#97
Taemin approached irritably and stood in front of Idam. He maintained a posture similar to a bodyguard. At the same time, Hyeongman’s hand that was touching Idam’s cheek naturally withdrew. Hyeongman looked peculiarly at Taemin, who had entered a defensive stance, and shrugged his shoulders.
“Why are you acting so sensitive? I just invited him for a meal.”
“Idam is not yet fully recovered. He’s in no condition to do anything right now.”
Hyeongman looked at Taemin’s guard curiously, as if watching a monkey in a zoo. Eventually, his gaze reached Idam.
“Really? Are you feeling unwell, my son-in-law?”
“What…?”
Son-in-law…
Idam was bewildered by this sudden term of address. Surely Taemin’s father couldn’t look kindly upon Idam, who was an obstacle to his son’s strategic marriage. Why would he use such an affectionate term? Still, he had to answer, so he straightened his posture.
“No, I’m fine.”
Idam had no right of refusal. Moreover, as Taemin objected, Hyeongman seemed to have shifted the burden of the desired answer onto Idam, making him feel even more compelled to obey.
“Even I can see your complexion looks brighter. Then, I’ll see you later.”
Hyeongman smiled and left the bedroom.
“Hah… really.”
Taemin furrowed his brow, exhaling his anger towards his father. He immediately touched Idam’s pale cheek.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not feeling well.”
“Yes…”
“Don’t push yourself.”
Taemin’s eyes were full of concern for Idam.
Intoxicated by this kindness, Idam’s heart fluttered, feeling that Taemin cared for him deeply. But now knowing the meaning behind his kindness, Idam hardened his heart and clenched his molars. Then he gently pushed away Taemin’s hand.
“I’m just acting according to our contract.”
“…”
“If I have to go out anyway, it’s better to hurry.”
“Alright. I’ll take the lead with my father, you just need to go along with it.”
“Yes…”
After answering, Idam stepped away from him. Now that things had come to this, he hoped this contract would end as soon as possible. He no longer wanted his heart to flutter at Taemin’s ambiguous behavior.
* * *
The meal took place in the pavilion where Taemin and Idam had walked together before. Under the softly lit lamps, Idam and Taemin sat side by side, with Hyeongman across from them. Behind him stood a bodyguard who looked unmistakably like a gangster and a female secretary. The food was soon served.
Having almost met Hyeongman at a Korean restaurant before, Idam naturally assumed the meal would be Korean. However, contrary to expectations, what was laid out before them was red wine and tenderloin steak garnished with scallops.
“Well then, let’s eat.”
Hyeongman elegantly picked up his knife.
“Yes, thank you for the meal.”
Idam also picked up his fork. He hadn’t imagined they would be eating Western food, so the dining etiquette he had studied for the Korean restaurant became useless. He held the knife but kept fumbling with it. The blade even scraped against the plate, making a screeching sound.
“Ah…”
Idam’s face instantly turned red. As if the situation wasn’t awkward enough, now he had to go and do something so foolish.
“Switch with this.”
Taemin exchanged Idam’s plate with one containing steak cut into cube-shaped pieces. The meat pieces were even small enough to eat in one bite.
“Oh?”
Idam looked at Taemin in surprise.
“Eat quickly before it gets cold.”
Taemin whispered kindly and began cutting his own steak. Idam’s heart fluttered at his manners, but he swallowed the feeling. Taemin was just showing appropriate manners to him as his pretend wife. He told himself not to read too much into it.
Idam carefully began eating the steak. The juicy, savory, and appropriately fatty flavor captivated his tongue. It felt like it was melting in his mouth. To be able to appreciate such flavor even in this uncomfortable situation… He was amazed at how excellent the cooking was.
“How’s the meal? Is it alright?”
Hyeongman asked while sipping his wine.
“Yes…”
If it had been a meal alone with Taemin, Idam would have enthusiastically expressed how delicious it was, but given the situation, he answered calmly.
However, an unfamiliar scent had been tickling his nose for a while. With flower beds all around, he thought it might be flowers, but it was a different kind of sweetness.
Looking closely, he realized the scent was coming from the female secretary behind Hyeongman. Had she put on perfume? Idam found it unique. Taemin also seemed to notice the scent from the secretary, briefly looking at her before focusing back on his steak.
“I really enjoy Western cuisine.”
Hyeongman said as he leisurely cut his food and put a scallop in his mouth.
“Perhaps because I’ve eaten Korean food to the point of boredom, I now prefer such rich flavors. As a result, most of my favorite restaurants are similar. The restaurant where I was supposed to meet Idam last time is also one of my favorites.”
“What?”
Idam found this strange.
Just before coming to Jihwado, he had gone to a Korean restaurant with Taemin, supposedly to meet Hyeongman. At that time, Taemin had said it was his father’s favorite restaurant. Yet now Hyeongman was saying he didn’t enjoy Korean food.
Moreover, Hyeongman hadn’t shown up that day. The steak that had been going down smoothly now felt stuck in his throat. Could it be that Hyeongman hadn’t known about the Korean restaurant appointment?
So Taemin had arranged a non-existent dinner meeting and taken Idam to Incheon. But why? As a result of that day, they had started wearing wedding rings in earnest and talked about Jihwado while walking on the beach.
After that, Idam had been kidnapped by Han Jongcheol, Ahn Juhan’s friend, and came to Jihwado, but that was a coincidence and a separate situation.
He wondered if he should ask why Taemin had lied. But Idam was just Taemin’s pretend wife, and he hesitated, wondering if it would be inappropriate to interfere.
“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
Idam snapped back to reality at Hyeongman’s question.
“No, I’m fine.”
For now, the priority was to get through this meeting safely. Idam gathered his scattered thoughts and focused on the meal. Consciously eating quickly made him choke. Just as he was about to grab the wine glass in front of him to drink something…
“Idam, drink this instead of that.”
What Taemin handed him was strawberry juice. Idam wondered when this had appeared on the table. He must not have noticed it properly when the employees were setting up, given how tense the situation was. Idam drank the juice and focused back on the meal.
He was worried about the questions that might fly from Hyeongman’s mouth at any moment about how the two of them met and when they got married. Of course, Taemin would answer appropriately, but he still couldn’t relax.
However, until the end of the meal, there was disappointingly little conversation. Had Taemin already explained everything? Was that why he said he would handle his father? Either way, Idam was relieved that the burden on him had disappeared.
As they were finishing up dessert, the seemingly insurmountable hurdle of the meal time was nearing its end.
Hyeongman wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at Idam.
“I have something to discuss with Taemin. Could you give us a moment?”
“Ah… Yes, of course.”
Idam answered and stood up. The bodyguards and secretaries around them were also tactfully leaving their positions. Idam hurriedly left the pavilion.
What could they be talking about?
Although Hyeongman had been smiling in front of Idam, there was a chilly shadow beneath that facade. He didn’t seem like an easygoing person.
After confirming that everyone had moved away from the pavilion, Hyeongman’s eyes turned cold. Taemin also swallowed, sensing something ominous. Even the blowing wind felt cold.
“Ji Taemin. Why are you lying right now?”
“Pardon?”
“Your aversion is cured, isn’t it?”
Taemin’s brow furrowed mercilessly at Hyeongman’s pointed remark.
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you notice the strange scent lingering around throughout the meal?”
“What?”
“Do you remember the female secretary who was behind me earlier?”
“Secretary?”
Taemin’s gaze, which had frozen like concrete, moved and landed behind Hyeongman. He suddenly remembered the woman who had been emitting a strange fragrance earlier.
“That secretary is a dominant omega. She’s been exposing her pheromones continuously. Unlike before, you seemed fine.”
“This…”
Taemin held his forehead, caught off guard by Hyeongman’s unexpected attack. It was a mistake to think it was just a unique perfume. Moreover, having turned his back on omega pheromones since he was seven years old, and with his aversion having only recently recovered, he still couldn’t distinguish well between omega pheromones and perfume.
“The more time you spend with a compatible extreme omega, the shorter the recovery period becomes.”
“…”
“The reason why it took longer for me and your grandfather to recover than you is that we didn’t kidnap an omega and confine them on an island like you did. We had less contact time, that’s why.”
“Hah…”
His desire to monopolize Idam had accelerated his recovery. Overwhelmed with a sense of defeat, Taemin glared at Hyeongman.
“Is this why you barged onto this island?”
“Of course. Did you think I just came for a visit?”
Hyeongman held out his phone. On the screen was a man with fine features. Judging by his alluring aura, he was an omega.
“A good marriage prospect has come up for you. His name is Go Heewon. He’s thirty years old. He’s a dominant omega and the heir to Daeil Corporation. He’s known about you for a while and has taken a liking to you.”
Taemin turned away from the screen, seemingly exasperated.
“Why are you acting so hastily?”
“You’re almost forty. You should get married before then. And that young omega by your side has outlived his usefulness, so I’ll take care of him.”
“…”
“You just need to stay still.”
Hyeongman smiled maliciously.
* * *
Back at the villa, Idam anxiously looked at the sea from the window. As if reflecting Idam’s unsettled feelings, the waves were rough. Soon, Idam’s gaze turned towards the forest where the pavilion was located. Worry clouded his face with its soft downy hair.
“Mr. CEO…”
Was this the end of his role as Taemin’s wife? Or was there more to come? It didn’t seem like just one meal would be the end of it… Besides, Taemin’s aversion hadn’t fully recovered yet. This meant Idam still needed to stay by his side.
Until before the meal, Idam had wanted his contract with Taemin to end quickly, but now that it seemed like it might actually be the end, he felt empty and disliked the idea. Even he thought his feelings were as fickle as a reed.
In any case, Idam had to do what he could now. He tried to gradually release his pheromones. Taemin often sought Idam’s pheromones when he was tired. Today, especially with his father’s visit and the meal, he must be even more exhausted. So Idam wanted Taemin to sense his pheromones as soon as he entered the bedroom.
But something felt off.
“Huh?”
He couldn’t sense any pheromones coming from his own body.
