On the day I was supposed to leave the estate with him, I spent what felt like hours putting on and taking off different outfits, over and over again. Every single one of them was something he had gifted me for this outing.
The endless stream of clothes had piled up so much that my entire bedroom was a mess—cluttering the bed, the table, every available surface. All I needed was a single outfit for the day, but this was excessive.
“Seo-yul-nim, how about this one? I think it would suit you well!”
The servant, far more excited than I was, stood beside me at the mirror, holding up yet another outfit and chattering away. I hadn’t even gotten used to the one I was wearing yet, so all I could do was offer an awkward smile.
“Hmm, I think this would go well with it too. Hold on a moment.”
As the servant eagerly rushed off to fetch yet another outfit, I found myself staring at my own reflection, feeling oddly detached from the image before me.
I’ve gotten so thin.
Since coming here, I could count on one hand the number of times I had looked into a mirror. In the beginning, I had avoided it entirely—back then, I cried so often that I couldn’t stand the sight of my own swollen face. Over time, it simply became a habit not to look.
Slowly, I reached out and touched the gaunt, unfamiliar face staring back at me. There had been a time when this face felt foreign, but that was so long ago it felt like another lifetime.
The real me must be dead by now.
I had closed my eyes as Jung I-hyun, and when I opened them again, that life had ended. It had been nearly ten years since I had found myself in the body of a boy who could die at any moment.
I had been too busy surviving as Han Seo-yul to ever wonder what had happened to Jung I-hyun. But he was probably dead. There might have been an article somewhere—”Young Man in His Twenties Dies Suddenly.”
“How about this one?”
The sudden appearance of a new outfit being thrust in front of me cut my thoughts short.
As I resigned myself to playing dress-up once again, changing into yet another set of clothes, the door suddenly opened without so much as a knock, and he stepped inside.
“Are you still not ready?”
Leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, Vincent asked lazily.
The servant quickly answered that we were almost done before hurrying over to me, buttoning up my shirt with practiced speed.
Then, as if anticipating that the weather might be chilly, they draped a thin cardigan over my shoulders. Only after fussing over the final touches did they step aside, beaming with satisfaction.
Now standing in full view, I met Vincent’s gaze.
“It suits you,” he said.
He unfolded his arms and stepped closer, speaking as he did.
I glanced at the mirror beside me, trying to figure out what was so different about this outfit compared to the ones before, but I couldn’t tell. It was just as plain and neat as usual.
And yet, the way he looked at me—his eyes gleamed as if they were coated in honey.
Over something as trivial as this?
“If we’re going, let’s go already.”
I pushed him aside, but he didn’t budge an inch. Instead, he shot a glance at the servant, silently ordering them out. The moment we were alone, as if he had been waiting for it, he captured my lips.
I snapped my mouth shut, and his tongue, which had been tracing my lips in disappointment, seemed to withdraw.
Just as I was about to tell him to stop, he seized the opening he had been waiting for, slipping his tongue inside without hesitation.
“Mmph—”
He curled his tongue around mine and sucked me in so deeply that I couldn’t breathe. His arms locked around my waist, bending me backward as he pulled me in.
The deeper the kiss became, the more my vision blurred from the lack of air.
Instinctively, my pheromones began to seep out. He responded immediately, releasing his own—thick, floral, intoxicating.
By the time the entire room was filled with our mingling scents, our lips, bruised and swollen from the relentless pressure, finally parted.
“Your clothes are all messed up now.”
Somehow, his hand had already found its way under my clothes, grazing over my most sensitive skin.
Wiping away the wetness left on my lips, I shoved him away.
He let go carefully so I wouldn’t stumble, taking a step back.
A glance at the mirror revealed my disheveled state.
The servant’s efforts in dressing me properly and fixing my hair had been completely wasted.
I wanted to tell him that I no longer cared about this stupid outing, that I wasn’t going anywhere.
But I couldn’t.
—I’ll let you see Se-yul. Just come outside with me in two days.
Today’s outing had been his condition for letting me see Se-yul.
I’d heard that trusting a Shining was the most foolish thing a person could do, yet here I was, bound by promises to two of them.
It’s not a bad idea to have insurance.
Whether he kept his promise or Jeremy followed through on my request, as long as someone led me to Se-yul, that was all that mattered.
Once I left this place with Choi Yeo-min, I would never be able to see him again.
I needed this. A final farewell, so I wouldn’t leave behind any regrets.
And Han Jae-hoon… It was only right to say goodbye. It was the least I could do for Han Seo-yul’s family.
“I’ll fix it for you.”
He closed the distance again, smoothing out my wrinkled clothes and brushing my tousled hair back into place.
Despite his overly gentle touch, I didn’t ease the glare in my eyes.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we might not make it outside today.”
His words were teasing, but his crimson eyes darkened with something far more serious.
I ended up lowering my gaze.
With a satisfied smile, he neatly tucked my bangs back into place before taking my hand.
Once the District’s Day ended, I would be gone.
I would disappear to a place where he could never find me again.
This might be the last day he would ever remember me.
After this, he would be too busy, and I wouldn’t see him again until the final announcement of the next district leader.
Aside from that moment, this was our only opportunity to spend time together.
Honestly, I don’t want to leave anything behind.
“…Let’s go.”
Hand in hand, we stepped out of the bedroom. The servant waiting outside greeted us, but Vincent ignored them without so much as a glance. So I bowed my head slightly in their direction, offering a greeting in his place.
To leave the estate, we had to take a quiet passage and then pass through the banquet hall, which was always crowded with people. The moment I recalled that fact, memories I had been trying to suppress surged to the surface, and my steps began to slow.
“What’s wrong?”
He noticed my hesitation immediately. I forced a weak It’s nothing, but I could tell without even looking in a mirror that my expression was twisted with unease.
He came to a full stop and wiped away the cold sweat forming on my forehead. Looking straight into my trembling eyes, he whispered softly.
“I’m right here.”
“…I know.”
“Don’t worry. As long as I’m with you, no one can touch you.”
He leaned in, resting his forehead lightly against mine, and patted my shaking shoulders.
It was ridiculous—he was the one who had brought me here in the first place. And yet, it was also him who shielded me now.
Maybe that’s why I found it comforting.
He waited until I had calmed down before carefully asking if we could keep going. I nodded, and we resumed walking. His hand remained firmly clasped around mine.
Luckily, the banquet hall was nearly empty. It seemed that many of the guests, still unaccustomed to the never-ending daylight, had retreated to sleep.
“Vincent-nim.”
The few people lingering inside recognized him immediately and greeted him warmly, but he didn’t so much as return a nod. Ignoring them entirely, he led me straight toward the exit.
I followed close behind, pressing against his back to avoid making eye contact with anyone.
Once we stepped outside and descended the stairs, a car was already waiting—prepared in advance by the servant. Vincent took the keys and opened the passenger door for me.
“It’ll take a little while to get to the village.”
I lifted my head and scanned our surroundings, but the main gate of the estate wasn’t in sight. Meaning, even by car, it was going to be a long drive.
Back at the mansion in District 5, it took at least thirty minutes just to reach the front gate—who knew how far it would be in District 1?
What was it like the last time I came here? That had been eight years ago, so my memories were hazy at best.
“…Can you even drive?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
He smiled brightly as he answered. His confidence left no room for doubt, so I just sighed and got in the car.
After closing my door quietly, he circled around and slid into the driver’s seat.
As he started the engine and gripped the steering wheel, something seemed to occur to him. He suddenly turned toward me, leaning in as if he were about to cross over into the passenger side.
His face was close—so close our noses almost touched.
I clenched my lips shut.
His long eyelashes fluttered down and lifted again, slow enough that I could see every tiny movement. He was too close.
“Get the hel—”
“All done.”
Click.
The sound drew my gaze down.
The seatbelt was securely fastened.
Only then did I realize he had leaned in just to buckle me in.
I couldn’t even hide my embarrassment.
“I could’ve done it myself.”
“I know. But I wanted to do it for you.”
His shameless response left me speechless.
With no words left, I turned my head away completely, staring out the window at the scenery that looked exactly the same as before.
Then, out of nowhere, he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my left cheek, loud enough to make a faint smooch sound.
I turned sharply, caught off guard, but he merely acted as if nothing had happened and started the car with a calm expression.
“We’re heading out now.”
