44
“There’s no need to be so sympathetic.”
After Yeon Ji-ho had comforted Shango and sent him back to finish the meal he had been eating, Set, who had been watching him with disapproval, spoke up.
“He was only a slave for a very short time. He soon caught the eye of the previous Duke Gorgon and joined the knights. If you knew how cruel he is…”
“Mr. Set.”
As Set began to elaborate on Shango’s story, Yeon Ji-ho called out to him with a face that hadn’t yet lost its smile. Set paused his speech and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Are you jealous?”
“…!”
Set’s eyes widened at the unexpected words. Jealous? How could he possibly be…
But as Set reflected on what he had just said, he ended up biting his lip. Embarrassingly, it was all jealousy towards Shango, who was receiving sympathy from Yeon Ji-ho. It was something he hadn’t even considered.
Set finally realized that he was jealous of everything Yeon Ji-ho laid eyes on. He wished Yeon Ji-ho would look only at him. He wanted Yeon Ji-ho to cling only to him, to be lovable only to him, only to him…
“This is bad. They say it’s a serious case when you start finding someone cute.”
“…What?”
“What should I do now? Even your jealous side is cute.”
Set was briefly relieved by Yeon Ji-ho’s words, having worried that Yeon Ji-ho might be disgusted by his jealousy even towards a subordinate like Shango. At the same time, he resolved never to show such behavior to Yeon Ji-ho again.
Only behind his back, only to an extent that Yeon Ji-ho wouldn’t notice. So that Yeon Ji-ho would never be disappointed in him.
Set didn’t realize that all his actions towards Yeon Ji-ho were gradually becoming more meticulous. Yeon Ji-ho looked at Set with a friendly smile and changed the subject once again.
“By the way, do we need to return urgently?”
“…Ji-ho, why do you ask that?”
“Just in case. If we do, we’ll need to prepare to leave right away.”
Recalling the tasks he had left to Apophis and Isquis in the Asterra Empire before coming here, Set shook his head slightly.
“No. We still don’t have information on where the rest of the Gorgon beasts are. Both Apophis and Isquis are excellent at gathering information, so they’ll find out soon.”
In the past, Set wouldn’t have made such a choice. In his rigid life, all he did was follow his father’s orders, and he had never even thought of slacking off or cutting corners.
However, now that Yeon Ji-ho was by his side, Set wanted to give him as much time to rest as possible. To prevent him from getting tired of Set, who constantly put him in dangerous situations, and leaving.
“Then, shall we go on a trip?”
“…A trip?”
“Ah. Of course, after Uncle Soo-cheol says it’s okay for us to go out.”
Although the rash on Shango’s body had already faded to almost nothing and he barely had a fever, they still had to stay inside the house for a bit longer just in case. Yeon Ji-ho, who had planned to go outside after that period ended, looked up at Set.
“Where are we going?”
“I want to show Shango what kind of place this is. We might end up moving here, so it would be good if he likes it.”
“…So, it’s for Shango’s sake.”
Yeon Ji-ho smiled slightly at the last question. Then, reaching out to gently smooth the wrinkle that had formed between Set’s brows, he said,
“Set, you’re going to live here with me from now on, right?”
After returning from the Asterra Empire, Yeon Ji-ho regretted his decision to send Set back to that world. There, Set was known by infamous titles like the greatest demon and was being pursued.
Rather than that, wouldn’t it be better for him to live happily here with Yeon Ji-ho? The moment he spent his heat cycle with Set, Yeon Ji-ho had already decided to take responsibility for him, and he smiled brightly.
Watching that smile, Set suddenly swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Then, hesitantly, he said,
“And… get married.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you say that in this world, even men can marry other men?”
In fact, ever since seeing the couple Soo-cheol and Seon-rok, Set had been thinking about the same thing: marriage, specifically marriage to Yeon Ji-ho.
Marriage and family were the farthest things from Set’s mind. As a man far removed from stability and peace, how could he dream of marriage or family?
However, as he spent time with Yeon Ji-ho, Set began to dream of another future by his side. He wanted to live here with Yeon Ji-ho after all this was over.
He wanted to marry him, perhaps have children, and live a life of love forever. Set tentatively voiced just one of these dreams that had seemed too far-fetched to speak aloud.
“I’m sorry.”
“…”
Yeon Ji-ho’s round crown came into view. Set felt his heart sink at Yeon Ji-ho’s rejection and closed his mouth. If he didn’t, he felt he might vomit out his pounding heart.
Why?
Why couldn’t they get married?
Set’s eyes began to tremble intensely with anxiety and impatience. He even started to review his actions over the past few days. What had changed Yeon Ji-ho’s mind? What had he done wrong…
“I want to date for at least two years before getting married.”
“…Ji-ho.”
“My mom said that the later you get married, the better. If you rush into marriage, you might rush into divorce too.”
A playful smile spread across Yeon Ji-ho’s face as he said this. Set realized that once again, Yeon Ji-ho was teasing him, and he let out a sigh.
“Alright. Let’s get married slowly, as you say.”
“Set, you know I was joking…”
“But I’ll give you the grandest wedding ceremony. We’ll prepare a carriage drawn by eight horses and invite all the people of the domain. Let’s have a wedding that everyone can know about.”
“…”
Yeon Ji-ho’s pupils trembled left and right at Set’s utterly serious words. To have such a grand wedding that he had only read about in novels? For Yeon Ji-ho, who had lived as a complete loner, it was not just far-fetched but terrifying.
Moreover, he didn’t know where to start correcting the talk about carriages and domain people. How would they manage the cost if they invited every passerby? And it would be too embarrassing.
“Of course, I’m joking.”
Yeon Ji-ho’s mouth opened slightly at Set’s words. Then he gently headbutted Set’s chest. Set’s eyes crinkled as he laughed at the angry gesture.
“I really thought you were serious!”
“How could I be? Ji-ho, for me, it’s enough if only you are at the wedding. There’s no need to tell anyone else.”
Set raised his hand and gently tucked Yeon Ji-ho’s hair behind his ear. As their eyes met, Yeon Ji-ho was momentarily surprised by how deep Set’s smile had become.
Set Gorgon. Since when had this man learned to smile so happily?
The man who had seemed like a barren, desolate land when he first came here was gone. Like dry land absorbing water, he had been absorbing Yeon Ji-ho’s affection one by one, and now he was becoming a land covered in green.
Yeon Ji-ho’s heart filled with something indescribable as he realized this newfound change. Well, if someone were to tell him that Set had been the villain of a long-running novel…
“Ji-ho?”
At least in this world, wouldn’t he answer that Set was the protagonist?
The man now shone to that extent. And it was just from receiving a little bit of affection.
***
The week-long quarantine period passed faster than expected. During that time, Yeon Ji-ho kept busy organizing the empty house and renovating the pension and caravans that he hadn’t been able to attend to.
“Mr. Shango, that’s the driver’s seat. Please go sit in the back.”
“…Ah…”
Of course, it wasn’t entirely peaceful. Shango, who had come to this world for the first time, was prone to various mishaps.
When he first took a bath, he tried to eat the citrus-scented soap because it smelled delicious, and when a cat accidentally wandered into the pension, he tried to catch it, thinking it was a monster.
It was the same today. Today was the day the three of them had planned their first outing.
Although they felt sorry for Apophis and Isquis who were struggling in Asterra, this outing had a purpose. Ever since Shango learned that there were people similar to him in this place, he had been extremely curious.
“Everyone buckled up?”
“Yes…”
“Yes.”
Yeon Ji-ho was in the driver’s seat, Set in the passenger seat, and Shango in the center of the back seat. Yeon Ji-ho’s car was a red pickup truck, and despite being quite spacious, it felt extremely cramped. This was because the two men, excluding Yeon Ji-ho, were enormous in size.
After checking the seatbelts of the two men through the rearview mirror, Yeon Ji-ho started the car.
“Ugh…!”
“Shango, hold it in. If you vomit in here, we’ll stuff it all back into your mouth.”
As soon as the car started moving at high speed, Shango’s complexion turned pale. When they hit the highway and exceeded 80 km/h, Set’s expression was similar.
Still, Set seemed to be doing better than Shango since he had ridden in a car once before. Yeon Ji-ho stopped at a rest area on the way to their destination for the sake of the two men. And then he discovered it.
“…Did you just break that?”
The seatbelt snapped off under Set’s hand.
Of course, the back seat wasn’t in any better condition. Yeon Ji-ho was at a loss for words when he saw a familiar-shaped handle in Shango’s hand. The handle that should have been attached to the ceiling had been torn off and was now being held by Shango like a portable device.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The eyes of all three met simultaneously. Yeon Ji-ho let out a deep sigh and repeatedly rubbed his face with his hands.
Relocating people from another world was not as easy as he had thought.
