By Zephyria 
As everyone’s attention focused on him, Seo Dong-hu’s neck stiffened. He lifted his chin brazenly and spoke.
“He told me he was coming.”
“Really? That’s unusual.”
In the past, even when Seo Dong-hu spouted sophistry, Han Seung-jae wouldn’t even bother to explain himself, as if it were a nuisance. No, it usually ended with him simply ignoring it.
Because of that, the people gathered here might sneer at Seo Dong-hu’s words, but they had no way to verify them.
“But Dong-hu Hyung. Did Seung-jae Hyung really do that to your hand?”
The words from Ham Gyu-ho, sitting diagonally, were excessively blunt. Seo Dong-hu’s brow furrowed deeply. Ham Gyu-ho was the second son of the Songyeon Motors Group. He had an Omega Noona. He had a handsome face and surprising athletic nerves. Consequently, he was always surrounded by people. He was a bastard born with filthy good luck.
Seo Dong-hu placed both his cast-covered arms on the table. If only his hands were fine, he could have easily grabbed that young brat by the collar.
He felt wronged and bursting with indignation. This was all because of Seo Yi-kyung! What kind of lies had he told to make Han Seung-jae change so abruptly and break his arms in two?
“Do you think he actually did? More importantly, you were with Da-hye yesterday. How do you two know each other?”
Someone beside him draped an arm over Ham Gyu-ho’s shoulder. Da-hye was an actress.
“We met while playing squash.”
“You bastard, and you two went out together. Where did you go?”
“We ate.”
“Tell the truth. You slept together, right? There’s no way you just ate. Gi-jun, what do you think? You’ve known Gyu-ho the longest.”
“It’s been over ten years, right?”
While calculating, Ham Gyu-ho nudged Kwon Gwi-jun, who was sitting next to him holding a glass, with his elbow. The glass he was about to bring to his lips wobbled, and the spilled liquor dampened his fingertips.
Kwon Gwi-jun, who had his hand in his inner pocket, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his wet hand. As the second son of the steel company Mirae Steel, his well-defined features radiated a calm temperament. His massive frame, wrapped in a navy suit, was sturdy and made him stand out. Just then, the voices of people coming up the stairs were heard.
“Tae-won Hyung.”
Seo Dong-hu turned his head. This was because Jin Tae-won, wearing a cream-colored suit, had appeared. At 33, he was the oldest person here. A smile played on his cool face. He easily hid his cold eyes behind a smile. Gyu-ho was the first to greet him.
Jin Tae-won sat in the seat of honor. Following him, Jin Seok-young appeared, glaring with thick eyebrows, and stopped to look down.
“He really came, just like Dong-hu Hyung said?”
Everyone’s gaze shifted from the boasting Seo Dong-hu to Han Seung-jae. In his dark suit, it was hard to find a single flaw in his appearance. He walked composedly and sat to the right of Jin Tae-won.
Even then, Jin Seok-young remained on edge while staring at Han Seung-jae. He sat opposite him and picked up a glass. Ham Gyu-ho asked without hesitation.
“Seung-jae Hyung, did you really do that to Dong-hu Hyung’s hand?”
Everyone was most curious about that, but no one had dared to bring it up. Han Seung-jae’s face, as he looked at Ham Gyu-ho, was devoid of expression.
“Want me to show you?”
“I’m supposed to meet someone tomorrow.”
Ham Gyu-ho, continuing his sentence, scratched his cheek while glancing at Jin Tae-won.
“Why are you asking something like that? Read the room.”
Ham Gyu-ho was pulled away by the others. Soon, the sound of conversation grew louder, and the faint sound of music began to permeate the air.
With an indifferent gaze, Han Seung-jae composedly lifted a small, white liquor glass the size of a finger joint to his lips. As he looked at Seo Dong-hu, the latter abruptly turned his head away to avoid eye contact.
A cool night breeze blew, perfect for the drinking party to ripen. The managers’ footsteps grew quicker, and as the number of empty glasses increased, some people left their seats or huddled together in groups.
Clinking his glass haphazardly against Kwon Gwi-jun’s, Ham Gyu-ho spoke.
“…Ah, I should have just broken off my engagement at twenty like you. But why did you do it? Did you find someone you liked? Ha—I want to do that too… It must be nice to be free like you.”
“Gyu-ho, you bastard, who’s the one living freely? Why are you saying that?”
“No, Hyung, what did I do? I’m only twenty-four and there’s still so much I want to do.”
“Then hurry up and tell me. You didn’t just eat with that actress yesterday, did you?”
Kwon Gwi-jun, sitting next to the bickering Ham Gyu-ho, slowly brought the glass to his lips and emptied it in one go. He had known Ham Gyu-ho for over ten years. And Jin Seon-yu as well, of course.
* * *
…Click. Inside, Jin Tae-won pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Fwoosh, a red flash appeared in his eyes. After lighting it and inhaling deeply until his cheeks hollowed, he spoke.
“Seon-yu, are you going to keep keeping him?”
Han Seung-jae turned his head to look at Executive Director Jin Tae-won. In this private gathering, people called him Tae-won Hyung. However, Han Seung-jae felt a sense of aversion to such a title.
“Is that not allowed?”
Han Seung-jae spoke shortly and emptied his glass. Then, putting the cigarette Jin Tae-won held between his fingers to his lips, he tilted the white porcelain with his other hand.
“Not a single article came out. Thanks for handling it first.”
Jin Tae-won filled Han Seung-jae’s glass. As the clear liquor filled the glass to the brim, a thought brushed past. However, the surroundings were too noisy to dwell on reflections.
Han Seung-jae’s gaze lingered on Head of Department Jin Seok-young, who sat in front of him. As their eyes met, a strange tension flowed. It seemed Jin Seok-young’s mood had soured due to Han Seung-jae’s crooked attitude toward Jin Tae-won. Then, Jin Tae-won gestured with his head to Jin Seok-young.
With a look of great displeasure, Jin Seok-young stood up and vacated his spot. Since his presence showed no sign of improving Han Seung-jae’s unpleasant mood, it was incredibly awkward to continue the conversation. Jin Tae-won simply removed him from Han Seung-jae’s sight for now.
“But isn’t that enough? I heard Seok-young apologized for his mistake.”
“I don’t know. I don’t recall receiving much of an apology.”
“How long are you going to keep him?”
Seo Yi-kyung’s face came to mind in Han Seung-jae’s head. As the image of him blushing while pleading for just one week flickered, Han Seung-jae lifted the glass in front of him and downed it in one gulp.
“Until I feel like stopping.”
Suddenly, a loud burst of laughter erupted.
“Hey, someone fill Dong-hu Hyung’s glass. You sons of bitches. Ignoring Hyung and just drinking among yourselves.”
“You should have just said so.”
Gyu-ho, who had been subtly poking at Seo Dong-hu for a while, picked up the liquor bottle. He was among the younger ones here. Liquor poured incessantly into the glass in front of Seo Dong-hu. The liquor that soaked the table flowed down to Seo Dong-hu’s legs, dampening his thighs.
“Ah, I think I got drunk on that.”
“This brat, he’s making fun of Hyung.”
People smacked Gyu-ho on the head. However, it was more like a light flick. No one hit him hard.
Seo Dong-hu looked down at his wet suit pants. Twisting his lips, he raised both his cast-covered arms. He couldn’t take it anymore!
“Fuck.”
However, the curse that spread across the pavilion belonged to Jin Seok-young. By the time the boisterous laughter subsided, a red-and-blue faced Jin Seok-young had grabbed Ham Gyu-ho by the collar.
Jin Tae-won took a deep drag of the cigarette between his fingers. Then, exhaling a long breath, he crushed the cigarette into the ashtray.
Han Seung-jae brought the glass in front of him to his lips. The surroundings turned silent rapidly. The playing music grew quieter and quieter as the musicians read the room.
No one stepped forward to stop it. This was because the long-standing resentment between the two was not a matter of just yesterday or today.
Jin Seok-young spoke as if he were chewing Ham Gyu-ho up.
“My brother—exactly what about him, and how, is not to your liking?”
“Seok-young Hyung, why are you suddenly like this? Are you already drunk?”
Ham Gyu-ho tried to pull away Jin Seok-young’s hand from his collar. The more he did, the more strongly he was pulled forward by Jin Seok-young’s two hands.
“You slept with that actress yesterday, didn’t you?”
“No, Hyung. That’s my private life… and I’m not even married yet, so if you interfere like this…”
Ham Gyu-ho’s words were cut off as Jin Seok-young yanked his collar right in front of him. Jin Seok-young glared with thick eyebrows.
“You fucking bastard, are you playing with people? And my brother, of all people?”
“I never did that.”
Ham Gyu-ho gripped the wrist of the hand holding his collar.
“Never did?! You son of a bitch.”
Finally, Jin Seok-young swung his fist with all his might. Thwack—Ham Gyu-ho, hit squarely on the cheekbone, staggered, but he managed to keep his balance and barely avoided falling onto the table.
Han Seung-jae’s gaze shifted slowly. Jin Tae-won was walking toward them. Stride by stride. As Jin Seok-young lunged again with a clenched fist, Jin Tae-won gripped his Adam’s apple tightly and lifted his hand upward.
Slap, slap, slap, slap, slap!
He slapped Jin Seok-young’s cheek five times. The pavilion became so quiet it felt as if cold water had been poured over it.
“Cough…”
Jin Tae-won let go of Jin Seok-young’s neck. Jin Seok-young’s upper body leaned forward as he let out a loud cough. A clear handprint formed on his neck. Soon, his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor with a thud.
Jin Tae-won’s cold face turned backward. He looked at Ham Gyu-ho, who had been in a standoff.
“Since Seok-young acted rudely, I will apologize. In exchange, if you hate Seon-yu that much, let him go.”
“….”
It was an arranged marriage decided by their parents once they began their manifestation. Neither Jin Seon-yu’s will nor Ham Gyu-ho’s opinion was reflected. Even so, Jin Seon-yu was a child who had said he liked Ham Gyu-ho, that he wanted to spend his school days with him, and had even transferred schools to follow where Ham Gyu-ho was. He had even abandoned the painting he loved so much. All the while, he constantly talked about wanting to get married quickly like the older brothers.
Then, at Jin Tae-won’s words to try meeting other people, he had burst into tears and run away from home. This was because Jin Tae-won’s word was that absolute within the house. If he intended to do something, there was nothing he couldn’t.
In contrast, Ham Gyu-ho had been delaying the marriage day by day. He likely knew the fact that Jin Seon-yu had left home through Jin Seok-young. That was why Jin Seok-young was so infuriated. Because Ham Gyu-ho was just standing by, treating it like someone else’s business.
Therefore, Jin Tae-won’s words clearly meant that Ham Gyu-ho should break off the engagement on behalf of Seon-yu, who couldn’t let go.
“Cough, cough…”
People helped up Jin Seok-young, who was rubbing his neck. “Hyung, are you okay?” However, Jin Seok-young brushed off the people’s hands and followed Jin Tae-won down the stairs. Watching the two move away, Gyu-ho spoke.
“Ah, fuck. I almost pissed myself. Tae-won Hyung is seriously scary. This is why I don’t want to marry into a family where both of them act like this.”
Clink. Han Seung-jae set down his half-finished glass as if throwing it and stood up.
“This ruins the taste of the drink.”
As Han Seung-jae walked, Ham Gyu-ho, rubbing his hit cheekbone, came into view. The voice that had been shouting loudly just a moment ago vanished instantly. Han Seung-jae stepped forward, slowly scanning the people beside him.
Thump, a loud sound echoed behind Han Seung-jae’s back.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
Kwon Gwi-jun had stood up and delivered a hard blow to Ham Gyu-ho’s face. Because of that, Ham Gyu-ho, who had slumped to the floor, looked dazed and spat out blood, as if the inside of his mouth had been torn.
Han Seung-jae continued walking as if he had no regrets. He had attended thinking he might as well have a drink, but as expected, this place only ruined the taste of the liquor.
As Han Seung-jae stepped out of the Ivory Pavilion, where red lanterns were lit, Jin Tae-won, who had a cigarette in his mouth handed to him by a secretary, spoke.
“Tell Seon-yu that I’ve unlocked his card. You can do at least that much, right?”
“I will.”
Han Seung-jae got into the parked car. On the other side, Jin Seok-young was staggering into his car.
Beside him, Jin Tae-won, with the cigarette to his lips, exchanged words with the secretary. The secretary, nodding, occasionally glanced toward the Ivory Pavilion.
The sedan carrying Han Seung-jae glided away. Han Seung-jae’s expression as he watched Jin Tae-won’s receding face was emotionless.
Jin Tae-won was prudent, but he was also known as one of the most sensitive and fastidious people. Until now, they had only seen each other’s faces at private gatherings. They were not the type to meet separately outside. It had been like that until now.
The slow-moving car stopped, and Secretary Park opened the rear door. Stepping out of the car, Han Seung-jae crossed the garden and entered the house.
Lost in thought, Han Seung-jae’s gaze suddenly landed on one spot.
He locked eyes with Seo Yi-kyung, who was coming out of the kitchen carrying a tray with teacups.
“!”
Startled by the completely unexpected situation, a bit of pheromone leaked from Seo Yi-kyung’s body.
“When… did you come back?”
“Just now.”
Why was he back already? In the original work, it was written that when going to ‘Ivory Pavilion,’ a gathering consisting only of Alphas, he usually returned after midnight.
Suddenly, Seo Yi-kyung looked down at the tray in his hands. It was because Han Seung-jae was staring.
He had let his guard down. Seo Yi-kyung bit his lower lip inward. Now that Han Seung-jae knew he had been carrying this around, he would surely say he’d send Butler Do away immediately. He tried to hide it behind his back, but then gave up and turned around.
“I… I was going to put it in the bedroom. To drink before going to sleep…”
A low voice caught the toes of Seo Yi-kyung, who was stuttering as if he were broken.
“Are you going to go around leaking your scent like that?”