By Zephyria 
“Haa… haa.”
Only Seo Yi-kyung’s heavy breathing echoed persistently throughout the room. Intermingled with it was the wet, squelching sound of something sliding in and out of a moist opening.
Despite having already shoved his cock into the deepest part of Seo Yi-kyung’s inner walls and ejaculated once, Han Seung-jae did not withdraw from inside Seo Yi-kyung’s body. The foreign object, swelling again in an instant, filled the inner walls tightly.
Seo Yi-kyung tried to move his hand down to check his stomach. However, whenever he tried to move even slightly, the surging pain in his wrist made it nearly impossible to lift his arm from the sheets.
Every time Han Seung-jae thrust his hips upward, semen squeezed out of the narrow opening, tracing stains across the sheets along the crease of his white buttocks.
“I wonder if you’ve changed your mind now?”
Seo Yi-kyung’s body was lifted off the bed by Han Seung-jae’s hands, and then his forehead was pressed deep into the pillow.
Lying face down with his head on the pillow, Seo Yi-kyung shook his head. It was unclear whether he was saying he hadn’t changed his mind, or if he was trying to prevent Han Seung-jae’s member from digging deeper inside.
Han Seung-jae gripped and spread Seo Yi-kyung’s buttocks, inserting his member into the hole that had become lewd with flowing semen. He cradled and lifted Seo Yi-kyung’s chest, which kept leaning forward. Long fingers toyed with the nipples and squeezed the breasts.
Han Seung-jae’s lips slid from Seo Yi-kyung’s nape to his shoulders, and then to his back. Only after taking Han Seung-jae in one more time from behind did Seo Yi-kyung realize that he had entered the bathroom. Seo Yi-kyung had neither the strength to open his closed eyes nor the energy to move a finger.
However, the throbbing pain in his wrist seemed to pull Seo Yi-kyung back to reality several times just as he was about to fall asleep. When Seo Yi-kyung lifted his eyelids, Han Seung-jae, wearing a bathrobe, was looking at him. His robe wasn’t closed properly, revealing his toned physique. Seo Yi-kyung could not take any more of him.
Exhausted, Seo Yi-kyung’s eyelids fluttered shut. He drifted straight into a deep slumber.
“…….”
How much time had passed? When Seo Yi-kyung woke up and opened his eyes due to the pain in his wrist, Han Seung-jae was looking down at him.
“Are you awake?”
Seo Yi-kyung brought his arm toward his chest. Due to the pain, he reflexively tried to pull away from Han Seung-jae. However, Han Seung-jae pulled his arm toward him and finished wrapping the bandage.
Han Seung-jae remained expressionless. But looking closer, he was dressed in a suit. Seo Yi-kyung realized that the surroundings had grown bright. It must be morning.
“I’ve told Butler Do to get ready to die, so hold this.”
Dazed, Seo Yi-kyung received an ice pack. He felt that if he didn’t take it, Han Seung-jae wouldn’t move away. Seo Yi-kyung placed the ice pack on his throbbing wrist. As he did, he realized that, unlike Han Seung-jae, he wasn’t wearing anything. However, because Han Seung-jae had covered him with a duvet, his naked body wasn’t exposed.
Han Seung-jae straightened his bent upper body.
“The primary physician will be here in the morning, so get an examination.”
Seo Yi-kyung swallowed hard. His parched mouth didn’t even have enough saliva to swallow.
Soon, a knock on the door broke the heavy silence of the room. As Han Seung-jae turned around, Butler Do walked in carrying a tray with porridge. Seeing Seo Yi-kyung’s bloodless face and the bandage on his wrist, he spoke.
“Young Master, what happened to you?”
The startled Butler Do set the tray down on the nightstand. The answer to his question came from behind.
“He’s fine, so get out.”
“……!”
Butler Do’s hand, which had been reaching toward Seo Yi-kyung, faltered. He shrank instinctively at the sound of Han Seung-jae’s voice from behind.
With a bewildered expression, he struggled to turn his neck to look back at Han Seung-jae. The previous day, Seo Yi-kyung had gifted him a painting he had spent days working on in the painting studio. Thus, Butler Do had vaguely hoped that the atmosphere between the two would be different than usual. But this wasn’t what he had expected. The atmosphere between them now had shifted precariously, as if they were walking on thin ice.
An invisible tension permeated the room. Butler Do found it difficult to speak.
Once Butler Do opened the door and disappeared, Han Seung-jae opened the lid of the bowl on the nightstand. He lifted the tray and placed it by the bedside where Seo Yi-kyung lay.
Cold eyes scanned Seo Yi-kyung’s cheek, brushed past his lips, and took in the nape and shoulders filled with bruises. If the duvet were pulled back, there would be marks that couldn’t even be compared to these.
“I’ll be back early. Because there are still things I need to hear from you.”
Seo Yi-kyung’s pupils trembled.
Watching this intently, Han Seung-jae turned away. Seo Yi-kyung felt the breeze brushing against his shoulder as the man left, and it felt chilling.
As if to cover his shivering body, Seo Yi-kyung pulled the duvet up to his chin.
* * *
The elevator doors opened, and Han Seung-jae appeared on the first floor. Secretary Park, who had been waiting, approached him.
“As you requested, I have contacted the primary physician. He said he is on his way, so he should arrive shortly.”
While listening to Secretary Park, Han Seung-jae’s gaze fixed on one spot. Butler Do, who was passing by, stepped forward.
“Have a safe trip, Director Han.”
It was just as Butler Do bowed and straightened up. Han Seung-jae’s voice sounded from above.
“Get rid of that thing in the study.”
Butler Do gathered his hands in front of him and asked back.
“Which thing are you referring to…?”
“Why are you so slow to understand? I’m talking about the painting.”
“But the Young Master…”
Butler Do trailed off, overwhelmed by Han Seung-jae’s cold gaze. Did he dislike the painting? Was that why the atmosphere between the two this morning was different than usual?
“Where should I put it?”
The fact that he managed to squeeze out those words was more for Seo Yi-kyung’s sake. There was no way Han Seung-jae wouldn’t know that this stemmed from a loyalty that rose from the depths of his heart. That was why he had played along with them yesterday. But that was only for yesterday.
“Burn it. So it doesn’t catch my eye.”
Frozen in place, Butler Do didn’t dare ask any further. Han Seung-jae’s eyes were quite piercing.
“And when you lie in front of me, you should judge the situation better.”
Secretary Park felt that Han Seung-jae wanted to grab Butler Do’s head and slam it against the wall right then and there. However, the fact that he was barely suppressing it wasn’t necessarily for Butler Do’s sake. He was likely keeping Seo Yi-kyung, who was on the second floor, in mind.
Even after Han Seung-jae passed by, Butler Do remained rooted to the spot like a nail for a long time.
It was around the time Seo Yi-kyung stepped out of the elevator that Butler Do finally moved.
“Young Master, are you alright?”
Seo Yi-kyung stepped back slightly as if avoiding the approaching Butler Do. He reflexively pulled his hurting hand behind his back. Noticing this, Butler Do hurriedly lowered his reaching hand. A bandage was wrapped around Seo Yi-kyung’s wrist. And on his nape, revealed above the collar of his shirt, reddish-purple marks were densely engraved.
“The primary physician will arrive soon. If you go into the room and lie down for now…”
Butler Do intended to guide Seo Yi-kyung to the room with the ultrasound machine so he could receive treatment immediately upon the physician’s arrival. While doing so, he whispered about what had happened with Han Seung-jae earlier.
“It seems Director Han realized that the Young Master didn’t paint that picture alone.”
Normally, since Seo Yi-kyung’s condition was poor, he would have mentioned it tomorrow or the day after. But Butler Do could tell that the situation was currently very bad. He had even ordered the painting to be burned.
Listening to Butler Do, Seo Yi-kyung opened his parched lips.
“Please bring me some water.”
“Water?”
Butler Do hesitated for a moment but turned around. Seeing Seo Yi-kyung’s pale complexion, he didn’t have the luxury to think deeply.
“I understand. I will bring it right away.”
Out of habit, Butler Do began filling a glass with cold water, but then poured it all out. He filled it with lukewarm water instead and returned to the living room. In the meantime, Seo Yi-kyung was nowhere to be seen.
Butler Do strode toward the room where Seo Yi-kyung was supposed to be and opened the door.
“Young Master, I’ve brought the water.”
However, the room with the ultrasound machine was empty.
For a moment, Butler Do thought he had made a mistake. So many things had happened to him since morning. Moreover, Seo Yi-kyung hadn’t even said he would be in here. He had simply assumed.
Butler Do went up to the second floor using the stairs. He knocked on the bedroom door repeatedly. Then, from the entrance, he called out to Seo Yi-kyung anxiously several times.
“I’m sorry. Young Master, I’m coming in. I’m very worried, are you in here?”
Eventually, he carefully opened the door and looked inside. He was concerned that Seo Yi-kyung might have collapsed. However, there was no answer. Butler Do searched the room and even went out to the terrace to check.
Finally, Butler Do rushed down to the first floor and searched for Seo Yi-kyung. Watching the chaotic scene, Min Ra-hyeon muttered.
“Yi-kyung went toward the entrance a moment ago.”
Butler Do hurried toward the entrance. A cold wind was blowing through the garden, which was filled with nothing but skeletal trees. And the Seo Yi-kyung Butler Do had seen a moment ago was wearing only a thin shirt. Had he gone outside dressed like that?