“This is outrageous!”
The Elder of the West slammed the table, his voice ringing through the room. At the same time, weary sighs escaped from all around. The moment they heard the news that shook the district, everyone present must have felt the same despair.
They didn’t know who exactly had been brought in from District 5, but the fact that the man—who had never shown interest in anyone before—had remained locked in his bedroom for an entire week unsettled the elders. This could very well be the first Shining to emerge from that place.
But in the end, it would be just another concubine among many. Once he officially became the district lord, the elders planned to use this as an opportunity to push their own children into his harem. Yet now, not only had he brought someone back from District 5, but he had gone so far as to marry them.
And not as a mere concubine—but as an official spouse.
Aside from the very first Shining, no other Shining had ever taken a formal partner. They only kept concubines, producing numerous offspring, from whom the most exceptional Shining was chosen through fierce competition. This had been the long-standing tradition of District 1.
But Vincent Shining—he was about to break that custom. To take a spouse was a declaration that he would have no one else by his side. In the end, every elder gathered here was left like a dog chasing a chicken—helpless and empty-handed.
“He never showed interest in anyone before, and now we see why—it turns out he had a lover hidden away in District 5.”
“Exactly. We thought we could afford to wait, knowing he’d have to take concubines once he became district lord. But to be blindsided like this…”
As the murmurs of frustration spread, the Elder of the West, unable to contain himself any longer, sprang to his feet. The chair behind him toppled over with a loud crash. All eyes turned toward him.
“We can’t just sit here! Let’s go to the district lord. He’s a capricious man—if we persuade him properly, he might change his mind.”
“…Even if that were possible, do you think Lord Vincent would stand by and allow it? We could all end up dead.”
The quiet rebuttal rendered the Elder of the West speechless. Luis Shining was ill-tempered and unpredictable, yes, but at his core, he was a well-bred young master.
The same could not be said for the Hound of District 1. A man well-versed in murder and torture, he was ruthless enough to kill even an elder of the district if they stood in his way.
The Elder of the West, who had risen so boldly, hesitated, then silently set his fallen chair upright and sat back down. A single misplaced word could cost him his life.
Just as they were about to adjourn the meeting without any solution, the Central Elder, who had remained silent until now, suddenly raised a hand. He waited until every gaze was on him before finally parting his lips.
“Then we simply replace the next district lord.”
Gasps echoed throughout the room. The youngest elder, seated at the very edge, darted toward the door, swiftly checking for eavesdroppers through the gap.
“That is not something to say—even as a joke!”
The Elder of the West bellowed in outrage, but the Central Elder merely shrugged. Just as they were about to dismiss his words as the idle musings of an old man nearing retirement, he rose from his seat and took a step forward.
“Then do you have another solution?”
“Th-That’s—”
“Persuading the district lord is certainly an option. But do you truly believe he’ll bend to our will? I have my doubts. And if we fail, we could all be discarded. Elders can be replaced at any time unless they have strong ties to the district lord.”
There was not a single flaw in the Central Elder’s reasoning. While the district lord’s position was hereditary, the same did not apply to the elders. The only reason they had managed to maintain their status was because they had given their daughters as concubines to the Shining, securing a vested interest in the lineage.
But if Vincent Shining took a spouse and refused to accept concubines, no one could predict who would be appointed as the next elders. Unfortunately, there was no aristocracy in District 1 to provide stability.
“Surely, you don’t intend to sit idly by and lose everything?”
The Central Elder reached the district lord’s seat and lightly struck the table. Bang! The sharp sound startled everyone, making them squeeze their eyes shut before slowly opening them again. Sensing that the other elders were finally beginning to sway in his favor, he delivered the final blow.
“What we need is a successor who carries the blood of the Shining. It doesn’t necessarily have to be Vincent Shining.”
Of course, a purer bloodline would be ideal, but the current successor was already tainted. In that case, wasn’t it better to replace him with someone less flawed, even if their lineage was slightly weaker?
And, of course, they would ensure the new successor was someone favorable to them.
“For the sake of District 1, this is the best course of action. What do you all think?”
***
For days, I had been lost in a feverish haze. Every time my blurred vision cleared, the only thing I saw was him—panting above me. He called my name in a tender voice, his lips leaving kisses across my body. I didn’t even have the strength to push him away.
It was only later that I realized I had gone into heat. But by then, all the suppressants had burned away along with the mansion. He knew what state I was in, yet he never stopped releasing his pheromones. No, he smothered me with them—ensnaring me completely.
—Seo-yul hyung, look at me.
He pleaded, pressing our bodies even closer together, leaving no space between us. Whenever I deliberately shut my eyes, he moved even rougher. When I bit down on my lips to stifle the sounds threatening to escape, he forcibly pried them open, pressing his fingers against my stiff tongue.
—Don’t hate me. I have no one but you.
His voice trembled precariously, and in that moment, the fragile grasp I had on my sanity slipped away.
And when I opened my eyes again—he was gone.
The only thing left in the dark room was me.
Where… am I?
I glanced around, but nothing was familiar. I tried to get out of bed and pull back the curtains blocking the light, but my body, worn out from days of entanglement, refused to function properly.
I tugged the blanket over myself, trying to hide the mortifying bruises covering my skin. But that wasn’t the worst of it. Beneath my aching thighs, things were even worse.
With the slightest movement, something spilled out, trickling down my legs, making my face burn with humiliation.
“…Fucking bastard.”
Muttering a curse under my breath, I wrapped myself tightly in the blanket. Each step was a struggle, and by the time the mess trailing down my thighs reached my calves, I couldn’t hold back another bitter curse.
I barely managed to reach the window and yanked the stifling curtains aside completely. A flood of light poured in, turning my vision white for a moment before colors slowly returned.
I’m really here.
Above, humanity’s moon hung vividly in the sky. Below it stretched an enormous garden, teeming with people moving busily about. This was the mansion of District 1.
Seeing it with my own eyes brought the nightmare of the past few days surging back with painful clarity. I bit down on my lip and shut the curtains. Darkness reclaimed the room.
“You’re awake?”
I turned around. He was leaning against the wall, watching me, though I had no idea when he’d arrived. Instinctively, I took a step back in alarm, but there was nowhere to retreat—behind me was the window.
Unfolding his arms, he strode forward. I wanted to run, but my trembling legs wouldn’t allow it. Not that there was anywhere to escape to in this room to begin with.
He stopped in front of me, glancing down at my clumsily wrapped body, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Then, with cool fingers, he gently adjusted the disheveled blanket around me before placing a hand on my shoulder and guiding me back to the bed.
Seating me softly on the edge, he knelt down on one knee. My foot, peeking out from beneath the blanket, was placed atop his knee as he carefully brushed off the dust. The ticklish sensation made me want to pull away, but I knew he would just grab me again, so I let him be.
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“…….”
“I wanted to prepare something you’d like, but unfortunately, there’s no one here who knows how to cook food from District 5. So I put together a few different things—”
“Se-yul… is he really dead?”
His gentle words came to an abrupt stop as he lifted his gaze to me. I couldn’t hold back and asked again.
“Se-yul… is he really dead?”
He didn’t answer. He only smiled.
I couldn’t take it. My hand shot up high, and this time, he didn’t avoid it.
Smack!
The sharp sound echoed through the room as his head jerked to the side. A beat of silence followed. He slowly rubbed his reddening cheek before turning his eyes back to me. Then, without hesitation, he took my hand—the one that had just struck him—and pressed a soft kiss to it.
“I’ll have them prepare a meal for you.”
With that, he turned and walked out.
Left alone, I clenched the hand that had slapped him. My vision blurred, and the tears I had been holding back finally spilled down my face. The tears I had desperately suppressed in front of him.
“Se-yul…”
It felt like my chest was being ripped apart.
