By Zephyria 
Han Seung-jae used the handkerchief he had been carrying to wipe the droplets of water clinging to Seo Yi-kyung’s hair.
“Did I come too early?”
The two hours Han Seung-jae had mentioned had already long since passed. However, looking down at Seo Yi-kyung’s pale face and the faint scratch on his cheek, Han Seung-jae spoke those words. He seemed to think that Yi-kyung’s expression was poor because he wanted to stay longer by his sick mother’s side.
“If you’re going to make such a sad face, come again tomorrow.”
Seo Yi-kyung didn’t know what his face looked like. He could only feel the coolness of Han Seung-jae’s hand against his back through his suit.
Seo Yi-kyung climbed into the open sedan. Suddenly, he noticed a strong scent of pheromones at the tip of his nose. The car was filled with the scent of white sandalwood. It made sense, as Han Seung-jae had been staying inside until a moment ago.
Perhaps it was because he had been caught in the rain. The feeling in his chest—which had been heavy as if a stone were resting on it, and his throat which had felt as hot as if it were burning just before leaving that house—seemed to settle. Seo Yi-kyung leaned his back against the seat.
Han Seung-jae lowered his tablet PC. He leaned his long torso over and sat beside him. Secretary Park folded the umbrella and climbed into the passenger seat.
“I was thinking of having dinner out.”
Han Seung-jae looked over at Seo Yi-kyung sitting next to him. Yi-kyung’s complexion was poor. He was naturally pale, but now, there was no strength to be felt in his entire body.
Feeling Han Seung-jae’s gaze, Seo Yi-kyung closed his eyes. His voice drifted out faintly.
“My stomach feels uncomfortable.”
His mouth tasted bitter, and the idea of eating something leisurely felt burdensome. No, just the thought of eating made his stomach feel even worse. The nausea returned, disrupting the brief moment of calm.
Han Seung-jae gestured with his head toward Secretary Park, whose eyes met his in the rearview mirror. At that, Secretary Park instructed the driver to head home.
Silence filled the car. Seo Yi-kyung kept his eyes closed, but for some reason, his cheeks felt ticklish, as if Han Seung-jae were staring at him. Or perhaps he was feeling that way even though the man wasn’t looking. Han Seung-jae had seemed to be working on his tablet PC even inside the car, so it wasn’t impossible that he was doing so now. It could have been a delusion.
When the car stopped, Seo Yi-kyung opened his eyes and looked around. Had they arrived? However, his eyes met Han Seung-jae’s. The pupils set within those cold features were deep.
Seo Yi-kyung felt uncomfortable both closing his eyes again and turning his head away as if avoiding Han Seung-jae’s gaze.
Then, he suddenly realized belatedly that he had left Butler Do behind at the house. However, since the sedan he had arrived in had been waiting in front of the house the whole time, Butler Do could simply return in that car.
Han Seung-jae’s gaze lingered on Seo Yi-kyung’s hand. The knuckles were red. As if he had collided with something.
Following Han Seung-jae’s gaze, Seo Yi-kyung looked down at his own hand. Because he had missed the cheekbone while hitting Seo Dong-hu, Seo Yi-kyung’s hand had turned red instead.
“It’s not paint this time.”
“…Ah, I bumped my hand against the entrance while rushing out the door…”
As Seo Yi-kyung rambled on, Han Seung-jae tilted his upper body slightly.
“You should be more careful.”
“I will be from now on.”
Seo Yi-kyung massaged his fingers and turned his head toward the window. Han Seung-jae’s face was reflected in the darkened glass. He looked as if he had something to say, but he said nothing and looked back down at the tablet PC in his hand.
That alone allowed Seo Yi-kyung to part his lips slightly and let out a breath. While doing so, he stole a glance at Han Seung-jae reflected in the car window.
The suit draping over his broad shoulders was flawless. From his deep-set eyes and sharp bridge of the nose to his well-shaped lips, his coldness emanated from him.
A corner of Seo Yi-kyung’s chest throbbed. He had felt a sense of suffocation earlier while continuing a conversation that felt endless with Seo Young-hwan, whom he didn’t want to face. He had thought that was why his chest hurt.
But was that not the case?
* * *
“Where is Yi-kyung?”
Seo Dong-hu approached, gripping the sword sheathed in its scabbard. Butler Do was moving carefully, carrying a canvas wrapped in cloth along with the driver who had come with him. Seo Young-hwan, who had been in the study, had called him and told him to take it. Because of that, Butler Do had been unable to follow Seo Yi-kyung immediately.
And subsequently, the driver, who had come after receiving a call from Butler Do, informed him that Seo Yi-kyung had likely left in Han Seung-jae’s car. However, Butler Do knew that the two of them had planned to have dinner out.
“He returned first.”
“What, fuck. Already? Without even telling me.”
Seo Dong-hu swung the sword around. The driver, seeing this for the first time, flinched. Seo Dong-hu suddenly glared at Butler Do.
“Don’t tell me Director Han came?”
Butler Do nodded politely.
“That is correct.”
Internally, he was anxious that Seo Dong-hu might suddenly change his mood and draw the sword. However, instead of drawing it, Seo Dong-hu held it out toward Butler Do.
“Take it.”
“Pardon?”
“I said give it to Yi-kyung!”
Butler Do slowly placed the canvas he was holding on the floor. He couldn’t simply ignore the shouting Seo Dong-hu.
Butler Do took the sword instinctively. The conversation between Seo Yi-kyung and Seo Dong-hu flashed through his mind. Seo Dong-hu had said it himself—that he bought it for eight billion won. The fingertips of Butler Do, gripping the sword, trembled slightly. The weight began to be felt sharply across his entire palm. The pattern on the hilt was also extraordinary.
“Tell Yi-kyung to answer my call.”
Butler Do looked at Seo Dong-hu while holding the sword.
“Go on.”
Butler Do’s lips twitched. The driver bowed deeply.
Butler Do seemed to think for a moment, then picked up the canvas with one hand while still holding the sword.
It was when the two reached the entrance. Butler Do gave the sword he was holding to a passing maid.
“Please take this and place it in Vice President Seo’s room.”
The maid carefully took the sword. Butler Do felt it was unavoidable, but he couldn’t bring himself to carry that sword out. Even if Seo Dong-hu found out later and slapped him across the face, he couldn’t do it.
The Seo Dong-hu he had watched over was the type of person who would scream and demand the money—amounting to eight billion won—back as if it had been deposited, using the fact that he had handed this sword over to Seo Yi-kyung as a pretext. Nor could he hand the sword back to Seo Dong-hu. If he did, he would be beaten to a pulp before crawling out of this house.
* * *
Swaaaa—
Seo Yi-kyung stood for a while with the faucet running in the sink. Part of it was because he lacked strength in his body, but it was also because Seo Young-hwan’s words continued to float and swirl in his head, making him dizzy.
Seo Yi-kyung reached out with both hands. He filled his white palms with water and pressed them against his face. The water that had surged upward swept across his cheeks and plummeted downward. After scooping up water and splashing his cheeks once more, Seo Yi-kyung looked up.
Seo Yi-kyung’s face reflected in the mirror was pale. Because of that, the scratch on his cheek stood out prominently. Slender eyebrows, a small nose, red lips, and droplets of water clinging faintly beneath his slender chin.
“….”
Seo Yi-kyung touched the cheek where the wound was. It looked like the only flaw. Moreover, if it weren’t for him, such a mark would never have occurred. Because he was a person who was calm, gentle, kind, affectionate, and deep-hearted.
But the person reflected in the mirror now was not that person.
Seo Yi-kyung left the bathroom, rubbing his wet hair and face with a towel.
He left the empty bedroom and walked down the long hallway. Forgetting to take the elevator, he trudged toward the first floor.
“Young Master?”
Butler Do, who spotted Seo Yi-kyung heading toward the dressing room, called out in surprise. He had heard from Secretary Park the previous day that a reservation had even been made for dinner. But he was already home?
Butler Do left the driver behind and rushed toward him.
“You’ve returned already? Did you have dinner…”
The driver seemed to stare blankly at Butler Do as he moved away, then gazed at the cloth covering the canvas he had brought in, which had slipped diagonally. Because of this, a landscape painting of scattering cherry blossom petals was revealed.
‘Why on earth is that… here…’
Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze became fixed on one spot like a nail. His pupils wavered.
“Butler Do?”
“Yes.”
Just then, the elevator doors opened, and the voices of Han Seung-jae and Secretary Park continuing their conversation were heard.
“Then, I will come to pick you up tomorrow.”
“Alright. Good work.”
Seo Yi-kyung quickly stepped away without looking back. Butler Do looked at him with doubt. However, Seo Yi-kyung no longer had the energy to demand why this was here. He simply grabbed the slipped cloth and covered the canvas as if to hide it. Of all times, the timing was poor.
Seo Yi-kyung turned around. Unlike himself, who was still wearing his suit, Han Seung-jae had already changed his clothes.
As Han Seung-jae approached, Seo Yi-kyung’s heart tightened. The canvas was not something that could be hidden just by him standing in front of it. Furthermore, there was no way Han Seung-jae wouldn’t see the object protruding like a foreign body in the center of the living room.
Han Seung-jae came close and reached out to grab the cloth that Seo Yi-kyung was covering with his entire body.
“When you make a face that looks like you want to hide so badly, it makes me want to see it more.”
A long shadow formed on the dress shirt Han Seung-jae was wearing. The cloth moved following his fingertips.
“….”
The cloth covering the canvas sprawled at Seo Yi-kyung’s feet. Han Seung-jae looked at the landscape painting of scattering cherry blossom petals. Seo Yi-kyung couldn’t control his expression at all. He thought only that everything was ruined now.
“Ahem.”
Secretary Park cleared his throat lowly. He greeted Seo Yi-kyung and then led the dazed Butler Do and the driver away. Because of that, Seo Yi-kyung’s field of vision brightened. He had to pull himself together.
Seo Yi-kyung turned and took in the canvas Han Seung-jae was looking at. The feeling was quite different from when he saw it earlier. Seeing the painting up close, the colors were soft, and the scent of a warm spring was strongly felt.
The ‘Seo Yi-kyung’ had been looking at this painting until the very end.
Instead of trembling in fear, he had to give it to Han Seung-jae.
“Seung-jae, I have something to tell you.”