By Zephyria 
His body, which had contained more stress than its limit, seemed like it would blow a fuse and pass out at any moment. There were many things he wanted to ask him and many things he wanted to deny, but for now, he had to do his best just to hold on to his fading consciousness and stay awake.
Kwon Rae-i took care of Tae-hwon, who was out of his mind, and carefully wiped his body. He made fluffy bubbles with bath products to wipe his body and shampooed his hair to wash it clean. After that, he wrapped Tae-hwon’s entire body in a large towel and carefully removed the moisture, and even checked the condition of his neck, which was marked with red marks, and applied medicine to the wounds.
“Did it hurt a lot?”
He asked that, but Tae-hwon didn’t have the time to answer the question.
“……Young Master. Why are you doing this?”
Kwon Sang-oh is coming.
This was not the time to take a bath or dawdle. If he was going to run away, he had to run away quickly, and even if he was going to come up with a plan, he had to come up with it quickly. But Kwon Rae-i seemed relaxed, as if he had no intention of running away. It was as if he had no intention of avoiding it at all.
Well, that’s why he had called Kwon Sang-oh to this place with his own hands.
“No, it doesn’t matter what the reason is. I don’t think I can understand even if I know. Let’s talk about the situation later and please loosen the chains first.”
“I’m sorry, Tae-hwon. Not now.”
“Then good. Leave me tied up here and let only Young Master escape.”
“That’s not possible either.”
Kwon Rae-i took the cleanly washed Tae-hwon into the dressing room.
Ironically, this was a completely reversed situation.
Before, Tae-hwon had dragged him into the dressing room, saying that Han-seon was coming soon, but now Kwon Rae-i was dragging Tae-hwon, saying that Kwon Sang-oh was coming. He even took his time choosing Tae-hwon’s clothes. It was not a normal situation for anyone to see, and they had just had such a fierce battle with Tae-hwon until just now, but Kwon Rae-i acted as if he was continuing any ordinary day of his life with Tae-hwon. The more he did, the more impatient Tae-hwon became.
“Haa…… Young Master. Please come to your senses. Now there’s only one way. You have to sell me to the Gyeongjeong. That’s the only way Young Master…….”
“Haha. Sell you? Let’s just say I do that. What do you think those bastards will think when they see these marks on Tae-hwon’s body? They’ll think we were fucking each other anyway.”
“Then what are we going to do! Are you really going to commit suicide with me like this? Are we going to sink together?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I want.”
Kwon Rae-i, who had put on his own suit first, now began to dress Tae-hwon. He was wearing a black shirt and a black suit. It was the first time he had seen him wearing a perfectly dressed suit since the mourning clothes he wore on the day of Chairman Kwon Jung-il’s funeral. He usually wore light clothes at home.
He put a shirt on Tae-hwon. He put his arms through the sleeves and buttoned them up, whispering firmly.
“If I’m going to go with Tae-hwon, I don’t care if it’s purgatory. We live together and die together. Tae-hwon should understand that first.”
“What……. So the conclusion is that we’re going to blow ourselves up like this? Even saying nonsense that Young Master killed someone or that he’s a monster?”
“Haha, Tae-hwon. I think I’ll have to loosen the chains for a while to put on your underwear and pants. I’m nervous. I think it’s better to have the leash on too.”
“Yes?”
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll get the leash.”
Kwon Rae-i left Tae-hwon in the dressing room for a moment and rustled around. He said he was going to get the leash, but then he heard something opening and closing. Tae-hwon peeked out through the crack in the dressing room door. He didn’t know what Kwon Rae-i was looking for. He heard a heavy metallic sound. Maybe he was opening and closing a safe instead of a drawer.
After a while, he came back to the dressing room with the leash. He smiled at Tae-hwon, who was looking at him suspiciously, and put it around his neck like he had been tied up before. After that, he loosened the Ankle shackles and put on his underwear and suit pants.
“…….”
Tae-hwon closed his mouth. It seemed that no matter what he said, it wouldn’t work for him now. There was nothing else Tae-hwon could do while he was tied up. Eventually, Kwon Rae-i put a belt around Tae-hwon’s waist and took his hand away. When he put on a black matte suit with a shirt and jacket, the figure reflected in the mirror was quite unfamiliar.
He only wore a T-shirt and training pants, but he wondered if he, who was called the right-hand man and action leader of the Gyeongjeong, looked like this right now.
Kwon Rae-i, who had finished putting on his pants, even put on his socks and put the Ankle shackles back on Tae-hwon’s ankles. Only after confirming that the chains were firmly connected did he release the leash.
“……Tae-hwon’s neck looks sore.”
Kwon Rae-i added as if muttering to himself without being asked separately. He hadn’t been aware of it until he said that, but his neck was extremely sore just from being tightened by the shirt collar. It was held, tightened, suppressed, and bitten, and there were bruises on his skin in the shape of handprints, and even his skin was red. Tae-hwon just took a deep breath.
‘Kwon Sang-oh is more than painful…….’
Kwon Sang-oh.
Now all that was left was Kwon Sang-oh.
Since Kwon Rae-i was so stubborn and didn’t listen to reason, it might be better to hold on to Kwon Sang-oh and negotiate. Woo Tae-hwon himself would sacrifice his life and willingly submit to all kinds of retaliatory torture, so he would beg to save only Kwon Rae-i safely.
Besides, Tae-hwon only knew Kwon Sang-oh’s appearance from 10 years ago. Kwon Rae-i had grown so drastically, so Kwon Sang-oh might have changed something in the past 10 years as well. If he could coax him well, he might be able to protect Kwon Rae-i.
‘Actually, the content I heard during the call was very vulgar.’
At that time, what did he say? He was so flustered and shocked that he couldn’t remember exactly. He only remembered that Kwon Sang-oh had poured out unbearable curses on Kwon Rae-i, slandered him, and tried to chase after him as if he was going to kill him.
‘Haa…… fuck.’
I guess not. I have to save Kwon Rae-i. What should I do?
“Young Master.”
Tae-hwon opened his mouth to try to persuade him again. But right then, at the worst timing, the noise of an uninvited guest was heard.
Ding-dong-ding-dong!
The doorbell rang wildly and there was a loud banging sound as if the front door was being kicked. It was such a loud noise that it could be heard even in this large house, even in the dressing room on the third floor.
“Oh, the dog came just in time for delivery.”
“No. It’s not possible.”
Tae-hwon urgently grabbed Kwon Rae-i’s arm, stopping him from going out to greet them.
“Let’s pretend we’re not home. They can’t break in because of the bars. If we barricade ourselves inside, we can hold out for a few more days, right? Let’s buy some time and come up with a plan.”
A sense of foreboding stretched out endlessly.
Like a vine growing through the sky overnight, Tae-hwon’s anxiety soared uncontrollably.
Kwon Rae-i, oblivious to Tae-hwon’s burning insides, curved his lips into a smile as beautiful as an angel.
“It’s okay.”
What was okay? Nothing was okay.
“Only I will go downstairs. Tae-hwon, you stay on the third floor and watch.”
Kwon Rae-i forcibly dragged Tae-hwon out of the dressing room. The chain of the Ankle shackles stretched out long, dragging on the floor. He stood Tae-hwon on the third-floor hallway, outside the glass railing, in a spot where the entire first-floor layout was visible at a glance. From there, he could see the front door and the bars in front of it as clearly as the palm of his hand.
“Young Master! No. Let me go down instead. I’m the only one who needs to go. This was a problem I should have shouldered from the beginning…”
“Shh, shh. It’s okay. Just watch. I’ll explain everything when I get back.”
“Yes? No, Young Master. Yes…?”
Kwon Rae-i left Tae-hwon, who was desperately trying to dissuade him, and took the elevator down to the first floor. Tae-hwon tried to follow him, but as if only allowing him to go this far, the chain of the Ankle shackles tightened, constricting his ankle, preventing him from walking. It seemed he had to watch from above, just as he said.
“Young Master! Rae-i, Young Master! Come back. Please, Young Master!”
Tae-hwon shouted as if wailing, but Kwon Rae-i didn’t listen. He got out of the elevator and went straight to the front door. And he began to open the bars that had been blocking the way like an impregnable fortress. He must have taken out the key to the bars when he was opening and closing the drawers to get the leash just now.
Kwon Rae-i took the key out of his pocket, unlocked the bars, went through the front door, and unlocked the remaining locks, including the door lock.
Tae-hwon’s face, utterly shocked, turned white and stiff. The blood drained from his entire body, and his complexion turned pale blue. The tips of his fingers, where blood flow was blocked, trembled slightly.
‘No.’
I have to hide. I have to hide at least Tae-hwon’s appearance.
If I act like I’m not in this house, maybe Kwon Rae-i can live.