Burying his nose against the pale nape, he inhaled deeply, and the rich scent of cocoa filled his senses. The lingering thirst, as if he had a mouthful of thick chocolate, made his throat tighten.
Even with their bodies pressed together without a gap, even as they endlessly exchanged breaths, it felt as though Seo-yul was fading away little by little.
He had no idea how much time had passed, clinging to Seo-yul even in sleep. By the time he regained his senses, everything was a complete mess. Seo-yul, himself, and the entire room.
‘What day is it today?’
He barely managed to pull himself out of bed to check the time that had slipped away. The Day of the District was only two days away. Letting out a long sigh, he raked his disheveled hair back roughly.
He picked up the clothes strewn carelessly across the floor and tossed them into a corner before turning back to Seo-yul, who was sleeping soundly—no, not sleeping, but utterly exhausted.
His hand, which had been gently caressing the red, swollen eyelids—puffy from too much crying—slowly moved downward. Following the deep crimson marks he’d left with deliberate precision, his fingers stopped just below the waist.
As soon as his straight fingers brushed against something, Seo-yul’s body flinched. The sound that echoed through the bedroom made his breathing grow heavier.
‘Maybe I should just get him pregnant.’
Even the plan to end the Shining lineage with his generation had become meaningless. He desperately needed an excuse to keep Seo-yul by his side.
Wasn’t it said that omegas despised the idea of having children? Just like the one who gave birth to him, Seo-yul would surely be the same.
‘If he has my child, he won’t be able to leave.’
Creak. The mattress tilted slightly, the sound breaking the silence of the bedroom. He withdrew his fingers, damp with moisture, and moved toward Seo-yul again.
The air grew thick with pheromones, heavy with arousal. Whatever remained of his rationality had already burned away, leaving only the whisper of an instinct commanding him to claim the omega before him.
Placing his hand on Seo-yul’s smooth stomach, he imagined the child that would form there—their child. No, to be precise, he was smiling at the thought of a reason to keep Seo-yul bound to him.
Just a little more, just a little longer.
And so, another day passed with Seo-yul unconscious in his grasp. Seo-yul had regained consciousness sporadically, each time desperately trying to push him away, but an alpha who had lost control had no mercy.
It was only when everything was over that his rationality finally returned, and he realized—he had been in rut. That was the only explanation for why he had driven Seo-yul to such an extreme.
Looking down at Seo-yul, who was in an even more wretched state than before, he let out a deep sigh. With an important event approaching, he had only made things worse for someone already frail.
“…Seo-yul hyung.”
Even when he shook the small shoulders, Seo-yul showed no reaction. His shallow, uneven breaths were unsettling, and his body was burning up after being drenched in an alpha’s pheromones for days.
Lifting Seo-yul’s limp body into his arms, he carried him into the bathroom. He carefully washed his soiled body, dressed him in fresh clothes, and laid him gently onto the bed with newly changed sheets.
As he brushed back Seo-yul’s damp hair, instead of offering words to let him rest, he pressed a kiss to his round forehead. The faint pheromones seeping out made his vision blur for a moment, but he quickly reined himself in.
No more.
Rising quietly, he left the sleeping Seo-yul behind and stepped out of the room. His rut hadn’t completely subsided yet, and he couldn’t risk staying in the same space as Seo-yul. He didn’t know when he might lose control again.
“Stay here and watch over him.”
“Yes, understood.”
The moment he stepped outside, he gave the order to Seo-yul’s attendant and was about to leave when the District Lord’s aide arrived, blocking his path.
“I greet the young master of the District.”
The aide bowed lightly in greeting. He exhaled sharply, releasing the breath he’d been holding, and waved his hand dismissively. Taking that as permission to proceed, the aide quickly got to the point.
“The District Lord has summoned you, Young Master Vincent.”
“…Lead the way.”
The aide turned and began walking, guiding him toward where the ruler of the District awaited. Before leaving, he reminded the attendant once more to take good care of Seo-yul. Then, without hesitation, he followed behind the aide.
They passed through the banquet hall, draped in red curtains, and ascended the white staircase leading to the upper floor. Upon reaching the level where the District Lord resided, he paused momentarily to straighten his attire.
“District Lord, Young Master Vincent has arrived.”
As soon as the aide finished speaking, permission to enter was given. The aide opened the door and stepped aside to allow him through. He resumed walking and entered the office.
“I greet the—”
Crash!
Before he could even finish his greeting, a glass flew through the air, narrowly missing him. It shattered against the solid wall behind him, sending shards scattering. One of the fragments grazed his cheek.
“I greet the District Lord.”
Wiping the blood from his cheek, he completed the greeting that had been cut short. He bowed deeply, waiting for the command to rise, but instead, a figure strode forward and seized him by the collar, yanking him upright.
Slap!
The brutal strike to his cheek sent his body lurching, but with his collar gripped tightly, he had no room to move. A sharp, metallic taste spread in his mouth—his lip must have split open.
“Raise your head properly.”
Despite delivering the slap, the voice was gentle. A command was a command—he complied, lifting his head to meet the District Lord’s gaze. And then, the same spot was struck again.
“That bruise won’t be fading anytime soon.”
The man, who had just left a deep purple mark on his cheek, chuckled as he tapped it lightly. Spitting out the blood pooling in his mouth, Vincent reached up to touch his throbbing face. The area he had been struck was already swelling.
“Do you know why you were hit?”
“…Do I really need to?”
The man’s violence had more instances without reason than with one. If he was in a bad mood, he would throw whatever was within reach, strike whoever was in front of him. This time would be no different.
The District Lord watched him with a bright smile, even though Vincent had just been struck out of nowhere, his crimson eyes void of even a hint of resentment. Then, pulling something from his coat, the man tossed it straight at his face.
“Read it.”
The paper fluttered to the floor. The first words that caught his eye as he picked it up were: Pregnancy Report. His pupils shook for a moment, but thankfully, since his head was still lowered, the man didn’t see it.
Steadying himself, Vincent straightened his posture and, under the District Lord’s gaze, slowly read the words on the paper.
“Due to uterine immaturity, the current likelihood of pregnancy is extremely low…”
There was no name written on the report, but he immediately knew whose it was. This must have been why Seo-yul had been taken back then.
To confirm whether his words had been true or not.
“Now tell me—why did you lie to me?”
“…I’m sorry.”
That was all he could say right now. He had known that his lie would eventually be exposed, but he hadn’t expected it to be this soon. He had thought he could at least hold out until after the Day of the District.
“What, were you afraid I’d harm your omega?”
At those words, his previously calm expression wavered for just a second. The District Lord caught the slight twitch of his straight eyebrows and let out a beaming laugh, patting him on the shoulder.
“You deceive me like this, and yet you expect me to honor my promise to you?”
Seeing Vincent’s face crumble so completely over a single omega, the man let out a long, deep sigh. Even the son he once thought was flawless turned out to have defects—what a miserable disappointment.
Moments like these only reinforced his conviction: That omega—that son of Han Jae-hoon—does not belong here.
“What must I do for you to forgive me?”
“Forgiveness? I’m not angry.”
He had slapped him across the face the moment he walked in, yet had the audacity to claim he wasn’t angry. Vincent clenched his fists, barely suppressing the fury bubbling inside him, then let his gaze soften.
Showing emotion before the District Lord was meaningless; it would only put him at a disadvantage. That man would never understand emotions like these, even if it killed him.
“Until now, I’ve done everything you’ve ordered. If you told me to kill, I killed. If you told me to torture, I tortured. No matter how inhumane, I did it all.”
He tried to keep himself composed, but the more he spoke, the more his voice trembled. The resentment and anguish of the past eight years were breaking through the walls he had so carefully built around himself.
He had tried so hard not to let it show when speaking to Seo-yul about the past. But the truth was, he had felt nothing but shame. He had suffered.
That moment—when he had to speak of his own filth, when he had to confess that the boy Seo-yul once loved no longer existed—was beyond miserable. And this man would never understand.
“So say what you truly want to say.”
The man spoke as if he was doing him a favor. Those crimson eyes gleamed with amusement, as if the whole situation was nothing but entertainment to him.
Vincent locked eyes with him, meeting that cruel gaze head-on, and this time, he spoke with all his sincerity—his warning clear.
“I will do whatever it takes to protect my omega.”
