By Zephyria 
Just then, Butler Do’s voice drifted in from beyond the opening study door.
“Young Master, were you in here?”
Seo Yi-kyung hurriedly withdrew his hand from the drawer. He left the study together with Butler Do.
Closing the door behind him, Seo Yi-kyung let out a smile.
“There are so many fascinating things.”
“Right? I was quite surprised when I first saw them myself.”
Butler Do remarked that it felt like an exhibition hall. Seo Yi-kyung entered his bedroom while engaging in light conversation with Butler Do.
He then picked up the teacup in front of him and drank the warm tea to calm his startled heart.
He didn’t know why that particular passage suddenly came to mind. Perhaps it was because the shock had been so great.
* * *
Knock, knock. Secretary Park entered after knocking twice on the door of the Director’s Office and placed a white envelope on the desk where Han Seung-jae was sitting.
“I received word from Im Jeong-yun, the director of Art Atelier, that an auction for rare items is being held.”
“Rare items?”
Han Seung-jae asked, following the lead of the conversation. Secretary Park quickly understood and explained what kind of items were being offered.
“It’s being held to commemorate the 200th anniversary of a French war hero, so the items are being exhibited accordingly.”
“Antiques, then.”
“Yes. And he mentioned that if your schedule makes it difficult to visit, online purchase is also possible. How would you like to proceed?”
It seemed Im Jeong-yun intended to firmly maintain the connection they had established.
“Ah.”
Han Seung-jae gave a half-hearted response while reviewing a technical report. He collected things that were noble and splendid, yet clean and relatively untouched by human hands. Naturally, he had no interest in antiques used by war heroes. No matter how well-maintained they claimed to be, they would be stained with grime and covered in scratches.
Just as Secretary Park bowed and turned to leave after confirming his lack of interest, Han Seung-jae suddenly looked up. Watching the retreating back of Secretary Park, Han Seung-jae’s eyes took on a thoughtful look before he abruptly spoke.
“Tell him I’ll attend. And adjust my schedule.”
Secretary Park stopped in his tracks and looked back. Flipping a page of a document, Han Seung-jae murmured in an indifferent voice.
“My spouse will come along as well.”
“I will convey that.”
Secretary Park disappeared after closing the door. The interior of the office was rapidly dyed in silence. The only sound was the noise of Han Seung-jae turning the pages of the document.
While Han Seung-jae himself didn’t feel much interest in such relic-like objects, Seo Yi-kyung might be different. According to the reports he had received, the man enjoyed looking at artworks and loved visiting rare exhibitions.
* * *
“An auction?”
At the dinner table, Seo Yi-kyung blinked, feeling doubtful at Han Seung-jae’s words. There were already so many collections in the study; was there something else that needed to be added?
“Didn’t you like looking at things like that?”
Seo Yi-kyung’s lips parted unconsciously. That was right. The original ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ had loved going to exhibitions and looking at artworks.
“Keep your schedule open for that day.”
Originally, Seo Yi-kyung’s time was essentially dictated by Han Seung-jae’s movements. There was no way he could possibly refuse him.
Han Seung-jae picked up his whiskey glass and handed the envelope in front of him to Butler Do. Butler Do received the envelope with both hands and passed it to Seo Yi-kyung.
Setting down the spoon he had been using for his soup, Seo Yi-kyung took the envelope. While gauging Han Seung-jae’s reaction, he opened the envelope bearing the Art Atelier logo.
Inside the envelope was a catalog. As he held the catalog open with both hands like a menu, his long eyebrows cast a shadow beneath his eyes.
Turning to the next page, which listed the date and time, there were photographs of French heroes.
Seo Yi-kyung scanned the items being put up for auction.
A sword with ornate decorations featured an eagle pattern. Recalling the collection in the study, his first thought was that it didn’t suit Han Seung-jae very well.
He looked at shirts and scarves worn by heroes, a gold cigarette case, a pocket watch necklace, and hats. Below them, it was written in small print that they were relics.
The more he looked, the more different they were from the splendid collection in Han Seung-jae’s study.
Truly, it felt almost as if they had been tailored specifically for him.
“…….”
Seo Yi-kyung peeked over the top of the catalog, and his gaze locked with Han Seung-jae’s, who was drinking whiskey.
“Go, and if there’s anything you like, participate in the auction.”
Seo Yi-kyung’s eyes rolled down to stare at the relics in the catalog.
He imagined himself wearing the shirt, wrapping the scarf around his neck, wearing the pocket watch necklace, putting the gold cigarette case in his pocket, wearing that cowboy-like hat, and finally holding the eagle-engraved sword in his hand.
There was no need for deep deliberation. Seo Yi-kyung closed the catalog and slid it back into the envelope.
Quite simply, not a single thing suited him. They were items he didn’t need in the first place. Therefore, there was no reason to participate in the auction.
* * *
The next day, Seo Yi-kyung sat perched on an outdoor table. He tentatively touched his forehead. The scent leaking from his body was stronger than usual. Feeling as though his heat period had arrived, he opened the silver case he had brought and took out a suppressant.
He pressed the needle tip against his arm, hesitated, and then released the suppressant. He couldn’t make the same mistake as last time.
Although it was inevitable that this would be fundamentally different from the heat periods he had experienced before, he hadn’t expected it to be so severe that his memories would vanish.
Seo Yi-kyung looked at the one remaining suppressant. Since he had been told to inform Secretary Park when he ran out, he figured he should do so.
Was it certainly because he was an extreme dominant Omega? The concentration of the leaking scent was different.
Seo Yi-kyung leaned back in the chair and let all the strength leave his body. He felt the scent, which was difficult to contain, lingering all over his body.
Buzz—
Touching his forehead with his eyes cast down, Seo Yi-kyung glanced at his phone. Seo Dong-hu was still contacting him, but he didn’t answer. Even if he did, it would either be to ask for a loan or to tell him to ask Han Seung-jae for a favor using their father’s business as a pretext. There was no reason or need to answer. He had already said he wouldn’t do such things. It was simply laughable that they still thought money would come out if they kept shaking him.
Seo Yi-kyung lowered the hand that had been touching his forehead. Had the fever gone down a bit? His heart rate, which had been racing, was gradually slowing down, and the pheromones coming from his body seemed to be at a level he could manage. Seo Yi-kyung parted his lips and let out a long breath. It certainly seemed to work faster than the medicine.
Buzz—
The phone rang again. Seo Yi-kyung turned his head. He hadn’t brought his phone out to wait for a call from Seo Dong-hu. The reason he carried it was—.
[I’m out to meet Gi-jun now]
Seo Yi-kyung looked at the message from Jin Seon-yu and sent a reply.
[Have a good date]
[It was hard stopping Seok-young Hyung from making a fuss about coming along this morning]
Seo Yi-kyung wondered how to respond. He rubbed the screen with his finger.
[Ah, he’s here. I’ll contact you again]
Seo Yi-kyung stood up, holding the silver case containing the suppressants and his phone. The fever seemed to have subsided, but his body felt somewhat heavy.
He crossed the garden and entered the house. He felt that the pheromones of an extreme dominant Omega were indeed difficult to handle. They leaked out easily even with a small amount of panic.
The meaning of pheromones emitted from the bodies of Alphas and Omegas varied. They were released when showing hostility, but on the other hand, they were used to express liking, to seduce, or to be left as a mark, like that of a lover.
Climbing the stairs to the second floor, Seo Yi-kyung opened the bedroom door.
The heaviness of the white sandalwood scent pheromones filling the room seemed to overwhelm his entire body.
Seo Yi-kyung opened the nightstand drawer and put away the suppressants. Leaving the terrace door open, he approached the bed and lay down.
The pillow rustling against his head felt cozy. Perhaps it was because his body felt heavy, but he felt as if he would fall asleep at any moment. Seo Yi-kyung’s eyelids slowly drifted shut. The wind blowing in from the open window touched the tip of his nose. He smelled the scent of trees.
* * *
A sedan stopped in front of a tall building. Han Seung-jae stepped out of the car and entered the garden. His gaze landed on the outdoor table and then turned away.
“You’ve arrived. How shall we handle dinner?”
Among the people in the living room, Seo Yi-kyung’s pale face was nowhere to be seen.
Han Seung-jae entered the elevator.
“Prepare it.”
“I shall do so.”
Butler Do bowed through the narrow gap of the closing door. As the door shut, Han Seung-jae’s sharp features were reflected.
He thought of Seo Yi-kyung from the previous day. The way he had been picking at his soup.
Throughout the walk down the long hallway, Han Seung-jae’s eyes remained deeply sunken.
When he opened the door, the room was filled with the scent of wet roses.
His gaze turned toward the open terrace. The curtains fluttered slightly in the wind.
Han Seung-jae’s gaze lingered on Seo Yi-kyung lying on the bed. With a pale complexion, he had his eyes closed, sweat beading on his forehead.
Han Seung-jae stepped forward and reached out. His large palm covered everything from Seo Yi-kyung’s slender eyebrows to his small lips.
A long shadow stretched over the white face, and Han Seung-jae touched Seo Yi-kyung’s forehead.
“Has the fever gone down?”
Han Seung-jae withdrew his hand from the forehead that still held a slight fever. Moisture clung to his fingers.
He took off his suit jacket, placed it at the foot of the bed, and sat on the edge of the mattress.
The pheromones filling the room caused blood to rush below. It fueled the desire to strip off Seo Yi-kyung’s pants right now, pry his thighs open, and ram his member into that wet hole.