#23
Eunsol always lived in an intimidated state when with his family. He couldn’t even breathe comfortably for fear that his loud breathing might upset them.
Today, he had panicked after unexpectedly encountering them. But the moment Hyun-oh appeared, even Eunsol’s thoughts of his once-frightening family began to fade.
He had thought his family had the biggest influence on his life. But today, he could clearly understand. Now, Eunsol cared about Hyun-oh more than any other person.
From the broad embrace that protected him to the fierce pheromones directed at his family. Even though he had shown such an unsightly appearance, Hyun-oh didn’t push him away but offered his arms.
Since marrying Hyun-oh, Eunsol had been forming connections with Kang Ye-ryeong and Ryu Jeong-woo as well, but he didn’t get overly affected by their expressions or words.
Yet with Hyun-oh, he acted as if the man had a hold on his greatest weakness. His feelings toward him had grown so much that even Eunsol could barely handle them, completely shaking the owner of those emotions.
He thought Hyun-oh hadn’t come home because he was angry with him. It was inevitable, as Hyun-oh had gone on a business trip to America right after Eunsol had lost consciousness.
Though he had notified Eunsol of the trip through Kim Myungjun, Hyun-oh had never contacted Eunsol directly afterward. Even if he didn’t know, Eunsol had constantly missed him.
He wanted to see Hyun-oh’s face, but couldn’t easily summon the courage. There wasn’t a single photo of Hyun-oh on Eunsol’s phone or in the house. This was despite Eunsol having moved into Hyun-oh’s original home, where one would expect to find pictures of him somewhere.
Eunsol only saw Hyun-oh through news article photos. Even in photos, Hyun-oh had an intimidating presence, but it was nothing compared to reality.
Just being alone with him in the car was enough to constrict his heart. Since getting in the car, Hyun-oh hadn’t said a word. Cold sweat formed on Eunsol’s forehead as Hyun-oh remained silent after just starting the engine.
He regretted not forcing himself to go with Ye-ryeong. Imagining what Hyun-oh might think of him made his mouth go dry. He would surely think Eunsol was someone who got pushed around by his family. And since that was true, he had no excuse.
“Mr. Lee Eunsol.”
“Y-yes…”
When Hyun-oh broke the heavy silence, Eunsol’s face was completely damp with cold sweat. He raised his gaze with difficulty.
He inhaled sharply as he immediately met eyes that had apparently been watching him. Seen properly for the first time in a while, Hyun-oh’s face was thinner than he remembered.
His jawline, already sharp before, now had a boundary between jaw and neck as clear as a sculpture.
Instead of the thoughts that had been cluttering his mind until just now, worry for Hyun-oh took their place. Just as Eunsol had lost weight, Hyun-oh also didn’t seem to have been living comfortably.
He wanted to caress Hyun-oh’s cheek. Startled by his own thought, Eunsol clenched his trembling fingertips into a fist.
Though he knew he wasn’t in a position to worry about Hyun-oh, once he became aware of his affectionate feelings, they quickly grew in volume.
“Next time something like this happens, contact someone below you immediately. Don’t suffer alone. Today was fine because my mother was with you.”
But with those words, Eunsol came to his senses. Hyun-oh’s face was so rigidly set that he wondered why he hadn’t noticed it earlier.
Though not as intense as when confronting Joo-young, his expression could by no means be described as gentle. Ye-ryeong’s expression had been cold too, but now her eyes held a thin warmth when looking at Eunsol.
Eunsol clenched his fist at Hyun-oh’s even more indifferent gaze than when they first met.
“…I’m sorry.”
Day by day, as his heart leaned more toward Hyun-oh, he wanted to show only his good side.
He couldn’t shake the thought that he had burdened Hyun-oh again today. His suppressed voice barely escaped between his lips.
“Why is Mr. Lee Eunsol apologizing? You’ve done nothing to be sorry for.”
But at Hyun-oh’s voice that followed, Eunsol looked up at him with wide eyes. As the trembling gaze turned toward him, Hyun-oh emphasized firmly to Eunsol.
“Don’t apologize for things you haven’t done wrong. Even if it’s to me.”
“…Yes. I will.”
Eunsol answered like an obedient student. It was because he suddenly realized his position.
He recalled what Ye-ryeong and Kim Myungjun had told him. That now, even in Hyun-oh’s absence, Eunsol sometimes represented him.
Perhaps not in important settings, but it was entirely possible in private gatherings. As long as Eunsol was bound to Hyun-oh in marriage, those hostile to Hyun-oh could use Eunsol at any time to bring him down.
It was a world where face was important.
Hyun-oh’s words contained the judgment that Eunsol couldn’t resolve situations like the one earlier on his own.
Even Eunsol thought his previous behavior had been too pitiful for Hyun-oh to trust him. His gaze, which had seemed like it would stare at Hyun-oh forever, fell heavily.
Was there no room for ordinary conversation between the two of us?
Unconsciously, Eunsol scratched the side of his thumb with his index finger. The white skin quickly swelled red.
Blood was about to form on the delicate skin. A large hand, seemingly a whole finger joint larger than his own, landed on the back of his hand.
“Ah…”
It was a light touch. Yet Eunsol froze as if his entire body had been tightly bound by invisible ropes.
“That’s not a good habit. Hurting your body.”
Once Eunsol stopped scratching his skin, Hyun-oh immediately removed his hand. But warmth still lingered where Hyun-oh’s hand had touched.
Eunsol blankly looked down at his own hand. It was different from when Hyun-oh had picked him up. Just now, though it might have been his imagination, there seemed to be concern for him.
“I won’t… do it anymore.”
Hyun-oh’s gaze at Eunsol, who answered like an obedient child, wasn’t as cold as Eunsol thought.
* * *
“Where is this?”
“A jewelry shop.”
Eunsol had thought Hyun-oh would naturally head home. After all, at the hospital Ye-ryeong had contacted, Eunsol had received an examination, blood tests, and pheromone tests. But where the car stopped was an unfamiliar place. It was a street lined with shops boasting luxurious exteriors.
When Hyun-oh’s car stopped at one of them, a neatly uniformed employee immediately came out from inside the store. Hyun-oh got out of the car first, and after hesitating, Eunsol opened the car door too.
“Welcome, Director Han.”
The employee respectfully bowed to Hyun-oh. Hyun-oh handed the car key to the employee and approached Eunsol.
“Let’s go in.”
Though he had told him they were at a jewelry shop, Hyun-oh hadn’t explained why they were visiting. Eunsol eventually suppressed his curiosity and followed Hyun-oh into the shop.
“Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”
As they entered the store, a woman with neatly styled hair came out to greet them. Eunsol glanced at the brand name visible behind her.
Harry Winston. A high jewelry brand that began flourishing after establishing itself in New York in the early 20th century.
It was famous for using diamonds of at least 4 carats in all its products. It was also renowned for being made exclusively by custom order, making its products difficult to obtain even for those with money.
“This way, please.”
The woman appeared to be of a much higher position than the employee they had met at the front of the store. On the left side of her chest was a Harry Winston brooch.
The diamond, shimmering colorfully under the lights, caught Eunsol’s attention.
The place they were guided to was like a reception room. Deep purple velvet sofas were placed around a round table.
Eunsol followed Hyun-oh and sat next to him. Their guide took a seat across from them.
“Since you made the request then, our chief designer has prepared several designs.”
The head of Harry Winston’s Korean branch smiled gently at Hyun-oh. Though her gaze was mainly directed at Hyun-oh, she maintained a painted-on smile even when meeting Eunsol’s cautious glances.
An employee who followed the branch head placed a cup of tea in front of both Hyun-oh and Eunsol. The clear, rose-tinted tea formed concentric circles in teacups engraved with golden rose vines.
Instead of drinking the tea, Hyun-oh leaned back against the sofa and got straight to business with the branch head.
“May I see them?”
“Of course.”
Something was happening that only Eunsol didn’t know about. But this was familiar. Ye-ryeong often took Eunsol around in this way too. Thanks to that, Eunsol waited quietly without showing any sign of confusion.
It seemed Hyun-oh had business here before heading home.
The branch head handed Hyun-oh a leather portfolio. On top of the A4-sized leather portfolio, the brand name Harry Winston was engraved in cursive.
When the portfolio was opened, several sheets of paper appeared. Hyun-oh spread the papers on the table for Eunsol to see clearly.
“Choose one. It doesn’t matter if you like them all and choose them all.”
“Me…?”
“Yes.”
While Harry Winston was famous as a jewelry brand, its reputation for watches was equally impressive. The price of a jewelry watch with elaborate diamond settings was more expensive than most diamond rings.
Just a moment ago, Eunsol had thought Hyun-oh had stopped by to buy a watch. But what lay before him were designs of various rings.
The texture of colored pencils and pencils was clear even on the thick paper, as if drawn by hand. All designs appeared to feature diamonds of at least 5 carats.
“These are wedding rings. If you think it might be too heavy because of the diamond size, you can keep this as formal jewelry and we can make another ring separately for daily wear.”
Eunsol’s eyes widened at Hyun-oh’s words. He hadn’t expected this at all. Though they had registered their marriage, it was a secret marriage conducted without even a wedding ceremony.
It was true that sometimes when looking down at his left hand, he felt a sense of emptiness. But Eunsol had never coveted anything beyond that.
This was especially true after Hyun-oh had left for his business trip to America. The suddenly encountered situation felt surreal.
Moreover, rings from this brand would cost… at least hundreds of millions of won.
Though he had grown up in a chaebol family, Eunsol had received almost none of the benefits, making this an amount that made his face turn pale.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
