By Zephyria 
Standing before the bathroom sink, Seo Yi-kyung touched his forehead. The sensation of Han Seung-jae’s large hand clinging to his eyelids was still vivid. His forehead, which had been hot just a moment ago, now felt cold.
It wasn’t because he was sick; it was likely because his brain had overloaded from the things he had seen in the study. At the time, he had been so flustered that he had hurriedly closed the drawers and left. He had practically fled. Above all, since the envelopes were identical, he couldn’t remember which one he had taken from. Perhaps his racing heart and anxiety had prevented him from noticing the details. He thought he had put it back where it was, but a corner of his heart felt uneasy.
After showering and leaving the bathroom, Seo Yi-kyung took off his robe and changed into pajamas. It was just as he had buttoned his shirt up to the neck. The door opened, and Han Seung-jae entered. As if to hide his stiff expression, Seo Yi-kyung wiped his cheek with the towel draped around his neck.
Why was he back already? Usually, he worked in the study. He had thought he would do the same today.
The moment their eyes met, Han Seung-jae flicked an object toward Seo Yi-kyung. However, Seo Yi-kyung flinched and didn’t even think to catch it. Two items fell alternately onto the rug at Seo Yi-kyung’s feet.
Seo Yi-kyung looked down at the pocket watch necklace and the hat that had flown toward him. He immediately grimaced and hurriedly knelt. Considering their price, these were not things to be handled so carelessly. He was particularly worried that the pocket watch necklace might have broken.
As Seo Yi-kyung picked them up with both hands and straightened his upper body, a low voice reached his ears.
“Did you go to the study?”
“…….”
Seo Yi-kyung, who had been examining the pocket watch necklace, felt a chill run down his spine. However, since he was wearing loose-fitting pajamas, Han Seung-jae likely hadn’t noticed. Seo Yi-kyung slowly turned his head.
“They were too expensive to leave in the painting studio. And…”
He had personally attended the auction and witnessed the situation inside the hall. If such expensive items were left in the painting studio and got lost, who would take responsibility for the aftermath?
Not only was it something he couldn’t handle, but the purchase of the pocket watch necklace had been a disaster caused by Seo Yi-kyung accidentally pressing the wrong button.
Afterward, Han Seung-jae had a glass of whiskey and insisted on winning the bid for the hat, spending over six billion won. It couldn’t have been because he was drunk, and it wasn’t a mistake like the one Seo Yi-kyung had made. Even though he had witnessed it firsthand, Seo Yi-kyung couldn’t understand why he had done it.
He knew the man was wealthy, but he had never heard of or seen money being used in such a manner.
“And?”
Han Seung-jae repeated the last part. As Seo Yi-kyung curled his fingers, the button on top of the watch he was holding was pressed, and the cover swung open. The fully revealed watch had a small slot at the top, designed to hold a photograph.
Seo Yi-kyung’s heart pounded. Han Seung-jae’s expression remained unchanged, making it difficult to discern his thoughts. Should he tell the truth? The sequence of events—opening the drawer, taking out the envelope, and looking inside—played out before his eyes.
Seo Yi-kyung’s Adam’s apple bobbed slowly. Silence settled between the two. It was just as the second hand of the watch in Seo Yi-kyung’s grip passed the five-minute mark.
Knock, knock.
At the sound of the knocking, Seo Yi-kyung felt his heart drop. He was so tense that even that small sound seemed loud. Han Seung-jae turned his head back. Butler Do entered, carrying tea on a tray.
He glanced at Han Seung-jae and Seo Yi-kyung, who seemed to be in a standoff. They seemed to be getting along well for a while, but at other times, they appeared infinitely cold. Butler Do spoke.
“Here is the chrysanthemum tea you requested.”
Butler Do set the tray down and picked up the teapot.
Han Seung-jae approached the table and looked back. He pointed to a chair for the tense Seo Yi-kyung. He was cutting off any escape routes, knowing that if he didn’t speak, Seo Yi-kyung would dive into bed, pull the covers over his head, and pretend to sleep until morning.
“Come and sit. There are things I want to ask you.”
As Butler Do poured tea into two cups, white steam rose in curls. Holding the pocket watch necklace and the hat, Seo Yi-kyung approached and sat at the table.
Butler Do bowed to Han Seung-jae and turned to leave the room. Han Seung-jae gripped the cup in front of him. He had told Butler Do to bring a tea that is good to drink before sleep. When one is sick, a deep sleep helps. That was why the tea brought was chrysanthemum tea.
“Drink your tea.”
Seo Yi-kyung carefully placed the hat and the pocket watch necklace on the table. Han Seung-jae’s expression was impassive as he watched. Seo Yi-kyung lifted the chrysanthemum tea in front of him. Yellow petals floated on the surface, moving slightly.
Seo Yi-kyung pursed his lips and blew softly. A ripple formed, pushing the yellow petals to one side. Then, he slowly pressed his lips to the cup. The scent was lovely. As he swallowed the warm tea, his stiff body seemed to loosen. Seo Yi-kyung took another sip, savoring the tea.
Han Seung-jae took a light sip of his tea and set it down.
“So, did you rummage through the study as well?”
Regardless of the heat, Seo Yi-kyung gripped the teacup tightly.
“O-oh, no. I just went in with the others during the day to leave the items and then came out.”
Seo Yi-kyung blinked as if playing innocent. While looking into Han Seung-jae’s eyes, he slowly set the cup down. The cup missed the saucer slightly, making a clattering sound, but Seo Yi-kyung was too preoccupied with staring at Han Seung-jae to notice. His fingertips tingled with a belated flush of heat.
“Is that so?”
Han Seung-jae’s words leaked out slowly. It sounded as if he were pressing for an answer, or perhaps doubting him. He couldn’t even guess what would come out of Han Seung-jae’s mouth. Perhaps he already knew everything and was just asking. Or would he call in everyone who had entered during the day? Either way, rather than being caught lying, he had to avoid the questioning somehow.
Though his mouth felt dry from the tea, Seo Yi-kyung asked back without wavering.
“Is there something I’m not supposed to see?”
Han Seung-jae’s eyes narrowed. Seo Yi-kyung quickly continued.
“You entered my painting studio whenever you wanted, too, Seung-jae.”
While it couldn’t be compared to the study on the second floor, there were paintings in the first-floor painting studio that Seo Yi-kyung didn’t want to show. He had hidden the canvases he had painted himself in the furthest corner, where no one could see them.
“You stepped on the paint, you ruined the brushes…”
The memory of the brush drawing lines along his body made him feel dizzy. For a moment, Han Seung-jae’s face overlapped with the image of him lying on the painting studio’s work table. After all, that brush had entered his hole. His cheeks flushed involuntarily. However, he didn’t stop talking.
“You even knocked over the canvases.”
In terms of value, the items in Han Seung-jae’s study were far more expensive, but Seo Yi-kyung had his own points to make. Even if they were humble items, the things in the painting studio could be called his own. Some of the few things in this house that belonged to him.
Seo Yi-kyung struggled desperately to change the subject. Han Seung-jae was a man with keen intuition. If they continued talking about the study, he would realize that Seo Yi-kyung had opened the drawer and looked inside the envelope. Or he would eventually force those words out of Seo Yi-kyung’s mouth.
Either way, it was not welcome. He wanted to avoid it at all costs.
“Were you that upset about it?”
No. He hadn’t even taken it to heart in the first place. Nevertheless, the words that came out of his mouth were different.
“Yes.”
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. The words that slipped out were concise and didn’t tremble. To avoid suspicion, Seo Yi-kyung emphasized the point and lifted the teacup in front of him.
Fortunately, there was no further response from Han Seung-jae. It seemed he had managed to divert the topic. Seo Yi-kyung took a long drink of the slightly cooled tea. Because he was lying, his throat felt parched.
As Seo Yi-kyung set down the damp, empty cup, Han Seung-jae picked up the teapot. Suddenly, Han Seung-jae’s hand paused in mid-air, and he poured tea into Seo Yi-kyung’s empty cup.
Seo Yi-kyung lifted the cup again. He was drinking the tea as if it were water. Han Seung-jae watched him silently. Was this the second time he had filled someone’s cup? There had been a time at the Chinese restaurant when he had caught Seo Yi-kyung as he almost fell and given him tea while he caught his breath.
Had he ever cared for another person or shown such consideration before? No, it had been nonexistent until now.
Seo Yi-kyung set down the empty cup and wiped his lips with the towel around his neck. Half of his face was hidden by the towel. His gaze shifted downward. Then, Han Seung-jae looked at the same spot. The hat and the pocket watch necklace were resting on the table. Seo Yi-kyung gently pressed the cover of the pocket watch to close it. A two-billion-won watch—he couldn’t believe it even while looking at it. And what about the hat? It was a staggering 6.7 billion won.
Han Seung-jae lifted his teacup. Drinking the tea that had already gone cold, he observed Seo Yi-kyung examining the items.
The pocket watch necklace was one thing, but why had he bought the hat? To him, it was just a worn-out hat of no use. Thus, it was a part that even he didn’t understand. Soon, Han Seung-jae set down his cup. Should he ask for fresh tea?
Seo Yi-kyung looked at the hat with a preoccupied face. Then, he picked it up carefully to examine it.
Watching this, Han Seung-jae remembered the reason why he had purchased the hat.
He had judged that Seo Yi-kyung would like it if it were placed in the painting studio. Exactly like this.