Winston’s expression shifted. Seol Yu-jin tensed up in fear, shrinking his shoulders as he anxiously watched for a reaction. Was he about to be criticized? Or would Winston just laugh it off, telling him not to lie? If that happened… What should I do?
Yu-jin’s face went pale, frozen with apprehension, but Winston merely smiled before pulling him into a tight embrace. As if to reassure him, he placed a firm kiss on his forehead with an audible smack before speaking.
“Do you want to tell me more? What exactly did my father do?”
Yu-jin hesitated, his gaze flickering before he looked up. Winston was watching him with a gentle smile. Swallowing dryly, Yu-jin forced himself to speak.
“Well… it started not long after I first manifested… Before that, he wasn’t like that. We just used to talk a little, share stories about books…”
Winston remained silent, patiently listening. His quiet attentiveness, as if he were willing to wait as long as necessary, gave Yu-jin the courage to finally say it.
“He kept telling me to take my clothes off… and sniffed me.”
“Sniffed?”
Yu-jin nodded.
“He said I have a pheromone scent. But that shouldn’t happen until my heat cycle starts…”
His face was filled with unease. Winston, seeing how distressed he was, reassured him.
“It’s not strong, just a faint trace. I can barely pick up on it from this distance.”
As if to prove it, Winston lowered his face close to Yu-jin’s skin, inhaling softly. Yu-jin flinched violently, his reaction confirming Winston’s suspicions—his father had done exactly the same thing.
“Did you hate it?”
Gently cupping Yu-jin’s cheek, Winston asked in a tender voice. Yu-jin hesitated before giving a small nod.
“I told him I didn’t like it… but Harold got angry, so I had no choice but to let him…”
Tears quickly welled up in Yu-jin’s eyes. He sniffled, rubbing at them with the back of his hand. A deep sigh came from above his head. Startled, Yu-jin looked up, his face paling in fear. Winston immediately softened, smiling as he placed a kiss on Yu-jin’s cheek. The gesture gave him a little relief, but his anxiety still lingered. He asked hesitantly.
“You… You believe me?”
“I do.”
Winston nodded. It was a response Yu-jin had never dared to hope for. His face lit up at once.
“Really? You really believe me?”
“Yes, Yu-jin. I believe you.”
There wasn’t even the slightest hesitation in Winston’s voice. Yu-jin’s entire body relaxed, and his eyes brimmed with fresh tears.
“Thank goodness…”
Perhaps because he had finally let go of the fear holding him together, the tears spilled over, rolling down his cheeks. He hastily wiped them away with his palm, but Winston simply stroked his hair and said,
“We should probably go back inside. This conversation is going to take a while.”
“…Is that really okay?”
Yu-jin asked in surprise, and Winston responded with a wry smile, rubbing his nose against Yu-jin’s.
“I should’ve started with a conversation like you said. I kissed you too much.”
Hearing the self-reproach in his voice, Yu-jin hurriedly reassured him.
“I—I liked it too….”
Seeing how Yu-jin was trying to ease his guilt instead of reprimanding him, Winston felt a tangle of emotions. If they went inside now, he had a feeling they’d just end up getting distracted again. After a brief moment of thought, he suddenly lifted Yu-jin into his arms.
Yu-jin yelped in surprise and quickly wrapped his arms around Winston’s neck. Without a word, Winston strode forward with large steps and sat down on the steps in front of the entrance.
“Alright. Talk.”
“…Here?”
Yu-jin blinked in confusion, and Winston nodded. It was a desperate measure to keep their focus on the main topic, but Yu-jin still looked doubtful. Unable to resist, Winston leaned in and kissed him.
Their lips brushed softly before Winston deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue between Yu-jin’s parted lips. By now, Yu-jin had grown accustomed to the sensation and instinctively responded, his tongue moving against Winston’s. Their slick, heated muscles tangled inside their mouths. As their breaths grew heavier, warmth pooled in Yu-jin’s lower body.
Before he lost himself in it again, Winston forced himself to pull away. Their ragged breathing mingled in the night air as they gazed at each other, heat smoldering in Winston’s eyes. He pressed a brief, lingering kiss to Yu-jin’s lips before murmuring,
“Talk. From the beginning. Everything.”
“…Okay.”
Yu-jin, his face dazed and flushed, nodded and slowly began to recount everything.
As he spoke, Winston remained silent, listening intently. Occasionally, he smiled softly or laced their fingers together, pressing a kiss to Yu-jin’s knuckles, but he didn’t interrupt.
For the first time, someone was truly listening to him—taking his words seriously, not dismissing or belittling them. That unwavering attention filled Yu-jin with trust, allowing him to pour everything out.
When he finally finished, silence settled between them. Yu-jin anxiously waited for Winston’s reaction.
Winston, deep in thought, stayed quiet for a long time before finally speaking.
“…I understand. But.”
Yu-jin instinctively tensed as Winston’s voice lowered.
“You never told anyone about this? Until now? No one else knows besides me?”
Of course, there probably hadn’t been anyone he could tell.
Winston answered his own question before silently cursing himself. Idiot. What a useless question. He was about to berate himself when Yu-jin hesitantly replied.
“I… I asked Madam Campbell for help. But she just scolded me…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say he had been slapped. The humiliation was too much. No matter how small, he still had his pride. As he trailed off awkwardly, Winston let out a quiet sigh.
“I see.”
Then, without another word, he pulled Yu-jin into his arms. Gently, he stroked his back, comforting him like a child.
“It must’ve been so hard. I’m sorry… for leaving you alone all this time.”
“…Mm.”
Yu-jin’s nose tingled, his chest tightening with emotion. Just having someone empathize with him—someone to offer him warmth—made him feel overwhelmingly happy. So much so that he thought he wouldn’t mind if he died tomorrow.
“Do you know exactly when my father is supposed to arrive?”
At Winston’s question, Yu-jin obediently shook his head.
“It’s almost time, but I’ll only know the exact date on the morning of his arrival… They tell me when they bring my food.”
Just the thought of it made Yu-jin’s face contort with distress. Winston seemed to mull something over before he finally spoke.
“Got it. For now, go inside and rest. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“How?”
Yu-jin blinked in surprise at the unexpected words. Winston simply smiled reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”
“But what are you going to—”
Yu-jin felt uneasy, but Winston didn’t explain further. Instead, he rose smoothly to his feet, setting Yu-jin down just beyond the threshold before straightening his back.
“I won’t be able to come during the day. I’ll be here after nine, so get plenty of rest during the day, alright?”
“Uh, o-okay…”
Caught off guard, Yu-jin nodded hesitantly. Winston kissed his cheek one last time before bidding him farewell.
“Sleep well, Yu-jin. And don’t think about that anymore.”
With that, he finally turned away, striding toward his horse with a near-jogging pace. Yu-jin stood there, watching as Winston effortlessly mounted his horse, just like before. Right before leaving, Winston turned back, gave him one last wave, and then rode off.
Yu-jin instinctively raised his hand to wave back but quickly dropped it, feeling a little embarrassed. In mere moments, Winston had vanished from sight.
For a while, Yu-jin remained standing there, hesitating, before finally closing the door. He passed through the living room and headed upstairs.
Everything that had just happened felt surreal.
Lying in bed, he tossed and turned, thoughts swirling in his mind.
Winston came back. And he said… what? That he’s going to do something about Harold? He really believes me, right? He’s actually planning to get me out of here? Is that real? What is he going to do tomorrow?
Winston manifested too. What does that mean?
And we kissed so much, yet I already want to do it again. Does that make me unbelievably lustful? But Winston’s just as bad, right? We’re both total perverts!
With so many thoughts rushing through his mind, sleep didn’t come easily.
Yu-jin forced his eyes shut, trying to quiet his mind. A faint, sweet pheromone scent lingered in the air. But this time, instead of tormenting him, it made his heart race with excitement. He had to fight hard to keep himself from grinning like an idiot.
***
Back in his room, Winston took a quick shower before sitting down in the chair by the window-side tea table.
The warmth and tenderness from earlier were completely gone.
With a dark expression, he replayed Yu-jin’s words over and over in his mind, facing reality with a cold, calculating gaze.
There wasn’t much he could do right now.
Even getting Yu-jin out of the annex wasn’t something he could do freely. He had to sneak out at night, avoiding everyone’s eyes, and make sure to return before dawn. Even that alone was a huge risk for him.
Winston knew exactly what Yu-jin meant to Harold.
The only bloodline left behind by his first love.
And now, a manifested one at that.
If Harold ever found out that Winston had been secretly meeting with Yu-jin, his rage would be immeasurable.
But he hadn’t anticipated things turning out like this.
He should have. He should have been prepared. Was he being too naive all this time? Regret gnawed at him. He had foolishly believed that Harold would protect Yu-jin simply because he was the child of his first love.
How absurd. What had he expected from a man who had dragged Yu-jin across the ocean only to lock him away in that annex?
Winston had learned his lesson the hard way while in England—until he secured full control over the family, he had no choice but to keep his head down. But when that time came, when he finally took everything into his hands, he would be able to claim everything he desired.
Including Yu-jin.
But could he protect Yu-jin until then?
It would take at least a few years. And at any moment, Harold might discover what was happening between them.
…Is that the only way?
Winston stared into the darkness, deep in thought, unmoving.
