By Zephyria 
“I suppose Father never treated Omegas as human beings to begin with, did he?”
The air around Han Seung-jae twisted strangely. With an expressionless face, he asked back as if seeking confirmation, then slowly crossed his legs.
“Then I suppose this works out better for me. He won’t be looking for me anymore.”
Han Yechan glared at him and slammed his hand down on the armrest.
“Sit! I haven’t finished speaking yet.”
“Do not give me orders.”
The gaze Han Seung-jae cast down from above was quite piercing. It was only natural; if Yeon So-jeong hadn’t given birth to Han Seung-jae, would he have been able to walk with his head held high in this house? The fact that the son she bore manifested as an extreme dominant Alpha had essentially solidified her position—regardless of whether she received sincere love from Han Yechan.
Although Han Yechan always carried the pheromones of numerous Omegas on him, he acted as if he cherished Yeon So-jeong terribly in front of others. That was likely solely for the sake of his own prestige.
“If you have anything more to say regarding business, tell Secretary Park.”
Han Seung-jae turned away coldly. He exited the room with a face even more frigid than when he had arrived. The area in front of the door was deathly silent. Only the low sound of Han Seung-jae walking down the hallway echoed.
Secretary Park, who had dashed out like an arrow, held the elevator. He kept his words brief, glancing sideways at Han Seung-jae’s face, which was filled with displeasure.
They were a father and son who had never been on good terms, but as time passed, the deep-seated conflict seemed to be deepening further rather than being filled.
The world assumed that because Han Seung-jae resembled his father, Han Yechan, his temperament would be the same, but Han Seung-jae made no effort to correct this. In the first place, it was more accurate to say he had no interest in what others prattled on about. After all, no one ever dared to speak to Han Seung-jae directly to his face.
* * *
“The shopping bags have piled up so much. Where should I put them?”
Seo Yi-kyung, situated in the painting studio, was preoccupied with tidying up the cluttered work table. There wasn’t a suitable space to organize the baby clothes Jin Seon-yu had bought.
He fiddled with the boxes inside the shopping bags and looked around. The shelves were full of paints and art tools. Should he place them up there? Or perhaps it would be better to take them to the dressing room.
But if Han Seung-jae saw them, wouldn’t he think he had bought too much already, that it was too ostentatious? Wouldn’t it look as if he had been waiting for the baby?
Seo Yi-kyung furrowed his brows and let out a low groan.
If he took the clothes out of the boxes and gathered them together, he might be able to reduce the volume.
Seo Yi-kyung continuously placed the boxes he pulled from the shopping bags onto the work table. Suddenly, a long sword caught his eye. An artifact worth 8 billion won, sent by Seo Dong-hu via Butler Do. It bothered him that someone like himself, who didn’t understand its value, was the one possessing it.
Seo Yi-kyung looked at the glass display case containing a hat and a pocket watch necklace. The display case was too small to hold the long sword.
Actually, something like this would suit Han Seung-jae’s study better, but he couldn’t exactly put it there.
‘I should return it when I meet Seo Dong-hu.’
In any case, it was a useless object to Seo Yi-kyung. Having something like this was only a burden.
He briefly wondered if he should consider it payment for the hardships ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ had endured without receiving anything proper, but he concluded that it would be better to return it, as there was nothing to be gained from being entangled with Seo Dong-hu.
Seo Yi-kyung put the sword back where it was and began to take out and organize the baby clothes one by one.
After starting to tidy the studio and racking his brain for a long while, Seo Yi-kyung placed the shopping bags full of baby clothes on the very top shelf, amidst the array of paints. He barely managed to move all the luggage by standing on his tiptoes and then dusted off his hands. Through the studio window, he could see the lit garden in the now-darkened evening.
Seo Yi-kyung parked a red toy sports car for a child next to the shelf and turned around.
Perhaps it was because Jin Seon-yu didn’t come today. The studio felt wider and more desolate than usual. Seo Yi-kyung looked over the now-quite-tidy work table and stepped outside.
It was just as he was passing through the living room toward the stairs. The entrance suddenly became noisy. Seo Yi-kyung stopped and looked back. It seemed Han Seung-jae was arriving. Soon, Seo Yi-kyung’s body slowly turned toward Han Seung-jae. The tall Han Seung-jae was visible at a glance even from a distance, even without the helpers gesturing toward him in greeting.
Han Seung-jae, wearing a dark-colored suit, stopped walking.
“You’re home early.”
Seo Yi-kyung said it and immediately regretted it. Perhaps it wasn’t actually early. Still, since it was routine for him to arrive at midnight, it wasn’t unreasonable to feel that way since he had come in the evening.
“Were you waiting for me?”
It wasn’t exactly like that. Seo Yi-kyung bit his lip and hesitated, choosing his words. But then again, wouldn’t it be too coincidental to say no while standing right here?
Just then, Han Seung-jae reached out. The nape of Seo Yi-kyung’s neck stiffened. However, Han Seung-jae’s fingers merely brushed against Seo Yi-kyung’s hair. He removed a stray thread that had clung to it.
Seo Yi-kyung brushed his hair with an awkward expression.
“I was tidying the studio.”
Looking into Han Seung-jae’s eyes, Seo Yi-kyung corrected himself.
“Ah, I just cleaned a few brushes. Very thin and light ones. The kind that doesn’t put a strain on the hands.”
If Han Seung-jae found out that he had been struggling back and forth across the work table, he would undoubtedly call for Butler Do. Moreover, since he had used Butler Do as an excuse to go for hospital check-ups, it would be quite embarrassing for the butler’s position.
Han Seung-jae’s eyes slid down to scan Seo Yi-kyung’s fingers. Seo Yi-kyung followed the gaze as if checking the same spot. There was indeed some paint on them.
Seo Yi-kyung curled his fingers. When did this get on there? Since he had been fiddling with the work table the whole time, it was more than possible. It also served as proof that he wasn’t just making up any random excuse.
“Welcome back, Director Han. How would you like to handle dinner?”
Butler Do walked up hurriedly behind Han Seung-jae and offered his greeting. Han Seung-jae spoke while keeping his gaze on Seo Yi-kyung.
“And dinner?”
“I… haven’t eaten yet either.”
“Then, we should eat.”
Seo Yi-kyung blinked.
“I will prepare dinner for the two of you immediately.”
“Very well.”
Han Seung-jae brushed past Seo Yi-kyung and headed toward the dressing room. Only then did Seo Yi-kyung raise his hand to touch his cheek. He felt a strange sensation on the cheek where Han Seung-jae’s gaze had lingered.
Seo Yi-kyung tried to shake his head to dispel the odd sensation. He stepped forward, looking at his paint-stained hands. He felt he needed to wash them.
Besides, it wasn’t as if Han Seung-jae had actually touched his cheek. So, wasn’t it far too strange to feel as if he had been licked?
“…Young Master, please sit this way.”
As Seo Yi-kyung entered the kitchen, Butler Do, who spotted him first, pulled out a chair for him. Seo Yi-kyung perched on the chair and examined his fingers, from which the paint had been cleanly wiped away. But that lasted only a moment.
The sound of footsteps approached, and a sense of weight emanated from Han Seung-jae, who sat opposite him. Seo Yi-kyung felt a doubt. Was it an illusion that Han Seung-jae seemed to be in a bad mood? Come to think of it, it seemed that way when they met in the living room too, but at that time, Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t had the leisure to look deeply into Han Seung-jae’s expression.
Han Seung-jae looked over the food placed in front of them and called Butler Do. That alone made Seo Yi-kyung flinch and check the same direction. Butler Do, who had been receiving plates from the chef, hurried back.
“Did you call for me?”
Butler Do had been instructed by Han Seung-jae to pay close attention to the food Seo Yi-kyung would eat. He hadn’t heard it directly from him, but from Secretary Park. However, it was practically the same as receiving an order from Han Seung-jae.
“Go.”
Butler Do lowered his upper body deeply. He had a look of worry in his eyes, wondering what words would fall from Han Seung-jae’s mouth. He looked as if he feared the food might not be to his liking.
“Bring some fruit. There isn’t any.”
Butler Do scanned the table and suddenly turned around. Han Seung-jae’s voice added from behind him.
“Apples would be good.”
Han Seung-jae’s gaze shifted from Butler Do’s back to Seo Yi-kyung, who sat opposite him.
“You can’t eat all of this anyway.”
Seo Yi-kyung stared at the feast of delicacies spread before him. That was true, but he felt full even after eating just a little bit of anything.
A separate plate was placed beside Seo Yi-kyung. It contained small, sliced pieces of apple. Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t been thinking about it until a moment ago, but once he saw the apples and the scent reached the tip of his nose, he instinctively swallowed hard.
Seo Yi-kyung poked an apple with a fork and put it in his mouth. Sweet, crunchy, and refreshing, the taste spread slowly through his mouth.