“Thank you so much for your heartfelt hospitality.”
Despite the clear sarcasm in his words, the smile lingering on his lips remained unchanged. In contrast, those around them began to sense the tense atmosphere and started watching cautiously.
He raised a hand, halting the approaching aide, and then turned to Se-yul with an even brighter smile. As if that alone was the final spark needed, Se-yul lost his patience and stepped forward.
How long until that trembling hand finally reached up to grab his collar? Leisurely waiting, he then caught sight of Han Jae-hoon entering the mansion behind them and gave a polite nod.
“I greet the master of District 5.”
Se-yul, snapping back to his senses at Han Jae-hoon’s arrival, took a step back. Han Jae-hoon, casting him a glance as if to tell him to calm down, approached the man with a warm smile spreading across his face.
“It’s been a while.”
Contrary to the kind tone, his gaze was filled with an unmistakable murderous intent. When the man gave a slight nod, the hand that had reached out landed heavily on his shoulder.
“We have a lot to talk about.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the time right now.”
Politely refusing, he pushed away Han Jae-hoon’s hand. For a brief moment, Han Jae-hoon lost his composure, but as he became aware of the watching eyes, he quickly schooled his expression.
If he could, he would’ve grabbed the man by the collar right then and there, demanding to know where Seo-yul was. If only he could retrieve Seo-yul, he wouldn’t have to waste another second in this wretched place.
“Jae-hoon!”
The voice calling out to him cheerfully snapped Han Jae-hoon out of his thoughts, and he turned his head. Unlike his usual lax demeanor, the master of District 1 approached, arms wide open, dressed in full formal attire.
“I greet the master of the dist—”
Before Han Jae-hoon could even finish his greeting, the man abruptly pulled him into a tight embrace, stunning everyone into silence. Not a single soul in the mansion dared to speak until Han Jae-hoon, momentarily frozen in shock, regained his senses and shoved him away.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
At Han Jae-hoon’s sharp words, the man’s red eyes curved into an elegant smile.
“I was worried you wouldn’t come. Seeing you here fills me with such joy.”
And yet, this was the same man who had sent a handwritten invitation that not-so-subtly threatened Seo-yul’s safety if Han Jae-hoon refused to attend. His shamelessness truly knew no bounds.
Han Jae-hoon dodged the hand sneaking toward him and walked straight past the man, heading into the mansion. The people who had been holding their breaths glanced between Jae-hoon, who was disappearing into the distance, and the man who remained standing in place.
The man, who had been staring into the empty air, soon shrugged and leisurely followed after Jae-hoon. Only after the master of District 1 had vanished did the onlookers begin to murmur among themselves.
“I heard the mansion in District 5 was completely destroyed. They say District 1 was behind it.”
“The whole district was nearly wiped out, and yet he seems unfazed. I mean, just look at him coming all the way here.”
“The master of District 1 is bold for inviting him, but District 5’s master is just as insane for actually showing up.”
The murmuring filled the banquet hall, and though the paused music resumed in an attempt to mask the noise, the gossip didn’t cease. Unable to suppress his irritation, Se-yul turned to leave.
“Han Se-yul.”
The man who had been silent all this time suddenly called his name. Se-yul scowled and turned around, only to see him motion with a jerk of his chin, wordlessly telling him to follow. With a scowl still on his face, Se-yul eventually walked after him.
As they moved to the back of the banquet hall, the noise of the crowd faded into the distance. Se-yul quickened his pace, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t catch up. They walked for quite some time until the man finally stopped at the very end of a hallway.
“You seem to have a lot to say to me.”
So all the Shining bastards were shameless. Confirming that no one else was around, Se-yul didn’t hold back this time—he grabbed the man by the collar and yanked him close.
“Oh, I’ve got a lot to say, alright, but first, let’s start with you taking a few hits, you son of a bitch.”
He clenched his fist so tightly that veins bulged along the back of his hand. Just as he was about to throw his punch, the man, who had been standing still up until that moment, swiftly loosened Se-yul’s grip on his collar and stepped back. His fist cut through empty air.
“Not the face. I barely managed to cover this one up.”
The man tapped his cheek with his fingers, where a faint bruise was visible.
So anywhere but the face was fine, then?
Se-yul took his words at face value and aimed for his stomach instead.
Whether the bastard truly meant it or just didn’t care, he didn’t even try to dodge. He simply stood there, watching as Se-yul’s fist flew toward him. When Se-yul twisted his fist into his abdomen, the man let out a faint groan and doubled over.
“Ugh…”
“Fucking psycho.”
Se-yul shook out his throbbing fist, glaring at the man who was deliberately making a show of being in pain. When the man finally lifted his head, his face was just as composed as before.
“Quit acting.”
“Acting? I’m really in pain, you know.”
Straightening his posture, he continued playing the part of the wounded with an infuriatingly shameless tone. Se-yul raised his fist again, but this time, he forced himself to calm down.
There were a million things he wanted to ask, but above all else, he needed to find out where Seo-yul was. That was the only way he could get out of this hellhole even a day sooner.
“Cut the crap. Just answer me one thing—where’s my brother?”
“……”
“Where the fuck is my brother, you bastard?!”
“What if I don’t want to tell you?”
The moment Se-yul heard that shameless response, the last shred of his reason snapped. His vision went red as he swung his fists wildly, but this time, the man had no intention of taking the hits. He dodged with ease, slipping out of reach.
“Ugh.”
The strain from his reckless movements sent a sharp pain through his right shoulder—it hadn’t fully healed yet. The man, noticing his discomfort, suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Se-yul’s shoulder with force.
“Ah—fuck!”
“Oh, right. This is where you got shot.”
Unable to withstand the pressure on his wound, Se-yul’s knees buckled. As he collapsed, the man crouched down beside him and casually dusted off his hands.
Se-yul immediately pulled his right shoulder back, his entire body tense with caution. The way he looked now—like a cornered rat baring its teeth in front of a cat—was almost amusing. He, on the other hand, was like a cat toying with its prey. He quite liked the dynamic.
“I’ll let you see him. But you can’t take him.”
“And who the fuck are you to decide that?”
Pain had drained all color from Se-yul’s face. The man lightly tapped his pale cheek, grinning as he spoke.
“Because I’m going to marry Seo-yul.”
“I could just expose the fact that he’s an omega.”
Se-yul despised the idea of revealing his brother’s secret himself, but this was his last resort. He had no choice but to use it as a threat.
Seeing the victorious smirk on Se-yul’s lips, the man barely held back a laugh. Of course, Se-yul wouldn’t know—he had been bedridden for months, too busy recovering to keep up with the outside world.
Should I play along for a bit?
The fact that Seo-yul was an omega was already common knowledge in District 1. Yet, the man pretended to be shocked by Se-yul’s words, forcing down the smirk that threatened to form.
“That wouldn’t be good for Seo-yul.”
“It’d be better than being trapped here for the rest of his life.”
Seo-yul had already spent most of his life confined to the small mansion in District 5 under the excuse of his frail health. Of course, if he married into District 1, he would never be allowed outside either, but at the very least, this place was dozens of times larger than his previous home.
The man had every intention of expanding the mansion even further, creating anything Seo-yul desired so he would never feel suffocated. But what exactly could District 5 offer him?
Maybe I should’ve just destroyed it completely.
If there had been nothing left to return to, Seo-yul’s longing for home would have eventually faded. But since District 5 still stood, it gave Se-yul a reason to come crawling here, throwing around pathetic threats.
No matter. He could always destroy District 5 once he became its new master.
For now, he needed to focus on Seo-yul. And for that, he would allow this little meeting.
Though, of course, it would be the last.
“Vincent, sir!”
A loud voice called for him from a distance. His aide was running toward them. It was time to leave.
His expression hardened as he stood, giving Se-yul’s shoulder a few light pats.
“Well then, enjoy your time together.”
He turned to leave, but before he could walk away, Se-yul staggered to his feet and grabbed at him. His face was growing paler by the second—clearly, his body hadn’t fully recovered.
Then again, no matter how sturdy Se-yul was, he was still just a regular human. He couldn’t be held to the same standards as the Shining family. But by now, he should’ve been mostly healed.
“You bastard, just tell me where my brother—”
Vincent easily shook off Se-yul’s weak grip and walked away, heading toward his approaching aide.
A moment later, a heavy thud echoed behind him.
“M-Master Vincent.”
His aide, who had been facing the other direction, suddenly turned pale and called out in alarm.
Vincent glanced back to see Se-yul collapsed on the ground. Letting out a deep sigh, he muttered,
“He really never ceases to be a hassle.”
