“Father, you need to calm down.”
“What are you saying?”
“There are too many eyes on us right now. You should wait until the party is over before—”
Se-yul desperately tried to stop Han Jae-hoon from climbing the stairs. But Jae-hoon, already sensing that Shining was with Seo-yul, shook Se-yul off and headed straight to the second floor.
With both the host and the main guest absent, the party was bound to fall into chaos. Se-yul knew he should stay behind to soothe the murmuring guests, but letting Jae-hoon go like this felt like a disaster waiting to happen.
“Butler.”
After a moment of hesitation, Se-yul called for the butler, who had been watching over the attendants and surveying the hall. At Se-yul’s summons, the butler rushed over. While Se-yul entrusted the guests in the hall to him, Jae-hoon arrived at the empty second-floor corridor.
He had thought that hiding Seo-yul in a room would keep him safe until tomorrow, but he hadn’t expected him to climb out the window. No matter how exceptional Shining’s physical abilities were, who could have predicted he’d scale the second floor with his bare hands?
His mind was a mess—filled with worry for Seo-yul and seething rage toward Shining. If that damned pheromone caused Seo-yul to fall sick again, then even if it led to conflict between territories, Jae-hoon would kill Shining without hesitation.
‘I should have killed him from the start.’
If only he had ended Luis Shining when that child was first “gifted” to him, Seo-yul would never have presented as an Omega. And even if he had, he could have at least lived an ordinary life.
Yes, this was all his mistake. Not killing the boy on the night when half of humanity’s moon was obscured. Allowing Seo-yul to take him in as an attendant. Failing to stop Shining from crawling his way back here, over and over again.
Jae-hoon reached Seo-yul’s door and grabbed the handle without even knocking. As the door swung open without warning, two shadows lurking in the darkness moved swiftly. Jae-hoon’s gaze naturally followed them to the bed.
There, Seo-yul lay with not a single thread of clothing on, desperately yanking the blanket over himself in a panic. But Shining? He didn’t even bother. He simply sat there, watching Jae-hoon step into the room.
There was no need to ask what the two of them had just been doing. The realization hit him like a brick. His vision swam, his mind reeled. Was this truly reality? Even if it was, he refused to accept it.
Of all people—why did it have to be Shining?
“Father, I can explain—”
Se-yul, who had arrived too late, immediately sensed the gravity of the situation and shut his mouth. Just one glance at the scene on the bed made his stomach twist with frustration. After last night, and now tonight… This had already spiraled far beyond what he could possibly manage.
Unlike the others, who were lost in confusion, one person remained composed. His detached gaze, as if he were watching someone else’s problem, only flickered with emotion when it landed on Seo-yul, who was trembling beside him.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll take care of everything.”
Seo-yul buried himself under the blanket, and the man who had just been beside him gently patted his trembling shoulder before slowly climbing off the bed. Now, how should he deal with these intruders? If he had a gun, he wouldn’t have hesitated to pull the trigger, but unfortunately, his hands were empty.
“What is the meaning of this, my dear?”
Han Jae-hoon, frozen in shock, directed his question at Seo-yul. But Seo-yul, curled up completely beneath the blanket, refused to answer. As Jae-hoon staggered further into the room, Shining stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
“I think Seo-yul is quite shaken. Would you both please leave?”
At first glance, it sounded like a polite request, but it was a clear warning. The sheer killing intent radiating from those crimson eyes made Jae-hoon’s tenuous grip on reason slip. His fury surged, consuming him.
“You insolent bastard!!”
Jae-hoon roared and lunged at him. The two men crashed to the floor with a resounding thud. Jae-hoon, having overpowered him with ease, gripped his throat and squeezed with all his strength.
Shining had more than enough power to push him off, but he didn’t resist. Instead, he simply smiled—bright, unbothered. As if daring Jae-hoon to go through with it, challenging him to kill him.
“Stop it!”
Seo-yul had climbed out of bed and shoved Jae-hoon away. Caught off guard by the unexpected force, Jae-hoon lost his balance. In that brief moment, Seo-yul rushed to Shining’s side.
“Father, are you all right?”
Se-yul quickly moved to support Jae-hoon, but he was firmly pushed away. Struggling to his feet, Jae-hoon grabbed Seo-yul’s shoulder and shoved him back toward Shining.
“Both of you—get out.”
“Father—”
“I said, OUT!”
Jae-hoon’s sharp command cut through the room. Seo-yul hesitated, wanting to stay, but Se-yul, reading the atmosphere, forcibly dragged him out.
Once the two were gone, Jae-hoon turned back to face the man who no longer bothered pretending to be pitiful now that Seo-yul was out of sight. Their eyes met—Jae-hoon’s burning with restraint, Shining’s crimson gaze unreadable.
“A scandal benefits neither of us. Wouldn’t it be best to end this here?” Jae-hoon said, his voice deliberately measured.
“What exactly do you want me to end?”
Feigning ignorance, Shining responded with shameless ease. Jae-hoon clenched his trembling fingers into a fist, exhaling a short breath before continuing.
“You’re returning to District 1 tomorrow, aren’t you? If we pretend tonight never happened—”
“I’m going to marry Seo-yul.”
It wasn’t a request for permission but a blatant declaration. As if a single night together was enough to dictate their future. The sheer absurdity of it was laughable—if only it weren’t so infuriating.
“You think I’ll allow that?”
“To be frank, I don’t need your permission.”
“Seo-yul is my son.”
“He was mine to begin with.”
There was no reasoning with him. Even when dealing with Luis Shining, the conversation had never been this futile. Han Jae-hoon pressed a hand against his throbbing forehead and let out a heavy sigh.
No matter how infuriating or suffocating this was, he had to calm Shining down and send him away. There were still guests in the mansion. If the commotion continued, rumors would spread, and Seo-yul would be the one to suffer the consequences.
A one-night mistake could be buried, but if word got out, things would take a turn for the worse. In the worst-case scenario, he might even be forced to arrange an engagement. That was something he absolutely could not allow.
“It would be best if you return to your quarters for now. We can discuss this tomorrow.”
Shining listened quietly before slowly getting up. He began picking up the scattered clothes from the floor, slipping them on one by one. His expression was unreadable—was he complying, or did he have something else in mind?
“I’m taking Seo-yul with me to District 1 tomorrow.”
He said this casually as he buttoned up his shirt. First, an uninvited declaration of marriage—now, he was planning to take Seo-yul away as well. Jae-hoon, unable to contain himself any longer, surged forward and grabbed him by the collar.
The force sent buttons flying in all directions. Shining’s crimson eyes briefly flickered as they tracked the meaningless movement of the buttons before turning back to meet Jae-hoon’s furious gaze.
Once again, he didn’t resist. He had the strength to shove Jae-hoon away with ease, but he didn’t lift a finger.
“Cut the bullshit and go back to your own district when you’re done here.”
Even in the face of Jae-hoon’s deadly warning, he didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, his crimson eyes flicked toward the tightly shut door. No doubt, he was looking at Seo-yul beyond it.
“If I were to harm you right now… Seo-yul would be devastated, wouldn’t he?”
“What the hell are you—”
Before he could finish, Shining effortlessly pried Jae-hoon’s hands off him and wrapped his own fingers around Jae-hoon’s throat.
It was just one hand. And yet, Jae-hoon couldn’t break free. His breath caught, his vision blurred, and those crimson eyes—cold and utterly devoid of hesitation—began to fill with a chilling intent to kill.
“You used to seem so formidable to me,” Shining murmured. “But now, you’re nothing.”
“—Ugh!”
“Utterly pathetic.”
Was he truly planning to kill him? Shining’s grip didn’t loosen, not even when Jae-hoon was on the verge of blacking out. Only when his eyes finally rolled back did Shining release him.
Jae-hoon collapsed onto the floor, gasping desperately for air. Shining, now expressionless, watched his struggling form for a moment before turning toward the door.
Faint voices could be heard beyond it—Seo-yul trying to enter, and Se-yul trying to stop him.
Shining strode forward without hesitation, gripping the doorknob. The moment he pushed it open, he reached for Seo-yul, who stood just beyond.
Seo-yul, weak and unresisting, was pulled straight into his arms. A sweet scent—one that calmed his very soul—filled his lungs as he pressed his cheek against Seo-yul’s soft hair.
He whispered against his skin.
“Come with me to District 1, Seo-yul.”
