By Zephyria 
Han Seung-jae took a vest from the box on the table and put it on. He then grabbed his suit jacket and began to move.
Butler Choi glanced at Seo Yi-kyung, who was standing behind him. Holding the front of his bathrobe closed, Yi-kyung showed no sign of moving.
“He said for both of you to come together.”
“Forget it. Leave.”
At Han Seung-jae’s words, Butler Choi stepped back. He was practically chased out the door.
Before leaving the room, Han Seung-jae looked back.
“Eat that and change your clothes. I’ll be back soon.”
Yi-kyung lowered his head halfway and looked down at the container on the table. As he carefully lifted the case, he found steaming porridge inside.
Until a moment ago, he hadn’t even had the chance to feel hungry, but as the delicious scent wafted through the air, he remembered that the only thing he had consumed since the previous day was wine.
Yi-kyung bent his waist and slowly perched himself on the sofa. He scooped a bit of the porridge and let it pass through his parched lips. The warm porridge slid down, comforting his body, which felt as if it might crumble.
* * *
Throughout the walk down the long hallway, Butler Choi was on pins and needles. Han Yechan had clearly told him to bring both of them together, yet Han Seung-jae had brushed his words aside with ease.
Knock, knock—
Butler Choi knocked on the office door. Before an answer could be heard, Han Seung-jae grabbed the handle and turned it. Inside, Han Yechan and his mother, Yeon So-jeong, who were sitting on the sofa, turned their heads. Two teacups were placed on the table.
Seeing that only Han Seung-jae and Butler Choi had arrived, Han Yechan asked.
“Butler Choi, did you convey my words properly?”
“Well, you see… I certainly did tell him, but…”
Butler Choi’s expression clouded. Han Seung-jae took a seat on the sofa and looked at Yeon So-jeong, who sat opposite him. She had a worried look in her eyes.
“You were going to say it to me anyway.”
Han Seung-jae’s voice was devoid of inflection. He leaned back against the sofa. Shadows formed across his dark suit. Butler Choi stood with his hands clasped, then seemed to snap back to his senses as he turned away, murmuring.
“I will prepare some tea.”
Once he left the room, only the three of them remained in the office.
“It’s just as you heard from Secretary Park. I had a headache.”
It was Han Seung-jae who broke the silence. He was still looking at his mother. President Han frowned.
“Even so, you should have come down alone to greet the elders.”
Han Seung-jae had witnessed firsthand the previous day that whenever he walked through the crowds with Seo Yi-kyung, no one spoke to the man. Those looks were all similar to pity, compassion, affection, or sorrow, but to be precise, they were contempt.
Han Seung-jae shifted his gaze away from Yeon So-jeong. His eyes, as he looked at his father, were contrastingly indifferent.
“Would they have even accepted the greeting? You don’t treat your Omega as a human being, Father.”
“…”
As if struck in the lungs, President Han could not offer any rebuttal. Even with Yeon So-jeong, an Omega, sitting right there, Han Seung-jae’s words were relentless.
“My headache was severe, so I told him to stay by my side. He couldn’t even sleep because he was looking after me all night.”
It was a different kind of ‘care,’ but it didn’t matter. Han Seung-jae stood up.
“So, if you’re going to be angry, direct it only at me.”
He opened the door without looking back. He could hear President Han sighing behind him. Han Seung-jae turned his head to stare at his mother, who was watching the man. She was someone who had lived her entire life conforming to her husband’s words. Despite that, she had never received any respect.
Butler Choi was standing at the door holding teacups. As Han Seung-jae stepped through the open door, he coldly brushed past him.
* * *
At the click of the door opening, Seo Yi-kyung turned his head. He touched his suit, tidying his appearance. Only Han Seung-jae entered.
Yi-kyung picked up the shopping bag. The container that had held the porridge was empty. Now that warm food was in his system, he felt a bit more composed. He also didn’t forget to pack the shopping bag containing the suit he had arrived in.
Han Seung-jae picked up a silver case he had left on one side of the bed. Tooth marks still remained on his fingertips. He held the case out to Seo Yi-kyung.
“Suppressants. Tell Secretary Park when you run out.”
Yi-kyung tucked it into the inner pocket of his suit. The two of them stepped out into the hallway. Butler Choi approached from a distance, but Han Seung-jae passed him heartlessly without even a glance. Yi-kyung didn’t know what to do, but there was no other way.
When they went down to the first floor, Han Seung-jae’s mother was standing there this time. Just as he had before, Han Seung-jae was about to pass her by when Yi-kyung slowly spoke.
“Please don’t drink too much.”
Han Seung-jae’s gaze flickered toward him. Yi-kyung bowed his head in greeting to Yeon So-jeong. As Han Seung-jae descended the stairs, Secretary Park opened the rear door of the sedan.
As Yi-kyung, holding the shopping bag, bent his upper body to sit, Han Seung-jae sat beside him. The car glided away. Han Seung-jae looked to his side. Yi-kyung was touching the silver case in his inner pocket as if confirming it was there.
“What did you mean by that?”
Yi-kyung’s gaze shifted to the right. Han Seung-jae’s eyes were unusual. Yi-kyung took his hand out of his pocket and asked back.
“Mean what?”
“What you said to my mother earlier.”
Yi-kyung blinked. He recalled the family history of Han Seung-jae he had seen in the original novel. The father, President Han, led a debauched life with Omegas, and the mother spent her nights drinking.
In the midst of that, a young Han Seung-jae had been practically neglected. The only person who looked after him was Butler Choi. After growing up to a certain extent, Han Seung-jae would snatch the wine glass from Yeon So-jeong’s hand and throw it on the floor. Whenever that happened, she would stagger over, open the cabinet, and take out a new glass.
— “It’s because it’s hard. Hic… If I don’t drink this, it’s too hard for me, so you… just go back to your room.”
While unable to even steady herself, Yeon So-jeong tilted the long bottle. Han Seung-jae stepped beside her and blocked the mouth of the wine glass with his hand. Red wine flowed over the back of his hand, soaking his sleeve. It flowed down his elbow and onto the floor.
Han Seung-jae squeezed the wine glass with all his might until it crushed. Long cracks appeared on the surface of the glass. Crash.
After such struggles several times, from a certain point on, Han Seung-jae no longer interfered even if Yeon So-jeong drank. Moreover, Han Seung-jae had now married and left that house. There might no longer be anyone in that house to stop or worry about Yeon So-jeong.
“U-um, she seemed to have drunk a lot yesterday. I was worried.”
Yi-kyung did not avoid Han Seung-jae’s eyes. Doing so would only arouse suspicion.
Suddenly, Yi-kyung’s gaze landed on Han Seung-jae’s finger. It had caught his eye a while ago, but he hadn’t been able to ask. There were tooth marks on Han Seung-jae’s finger. Noticing the gaze, Han Seung-jae held his hand forward as if understanding the meaning.
“You bit me.”
Yi-kyung’s face turned pale. Han Seung-jae didn’t mention that he had personally put his finger into Yi-kyung’s mouth to make him bite. He simply admired Yi-kyung’s face, which had changed color as if he had been dusted with flour.
“…I did?”
Yi-kyung asked back a beat late with a dazed expression. He couldn’t believe it. He stared blankly at Han Seung-jae’s large hand, where the bone structure was prominent. One, two, three… even, diagonal tooth marks. Yi-kyung’s pupils shook violently.
‘What on earth happened yesterday?’
Yi-kyung’s mind spun dizzyingly. He tried to recall the vanished memories, but it only added to the confusion. As expected, nothing came to mind.
He glanced at Han Seung-jae tentatively. Wrapped in a dark suit that accentuated his broad shoulders, he looked flawless. With his intellectual features and deep-set eyes, Han Seung-jae remained silent. The more he stayed silent, the more Yi-kyung felt an inexplicable anxiety.
“…”
A strange silence filled the car. Yi-kyung turned slightly and placed the shopping bag on his lap.
“Why are you pretending not to see?”
“It’s not that…”
As Han Seung-jae leaned his upper body in, Yi-kyung felt a sense of pressure. His shoulders flinched. It was an angle where he couldn’t pretend not to see. It wasn’t that he was ignoring it either. He simply didn’t know how to resolve it.
“Did you see it properly?”
The low voice grew closer. Han Seung-jae thrust his finger right in front of his face so he could see it better. Blue veins were visible on the back of his hand. The scent of white sandalwood pheromones clinging to his hand wafted strongly.
“If you bit me, you have to take responsibility.”
“!”
Yi-kyung gasped, holding his breath. His grip tightened on the shopping bag. Crinkle, the edge of the paper crumpled. However, there was a limit to holding one’s breath. Yi-kyung took a small breath in and let it out.
“I-it’ll be gone by tomorrow.”
Yi-kyung subtly avoided his gaze. He couldn’t be sure. If it didn’t disappear by tomorrow, there would be nothing he could do. Still, since it hadn’t bled, it likely wouldn’t leave a scar.
He was a person who had nothing but dust even if he shook himself out. He had no money for compensation, and furthermore, the suit he was wearing, the food he ate, and the place he slept were all Han Seung-jae’s property. He was the one who knew that best. Yet, the man was demanding responsibility.
“There’s something you’re good at.”
Han Seung-jae leaned back against the black seat, moving away just a little. That alone allowed Yi-kyung to relieve the pressure.
“Pay me back with a painting.”
“…?”
Yi-kyung couldn’t understand Han Seung-jae’s words at all.
“I’ll hang it in my office.”
“Ha…”
At the tone that was almost resolute, Yi-kyung’s lips parted slowly. Looking at his even teeth, Han Seung-jae flicked the finger with the tooth marks.
Meanwhile, the car arrived in Seongbuk-dong and slowed down. Secretary Park got out of the passenger seat. He quickly turned around and opened the rear door where Yi-kyung was sitting.
Yi-kyung stepped out of the car, clutching the shopping bag in both arms. Secretary Park gave him a slight bow and turned away.
Han Seung-jae, who had been looking to the side, looked straight ahead. The sedan that had stopped in front of Yi-kyung drifted away leisurely.
Yi-kyung tightened his grip. The shopping bag crumpled violently.
— Don’t you need to check?
There had been a time when he visited a Chinese restaurant for a dinner suddenly arranged by Han Seung-jae. There, facing Han Seung-jae, Yi-kyung had pointed to a crumpled stack of documents.
— Are you worried that I might be cheated out of money?
Han Seung-jae’s confident voice brushed past his ears.
— Because I’m confident I can get it back.