# 2
“It’s getting late, let’s go to bed. If you want to shower, feel free to go in and wash up.”
The man was wearing only a silk robe that clung to his body. Eunsol blinked at the sight of the thick chest contours visible between the open robe.
The scent that touched his nose was shower cologne, but beneath it he could faintly detect a pheromone reminiscent of lush greenery. It was the same scent he had noticed earlier. Unlike before, however, his body, which had no immunity to alpha pheromones, immediately reacted.
“Huh…?”
His already large eyes widened like a startled cat’s. Eunsol looked down at his clothes in embarrassment.
The veins that stood out prominently like stems on his pale hands were trembling. But the trembling wasn’t the problem.
‘Why is this…’
Something in his field of vision was strange. Unfortunately, the clothes he was wearing were made of transparent material, making it even more noticeable.
Though it was his own body, Eunsol’s nape quickly turned bright red at his body’s involuntary reaction.
“Don’t release your pheromones.”
“Ah…”
Through the scent of greenery that seemed tangible came the faint fragrance of lily of the valley. Eunsol bit his lip hard at the scent of his own omega pheromones.
Eunsol had been classified as a low-grade omega. It was the lowest rank among the high, middle, and low grades.
Rankings were usually determined by maximum pheromone levels. But besides low pheromone levels, there were other common characteristics of low-grade omegas.
“I’m sorry… I’m not skilled at controlling my pheromones…”
Unlike Eunsol, his half-brother was high-ranked. Whenever Eunsol failed to control his pheromones, his brother would crush his spirit, saying that one couldn’t hide one’s origins.
Eunsol clenched his hands until crescent-shaped marks appeared on his palms.
“I’m not saying you did anything wrong. I’m going to get some sleep first, so Mr. Lee Eunsol, please do as you please.”
The lighting in the hotel room wasn’t particularly bright. It was dimly lit, like midnight with only a full moon in the sky.
Eunsol glanced briefly at the man’s face where the light fell. The man who had just showered looked deeply fatigued.
However, even the fatigue that seeped under his eyes only enhanced his appearance. The long eyelashes under deeply set eye sockets, as if he had Western blood, particularly caught the eye.
After saying only that, the man lay down on the well-made bed. The moisture that dripped from his still-damp hair darkened one corner of the pillow, but the man, who had already closed his eyes, didn’t seem to care.
Chewing his lips nervously while watching him, Eunsol quietly got up. No matter how carefully he moved, small noises followed his movements.
Yet the man on the bed didn’t stir and continued breathing evenly.
“If you sleep with wet hair… you might catch a cold.”
Eunsol, who had briefly stepped away, returned with a fluffy dry towel in his hand. He spoke to the man in a tiny voice, like a small bird chirping.
But the man, perhaps truly asleep, remained with his eyes closed.
‘What should I do…’
After hesitating briefly, Eunsol reached out and gently patted the man’s still-wet hair with the towel.
When the towel was half-soaked, Eunsol smiled faintly. Though it was nothing special, he felt oddly proud.
“Ah…”
The smile broke when the man suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed Eunsol’s wrist, and pulled him down onto the bed.
“I don’t like people touching my body. You should be more careful next time.”
Eunsol’s wrist, which had just been drying the man’s hair, was now pinned to the sheets by a large hand.
Though the man hadn’t applied much force, red marks quickly appeared on Eunsol’s delicate skin.
Up close, the man’s eyes were lighter than expected. The pupils stood out starkly against his irises as he looked coldly down at Eunsol.
The man’s voice, which had been resonant earlier, dropped even lower, to the point where Eunsol’s ears felt chilled.
Suddenly, Eunsol became afraid. A thin film of moisture covered his large eyes, barely noticeable unless examined closely.
“Y-yes… I will…”
Eunsol barely managed to answer, his stiff lips moving with difficulty. His voice trembled violently, like leaves in the wind.
Anyone could see he was terrified. The man sighed almost inaudibly, then released Eunsol’s wrist and got up.
As the man’s robe opened wider, something massive was briefly revealed, but Eunsol had already lowered his eyes and was holding his breath.
“Come over here and sit down.”
At the man’s words, Eunsol slowly got up. Though he wanted to move quickly, his body, frightened to the nerve endings, wouldn’t cooperate. His startled heart was still beating wildly. Eunsol bit his lips until they turned white as he took one unsteady step after another.
Fortunately, the man didn’t rush Eunsol. Instead, he opened the whiskey bottle next to the wine and practically poured the liquor into a transparent crystal glass.
After staring at the amber liquid for a while with inscrutable eyes, he lifted the glass and downed it in one go. His prominent Adam’s apple moved vigorously up and down.
“I’m sorry…”
Eunsol stood before the man like a child awaiting punishment from strict parents. Though the man had told him to sit on the sofa, he couldn’t sit across from someone when he was in the wrong.
A heavy atmosphere, much like being called to his father’s study after making a mistake, pressed down on Eunsol’s entire body.
Just as he was wondering if he should kneel, the man spoke.
“Sit down. Unless you want to look down at me.”
“N-no, that’s not it.”
Startled by the man’s words, Eunsol perched on the edge of the opposite sofa. He felt as if a heavy stone had been placed in the center of his chest under the man’s gaze.
Even when scolded by his father, he had never felt such pressure. It was a fear greater than being locked in a room without a speck of light.
“I’m sorry. Your skin is more delicate than I thought.”
Eunsol blinked slowly. His eyelashes, trembling with fear, cast faint shadows on his face.
Had he heard correctly?
In his life, he couldn’t remember anyone ever apologizing to him. Momentarily forgetting his fear, Eunsol met the man’s eyes.
“Your wrist. We should probably apply some medicine.”
Contrary to Eunsol’s concerns, the man had a certain ingrained politeness. His attitude suggested that he had only reacted reflexively and had no intention of hurting Eunsol, which made Eunsol swallow hard.
“Too much has happened today, and I haven’t had a chance to explain the situation to you, Mr. Lee.”
The man poured the amber liquid into the empty glass again. Like the whiskey that rose to the brim, waves rippled across Eunsol’s eyes.
As the man’s Adam’s apple moved, the subtle scent of whiskey spread around them. Only after the bottle was more than half empty did the man introduce himself to Eunsol.
“I’m Han Hyun-oh. I’m the youngest son of Chairman Han Chihun, the man you were going to marry.”
The man was indeed Chairman Han Chihun’s blood. Chairman Han had two sons and one daughter. His eldest son, officially known to be in his late fifties.
The man was Chairman Han’s second son and youngest child. Unlike his eldest brother, who frequently appeared in the business section, Hyun-oh had remained veiled in secrecy. That’s why the documents that Manager Do had given to Eunsol had almost no information about Han Hyun-oh.
Eunsol lowered his gaze to the floor again, unsure how to react.
“Chairman Han Chihun, that is, my father, had a heart attack on his way to this hotel.”
“…What?”
Eunsol couldn’t gather his thoughts as he heard the following words. Hyun-oh’s expression was more composed than expected as he spoke of his father’s death. Perhaps his father’s existence wasn’t typical for him either. Suddenly, Eunsol wondered how he would feel in Hyun-oh’s situation.
There might not be a place for Eunsol at the funeral. After all, his father had lived his entire life without revealing Eunsol’s existence. Even trying to imagine it, he couldn’t picture what expression he would wear. Though it was his own face, his features blurred as if painted over with white paint.
It was then that Eunsol noticed Hyun-oh’s fingertips trembling slightly as they traced the rim of the crystal glass.
Seeing this, an indescribable emotion struck his heart. The ambivalent feeling of not being able to freely grieve or rejoice at finally escaping his father’s shadow. He felt he would likely wear an ambiguous expression, unable to settle on a single emotion if he were to hear of his father’s death.
“The contract my father made with the Chairman of Ongaram Group is still valid. Only the counterparty has changed.”
Even with his mind numbed, Eunsol could guess who the new counterparty was.
“I was originally planning to sleep a bit and talk tomorrow, but it’s better to finish this today.”
With those words, Hyun-oh took out his phone from the suit jacket he had removed earlier.
“Secretary Kim, the contract?”
“Yes, Director. It has just been prepared.”
“Bring it to the room now.”
“Understood.”
After pressing the end call button, Hyun-oh called to Eunsol, who was hunching his shoulders tightly.
“Mr. Lee Eunsol.”
“…Yes.”
Eunsol clasped his hands tightly on his knees. His situation remained unchanged. Though Hyun-oh’s manner was courteous, Eunsol felt a strange pressure that he must move according to Hyun-oh’s wishes.
“I like you, Mr. Lee. If you adhere to the conditions of the contract, I think it won’t be a bad arrangement for you either.”
The illegitimate child of Ongaram Group’s Chairman Lee Hae-cheon.
That was what sparked Hyun-oh’s curiosity about Eunsol. Hyun-oh himself had grown up in an unconventional family environment. Fortunately, his maternal family’s influence had been substantial, allowing him to live life on his own terms, contrary to public perception. Eunsol, however, must have lived like a bird trapped in a cage.
In truth, until he entered the room today to replace his suddenly deceased father, he hadn’t made a definite decision. He did need an obedient doll, true. But by nature, Hyun-oh couldn’t keep someone he disliked close to him.
Meeting Eunsol in person, Hyun-oh was quite taken with him. His mild and delicate appearance was universally appealing. Hyun-oh’s aesthetic sense was normal.
The large age gap was a drawback, but it was quite common in their world.
Above all, Eunsol’s pheromone that Hyun-oh had briefly sensed was pleasant. No matter how enchanting an omega’s pheromone was said to be, Hyun-oh usually felt immediate repulsion upon smelling it.
He wondered with mild curiosity why he wanted to experience Eunsol’s pheromone more deeply and intimately. He had warned Eunsol not to release his pheromones because of his own body’s instant reaction.
He could have sent someone else to explain the situation to Eunsol today rather than coming himself. News of his father’s death wasn’t scheduled to be announced until tomorrow.
The group was in a state of emergency because his father had died suddenly before completing the succession process. Though he didn’t have special feelings for his father, the situation caused Hyun-oh considerable stress.
With his mother handling the funeral arrangements personally, Hyun-oh had decided to see Eunsol. After all, he just needed to make an appearance at the funeral once everything was properly prepared.
But the moment he entered the room and perceived Eunsol’s pheromone, accumulated fatigue washed over him like a tide. He needed to get some sleep somewhere today to be ready to receive visitors at the funeral. Since it would be troublesome to move elsewhere, he had planned to rest here briefly.
“I’m in a position where I need to get married soon anyway. I think it would be good for both of us, Mr. Lee, if we just change the partner and proceed with the marriage. What do you think?”
Eunsol raised his trembling eyes. The faint pheromone emanating from Hyun-oh was constricting his throat.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him: what expression would this man make if he said no?
But thoughts always had to remain just thoughts. As always.
It had been Eunsol’s survival method since childhood. The child who had no one to protect him chose to kill himself.
“…I think that would be fine.”
With those words, Eunsol struggled to pull up the corners of his trembling lips into a smile.
