Seo-yul lowered his head, trying to hide the tremor in his gaze. But a hand reached out, gently grasping his chin, lifting it so their eyes met once more.
Red irises, softened by a tender smile, drew closer. Long lashes lowered slightly, and then, lips lightly brushed against his before pulling away.
“So now, Seo-yul hyung, you decide.”
He was leaving the choice entirely to him. No—he had already resolved to follow whatever decision Seo-yul made. As long as his hesitant heart settled on something, he would accept it, no matter what it was.
I just have to choose…?
Seo-yul knew he should push him away. His mind told him so. But he no longer wanted to.
Twice, he had left him behind, believing it was for the best. But now that he had been caught once again, he could finally admit the truth of his own feelings.
I want to be with you. I don’t want to leave. Just as I lost everything because of you… I want you to lose everything because of me.
Was it normal to feel this selfish?
From the very beginning, he had been ready to throw everything away. Seo-yul had simply turned a blind eye to it. Because to him, nothing else had ever mattered.
And yet, it was Seo-yul himself who had made him that way.
“As long as I have you, Seo-yul hyung, that’s enough for me.”
The whispered confession came as he lifted Seo-yul into his arms. Setting him down on the windowsill, he guided his arms around his own neck. Then, tilting his head slightly, he leaned in and gently pressed their lips together.
Seo-yul didn’t resist, parting his lips without hesitation. He clung to him, his eyes shut tight, losing himself in the kiss.
The deeper it became, the more ragged his breath grew, heat rising in his body. But along with that heat, a feeling of overwhelming fulfillment spread through his chest.
Is this because of the imprint?
He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he wanted this moment to last a little longer.
Because every breath he took—filled with his scent—was enough to bring tears to his eyes.
“…Ha.”
With a deep sigh, they finally pulled apart. Their heated foreheads pressed together, both struggling to steady their breath. Their gazes, hazy with desire, remained locked on each other.
“Now… tell me.”
“…Ah—”
His lips brushed against the sensitive skin of Seo-yul’s neck.
Even though it was only a light touch, a shudder ran through Seo-yul’s entire body.
Just one kiss—just that much had made him unbearably sensitive.
The scent of Seo-yul’s pheromones, usually too faint to notice, was so strong that even Seo-yul could sense it. If it was overwhelming for him, it must have been unbearable for the other. Perhaps that was why his pheromones, too, were fluctuating wildly.
Before Seo-yul even realized it, his legs had wrapped around Vincent’s waist, pulling him closer. Thud. The back of his head hit the closed window. A hand, which had been resting against his thigh, slowly slid upward, slipping beneath his shirt.
“Hurry….”
A light nip at his chin urged him to speak. Seo-yul’s lips trembled as he bit down on them, hesitating—before finally forcing himself to answer.
“I… too—”
Thump, thump.
Just as he struggled to continue, a knock echoed against the door.
The interruption made the other freeze momentarily before he turned around, his gaze sharp with irritation.
“…Go.”
Seo-yul, regaining some of his composure, slowly unwound his arms from around his neck and let him go. There was no choice but to step back. With a reluctant murmur for Seo-yul to wait, he headed for the door.
“Young master, it’s—”
The aide’s urgent voice was hushed, meant for him alone. As the whispered words continued, his expression darkened further.
“…I understand. I’ll be there soon.”
Ending the conversation abruptly, he pushed the aide back and shut the door.
Taking a slow breath, he turned to Seo-yul again, his expression now calm—but his pheromones were noticeably sharper than before.
“I’ll be back soon.”
He gently lifted Seo-yul off the windowsill and set him down. Continuing the conversation after it had been cut off suddenly felt awkward anyway, so Seo-yul only nodded in response.
As he took a sip of his now-cold coffee and turned his gaze outside, the other leaned in, pressing a kiss to his forehead. The warmth of his lips mixed with the lingering heat on Seo-yul’s skin, intensifying it.
“We’ll continue when I get back. There’s still something I need to hear from you.”
His whispered words made Seo-yul’s eyes waver, unable to hide the truth.
Telling him to rest, he picked up the empty cup and left the room.
Only after his footsteps had faded did Seo-yul finally release a long, heavy sigh.
I almost said everything.
From the moment he realized the imprint had taken hold, he had known he would eventually return to him. But that wasn’t a choice—it was an inevitability.
That inevitability was the excuse he had used to avoid taking responsibility. But the words he had almost spoken just now were different.
Saying that he wanted to leave with him—that wasn’t something forced. That had been his own will.
Turning to look out the window, Seo-yul caught sight of him stepping into the waiting car.
The vehicle took off in a hurry, and from the brief glimpse of his face, he looked deeply troubled.
It’s probably nothing serious… right?
Seo-yul set his cup down on the table.
The seat across from him, which had been occupied just moments ago, was now empty.
But imagining him still sitting there, Seo-yul quietly practiced the words he hadn’t been able to say.
“…I think I’d be fine with just you, too.”
It was time to stop running away.
***
[Joshua Shining has been appointed as the next District 1 leader.]
On the third day since the news of Vincent Shining’s death broke, the district’s official statement was issued. The decree, stamped with the seal of the Moon, was posted throughout District 1, including the mansion.
To anyone, it was a rash decision. The investigation into Vincent Shining’s death hadn’t even been completed, and his body had yet to be found.
There were too many unresolved questions, yet in just three days, they officially acknowledged his death and appointed a successor. It was an uncharacteristically careless move for someone who had always ruled the district with meticulous precision.
And then, a week after the announcement, rumors spread that the district’s master had left without even attending the inauguration of the new leader. That was when suspicions turned into certainty.
The common folk of the district didn’t care much about who became the next leader. But within the mansion, the situation was different. The moment a single Shining was chosen, the elimination of the rest began.
Normally, they would have simply been forced to leave. But this time was different.
Within the locked-down mansion, a true ‘cleansing’ of the Shining bloodline had begun.
Gunshots echoed from all directions, and the air was thick with the scent of blood.
Ina, who arrived at the mansion slightly late due to her assignment, barely managed to survive—but the situation was dire.
“Shit….”
There was no way to dodge every bullet raining down like a storm. Though she hadn’t suffered a fatal wound, blood was seeping steadily from her arm.
She quickly tore her clothes to stop the bleeding, but without proper treatment, using her arm as before would be impossible—the wound was deeper than she had thought.
“What the hell is going on…?”
The district leader had disappeared. The mansion was sealed off. The Shining family members were being slaughtered.
It was as if Joshua wanted to completely wipe out the Shining bloodline. The brutal massacre had now continued for two days straight.
And the one leading it wasn’t Joshua Shining—it was his twin brother, Jeremy Shining.
‘Something’s wrong.’
Not only had Joshua’s sudden appointment been suspicious, but the district’s ruler had abandoned everything and vanished, and now, with Joshua absent, Jeremy had taken his place.
Amidst the chaos, Ina was still doubting Vincent Shining’s death.
She might have believed it if it were anyone else—but he wouldn’t die so easily. That unshakable certainty refused to leave her mind.
‘I need to check the district’s borders.’
The only way to turn this situation around was to confirm whether he was alive. Traditionally, the next district leader was always the Shining with the strongest presence. If Vincent was alive, Joshua could be overthrown.
‘If he really is dead… then I’ll have to escape the district.’
There wasn’t much time left before the inauguration ceremony.
Before that, she had to find Vincent and bring him back to the mansion. If he was truly dead, then she had to flee.
‘Who would have thought the rope we held onto so tightly was already rotten?’
If Joshua Shining officially became the district leader, the central elders would solidify their hold on power. After all, they were the ones who wanted Joshua in charge more than anyone.
If she found Vincent’s corpse at the district’s borders, she would return to District 1 and kill the central elder.
Even if it meant getting caught and dying in the process, she had to avenge her mother, who had withered away.
“Please… be alive, Vincent.”
But more than anything, she desperately wished for him to be alive.
