“Seo-yul hyung, wake up.”
A soft voice tickled my ears, accompanied by a gentle hand stroking my hair. When I turned over, wanting to sleep a little longer, a playful laugh followed me.
As kisses rained down on my cheek, I couldn’t hold out any longer and opened my eyes. Under the pouring sunlight, my vision was filled with a face holding a beautiful smile.
“You’re awake?”
The sight of such a beautiful face first thing upon waking made the corners of my lips unconsciously lift. Wondering if I was still dreaming, I reached out to touch the pale cheek. The vivid sensation jolted my hazy mind back to reality as if doused with cold water.
The memories of last night flashed through my head—it hadn’t been a dream. Even if I had been intoxicated by pheromones, the kisses, the intertwining of our bodies… it hadn’t been a mere delusion.
What the hell did I do?
I shot up in bed, about to leave this unfamiliar room, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back down onto the bed. In the blink of an eye, I was completely enveloped in his embrace.
“Did you sleep well?”
He greeted me like a doting lover, but I pushed him away. It was pointless. Like a teddy bear, he hugged me tightly and rained kisses all over my face like falling petals.
I took advantage of the moment when his arms loosened and quickly got off the bed. My legs wobbled, weakened, but I could still move.
When I looked down, I saw the reddened scrapes on my thighs. The memories of last night surged back, and my face burned hot. I tried my best to keep my expression neutral, but it wasn’t easy.
“I held back since Seo-yul hyung was so scared last night, but… I guess even this was too much.”
“Hngh.”
“…Your thighs are all swollen.”
He reached out and gently brushed over the tender skin. I flinched away from his touch, stepping back. For a fleeting moment, his red eyes gleamed sharply, but it passed so quickly that it felt like an illusion.
I picked up the clothes scattered on the floor. The pants were fine, but the shirt had been rendered completely useless. If I walked out wearing this, the attendants would undoubtedly stare.
Abandoning the tattered scraps, I opened the wardrobe and threw on the smallest garment I could find from his collection. The entire time, he lay in bed watching me, then burst out laughing.
“It suits you well.”
“Shut up.”
The playful laughter that had filled the air suddenly ceased. He closed his mouth, got out of bed, and with that, the blanket covering his body was gone, leaving him entirely exposed. I quickly averted my gaze, but before I could react further, he approached and rested his chin on my shoulder.
“After looking your fill last night, why are you acting so shy now?”
“I didn’t see anything.”
“Well, I suppose that makes sense—it was dark.”
He chuckled in amusement and wrapped an arm around my waist. His body heat, pressing against my back, was strangely cool. A faint but distinct floral scent drifted from him, making me freeze. He let out a deep sigh and pressed his lips to the pulse at my neck, whispering,
“Seo-yul hyung, when we get to District 1… should we get married?”
***
At the mention of marriage, Seo-yul turned pale, violently pushed him away, and fled the room as if running for his life. Left alone, he was unfazed. He had long grown accustomed to being left behind. With an easy motion, he let himself fall onto the bed, where the traces of last night still lingered.
Even amid the overwhelming floral fragrance, the rich scent of cocoa stood out distinctly—Seo-yul’s pheromones. Yes, Seo-yul had been right here just moments ago.
He grabbed a handful of the sheets and brought them close to his nose. The more he breathed in, the more his already chaotic mind spiraled further into turmoil.
“Seo-yul hyung…”
Even though he had been with Seo-yul just moments ago, the thirst wouldn’t fade. No, if anything, having touched him—however incompletely—only made him crave more.
Now that he knew just how sweet Seo-yul was.
Rolling onto his back, he stared at the empty ceiling, steadying his breath. The investigation was almost complete. He should be getting ready to leave soon, but he didn’t want to move.
For just one day, he wanted to lock himself in this room, drenched in Seo-yul’s scent, indulging in the dreamlike reality they had shared. But unfortunately, there were far too many nuisances in the way. A knock at the door signaled the arrival of one such nuisance—his aide.
“Young Master, it’s time for you to leave—”
The aide’s gaze fell on his swollen, bruised lips, then shifted to the utterly wrecked state of the bed. The young master simply shrugged his shoulders before calmly rising to get dressed. The aide, quickly grasping the situation, hastily shut the door.
“W-what the hell is this—”
He was so shocked that he could barely form words. Even though the aide likely already had an idea of what had happened, the young master remained silent, focusing only on buttoning up his shirt.
The Shining were known for having strong sexual appetites. The current district leader’s number of concubines alone far exceeded the number of children he had sired. Many of the other young masters followed their father’s example, surrounding themselves with countless lovers, but he had always been different.
He had shown a remarkable lack of interest in anyone.
Ever since he was named the next district leader, the elders had been relentless, pushing potential partners into his bedroom. But after a few of them came dangerously close to ending up with bullets in their skulls, they had stopped trying.
So, the aide had assumed it was safe. Yet, of all people, he had to lay hands on someone from District 5. Not just anywhere, but the most impoverished, lowest-ranking District 5!
“Who the hell is it?!”
The aide shouted in exasperation. The young master merely cast him a fleeting glance before returning to fastening his shirt, making it abundantly clear he had no intention of answering.
The aide hadn’t expected him to confess easily, but this was different.
If, by any chance, the other person ended up pregnant, it would be a nightmare. After all this time rejecting every candidate the elders had thrown his way, the one person he had chosen was from District 5. Worse, if some lowly servant were to bear the next district leader’s first child… the implications would be catastrophic.
The elders, who had tried every means to bind him to one of their chosen partners, would undoubtedly be in an uproar. But they weren’t the kind of people who would just sit back and accept defeat like dogs watching a chicken escape.
Someone from District 5—powerless and lowly—would disappear without a trace. Just like the Omega who had given birth to him, they would be discarded like trash and meet a miserable end.
“I don’t want to interfere in your personal affairs, Young Master, but this is District 5. Not District 1!”
“So what?”
“Who was the servant? We need to silence them before—”
He raised his hand, cutting off the aide mid-sentence. The aide instinctively fell silent, immediately recognizing the displeasure on his master’s face and shrinking back. Whenever he wore that expression, it was best to stay quiet.
“It wasn’t a servant.”
“Then who the hell—”
“The person I’m going to marry.”
Not only had he taken them to bed, but now he was calling them his future spouse. The position of the district leader’s mate was reserved for only one person. Though it was technically allowed, most leaders preferred to keep concubines instead, as having many children was necessary to ensure that the strongest Shining could be chosen as the heir.
Even the current district leader had left the mate position vacant. So had the leader before him. And the one before that. In fact, only a handful of district leaders since District 1’s founding had ever taken an official mate.
Yet here he was, declaring that he would take one. That also meant he had no intention of keeping concubines.
Despite the bombshell he had just dropped, he remained utterly calm. The aide, however, clutched his throbbing temples and let out a long sigh. He had no idea how he was supposed to report this to the district leader.
“And I didn’t go all the way.”
“What?”
“You don’t need to worry. Nothing happened that would justify your panic.”
His voice carried a hint of irritation. The aide found it hard to believe that a Shining could exercise that level of restraint, but at least that was one less disaster to deal with. Whatever this marriage nonsense was, at least they wouldn’t have to handle an unexpected pregnancy on top of it.
“Let’s drop this topic. How far along is the preparation?”
“…Are you really going through with this?”
At that, he hummed thoughtfully, dragging out the sound. As he adjusted his tie in the mirror, the corners of his lips curled into a slow smile.
Anyone unfamiliar with him might have been captivated by his dazzling beauty. But as someone who had served the Shining closely for years, the aide knew exactly what that smile meant—and it made his stomach churn.
“There are peaceful ways to do this, you know.”
“That’s true. But I don’t see why I should bother.”
His decision was already made. The aide let out a short sigh before swiftly delivering the status report. He listened in silence, then slowly walked toward the window.
Even beneath the bright sunlight, the moon was still clearly visible in the sky. And beyond it, there was District 1—the paradise on Earth that had lost its nights to the moon’s artificial brilliance.
“Make sure everything is ready. The moment I take Seo-yul hyung and leave, it begins.”
“…Seo-yul hyung?”
Only now did the aide finally realize who had been with the Shining last night. His blue eyes widened in shock. It would have been a problem even if it were just a mere servant—but the dying eldest son of the District 5 leader? The aide groaned in despair.
Once this ordeal was over and they returned to District 1, a storm was bound to follow. Maybe he should resign and return to his hometown before the inevitable disaster struck.
The young master threw the windows wide open, letting the breeze wash over him as he closed his eyes. The wind of District 5 carried a strong floral fragrance, the scent of the countless flowers planted throughout its gardens. Slowly, he opened his eyes again.
“I used to long for this place when I was in District 1… and now, knowing I’ll never see it again, it pains me.”
The gardens of District 5, in the height of summer, were breathtakingly beautiful. And that was why it hurt.
Because he would have to destroy all of it with his own hands.
It was devastating. Truly devastating.
