By Zephyria 
“Let’s hide for about a year until things calm down in Gyeongjeong, and then let’s go abroad together. We’ll buy a splendid mansion and hire private security. We can start anew as you wish, Tae-hwon, in a place where no one knows you.”
Kwon Rae-i’s voice sounded like a dream.
His excited face was just as dreamlike. Unlike the rough Tae-hwon, he was flawless and smooth, like a newborn. His skin was clean as marble, soft, and flawlessly white.
“You ran away, abandoning a life stained with blood, Tae-hwon. So you must have liquidated everything and left with a huge sum of money. We’ll live like that soon.”
The future he spoke of was truly a beautiful dream. Unlike Woo Tae-hwon’s nightmare, it was fantastic and ideal.
I was almost deluded into thinking that everything might work out as he said.
“Living a peaceful everyday life, like ordinary people.”
But Tae-hwon’s heart felt heavy as he listened to those words. His heart was pounding, and a headache was slowly creeping in.
‘Like ordinary people?’
Well…….
There is a deeply rooted unwritten rule in this world.
Debts must be repaid, and the price for sins must be paid.
Tae-hwon’s staggering debt of 200 million won. Chairman Kwon Jung-il had cleared it for Woo Tae-hwon when he took him into Gyeongjeong 10 years ago. So, what about this time?
The blood Tae-hwon had on his hands. Chairman Kwon’s life. Who could pay the price for that sin in his stead?
If Tae-hwon hid and ran away like this, the fallout would eventually spread to Kwon Rae-i. Hiding a wanted man from Gyeongjeong in his house, treating him, and then smuggling him abroad. There was no way they could live peacefully like ordinary people. Eventually, someone would notice, and they would be hunted down.
The three brothers of the main family, Kwon Rae-i’s half-brothers, wouldn’t just sit back and watch. And in the end, they would be punished…….
“……That’s like a dream.”
Tae-hwon just replied like that. Kwon Rae-i pressed his lips against Tae-hwon’s neck, smiling brightly. Carotid artery. He kissed deeply on the fiercely throbbing area. As he made marks over the red marks, he agreed.
“Right? It’s like a dream. So, from now on, you should dream dreams like this instead of pointless nightmares, Tae-hwon.”
“…….”
“It’s good, isn’t it? Happy…….”
“…….”
“Living like we used to live together in the Separate House.”
***
I must have dozed off again while lazing around in bed. When I woke up again, almost a day had passed.
‘What time is it?’
Tae-hwon woke up with a start and threw off the blanket. Even though I had slept for so long, my physical condition wasn’t very good. My back ached stiffly, and I felt an unpleasant dull pain in my buttocks. Besides, I had been starving all day, so my empty stomach was rumbling, and my throat, which had been groaning all night, was hoarse and very thirsty.
‘Where is Young Master?’
Tae-hwon looked around the bed, but the spot was empty. Just until noon, he was hugging, smearing, rolling around, and sticking to Tae-hwon, making a fuss, but he must have woken up first. Tae-hwon, who woke up late, picked up his clothes and put them on. After putting on a shower gown from the bathroom and tying the belt loosely around his waist, he left the bedroom.
As soon as he opened the door, a savory smell filled the house. It was the smell of greasy meat. Tae-hwon craned his neck over the glass railing and looked down at the first floor. Kwon Rae-i was busily going back and forth in the dining room, setting the table. Moreover, he was humming while wearing a black apron around his waist. An apron and Kwon Rae-i. It was an unexpected combination, but it suited him surprisingly well.
Well, there was probably no clothes that didn’t suit Kwon Rae-i.
‘He’s grown up so well, even when I see him again…….’
Our Young Master is so handsome. The most handsome in the world.
Tae-hwon watched Kwon Rae-i, who was setting the table, feeling like a parent who was proud of his child for no reason. Whether he had started cooking a long time ago, a variety of dishes were set on the table. I was watching from afar, and Tae-hwon was a person who was far from being a gourmet, so I didn’t know exactly what kind of food it was, but I thought the dishes in each plate looked quite delicious.
Although Tae-hwon didn’t know, the food that Kwon Rae-i prepared was Beef Wellington, Tomato Basil Soup, and Beef Carpaccio.
Beef Wellington, which was filled with soft beef fillet in crispy baked pastry, with finely chopped mushrooms and onions, and thinly wrapped prosciutto, was perfectly cooked medium rare and neatly sliced. Tomato Basil Soup was a soup that harmonized the right amount of acidity and sweetness, and the fragrant basil, making it a good accompaniment to greasy meat.
Finally, Beef Carpaccio was thinly sliced raw beef with a light drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice, giving it a refreshing yet savory aroma. Parmesan cheese and arugula were placed on top to balance the luxurious and clean taste.
‘But why is he setting all this up by himself?’
Tae-hwon, who had been watching Kwon Rae-i for a while, belatedly had a natural question.
The table was even set with wine, fruit, and cheese. It was a feast-like appearance rather than a single meal. Tae-hwon, who was thinking quietly, took the elevator and went down to the first floor. As soon as Kwon Rae-i heard the elevator stop with a ding, he turned around with a look of delight, like a dog whose owner had returned.
“Tae-hwon!”
His eyes sparkled like perfectly crafted top-grade blue diamonds.
“It’s perfect timing. I was going to wake you up anyway. You must be getting hungry, right?”
Kwon Rae-i grabbed Tae-hwon and sat him down at the table. Tae-hwon was dragged along without even having time to react, and faced the splendid feast.
“I made this and that to commemorate.”
Commemorate? Commemorate what?
When Tae-hwon glanced at Kwon Rae-i, he smiled and replied as if he had read his gaze.
“Our first night.”
“Ah…….”
I knew it.
“And it also contains the meaning of celebrating Tae-hwon’s recovery. You’ve been suffering from eating only patient food. From today, I’ll find and make a lot of delicious recipes.”
Tae-hwon shook his head and poured water into a glass.
“Thank you, but you don’t have to go that far. Now that I can move my arms, I can just make simple meals.”
“Hey, you’re really bad at cooking, Tae-hwon.”
“I make it to the point where I can eat it.”
“You just eat anything well, right? You eat burnt things, spoiled things, you’ll survive even if you fall into a jungle, Tae-hwon.”
“……That doesn’t mean you have to volunteer to be my cook, Young Master.”
“I just want to do it for you. And this too.”
Kwon Rae-i took off his apron, pulled out a chair next to Tae-hwon, and sat down. Then, he picked up the wine bottle in front of him and showed him the label.
“It’s your favorite alcohol, Tae-hwon.”
“……!”
“Isn’t it okay to drink a glass or two now?”
Kwon Rae-i uncorked it. The deep scent of Pinot Noir wine spread, making my mouth water. Seeing alcohol after a long time definitely tempted me.
“I also prepared brandy for after the meal. It’s Richard Cognac.”
The blood-red wine was decanted in front of my eyes. The rich aroma captivated Tae-hwon. He had prepared it so well that it was a little awkward to say anything. It was new now, but as 10 years had passed, it seemed that Kwon Rae-i knew Tae-hwon’s tastes and preferences inside and out.
“This is really making me speechless. Then I’ll just have one glass.”
Tae-hwon held out his wine glass. Kwon Rae-i naturally poured wine into Tae-hwon’s glass with a decanter, as if he had predicted that reaction.
“Give me a glass too.”
Tae-hwon took the decanter and filled Kwon Rae-i’s glass. I felt strange.
The young Young Master had grown up in the meantime and became a twenty-year-old adult, and now he could even exchange drinks.
‘I’ve already crossed a much bigger line than that, though.’
Still, that’s that, and this is this. The feeling was quite unique.
Usually, parents wait for the day when they can have a drink with their children, right? That’s not to say that Tae-hwon had thought that far, but when he faced a similar situation, it was a very strange feeling. The Kwon Rae-i in front of him was neither the ten-year-old Young Master that Tae-hwon was familiar with, nor had he even said that he hated his past self.
‘Am I weird?’