While the aide called in a doctor to examine Se-yul, he leaned against the window frame. Standing still, idly passing the time, he only moved when the doctor, having finished the examination, hesitated before speaking.
“The wound has completely healed, so there shouldn’t be any issues. However, due to this, his body has become extremely weak—”
He raised a hand, cutting the doctor off mid-sentence. The doctor immediately shut his mouth and bowed deeply. As long as the gunshot wound hadn’t worsened or caused any complications, Han Se-yul’s condition was of no further interest to him.
“Take care of it.”
“Yes, understood.”
Leaving the follow-up matters to the aide, he stepped out of the stifling lounge. Outside, people who had been lingering were blocked by the security personnel, but the moment they saw him emerge, they quickly bowed in greeting.
“We greet the young master of District 1.”
Without so much as a glance at them, he headed straight for the banquet hall. Only after he had disappeared from sight did the people, who had remained bowed, straighten their backs and sneak a glance inside the slightly open lounge, whispering among themselves.
Before entering the banquet hall, he straightened his disheveled attire, which had been messed up when Se-yul had grabbed hold of him. As a final touch, he tightened the tie he had loosened earlier. The moment he stepped into the hall, a suffocating tension pressed down on him.
Every gaze in the room turned toward him. Those nearby swiftly approached to greet him, while those farther away pretended to continue their conversations while watching for an opportunity to do the same.
“It has been a while, Lord Vincent. We have met before, haven’t we? My daughter—”
“My son has been eager to meet you, Lord Vincent. If you have a moment—”
The more he listened to them chirping away like baby birds clamoring for their mother’s attention, the more his expression threatened to harden.
He was doing his best to maintain his composure, but he had no idea how long he could hold out. Naturally avoiding those blocking his path, he made his way to the far corner of the banquet hall.
Even there, the hyenas circling him were waiting for a chance to pounce, but the moment they caught sight of his irritated expression, they hesitated, only daring to steal occasional glances at him.
‘Time is dragging on.’
Leaning the back of his head lightly against the solid wall, he gazed up at the ever-bright glass ceiling. The moon, so close to the estate, made this place feel like a stagnant pool, untouched by the flow of time.
‘I just want to go back already.’
After learning the true identity of the attendant by Seo-yul’s side, he had resolved not to leave them alone together. But circumstances were not in his favor.
With all the security personnel deployed to reinforce the perimeter of the estate, the only one left to guard Seo-yul was that very attendant.
Even though they shared the same goal and had no reason to harm Seo-yul, he trusted the Shining family no more than he trusted ‘Night.’
Well, if he couldn’t even trust Seo-yul, who else could he trust?
“Vincent.”
Hearing someone call his name, he turned to see a familiar figure approaching. Ina held two champagne glasses, offering one to him as she asked,
“What are you doing here?”
“…Tired.”
“You look like it.”
Ina smirked as she examined his face. He swirled his glass slightly, then glanced at her before taking a sip. The sharp taste of alcohol lingered in his mouth.
“See over there? The elders have their eyes on you.”
Ina pointed in a direction. Following her gaze, he saw a group of elders huddled together, stealing glances at him while their children hovered anxiously beside them.
“They’re desperate to keep their seats. If they don’t parade their children in front of you at least one more time, they’ll be in trouble.”
“…I don’t care.”
“I know. You’re planning to marry an Omega, aren’t you?”
Ina downed the rest of her champagne with a bored expression. With two Shining family members standing together, it was only natural that all eyes in the room would keep drifting toward them.
Just as he was about to leave, unable to bear the discomfort any longer, Ina reached out and stopped him. When he asked why, she simply stared at him before stepping closer.
“Can I ask you now?”
“Ask what?”
“What exactly were you trying to talk about after saving that apostle from the brink of death?”
With a casual push of her fingertip against his shoulder, Ina gave him a cocky look, urging him to spill. He slowly scanned the room before meeting her gaze again, a sly grin stretching across his lips.
“Why? Are you curious?”
“Aren’t we on the same side?”
Instead of answering, he simply shrugged. Ina’s eyebrow twitched at his vague response. When he patted her shoulder in a placating gesture, she almost swatted his hand away, but instead, she simply grasped his wrist—perhaps aware of the watching crowd.
“This is a matter of trust, Vincent Shining. I agreed to be allies, but I never said I’d serve under you.”
“Did you now?”
“You do realize that smuggling a prisoner out of the underground prison is a serious crime, don’t you?”
At Ina’s veiled threat, he barely managed to suppress the smirk tugging at his lips. Enough with the teasing—he had to soothe this impatient Shining before she truly turned against him.
“The apostle asked me for a favor.”
“A favor?”
The moment he started speaking, Ina’s anger faded as if it had never been there, replaced by interest. She urged him to talk quickly, but instead of answering right away, he leaned in closer, closing the distance between them.
Their faces nearly brushed, and the moment his lips neared her ear, Ina stiffened. He whispered in a low voice,
“Before that, I need certainty.”
“Certainty about what?”
Ina pushed against his shoulder, trying to put some space between them. Instead of resisting, he let her push him back slightly—but then he caught her hand and interlaced their fingers.
Even through her gloves, his body heat was unmistakable, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.
“That you won’t betray me.”
Had everything she’d done so far not been enough? He was still weighing her, still testing her. Just as she was about to retort, he abruptly pulled her in, catching her off guard. His arm wrapped around her waist as she was effortlessly drawn toward him.
“How about we dance while we think about it?”
The sight of the two Shining heirs in such an intimate pose sent a visible shockwave through the room. That reaction was exactly what he’d been aiming for, and he smiled in satisfaction. Finally catching onto his ploy, Ina let out an exasperated sigh.
“Fucking Shining bastard.”
She wanted nothing more than to shove him away, but with so many eyes on them, she couldn’t. Forced to go along with it, she was dragged to the center of the banquet hall, clinging to him in an attempt to keep up with the unfamiliar dance.
“People were staring too much. Thought I’d stir the air a bit.”
It wasn’t until they had danced through three full songs that he finally stopped. Grinning, he spoke as if he’d genuinely enjoyed himself, while Ina, breathless and annoyed, straightened her posture and shot him a sharp glare.
“What a wonderful time we’ve had, Vincent.”
“Your dancing skills were atrocious, but I still found it rather enjoyable, Ina Shining.”
He extended an arm toward her.
Seriously?
Ina’s expression clearly conveyed the question. He merely nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Seeing no way out, she refused outright. But that hardly mattered. He took her hand anyway, draped it over his arm, and walked her out of the hall with the same feigned warmth as when they had danced.
“Did you really have to do it like this?”
The moment they arrived at a secluded garden on the estate, Ina yanked her arm free and snapped at him.
After a quick scan of their surroundings to ensure no one was around, he finally replied,
“This way, if people see us together, they’ll just assume it’s a scandal.”
“You didn’t forget that we’re both Shining, did you?”
“Different genders. Most will see it that way.”
She couldn’t deny that. The way people had reacted when they danced was proof enough.
Technically, they had the same father but different mothers, so it wasn’t an impossible scenario. And since no one outside the Shining family knew that all their members were Alphas, just the sight of two opposite-gendered heirs being affectionate was enough to set off alarm bells.
“Still, I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I.”
There was a clear boundary between them. Ina dusted off every spot he had touched as if trying to rid herself of contamination, while he pulled off his gloves and stuffed them into his pocket—despite taking suppressants, some of his pheromones had still seeped into the fabric.
“Now talk. There’s no one around.”
“I told you—I still don’t have certainty.”
She laughed in disbelief.
After all that—after pulling that entire spectacle—he still refused to talk?
Her irritation boiled over. Without hesitation, she pulled a small hidden dagger from within her clothes and pressed it against his throat.
“Talk, Vincent Shining. Unless you’d rather die.”
His lips, which had been firmly shut, finally parted.
