-07-

There’s a saying. That when a person is about to die, the past flashes by like a revolving lantern.

…Then, wouldn’t my place to die be right here?

A space where even sound, air, and even time seemed to have stopped.

Yeon-ho, with the long, elegant fingertips held out in front of him, was only thinking that.

Even when he saw the two lines on the pregnancy test in the bathroom, it wasn’t this shocking….

‘Marteo Avertone.’

From the moment he heard the name of the man who entered the room, his brain, disguised as a sponge, had failed to serve its purpose.

All that passed through his mind with holes in it was the time he had spent with him until today. He couldn’t even guess what had gone wrong from where.

How could he, Theon… be Avertone?

Could it be… is this stress-induced hallucination? If it’s not actually pregnancy, and there’s no man in front of me, and I’m having a daydream with my eyes open?

It didn’t make sense, but that side seemed more realistic.

If that wasn’t the case, there was no way the face he had thought of countless times while waiting for his blind date would be so unfamiliar.

Yeon-ho’s dazed eyes repeatedly scanned the man.

In that instant, Marteo, who had finally withdrawn his hand, opened his blunt mouth.

“Why are you staring at people like that? Is there a problem?”

……What?

“Let’s sit down now. It’s uncomfortable to keep watching you like that.”

It was thanks to this that the mind that had gone out came back to some extent. The overbearing posture of pointing to his front with a chin gesture, not to mention the dry voice.

Marteo had maintained the same attitude from the moment he entered the room until now.

It was natural to be embarrassed by a man who was completely different from the image in his memory. But more than anything, what was absurd was that such a man’s words and actions didn’t feel any of the same embarrassment as he did.

No matter how he looked at it, there was only one reason for this.

Unlike him, he already knew who would come to this place.

As soon as he realized it, his mind, which had been limp, began to harden in reverse.

It was not the time to be spacing out like an idiot at all.

Yeon-ho, who bit his lip tightly, moved his stopped feet. As he pulled out the chair and sat down, the man’s gaze, which had been following his movements, turned to the front.

Without avoiding it, Yeon-ho glared at Marteo as well. He sat down, so what? Even he himself didn’t think it was a welcome look.

But, an unexpected thing happened. An unexpected smile filled the man’s indifferent face for a moment.

The corners of his lips, which had only risen enough to not be noticeable, immediately sank down in less than a second… but it was definitely different from the sneer he had when he introduced himself.

‘Why the hell…? Was there any atmosphere to laugh in right now?’

Yeon-ho’s eyes lost strength without him even realizing it.

At that time, someone knocked on the door.

It was the manager of the restaurant who entered after a pause. He approached and bowed politely, then turned to look at Yeon-ho.

“Excuse me. If there’s no one else coming, shall we prepare the meal?”

The employees knew that Yeon-ho had been waiting for someone for a long time. The smile on his face might have meant that it was a relief.

Of course, it was a situation where Yeon-ho would have preferred to be stood up.

His stomach, which had been starving since yesterday, naturally didn’t think of food at all.

When he didn’t respond, the manager frowned as if he was puzzled. It was Marteo who spoke instead of Yeon-ho to such a man.

“The meal can wait. Just bring water for now.”

The manager’s gaze then fell on Yeon-ho’s empty water glass. Realizing it, he hurriedly apologized and took hurried steps.

Not long after, Marteo again said simple words to him, who had returned to the room.

“I don’t need anything else until I call.”

An extremely short conversation. Nevertheless, Yeon-ho was feeling a sense of incongruity.

The man’s attitude in dealing with people was extremely skillful.

As if giving instructions and the other person following him were commonplace.

There was no need to find a reason.

The position and power that the name ‘Avertone’ had. The ‘Golden Eagle,’ which is called the king of birds. The man in front of him was a born ruler.

How could he not have known this arrogant atmosphere until now? That elegance is the power that comes from the leisure to enjoy it.

As the thought reached him, his throat began to burn again. Yeon-ho, who snatched the filled water glass, made his throat ring in one breath.

Marteo watches Yeon-ho silently.

Until the water cup, which had been emptied in one go, was returned to the table with a rough sound.

“……”

“……”

After even that sound subsided, the same silence as before filled the room again. His nerves stood up like the tip of a needle.

Still, the good thing was that Yeon-ho’s thoughts were also sufficiently replenished along with the filled water.

This was by no means a daydream.

A familiar but unfamiliar man.

Theon, the one sitting across from him right now, was the Avertone who had sent that awful marriage proposal.

In the face of a reality where denial was meaningless, Yeon-ho finally twisted his lips.

“What the hell are you…. Now that I see it, you also had a talent for surprising people.”

“……”

“…You knew who I was from the beginning, didn’t you?”

“……”

“That I’m a Morpheus, that I’m the person who was supposed to have a blind date.”

“……”

“Knowing everything, you’ve been… playing with me all this time?”

Even as he spat it out, he thought it was a really cliché expression. But there was nothing else to express it.

The attitude of not being surprised at all even when he saw him. Now that he thought about it, it was like that even at their first meeting.

The eyes he’d met at the audition. The arm that had grabbed him in a place he could never have appeared. The lips that had called his name, a name he’d never told him, as if it were obvious….

Looking back, there were more than a few things that didn’t add up.

But Marteo, who hadn’t reacted for a long time to the words meant to sting, chose to return the arsenic. His elegant eyebrows slowly arched upwards.

“That’s what I was going to say. Besides… isn’t it rude to speak informally to someone you’ve just met?”

“What…?”

“Let’s get our positions straight before we answer. You and I. Are we acquaintances right now, or not?”

What was that supposed to mean… Yeon-ho wondered. But soon, a similar burst of laughter escaped Yeon-ho’s lips.

─Don’t mention me if you can help it. If we run into each other, pretend we don’t know each other.

The request he had added when he cut Marteo off. The man was pointing that out. He’d said he wasn’t cut out for this kind of work…. Not cut out for it, my foot. He had the nerve of an actor who was destined for greatness.

Yeon-ho’s eyes narrowed, not just his lips.

“Are you kidding me? Does this look like the kind of atmosphere for that?”

“I should return those words to you. Isn’t that what I should be asking?”

“What are you…?”

“You didn’t even answer my calls… why are you here? You said you hated blind dates, that marriage was the last thing you wanted.”

“…….”

“I’m surprised. I didn’t know you had this much patience.”

“What do you mean.”

“Waiting an hour for someone who doesn’t even show up. I guess it’s different from a ‘plaything’ sponsor, huh?”

Yeon-ho’s widened eyes wavered. Marteo, of course, knew it too. That the sarcasm he was returning to Yeon-ho was excessive. But he couldn’t stop his tongue.

Because he… wanted him to deny it.

Waiting three days to see Yeon-ho, Marteo had actually held onto hope until the very end.

That he wouldn’t show up at this place. That he would show even the slightest hesitation.

But Yeon-ho had readily entered the restaurant, and the last text he’d sent had been mercilessly ignored, and in the end, he hadn’t come out of the room for over an hour, just as he’d said.

He’d told him not to be even a minute late, that he hated waiting.

With the situation like this, there was no way his attitude could be good.

Even if he knew that Yeon-ho was waiting for him, that wasn’t strictly ‘Theon’. The uncontrollable jealousy towards himself was at a level that deserved praise just for not raising his voice right away.

But, of course, Yeon-ho had no way of knowing this.

Far from denying it, his head was spinning. A blue flame began to flicker in Yeon-ho’s wavering eyes. His voice came out in broken pieces.

“Don’t tell me, you were late on purpose?”

“…….”

“You wanted to see how long I’d wait… was this some kind of test?”

Marteo chewed on his tongue in his mouth.

Even in the midst of feeling like he was going crazy, the smile that had crumbled for a moment when he faced Yeon-ho was pathetic. The accusation, focused entirely on the wrong thing, was enough to scratch at that feeling. With cold, simmering eyes, Marteo looked straight at Yeon-ho.

“Is that not allowed?”

“What… did you say?”

“Congratulations. You’ve passed the first stage. Patience is an important quality in someone I’m going to marry.”

This was truly a statement that made it fortunate he had two nostrils.

Marteo didn’t know that Yeon-ho could be this patient, but the same was true for him. He never knew that the man who had always been so amenable to his words could be so good at sarcasm!

The hand on his knee trembled involuntarily.

Why had he drunk all the water? He should have left half of it and splashed it on him!

Sharp gazes collided tensely between Yeon-ho and Marteo. The eyes staring at each other were, in a way, more deeply intertwined than ever.

Honestly, how could Yeon-ho not feel sorry?

Even if there were circumstances, he had ended the relationship in a way that was like throwing it away. But as of this moment, that was over.

The existence of ‘Theon’, who had come to a foreign land alone for his dream and wandered around in cheap studio apartments, had never existed in the first place.

After staring at each other for a long time, Yeon-ho carefully let out a snort.

“The first stage? So there are other stages. What. Chastity, purity? Are you going to ask about things like that too?”

“Of course.”

It was an immediate answer. And as if that wasn’t enough, Marteo immediately took the words as if he had been waiting for them.

“While we’re on the subject, let me ask. What did you do with your new partner? Coming to this meeting means you’ve taken care of things, right?”

He understood the question right away. The biggest lie he had told to get rid of Marteo. It was a natural question for him. How could he overlook the fact that his marriage partner had another partner?

But Yeon-ho had come to this meeting without even thinking that his blind date would be Theon. How could he have imagined that he would be asked what he had done with the person he was sleeping with separately at a blind date?

Yeon-ho hesitated for the first time. At the same time, Marteo’s eyebrows rose once more. His gaze was twice as fierce and sharp as it had been a few minutes ago when they had been fighting with their eyes.

“Why don’t you answer? Don’t tell me you’re so clueless that you came to this meeting without taking care of things!”

The sudden scolding was a bonus.

This was honestly really unfair. If he didn’t have that cluelessness, would he have shaken you off like that? Who do you think has been unable to sleep or eat for the past few days? If I had known from the beginning that you were an Averto…. If that were the case…….

The circling thoughts were finally brought back to square one. Yeon-ho, who had clenched his fist, raised his eyes in the same way.

“It’s just a blind date. It’s not like I’ve signed a marriage certificate, right? How would I know what would happen with you, and why would I have to break up with someone I just met?”

“What… did you say?”

“Besides, I’ll say what you said. …Clueless? Honestly, that’s what I should be asking. What were you thinking, pulling a stunt like this? You know who I am… is this a sensible thing to do?”

“…….”

“I asked you from the beginning! If you were a Morpheus. You said you weren’t? You said you weren’t!”

“…I never said that.”

“What?”

“I never said I wasn’t a Morpheus. Think about it.”

It was true. He hadn’t said a single word that he wasn’t a Morpheus. As the thought flashed through his mind, Marteo began to pour out the rest of his words.

“You’re the one who thought I was an aspiring celebrity from the beginning, and you’re the one who thought I wanted a sponsor. Besides… wasn’t it the same for you, not revealing that you were a Morpheus?”

“Ha? What the……. So, it’s all my fault? You had no intention of deceiving me at all?”

“I just didn’t bother to correct you. I just seized the opportunity when it came.”

“What opportunity! What, the opportunity to keep me by your side and see if I’m suitable as a marriage partner? Or the opportunity to test and measure me, pretending you’re not you, to see what I think about this marriage?”

Bang. Yeon-ho, who finally slammed the table, exploded. His eyes, frighteningly boiling, made him look more like a bird of prey than ever.

Marteo twisted his beautiful lips. In his current state, he wouldn’t listen to or believe anything he said….

But even amidst his self-deprecation, his mind was constantly thinking of ways to hold onto Yeon-ho.

Finally, in a completely subdued tone, Marteo slowly parted his lips.

“Anyway… thanks to you, I’ve confirmed that we have good physical chemistry.”

“……What?”

“You said that day. If I wanted to do it one last time. Doesn’t that mean my body was useful to you too?”

“……!”

“Besides, the fact that you came to this meeting today means you’re thinking about marriage. Instead of going through the trouble of getting to know someone from the beginning, wouldn’t I be better than someone you don’t know at all?”

So, please don’t push me away.

But the desperation, close to despair, was the same for Yeon-ho at this moment.

No. The shock of what he had just heard was greater than anything he had heard so far.

Physical chemistry…. That what had held him so tightly was just because it was convenient, because his lust hadn’t cooled down.

Yeon-ho’s eyes, his head, sank to the floor once more.

Of course… if you just look at the situation, it’s true that there’s nothing wrong with what he’s saying. Yoon Seung-won had said that too, hadn’t he? That there’s nothing scarier than physical attraction.

Right now, his family needed the power of the Averton Family, and if he was still interested in having sex with him, using that was the best option.

In fact, this was nothing new. Only the positions had changed from what he had been doing, and it was no different from the sponsors he had been with.

But… even as he thought that, his emotions were playing out separately.

His reason had cooled down, but he couldn’t control the surge of emotion that was welling up from deep within his chest.

‘If you’re pregnant, your emotions become more volatile, is this what that’s like?’

His hands, which had been clenching his fists repeatedly, unconsciously reached towards his stomach.

Marteo, who hadn’t missed even the smallest movement, also followed his gaze.

He couldn’t even feel it himself, so it couldn’t have been obvious, but Yeon-ho, startled, hugged his stomach again.

In that instant, Marteo, frowning, suddenly sighed.

The words that flowed out while he was like that were enough to shatter even the reason he had barely been holding onto.

“…First, let’s have a meal and talk again.”

He seemed to have mistaken the way he was covering his stomach for being hungry.

…It was absurd. What did he think of him?

Did he look like a parasite who would look for food in this situation?

As he said, it was consideration that had been faithfully displayed even in this situation, but unfortunately, the point had been completely missed.

Instead, it properly touched Yeon-ho’s anger.

Yeon-ho let out a rough laugh, as if to be heard by Marteo, who was trying to call someone.

Marteo, startled by the sharp breath, turned to look at Yeon-ho. It was what he had been hoping for. The laughter became even more intense in front of the man’s face.

“You really don’t understand, do you? I told you this that day too. To throw away all the condoms you used.”

“…….”

“I’ve used your useful body as much as I can, so I’m not interested anymore. Or else, why would I have bothered to break up with you?”

Marteo’s two eyes, which were different colors, turned the same shade of black.

Knowing that, he kicked back his chair and stood up. It was an emotional response that wasn’t like Yeon-ho.

“Whether you eat or not, do as you please.”

Company problems, the thought that he had to coax Averton well and create connections, didn’t exist at this moment.

Yeon-ho, who had turned his back with sarcasm, left the room as it was.

His new shoes were still uncomfortable. Each step he took was heavy, as if he had weights attached to him.

Even so, he had stubbornly passed about half of the hallway. Then, a short vibration was felt in his pocket.

Little Sister

Are you having a good meeting? Call me when it’s over.

It was Seo-jin. Only after seeing the message, only after the image of her anxiously waiting for him came to mind, did his vision become blurred.

‘Damn it! What… what have I done…?’

It was a belated realization and a belated awareness.

Yeon-ho, who had reflexively stopped, looked back at the hallway he had bothered to pass through. Then, his face became even more distorted than before.

A man who didn’t even show any signs of chasing after him when he had acted like this. It didn’t even take 0.01 seconds for the brief regret and reflection to evaporate again.

‘Right. There are plenty of other marriage partners besides me, right? Of course. He’s an Averto, so how could he not be!’

Yeon-ho’s hand, burning with anger, immediately reached for the phone’s call button.

Before the ringtone could even exceed three times, Seo-jin’s voice flew out as if rolling.

“How did it go?”

Yeon-ho also replied without rhyme or reason to the words that had no beginning or end.

“It’s ruined.”

“……What?”

“I said it’s ruined.”

Seo-jin’s stunned breathing returned. Yeon-ho, who had gritted his teeth, ruffled his hair. He was just about to say that he should look for another way.

At that time. Swish, a long arm stretched out from behind and snatched the phone.

Yeon-ho, surprised by the presence that had been silent, turned his head, and Marteo’s face, speaking instead of him, was right in front of his nose.

“Are you Do Seo-jin? This is Marteo Averton. I’d like to see you now.”

“……?!”

“No. I’ll go to you. …Yes. Then I’ll see you in a little while.”

The man, who had cut off the phone as arbitrarily as he had snatched the phone, put the phone he had finished with into his pocket instead of Yeon-ho’s hand. Yeon-ho, who had been frozen by the sudden event, belatedly raised his voice.

“What are you doing now!”

Marteo, who didn’t even blink an eye, just twisted his lips.

“It seems like Do Yeon-ho didn’t understand what I said.”

…What?

“You said earlier that I could do as I pleased. That meant I would do as I pleased too.”

The last text he had received when he was in the bathroom came to mind. At the same time, Marteo grabbed Yeon-ho’s wrist.

A groan escaped involuntarily at the tightening grip. Even so, the strength that was added was useless even if he twisted his body. Besides, the added words were even more effective.

“Do you know? Eagles cut off the breath of their prey first when they resist.”

The gaze that slowly but surely swept over his neck was terribly sincere.

The sad instinct of a pre-food animal. It was no wonder that Yeon-ho’s movements stopped as they were.

♥ ♥ ♥

Yeon-ho, who had been dragged out of the store by Marteo, was then thrown into the passenger seat of a car.

Every time he saw a scene like this in a drama, he always thought.

No, just open the door and get out. What are you doing with your hands and where are you using your feet?

But dramas were surprisingly realistic.

Ah, if a person is too dumbfounded, their body won’t move….

Wouldn’t it be twice as embarrassing to run away and get caught again?

While he was thinking, Marteo, who had made full use of his long legs, quickly got into the driver’s seat and locked the doors.

He decided not to say what he was doing twice. He didn’t want to add lines to an already dramatic situation. Instead, he glared with his eyes that had been given strength.

He couldn’t have not known about the stinging gaze, but Marteo, who had started the car without responding, started the car. By the time he had left the parking lot and entered the road, only the eyes that were staring at him were hurting.

Damn it. Yeon-ho, who had swallowed a curse inside, gave up the one-sided staring contest and turned his gaze out the window. It was at that timing that Marteo’s lips, who had been leaving him alone, parted.

“Put on your seatbelt.”

Why is a threatener worried?

When he ignored him, he heard a clicking sound. Then, a long arm crossed his chest. It was an outrageous act, even though he wasn’t reducing the speed of the car.

What’s the point of a seatbelt if we get into an accident like this!

He couldn’t help but open his mouth.

“I’ll put it on! I’ll put it on, so you look straight ahead!”

Marteo’s hand, which had achieved its purpose after the outburst, returned to the steering wheel. Instead of grabbing his collar, Yeon-ho pulled the belt with rough hands. But even that movement didn’t last long.

A small emblem attached to the belt. It was because the car logo came into view as if it were being magnified just before he fastened the buckle.

Yeon-ho’s head, which had caused a gust of wind, turned towards Marteo. However, his gaze was not on his face but on his hand.

The same emblem as the belt was engraved in the center of the steering wheel that the man was holding.

Cadillac….

The past memories that he had repeatedly reviewed today were turned back to the day he had gone to pick up the car he had left at the room salon.

The sign that had fallen in the middle of the road and the car that had made the already narrow alley even more complicated….

Is it just a simple coincidence that the car he saw then and the current car are the same model?

No, before that, what about the Eagles I witnessed??

He had thought even then that it was strange that he had seen the Eagle twice in a row in the city sky. On the first day he saw it, he even thought that the Eagle seemed to be following his car. At that time, he dismissed it as a feeling…… but as expected, there was no such thing as coincidence in the world.

A gasp of absurdity burst out of his mouth at the intuitive suspicion. Marteo turned to look at Yeon-ho again at the sharp breath, and Yeon-ho twisted his lips even more.

“You, you were really planning this properly, weren’t you?”

“…….”

“…I think I’ve seen this car somewhere.”

“…….”

Yeon-ho didn’t miss the fact that the man’s fingers holding the steering wheel were twitching even though there was no change in his expression. The suspicion was now close to certainty.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before.”

However, once at the cold voice that flowed out after a pause,

“……The clothes you’re wearing now.”

Again at the words that followed, the mouth that was about to ask where he was pretending to be ignorant was stopped.

In the meantime, Marteo repeatedly swept over Yeon-ho.

“Did you buy it on purpose? To look good to Averton?”

If a stranger heard it, they would think Averton was another guy.

‘What is this really trying to do?’

A sigh of absurdity burst out of his mouth again. Then, he intentionally fluttered his collar.

He had learned from the argument with the man earlier that affirmation was more damaging than denial at times like this.

“Uh. You saw it right. It’s a blind date, so I have to show this much sincerity. How is it? Do you like it? Did I pass the test for my sense of style?”

Whether his expectations had worked or not, the face that had not changed began to harden.

He won. Yeon-ho savored his small victory. But the intoxication was short-lived. No matter how much he imitated it, it seemed that he couldn’t surpass the original.

“That’s the worst I’ve ever seen. You might as well have come out naked. That would have worked much better.”

The counterattack came back with a time lag, without even making eye contact. Even with the sarcasm becoming familiar, Yeon-ho’s stomach churned.

Of course, it’s true that he bought new clothes and that it was because of today’s blind date… But when you think about it, isn’t the fundamental culprit himself?

Who made me leave the house without even packing underwear? And why couldn’t I go home even after coming out?

Besides, he recognizes clothes so well, but can’t he see how awful people’s faces are?

Frustration and resentment, but the mixed annoyance was the same for Marteo.

Of course, as soon as Marteo faced Yeon-ho in the room, he noticed that Yeon-ho’s condition wasn’t normal.

However, the worries he had quickly turned in a different direction.

Yeon-ho’s appearance, haggard and gaunt from not eating or sleeping well for the past few days. In a way, it wasn’t unfamiliar.

The languid eyes with fatigue, the somewhat unkempt hair. It was as if they had been exhausted by afterglow after rolling around with him for a long time.

If his imagination was correct, it was obviously not him who made Yeon-ho that way.

On top of that, he was dressed to the nines as if to show off…

Every element that makes up Yeon-ho right now is all because of another man, so how could he have time to worry?

Beyond the feeling of wanting to tear his clothes off right away, Marteo grips the innocent steering wheel. After a long time, he finally couldn’t stand it and opened his mouth again.

“Why… did you change your mind?”

“……”

“You didn’t answer my question earlier. You said you didn’t want to go on a blind date. Didn’t you say you hated Eagles?”

A low, sunken voice. Yeon-ho turned to Marteo, and the car happened to be stopped at a red light. Marteo, who stopped in front of the crosswalk, also looked at Yeon-ho.

“……”

“……”

The gaze pouring down on his face was stinging and hot. The texture of emotions that he couldn’t fully read felt like blame, but also like expectation somewhere.

Suddenly, the impulse to tell the truth about everything rushed in.

That it wasn’t because I wanted to. That I came to this place with the feeling of throwing myself away.

And… that I have your child in my belly.

However, his remaining reason finally held onto his heart.

Would the other party’s misfortune, who is considering marriage, really be a welcome condition?

Isn’t bringing up the pregnancy story here a cowardly way to crush him?

Above all, one of the reasons for his hesitation was that he couldn’t accurately know the man’s intentions.

Until today, he clearly thought that he had shown him favor. He’s not stupid enough to not even notice that.

But the story changes as long as Theon is an Averto.

The person who approached him knowing who I was from the beginning. If the words and actions he had shown so far were a kind of means to make me lower my guard, if he was just trying to figure out the marriage partner in advance… my confession would be useless.

Rather, he would become a fool who was swayed without even knowing it.

Yeon-ho, who had been chewing on it, finally opened his mouth.

“It’s thanks to you.”

“…What do you, mean?”

“I told you that day. It made me come to my senses. If I mess up and get caught by some weirdo, I might really get caught… I won’t be able to do this for long.”

“……”

“So I changed my plan. Rather than getting my nose pierced by a useless guy, I’ll bite a guy with guaranteed backing and live comfortably. Marriage sucks, but I might get divorced later. If it’s an Averto, they’ll give me a huge alimony even if we break up.”

“……”

“Does that answer your question?”

The words, cleverly mixed with truth and lies, seemed plausible in one corner.

Should I really debut as an actor?

He was even about to let out a bitter laugh. Marteo was completely fooled by such Yeon-ho.

Because his sisters were nagging him. He had been hoping for even lip service, that he had reluctantly come out once… but his heart was shattered again this time.

Unable to do anything about his distorted expression, he finally turned his eyes away first.

“…You’re being too honest. I don’t think that’s a response that will get a good evaluation.”

“It’s no use lying. Weren’t you sticking by my side all this time to figure out what kind of person I am?”

Marteo’s jaw rose sharply. It was as if he was barely holding back the words that were about to burst out.

What on earth is he swallowing? Is there anything worth doing that now…?

Suddenly, he felt anxious. Yeon-ho’s hand unknowingly reached for his lower abdomen. Well, he can’t hide as much as I can, but… his mouth opened on its own.

“Then what… were you?”

“……”

“You said you had something you couldn’t say to me.”

The silence until the answer came back was quite long. When the red light turned green, Marteo started the car. It was after that that a cold reply came back.

“I don’t want to answer.”

“…What?”

“Because it’s going to be meaningless to you anyway.”

…What is it. Did he just click his tongue? He just glared at me, right?

Who is telling whom to be too honest. With the changed attitude, Yeon-ho’s hand, which was still on his stomach, clenched with strength.

At the same time, his determination became firm.

‘Yeah, if you don’t like it, quit. I’m never going to talk about pregnancy either!’

Each tightly closed lips. Carrying a heavy silence, the car continued to run.

♥ ♥ ♥

He had guessed it since he took the phone and talked to Seo-jin, but the place where the Cadillac, which had been running for dozens of minutes, stopped was a place that Yeon-ho knew well.

KL Food. Seo-jin’s workplace and his family’s company.

In the first place, he sent the marriage proposal to his house, so it’s not surprising that he knows the location of the company.

However, one thing that even Yeon-ho, who had regained some composure during the move, couldn’t predict.

Unlike before, the office he entered with the guidance of the secretary. It wasn’t just Seo-jin who was waiting for them.

“Welcome.”

A pose as if they had planned it. Greetings that flowed out at the exact same timing. There were two Seo-jins.

Marteo, who was walking ahead, stopped in his place, and even Yeon-ho, who was following behind, widened his eyes.

‘Big… sister?’

Of course, he knows that one of them is Seo-hee in his head. But even for me, who is her younger brother, the two of them are indistinguishable today.

Usually, Seo-hee has a smiling face, and Seo-jin has cynicism as a base… but currently, even their hardened eyebrows are the same.

Moreover, he doesn’t know when she cut her hair, but Seo-hee’s hair, which was long below her waist, is nowhere to be found, and even her plain, achromatic clothes are similar. At this point, he wouldn’t know who is Seo-jin and who is Seo-hee even if he looked again.

But only for a moment. Marteo began to move his stopped feet. Then, of the two people who stood up from their seats, he reached out his hand to the left.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Averto, who greeted you on the phone.”

A conviction that doesn’t even confirm if you are Do Seo-jin. One of the twins had a slightly surprised expression. Then, before long, she slowly grasped the outstretched hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Do Seo-jin.”

“Then this person must be Ms. Do Seo-hee.”

Marteo’s greeting was also directed to Seo-hee, who was unusually stiff. It was after that that Seo-hee’s expression, which was exactly like Seo-jin’s, was somewhat disturbed. Seo-hee, who hesitated, slightly bowed her head instead of shaking hands.

At this point, Yeon-ho began to distinguish the two.

At the same time, he realized one more thing.

It didn’t matter to Marteo who was Seo-jin. Even if he was wrong, embarrassment wouldn’t be his share.

After all, the person who is desperate is the one who cleans up.

As if his guess was correct, Seo-jin quickly organized the situation as Marteo turned his eyes back to him.

“As you may know, she’s my twin sister. She just stopped by to see me… The timing was coincidental.”

Half of it is true and half of it is a lie. Seo-hee is here to meet Seo-jin as she said, but the reason is because she was worried about my blind date. That’s probably why she hasn’t left yet.

I guess she heard my report that ‘it’s ruined’ together.

The reason why her expression was stiff was clearly understood. Seo-hee, who was looking at this side pitifully unlike before, cleared her throat. Then, she moved her mouth towards Marteo with a forced smile.

“I’m sorry… I heard that the person who went on a blind date with my younger sibling was coming, so I was just going to say hello and leave… Well, talk to each other. I’ll be on my way.”

Her shoulders seemed to have shrunk by a foot in the meantime. Yeon-ho, feeling choked up, grabbed Seo-hee’s wrist as she passed by.

“It’s okay. The prior engagement isn’t with my sister, is it? You’re the one who came here unilaterally, so why should my sister leave?”

“Ye, Yeon-ho.”

“Sit down first. It’s not like you’re being punished, and what, is he such a difficult person that you’re all standing?”

Yeon-ho pulled Seo-hee and, as he said, plopped down on the sofa. Seo-hee, flustered, wiggled her butt, and Seo-jin raised her eyebrows.

For someone who said it was ruined, why is the atmosphere so confident? Marteo didn’t seem to feel particularly unpleasant either.

‘…What are these guys?’

The difference between power and authority is clear, but rather the opposite mood. But whether it’s like this or that, it was clear that it was a situation that couldn’t be bad.

Seo-jin, who quickly turned her head, slowly regained her usual face. Then, she gave Marteo a perfunctory smile.

“That’s right. I have a guest and I haven’t even offered a seat… Please sit down first.”

As Seo-jin and Marteo took their seats, an atmosphere was created as if they were really going on a blind date.

Especially Seo-hee, who was nervous and kept looking at Marteo, was just like the bride’s mother.

Why is she picking at her innocent fingernails? She’s going to tear off her flesh at this rate.

Yeon-ho fixed Seo-hee’s hand under the sofa. Marteo didn’t miss such Yeon-ho.

“What kind of drink would you like?”

“……”

Seo-jin’s question went in one ear and out the other.

He knows in his head that they are siblings, but his stomach is easily boiling. He was annoyed by the sight of him repeatedly grabbing another woman’s hand, just like he did a while ago.

The change in emotion was also revealed on his face. The shadow that had been cast on his expressionless eyes for a moment. Seo-jin, who was waiting for an answer from the violent predator’s aspect, flinched without realizing it.

At that moment, Marteo, who barely turned his head, began to speak.

“Drinks are fine. More than that, the reason I asked to meet was…”

“…Please speak.”

“As you may have already heard on the phone… It seems that your younger sibling doesn’t find me appealing as a marriage partner.”

“…Yes?”

“Enough to bring up divorce and alimony right away at the blind date.”

“What… what is that?”

It was the first time in his life that he had seen Do Seo-jin make such a foolish face. Yeon-ho also let go of Seo-hee’s hand, which he had been holding, at the words that came in without even blinking.

But didn’t I say it once before? Sometimes Do Seo-hee is more unstoppable than Do Seo-jin. Seo-hee, who had the same blank face as her twin, grabbed Yeon-ho’s hand this time. Then, unlike what she had been doing so far, she raised her voice.

“Is it true? Did you really ask for alimony?”

“No, that’s…”

“Hey! How can you say that already! Don’t you know that it only becomes legally effective after living for at least a few years? You haven’t even figured out the assets yet!”

“……!”

He could hear Seo-jin taking a rough breath all the way here. Yeon-ho’s blood rushed to the end of his forehead.

Yeah. As expected, a married person. The active ones are different for a reason…

Ah. Why did I hold onto Do Seo-hee!

He couldn’t even dare to look at Marteo. He was barely biting his tongue out of vicarious shame.

After a few seconds of doing that. Did she belatedly notice the frozen atmosphere in the room? Seo-hee quietly dried her throat.

“No, I was worried… He, he’s not the type to say such things without a reason, is he?”

Fortunately, Seo-jin came to her senses at those words. Both of them are useless, so at least I had to hold on to my mind.

Seo-jin took a breath and looked back at Yeon-ho.

“Is it true?”

“……”

“Did you really act that rudely?”

Seo-jin had told him to endure even if the other person was unlucky. But just listening to the story now, it was her younger sibling who was unlucky. At the sharp eyes, Yeon-ho pressed down on the tips of his fingernails as Seo-hee had done earlier.

Should I just say it all? That he screwed me over first. That he tested me knowing who I was?

But to do that, he had to say everything about the previous situation as well. That he sponsored him thinking he was an aspiring celebrity as usual. That they had already rolled around enough.

…Would Do Seo-jin take my side even after hearing these words?

No way. It would be a relief if I didn’t get hit on the back.

Yeon-ho glanced at Marteo. As if he knew all the worries I had, he leisurely blinked his eyes that met his.

His stomach churned repeatedly. Yeon-ho, who finally took off his bitten lips, spat out a rough tone.

“He was the one who was rude first.”

“Hey!”

“He came out an hour late today. Do you know what he said after that? If you’re going to marry him, you have to have that much patience. He congratulated me on passing the first stage!”

“What… did you say?”

The cold eyes that had been directed at Yeon-ho until now immediately turned to Marteo. Of course, Seo-hee’s eyes were no match either.

Marteo twitched his cheekbones for the first time since entering the office at the two women’s glistening eyes pouring out from both sides.

Even so, he was impressed by Yeon-ho’s improvisation. How wonderful is the talent of lying without mixing a single lie…

In the meantime, Yeon-ho drove the wedge altogether.

“And he said my sister’s sense is the worst.”

“What does that mean?”

“He said the clothes I’m wearing today are terrible, and that it would be better to go around naked?”

Words that rose with sarcasm. Yeon-ho even fluttered his jacket collar as he did in the car.

Seo-jin, who was scanning Yeon-ho, turned to Marteo once more without realizing it.

But it’s not just Seo-jin who is surprised by the current words. If she can’t hide her sullen expression, Marteo had a hard time hiding the exclamation that burst out, ah…

‘Those clothes… Do Yeon-ho didn’t buy them himself. He just wore them as they were given to him?’

Marteo quickly covered his mouth as if he was rubbing his lips. Still, it was difficult to hold back the corners of his mouth that kept rising like a fool.

Seo-jin, who doesn’t know him at all, managed to erase her bitter face and salvaged the situation.

“Well… Everyone’s eyes are different. It may not be your taste. Yes.”

“…No. I was the one who was short-sighted. Now that I see it again, I think it’s a great eye.”

“Is that… so?”

“Actually, you can’t know everything at once, whether it’s clothes or anything else, right?”

Compared to her young age, Do Seo-jin is a reasonably seasoned businesswoman.

She noticed that there was a subtle bone in Marteo’s answer, which naturally received her words. Of course, Marteo also saw through that Seo-jin had realized his intentions. He would have been disappointed if she didn’t know.

Without missing it, Marteo snatched the timing.

“So, I have one suggestion I’d like to make.”

“A suggestion…?”

“How about it. About seeing me for a long time in the future.”

“What!”

The reaction burst out from Yeon-ho’s mouth, not Seo-jin’s. In the 0.1 second gap, he wondered if this bastard had switched his blind date partner to his sister instead of him, and that’s why he came all the way here! He also had doubts.

But fortunately or unfortunately, the terrible imagination quickly went wrong.

Marteo, who glanced at Yeon-ho, who was horrified, leisurely crossed his legs as if to show off.

“Currently, our AGT has its base in Rome and operates branches mainly in Europe. But from the second half of this year, we are planning to expand to Asia. Of course… Korea is no exception.”

Seo-jin’s eyes widened. She felt like something she knew but didn’t know was coming right up to her nose. She leaned her upper body forward without realizing it.

“If it’s a branch, what kind of business specifically…?”

Marteo’s lips curled up slightly. The opportunity was right in front of him, and it was no different for Marteo.

He opened his mouth slowly and carefully, but with clear diction.

“It’s premium food distribution. We are preparing a new brand targeting the Asian food market, and we are in the stage of reviewing Korean partner companies. And one of them is Gyelim Food.”

“……!”

Now, a halo was flashing in Seo-jin’s already widened eyes. She should have noticed it since she sent the marriage proposal. This gourd isn’t just a gourd, it’s a gourd that comes in bunches!

If they only form a collaboration with Averto, the current financial difficulties will be solved in an instant. No, just the information that they are considering us will raise the stock price considerably.

Marteo now completely raised the corners of his mouth in front of Seo-jin, who couldn’t hide her excited cheeks.

“Do you have any thoughts?”

“O, of course! We are always considering market expansion as well. Our Gyelim has already secured a stable supply chain and infrastructure in Korea, and especially a special line suitable for distribution…”

Seo-jin’s words were already close to a presentation. From how much tradition Gyelim has to how familiar domestic consumers are with Gyelim.

Marteo listened to such words without showing any signs of boredom. If you want to catch a general, you have to be careful when shooting a horse.

When Seo-jin finished speaking, she even spat out the admiration she had been hoping for.

“Indeed. With this much, you’ll be quite a reliable partner.”

Seo-jin’s face lit up. But only for a moment. A single adverb that slipped out changed the atmosphere.

“But…”

But, but??

“There’s one thing that bothers me.”

“Bothers you? What…”

“Tradition, familiarity. Good values. But it’s easy to be seen as a local image… It might be a bit different from the premium positioning we want…”

“Wait a minute! I can explain that fully. The distribution structure and product line renewal direction. If you just give me the time…”

“That’s the problem. I don’t have time.”

Unlike before, Marteo cut him off sharply. Then, as if to show off, he even shrugged his shoulders.

“I’d like to hear more details, but I have to return to my home country soon.”

“In that case, I can accompany you to Italy…!”

“Well. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want to impose. Besides, it’s still in the consideration stage, and it wouldn’t be fair to give only one company a chance.”

“…Ah.”

It felt like the opportunity that was right in front of him had suddenly retreated far away.

If that’s the case, why did you say you wanted to see me again? Who are you playing with?

Instead of words he couldn’t utter, Seo-jin only moved his dry lips.

After a while, Marteo, who had been tapping the armrest of the sofa, suddenly turned to Yeon-ho with a look of, “Ah.”

“Perhaps, how about this? Instead of Do Seo-jin, your brother accompanies me.”

…Me? What about me? Why me?

While the two were talking business, Yeon-ho had naturally become an old man in the back room. But the arrow had returned to him from a strange direction.

Knowing but pretending not to know Yeon-ho’s wide eyes, Marteo continued to speak as if he had just thought of it.

“It’s a family business, so Do Yeon-ho must have some understanding of the situation… Above all, today’s blind date hasn’t been settled yet, has it?”

“Are you saying…”

“If your brother steps up, there will be a reason other than business, and we can wrap up the remaining stories all at once.”

Yeon-ho and Seo-jin’s eyes widened again. Of course, the meaning was very different.

“What are you talking about!”

“That would be great!”

The two who shouted the same thing paused and glared at each other, but Seo-jin couldn’t back down.

He had already decided to put his brother on the blind date scene. If the company’s business went wrong, they had to form a bond through marriage, and if the marriage went wrong, they had to at least become business partners.

The only card he could play at this point was Do Yeon-ho, yesterday, today, and always.

Seo-jin made the first move.

“Take him. Take him and ask him as much as you want about the blind date or the meeting.”

“Seo-hee! Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? The blind date is already ruined!”

“That’s what you think. I think Averto thinks differently. Isn’t that right?”

“Well… As I said, you can’t know anything by just looking at it once. Besides, from my point of view, I would be grateful if you gave me a chance to make up for my late rudeness today.”

“You heard that, right? What’s wrong with being a little late? When you think about it, he came all the way from Italy. But you couldn’t even wait an hour?”

“That’s not the problem…!”

“Or is there another problem you haven’t told me about?”

Seo-jin cut off Yeon-ho’s words and glared at him. The corners of Marteo’s lips curled up.

Seo-hee’s sisters probably couldn’t see it, but Yeon-ho could see it clearly.

This bastard, he came here planning this from the start!

Is he trying to have a power struggle with me now? Why? He can’t stand being rejected?

Yeon-ho, who was twisted inside, couldn’t stand it and kicked off the sofa.

“If you’re so desperate, Seo-hee should go! That would be great.”

“Were you really sleeping with your eyes open? He said it’s against fairness. And come to think of it, yeah. How can I suddenly leave? What if it’s a trip that lasts several days?”

“Then what about me? I’m not just playing around either. Who decided it would be as long as they want? What about my work? I don’t go to work!”

Even as he said it, he thought it was a very shameless thing to say. He was using the company as an excuse, of all things…

As expected. Not only Seo-jin but even Marteo stopped moving. They looked up at Yeon-ho with eyes that had no anger in them.

The final blow was Seo-hee. She, who was the only one with a surprised look, pulled on Yeon-ho’s collar with wide eyes.

“What, Yeon-ho, didn’t you quit your job? I thought you were always at home, so you left everything to Seung-won… You actually go to work?”

…I’ll say it again, why did I leave Do Seo-hee here!

Yeon-ho’s face was now openly red and blue. In the meantime, Seo-jin, who received the twins’ pass, mercilessly spiked it.

“Don’t worry. We’ll send him even if we have to load him in the cargo hold. More importantly, have you decided on a departure date? If not, we’ll prepare Averto’s ticket as well.”

“You don’t have to go that far…”

“No. We’re faster with this situation. When is it convenient for you?”

Marteo gave his last victorious smile.

“I’m fine with right now.”

A measure that completely ignored his own will. Yeon-ho’s butt fell back onto the sofa as Seo-jin immediately reached for the phone.

The crushed sound was like the flapping of a fallen bird’s wings.

♥ ♥ ♥

Marteo said he was fine with right now, but that was impossible. Direct flights to Rome were already sold out.

But even this was unfortunate for Yeon-ho.

If not today, then tomorrow. Seo-jin, who had already turned into a bulldozer, actively accepted the opinion of the ultra-luxury guest and fixed the departure schedule for the very next day, and then spent all her time catching Yeon-ho.

What did you do at the blind date? I told you not to be prickly, but did you smear poop all over it? This is the last chance. Whether you get a job or get a man, don’t even think about stepping on Korean soil until you achieve one of the two!

The nagging was so severe that this morning. When the man, who should be called a kidnapper rather than a greeter, came to pick me up, I even felt relieved.

‘At least Do Seo-jin will shut up in front of this bastard!’

But the brief liberation was only temporary.

Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Even while dealing with Seo-jin, who occasionally spoke to him, Marteo’s gaze never left him, even when he arrived at the airport and went through the boarding process.

When he came to his senses, he was being dragged by the man through the immigration gate, leaving Seo-jin waving behind him.

Even dramas have a production period, and even when you go to see a movie, there’s commercial time… All of this happened in less than a day… It felt like it would be slower to roast beans in lightning.

How did things turn out like this?

Am I really going to Italy like this!

The ticket prepared by Seo-jin was first class, of course, but in terms of feeling, it felt like he was riding the subway to hell on his way to work.

Of course, the face of the guy who took up the seat next to him looked like he was riding on clouds!

Yeon-ho glared at Marteo.

The man, whose watchful eyes had eased somewhat after boarding the plane, had been checking his phone since earlier.

Judging by the fact that he was occasionally moving his fingers, it seemed like he was talking to someone, and that leisure made him even more pissed off. At the same time, one fact he had forgotten also came to mind.

“When are you going to give me back my phone?”

It was the first time he had spoken first today. Marteo, who he thought was engrossed in his phone, immediately stopped moving. Yeon-ho spoke more clearly.

“When are you going to give me back my phone that you took yesterday?”

“……”

Come to think of it, he hadn’t gotten back the phone that was taken away after talking to Seo-jin. Marteo slowly turned to Yeon-ho. However, the words that slipped out were not related to the question at all.

“Do Seo-jin told the company. That you can’t go to work for a while.”

“So?”

“Do you have any other places to contact?”

Huh? I’m asking for my phone back, do I have to give a reason? The departure screening wasn’t this strict.

“That’s none of your business. Where is it? Give it to me quickly.”

Yeon-ho, who was furious, even held out his hand. Marteo scanned the palm of his hand, which was shaking up and down, once more. Then, he returned to his previous posture and turned his head.

“I left it behind.”

“…What?”

“I forgot.”

There was no explanation of where he left it, how he forgot, or even a hint of apology.

The other person was so confident that he was confused about when to get angry. Marteo, who glanced at Yeon-ho briefly, added as if he was doing him a favor.

“I’ll prepare a new phone when we arrive.”

“……”

He still couldn’t open his mouth.

What’s the point of having a new phone? I can’t memorize any of my contacts!

If I did, I probably wouldn’t brag about it…

In the meantime, Marteo only looked at the phone he didn’t have again. Yeon-ho, who only ground his innocent teeth, eventually turned his head away as well.

The gray runway visible through the small window. Several maintenance vehicles passing by the aircraft and guidance personnel busily organizing the direction with gestures.

Preparations for takeoff were in full swing.

‘I wish there was an accident or something? Like a bolt or nut came loose. Isn’t there a miracle that it falls without even getting near Italy?’

However, the self-deprecating thought didn’t last long.

‘Well. What’s the point if the plane crashes? That bastard will turn into an Eagle and fly away! I’ll be baked chicken right away!’

Even in his imagination, the limitations of the species were too realistic. He was suddenly resentful of being a chicken.

「Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard ○○ Airlines. We sincerely welcome you aboard today. This flight is a Boeing 747-8 going to Rome. We will be taking off soon, so please be seated and fasten your seatbelts for a safe and smooth flight, and turn off your mobile electronic devices…」

An announcement was made from the speaker. Takeoff was really just around the corner.

At the same time as the belated realization, a heavy and complicated worry surged up.

‘The baby in my belly.’

Is this long-distance flight okay in the early stages of pregnancy…?

I can’t search for anything because I don’t have a cell phone… I haven’t even thought about babies until now, so I don’t have any prior knowledge.

A long flight is hard even for a full-grown adult… What if something goes wrong? What if something happens to the baby?

There was no such thing as maternal love, and it wasn’t like he had developed a great affection for the baby in just one day, but strangely, his mouth was dry.

Yeon-ho, who had been hesitating, turned to Marteo again.

The man, who immediately recognized the sign without being called, soon turned his eyes. Then he paused for a moment.

He wondered if he was glaring again, but for some reason, Yeon-ho’s complexion was paler than a few minutes ago.

Marteo, startled, leaned his remaining upper body. The stiff honorifics that he had been using since the blind date had also disappeared.

“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable?”

Yeon-ho, who was rather embarrassed by the urgent tone, hesitated and opened his mouth falteringly.

“No, it’s not that… um…”

“……?”

“It’s about 10 hours to Rome… right?”

“It’ll be about 13 hours. But why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“…It’s nothing.”

There were three more hours than expected. Even though he said it wasn’t, Marteo’s expression darkened as Yeon-ho’s expression became even more blurred.

“…Are you tired? Didn’t you sleep well yesterday?”

Whose fault is that? The words that he expected to be retorted didn’t come back this time either. Marteo, who had been looking at Yeon-ho once more, clicked his tongue instead and raised his hand.

The dedicated flight attendant who was waiting approached quickly. Without even waiting for the question of what he needed, Marteo immediately pointed out the request.

“Can you lower the lights?”

“Which lights are you referring to? You can use this button to turn on the reading light…”

Marteo cut off the employee who was reciting the instructions again.

“I mean the main lights. I wish all the windows were closed, if possible.”

“…Pardon?”

“He couldn’t sleep.”

It was Yeon-ho who was surprised by the explanation attached after the instruction. The flight attendant, who was one beat late in understanding, also let out a small exclamation of “Ah…”

She briefly looked around the cabin. It was an unusual request, not even after takeoff, but fortunately, the only first-class passengers on this flight were the two in front of her. And one more fortunate thing was that she had the authority to adjust the main cabin lights. She soon raised her lips, erasing the embarrassment from earlier.

“I’ll switch to sleep mode.”

Before long, the cabin became even less saturated. He wanted to say something about the situation, which he didn’t want and didn’t have time to say it was okay, but it wasn’t easy to do so.

Because Marteo’s eyes, which were staring at him even in the dimness, were too clear. Yeon-ho, who bit back a sigh, eventually changed the subject.

“…I could have just worn an eye mask.”

“It’s uncomfortable.”

“……”

“Get some sleep.”

Seeing that he was turning his head again because he didn’t answer, it seemed like he knew he had overdone it. His face had become sullen in the meantime.

It didn’t seem like he would be able to sleep. He only thought that you were more uncomfortable than he was.

♥ ♥ ♥

“Yeon-ho… Do Yeon-ho…”

Along with a low voice, a careful touch shakes his shoulder as if rocking a baby in a cradle.

Yeon-ho, who let out a nasal groan in response to the repetition that was not unpleasant but touched his nerves, reflexively curled up.

The sign of shaking his shoulder disappeared for a moment.

Even in the midst of an accident that had not yet returned, he somehow felt sorry for that, and a long sigh cut through his ears.

“Let’s get up now. …We’ll be arriving soon.”

‘Huh… Huh?’

It wasn’t like he was holding his shoulder like before, and his voice wasn’t loud either, but as if he had been hit by cold water, his drowsy mind immediately returned at that moment.

‘Arriving…?’

His eyes popped open. Even then, he couldn’t erase his blank expression for a few seconds.

The low vibration of the humming cabin. The gentle air conditioning wind. The seat that was almost laid flat and the pillow that was firmly supporting his head since when.

Marteo was looking down at Yeon-ho, who was lying down peacefully.

“Are you awake?”

The careful confirmation was a bonus, as if he was dealing with someone who had come back from the dead. Instead of answering, Yeon-ho blinked. His bitten lips were stuck together, and it seemed like a terribly cracked voice would come out if he opened his mouth.

Noticing this, Marteo, who had been watching, handed him a bottle of mineral water that was in the pouch.

“…Sit up if you’re awake. We’ll be landing soon.”

Then he returned to his seat and fastened his seatbelt. At the right time, the flight attendant also turned on the cabin lights, which had been dim until now.

Presumably, everyone was waiting for him to wake up.

Yeon-ho straightened the reclined seat. Instead of opening the mineral water in his hand, he diligently rolled his tongue to stimulate his salivary glands. Only after swallowing the collected saliva did he finally open his mouth.

“Landing… Where are we now?”

Marteo, who glanced at Yeon-ho, pointed to the window with his chin. It meant to open it and check it himself.

He hurriedly raised the closed door cover. And ah… an exclamation leaked out.

Instead of clouds, what cut through his eyes was the sea sparkling in the afternoon sun and the coastline that continued beyond it.

Inside the road that stretched along the coastline, the roofs of buildings on the outskirts of the city were also dotted.

The fact that the surroundings were visible to this extent meant that the altitude had decreased that much, and that there was not much time left until landing as he said.

But… he didn’t know anything while this was happening.

The man’s question of whether he was awake was an excellent choice. If it were him, he would have thought that the guy next to him had been passed out for 13 hours, so was he dead?

As soon as he thought about it, his cheeks flushed.

He couldn’t have been more insensitive even if he tried.

The surging sense of shame eventually brought resentment.

Yeon-ho, who took his eyes off the window, glared at Marteo.

“Why… didn’t you wake me up?”

It was an unnecessary provocation. Marteo raised his eyebrows as if he was dumbfounded. But the answer that slipped out in the meantime was completely different.

“I woke you up.”

“…What?”

“To have a meal. …But I only got cursed at both times.”

“……”

Should he praise his instincts that were honest even in his sleep? Or should he be even more embarrassed than this?

Yeon-ho’s face flushed again at the answer that didn’t get him anything.

But Yeon-ho wouldn’t know. Marteo was secretly relieved that this was also a good complexion.

And in reality, the relief was quite accurate.

It was embarrassing that he had fallen asleep without knowing anything… but this was the first time he had slept so well in a long time!

The condition of his body, which he realized belatedly, was very light. He was worried about the long flight, but this was almost like teleportation. Since the mother’s condition was good, the baby in her belly couldn’t have been uncomfortable either.

‘Yeah… In life, if you lose something, you gain something too.’

As his body became more comfortable, his mind gradually found some room.

Since he was already screwed anyway, what was the point of worrying about getting hurt and upset? When you think about it, how sweet is rice candy?

It was a perfect revival that had finally been revived by investing 13 hours in sleep. As the first word to announce it, Yeon-ho turned back to Marteo again.

“So, what was the in-flight meal?”

♥ ♥ ♥

Compared to the long flight, the entry process was extremely short and simple.

There was no need to go through the official gate at all.

As soon as they got off the plane, a man in a black suit approached them with quick steps.

He had an airport ID pass around his neck, but judging by the fact that he wasn’t wearing a uniform, he didn’t seem to be an airline employee.

Yeon-ho guessed the man’s affiliation.

The VVIP exclusive reception team inside the airport.

As an executive director of an entertainment company, Yeon-ho knew what kind of protocol top stars received when using the airport. But even combining all his past experiences, it was nothing compared to now.

He bowed to Marteo and led the two of them straight to a separate route.

A passage completely separated from the flow of general passengers, even though it was inside the airport. Yeon-ho simply followed Marteo, and someone was always ahead of them, opening doors in advance.

The security check was also perfunctory. The officer only checked Yeon-ho’s passport once and didn’t even check Marteo’s passport at all.

As if all procedures were sufficient with just a ‘face’.

When they got out of the airport entrance, a long, black limousine greeted them.

‘Is this also an airport service?’ he thought, but his expectations were soon shattered.

Just like the reception team earlier, the man standing upright next to the car smiled happily as soon as he spotted Marteo.

“Bentornato, signor Marteo.”

Marteo also slightly raised the corner of his mouth at him, who bowed.

“It’s been a while, Tino.”

It was unfamiliar Italian, but he could tell from the atmosphere. That he knew Marteo, and that they were people who saw each other quite often, enough to call each other by name.

There was only one possible conclusion.

Marteo opened the back door of the limousine before the man could. The driver, who had his job stolen in an instant, looked embarrassed, but Marteo nonchalantly nodded towards Yeon-ho.

“Get in.”

It was a truly annoying attitude, as if it were both an invitation and an order. Still, there was no option to refuse.

As soon as he got in the car, Marteo soon bent his large body over. This time, Tino quickly closed the door without missing the chance. Of course, Marteo didn’t seem to have any intention of closing the door himself.

As he had seen from the outside, the inside of the limousine was also very spacious. Yeon-ho’s eyes scanned the inside of the car once. He had test-driven various cars in his own way… but this was his first time in a limousine.

Seats that were almost like sofas rather than car seats. Black tinted windows. A partition separating the driver’s seat…

Next to a small bar with glasses hanging all over it, there was also a built-in mini-refrigerator. When his eyes stopped there, Marteo, who had been following his gaze, reached out and opened the refrigerator. What he took out was champagne.

“Would you like a glass?”

‘What, are you going to have a toast to celebrate the successful kidnapping?’

Yeon-ho swallowed the words and returned the question with a question.

“By any chance, is this your car?”

The ‘by any chance’ was just added. As expected, Marteo easily affirmed.

“Well… my butler must have been concerned because a guest was coming.”

What unnecessary concern. A car with a driver and even a butler. The protocol he received at the airport, the status of the Averto family, was newly felt.

In the meantime, Marteo, who had unwound the wire and even opened the lid, skillfully poured alcohol into a thin glass. But Yeon-ho did not readily accept the glass that was offered first.

Marteo shrugged. The collapsing golden liquid, making a small bubbling sound, was soon swallowed into the man’s mouth.

The strong leather smell that permeated the car and the subtle sweet smell of alcohol.

Gulp. When Yeon-ho unknowingly made a sound in his throat, Marteo, as if he had been waiting, narrowed his eyes and turned back to this side.

“Really, you don’t want any?”

His voice, as well as his gaze, were asking as if tempting him.

Whether his throat was burning because of the man’s wet lips, or because of the 13 hours of unreplenished moisture.

He felt like he wanted to snatch the bottle whole, not just a glass.

But even a trace amount of alcohol is still alcohol. How could he drink alcohol while pregnant? He knew this much common sense, no matter how clueless he was.

“No, thanks.”

Yeon-ho spat out the words with difficulty. Marteo didn’t offer any more and just tilted the remaining glass.

It was annoying. Even if he said no, the basic Korean is three times. What would happen if he asked more? Then I would have pretended I couldn’t win and asked if there was anything else. That’s what I would have done.

Seeing this, he was definitely a foreigner. Yeon-ho twisted his lips as if he was sulking, unable to hold back in the end.

“Your throat must be really dry?”

“Well… I’m thirsty and hungry.”

“……?”

“I haven’t had a meal either.”

His eyes widened at the reply that flowed after a pause. Come to think of it, Marteo didn’t answer his question about what the in-flight meal was right before landing.

He just clicked his tongue for a moment with eyes that seemed to say, ‘Are you curious about that now?’

At that time, he thought it was because his question was absurd… could that not have been the case?

He couldn’t eat because he was sleeping, but it was a long 13-hour flight. In-flight meals would have been provided twice. Besides that, he could have received snacks or various refreshments if he had just asked… why couldn’t he eat at all?

Just as the question was rising on his face, Marteo moved his mouth.

“You would have woken up if I made noise.”

“……”

He had nothing to say. Just for that reason… he starved with him for 13 hours because of him?

Marteo narrowed his eyes as if asking why at his hardened face. After a while, Yeon-ho revealed his most honest feelings.

“You… don’t know the value of money.”

“What…?”

“That’s right. You and I, we wasted a total of four meals. Wow… I regret the ticket price.”

“……”

This time, it was Marteo’s face that hardened. On the other hand, the thin glass in his hand trembled.

Yeon-ho, who didn’t miss it, pointed it out again.

“It’s spilling. If you’re going to throw it away, throw it in your mouth.”

Of course, Marteo did as he said. Although the speed at which he swallowed the champagne was more than twice as fast as before.

Even so, his expression that he was still very thirsty remained. Finally, Marteo raised his voice as if grinding his teeth.

“Are you really… is that what’s important right now!”

He didn’t know for sure, but it was probably what he wanted to ask since he was on the plane.

But the one he was dealing with was Do Yeon-ho, who had regained his composure after a long period of sleep. Yeon-ho blinked his eyes as if to show off.

“Then what’s important. Anyway, the plane has taken off, and now it’s landed too. In this situation, I don’t know the geography here, and I don’t have a cell phone, so should I open the car door and jump out?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“So, if that’s not what you meant, then what is it? While we’re at it, why don’t you tell me. What did you bring me here for? Did you want to see me flustered? Did you want to properly confirm that I was deceived?”

The empty glass in Marteo’s hand now seemed like it would break. Perhaps if he put a little more strength into it, it wouldn’t be impossible for him either.

Even while shooting at him indifferently, he was annoyed that his gaze kept drifting there.

Whether the glass breaks or not. What does it matter to me if he gets hurt or not?

In the meantime, Marteo, who had been grinding his teeth, ended the situation first.

“Forget it. I think I made a mistake.”

The glass was cleared away nervously.

Whether the mistake he was talking about was the current conversation, or bringing him here. He was really curious about this, but the atmosphere wasn’t right for them to continue talking.

Yeon-ho’s eyes, which had been easily fixed on Marteo, barely moved to the outside of the window, just like the man.

The car, which had left the airport’s internal road, was entering the highway.

A strange country, a strange city where the sun was setting.

All roads lead to Rome… is that really true?

A sign flashed into view, but it was the same as not knowing where it was even if he saw it. It was just like his mind, which had become complicated in an instant.

♥ ♥ ♥

Approximately 50 minutes after departing from the airport. The scenery outside the car, which had been running on the road for a long time, began to change at some point.

The appearance of commercial districts or typical suburban cities gradually disappeared, and from the northwest, lush forests and large mansions caught his eye.

At the end of that, a small sign cut through his vision.

[Restricted Area]

A camera picture and a warning notice were attached below the sign.

From this point on, even the air felt distinctly different.

The road where the wheels were sliding was more organized than the roads he had passed so far, and it was obvious that attention had been paid to each and every roadside tree.

He couldn’t find anyone walking around, and there were even fewer signs. Instead, the number of trees increased as much as the number of streetlights decreased.

The houses, scattered sparsely, each had a huge garden and kept it locked behind a solid gate. As if that wasn’t enough, there was a security guard post next to the gate and several CCTV cameras illuminating the inside and outside of the house.

It was clearly a wealthy neighborhood that prioritized privacy above all else.

The limousine passed through such an entrance and headed further inside.

And finally, a huge gate appeared that was even bigger than what he had seen so far.

Thick steel pillars with intricate patterns engraved on them. A high wall built next to it. Of course, cameras were also included.

However, unlike its imposing appearance, the gate, which opened smoothly to welcome the limousine, had a sense of dignity.

The limousine, which had passed through the gate, began to cross the garden.

It was a larger site than he had seen from the outside. The garden, which seemed to have been carefully cultivated in every place his eyes could reach, was so well-maintained that it could be called a territory.

However, Yeon-ho’s biggest impression was this.

‘…It’s going to be a pain in the ass to walk out of here?’

Marteo, who noticed his indifferent expression, turned to look at Yeon-ho. In that instant, the car finally stopped in one place.

Tino, who quickly got out of the driver’s seat, hurriedly approached the back seat.

When he opened the door, Marteo, who had taken his eyes off Yeon-ho, stepped out of the car first. Yeon-ho also tried to follow him.

If Marteo hadn’t reached out his hand as if to escort him, if that had been the case.

Yeon-ho raised his eyebrows at the long finger extended forward.

‘What is this. Are you telling me not to get off?’

Even though there were no words, the message was clear enough. Marteo, as if there was no other way, slowly withdrew his hand and stepped aside.

Only then did Yeon-ho get out of the car with his own hands and feet. And ah… an exclamation leaked out.

A dozen hours on the plane. Another hour in the car.

The fresh wind, full of the scent of greenery, was so fresh and welcome. ‘I’m finally going to live.’ Yeon-ho’s face unknowingly relaxed.

Marteo also looked at Yeon-ho, whose lips were slightly raised, with relaxed eyes.

The time just before the last sun was setting. Yeon-ho, dyed in the color of the sunset, being right in front of his house, seemed so unreal.

But, unfortunately, the brief amusement was short-lived as he said.

The moment Yeon-ho turned his head once more, chasing the wind that had blown, something harsh cut through his eyes.

‘…Huh?’

Yeon-ho’s back, which had been somewhat relaxed, stiffened. He even took a step back without realizing it.

Approximately 3 meters from where the limousine had stopped.

Someone was standing in front of the wide-open door of the huge mansion. No, to be exact, someone ‘s’.

When Marteo’s gaze reached them following Yeon-ho’s, they all bowed at once as if they had been waiting for this moment.

“Welcome. Young Master.”

Uniforms that were neatly arranged like a knife. The same pose as if measured with a ruler. They were the employees of this mansion.

Yeon-ho’s face was even more dumbfounded.

‘…Do you get this kind of greeting every time you come home?’

He didn’t think they would be this enthusiastic even for a child who came back from kindergarten.

Marteo, who realized that Yeon-ho’s expression wasn’t very good, added a short cough.

“It’s not usually like this. As I said before, my butler said he would treat a guest…”

Of course, he didn’t believe it.

It seems like you were specifically pointing at me for the guest treatment?

As if his expectations were not wrong, the man at the front of the employees, who had straightened up again, began to run towards Marteo as if flying.

“Young Master~!”

The driver who had smiled at Marteo at the airport earlier was nothing compared to him now.

His intense gaze was directed only at Marteo, not even seeing Yeon-ho who was standing next to him. Marteo, like Yeon-ho a little while ago, also took a step back at him, who was even spreading his arms… but it was useless. He chased after Marteo, who had stepped back, and burst out with another desperate voice that was close to pleading.

“Have you returned safely? Mio Dio! How long have I been waiting! Let me see, let me see. Are you hurt anywhere? No, why have you lost so much weight!”

Judging by the atmosphere, it was certain that he was the ‘butler’ that Marteo had mentioned. But his current appearance was closer to a grandfather dealing with a prodigal son.

Even though he knew this wasn’t the time, Yeon-ho bit his lip once at the sight of him turning Marteo inside and out, and again at Marteo’s face, which showed embarrassment.

Marteo, who had furrowed his brow, finally ground his teeth lowly.

“Just do this much. How much further are you going to embarrass me in front of the guest?”

“…Yes?”

“I know you’re happy enough, so stop it!”

When he grabbed and pulled off the collar he was holding onto, the man’s hands, which had been chaotic, finally stopped. He glanced at Yeon-ho. Then, an uncharacteristic blush rose on his dry cheeks.

He had finally realized that he, the young master of the Averto family, had shown a frivolous appearance in front of a guest.

He hurriedly brought his gloved hands in front of his mouth and coughed. Then, he put one hand in front of his chest and the other behind his back and bowed politely.

“I apologize. Please forgive my rudeness. Welcome to Nido d’oro, Do Yeon-ho.”

It was a completely different dignified greeting than before. But what surprised Yeon-ho was not his sudden change. Although there was a word in the middle that he couldn’t understand, the words he spat out, even with a clumsy pronunciation, were Korean.

‘This guy did that too, is Korean a passive skill in this house?’

Yeon-ho frowned. But this was just the beginning. He was still bowing and continued the remaining words.

“I am the butler here, Antonio Bellini. Please feel free to call me ‘Tony’.”

Yeon-ho’s eyebrows, which were already gathered, were now almost touching.

‘What’s his name? ‘Tony’ is… who??’

His head, which caused a gust of wind, immediately turned towards Marteo. As soon as their eyes met, Marteo flinched and turned his gaze away. Of course, in the opposite direction from Yeon-ho.

“……?”

It had been a while since the greeting. When there was no answer, the waiting ‘real Tony’ quietly raised his head. Then, he alternated his gaze between the guest and his precious young master, who were facing each other in a strange posture, with an astonished look.

“Young Master…?”

It was Marteo who broke the ice first. He hurriedly turned to look at Tony.

“How’s dinner preparation going? I’d like to be able to eat right after I shower.”

Suddenly at this time?

But even amidst the doubt, his faithful mouth opened on its own.

“There’s no problem.”

Although dinner usually starts later in Italy than in Korea, if the owner wants to eat breakfast at dawn or dinner at lunch, there’s nothing that can’t be done.

Marteo nodded briefly with a barely returned expression.

“Then in 30 minutes. First… guide him to his room.”

The last words were referring to Yeon-ho.

It was too sudden, but he just had to follow the orders he received.

Tony called one of the waiting servants with a nod.

It was when they finally entered the house, starting with Marteo.

“Why are you following me?”

Marteo, who had stopped again before he could even take ten steps, turned to look at Tony. When he made a face that said, ‘Huh?’, he frowned as well.

“You have to take care of the guest.”

Tony’s expression was dumbfounded. Tony’s top priority had always been Marteo, no matter who came or went in this house, and that had been unchanging until now.

However, despite Tony’s embarrassment, Marteo’s gaze was already directed at the servant attached to Yeon-ho’s back. Marteo clicked his tongue softly.

He didn’t know because he hadn’t paid attention to it until now, but her face was quite pretty. On top of a strange annoyance, Marteo curtly cut off the words.

“You’re the only one who can communicate.”

“Are you saying…”

“From now on, you take care of Yeon-ho directly.”

All of the conversations were in Italian, so Yeon-ho couldn’t understand them. He could only guess that Marteo was in a bad mood.

In the meantime, Tony, who had responded briefly, changed his position and approached Yeon-ho’s side.

“I will guide you. Let’s go.”

It was at this point that he realized what Marteo’s instructions were.

‘The point is, he’s going to put a guard on me?’

Of course, it was a misguided thought, but… when you think about it, it might not be entirely wrong.

Nido d’Oro (Golden Nest).

Now that he had set foot in the Eagle’s nest, there was no easy way to escape.

♥ ♥ ♥

The room that Tony guided him to was located at the very end of the second floor, at the end of the left hallway.

The room, which was brightly lit with dense lighting as if it had been prepared for a guest in advance, was reminiscent of a hotel suite.

The soft carpet under his feet and the elegant furniture finished with high-quality materials.

The Bellini oil painting hanging on the wall seemed to be genuine, and the double curtains draped over the long window were rolled up like the hem of a lavish dress.

A vibrant floral arrangement adorned the tea table, perhaps as a welcoming gesture, and the subtle fragrance of the flowers, rather than artificial air freshener, enhanced the room’s atmosphere.

Yeon-ho, who had paused at the threshold, took the remaining steps.

As he stepped inside and scanned the surroundings once more, Tony, who had quickly followed behind, began to point out the features of the room, reading the situation.

“This is the reception room. The bedroom is inside, and the separate bathroom is next to it. If you need anything, you can press the bell next to the bed or this bell here, and besides that…”

The words that flowed like an answering machine concluded with an offer to immediately accommodate any furniture changes or requests.

Yeon-ho, feigning a frown at the excessive politeness, finally spoke.

“Are all the guest rooms like this?”

“Pardon?”

“No, it seems a bit excessive for a guest. Was this room previously used by someone?”

That was it. Far from wanting to change anything, the room was too splendid to seem like a mere space for guests.

Tony paused momentarily at Yeon-ho’s question. However, the hesitation that had surfaced on his face soon vanished without a trace.

“No, it’s an unoccupied room.”

Even so, he couldn’t help but recall the conversation he had with Marteo yesterday.

‘Which… which room should I prepare?’

The news that he would be returning with the third son of Gyelim was surprising enough, but the subsequent instructions were even more so.

The room was indeed unoccupied, but to give a more accurate answer, he should have added the adverb ‘not yet.’

One of the most beautiful rooms in the mansion.

In fact, this was a space that Tony had personally cared for and cultivated with all his heart for several years. Not for anyone else, but for the lady of the house who would one day reside here.

Marteo was well aware of this fact.

It was Marteo who had always clicked his tongue at Tony for changing the bedding every season and procuring new paintings, calling it a pointless endeavor.

And now, he was being told to give this room to a mere marriage ‘candidate.’ It was natural to doubt his ears, and the true intention was confusing.

‘Is he trying to eliminate the meaning of this room altogether? Or… is there something else he has in mind?’

Unable to be certain, he couldn’t rashly speak his mind.

In that moment, Yeon-ho, who had been silent as well, seemingly lost in thought, spoke again.

“Then what about the other rooms? Are the other rooms also unoccupied?”

“……?”

“I was wondering if anyone else lives in this house besides that guy… no, besides the young master.”

“If you’re asking about blood relations… no. There aren’t any. This place is solely for the young master. The master and the second son, Fabio, reside at the main family home in Bracciano, and the eldest son, Lorenzo, stays in Frascati.”

It was a neat and clear answer, accompanied by detailed information. This time, Yeon-ho had anticipated such a response.

Even if he was just a guest, his son and brothers had returned home after a long time, yet there was no one to welcome Marteo except for the servants. The reason was also predictable.

‘He said he has two half-brothers…’

That would mean his father has another wife. There’s no reason for a grown child to have an awkward cohabitation with a stepmother.

‘Well… that’s fortunate for me.’

Yeon-ho easily concluded. Even so, he couldn’t shake off the subtle feeling of whether they had been kicked out or left on their own accord.

It was when an unknown shadow fell over Yeon-ho’s face. Ahem. Suddenly, Tony let out a small cough.

“Um… if you don’t mind me asking, there’s something I’m curious about as well. May I ask?”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s just that, I was wondering how long you plan to stay here… The young master wouldn’t give me an answer when I asked…”

Seo-jin’s words came to mind. He had told him not to even think about setting foot on Korean soil until he had either caught a man or caught a job.

It was likely that he was being sincere, but Yeon-ho, brushing off the warning, simply said,

“It won’t be long. A week at most. I know it’s an inconvenience, but I’ll be in your care during that time.”

“Inconvenience? That’s not what I meant at all.”

Tony, startled, vehemently waved his hands. He seemed like someone who was fun to tease, despite his age.

Yeon-ho, erasing the lingering bitterness from the corner of his lips, deliberately narrowed his eyes.

“Really not?”

Tony, even more flustered, waved his hands again and even rambled on.

“Of course! It’s just that the things we need to prepare change depending on the length of your stay, so I wanted to confirm… Besides, Yeon-ho, you must have work to do as well, so I was worried. Oh, right! Now that I think about it, isn’t it still the semester in Korea? Is school alright?”

His pronunciation, which was far inferior to Marteo’s, became clearer as he spoke faster. After all, people’s abilities are often revealed in times of urgency.

However, there was one word that stood out due to the clearer diction.

Semester and school.

‘…Why is he suddenly saying this?’

Yeon-ho paused, and Tony, who had also faltered, blinked. Then, with a hesitant look, he carefully moved his lips.

“Perhaps… have you already graduated?”

It sounded strange no matter how he heard it. Yeon-ho, furrowing his brow, replied with doubt.

“I graduated ten years ago…”

“Pardon?”

The man’s eyes, which were already wide, widened even further at that moment.

‘T-Ten years? He skipped grades that fast? Even the young master wasn’t that quick! Could it be that this person… is a genius!’

…Of course not. Although he wasn’t bad at studying, Yeon-ho had entered school at a perfectly normal age and graduated at a typical age as well.

Then what was this mismatched conversation?

A brief silence passed between the two, who were both clueless. After a while… Yeon-ho was the first to realize.

A few seconds later, Tony also noticed his mistake. He scanned Yeon-ho with a stiff expression and swallowed hard. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke next.

“Um, I’m really sorry for being rude and presumptuous, but may I ask just one more thing…?”

“……”

Yeon-ho already seemed to know what he was going to ask. Soon, the expected question parted his lips.

“Perhaps, how old are you…?”

“……Thirty-two.”

Unlike the dry and curt answer, a bucketful of wet sweat streamed down Tony’s back.

‘These damn bastards! And they get paid so much!’

Marteo’s carefully selected marriage candidate.

However, there was an error in the documents he had received. He didn’t know where it had gone wrong, but the Yeon-ho that Tony knew was twenty-three, not thirty-two. 2 and 3. The numbers were completely reversed.

Even though it’s difficult to guess the age of an Asian, and even knowing it, the man in front of him still looked like he was in his twenties… Still, how could they make such a mistake!

Yeon-ho could clearly see Tony’s face, which was rapidly collapsing every second, before he could even say anything. He knew exactly what he was thinking.

However, Yeon-ho was just as dumbfounded and speechless.

That’s right. Looking back, it was strange.

Just as he had been shocked to hear Marteo’s age, it should have been the same for them.

In a situation where producing an heir was of utmost importance, and they had even sent marriage proposals to mere ‘chickens,’ how could they even consider someone who was eight years older?

It was obvious that the younger the mother, the more advantageous it was for producing children.

Judging by his expression… it seemed like there had been some kind of mistake in the middle… Did that guy even know about this?

Come to think of it, he had never properly revealed his age.

Yeon-ho, who had accurately and quickly grasped the situation, finally let out a sigh.

“It seems you didn’t know my age.”

Tony flinched once more and then hurriedly straightened his disheveled posture.

“I-I’m sorry. It’s not that I didn’t know… it’s just that you look so young… I was just wondering.”

He was trying, but it was like crying over spilled milk.

Still, he understood. In any case, he had already come all the way to Italy, and he had even been brought into the house, so would they immediately reject him just because he was old? Would they tell him to go back right away?

His efforts to salvage the situation even in his panic, his tact in turning the conversation into a compliment, were truly exemplary of a butler.

Yeon-ho forcibly suppressed the corners of his lips.

“…I see. I’m the one who should be sorry for startling you for no reason.”

Pretending to be fooled even though he knew, pretending not to see even though he saw, wasn’t this the proper response of a ’30-something’ who had lived a long life?

As expected, Tony visibly showed a sense of relief.

“Not at all.”

“……”

“Well… you must be tired, so please rest first. I’ll come back to escort you when dinner is ready.”

Well, he had quickly declared his retreat as if to hide his expression.

Before long, the large door closed softly. His steps were faltering, but it seemed that the habits ingrained in his body hadn’t gone anywhere.

Once even the smallest sounds subsided, silence quickly filled the large room.

The fragrant scent of flowers. The still elegant guest room…

However, the desire to examine the remaining corners had long since disappeared.

Before long, Yeon-ho slumped onto the sofa. He pressed his throbbing temples with his hand.

‘Did I graduate? You look so young…?’

Ha. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it was.

To summarize, it was like this. The butler here had completely misjudged his age, and if Marteo was the same, then the marriage proposal itself would have been a mistake from the start.

From his perspective, the man was a chick who hadn’t even dried his wings, but from their perspective, he was an old hen that they wouldn’t even eat if you gave it to them.

‘Shit. If the marriage partner is almost ten years older, it’ll be a bit of a turn-off, right? I can’t exactly appeal that my reproductive abilities are second to none now…’

Before he knew it, his hand had left his forehead and was now groping around his stomach.

‘Maybe… I should just focus on work instead of men…’

A long, drawn-out sigh. Yeon-ho’s head finally fell back against the headrest.

♥ ♥ ♥

Yeon-ho’s complexion wasn’t good throughout the entire meal.

No matter how many times he tried to strike up a conversation, all he got in return were perfunctory replies.

He thought that perhaps he was uncomfortable with being forcibly dragged all the way here… but that didn’t seem to be the case.

If that were the case, he wouldn’t have scraped at his nerves so nonchalantly in the limousine.

Above all, the way he frowned and then stopped in the middle of it seemed more like he was lost in thought.

‘Could it be that… he’s worried about a new partner he left behind in Korea?’

As soon as the thought reached this point, he completely lost his appetite despite being hungry for a long time. He had even offered him wine to try and lighten the mood, but he was flatly rejected with a no.

After that, they finished the meal in silence.

The first meal in Italy with Yeon-ho, which he had been looking forward to, ended terribly.

‘What can I do to make him feel even a little better… What should I do to turn his thoughts to me?’

It was when Marteo’s fingertips were endlessly drumming on the desk.

Knock, knock, a knock was heard. Tony entered after a pause. Marteo immediately opened his mouth without hesitation.

“How’s Yeon-ho?”

“I’ve just escorted him to his room. He said he didn’t need any help with his bath… so I withdrew…”

“Ah. That’s not necessary.”

Even though he had told him to attend to him without fail, he was just as curt in this regard. As he tilted his head, Marteo continued to speak.

“What did he say about the room? Did he seem to like it?”

“He did ask if someone had been using the room, but… he didn’t seem to dislike it.”

“…Is that so?”

A faint smile barely appeared on Marteo’s lips. Then, with a look of ‘ah, right!’ he spoke again.

“Prepare something simple for breakfast tomorrow. He doesn’t like eating a heavy meal in the morning. If he asks for coffee, make sure to check if he wants it iced.”

“I…ced?”

“You know, with a lot of ice. Oh, and ask if he needs syrup too.”

Tony’s eyes widened. He was being told to make such a terrible drink in this house?

However, Marteo, pretending not to know even though he clearly did, simply gave him a look as if to ask what the problem was. Tony’s eyes quickly became lifeless.

“…As you wish.”

It was unexpected. He thought he would start a second revolt, saying that it would be better to serve dirty water?

The question was soon resolved. Tony, wetting his dry lips once, spoke again.

“Um, young master… actually, there’s something important I need to tell you…”

“Is it about Lorenzo? I’ve already heard about that.”

His expression, which had been somewhat relaxed when talking about Yeon-ho, suddenly turned cold when he mentioned his brother.

‘How much colder will it get from now on?’

Tony’s fist, which was already clenched inward, tightened even more. But he couldn’t avoid the issue. Tony, closing the distance to the desk, took a deep breath.

“It’s not about Lorenzo… it’s about Do Yeon-ho.”

“…What?”

“I’m really sorry to bring this up… but there was a small, no, a big… mistake in the documents when preparing for this matchmaking.”

With those words, Tony immediately bowed to his waist. As expected, Marteo’s face began to stiffen.

Yeon-ho and mistake. It was an annoying combination of words.

Instead of telling him to raise his head, Marteo moved his sharp voice.

“Explain it so I can understand.”

Still in a bowed posture, Tony swallowed hard. The end of his voice trembled.

“I used a newly found private investigation agency this time while sorting through the young master’s matchmaking candidates. But whether it was because the selection wasn’t appropriate, there were insufficient parts in the investigation. It was clearly written as twenty-three in the documents… but in fact, Do Yeon-ho’s age is…”

Tony, who had said this far, tightly closed his eyes.

“Thirty-two… It seems that the numbers were reversed, but I was too hasty and didn’t check properly.”

“……”

“I’m really sorry. It’s entirely my fault. There was clearly content about being employed at a company… I just thought it was social experience.”

That’s right. In fact, Yeon-ho’s documents clearly included information about Doit Entertainment. But because he wasn’t the CEO and because of his age, he had mistakenly thought it was the social experience of a young master from a wealthy family using connections.

Moreover, the reason he had sent marriage proposals to Gyelim in the first place was 80% to make up the numbers. ¼ was the minimum to consider his young master, who had Korean blood flowing through him. For that reason, he didn’t care much about the paper chicken. Rather, he thought that there would be no overlap with other candidates, and there would be no repercussions even if he postponed it to a lower priority.

But… who would have known? Marteo, who had gone all the way to Korea, would suddenly bring back the third son of that family. This was something he had never dreamed of, as much as the incorrect documents.

Tony lowered his back even further, which was already bent at a 90-degree angle.

Now, he was almost at the point where his head would touch his knees.

How long had passed in that state? Instead of the scolding he had been anxiously waiting for, a low voice split his ears.

“Is that… all?”

“……?”

“You’re saying there are no other problems besides Yeon-ho’s age, right?”

Even listening again, it was a question that was far from a reprimand. The tone, which was carefully examining, seemed closer to reassurance.

Without realizing it, Tony raised his head. A loud sound echoed from his waist, but that was a problem for later.

Marteo, who had met Tony’s blank gaze, raised his eyebrows.

“Why? Is there another mistake?”

“Ah, no! There isn’t. Probably…”

“Probably?”

“That’s… just in case, I meant that I would look at the data more closely…”

“It’s okay. There’s no need to do that. Let’s not talk about this anymore.”

“……!”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. When he had raged when he had turned the marriage proposal without permission, and now there was a mistake in the related documents… and it was over this easily?

Marteo, who was neither standing straight nor completely bent, was already approaching Tony, who was frozen in an awkward posture.

Then, he seemed to help straighten his remaining back and patted his shoulder.

“Antonio, it’s not like you’re making these kinds of mistakes for the first time, but…”

Ah, but?

“This mistake… you did well. It’s the best ever.”

…Huh? H-Huh?

The long hand that had been placed on his shoulder patted and even soothed Tony as if to congratulate him.

Tony’s pupils shook wildly. He even dared to grab the precious young master’s hand and pull it away. Then, a desperate and tearful nasal sound finally burst out.

“Rather… rather, tell me you’re going to cut my salary!”

“…What?”

“I understand. You’re going to fire me at this opportunity, right? I have that much sense!”

His face was not only red, but he also looked so sad that he seemed like he would burst into tears if you touched him. Marteo, who was watching, let out a short exclamation. He narrowed his eyes as if teasing him.

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t see any. Tact.”

“Young Master!”

Tony raised his voice again. But Marteo’s words were utterly sincere. Tony seemed to have just learned Yeon-ho’s age, but Marteo naturally knew it.

After all, he was much older than him even when they first met.

Of course, he still regretted sending that damn proposal without his permission, but looking at the result, it might have been a good thing.

Because it gave him a chance to meet Yeon-ho even a little earlier.

Moreover, if he had prepared properly, and if this ‘mistake’ hadn’t happened, Tony would have complained about the age difference.

But what about now? He must feel guilty, so he wouldn’t even dream of complaining.

Marteo, who had perfectly concealed his inner thoughts and amusement, chuckled inwardly and placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder again.

“Antonio. Who will take care of the guests if you’re not here?”

“Th, that’s…”

“I’ll decide whether to fire you or not later. So, if you really don’t want to be fired, take good care of Yeon-ho. Oh, except for bathing him.”

“……!”

“If you understand, you can leave now.”

Marteo, who had repeatedly added his last request, whether it was a joke or not, pushed the shoulder he was holding outwards.

Tony, who had been kicked out of the room without even being told to wait, blinked blankly for a long time even after the office door slammed shut!

Although the ending was rough, it was too lenient a treatment compared to the big mistake.

He still couldn’t believe whether it was a dream or reality. But one thing was clear.

His way to survive was to serve the guest with utmost devotion.

‘This is not the time for this. I need to check his bedding one more time!’

Tony’s quick feet finally kicked off down the hallway.

♥ ♥ ♥

Was it because of the baby in his belly? Or was he just really insensitive?

Yeon-ho seriously pondered as soon as he opened his eyes to the high ceiling.

Thirteen hours of sleep. A reversed time difference. He thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep properly this time… but his expectations were once again wrong.

He didn’t know the exact time because he didn’t have his phone, but it was the refreshing and unsettling peace that he usually tasted on days when he ruined his commute.

The internal clock built into his body was telling him that it was well past 9 a.m.

“Hoo…”

Yeon-ho sighed involuntarily and then got out of bed. He staggered to the window and opened the closed curtains, and as expected, bright light poured into the room.

The garden visible through the window was also boasting its lush greenery in the sparkling sunlight.

When he opened the window, a few unknown birds sitting on nearby branches fluttered up.

Following their trajectory, white clouds like torn cotton candy and the contrasting deep blue sky of Southern Europe divided his vision.

Two days since the kidnapping. Thinking about it again, it was an excessively relaxed and romantic awakening for a forcibly abducted prisoner.

‘Yeah. Let’s just… blame it on the baby.’

Yeon-ho, who had covered his eyes, finally blamed it on the baby in his belly and barely moved away from the window.

It was more than thirty minutes later that he left the room.

He washed up. Changed his clothes a bit… and even styled his hair. Since he was already late, there was no reason to rush.

But as he left the room and walked along the hallway, anxiety gradually crept in.

The mansion, large enough to play hide-and-seek with a hundred people, was too quiet.

‘What is it… where did all the employees I saw yesterday go?’

By the time he reached the end of the hallway, his pace had unknowingly quickened. And it was finally when he came down to the first-floor hall.

“Are you awake?”

A voice that had become familiar to his ears in just one day came from behind him. Yeon-ho was surprised for a moment, but a slight relief crossed his face.

“Antonio…”

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

A courteous and dignified gesture. It was Tony who bowed slightly and raised his head. Yeon-ho, who almost let out an unintentional bitter smile at his question, composed himself.

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

The perfunctory greeting was not just a formality. The man’s embarrassment, which he couldn’t completely hide after learning his age.

Honestly, he thought it was an understandable reaction and thought he might treat him awkwardly. But unlike his expectations, he visited the room where he was staying twice last night.

Whether the bed cushions were uncomfortable. Whether the pillow height was appropriate. From the temperature and humidity of the room to the presence of drinking water.

In the delicate and detailed consideration, the bewilderment he had seen before dinner was nowhere to be found, only attentive politeness remained.

‘Maybe… the reason I slept so well wasn’t the baby, but this person?’

It was when his thoughts reached that point. Tony, who had a gentle smile as if he was grateful for Yeon-ho’s greeting, continued to speak.

“But why did you come down to the first floor…? You could have called me if you needed anything.”

Yeon-ho had been a young master since birth. But he still wasn’t used to having people come and go with just the ring of a bell while lying in his room.

Above all, wasn’t it essential to explore what kind of atmosphere this place had and what form the enemy camp (?) took?

Yeon-ho, who had hidden his thoughts, shrugged as if it were nothing.

“I just got up and came down. It’s faster for me to move anyway. Oh, by the way. I didn’t see a clock in the room… what time is it now? Is it past ten…?”

It was also a bonus to ask what he was curious about at the same time. But what appeared on Tony’s face, which had paused for a moment, was an ambiguous smile that was different from before.

As he tilted his head, he gathered his expression late and brought his fist to his mouth with a small cough.

“Excuse me. First of all, the clock is on the side table in the drawing room, but if you need to see it right from the bed, I will provide it separately. And the current time is…”

Tony, who stopped speaking at this point, rummaged through his jacket pocket. What came out from inside was a pocket watch.

Are there people who still use things like that these days? While Yeon-ho’s eyes widened, Tony opened the lid and quickly scanned the clock hands. The answer remained after that.

“It’s 13:48.”

“……!”

He felt like he knew what the ambiguous smile was. Also, his delicate consideration was newly touching.

‘Are you awake?’ The greeting Tony had given a little while ago. The adverb ‘already’ should have been attached before that.

‘No wonder my body felt too refreshed….’

A faint heat spread across Yeon-ho’s cheeks. Tony, who noticed, changed the subject tactfully.

“Come to think of it, aren’t you hungry? I’ll prepare a meal right away if you need it.”

It was quite embarrassing to have slept until noon at someone else’s house and ask for food as soon as he opened his eyes.

However, the desire for sleep. Appetite. Human desires were very faithful even at times like this. As soon as the word ‘meal’ came out, his stomach rumbled as if on cue.

Come to think of it, he skipped all the in-flight meals. His head was complicated at dinner, so he barely ate. It was no wonder he was hungry.

Between face-saving and practicality, the scale finally tilted towards the latter.

He thought about it in the room too, but since he was already late, there was no business in being shameless, right?

“Please.”

“Ah, but where should we have the meal… should I bring it to your room?”

Still, this was too much. Yeon-ho quickly shook his head.

“I’ll just have it downstairs.”

He took a step as if to preemptively prevent them from saying they would come to pick him up again. Fortunately, Tony seemed to understand his intentions and followed him silently. In the end, it changed to a form where he overtook Yeon-ho and guided him again.

“This way.”

Tony, who had reached a fork in the road, pointed in a different direction than yesterday.

While tilting his head, Yeon-ho also changed his pace, following Tony. The place they arrived at the end was a space with a different atmosphere from the dining room where they had eaten yesterday.

The scale was much smaller, but thanks to that, the room felt more intimate. The table attached to the window and the scenery overlooking the garden at a glance were like a cozy cafe.

“I thought this would be more comfortable for you to eat alone.”

Tony added an explanation. When Yeon-ho’s gaze, which had been examining the interior, returned, he pulled out a dining chair.

A polite escort felt in his attitude. But what Yeon-ho was currently focused on was a completely different part. Yeon-ho opened his mouth right away.

“Alone… do you mean I’m the only one eating?”

“Yes?”

“What about that bastard?”

He didn’t even have time to correct his honorifics. Tony’s eyebrows raised slightly at the blatant rough expression, but the expression quickly disappeared.

“If you’re asking about the young master, he’s already gone to work.”

“……Gone to work…?”

“He has a lot of work piled up.”

Ah…. That’s right. He’s not a jobless person or an aspiring celebrity anymore.

Looking at the conversation he had with Seo-jin, it seemed that he was in charge of important responsibilities at the company even at a young age, and as he said, since it was his first time back in his home country in a long time, he would have a lot of people to meet and work to do.

Besides, is it even that early? There was no reason for him to starve while waiting for him even if he didn’t go to work.

But… even if he understood all of this with his head, no, the more he understood, the worse he felt.

That the man who had been rolling around with him until late, having a late meal, and playing with his hands while watching TV was all an illusion.

That he had left him stuck in a place like this and had gone out to eat and even work.

Even though he knew it was unreasonable, Yeon-ho’s face finally crumpled.

But there is one thing that Yeon-ho doesn’t know.

As he said, it was a time that was too late. How long Marteo had waited for him to wake up.

Marteo had actually left the house only an hour ago. He skipped breakfast, saying he would eat with Yeon-ho when he woke up, and the same went for lunch.

All he had put in his mouth since he woke up early in the morning was just a cup of espresso. If the secretary who came to pick him up hadn’t made a fuss about being late for the meeting, he might have even skipped work.

What’s more, what about the request he made when he left the house?

‘Be careful not to wake him up, as he seems tired. Don’t let him hear people’s voices.’

This is the whole story of why Yeon-ho couldn’t find any employees anywhere on the second floor.

However, Tony has no intention of talking about these facts.

Because Marteo’s appearance, wandering aimlessly in front of Yeon-ho’s room, was so pathetic even to him.

Protecting the dignity and class of the owner. What other duty of a butler could be more important than this?

At the end of different thoughts, Tony straightened his posture and opened his mouth again.

“I prepared something simple for breakfast, is that okay?”

“Yes. Whatever…”

“Then what kind of drink would you like me to prepare?”

His heart fluttered a little at this question. Please don’t let it be coffee. Say anything but coffee.

But his earnestness was useless.

“Coffee, please.”

The corner of Tony’s mouth, which had been raised, trembled. It was time to spit out a question that he really didn’t want to say, a question he had never uttered before.

“Th… warm, or cold…”

But Yeon-ho’s answer to the difficult question was quick as expected.

“Iced, please. With lots of ice.”

His stomach was already churning, what would he do with hot coffee?

Tony’s shoulders dropped an inch. Then, just as he was about to turn his heavy feet as if heading to hell.

“No. Wait a minute.”

Yeon-ho grabbed Tony. When he turned around with a ‘yes?’, Yeon-ho, who was looking at his stomach with a face that didn’t seem very willing, sighed.

“Just… please give me a glass of water instead of coffee.”

It was no wonder that Tony’s face, which had been withering, lit up.

“Really, is that all you want?”

“……?”

“No, it’s nothing! Please wait a moment.”

He smiled brightly, afraid that Yeon-ho’s mind would change, and this time he took off as if flying.

♥ ♥ ♥

He said he had prepared something simple, but the meal was quite satisfactory. A thick soup with small grains of rice and vegetables, a Caprese salad with tomatoes and cheese. There were also several types of fresh jam and strangely shaped bread.

Every time Yeon-ho’s gaze reached, Tony occasionally added explanations by his side, and as he tasted each dish, he quickly became full.

As Yeon-ho’s increasingly slow movements finally stopped completely, the servants who had been waiting on the side began to clear the plates in an orderly manner.

Yeon-ho turned his gaze to the window.

As it was when he woke up, the garden with the sunlight stretched out was still peaceful in every corner, like a picture in a frame.

A moderately full stomach and warm sunlight. Moreover, even people who set up and clean up without him having to lift a finger. Thinking about it again, it was a truly detached morning from the reality he was facing.

‘Is this what it’s like to be carefree? Anyone would think I came on vacation….’

A soft smile leaked from Yeon-ho’s lips.

In that instant. Tony, who had left his seat for a while, re-entered the room. He was holding a wide tray in his hand.

‘…Is it dessert?’

If it was fruit, he might be able to eat one or two more pieces, but he didn’t really have any thoughts about sweet pastries. But what Tony, who soon stopped walking, put down on the table was completely different from what he had expected.

Linen neatly laid out on a silver tray and two flat objects neatly placed on top.

Yeon-ho’s languid expression changed in an instant. His raised eyes wandered over the tray for a long time before slowly turning to Tony.

“…What is this.”

Tony, who smiled, pulled the object in front of Yeon-ho once more.

“These are the things the young master told me to prepare. He said you would be uncomfortable without a phone. The young master’s and my numbers are already registered.”

“……”

Yeon-ho’s expression did not ease even with the added explanation.

As he said, one of the objects on the tray was a new cell phone.

Conceding a hundred times that they had taken his phone as if robbing it and didn’t even have the courtesy to bring it, this was too obvious.

However, the problem was the other one.

A black card that perfectly contrasted with the white linen. The name ‘Marteo Averto’ was clearly engraved on the front.

A hollow laugh escaped.

“Then this. Did you prepare this so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable too?The card wedged between Yeon-ho’s index and middle fingers was shaking back and forth carelessly. A gesture that was clearly intentional to anyone who saw it. But Tony was calm.

“Of course. We will prepare as much as possible if you need anything, but I thought you might have other personal uses for it.”

“I can use my card for personal matters. Do you give out cards like this to every guest who comes here?”

Yeon-ho’s voice finally rose a tone. Only then did Tony show a flustered face. But his fluster was far from what he had expected. Soon, Tony narrowed his eyes.

“Excuse me, but Yeon-ho-nim. Yeon-ho-nim is not just a ‘guest’, is he?”

“What… did you say?”

“In my humble opinion, Yeon-ho-nim coming all the way here means that you have some thoughts about marrying our young master. Of course, you are still one of the candidates, and I understand that you are trying to be cautious… but anyway, aren’t you someone who has talked about marriage? How can you bring someone like that and make them use their personal money…? This is not the Averton Family’s way, no, it’s not the quality of a man before that.”

What? Quality…? …Then what am I? Am I not a man?

Yeon-ho’s dumbfounded mouth opened. Tony, who didn’t miss it, drove in one more wedge with a smile that had returned.

“For your information… there is no limit on the card. So please don’t feel any pressure.”

Even the words that Yeon-ho was about to argue in his head all evaporated.

Instead, what came to mind was Marteo’s face, who had looked at the card he had handed him strangely at some point.

─Use it if you need anything. Don’t ruin your body by doing part-time jobs.

At that time. Was that… how he felt…?

So is he taking revenge like this??

Come to think of it, this is what I’ve been doing all along.

I even babbled a lot of petty advice, saying that you should know how to seize opportunities when they come, and that you should throw away your pride….

But human life is still reciprocal. The one in power and the subordinate. Above and below. When the position was actually changed to the receiving side, this damn pride was not easily thrown away.

Especially, what was most piercing to the bone was the explanation that there was no limit on the card.

If you’re going to pay back, you have to pay back in the same size. Why is there an option attached where I lose?

I’ve never even tried to say such a childish… and so cool line before?!

Of course, it wasn’t Marteo who conveyed it directly, but from Yeon-ho’s point of view, it was the same whether he flipped it over or matched it. Now, even Tony’s face seemed to be covered with Marteo’s face.

His heart boiled over a dozen times with the desire to throw the card in his face.

But…… haven’t I always said it? Do Yeon-ho’s strength. That is that he knows his place well.

If he throws the card right away, he’ll feel a little better. But is that really the best choice?

If Marteo and he are still on opposite sides, what should he do to make him even more angry?

My head, which had been spinning like crazy, suddenly stopped at one point. It was only then that my eyes flashed toward Tony, who was still looking down at me with a puzzled expression.

“Really… can I use this card however I want?”

“Of course.”

“No problem no matter what I buy?”

“Yes.”

“What if… I said I wanted to buy a house or an island?”

At this, Tony hesitated for the first time. But only for a moment. Soon he showed a serious and grave expression, rubbing his chin.

“Well… when it comes to islands, foreign purchases are very restricted, so I’m not sure if it would be possible within a week……”

Oh, is that so?

At this point, Yeon-ho decided to stop testing Tony. He shoved the card he’d been gripping tightly into his pants pocket.

“I understand. When you’re being so considerate, refusing would indeed go against ‘a man’s dignity.’ I’ll gratefully accept the card. And since we’re on the subject, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“Please go ahead.”

“Let’s borrow one of the cars this house isn’t using.”

“You… want to borrow it, not buy it?”

I thought he was someone who enjoyed teasing others, but now it seems he’s also skilled at making others feel teased. Yeon-ho, who had clenched his teeth, made an effort to steady his breathing.

“Yes. For now. Is there a car available right away?”

“Well, there is one but…… Why the car? Are you perhaps thinking of going out?”

“Why? Is the card free to use but going out requires permission?”

Unlike before, Tony avoided an immediate answer and showed a hesitant expression for a moment. Then, after a long pause, he shook his head sideways.

“No. I’ll prepare it right away. However……”

However?

“Could you wait about 5 minutes? …Wearing these clothes would be somewhat inappropriate for the TPO.”

At first, I thought he was criticizing my outfit. What’s wrong with cotton pants and a shirt? Thanks to that, when I glanced down, I soon realized I was wrong. What Tony was looking over wasn’t Yeon-ho, but his own uniform.

This…… I think there might be a catch.

♥ ♥ ♥

The car Tony prepared was an ordinary Mercedes.

Of course, calling an S-Class Mercedes ordinary is nonsense of the highest order. But compared to the limousine I saw yesterday, this was certainly closer to universal ordinariness.

“Please get in.”

While I was lost in brief contemplation, Tony, who had approached the car door first, opened the rear door instead of the driver.

The driver, whose job had been taken, hesitated for a moment before making eye contact with Yeon-ho and bowing his head. His face was completely unfamiliar—he wasn’t the man who had come to the airport.

Was he Marteo’s dedicated driver yesterday?

I suddenly remembered Marteo, who had refused a car when we first went to eat together.

A limousine, a Mercedes, and even a personal driver…. Huh. No wonder he refused.

As if cutting off unnecessary thoughts, Yeon-ho slid his body into the open car. Tony, confirming this, tried to close the door. Yeon-ho, who was shifting his butt further into the wide seat, raised his voice, “Wait!”

Tony, who had just halfway closed the door, stopped his movement and looked back at Yeon-ho.

“What’s wrong? Did you forget something…?”

“No, it’s not that… What about you? Didn’t you say Antonio was coming too…?”

Although he had taken off his uniform and changed into casual clothes, clearly looking ready to go out, I asked just in case. And the brief moment of puzzlement was easily broken by Tony, who went “Ah!” and pursed his lips.

“I’ll ride in the front. Please don’t worry and relax on your way.”

“……”

Contrary to his consideration, that made me more uncomfortable.

Not only a driver but also bringing a butler along, telling me to sit alone in the back.

What is this, playing chairman?

Moreover, even though Tony, who had tagged along, was unwelcome at first, thinking about it, he was one of the few people I could converse with in my native language.

Yeon-ho quickly patted the seat beside him.

“Just ride in the back.”

“No. How could I sit with the young master’s guest…. It’s fine.”

“If that’s the reason, then we should take a different car altogether. What difference does it make between front and back? I’ll be bored without someone to talk to during the ride. You’re not expecting me to just stare out the window the whole time, are you?”

When it comes to handling people, Yeon-ho is actually no less skilled than Marteo. Could he have worked as a managing director for free in the entertainment industry, which is overflowing with sly people?

At the pointed remark that was factually undeniable, Tony hesitated briefly before soon mumbling, “Then I’ll excuse myself,” and entered the back seat.

Soon after the driver also got in, the car crossed the garden.

Even seeing it again, it was truly a size that would be inconvenient to walk around.

“Where shall I take you?”

Around the time we were leaving the main gate, the driver spoke. Though he couldn’t understand, Yeon-ho guessed intuitively and answered Tony.

“Tell him to go to downtown Rome.”

The words were immediately translated and relayed to the driver. Only then did Tony turn to look at Yeon-ho.

The question of whether there was a special reason for the destination was clear in his eyes. Though he noticed, this time he pretended not to. Instead, he changed the subject.

“When did you learn Korean?”

“Hmm. It’s been about twenty years. Since it’s been so long since I used it, my pronunciation isn’t very good.”

“With so many languages out there, why specifically Korean… Did you happen to live in Korea?”

“Yes. I stayed for about two years.”

“For what reason? By any chance, was it related to Theon…?”

Jolt. Tony’s shoulders shot upward. It seemed less due to surprise at the question and more because of the nickname ‘Theon,’ making Yeon-ho’s mouth feel bitter.

Still, I can’t keep calling him ‘that bastard, that bastard.’

Feigning innocence, Yeon-ho added an explanation in a nonchalant tone.

“I heard he lived in Korea when he was young. I also heard his mother is of mixed Korean heritage.”

“……That’s correct. I accompanied the young master when he went.”

From the affirmative that flowed between them, Yeon-ho noticed two things.

That some of what Marteo said was true. And that their stay in Korea probably wasn’t voluntary.

The one he mentioned serving was specifically ‘Marteo,’ and he guessed they were the only two who lived together.

‘Well. To the stepmother, the child from the first wife must have been a thorn in her eye.’

Still, for something like that, the exile felt somewhat short.

Yeon-ho spoke up once more.

“So, after just two years, you returned directly to Italy?”

“Yes. Although the young master seemed to rather enjoy life in Korea… at the time, the second son, Fabio, had an accident. Well, he recovered quickly, but I suppose they were concerned about the young master living abroad as well.”

“……”

So that’s it. An unexpected accident involving the second son. In other words, it meant they needed a spare, just in case.

And now that spare has grown up and is considered the most likely successor….

I suspect there must be quite a bit of behind-the-scenes power struggle.

While gathering the sorted information, perhaps realizing he had said more than necessary, Tony hurriedly swallowed a fake cough.

“More importantly, how about you, Yeon-ho? Is this your first time in Italy?”

“Well. I came once about 4-5 years ago. But not to Rome.”

“Oh? Was it for travel?”

“It was an ornithology forum I attended in my sister’s place. It was pretty much just a quick in-and-out, so I don’t remember much.”

“Ornithology forum… by any chance, was that… the meeting held in Verona?”

“…Verona? Ah, now that you mention it, I think that was the place name.”

I belatedly remembered being scolded by Seo-jin for complaining that I knew Merona but not Verona. Yeon-ho raised his eyebrows.

“How did you know?”

“If it’s a Morpheus forum held in Italy, I pretty much know about it. Especially ornithology meetings, since the Averton Family donates sponsorship money every year. …Wait, if it was about 4 years ago, did our young master attend as well?”

“Theon… you mean?”

“Yes. It was right when he became an adult. You might have even passed by each other without realizing.”

Tony showed a pleased expression, but Yeon-ho soon became indifferent.

No way. If I’d seen a guy who looks like that, there’s no way I wouldn’t remember.

“Well… that might be possible.”

Yeon-ho gave a vague, dismissive response.

He seemed completely uninterested in the idea of a fateful encounter. Tony, who had gotten excited alone, felt embarrassed and cleared his throat.

“Anyway… this time you should properly enjoy Italy. Verona is beautiful too, but when it comes to Italy, it has to be Rome, right?”

He seemed to think this outing was purely for sightseeing. Without bothering to correct him, Yeon-ho once again gave a disinterested “Yes.”

Hmph. I should enjoy it. I’ll definitely enjoy it.

Only the glint in his eyes, fiddling with the pocket containing the card, shone wickedly.

As we approached downtown Rome, the traffic noticeably increased. Taxis and tour buses visible everywhere you looked. Motorcycles weaving recklessly through the lined-up cars. Even various vehicles parked haphazardly along the roadside.

To a scooter that had just passed by the Mercedes, performing acrobatics, Tony exclaimed, “That!” then, seeing Yeon-ho continuously checking outside, offered something resembling an explanation.

“Since it’s an old city, road maintenance isn’t easy.”

But Yeon-ho also lives in Seoul, which is no less familiar with traffic congestion.

This level of congestion is an everyday occurrence, like eating meals.

Nevertheless, there was another reason he couldn’t easily take his eyes off the window.

“It’s… definitely more open here than in Korea.”

“…Pardon?”

“Does everyone release their Anima like that? In our country, it’s strongly considered bad manners.”

Half cars, half people. As Yeon-ho’s gaze continued over the scenery mixed with tourists and locals, Tony, finally understanding what he meant, let out a small “Ah…” of realization.

“That’s true. Now that you mention it, Korea had quite a conservative atmosphere. When I went to Korea, everyone looked like ordinary people too.”

“……”

“Well, basically, it’s also considered etiquette here not to release Anima or pheromones in public places. But there are so many tourists, and everyone wants to fully enjoy the freedom of being in a travel destination—it would be unreasonable to expect only locals to follow that rule. Especially recently, the number of people releasing a certain level of Anima has increased too.”

Just as explained. Even while Tony was speaking, a group of people passing by proudly displayed abundant tails and perked-up ears.

Some even had half their faces covered in scales, and from the shape, they seemed to be snake Morpheus among the Pholidota.

‘If someone saw this, they’d think all the Morpheus in the world gathered here.’

Just as Yeon-ho clicked his tongue, Tony cleared his throat.

“Um… it’s not important, but since we’re on the topic, there’s one more thing I should tell you.”

“…?”

“My introduction is late, but actually… I’m also a Morpheus.”

What?

Yeon-ho widened his surprised eyes toward Tony, who had placed a hand on his own chest. As mentioned before, generally, unless pheromones are revealed or Anima is released, even fellow Morpheus can’t be certain of each other’s identities. Still, there’s a certain atmosphere that makes you wonder, ‘Maybe?’

For example, if their appearance is exceptionally outstanding. Or if their physical condition is superior. Or at the very least, if their vibe is different.

Of course, thinking like this, my own appearance of having unquestioningly trusted Marteo seemed laughable. That guy fits all three of those categories perfectly, so why did I trust him…?

—Why! With looks like that, how could he not be a Morpheus!

I even unnecessarily recalled Lee Chang-hoon’s voice.

To think that bastard’s words would be the correct answer….

In self-reproach, Yeon-ho quickly shook his head and scanned Tony up and down once more.

“Really… you’re a Morpheus?”

“Hmm. Excuse me for a moment.”

Perhaps judging that action was faster than explanation, Tony glanced toward the driver’s seat and released his Anima the next moment.

Simultaneously, above his reddish-brown hair, small, truly tiny ears poofed up and sprouted.

“Scientific name is Apodemus sylvaticus. Commonly known as the wood mouse, a Metz Rat.”

Yeon-ho was more surprised at this point than when he revealed he was a Morpheus. A rodent serving an eagle master. Isn’t this completely prey?

As if reading Yeon-ho’s thoughts, Tony shook his head seriously.

“That’s why sometimes, when I feel the young master’s pheromones, my heart gets all tense. Whether it’s the tragic sorrow of a non-predator. Or the fear engraved in instinct.”

“Even so… you’re working as a butler?”

“Of course. Being able to serve the Averton Family, and especially being the young master’s butler, is a pride worth overcoming even fear. Moreover…”

Moreover?

“…The employment benefits are the best.”

Ah… Suddenly it made sense. The point is, the pay is great, right?

Even if the country is different, the culture is different, the environment and everything else are different, it seems the cure-all for office workers is ‘salary’ no matter where you go.

As his thoughts reached this point, Yeon-ho burst into laughter without realizing it. It was his first genuine laugh since the day his date was ruined—no, since it was decided he’d come to Italy.

Ahaha, at the clear, refreshing sound, Tony’s eyes widened in a daze.

His first impression of Yeon-ho had been sulky, aloof, and somewhat cold.

But the smile he saw now was completely different from that. The mischievous, childlike laughter, the refreshing sound resonating through the car, was truly pleasant to both see and hear.

‘Indeed. There was a reason the young master brought him all the way here…’

Until now, it was just because he didn’t want to get fired, and because he was the young master’s guest, but inside Tony, Yeon-ho’s favorability score rose considerably.

Before he knew it, a smile had gathered at the corners of his wrinkled mouth as well. At that very moment, “Um, Antonio,” the driver spoke up.

Tony, who had hurriedly straightened his expression, turned his gaze as if asking what was wrong, and the man glanced in the rearview mirror.

“We’ll be near the Pantheon soon. Exactly where should I take you…?”

Ah, right. Depending on Yeon-ho’s purpose, the direction could vary quite a bit. Tony, who had told him to wait, turned back to Yeon-ho.

“The driver is asking where you’d like to go. If sightseeing is the goal, I’ll take you to Piazza Navona; if you prefer shopping, then to the Spanish Steps area.”

Yeon-ho, who was still giggling, finally stopped laughing at those words.

Sightseeing and shopping…?

The latter isn’t bad either, but Yeon-ho’s desire was more ambitious than that.

Yeon-ho, who had been flicking his fingers, leaned his head closer to Tony.

“By any chance… are there any entertainment districts?”

“Entertainment districts, like bars?”

“No. Not bars, for example… like casinos?”

“Unfortunately, casino operations are legally prohibited in Rome. It’s a city closer to the Vatican than Las Vegas.”

He even added humor without wavering, but Yeon-ho clicked his tongue.

“While releasing Anima freely?”

He had a disappointed expression. Whether it was disappointment with Rome or disappointment with me for not giving the desired answer, it somehow felt prickly. Tony unconsciously made excuses, fidgeting.

“You don’t need such gambling to have plenty of fun. Still… there are some privately operated places.”

“Privately?”

“Wherever there are forbidden things, there are those who desire them. Of course, entry comes with quite strict conditions.”

“Conditions, like…?”

His gaze had quickly changed from disappointment to curiosity. Relieved, Tony continued the remaining explanation without much thought.

“An identity that guarantees no trouble and sufficient funds.”

“……So, like your young master?”

“You could say so. There’s no place in this country that would refuse the Averton name.”

By the time he reached the last words, Tony even made a proud expression. But Yeon-ho was the same. As if he had been waiting for this moment, Yeon-ho flicked his finger right in front of Tony’s nose.

“Got it. Then.”

“Got it… what do you mean?”

“That casino you just mentioned. We can go there.”

“What in the… Didn’t you hear what I just said?”

“I heard. The point is, as long as you have a guaranteed identity and money, right?”

“So…?”

“To prove identity, there’s the Averton Family butler right here. And… as for funds… they’re here, right?”

Yeon-ho quickly pulled a card out of his pocket and showed it. Marteo Averton. The jet-black black card stamped with my young master’s name.

“Let’s go. To the casino.”

Yeon-ho’s laughter shattered brightly once more toward the frozen Tony.

♥ ♥ ♥

The large conference room faintly scented with heavy woody fragrance. A calm but somewhat tense voice continuously resonated through the spacious interior.

“…thus, first-half sales have achieved over 20% compared to last year. Market share of existing products has also slightly increased, so if this trend continues into the second half……”

The report, delivered with utmost care while pointing out each piece of data projected on the screen, concluded after a while with, “That is all.”

However, the man sitting at the head of the oval-shaped conference table, facing the screen directly, showed no particular reaction.

Was there something lacking, or was there a mistake in the indicators? Executive-level employees, quickly exchanging signals, each watched the man’s demeanor.

A handsome face that might be more suited for an advertisement billboard than a conference room.

He, on the other hand, was a born businessman and strategic investor who, at the tender age of twenty, had taken over a failing company regardless of his family’s influence and achieved remarkable results in about a year.

Thanks to this, he was now even being considered the most suitable successor to Averto, surpassing his older brothers who were much older than him… But what on earth was wrong? Even during the meeting held after several months, where he was supposed to be receiving reports on the current situation, he couldn’t seem to fully concentrate.

The reason, of course, was undeniably due to one thing. Because of the person he failed to see this morning…

The tapping on the desk, or rather Marteo’s fingertips, gradually quickened.

‘He must be awake by now.’

‘Did he eat? Did he receive the new phone?’

‘Damn it. If I had known this would happen, I should have told them not to be careful not to wake him, but to contact me as soon as he woke up.’

Deep vertical lines etched themselves between his handsome brows.

Finally, one of the executives, unable to bear it any longer, volunteered to take the lead.

“Um, Director…”

“……”

“Ahem. Director!”

Once cautiously, then with emphasis. Only then, realizing the eyes watching him, did Marteo’s fingers finally stop. Not missing the opportunity, the executive spoke up.

“Is there… anything that’s bothering you?”

In a way, he had accurately pinpointed the issue. Well, the intended target was completely different, though.

Marteo, who had briefly met the eyes of the executive anxiously peering at him, turned his head towards the screen still displaying the data.

Indicators that someone’s hard work had been condensed into one over several days and nights. Although he had been half out of it throughout the meeting, Marteo’s judgment was still superior to anyone else’s. Grasping the flow of the report in just a few seconds, Marteo opened his mouth curtly.

“The Asian branch’s progress is missing from the second-half report.”

“Ah… there was an opinion that it might be too early to proceed with that… To be honest, there are concerns that the Asian market has a weak premium consumption base… We are completely re-examining it from the initial draft.”

A clean and concise explanation. However, Marteo’s expression hardened even further at those words.

“Too early… Who exactly said that?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Who came up with such a stale and lukewarm opinion?”

“……”

“It seems like everyone gathered here is too comfortable. If you want to make a profit in business, you have to seize opportunities first. Why bother doing business if you’re just going to put a teaspoon into a market that others have already taken over?”

“That’s…”

“Looking at the growth rate alone, Asia, especially East Asia, has long surpassed European countries. And yet, there’s no marketability? If you’re just going to carry your head around as an ornament, there’s no point in having a meeting.”

“……”

“Don’t waste your energy on unnecessary reviews and just re-submit the budget proposal for this part.”

“Understood… I’ll prepare it right away.”

He shouldn’t have said anything. Why did he ask if anything was bothering him? The faces of the remaining people, including the executive who had been openly scolded, turned pale.

The internal temperature dropped rapidly from the moment Marteo opened his mouth. This meeting wasn’t going to end easily. Giving up on leaving work on time was a given.

Among them, the person with the worst expression was the next in line.

More nervous than anyone, he sorted through the documents in front of him and cleared his throat.

“Then, the next agenda item is…”

But an unexpected thing happened.

“Just a moment.”

Marteo, who had suddenly interrupted, raised his hand. Then, in a few seconds, he even let out a low sigh.

“Let’s… take a break. Everyone looks tired.”

“…Huh?”

The people who had stopped in their respective awkward postures blinked and looked at each other.

If he didn’t like the report, Marteo wouldn’t even guarantee meal times, let alone give you time to go to the bathroom.

But he was saying they looked tired? Was this perhaps… a trap card!

Thinking the same thing at the same time, they belatedly spoke in unison as if they had rehearsed it.

“No. We’re fine.”

“Of course. Even Director, who just returned from abroad, is here.”

“……”

Whatever they felt inside, on the surface, it was the epitome of excellent loyalty. Of course, Marteo had anticipated this kind of reaction. As if he had been waiting for it, Marteo raised his lips.

“That’s what I mean.”

“…Yes?”

“‘Everyone’ includes me too.”

“Ah……”

“Let’s start again in 10 minutes.”

With those words, Marteo even abruptly stood up from his seat.

He moved with the agility of an Eagle for someone who was tired. And that wasn’t all. The face that left the conference room like the wind was the most vibrant it had been all day.

Leaving the executives behind, Marteo immediately reached for his phone as soon as he stepped into the hallway.

For the first hour, he couldn’t call because he thought Yeon-ho might still be asleep. For the next hour, he didn’t have time to contact him because the meeting started right away.

He just wanted to hear his voice, even for a moment.

So what else could he do? He had no choice but to make up some ridiculous excuse.

But the hurried fingers found Tony’s number instead of Yeon-ho’s. He had told Tony to deliver the new phone when Yeon-ho woke up, but with his personality, he probably wouldn’t answer his call right away.

If someone else handed it to him, he might pretend to be unable to resist, or at least he could hear his voice refusing…

Even he thought it was pathetic calculation, and a bitter smile leaked out.

However, even this smile didn’t last long.

Ring, ring, ring.

Tony, who would always answer his calls immediately, no matter what, or even if he were dead, was strangely not answering the phone.

Only the ringing tone continued dozens of times in the receiver attached to his ear, and finally, a message saying it would be forwarded to voicemail flowed out.

Marteo, his eyebrow raised, reflexively looked down at his wristwatch.

4:10 PM.

Considering his butler, who always moved in a consistent pattern, it was the timing to check his afternoon work once and have tea in the tea room for a while.

‘But why isn’t he answering the phone? Could something have happened at home?’

He might have thought nothing of it at other times. But the face that came to mind at the same time was, of course, Yeon-ho’s.

Even though there were security guards and CCTV, and the mansion boasted airtight security, reason and emotion were different. The anxiety that had risen in an instant quickly washed over him.

Marteo, who had hung up the failed call, did not hesitate and tried to call Tony once more.

His feet could no longer stay in one place and paced the hallway. The executives who had come out for a while to go to the bathroom were so startled by the fierce energy that they went back into the conference room.

Of course, there was no way Marteo could see such a thing.

A phone that only rang and was not answered. He had been subjected to this dozens of times by Yeon-ho, and it was as if he had developed trauma.

Marteo’s grip grew stronger and stronger.

If he couldn’t reach him like this, he was ready to fly home right away. But, unfortunately or fortunately, there was no need to do so.

Just before the phone went to voicemail again, a familiar voice barely burst out.

「Yes! Young Master, I answered the phone.」

A slightly higher tone than usual. A strangely flustered voice. But just being connected was reassuring for now. Marteo, who had immediately stopped his feet that he couldn’t keep still, unknowingly covered his forehead. Only then did the annoyance proportional to his relief soar.

“What on earth were you doing to only answer now?”

「O… Did you wait long? I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear well…」

“Huh? Do you already need to wear hearing aids?”

He could feel his young master’s uncomfortable mood without seeing it. The pitiful heart of a non-predator shrinks at times like this. Tony, who had paused, belatedly added an excuse, faltering.

「That’s… my ears are fine, but the surroundings are so noisy… Actually, I’m outside right now.」

“…What?”

「I was going to contact you anyway, Young Master, but I thought you would still be in a meeting, and the time was so tight…」

“Wait. Wait a minute. …Outside? What are you talking about right now?”

Judging from the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like he was out in the garden. As Tony said, strange noises could be heard belatedly over the phone.

Sounds like the noise you could hear in the middle of the street.

Marteo’s face hardened quickly as he realized this. A booming voice that couldn’t be compared to the previous one immediately burst out.

“Don’t tell me you went out? Leaving Yeon-ho alone?”

However, Tony, who was not intimidated by the outburst this time, quickly shook his head towards Marteo, who could not be seen.

「Of course not! How could I do that. Of course, I came out with Yeon-ho. To be exact, I came along as an escort for Yeon-ho’s outing.」

“……What?”

It was the same “what” as before, but the feeling was quite different. If you had to compare, the current one felt much more dumbfounded and dumbstruck?

He couldn’t organize what to ask for a moment. At that moment, ah! Tony’s urgent voice was heard again.

「Yeon-ho! Not that way. No, why do you keep going ahead if you don’t know the way!」

“……”

「Young Master, I’m sorry, I’ll hang up first. I’ll tell you the details later. As you ordered, I’ll stick right next to Yeon-ho, so don’t worry and just focus on your work. Goodbye.」

Ah, not that way?

With the last faintly ringing voice, the phone really hung up. It was the first time he had hung up the phone first like this before I could even answer.

But there was a much bigger problem than blaming Tony for forgetting his duty as a butler.

‘…He went out? Of his own accord?’

It had only been a day since he was dragged to a strange country.

Of course, he didn’t think he would be intimidated because of his personality.

…Still. To run away from home so soon on the second day!

Moreover, to borrow the contents of the phone call, he seemed to be taking the lead too vigorously. Tony seemed to be following behind Yeon-ho like a goldfish poop.

“……Ha. Hahaha…ha, ha!”

The laughter that leaked out without him knowing at the sight of the two of them that he had easily imagined soared upwards at the end.

He knew it was childish, but he wasn’t laughing.

A twisted lip. Ruthlessly narrowed eyes. His expression, covered with resentment, looked like a sulky child.

But there was no other way.

To have Yeon-ho’s first outing in Italy stolen by Tony!

He told him to take good care of him by his side… but he didn’t have to go this far, did he?

Someone was just listening to useless words while looking at a stale face. Couldn’t he have said just one word, “How about waiting a little longer and going with Young Master?”

He never thought he would be jealous of his butler, who was closer than his parents, and who was over half a hundred years old… He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t even ask to talk to Yeon-ho.

‘Where on earth are they wandering around without me!’

Marteo started pacing the hallway again like before.

It was a full 30 minutes later that he returned to the conference room.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The front gate of the company. Tino, who was waiting in advance in the car, gave a polite greeting to Marteo, who was quickly approaching.

However, Marteo, who didn’t even glance at Tino, skipped the protocol and got into the seat, opening the door himself.

Surprised by the unusual haste, Tino tilted his head and looked back at Marteo’s personal secretary, Federico, who was following behind.

‘Did something happen?’

‘I don’t know. He seems to be in a particularly bad mood…’

Federico also answered the question asked with his eyes by slightly raising his shoulders.

It wasn’t even a few seconds, but Marteo, who couldn’t stand it, snapped in a grumpy voice, “Aren’t you leaving?” Tino, who hurriedly closed the back door, gave a remaining eye greeting to Federico, who was bowing his head, and quickly got into the driver’s seat.

The smoothly moving heavy Maybach soon approached the main road. Tino, who glanced at the rearview mirror, carefully opened his mouth.

“Are you… very tired?”

7:40 PM. The general quitting time had already passed, but considering that he came to work so late and it was the company he came to after a long vacation, it was an ambiguous time to say it was late, considering Marteo’s personality.

But even to the question filled with worry, “Are you still not fully recovered from your trip…?” there was no answer. He was just silently looking out the window with a cold profile, wondering what he was thinking about.

Tino, who gave up on hearing an answer, slightly lowered the speed of the car.

It was a kind of consideration to provide even a little more comfort in a car model that was second to none in terms of ride comfort. But such consideration did not work at all. Marteo, who frowned in no time, rather poured out a complaint.

“Are we crawling now?”

“…Excuse me?”

“At this speed, it would be faster for me to fly.”

It was more than just a simple metaphor, considering the other person was an Eagle. Tino, recalling the flight speed of the Black Eagle, put strength into the foot that was stepping on the accelerator.

“I’m sorry… I’ll hurry.”

Vroom. Following the heavy engine sound, the scenery outside the window quickly brushed past. Only then did Marteo slump deep into the seat. After a while, Marteo opened his mouth again.

“Did you contact the house?”

When he leaves work, his secretary, Federico, tells him to have the car ready. If he doesn’t specify a place, it means he’s going straight home, so Tino also contacted the mansion. He told them what time he would arrive.

Marteo, who was asking about the routine that had always been there, immediately answered while still feeling dazed.

“I told them. I said it would take about 40 to 50 minutes.”

“…Who to?”

“Excuse me?”

“Did Tony answer the phone?”

“Uh… come to think of it, Letizia answered the phone today. I thought it was unusual…”

Letizia… She was the oldest maid in the house. She replaced Tony, the majordomo, when he was absent.

In other words, the fact that she answered the phone meant that there was a very high possibility that Tony had not returned home yet.

Marteo’s face, which had been holding onto a small hope, immediately contorted. In fact, Marteo had called Tony once more besides the call he had a few hours ago. But that call was never connected.

Moreover, there was no callback even now. Of course, if something had happened, he would have been contacted through some route, so there would be no problem.

But… that’s why he felt even more frustrated.

‘Are they having so much fun that they’re about to die? What on earth are they doing until this time!’

Tino, who was inadvertently looking at Marteo’s complexion in the rearview mirror, shuddered at the ghostly figure.

‘I, I have to get him to rest quickly, this won’t do!’

Half out of loyalty. Half out of personal reasons. Tino increased the speed of the car again in many ways. Thanks to such efforts, the Maybach, which had quickly escaped the complicated center of Rome, was able to enter the residential area 15 minutes earlier than expected.

It was when Tino, who was finally relieved, was secretly sighing as he continued down the familiar road.

The road where the mansion was gradually getting closer. The license plate of the sedan running ahead of the Maybach came into view

[AR 256 TM]

“Huh?”

A sound burst out of Tino’s mouth without him realizing it. Marteo raised his eyebrows as if asking what was wrong. Tino, who checked the license plate once more, spoke with conviction.

“No, I mean the Benz in front. It’s one of the cars in the mansion… Why is it at this time? There shouldn’t have been any driving scheduled for today…”

“What?”

Marteo, who had straightened his back as if he had been waiting for the words to end, pushed his upper body between the driver’s seat and the passenger seat.

“M, Marteo-nim!”

Tino, who was horrified by the head that had been thrust in without warning, raised his voice, but it was no use.

Even though it was impossible to accurately identify who was inside because the tinting was dark, there was someone he could guess.

Smirk. His face had been wishing the world would end all the way home. Marteo’s lips were about to rise upwards without him realizing it.

Meanwhile, the two cars, following each other’s tails, arrived side by side in front of the mansion. The Benz entered through the opened gate, and the Maybach also followed behind.

It was the first time the distance to the front door felt so long.

The Benz was the first to stop, but this time again, Marteo was one step faster to get out of the car without protocol.

Marteo immediately started walking towards the Benz. At that moment, the back door of the Benz opened.

Marteo’s lips were pulled upwards once more. But the smile that he couldn’t control with his will was shattered right after.

“Please get out.”

He naturally thought it would be Yeon-ho, but it was Tony who came out after opening the door.

‘What… is it? Did they ride together in the back seat?’

Even when he was with him, Tony would usually insist on the front seat, saying it was his duty as a butler. Moreover, it was still too early to be surprised.

Clearly, when he reached out his hand, he would glare at him as if he was speechless, but Yeon-ho lightly grabbed Tony’s hand and willingly accepted his escort.

Marteo, his eyes wide open, stopped in his place.

At that time, did he know he was there? Tony, who turned his head, raised his voice, “Young Master?” Yeon-ho also looked this way.

Marteo, who had barely composed his expression, which was neither smiling nor frowning, resumed his steps that he had stopped.

“Are you off work already? You’re earlier than I thought.”

Tony, who had been scurrying over, uttered a welcoming greeting while fidgeting in front of him. But Marteo’s gaze remained fixed on Yeon-ho.

After a brief pause, Yeon-ho opened his mouth with a reluctant tone, yet more gently than expected.

“You’re here?”

It was an unexpected greeting. Just two syllables, but the discomfort in his stomach subsided quickly enough to be laughable. But that was only for a moment.

“Then, I’ll head in first.”

Yeon-ho said the remaining words to Tony and soon turned his body. Instinctively, he tried to grab Yeon-ho, but someone was one step ahead of him.

“Just a moment, Yeon-ho-nim.”

It was Tony. Would he have done that if I had called? Yeon-ho stopped willingly enough to make him suspicious. After briefly seeking understanding with his eyes, Tony quickly approached Yeon-ho.

He said something, pointing to the mansion’s entrance.

Now he saw Letizia, who had been waiting to greet him after receiving Tino’s report. It seemed he was telling him to receive her guidance instead of his.

Although he looked visibly annoyed, Yeon-ho nodded roughly and turned back towards the entrance.

Yeon-ho always said to take care of it himself, but recalling what had happened today because of that, he couldn’t interfere this time.

More than anything, he also had something to discuss with Tony.

As soon as Yeon-ho’s figure completely disappeared from his sight, Marteo immediately snapped.

“What happened?”

“…Yes?”

“Where have you been until now?”

Tony’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Marteo’s expression, which he saw again, was extremely fierce.

“Well… as I said on the phone, Yeon-ho-nim wanted to go out…”

“……”

“I didn’t expect that you would return this early, young master. I naturally thought it would be past ten…”

He had said it before, but it was rather what Marteo wanted to say.

He also didn’t expect Yeon-ho to return at this hour.

Tino and Tony seemed to think his leaving work was quite early, but from his perspective, it was a considerably late hour.

Marteo now openly glared.

“So? Is it wrong that I came early?”

“No, how could you say such a hurtful thing…! I meant that if I had known, I would have moved faster. Yes.”

“Huh? You’re good with words. So, you cut off the phone like that and didn’t even answer when I called back?”

“You… called again?”

Too late, Tony rummaged through his pockets. Marteo’s sharp eyes noticed Tony’s attire.

That shirt, didn’t he say it was a new Versace he bought this spring? He said he would wear it on an important day, so he dressed up quite nicely. Really?

“Forget it. Forget it, just skip the useless talk and explain properly. If he was going out, he should have contacted me first. Taking someone who hasn’t even recovered from jet lag…. Did you go sightseeing or something? I saw you getting out of the back seat together earlier, have you become quite close with Yeon-ho in that short time?”

He told him to explain, but there was no time to speak. At the end, he added something that was hard to tell if it was a question or an accusation. Tony looked up at Marteo with a blank expression, then finally let out a long, deep sigh.

“I would have been more comfortable if we had gone sightseeing…. You don’t even know people’s hearts.”

“What?”

“Besides, if you think about it, today’s outing is all your fault, young master.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“After Yeon-ho-nim woke up, I handed over the card and cell phone as you instructed. But as soon as he saw them, he opened his eyes wide like this and asked if we give cards to any guest who stays here.”

“……”

“Of course, I explained that Yeon-ho-nim is not just a guest, but someone who came as a marriage candidate for you, so the cost of staying is naturally our responsibility, right? Then this time, he asked if he could use this card as he pleased. What if he bought a house or an island, and then suddenly he said he wanted to go out…”

“……”

“So what could I do? Of course, I had no choice but to follow. If I didn’t hurry, he looked like he would leave me behind, so I didn’t even have time to contact you, young master.”

Tony pouted his lips at the end with an aggrieved look.

On the other hand, Marteo’s expression, which had been stiff, gradually softened at the series of words.

‘If you think about it, it’s all your fault, young master.’

Tony’s criticism, which he had taken the opportunity to utter, was not at all bad.

In fact, while preparing the card, Marteo naturally expected Yeon-ho’s backlash. Nevertheless, the reason he bothered to start the trouble was that he thought if he got angry or upset, he would at least talk to him.

Of course, the guess exceeded the standard to some extent.

Still, if today’s outing was a protest against him, as he said, then the motive that moved Yeon-ho was him, and this was a hundred times better than being ignored.

Tony raised his eyebrows as Marteo’s face finally broke into an untimely smile. He was wondering who he was suffering for, but he was smiling. Marteo, realizing his mistake, belatedly composed his expression. Then, with a dry cough, he continued the remaining words.

“So what’s the conclusion? You said you would have been more comfortable if you had gone sightseeing. What, did you really go to see an island or something? What did you two do, the answer is still missing?”

“…That’s.”

“That’s?”

Marteo picked up the end of the sentence. But Tony, who had been talking so well until now, hesitated especially at this part. Even the dignified butler’s appearance was gone, and he was even dragging his toes across the floor.

It was no wonder that Marteo’s face, which had softened, returned to its original state.

“What is it? Don’t tell me you went somewhere you can’t talk about?”

“No! Ah, no. It’s not that it’s not exactly not….”

“Antonio.”

Calling his name in a lower voice than a scolding was more effective. Tony, who had been hesitating in the chilling atmosphere, eventually couldn’t hold out for long and stretched his eyes and philtrum downwards.

“That’s not an island, but… instead, we went to a casino….”

“…What? A…where?”

“Ca, casino….”

“……”

“It’s not an excuse, I clearly tried to stop him. But Yeon-ho-nim insisted on going, and he looked like he would start a fight if I didn’t follow him! So I had no choice….”

Marteo’s mouth, which had been asking again, closed into a straight line at the added words.

As Tony had explained to Yeon-ho, there are no casinos in Rome.

The closest place is Sanremo, but it takes at least 5 hours to get there. Of course, Marteo also knows this fact. Of course, there is one more thing he knows, but that’s the problem.

After a long time, Marteo finally opened his mouth slowly in a dry tone.

“It wouldn’t have been a legal place.”

“…That’s… right. I, I did some screening. Because Luca-nim, the second son of the Venturi family, funded it…. It’s a place with thorough security, so there’s no chance of rumors spreading.”

“So the conclusion is, Yeon-ho gambled and you just watched?”

“I’m telling you again, I had no choice! He said it was a card given to him to use, and it was up to him where he used it, and if I didn’t like it, I should take it back…. Besides, I just thought he was saying it. I thought he would just look around and leave when he actually went. But he really exchanged 50,000 euros for chips.”

“Wait, how much?”

“50,000… euros. I thought he misspoke 5,000 euros at first. But he exchanged 50,000 euros at once….”

“……”

It was silence again. Tony, who was shaking his head, saying that he was also shocked and didn’t know he would spend that money on gambling, belatedly, hesitantly, looked at Marteo’s expression.

“Y, young master…?”

Gambling was of course done by Yeon-ho, but I was the one who gave the illegal gambling information to the guest who should have been treated with care, and as Marteo said, I was also responsible for not stopping him.

‘Wait. Am I really going to get fired like this!’

It was when Tony’s weak heart was continuously pounding.

A strange sound began to flow from Marteo’s mouth, who suddenly dropped his head.

“Young master!”

Tony, who was shocked once more, jumped up from his seat. But it was still too early to be surprised.

Hair trembling. Shoulders heaving back and forth. Marteo, who had lowered his head, tilted it back and burst into laughter.

“Haha, haha. Hahahaha!!”

Yeon-ho’s laughter, which he had seen in the car a few hours ago, was unexpected, but this was even more so.

How long has it been since the young master laughed out loud like this!

Was it the last time Fabio-nim, the second son, tried to push the young master but tripped over his own feet and burst his nose? No, it wasn’t even this much then?

Tony, who had been blankly recalling the events of 15 years ago, called Marteo again in a trembling voice, “Young master….”

He was wondering if he had gone crazy because of just 50,000 euros.

Even after seeing the pale Tony, Marteo laughed alone for a long time before finally swallowing his laughter. It was then that he raised his eyebrows with a somewhat expectant look.

“Is there… anything else besides this?”

“…Yes?”

“I’m asking if spending 50,000 euros at the casino is all.”

“……”

“You really didn’t look into an island?”

“……”

“No. No, I’ll ask the rest myself.”

He even hurriedly turned his feet without giving anyone a chance to say anything.

Well… it took quite a while to enter the house because he kept stopping, bending over, and giggling again.

♥ ♥ ♥

As on the first day, a silent silence passes between the two people sitting face to face in the main dining room.

But even with the same silence, there was one difference. Unlike Yeon-ho, who was cutting the steak with a sullen face, Marteo’s lips were constantly being pulled upwards. Marteo, as if hiding it, lifted his water glass and lightly moistened his throat, then finally opened his mouth after a pause.

“I heard you went to the casino today.”

Squeak, Yeon-ho’s fork, which was just about to pick up a piece of meat, lost its aim and scratched the plate. It was quite an annoying sound, but it was still only Yeon-ho who frowned.

Yeon-ho glared at Tony, who was standing by on one side in a upright posture. Marteo shrugged his shoulders.

“Reporting is his duty.”

“…Who said anything?”

His expression seemed to be saying a lot, but his words were pretending not to know. Marteo, who forcibly suppressed his lips that were constantly curling upwards, opened his mouth again.

“I heard you exchanged 50,000 euros for chips… what game did you play?”

“……”

“You wouldn’t have just given it to the dealer as a tip.”

“Just, well…. This and that.”

“Hmm. Was it fun?”

“…Not really.”

“Why. Perhaps… did you lose it all?”

“……”

He answered the previous question briefly, but then it was silence again. Of course, Marteo had predicted it to some extent.

An openly sullen expression. A hand movement that was eating or not eating. If the result was good, at least he wouldn’t have looked like this.

Marteo’s eyes narrowed slenderly.

“Casinos are originally places to lose money. Would they be able to operate if the guests only won?”

“……”

“You might win next time if you’re lucky, so don’t feel too bad.”

He not only gambled in an illegal gambling den, but also lost money, but his reaction was truly relaxed. If the executives who had been severely reprimanded by Marteo a few hours ago had seen this, they would have felt quite wronged.

But even with the cool consolation, Yeon-ho’s expression did not improve easily. He seemed to have something to say, moving his lips several times, but he just sighed and stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth.

It was when Marteo’s head tilted belatedly, not knowing why.

Ahem. Tony let out a small dry cough. When their eyes met, he made an ambiguous expression that was more like Yeon-ho, and cleared his throat repeatedly. The cautious introduction was next.

“Excuse me for interrupting the conversation, young master…. Actually, there is one more thing I didn’t report earlier.”

“……?”

“Excuse me, but Yeon-ho-nim did not lose money today. No. Rather, he made money.”

“What?”

“He made quite a big hit in the last game… no. He made a profit.”

Marteo’s head turned towards Yeon-ho again, creating a gust of wind. Yeon-ho was chewing the soft lamb like the sole of a shoe. As if he couldn’t swallow it because his mouth was too bitter.

In that state, his thoughts naturally went back to a few hours ago.

To the time when he found the private gambling den with Tony leading the way.

Located in the Trastevere neighborhood, it outwardly resembled an ordinary gallery. Tony told the gallery staff on the first floor that he had come to see a reserved work instead of saying he had come to play a game.

The staff member, after confirming Tony’s identity, replied with a strange smile, asking if the balance had been paid, and after confirming Marteo’s black card again, guided the two to the basement.

After going down a narrow staircase for a long time and walking through a dimly lit corridor, a large door with two guards standing in front of it appeared.

The wide space in the basement, which they entered through that door, was rather hot due to the guests who had come to appreciate ‘paintings’ like them, even though the temperature was somewhat cool.

After quickly scanning the surroundings, Yeon-ho soon found the cashier’s desk. Then, he exchanged 50,000 euros worth of chips with Marteo’s card.

Perhaps the statement would be processed as purchasing a suitable painting. The methods for committing illegal acts were similar in both the East and the West.

‘Which game would you like to play?’

In response to Tony’s cautious question, Yeon-ho chose baccarat with high stakes as the first game without hesitation.

Because of the amount of chips exchanged and the identity guaranteed by the card, Yeon-ho was guided to the high-limit table.

In that place, Yeon-ho lost half of the chips he had in less than an hour. Although he didn’t say anything, Tony’s lips, which trembled slightly every time Yeon-ho lost, were clearly visible from the corner of his eye. When the chips were reduced from half to half again, Tony barely opened his mouth.

He asked if he should try other games besides baccarat.

Yeon-ho followed those words obediently. Of course, the problem was that the next game he chose after baccarat was American roulette, which was said to have a particularly terrible player win rate.

The goddess of victory was not on Yeon-ho’s side this time either.

When Yeon-ho bet chips on black 17, the bead narrowly passed a few spaces and entrusted itself to 22, and when he bet on red 3, it rolled into black 15 right next to it. Each time, the dealer ruthlessly swept away Yeon-ho’s chips.

Like that for an hour. Yeon-ho lost most of the remaining chips again.

In the end, all that was left in his hand was one 500 euro chip.

No, gambling is all about luck, but how can he be so bad at games! Tony, who had suppressed his lamentations that he couldn’t spit out, only in his heart, let out roundabout words.

‘Today doesn’t seem to be the day.’

It wasn’t a matter of money, but it would have been better to go shopping and have something left! Watching the game that was only losing continuously was quite a chore.

However, Yeon-ho also felt the same way. Honestly, there were a few chances to win.

He had a good sense of where the bead would go. But why is it so easy to pretend not to know and deliberately lose money?

Yeon-ho also tried his best, being mindful of Tony’s eyes, when he wanted to go all-in at once.

After all that, finally, the last chip remained.

It was annoying to split it up and play small games.

Should he just give it as a tip? No. That’s too weak. How should he use this to make it known that he blew it all the way to the end?

At the moment of deliberation, one machine came into Yeon-ho’s eyes like fate.

Golden frame. The red letters ‘LUCK STRIKE’ floating on the flashy screen. It was a slot machine.

‘That’s it!’

Yeon-ho, who had flicked the remaining coin upwards and caught it, smiled brightly at Tony.

‘Then, shall we do one last game and get up?’

Tony nodded quickly instead of answering. With almost 50,000 euros already blown, what difference would it make if he was ripped off a little more? He was just grateful that he wouldn’t try to find more money than this.

Yeon-ho, who had approached the machine, pushed the remaining chips into the slot as if throwing them away without even sitting down properly.

Clang. The screen that swallowed the coin with a light sound began to spin rapidly.

Bell, bar, cherry, diamond, and numbers.

In a few seconds, Yeon-ho pressed the stop button with an indifferent hand. Soon, one of the spinning reels slowly slowed down. The number fixed in that state was ‘7’.

Then the next reel also stopped moving.

This time it was ‘7’ again.

‘…Huh?’

It was at this point that Yeon-ho’s pupils, which had been uninterested until now, shook.

‘Could it be…. No, there’s no way, right?’

Denial came before expectation.

But ‘no way’ always catches people.

Like the previous reels, the last space, which had been rolling quickly, finally began to slow down. Yeon-ho’s eyes also stopped in place on the panel that was matched with a click.

And the next moment, his cheeks trembled instead of his eyes.

‘What… is this?’

No matter how many times he looked and looked again, the number was fixed and did not change.

‘7.’

All three of the numbers next to each other were 7.

At the same time as the realization, the entire machine vibrated loudly.

JACKPOT!

The red metallic letters on the screen flashed dazzlingly, and lights poured from the ceiling, shaking the speakers with a siren-like sound.

[LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, JACKPOT!]

[Congratulations! Big Win!]

Even the people playing at other tables stopped what they were doing and turned to look like lightning.

A moment of silence. Then, a rough cheer. Someone whistled and clapped, and the casino employees over there quickly exchanged words on their radios.

But the one who reacted most fiercely was, of course, Tony. He stared at the screen with a blank look, like Yeon-ho, and then began to tremble all over as if he had suffered a stroke. And the moment their eyes met, he immediately spread his hands towards the sky.

“Mamma mia! Yeon-ho! Jackpot. It’s a jackpot!”

“……”

“Che fortuna! God hasn’t abandoned us after all!”

He had looked like an old man waiting for his death, without a trace of color, but now a childlike blush bloomed on his dry cheekbones. The excited tone that burst out was half Korean and half Italian.

Most of it was incomprehensible, but even if Yeon-ho understood it, the situation wouldn’t change.

Yeon-ho, who had been frozen like a stone, turned away from them and looked back at the screen, leaving behind those who were still applauding generously and Tony, who was bowing and responding with flair.

The winning amount was displayed on the monitor with 777s.

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand…

The numbers he counted in his head stopped midway.

Even with the lights spinning so much above his head, Yeon-ho’s face was a listless, earthy color.

‘I worked my ass off for two whole hours, and it’s all gone in one shot like this….’

Tony keeps calling out to God, but seeing this, it was clear that God didn’t exist.

Yeon-ho, with hazy eyes, retraced the commotion from a few hours ago and finally lowered his head. It was then, after he barely swallowed the lamb that had almost turned to water.

“So… you made money gambling?”

Marteo, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.

“How much did you win?”

Tony quickly answered instead of Yeon-ho.

“100,000 euros.”

“…100,000?”

“Yes. You kept losing, but you recovered with the last slot machine. Even after deducting the 50,000 euros you exchanged for chips, you still made 50,000 euros.”

“……”

100,000 was certainly not a small amount. But that’s why it was even stranger. Yeon-ho’s trip to the casino was something he did to screw with him, but still. How many people in the world would dislike winning money?

Even if the plan went wrong, he got 50,000 euros for free, so why is he so depressed?

The question was soon resolved. Tony, who had been continuing the explanation with a secretly proud look, trailed off at the end.

“But… you couldn’t collect it.”

“What?”

“Well, according to casino regulations, if the exchange amount exceeds 50,000 euros, the review period takes at least 72 hours…. Moreover, since Yeon-ho entered as a customer under the young master’s name, the young master needs to be present or have a power of attorney when collecting the amount after the review. Otherwise, it can only be paid in the name of the actual owner…. I think they’re being more strict because you’re a foreigner.”

Finishing the explanation, Tony looked back at Yeon-ho with a regretful expression. A belated exclamation flowed from Marteo’s mouth.

They were free to spend money as much as they wanted, but they were quite stingy when it came to taking it away. …But he understood.

This place was a casino in name only, but in reality, it was a huge private money network.

It would be safer to check the identity and ownership more thoroughly when letting customers out than when letting them in.

Traces of a foreigner winning a large sum with someone else’s card could be a fatal flaw for them.

Marteo, who had grasped the situation, inadvertently turned to Yeon-ho and quickly turned his head away.

To put it simply, it was like this. He went to the casino to lose money, but not only did he win a large sum, but he was also going to increase their bank account with that money.

He had tried so hard to hold back his laughter, but he failed. He managed to hide his face, but he couldn’t hide his subtly trembling shoulders.

“Young… Master?”

Tony, who had noticed something was wrong, glared. At the same time, the sound of a fork scraping against a plate was heard once again.

The last time might have been a mistake, but this time it was definitely intentional. Marteo desperately bit his tongue.

When he barely managed to compose his expression and looked up again, he saw Yeon-ho staring back at him with a very sullen face.

“Why? Why don’t you laugh out loud while you’re at it?”

He couldn’t bring himself to say that he had already done that in the garden. Marteo coughed softly and, after much deliberation, returned a question instead of an answer.

“Should I… write a power of attorney?”

Well, this wasn’t a great solution either, as his eyebrows lifted.

After a while, Yeon-ho, who had let out a short sigh, opened his mouth indifferently.

“It’s okay. I just dropped by for fun anyway…. If you’re going to write a power of attorney, give it to Antonio instead of me.”

He was willing to throw away 50,000 euros for fun, but the last part was quite unexpected. This time, Marteo’s eyebrows rose.

“Does that mean you want the money to be given to Tony?”

“You worked so hard for me today.”

“Hard work? What do you mean…. No. Absolutely not.”

Tony immediately denied it, flustered. But Yeon-ho even gave such Tony a smile.

“Why? You couldn’t even rest properly all day because you were taking care of me. And when you think about it, you were 80% responsible for winning the last game.”

“…Excuse me?”

“You called out to God so much for me, didn’t you? If the goddess of victory didn’t abandon me, it must have been thanks to your prayers.”

“Ah……”

Tony’s cheeks turned red as he let out a small groan, as if something had clicked.

“I was a bit excited back then…. Please forget about my unsightly appearance.”

“What are you talking about? Anyone would have been happy. Oh, should we have taken a commemorative photo while we were at it?”

“Yeon-ho∼.”

Had he forgotten about his existence already? Marteo’s expression became awkward at the two of them exchanging stories that only they knew.

Was this simply because he didn’t want to increase his assets? Or did he really like Tony? …Whatever the reason, neither was very pleasant.

Before long, Marteo dropped the cutlery he was holding onto the plate.

Clang. Tony, who had finally come to his senses after the somewhat loud noise, hurriedly turned to Marteo. There was still food left on the plate, but the way he wiped his mouth with a napkin gave the impression that the meal was over.

“Are you done eating?”

“Yeah.”

His voice was also very cold. But Marteo quickly realized his mistake. Yeon-ho’s plate, like his, still had food left on it. Marteo, realizing his mistake, quickly added.

“Do Yeon-ho… you can finish eating.”

“No. I’m done too.”

However, Yeon-ho put down his knife as if he had been waiting for it. It was the first time they had sat face to face after not seeing each other all day, but it was the result of their own doing, no one to blame but themselves. It was then, as Marteo bit his tongue.

“More than that, do you… have time now?”

“……?”

“If you’re not busy, I’d like to talk for a bit.”

Yeon-ho, who he thought would immediately leave his seat, made an unexpected suggestion.

Marteo’s eyes widened without him realizing it. An expression that seemed to be suspicious of something, or perhaps surprised. Yeon-ho, feeling awkward, frowned.

“Are you busy? If so, I’ll just tomorrow……”

In that instant, Tony cut in instead of Marteo.

“No. You have no further schedule.”

“Is that… so?”

“How about… moving to the tea room? Or perhaps the two of you would like to take a walk?”

It was not the behavior of a butler to arbitrarily interfere in a conversation. But there was no other virtue of a butler as important as reading the master’s mind.

‘…He earned 100,000 euros. Tony.’

The final destination of the winnings was clearly decided at this moment.

Without delay, Marteo immediately got up from his seat.

“Let’s walk a bit.”

He missed Yeon-ho’s first outing, but he couldn’t miss his first walk.

♥ ♥ ♥

The sun had completely set, but the garden was not as dark as he had thought.

Low lights were laid close to the ground, and the main lights dropped round lights over the overgrown landscaping trees.

The colors were not vivid, but thanks to that, the shadows that increased and decreased looked softer.

Perhaps roses were blooming somewhere in the garden, as a sweet scent mixed with the smell of soil faintly flowed into the night air, where the temperature had dropped.

The commotion at the casino, the fatigue from the meetings that had continued all day, seemed to be washed away by this gentle night.

All that could be heard was the sound of grass rustling in the wind and the soft sound of each other’s footsteps. The quiet silence was more of an unexpected comfort than awkwardness.

Yeon-ho and Marteo, who were neither too far nor too close, walked in silence for a long time.

He came to his senses after realizing that the mansion was quite far away.

Yeon-ho, who had stopped walking, suddenly turned to the side. Then, he gasped.

Had he been looking at him the whole time while walking? Marteo’s eyes, which he immediately met just by turning his direction slightly.

The scent of roses that had brushed his nose disappeared, and instead of the sound of grass swaying in the wind, only the sound of his pulse pounding loudly next to his ears rang out.

Yeon-ho, who had hesitated, reflexively clenched his fist. Nevertheless, the nervous, ticklish sensation did not easily disappear.

As if some kind of bug was crawling on him…….

It was when he thought this far. Something real moved on the back of his hand. The wriggling sensation on his skin was definitely not just a feeling.

‘…Huh?’

Yeon-ho’s gaze, which had also been unable to take his eyes off Marteo, slowly slid downwards.

And the next moment…… this time, he met eyes with ‘something’ as well.

Its size was about 3 centimeters. Covered in a shiny, pitch-black shell, it was now just passing over Yeon-ho’s hand and entering his wrist.

“Ugh, eugh!”

The remaining atmosphere of the night was completely shattered at this moment. The heart that had dropped with a thud after making eye contact with Marteo was nothing compared to this. Yeon-ho, who had let out a short scream, swung his arm around like crazy.

“Do Yeon-ho!”

Marteo, who was also surprised, hurriedly called his name as if asking what was wrong, but there was no time to explain.

Yeon-ho, who was frantically shaking his body, even lost his balance. Do Yeon-ho! Marteo, who raised his voice once more, quickly grabbed Yeon-ho’s hand, which had stumbled and slipped.

It was the very spot where the bug had been.

Only after feeling the tightly clenched grip instead of the unpleasant sensation did Yeon-ho barely stop his struggling movements.

“What’s wrong!”

Now, it was Marteo who was more urgent. The man, who repeatedly tightened his grip on the hand he was holding, quickly examined his complexion. Yeon-ho, pushed by the momentum, hesitated and unknowingly moved his lips.

“B-bug….”

“What?”

“There was a bug…. It was on my hand a little while ago…. No, first, check other places too. Is it attached anywhere else? Is it on my shoulder or back?”

“……”

He couldn’t even look himself and just entrusted his body to Marteo. However, unlike the anxious Yeon-ho, Marteo was feeling a belated sense of futility.

After a long time, Marteo opened his mouth as if confirming.

“So, there was a bug….”

“Yeah! It was a huge one… No, don’t you guys do pest control here? What’s the point of having CCTV? You should have hired a security company too!”

The management of the mansion was undoubtedly thorough. However, since the garden was so large, it was realistically impossible to block all the bugs that naturally flew in. Above all, he had never imagined that Yeon-ho would be surprised by a bug.

Someone who would say, ‘Oh, weren’t you dead?’ even if he saw a ghost. What was this…….

Marteo wiped his face with the hand he wasn’t using to hold Yeon-ho. Then, he let out a late sigh towards Yeon-ho, who still had traces of tension left on his face.

“I didn’t know. That you’d be this afraid of bugs.”

“I’m not afraid, I just hate them!”

Yeon-ho immediately corrected him, but it didn’t take long for the sigh to turn into a snicker. It goes without saying that such laughter stimulated his belated embarrassment more than any scolding.

Yeon-ho, who bit his tongue inwardly, finally pulled away the hand that had been held by Marteo. Marteo’s face gradually lost its smile at the hand that had quickly become empty.

Silence returned in that state. The two people, who had closed their mouths as if they had planned it, opened their mouths again at the same timing this time as well.

“Um….”

“That…….”

Among the two people who had paused at the words that had been cut off, Marteo stepped back first.

“Go ahead.”

Usually, the common flow is, ‘No. You go first……’.

However, even though he was terrified of bugs, Do Yeon-ho was still Do Yeon-ho. Yeon-ho, who did not refuse Marteo’s concession, immediately cleared his throat, erasing the face he had been disgusted with until just now.

“I’ll apologize first.”

“…Apologize?”

“About going to the casino today… I think you expected it, but it was on purpose. It seemed like you gave me the card on purpose too.”

“……”

“But I admit that my response wasn’t mature. Don’t worry, I won’t use your card like that again in the future.”

Marteo’s eyebrows lifted. Not only an unexpected apology, but even a promise to prevent recurrence. It was truly unexpected.

However, it was a necessary introduction for Yeon-ho.

Of course, it was true that he had been upset by the card that told him that the position of the boss and subordinate had changed, and he had deliberately gone to the casino. He had every intention of going every day. But after the slot machine hit the jackpot, he gradually regained his reason.

He needed to make a good impression to get the job done, but was it really okay to do this?

Who would want to do business with someone who makes gambling debts with someone else’s card?

There was too much at stake to ruin things with a moment’s emotion.

Yeon-ho, who glanced at Marteo, who was listening intently as if he would continue, opened his mouth again.

“You said you were going to open a new branch in Korea, right? Are you really thinking of partnering with us?”

“To be exact, your company is one of the companies we are considering.”

“Anyway. If that’s really the plan… Do Seo-jin will be a good partner. He’s resourceful, has guts, and unlike me, he’s serious about his work.”

“……”

“The issues you mentioned back then will be organized and sent over by my sister. If you make time, I’ll explain it properly. Please review it carefully, trying to exclude personal feelings as much as possible.”

Marteo’s eyebrows, which had risen, slowly lowered. He let out a snicker as if he had noticed what the previous arrangement was a prelude to.

“You’re full of surprises. It seems your sister is quite scary too, besides bugs? I thought you’d pretend not to know about work.”

“……”

“But, if you exclude personal feelings… isn’t that a loss for Gyelim?”

“…What?”

“I think it would be better to say, ‘Think of our relationship’ in this case.”

“Is that relationship ‘physical’? If we’ve built up that much, please consider that too.”

He had thrown the first punch, but Marteo’s face visibly hardened at the words he had countered with. It felt like only he had become the bad guy.

Yeon-ho, who had become uncomfortable, eventually sighed.

“Before coming here, and even after coming here, we weren’t in a good mood. I meant to ask you to look at it excluding those feelings. And I’ll say it again, I’m not afraid of bugs, I just hate them.”

Only after adding the last words did Marteo’s face relax a little.

“You’re not correcting the part about your sister being scary.”

It was a problem that even his annoying mouth had loosened up.

Marteo shrugged at Yeon-ho, who was glaring at him.

“I understand what you mean. Instead… please exclude your personal feelings too.”

“…What?”

“You and I, besides work, there’s one more thing to sort out. As you said, we were both emotional that day. Please properly attend our arranged meeting, even now.”

Yeon-ho hesitated at the words that flowed out. Then, he mumbled with doubt.

“You…… do you really have thoughts of marrying me?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s different from a simple sponsorship. It has legal effect. It’s not something you can easily end later when you get tired of it.”

“…Are you saying that Do Yeon-ho thought about all that and still came to that place that day?”

“……”

“Then what does it matter what I’m thinking? If you exclude personal feelings, I’m not that bad of a condition objectively.”

Of course, that was true. But as he said, that was his position, and from Marteo’s point of view, he was just one of the candidates, just like Gyelim.

There wasn’t really a big merit to it. But why was he going this far? Simply because he was embarrassed by the atmosphere of being rejected? Or was his body really that amazing?

Yeon-ho, who had been continuing his thoughts, narrowed his brows once more. Then, after hesitating for a long time, he moved his lips again, saying the words he had thought about countless times, wondering whether to say them or not.

“By any chance… did you not hear anything from Antonio?”

“Besides the casino, is there anything else I should have heard?”

“…My age.”

“……?”

“Antonio seems to have mistaken me for a college student…. Didn’t you hear that there’s almost a ten-year age difference between you and me?”

Marteo’s head, which had been tilting to one side, paused. It was unclear whether he had heard or not, but the words had already been spoken. Yeon-ho, with a rather relieved tone, continued.

“Judging by his expression, I’m guessing there was some kind of mistake. That’s probably why a marriage proposal came to my house…”

“……”

“If they had known properly from the start, I probably would have been disqualified from the beginning. But you still want to continue this conversation?”

Marteo stared at Yeon-ho, who was full of suspicion and doubt, for a long time before finally moving his lips.

“I don’t care about that kind of thing.”

“…What?”

“You didn’t ask me to cancel the sponsorship when you found out my age, did you?”

“No… that’s different, isn’t it?”

“It’s not different. I knew you were older than me even before Tony told me.”

“Well, I guess so. But you didn’t know the difference was this big, did you?”

“I guessed.”

“…H…How?”

“Well, from the first time we met, it was obvious to anyone that you looked much older than me.”

“…From the first time, we met?”

Yeon-ho’s eyes widened for a moment as he repeated the words without realizing it.

At the same time, a breeze blew from somewhere, shaking the branches of the trees. Marteo slowly looked up at the trees, following the sound.

The lush greenery and abundant leaves of the garden trees.

The verdure, containing the same season as that time, somehow reminded him of the thicket where he first met Yeon-ho.

‘Could this person have noticed something too…?’

Anxious yet slightly expectant, Marteo turned back to Yeon-ho. His two different colored eyes were filled with trembling.

But the moment was fleeting. As soon as their eyes met, Yeon-ho’s face began to crumple again. He burst out with a high-pitched accusation.

“What is it? Did I look that old?”

“……Pardon?”

“No, what made me look so much older? I even heard someone in Paju say I was a participant that day!”

“…Do…Yeon-ho?”

“Even if it’s only a ten-year difference, Antonio said he thought I was a college student, so what exactly made me look so old!”

“……!”

“Tell me. Is it because my skin isn’t elastic? Do I have wrinkles around my eyes? Or is it my hair?”

Yeon-ho, who even gave specific examples, practically shoved his head into Marteo’s chest. He looked ready to headbutt him depending on the answer.

Pushed back by the force, Marteo involuntarily took a step back.

But it was all in vain.

“I said, tell me!”

As much as he retreated, Yeon-ho followed, his feet pattering and his cheeks flushed with excitement.

Ah… finally, a small groan escaped Marteo’s lips.

Do Yeon-ho always exceeded his expectations. To think he would take the words this way…

While he was dumbfounded, Yeon-ho’s demanding behavior was unbearably cute. Far from looking old, he was like a child, a very young child.

“Pulcino….”

Finally, Marteo couldn’t help but mutter. Even in this situation, Yeon-ho didn’t miss it.

“Pulchi… what? Where is that!”

Yeon-ho abruptly raised his head. Marteo hurriedly bit his lip. However, he couldn’t hide his deeply curved eyes.

Yeon-ho, who had finally hesitated, stopped moving.

The man’s expression, which seemed to be holding back a smile, looked as if he was holding back a kiss…

‘What, what is it? Why is he making that kind of face when someone is angry?’

In that instant, Marteo’s arm suddenly reached out and pulled Yeon-ho’s waist towards him.

It was an experienced move. Was he really going to kiss him! Yeon-ho involuntarily swallowed hard as his mouth suddenly felt dry.

But instead of a kiss, a low voice followed.

“There’s a bug, down there.”

“Wh, where?!”

There was no need to add any force. At that one word, Yeon-ho clung to Marteo even more, terrified.

As Yeon-ho frantically looked at his feet for the invisible bug, raising his voice again with a “Hey!” only Marteo remained, innocently feigning ignorance.

“…It seems to have flown away.”

“You……”

“But just in case, should we stay like this?”

Yeon-ho, flustered, belatedly pushed against Marteo’s chest. Even so, he didn’t move too far away, as if he didn’t want to face the bug that might appear alone.

Marteo, who had been gazing softly at Yeon-ho for a long time, slowly opened his mouth.

“I’ll make time after dinner tomorrow too.”

“What?”

“You said you wanted me to listen to the Gyelim story.”

“……”

“Of course, on the condition that you give me your time too.”

Yeon-ho’s brow furrowed.

Discussing work and matchmaking, excluding personal feelings. He didn’t know if it was really possible.

But looking at the man, who seemed strangely anxious, he thought the answer was already decided.

“……Mornings are impossible.”

In the end, Marteo smiled silently, as if he had expected this much, at the words he spat out gruffly.

“Come to think of it, what time did you wake up today?”

“…I woke up before 12?”

“I don’t think so……”

Before he knew it, a few unnecessary words began to be exchanged.

The ambiance of the first night had long since disappeared, but strangely, a comfortable feeling returned.

Their steps back to the mansion were slowing down, one by one.