with a more clearly distinguished gender, so he couldn’t help but react somewhat sensitively to such acts of molestation. After all, the contract was a matter between Hae-jin and Ryle.
“Forcing such methods is an excessive measure. He is an Omega, even though he manifested late.”
As he spoke, the Secretary carefully examined Ryle’s expression. The Chairman had been walking quickly with a face that looked somewhat thirsty since earlier. It felt like he was running away, so the Secretary suddenly felt strange.
“……I know.”
The Secretary frowned at the incomprehensible affirmation. It was ambiguous whether Ryle knew it and did it anyway or had just realized it. But either way, it didn’t really matter. His boss wasn’t the kind of person who would feel guilty about something like this.
So, the Secretary calmly pointed out any points that he might be missing. After all, his role was only up to this point. Depending on how Ryle accepted his words, the attitude that the Secretary would have to take in the future would become a little clearer.
“It would be better to give him some time to adjust. He still has health problems.”
But at that moment, Ryle abruptly stopped his hurried steps. It was so sudden that the Secretary’s legs almost got tangled.
“……Is Jin’s body still not well?”
“It is the doctor’s opinion that nutritional intake is important for the time being and that strenuous movements should be avoided.”
Ryle, who had suddenly raised his hand, covered his mouth. As if he was seriously worried about something.
The Secretary, who had judged that it was just a common headache until now, picked up his cell phone. If he was going to give Hae-jin time, he would need the help of medicine.
“Are you okay? Should I prepare the medicine right away?”
It was a medicine that forcibly released pheromones. As can be seen from its action, it was not very good for the body. If there were no side effects, he wouldn’t have tried to combine with Omega so hard.
However, Ryle was noticeably startled by the Secretary’s words. He raised his head sharply and couldn’t skillfully hide his embarrassment at this moment.
It was because he realized that he was not suffering from a headache at some point.
* * *
“……Ah.”
Hae-jin, who had suddenly opened his eyes, realized that he had fallen asleep without even knowing it. These days, it was a daily routine to fall asleep and wake up with a start. He just didn’t have anything to do.
Several days had already passed, but Ryle hadn’t looked for him. He had been so persistent in presenting the contract that he thought he would be dragged into that room the moment he signed it, but it was strange.
Thanks to that, he had no choice but to kill time by lying down. If he had a little more energy left, he would have tried various things, but he had no will.
Hae-jin, who was staring blankly at the unnecessarily high ceiling, counted the intricate patterns there. It would have been better if he had been persuaded to stay outside. Of course, Hae-jin understood the conditions that Ryle had set as threats.
It would have been more comfortable if he had been assigned to the room he used to use. Perhaps because the room was too vast, Hae-jin couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was shrinking even smaller.
Besides, the original room was closer to the path leading to the outside of the mansion, which was good. A new room was just a hassle. Even if he didn’t intend to try anything right away, it was difficult to be in the innermost part of the mansion like this.
Hae-jin, who had been lying down, only moved his hand and dug deep into the mattress of the bed. When he took out the wallet that was caught there and looked inside, it contained the last family photo and some cash left to him.
“…….”
As he casually hid it back in its place, Hae-jin fell into thought. He didn’t have a credit card anyway, but even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to use it. It seemed that he had been caught this time because he had used a cash machine.
So, this cash would be his last chance. Of course, he didn’t expect the material things that Ryle had said he would offer.
The best thing would be to endure for three months as is, and then Ryle would kick him out on his own. If that were the case, he could walk out safely without having to exert any extra effort.
But what if this plan went awry?
Hae-jin, imagining that situation, slowly shook his head. There was no need to worry about it yet.
“Huu…”
Casually recalling Ryle’s strange behavior, he simply sighed and lay back down. In a situation that was no different from being trapped, just not breaking down was the best he could do. Anything more was still too much.
He’ll call me when he needs me.
As he scanned the patterns on the ceiling again until he could redraw them, he heard a knock. Reflexively tensing, Hae-jin lay listlessly and decided to ignore it. If it was Ryle calling, he would force the door open even if he didn’t answer.
As expected, it was Butler who opened the door and came in as he pleased. For some reason, he was pushing a tray with food on it himself.
“Mr. Bright. It’s mealtime.”
“……”
Hae-jin frowned unconsciously. He was displeased that Butler had bothered to bring his meal himself, and that he had opened the door without waiting for an answer.
Every moment he faced Butler in this mansion was a continuous series of unpleasantness. And the sight of him walking into the room with a smile that didn’t suit him was even more repulsive.
“I heard you haven’t been eating much. I prepared some food from your hometown, just in case. How is it?”
‘For a vulgar Omega, you talk too much. The master’s orders are to strip you bare and tie you up.’
“……”
Steam rose from the food that he held up with a full smile. And Hae-jin, who had black hair but was born and raised here, naturally didn’t know what it was.
“If there’s any other food you’d like…”
“Butler.”
No matter how unpleasant it was, Hae-jin always had to endure it. When sadness washed over him, he swallowed it down with a large movement of his Adam’s apple. When tears burst out without him realizing it, he muffled the sound by covering his mouth with the blanket. What he killed along with it were his heart and his pride.
But now, there was no reason to go that far. More than anything, he didn’t have the means to endure that sadness again. Otherwise, he would want to run out of this mansion right away.
Even if it meant using any means necessary.
“Yes, Mr. Bright.”
“Please leave.”
“Well, before…”
“Please leave.”
Hae-jin simply repeated the same words like a parrot with a calm, subdued face. He knew what Butler wanted. He didn’t want him to tell Ryle about the mistake he had made before.
He wasn’t worried that Ryle would punish him after hearing Hae-jin’s words. It was just that the situation was intertwined with the contract. Hae-jin didn’t need to care about the circumstances of someone who was only eager to cover up his own mistakes.
No one in this mansion had ever cared about his circumstances.
“……Understood.”
Butler retreated with a face flushed with humiliation. The sound of the door closing rather forcefully could be heard. This made Hae-jin wonder. He hadn’t even cursed at him or tried to undress him, so why did he feel so humiliated?
A repulsive smell wafted from the food he had left behind. Moreover, the food didn’t even seem to be related to Hae-jin’s roots, which his adoptive parents had searched for. Besides, he had no intention of eating food he didn’t even know while smelling the unpleasant pheromones that Butler had left behind.
Quietly approaching, Hae-jin closed the lid of the food and pushed the tray straight out. Then, he opened the window, not caring that the rain was pouring in. A quiet sound of wind flowed into the room.
It wasn’t bad to watch the rain invade the room from the bed.
Leaving the room, Butler gritted his teeth as he walked down the antique hallway. That impudent whore dared to act up in front of him like this.
Hae-jin, who had just become an adult, used to be very docile with a little scolding. Considering the rampages that the Omegas who had contracted with Ryle had caused in the mansion, he was a very easy guest. Frankly, he could secretly enjoy the fun of stripping a high-class whore who was touched by the master.
Of course, he couldn’t deny that he had neglected him a bit. Even if the other servants didn’t know, Butler knew that Hae-jin had come to this mansion to pay off his comatose adoptive parents’ hospital bills.
So he thought about feeling a little sympathy, but he turned out to be so arrogant. Thinking of the old Hae-jin, he thought he could easily shut him up with a little coaxing, but it didn’t work out as he had hoped.
He was annoyed that he was just an inferior gene anyway. With an inferior trait like that, he wouldn’t be of much help to his master, so wasn’t he receiving too much of a room?
Gritting his teeth, Butler frowned. He couldn’t understand why Ryle had brought Hae-jin back. But it would be a perfect ending if Hae-jin disappeared again, as it would cover up his minor mistakes. As quickly as possible. Butler also thought that this was for the sake of his master.
Before that, he needed to suppress that arrogant attitude a little. In a mansion where Ryle wasn’t present, wasn’t it natural that he, as the Butler, should be obeyed?
If he could find an excuse, he intended to do his best to make the Omega leave on his own. This was all for the sake of the owner of this mansion.
“Are you sleeping well?”
“So-so.”
The machines that had been attached here and there fell off. Ryle straightened his disheveled clothes and sat down in front of his doctor.
“Have you had anything particularly stressful happen?”
“You know. My stress is just this damn pheromone.”
Recently, there had been several unsettling aspects to his physical condition, so Ryle secretly visited the hospital. He had visited before because his physical condition was not good, but this was the first time he had visited the doctor because he had no headaches.
The doctor seemed flustered, but quickly regained his composure and began the examination. He was one of the few people who knew about Ryle’s pheromone congestion.
He couldn’t just ignore even a small matter. Especially since the headache had disappeared the moment he brought Hae-jin to the mansion, which was very strange. Considering that he had not been able to release pheromones even once since he last had a rut with Hae-jin, it was even more so.
“Hmm. The pheromone congestion has not improved.”
Looking at the results of his test, the doctor diagnosed. Ryle couldn’t hide his slight disappointment at the sound. He wondered if there might be a way to avoid mixing bodies with an Omega, but it seemed there was no such luck.
“Then why don’t I have a headache?”
If so, this seemingly improved condition was an abnormal reaction. Not wanting to leave even a little uncertainty, Ryle demanded a suitable answer from the doctor.
The doctor, who was calmly examining the test results, pushed up his glasses.
“First of all, the headache may have been relieved temporarily by contact with the pheromones of a compatible Omega.”
“……”
Ryle, who unconsciously thought of Hae-jin, frowned. To be compatible, wasn’t that quite a troublesome thing?
“Of course, this is just a minor and temporary method. It can’t be compared to pheromone release through sexual intercourse. Have you met a Dominant Omega recently?”
Of course, it was much better to just sit in the same room than to have a hard time holding an Omega. Ryle, who was desperate for even a minor method, tried to hide his disappointment.
Fastening the last button on his shirt, he just thought of Hae-jin in a dry, emotionless way.
“No. The one I contracted with is an inferior gene.”
However, the doctor raised his wrinkled eyes and expressed his doubt at the words he said without much expectation.
“Inferior gene? Hmm… that’s strange.”
“Why?”
“If it’s an inferior gene, this temporary measure won’t work. In the first place, the pheromones that come out excessively work by chance. Inferior genes don’t have that ability.”
“……”
The only variable in his life kept touching his nerves. Even when his parents died in an accident early on and he was caught up in an inheritance war, Ryle never had any doubts. He had the ability to realize all expectations.
But things about Hae-jin kept not going as he intended. It wasn’t just the guy’s attitude that had changed recently. Ryle’s own strange behavior was also a problem.
Forcing his doubts aside, he asked again.
“Is there any possibility that it could happen with frequent contact?”
“Hmm. If there is frequent and intense contact, it may be possible. This would only be the case if the inferior gene Omega is very compatible with you.”
Somehow, the doctor’s words felt like they were hanging from his ear. Ryle, glancing at his watch, was torn between whether to consult about the issue that had made him the most impulsive recently.
Should he say that he was excessively uncomfortable with other Omegas’ pheromones?
This was a dangerous thing to say in Ryle’s position. It would be troublesome if rumors spread that he couldn’t be with anyone other than Hae-jin. He basically trusted this doctor, but you never knew what could happen.
In the end, he decided to watch it for a while longer. Anyway, being uncomfortable with Omegas was a chronic problem for Ryle. He had even received counseling at the hospital because of this excessive aversion.
“Either way, it’s better to release it quickly. It’s still a dangerous state.”
“I will.”
Watching him leave, the doctor organized the charts. Then, he added one more hopeful word.
“And you don’t have to worry too much about the headache problem. It’s a problem if the headache gets worse, but you’re also sensitive to pheromone action in the first place.”
“Okay.”
He nodded indifferently. Anyway, it was fortunate that it wasn’t getting worse. It would be encouraging for him if he could spend even a little less time on pheromone release. There were many other important things he could do in that time.
Pushing away the lingering afterimages that kept nagging at him, Ryle left the hospital. But, contrary to his will, Hae-jin’s face, which had suddenly come to mind, did not disappear from a corner of his head.
Ryle, who returned to the mansion late at night, felt tired for the first time in a long time. The doctor’s words that the pheromone congestion itself had not been resolved seemed to be correct.
The servants who had come out to greet their master were standing at the entrance of the mansion. The scent of winter was already floating in the air on this late night. Ryle, who was checking the important tasks for the winter in his head, stopped abruptly on the spot.
Suddenly, Hae-jin’s pheromones were felt in the dry air. It seemed that Hae-jin had just passed by this place a little while ago.
“What is Jin doing?”
The footsteps that had stopped unconsciously moved forward again. Butler, who was following him and reporting, threw his gaze into the distance as if he was thinking about something.
“He’s been in his room.”
Butler’s answer came a little late. A lukewarm unpleasantness enveloped Ryle. Hae-jin had just been here a little while ago, hadn’t he? If he was in his room, what was the answer that he had been in his room all along?
The question that he had unconsciously brought up created various twists and turns, unlike its light start. As he continued to walk silently, Butler glanced at him and asked.
“Shall I prepare him?”
The moment he heard the question, Ryle stopped his legs again.
“Your Highness?”
It felt like something prickly was stuck inside his eyelid. Usually, it was clear that there was no presence, but the moment he turned his gaze in the wrong direction, it was unbearably annoying.
Since he had already arrived at the mansion, Ryle pulled down his tie without hesitation. Then, he asked coldly.
“Why have you been undressing Jin yourself? I’ve never given such an excessive order.”
“Yes? I, I did it all for Your Highness.”
Butler’s eyes were widened as if they were about to tear, which was annoying. As an inferior gene Alpha, he showed signs of being flustered without even managing his pheromones.
Seeing that, Ryle suddenly became uncontrollably angry. Ryle had clearly only ordered him to prepare ropes and blindfolds. But at some point, Hae-jin was simply left tied up in the room. Of course, Ryle didn’t think about the process and just felt it was convenient.
Butler must have intended to take good care of him. Even if that action was somewhat excessive. Even after thinking this far, Ryle almost scolded Butler fiercely without realizing it. Hadn’t he thought that it would be too humiliating for Hae-jin?
But before those prickly words could fly off his tongue, Ryle barely came to his senses. He didn’t have the right to say such things, since he was the one who had ordered him to tie his hands in the first place.
This was also a strange feeling. In the first place, they had made such a contract and Ryle had paid a sufficient price.
Was there any reason to act so concerned now?
“……From now on, don’t get involved in that. Just convey my words and don’t go into that room.”
Ryle, who barely made a rational decision, just gave a cold order. Hae-jin was already acting like he would leave without even filling the three months. If he had said it himself when he signed the contract, it meant that this process had been bothering him all along. So there was no reason not to listen.
“I… I understand.”
Butler answered in a strange voice as if he was being strangled. Ryle, who was looking down at him with a puzzled expression, soon realized the situation and clicked his tongue. He had already been spreading his pheromones of anger nearby.
“And you don’t need to call him today.”
As the doctor had advised, the pheromone congestion problem was so severe that he couldn’t even control it well. Even so, Ryle returned to his room without calling Hae-jin. There was no particular reason. He just thought that he didn’t have a headache, so he would still have some time to spare.
However, unlike Ryle’s thought that it was a rational decision, the faint pheromones of anger remained like an afterimage and continued to oppress Butler.
A holiday came. It was an uncommon day for Ryle, who usually spent most of the year working. Of course, even though it was a holiday, it meant that he was handling work at home.
Anyway, today was also a day when the sun was shining brightly for the first time in a while. So Ryle greeted the breakfast table in the inner courtyard of the main building for the first time in a long time.
Most of the people in this Heavy Rain tended to do something outside when the sun rose. The warm sunlight was that precious in this city. Ryle, who was born and raised here, was no different.
The building of the main building surrounded this inner courtyard in a square shape. Unless you were looking down from above, it was a structure that made it impossible to spy on the intimate area of the main building’s inner courtyard from the outside.
Thanks to this, Ryle could read the documents in front of him with peace of mind. Surprisingly, he had no concept of a holiday where he did nothing and rested.
As he was reading the letters and drinking coffee, he heard the sound of a window opening above his head. He raised his head, not hiding his displeasure. Even the servants were not walking around now to avoid disturbing his rest.
However, Hae-jin was unexpectedly sticking his face out where he looked up.
“……”
“……”
This mansion was old, so the height was not high. Thanks to this, the distance was close enough to see the other person’s expression, so the two had no choice but to face each other.
Hae-jin was not hiding his rarely seen surprised expression. Ryle, who couldn’t take his eyes off that face for some reason, had to look up like that for a long time without saying the right words.
However, the vitality that had been revealed for the first time slowly disappeared as if it was killing its breath. He had to come to his senses as he was watching Hae-jin slowly kill the emotions inside him as if he was possessed. It was because a calm call awakened him.
“Mr. Vermouth.”
‘Ryle.’
“……”
Why did the name that was called only once come to mind at this moment?
“Do you have something to say?”
After signing the contract, Hae-jin seemed to be trying to maintain a polite attitude again. It wouldn’t be a bad thing, but Ryle couldn’t stop the very strange feeling that was enveloping him. These changes in emotion had become an unstoppable thing like the sunlight pouring down from the sky from some point on.
Instead, he quenched his thirst with the coffee in front of him. As the warm liquid caressed the inside, his coldly frozen mind was awakened.
Hae-jin was still staring down at him blankly, thinking that his actions were a preparation before saying something. Thanks to this, Ryle, who was in a situation where he really had to say something, frowned in embarrassment. Looking up from below, the guy’s face seemed to be even paler than before.
“Have you eaten?”
Ryle suddenly regretted placing Hae-jin’s room in the main building, and he opened his mouth. Breakfast was being served in front of him, so the thought flowed naturally.
“I have no appetite.”
However, the moment Ryle heard Hae-jin’s words, he naturally forgot all sorts of thoughts.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t eaten yet, but that he had no appetite.
The sudden question fueled his displeasure. Hae-jin’s emaciated body, with bones showing, flashed into his mind. Even though he had refrained from touching him so much, the rough texture clung to his palm as if it had been waiting.
Ryle roughly put down the coffee cup he was holding and sharply raised his head towards Hae-jin.
“It seems you still have no intention of taking care of your body properly.”
He suddenly felt annoyed at how many more times he would have to point it out before he wouldn’t be bothered by the issue. No one around Ryle ignored his words. Because he didn’t tolerate mistakes more than twice, all such people had disappeared.
But he couldn’t do anything about Hae-jin right now. The moment he realized that, Ryle subtly acquiesced and swept back his hair. The moment he brought Hae-jin this time, it was the same as proving Hae-jin’s importance to some extent.
Is that why he’s acting like that, trusting in that?
“How much longer are you going to be picky about food? Stop it and eat properly.”
“Picky about food?”
The indifferent face that asked back only fueled his annoyance. Hae-jin was the same as when he didn’t say a single thing he wanted when he held the contract and asked for his opinion. Ryle guessed that he must have acted similarly to Butler.
“Yes. Don’t be picky like you were during the last contract, and tell Butler if there’s any food you want. Whether it’s food from your hometown or anything else.”
Hae-jin realized for the first time that not bringing the tray on time because he was tired could be seen as being picky about food. The sensation of bitter water rising up when he was starving for a long time struck his insides. He originally intended to skip breakfast because he had no appetite, but this made him lose his appetite even more.
Unlike before, he knew well that he couldn’t satisfy his empty stomach just by eating a meal this time. So there was no need to force himself to swallow food that he couldn’t even digest well.
He was a little dumbfounded, but not angry. The emotions that had been about to rise up soon scattered like dust, as if collapsing from exhaustion.
He only stared blankly down at Ryle’s shining face and pondered. So Butler was doing things he didn’t usually do because he had ordered him to.
Hae-jin, who didn’t know that Butler’s actions and Ryle’s words were a mere coincidence, planted a small seed of misunderstanding. He had thought that Ryle was completely indifferent to him, but perhaps he knew a little about how he was being neglected.
People who saw his black hair for the first time often mistakenly thought that Hae-jin was a foreigner. He knew that it couldn’t be helped since he had an uncommon appearance. However, it felt a little different for Ryle, who had received his personal information in more detail than Hae-jin himself, to say these words.
Like this clumsy indifference.
He thought of the food tray with the unpleasant smell rising from it. And Butler’s pheromones, which were unpleasantly smeared all over it. To Hae-jin, that was violence created by indifference rather than goodwill. But was he supposed to receive that and force himself to swallow it? Just to be evaluated as not being picky.
“What is it?”
Ryle muttered irritably as he received that empty gaze. It was because the guy was just quietly looking at Ryle. He had spat out sharp words, so some kind of reaction should have come back.
Seeing Hae-jin’s eerily expressionless face, a strange, anxious impatience suddenly rose up. His heart was beating fast as if he had taken a stimulant instead of coffee earlier.
Because the guy was terribly empty, it felt like he would fall into an abyss.
“My hometown is this city, Mr. Vermouth.”
He must have opened the window on purpose because the weather was nice. But Hae-jin closed the window without hesitation and then closed the curtains. So that not even a little bit of his gaze would reach Ryle.
Ryle narrowed his eyes as he looked at the tightly wrapped window. A clear sense of rejection was felt overflowing beyond the distance between them.
Suddenly, it felt like the clear sky had darkened.
It was almost sunset when Ryle returned to his study. He stayed there for quite a while, but Hae-jin’s window was never opened again.
Hae-jin’s room, with the curtains drawn tightly, was very noticeable when looking at the mansion from afar. In the middle of the mansion, where transparent windows lined up to greet the clear sky, it was annoyingly there as if it were a dot.
It was his mansion in the first place, but he was making it so obvious that he was uncomfortable, which was absurd. Out of spite, Ryle even had lunch there.
Back in his study, Ryle pondered deeply and opened a drawer. It was where the documents related to Hae-jin were.
“…His hometown really was here.”
He thought he had been adopted from overseas because of his black hair, but he could see that Hae-jin had grown up here from the beginning. It was clearly a document he had reviewed before, but he had honestly forgotten about it until this moment. Because it was information that was of no use to him.
Would it have been better if he had shown that he was upset by his misunderstanding? The afterimage of Hae-jin saying his hometown was here in a dry tone and disappearing lingered in his head for a long time, annoyingly.
Then Butler knocked on the door of his study. He came in at Ryle’s short permission and opened his mouth in a polite tone.
“I’m going to prepare dinner. Is there any food you would particularly like, Master?”
Ryle, who had been looking at the document with Hae-jin’s photo on it until then, asked about the point that had been bothering him since earlier.
“Did Jin eat?”
“Ah, that is…”
Butler looked flustered at the unexpected question. Then, after thinking for a long time, he finally spoke.
“I believe he has been skipping meals since this morning.”
Again, the rough sensation wandered in front of Ryle’s eyes. He was strangely displeased by Butler’s words, which were based on speculation.
But what’s important now is that Hae-jin didn’t eat that damn meal after all.
“Didn’t I tell you your role clearly?”
Butler quickly lowered his head at his sharp voice. But soon, he protested in a rather aggrieved tone.
“I even prepared Mr. Bright’s hometown food and brought it to him, but he didn’t even touch it and threw it out. I’m doing my best, but…”
The rough sensation quickly disappeared at Butler’s words. That’s right. Butler must have been trying his best to treat the guest. Ryle easily acquiesced.
Ryle, who had been scanning the letters in the document, nodded once and gave Butler new information. Things he had just learned as well.
“Jin is from here, so just prepare ordinary food.”
“Ah…, I understand.”
But the unpleasant sensation still doesn’t disappear. In any case, Butler couldn’t have kept bringing him food that he had never even seen before. Hae-jin’s emaciated body was not a state that could be excused with just that one word.
Faced with a troublesome problem and no solution, Ryle roughly shoved the documents about Hae-jin back into the drawer.
“What’s going on?”
Hae-jin, who had been listlessly sprawled out again today, barely got up in the evening. He had been eating his meals diligently. It was annoying that Ryle kept pointing it out, but he didn’t intend to abuse his body without reason. So he didn’t skip the trays that came in and ate a little.
He had been lying down until now, but it was when he washed up and came out to prepare to go to sleep. He encountered a servant suspiciously peeking into his room.
“Ah…, just cleaning for a moment.”
“I think you cleaned earlier.”
The servant was holding a crisp new set of clothes. And the place he was cautiously walking out of was the closet connected to the reception room in this room.
“Ahem. Cleaning.”
Even though he could clearly see where his gaze was going, the servant coughed awkwardly. He guessed that he was planning to take back the clothes that had properly filled the closet. Hae-jin, who had become annoyed with everything, just turned around and disappeared into the bedroom. He would have to lock the bedroom door before going to sleep, he thought casually.
“Damn, he’s giving me the stink eye.”
He just ignored the words whispered towards the back of his head. He thought it didn’t matter whether he took them or not since they weren’t his things anyway.
On a cloudy morning, Hae-jin, unable to hide his annoyance, walked towards the outside of the mansion.
He had to go to the hospital because of his leg problem, but it was an unreasonable structure that seemed like his legs would be damaged from walking around this vast mansion. However, Hae-jin, who had never even made a hospital appointment on his own, was just being led to the mansion’s entrance by someone sent by Secretary.
Last time, he had opened his eyes and was in the hospital, but Hae-jin didn’t really feel like going to the hospital on his own. Especially the moment when he had to go all the way to that far place and recall things that were no longer there was terrible.
Perhaps annoyed by his slow pace, the servant who had come to deliver Secretary’s message kept looking back with white eyes. But wasn’t it also ironic to overwork his legs just because he was afraid of that gaze? In the end, Hae-jin had to silently stick to his slow pace.
However, he soon regretted that decision when he arrived at the place where the car was. It was because it happened to coincide with Ryle’s work hours, and his splendid blond hair was noticeable even from afar.
“…”
The moment he saw the servants moving in an orderly manner in front of the mansion, Hae-jin turned around. He was planning to wait a little in a secluded place and then go forward when Ryle left. The person who had been guiding him said that his job was done since he had come this far and hurriedly disappeared elsewhere.
But the moment Hae-jin turned around, Ryle’s gaze turned towards him as if it were a lie. The moment Ryle saw the back of him slowly walking alone into the dark place of the mansion, he urgently moved his legs.
His body moved first without even having time to think about anything. At this time, when most of the mansion’s people were gathered here, Hae-jin was heading alone to a secluded place.
The Secretary, who had been reporting his schedule to him from the side, was surprised and followed him. The moment Ryle saw the black hair swaying along with his unstable gait, he instinctively felt that he had to catch him first.
When he came to his senses, he had already roughly grabbed Hae-jin’s arm, who was about to turn the corner.
“Ah…!”
“Where are you going?”
An indescribable unpleasant emotion controlled Ryle. Only after roughly snapping at him did he notice Hae-jin’s dumbfounded expression.
Only then did he realize that he had misunderstood something, and at the same time, Ryle recognized that his actions were very strange.
“Mr. Bright.”
The Secretary, who had quickly followed, greeted Hae-jin first. The Secretary’s subtle gaze was directed towards Hae-jin’s arm, which Ryle was still holding tightly.
“Chairman. Shall we accompany Mr. Bright?”
He asked with a sense of tact as he grasped the atmosphere. It was because Ryle had said before that Hae-jin’s hospital was included in his route and asked him to go together.
“…Where?”
“You have a hospital appointment today. I sent someone this morning to ask you to come this way as I will prepare the car.”
As a capable Secretary, he knew how to naturally convey appropriate information. Ryle, who realized that he had misunderstood something, frowned in embarrassment. He released his grip only after Hae-jin’s indifferent gaze, which had been facing him, fell on the arm that was still holding him.
As if there was weight in his gaze, his hand also fell on its own. Ryle was troubled because his appearance was strange and absurd.
Then, he was about to step back with the word “okay” when it happened.
“I’m fine.”
Hae-jin touched his arm, which had been grabbed, and took a step back. The afterimage of the guy disappearing behind the curtain flashed in front of his eyes for a moment. He was now emitting pheromones that openly showed his rejection, further stimulating him.
To think he skipped the meal that day.
“Let’s go together.”
“…”
Hae-jin’s eyes quickly filled with dissatisfaction at the answer that contained annoyance out of spite. A different sensation from when he acted like he had given up on the world with empty eyes invaded Ryle.
“Let’s go.”
The Secretary, who had intervened appropriately, pointed to one side and looked at Hae-jin. When he looked towards the car, the gazes of the mansion’s servants were piercingly directed at him.
Receiving the uncomfortable gazes all over his body, Hae-jin had to get into Ryle’s car. As always, it must have been an order rather than an invitation.
Ryle stared at Hae-jin, who was sighing silently, almost glaring at him.
From the moment he got into the car, the guy had been constantly looking out the window. Pheromones full of rejection were flowing around him. It was the same as blatantly showing his emotions to Ryle to the point of being annoying.
He had been feeling stuffy as if his lungs were blocked since earlier. Ryle took a deep breath to point out the thick pheromones. Then, a sudden thought flashed through Ryle’s mind.
Were Hae-jin’s pheromones this strong?
In the first place, the reason why Hae-jin had stayed in his mansion for a long time was because his pheromones were naturally very faint. Thanks to being a Recessive Omega who developed late, Hae-jin seemed to have a small amount of pheromones in the first place. That’s why he hadn’t bothered Ryle’s nerves so far, even though he was so unskilled at controlling his pheromones.
Ryle frowned at the suddenly strengthened presence. The moment he thought it was strange, he could never feel it like before again. The increasingly thick pheromones acted as if they would occupy his lungs.
The temperature was dropping day by day as it headed towards winter. But for some reason, Hae-jin was wearing an old jacket.
It was not only out of season, but it was also a cheap one that Ryle didn’t even handle, so he must have brought it himself. Furthermore, the hem of his pants seemed a little short, exposing his thin white ankles.
Ryle, who had been slowly observing his appearance as he was being consumed by the guy’s pheromones, frowned. It was a look that clearly showed his resistance, just like when he closed the window last time.
Was he protesting now that he had been kidnapped?
“Are you deliberately avoiding the clothes that were provided?”
Ryle knew that it was a situation that could cause dissatisfaction. He had just been ignoring it. Because that clear rejection had started to bother him more than anything else.
Hae-jin, who had been blankly looking out the window at the sudden words, turned his head. Ryle was looking at him with a very displeased face.
It was surprising that he was pointing out his clothes for the first time. But Hae-jin soon countered indifferently. Unfortunately, Hae-jin no longer had a reason to cater to his whims.
“They’re not my things anyway.”
The pheromones, which clearly felt like a wall, conveyed more to him than a single word. It was instantaneous for Ryle, who was already in a bad mood, to become twisted.
He recalled the appearance of not even looking at the compensation in the contract. As if anything he gave was meaningless.
“If I gave them to you, they’re yours. What nonsense are you talking about? Are you putting on some unnecessary pride right now?”
“…Pride. That can’t be.”
Hae-jin inadvertently gave a bitter smile at Ryle’s words, which were no different from nonsense. Would there be anything left for Hae-jin to call pride? All that was left for him now was just a desperate struggle. At least a faint stubbornness to not collapse again in this mansion and leave on his own two feet.
It wasn’t that Hae-jin wanted to wear these pathetic clothes. However, the closet had been gradually emptying since the day he ignored the servant’s clothing theft. To the point that all the thick clothes suitable for this season had disappeared this morning.
Was the price for ignoring Butler when he approached him with a smile being returned like this, or was this also Ryle’s tacit approval?
“That’s exactly what unnecessary pride is. Wear what I give you.”
Whether he knew the circumstances or not, it was bound to be an unpleasant matter from Hae-jin’s point of view. Why should Hae-jin have to listen to these criticisms here?
He didn’t expect anything to change by tattling. So Hae-jin had not bothered to tell Ryle about the contract violations that had been going on since before. The experience of being frustrated the moment he tried to speak had made him hesitate every time.
But now, he just wanted Ryle to shut his mouth. Inevitably, Hae-jin calmly told him about his situation.
“There was nothing to wear in the closet.”
Ryle, who didn’t know the circumstances, thought that Hae-jin was just rejecting him even at this moment. It hadn’t been long since he had told Butler to fill Hae-jin’s room directly. It was an impossible sound in his common sense, so when Hae-jin put it into words, only the resistance he had thought of earlier lingered in his head.
Especially in a situation where Hae-jin was emitting such strong pheromones of rejection.
“Why? Didn’t you have any clothes to sell this time?”
Hae-jin couldn’t hide his scorn as he asked. It just so happened that Butler had told him that Hae-jin had been selling off the things he had provided.
He had wondered how he had been living without living expenses, but he felt like he was seeing the answer. Of course, even if he had food, clothing, and shelter, it would have been difficult without money in his hands. Remembering how his bank balance was, it was clear that even that was a poor trick.
“What are you talking about?”
“I heard you sold the clothes I gave you before. Well, I understand that you had circumstances.”
“I never did that.”
He tried to understand his situation, but he was disgusted by his indifferent face, pretending not to know. In the end, Ryle couldn’t overcome his annoyance and frowned, urging Hae-jin. How far should he humor him?
“You’re being annoying and standing on your pride again. I’ll turn a blind eye, so drop the pathetic excuses.”
Only after saying all that did Ryle click his tongue inwardly. He had a fleeting thought that it would have been better to just ignore him as he had been doing.
If Hae-jin showed a sad face again here, things would obviously become cumbersome. He was uncomfortable with the situation of having to appease someone. He shouldn’t have included the clause in the contract that he could quit at any time.
Hae-jin’s gaze, which had been about to turn to the window, flew straight to Ryle. However, his face was endlessly empty, as if it could hold even rainwater.
Suddenly, the thirst he had felt one day assailed him. Driven by an uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling, Ryle chose to provoke Hae-jin further. He thought without realizing that it would be better if he got angry.
“Do you want to make more excuses?”
Watching Ryle, who had been inexplicably angry since earlier, Hae-jin fell into thought.
He had felt it when Butler sent him strange food, but Ryle clearly knew something about Hae-jin’s situation. At least that he couldn’t eat properly or that he didn’t have enough clothes.
But that was it. Ryle had no intention of listening even if Hae-jin spoke the truth.
It was natural to trust Butler, who had been loyal to him for longer than Hae-jin, in the first place. Hae-jin knew that too.
Then who made that Butler treat Hae-jin so harshly?
Hae-jin really didn’t want to resent Ryle. The emotion of resentment was too big and heavy for the current paper-thin Hae-jin to bear. So he hoped that Ryle would just be completely indifferent and leave him alone without provoking him.
He wanted him to realize that he was different from the old days when he unconditionally endured, even though he wanted to keep the convenient Hae-jin by his side for some reason right now. He hoped that he would naturally end the contract, saying that he wasn’t as convenient as he thought.
However, Hae-jin had no choice but to ask Ryle, who kept digging up the wounds he was trying to forget with harsh words.
Was it really Ryle’s fault that the servants acted that way?
“Did you directly order Butler to treat me like that in the mansion?”
“…You’re stating the obvious.”
Hae-jin had no intention of going over that miserable path again with his own mouth. He doubted whether Ryle would believe him even if he mentioned everything now. Wasn’t he being ignored even when he said that he had never sold his clothes?
However, if he had even a little will, he would think about this question at least once more. If he had any intention of looking back on his sorrow.
However, Hae-jin found himself killing his expectations more and more as he spoke. There was no way Ryle would ever dig up the past to understand Hae-jin.
“My life for the past five years, too?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
So that’s why, the voice that answered was so faint that it seemed to disappear into the air.
Hae-jin, who had uttered an absurd sound, quietly turned his gaze to the window as it was. The pheromone that had been spewing out revulsion was completely dead, as if it had never happened.
However, breathing in the calm air in the car, Ryle felt even more suffocated. Rather, it was as if this non-existent pheromone was building an even bigger wall around him.
Suddenly, why is he doing this?
Just in time, the car pulled up in front of the hospital. Only after the driver calmly announced their arrival did Ryle come to his senses. His irrational behavior was increasing, as if something was wrong with his head.
Outside, a bodyguard who had been contacted in advance by Secretary was waiting for Hae-jin. He would take Hae-jin back to the mansion after he was done at the hospital.
Even so, Ryle inadvertently grabbed Hae-jin’s arm as he opened the car door and got out with a blank expression.
“Don’t even think about doing anything stupid.”
“……”
His gaze went to his caught arm and then to the bodyguard outside. As if to show him the measures Ryle had taken himself.
Only after confirming that did he obediently let Hae-jin go. Still expressionless, he got out and headed to the hospital without a word of greeting.
Ryle watched his retreating figure as if possessed. Hae-jin’s gait was somehow awkward. The hem of his pants still exposed his ankles, exposing them to the cold wind.
Like that awkward gait, Ryle felt something was off. He shouldn’t have any reason to sell his clothes now, so wasn’t something strange?
Hae-jin didn’t look back until the end. Then suddenly, he felt like his tie was suffocating him.
It’s strange.
“Oh, I’m telling you. He was deliberately dragging his feet.”
“Why?”
“How did he know that the master was on his way to work in front of him, and he was trying to run into him.”
“That’s disgusting. Does he want to make money that badly?”
Harsh words were exchanged, out of sync with the giggling laughter. The voices of the servants trimming the inner garden of the main building were heard far too well. Would they really not know that Hae-jin’s room was right above their heads?
“He even got a ride in the master’s car. He quit so suddenly, what face does he have to come back with? Is he aiming for something bigger? An inferior gene, at that.”
“That’s absurd, really.”
It was a meaningless assumption. Even if Hae-jin stuck his head out right now, it was doubtful whether they would stop their slander.
Hae-jin, who was lying listlessly on the bed listening to the conversation, simply turned to the other side. The faint scenery outside disappeared, and instead, the desolate interior of the room filled his vision.
Even the faint anger he had felt a few days ago while riding in the car with Ryle had long since disappeared without a trace. Ever since hearing the results of his examination that day, Hae-jin had been unable to muster any strength.
‘If this continues, you may never be able to walk properly for the rest of your life. You need to be careful.’
Was it because he had been negligent in his care after wandering aimlessly? The doctor glanced indifferently at the bodyguard standing behind him and said that a problem had been found in his ankle.
Originally, he should have received surgery immediately after the accident and then managed it with consistent physical therapy. However, Hae-jin had to walk around on crutches to borrow money to save his parents. Naturally, his leg was an afterthought.
He definitely thought it couldn’t be helped, but when he heard that diagnosis, he just felt like his mood was sinking into the ground. To have trouble with his leg at such a young age. It was as good as saying that he really wouldn’t be able to make a living by working in the future.
Thanks to that, Hae-jin had to return with an even clearer aversion to hospitals. He was almost glad that the bodyguard was watching him and leading him to the mansion. Because the moment he came out of the examination room and smelled the hospital, Hae-jin really felt like his leg was falling off.
Without his family, it was hard for him to shake off the feeling that he was an infinitely worthless person. It was his family who had created his value, as he was an orphan in the first place. His parents sternly scolded Hae-jin for these thoughts every time. They told him that he was a shining person in himself.
But those parents were gone now.
In the end, it was a repeat. From some point on, an excessively gloomy feeling was enveloping Hae-jin. He realized that this was all irrational sentiment, but that was it. He didn’t have the motivation to get out of that state.
He heard the sound of a tray rolling in front of the door. It seemed that it was already dinner time.
After Butler scattered a pheromone filled with anger and left, the tray was carelessly placed in front of Hae-jin’s door as usual.
Hae-jin listlessly raised his eyes at the sound of the food tray being roughly placed in front of the door. If he didn’t bring it in quickly, the food would disappear again.
“……”
Today, it was especially hard to get up, so he missed mealtime. Based on his long experience, it was obvious that the food had already disappeared, so Hae-jin didn’t even bother to open the door.
For several days after going to the hospital, the time he woke up had been getting later and later, and it had finally been pushed back to late afternoon. He had woken up at a time that was past even lunchtime. The bed was sucking Hae-jin in as if it were a quicksand pit. The cloudy sky made it unclear whether it was afternoon or morning, and he almost mistook the time for dawn.
He was so weak because he was hungry. Hae-jin judged rationally. However, unlike the thoughts in his head, his body wouldn’t listen at all. As if it knew that his thoughts were as futile as flowing rainwater.
He felt a hollow energy, as if there was a huge hole in his stomach. But he had no appetite at all, creating a strange distortion inside him.
Hae-jin, who was contemplating that heavy feeling, slowly closed his eyes.
Strangely, he was sleepy no matter how much he slept.
“Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
Ryle nodded and got out of the car after work. It was another day like any other. He was still busy, his relatives were still trying to find an opening, and society was still demanding heavy responsibilities from him.
And Hae-jin was quiet.
There was only one change that had occurred to Ryle in the meantime. He occasionally thought of Hae-jin. Of course, he mainly felt an endlessly annoying feeling. He often forced himself to push away the face that floated up like a lingering image. And now he didn’t dream anymore.
Ryle thought it was a good situation in many ways. His head was slowly getting heavy again, and he was just making the judgment that he would have to release his pheromones soon.
He definitely thought so, even when he entered the main building and met a servant clearing a tray at this late hour.
“There.”
“Yes, Master.”
“What’s that?”
“Ah… I’m clearing it from Mr. Bright’s room.”
The only people who would eat in the main building now were Hae-jin and him. So it was natural for him to think of Hae-jin when he saw the food tray.
But the time the servant was clearing the tray was strangely annoying. Ryle strode up to the tray the servant was holding and opened the lid covering the food without hesitation.
The untouched food was revealed under the brightly lit hallway lights.
“You’re saying this food went to Jin?”
“Yes, Master.”
The servant quickly lowered his head and answered. No matter how he looked at it, it wasn’t food that he couldn’t eat at all. Even the plating, which seemed to have been done with a lot of care, was flawless in Ryle’s eyes.
But again, he skipped the food.
Ryle, who had been silently holding what he was holding, put it down and started walking. Not towards his usual room, but towards the place where Hae-jin was staying.
The slow, plodding footsteps contained displeasure with every step. Is he acting like this because he said some harsh words in the car? If it was a trick to get his attention, it worked. Ryle was in a state where he couldn’t bear not to say a word to Hae-jin after seeing his face.
However, Ryle, who had arrived in front of Hae-jin’s room with a moderately unpleasant feeling, frowned. There were two more trays piled up in front of his room from the morning. Clearly telling him that he hadn’t eaten anything all day.
As soon as he realized that, Ryle couldn’t control his anger. Hae-jin’s emaciated ankles, the bones that bumped against each other every time he moved, floated around in his head as they pleased.
Is he doing some kind of protest because he was forcibly brought here? It’s like he’s going to starve to death in my mansion.
“…I just didn’t have much of an appetite.”
“No appetite?”
“Yes. …There won’t be any problems with the contract, so don’t worry about it.”
There was too much evidence that Ryle had seen to say that he simply didn’t have an appetite. Now that he had seen the food piled up in front of the door, he couldn’t just let Hae-jin’s condition pass.
In fact, he didn’t care whether he starved or not. He was building a wall so that he wouldn’t have to worry about it, and Ryle could just ignore him. It was just a little annoying when they mixed bodies, but there was no need to come and tell him to take care of his meals like this.
However, every time Ryle saw Hae-jin getting thinner and thinner, he had to suffer from a strange thirst. As if something was seriously wrong.
His pheromones must be piled up to his head, making his brain go crazy.
“Then there’s no need to wait any longer.”
“……Yes?”
“Get ready right now. I need to release my pheromones.”
* * *
“W-wait, rather, go ahead and prepare first…”
As if he was flustered, he heard a voice with ups and downs for the first time in a long time. Even so, Ryle couldn’t control his anger. He could clearly feel how emaciated the wrist caught in his grip was, even with his palm.
Every time Hae-jin twisted his body once, the protruding wrist bones thrashed in his grip. Then Ryle’s heart also began to thrash violently. Strangely, every time he took a step, he felt like his heart was falling down. An unpleasant and anxious feeling.
It’s all because of the pheromones. It was clear that his patience had run out because his indigestion was severe and Hae-jin was being annoying. If he had known this would happen, he shouldn’t have made the promise to wait for him with unnecessary generosity.
“Shut up.”
Hae-jin frowned in embarrassment at the fierce voice. His grip was so strong that even when he put his weight on it, his body was dragged along.
He was just woken up from his sleep, and he was just dumbfounded by what was happening. Was it such a big deal to skip a few meals? Then, the faint pheromone flowing from Ryle covered him.
Ah, his pheromones are piled up again, so he’s sensitive.
He was resigned to the situation because he was facing a familiar situation. When he thought about it, he hadn’t called him for quite a while. It was just time.
However, unlike his mind, which was readily resigned, his body didn’t follow well.
“Ugh.”
It was impossible for the dragged posture to be comfortable. Hae-jin, who had sprained his leg on the stairs on the way, couldn’t help but groan momentarily.
At that moment, Ryle’s back stopped abruptly. Hae-jin looked at Ryle in confusion, but Ryle started walking forward again without turning around.
Was it because they had passed the stairs? It was a little easier to take steps than when he was just being dragged along. As he walked out of the main building and towards the building where he originally stayed, Hae-jin swallowed the familiar emotions of embarrassment and sorrow. He saw the faces of the embarrassed servants in the middle, but he lowered his head and averted his eyes.
After being dragged along with his head lowered for a long time, he saw the familiar floor of the hallway. If he went a little further, he would reach that room where they mixed bodies.
The moment he thought of that, Hae-jin heard a loud knocking sound.
What is this?
The moment a faint question arose, his knees gave way for some reason. Unable to hide his confusion, Hae-jin staggered. Ryle pulled him in violently, forcing his body to straighten.
His ankle was a little sore, but not to the point where he couldn’t walk. Besides, Ryle had been maintaining a slightly easier distance to walk since earlier.
Even though he knew that, Hae-jin’s legs gave way again.
“Stand up straight.”
“……Ugh.”
Hae-jin was deliberately stalling, Ryle thought, and he growled. He was trying to hold on, but strangely, it wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. The pain rising from his knees on the floor felt strangely distant, which was bizarre.
Hae-jin barely managed to regain his balance as Ryle pulled him up, and he raised his head.
Then he saw the door to ‘that room.’
‘Fucking hell, acting all stiff when you’re just a little whore.’
Why did he want to see his parents so badly that day?
He had been hearing a strange knocking sound since a while ago. It was similar to the sound of a heartbeat, and it kept pounding against Hae-jin’s eardrums like a huge thunder.
Soon, as he got close enough to see the door’s intricate patterns, the knocking sound rang even louder in his ears. Just like the Butler had knocked that morning.
“Move.”
Ryle roughly pushed him inside as he stared blankly at the door. As if Hae-jin’s annoying resistance since earlier was making him angry. But Hae-jin had long given up. He had no intention of being stubborn like this.
The moment his back was pushed, Hae-jin stepped into the room as if falling into water. His knees, which had gone limp again, touched the cold marble floor. It was a familiar sensation.
And then he heard Ryle’s voice.
“Take it off.”
‘Kneel.’
Hae-jin gasped without realizing it and moved mechanically. It was familiar. It was a familiar thing. Even when the Butler had scanned him with his dirty eyes and said those words, Hae-jin had moved familiarly. How many times had he done this in the past five years?
But the hand unbuttoning the shirt he was wearing began to tremble uncontrollably.
‘I, actually, when I came to you urgently before starting, I received a call that they were in critical condition….’
As Ryle said, he thought there would be no problem with the contract. Hae-jin was only worried that he would have to swallow the familiar humiliation again when he returned to this mansion. He didn’t know that he would have to relive this despair again. He kept thinking about what had happened the last time he was in this room.
While he was being broken like a tool, his parents had passed away lonely.
‘Mr. Bright’s parents passed away last night.’
Hae-jin realized. The contract and Vermouth’s power were secondary problems.
The most important thing was that he couldn’t handle this situation.
He felt nauseous. Hae-jin, who was sitting down and taking off his clothes with trembling hands, had to bend over and support himself on the ground. His lungs hadn’t been moving since he gasped earlier. As if something was squeezing his breath.
Just because he wasn’t crying didn’t mean he was enduring this situation bravely. He was just so desperate that he couldn’t even cry.
‘…Please, let me go to the hospital when it’s over.’
He should have just left and taken a taxi when Mr. Driver had acted like that. He should have run out of the mansion right then and there without even thinking of relying on Ryle.
He should have gone to see them. He should have gone and said thank you, I love you.
He was such a fool that he couldn’t even do that one thing.
“Jin?”
“Hic.”
Ryle, who had been looking down at Hae-jin with cold eyes, annoyed by his reluctance, suddenly called his name. He had only thought that Hae-jin was dragging his feet since earlier, but Hae-jin’s condition was somehow strange.
Ryle reflexively knelt down in front of Hae-jin and met his eyes. A choking sound came from him. He quickly grabbed his shoulders and made him lift his head, and he saw that his complexion was pale and lifeless.
At that moment, Ryle strangely couldn’t breathe like Hae-jin.
“Hey, Jin! Snap out of it!”
He barely squeezed his throat and called Hae-jin. His heart, which had been warning him like crazy since he had dragged him here, felt like it was going to explode at this moment. He barely turned his head and frantically pressed the mansion’s emergency phone as if he was going to break it.
Something was going terribly wrong. An ominous feeling ran down his spine and squeezed his brain. This precarious feeling reached its peak the moment Hae-jin vomited in front of him.
“Jin!”
Without realizing it, he pulled Hae-jin towards him. Hae-jin, who would have stepped back normally, fell into Ryle’s arms as if collapsing. That docile limpness was like an awl sharpened with ominousness.
He felt like he couldn’t let it go on like this, so Ryle didn’t even care that his clothes were getting dirty and lifted him up. At that moment, Hae-jin tilted his head and murmured weakly. The words that flowed out like a sigh scattered like mist. His gaze was not on Ryle, but on a distant place.
“…I’m, sorry, I couldn’t go….”
Hae-jin, who had only been gasping for breath as if he was broken, couldn’t even make a hiccuping sound after that. His whole body was just limp and convulsing incessantly. Seeing his pale complexion and the whites of his eyes, Ryle realized.
Something was terribly wrong.
With Hae-jin, and with him.