Chapter 141
“Does Jerome like the Snow Queen?”
“I hate the Snow Queen. She took Kai away. She was bad.”
“Then why does Jerome like this book?”
“I like it because Gerda is brave.”
Hyeon-woo was secretly surprised by Jerome’s words. Unlike boys of this age who are focused on victory and conquest, often confusing bravado with courage, Jerome showed an uncommon insight by calling Gerda brave.
Gerda, whom Jerome called brave, was a young girl and Kai’s longtime childhood friend. She embarks on an adventure to rescue Kai from the Snow Queen, who had taken him away after shards of the devil’s mirror lodged in his eyes and heart, making him cold and unable to feel emotions.
The Snow Queen erases all of Kai’s memories of Gerda with a kiss. However, when Gerda finds Kai trapped in the ice castle and embraces him, his frozen heart melts, and the mirror shard in his eye flows out with his tears.
Thus, Kai regains his lost memories and escapes the ice castle, safely returning home with Gerda. This was the content of the fairy tale.
Hyeon-woo lowered the lighting and began to read aloud the book he had read so many times he could recite it from memory.
“Suddenly, Kai cried out, ‘Ouch! Something’s stuck in my eye! And in my chest!’ It was a shard of the devil’s mirror that made everything appear wicked. After that, Kai became a spiteful and naughty child.”
Although he had read this passage dozens of times, today its meaning felt particularly significant.
With the devil’s mirror shard in his heart, Kai’s world was no longer beautiful, and he could no longer feel human emotions. Hyeon-woo thought that a shard of the devil’s mirror must be lodged in his own heart too. Whenever he thought of Tae-geon, his mood would twist for no reason, and negative emotions would well up.
‘Why did Tae-geon hyung, who despised omegas so much, devote himself day and night to developing suppressants?’
‘You know who it was for, don’t you?’
Hyeon-woo couldn’t accept Ju-on’s words, implying that Taeryeong Group’s groundbreaking new drug was meant for him.
He had endured days of humiliation and disgrace in Tae-geon’s grasp. How could that cruel Tae-geon have developed suppressants for his sake?
As Hyeon-woo inwardly scoffed, he suddenly heard soft, steady breathing. Jerome had quickly fallen asleep, tired. Hyeon-woo placed a pillow under Jerome’s head and turned off the desk lamp. The room was instantly plunged into deep darkness. In this pitch-black darkness, the image of Tae-geon, restrained and calling out his name, slowly came to mind.
‘Han Hyeon-woo.’
Hyeon-woo shook his head violently as if to shake off the voice clinging to his ears. But the sound that had already begun to penetrate his eardrums wouldn’t subside.
‘Han Hyeon-woo.’
The low, deep voice repeatedly called his name. It was a primal longing originating from a deeper foundation, far different from mere lust.
Choi Tae-geon had imprinted on him.
On him, of all people.
Amidst the fog of uncertainties where nothing was clear, this alone was an evident truth.
Hyeon-woo accepted this undeniable fact with resignation. As he did so, the shapeless, fundamental questions that had been jumbling his mind began to take clear form and surface one by one.
When exactly did he imprint on me?
Why didn’t he tell the truth?
Why is he enduring all this alone, secluded in the mansion?
Did he know it would come to this when he decided to part ways with me? Why?
Hyeon-woo recalled his last moment with Tae-geon.
‘I’m no longer interested in you enough to go to such lengths, even resorting to tricks.’
‘What’s the reason?’
‘Do I need any more reason than wanting to spit out chewing gum that’s lost its flavor?’
The dagger that had flown towards his heart still hurt. For the first time, Hyeon-woo rewound the memory of that day a little further back from the part that always repeated like a broken record.
There he was, throwing the vial Tae-geon had handed him onto the floor.
‘Do you think I’m a fool? To just take what you give me? What are you up to this time?’
Hyeon-woo squeezed his eyes shut.
The emotion that had welled up when Tae-geon offered him the antidote, claiming it would eliminate his tolerance, felt so vivid again that it was hard to even recall the memory.
No matter how Tae-geon had shown his sincerity, he wouldn’t have been able to fully accept his feelings. He would have doubted, distrusted, and ultimately pushed him away.
That’s how it was then. As if a shard of the devil’s mirror had really lodged in his heart, he hated and despised everything about Tae-geon. He was focused on hurting him. He was bent on repaying the pain he had received, even if it meant burning himself in the process.
An indescribable emotion swirled inside Hyeon-woo. He struggled to stay afloat in the increasingly violent storm, raising its waves higher and higher. It was confusing and dizzying, making it hard to keep his balance. But leaving things as they were would solve nothing.
‘I told you. It seems more like an incident than an accident.’
His parents’ suspicious traffic accident.
If, as Ju-on said, that accident was indeed related to Tae-geon, then Tae-geon might hold the key to the accident that had taken away all his loved ones.
At that thought, his heart began to race uncontrollably.
His father, mother, and Jamie. He might be able to alleviate some of the injustice of their inglorious deaths.
Having resolved to approach the truth, Hyeon-woo decided to start by discerning which of the doubts filling his mind were true and which were false.
He no longer wanted to dwell on the past, judging who had made the greater sacrifice, who was the victim, and who was the perpetrator. It wasn’t about forgiving Tae-geon. He was simply ready to face the truth Tae-geon held, as it was, without any distortion or misunderstanding.
That was all. He chose to stay by Tae-geon’s side only because there was truth to be uncovered, nothing more. Just that. Only that.
As he sorted out his thoughts this way, his mind felt much calmer.
Only then did Hyeon-woo close his eyes and try to sleep.
*
“Ian. This way.”
The manager beckoned to Hyeon-woo as he came out wearing his uniform. The uniform was identical to the one he wore in the West Wing.
“It feels new seeing you here again. I was informed about the reason for your transfer to the East Wing by the head butler.”
“Ah.”
“I heard you were there that day. You must have been very shocked.”
Hyeon-woo looked around as he walked down the corridor with the manager. Although it was a perfect mirror image of the West Wing, the atmosphere inside was completely different. Thick blackout curtains covered every window, thoroughly isolating the interior from the outside. With traces of breakage and damage here and there, the already eerie mansion felt even more uncanny.
“As you can tell from the atmosphere, your duties in the East Wing will be quite different from those in the West Wing. Ian’s responsibility here will be to serve the young master without any inconvenience. If you have any difficulties due to the changed duties, please let me know anytime.”
Following the manager to the basement level, they came to a dining room. The employees wearing the same uniform as him greeted Hyeon-woo as he entered. Hyeon-woo returned a slight bow.
The number of employees was small. There was one chef, three middle-aged women, and two large men. The men looked familiar. They were the ones who had followed the doctor out of Tae-geon’s bedroom last night. They must have been employed to subdue Tae-geon when he writhed in seizures once a month.
After briefly introducing Hyeon-woo, the manager pointed towards the three middle-aged women and said:
“Ian, you’ll learn your duties from these ladies. This week is your training period. Get used to the atmosphere. We’ll start with practical work next week. That’s all. I’m counting on you today as well.”
With those words, the manager left. Hyeon-woo sat among the employees the manager had designated for training and ate breakfast.
Probably sensing that Hyeon-woo’s expression wasn’t good as he was lost in thought, an employee with a nametag reading ‘Lily’ spoke to him in a friendly voice.
“Don’t worry. The work here will be much easier than in the West Wing.”
Hyeon-woo, who had been using his chopsticks, looked up at Lily. She lowered her voice and continued speaking.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
