He quickly masked the confusion that surfaced on his face, but inside, his thoughts remained tangled. There was no way Choi Yeo-min was the one sent to watch over me. They must have simply picked someone at random from District 5.
But if this man really was that Choi Yeo-min—
“Do you happen to know Han Se-yul?”
As soon as the faintest possibility crossed my mind, I grasped at straws and mentioned Se-yul’s name. If he truly was Choi Yeo-min, he might be able to tell me something about Se-yul.
“Han Se-yul…? Who is that?”
The result was crushing. The Choi Yeo-min standing before me had no idea who Se-yul was. That meant he wasn’t the main submissive from Mad Love, just someone with the same name.
“I see.”
The hope that had flared up was swiftly extinguished, leaving me drained. I leaned back against the window frame and lost interest in Choi Yeo-min. Noticing my shift, he quietly settled back into his seat as well.
A stifling silence stretched between us. Staring out the window for what felt like forever, I eventually grew restless and decided to step out into the garden. Meanwhile, Choi Yeo-min, who had been dozing off, suddenly perked up at the sound of my movements and attempted to follow me.
“Don’t follow me.”
“Huh?”
Just before I stepped out the door, I addressed him. His large eyes reflected my expressionless face. Leaving him frozen in place, I walked outside.
“Please return to your room.”
“What?”
But the moment I stepped out, a guard blocked my way. When I asked why, they wouldn’t even give me a reason. They just kept repeating that I had to go back. As frustration welled up, a noise came from down the corridor.
“You need to leave. This area belongs to Lord Vincent—”
“And you think I don’t know that? I said I’m just grabbing my stuff and getting out!”
My gaze naturally turned in that direction. The guard, growing flustered, began pushing me back. Planting my feet firmly, I tried to watch the commotion, but the guard pleaded desperately.
“It’ll only take a moment, please—”
“Vincent!!”
Someone shouted out in frustration, calling for a man who wasn’t even here. At the same time, the pressure forcing me back into the room disappeared. As I turned my head to follow the guard’s gaze, I locked eyes with a man humming a tune as he approached.
Shining.
The moment I saw his red hair and eyes, I knew. The man, grinning as he walked, widened his eyes in surprise when he spotted me wedged between the door and the guards.
“Like father, like bastard. Consistent taste, I’ll give them that.”
Muttering something cryptic under his breath, he strode forward and shoved the guards aside. I instinctively tried to step back, but the door behind me blocked my retreat.
Lowering his gaze, the man slowly scanned me from head to toe. I tensed at his unsettling stare and glared back, refusing to back down. A silent battle of wills played out between us—until the guards, responding to a summons, rushed over.
“Lord Joshua, you need to leave now.”
Joshua?
That name—Se-yul had mentioned it often when he was still attending school in District 1. He’d told me about a Shining who constantly looked down on District 5, so much so that they even got into fights. That Shining’s name had been Joshua.
Se-yul used to say Joshua had an ugly face, but an even filthier personality. That out of all the Shining bastards, there was no one worse. He even warned me that if I ever met him, I should avoid him at all costs.
“Lord Joshua!”
One of the guards, losing patience, grabbed Joshua’s arm. The atmosphere turned deadly in an instant. Joshua roughly yanked his arm free, his sharp glare softening into a lazy smirk as he muttered,
“You’re really pissing me off.”
Without warning, he started rummaging through his coat. Alarmed, I kept my eyes locked on his hands. The moment I spotted the cold metal of a gun slipping from his jacket, I lunged forward and grabbed his wrist.
“What the hell?”
Joshua scowled and tried to shake me off, but I clung to him desperately. I knew exactly where that barrel would be aimed the moment I let go.
That night, when the sky burned red, when gunfire echoed from every direction, when bodies littered the ground like discarded dolls—I could still see it all so vividly.
That was how Se-yul died, right before my eyes.
I won’t let anyone else die.
“Hey, let go.”
“Th-this isn’t—”
“Filthy. Get your hands off—”
Joshua, still trying to shove me away, suddenly froze. My body was still trembling as I tried to calm myself, but before I could react, a hand shot forward and grabbed my chin, forcing my head up.
I tried to look away from his eyes, where dangerous flames flickered, but his grip tightened. The merciless pressure on my jaw made my face contort in pain, as if my bones might snap under the strain.
“You reek.”
“!!!”
The moment I heard Joshua’s muttered words, my heart plummeted. That was when I finally became aware of something I hadn’t noticed before—Joshua’s pheromones. The scent was so thick it was suffocating. I instinctively raised a hand to cover my nose, and the uncertainty in his eyes shifted into certainty.
“You’re an Omega.”
The second Joshua confirmed it, he began releasing his pheromones in full force. The scent grew unbearably strong. I wanted to escape it somehow, but Joshua was in front of me, and the door blocked me from behind.
I feel like I’m going to be sick.
It wasn’t the same as before. He had asked me if I was confident I wouldn’t go into heat if I met another Shining at the mansion. But right now, it wasn’t heat I had to fight—it was the urge to retch. Joshua’s pheromones were revolting.
“You don’t even let a single ant through, and now I see why. Of course you’d have to, if you were hiding this.”
Joshua spoke as he ruffled my hair without permission. The guards stationed around us rushed over, but none of them dared to stop him. They just stood there, watching in discomfort, unsure of what to do.
“Ugh.”
“What, are you already pregnant?”
Joshua scoffed, mistaking my gagging for morning sickness. I couldn’t even muster the strength to respond. I curled forward, trying to suppress the nausea, when the door behind me suddenly creaked open.
Just as I was about to collapse backward, someone caught my shoulders. The moment his pheromones seeped out from the room, my nausea, strangely enough, began to subside.
“I don’t recall hearing about any guests. Who might you be?”
Choi Yeo-min, who had stepped out, directed his question at Joshua. But Joshua ignored him completely and reached for me again. I thought it was too late to dodge, but Yeo-min quickly stepped forward, pushing me back as he blocked Joshua’s path.
“Answer the question first.”
“…Of course. No one here understands words properly. I guess that’s to be expected when your master’s a fucking mutt.”
Joshua let out a frustrated sigh, roughly running a hand through his hair. At the same time, the overwhelming stench of his pheromones began to fade. Only then did I feel like I could breathe again.
“Hey, Omega.”
Joshua continued to disregard Yeo-min, focusing solely on me. When our eyes met, he grinned broadly and waved.
“See you next time?”
With that meaningless farewell, Joshua disappeared. Yeo-min, who had been flipping him off all the while, finally turned back—only to find me slumped on the ground.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
I said it, but I wasn’t fine at all. Now that another Shining had discovered I was an Omega, I would undoubtedly be cast out beyond the district’s borders. Omegas weren’t welcome anywhere, but in District 1, their treatment was particularly brutal.
I forced myself to stay conscious and pushed Yeo-min away as he tried to help me up. My steps were unsteady, but I managed to reach the bed on my own.
I threw myself onto the soft blankets, inhaling deeply. As much as I hated to admit it, I needed this scent right now. Otherwise, I’d end up vomiting everything inside me.
“Should I bring you some water?”
I should have refused again, but my throat was parched, and I desperately needed a drink. I nodded. Yeo-min smiled brightly before hurrying off to get it.
“Thanks.”
I accepted the cup and took a sip, the cool water soothing my dry throat. It helped, at least a little. Handing back the empty cup, I collapsed again. I had no energy left, not even to move a finger.
“You look really pale.”
“I’ll be fine after some rest.”
“If you say so, but…”
Even after that, Yeo-min didn’t leave. I could feel his presence nearby, making it impossible to sleep properly. Eventually, I gave up and told him to go rest, but despite his verbal agreement, he didn’t move.
Ignore it.
I repeated the thought to myself as I buried my face deeper into the plush blankets.
