Chapter 163
The fact that all the tragedies in Hyeon-woo’s life originated from him frequently choked Tae-geon.
“I should live the life given to me diligently. That way, I won’t feel ashamed when I face my parents later.”
Tae-geon felt a pang in his heart at Hyeon-woo’s firmly ripened words.
His only thought had been to keep Hyeon-woo locked away in his arms for life, preventing any of the dirty and ugly things from the outside world from getting near. The hardships and trials that Hyeon-woo must have faced to become so hardened, from being as soft as a juicy peach, must have been incredibly harsh.
“Yes, I’m happy.”
Nevertheless, Hyeon-woo’s voice saying he was happy with his life spread like a wave, soaking Tae-geon. Something hot shook Tae-geon’s heart, like someone who had found a glimmer of hope at the end of despair.
Tae-geon was certain that Hyeon-woo’s appearance might not be mere coincidence. It might be God’s final arrangement, taking pity on him who was living each day in hell.
God’s final act of mercy to let him hear Hyeon-woo say he was happy.
So he shouldn’t be greedy anymore. Knowing that Hyeon-woo was happy without him was enough.
He tried to cut Hyeon-woo off, grateful that he could meet him like this before dying. No, he had tried. If only Hyeon-woo hadn’t returned to the mansion of his own accord.
*
When he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar yet familiar ceiling. Without even the strength to move his head, he barely rolled his eyes to survey his surroundings.
The curtains draped around the bed looked familiar. It seemed to be Tae-geon’s room.
As Hyeon-woo stared blankly at the ceiling, an IV bag filled with clear liquid appeared at the edge of his vision. He slowly lowered his gaze along the tube connected to it. The end of the tube was connected to the inside of his left elbow.
As he blinked slowly, his blurry vision gradually became clearer. As Hyeon-woo tried to get up, he realized something heavy was pressing down on his upper body and turned his head towards it. Tae-geon’s arm was wrapped around his body like a noose.
Tae-geon was sleeping next to him in an ambiguous posture, neither simply placed nor fully embracing. The dark circles under his eyes looked hollow, covered with fatigue. It was the face of someone who hadn’t slept properly for days.
How long had he been asleep? How many days had passed…?
As Hyeon-woo was trying to gauge the date, he suddenly sat up in surprise.
“Gasp!”
Jerome…!
Tae-geon, half thrown off by Hyeon-woo’s sudden movement, woke up. Sitting up along with Hyeon-woo, Tae-geon asked in a husky voice.
“…You’re awake? How’s your body? Are you feeling alright?”
“How long have I been lying here?”
“Two days. It’s been two days since you collapsed like that.”
“…Two days…? What day is it today?”
“Thursday.”
“…Ah.”
Thank goodness.
Hyeon-woo’s heart had sunk thinking of Jerome, who would be eagerly waiting for Friday to come. He lay back down on the bed, collapsing with relief.
As his startled mind calmed down, he noticed that the room was excessively hot. As he tried to remove the blanket, Tae-geon, sensing the rustling movement, stopped him and covered him back up to his chin with the half-removed blanket.
“Stay covered a little longer. You collapsed from hypothermia.”
Hyeon-woo’s eyes, which had widened in surprise at those words, soon returned to normal. No wonder the chills hadn’t subsided even after returning to the mansion. The abnormal symptoms in his body now made sense.
As Hyeon-woo stared blankly at the IV bag, Tae-geon’s voice reached his ears.
“Your body was ice-cold.”
Tae-geon’s voice, which paused briefly before continuing, trembled slightly as if facing something frightening.
“…I’m glad you’re safe.”
Hyeon-woo turned his head to look at Tae-geon. He saw Tae-geon’s face, pale as if the memory was too horrific to recall. It seemed he had been greatly worried that something might have happened to Hyeon-woo.
The arrogant and ruthless Choi Tae-geon. Who would have thought he’d hear such a voice from someone who feared nothing in this world.
The feeling was strange. Seeing Tae-geon so focused on him, reacting to every little thing, made Hyeon-woo feel as if he meant something to Tae-geon. A peculiar sense of elation welled up. Towards Hyeon-woo, who was confused by these inexplicable emotions, Tae-geon spoke.
“It’s late, but I’m sorry.”
“……”
“I want to apologize for what happened that day.”
Though the words came abruptly, Hyeon-woo could easily guess which day Tae-geon was referring to. Tae-geon’s face, tinged with regret and remorse, was contorted as if in pain.
He was referring to the incident that left Tae-geon with an imprint and Hyeon-woo pregnant. However, Hyeon-woo’s expression became even more gloomy than before receiving the apology.
…How could that be Tae-geon’s fault?
Tae-geon was not the perpetrator but the victim. If he hadn’t given Tae-geon the drug he had obtained, Tae-geon wouldn’t have gone into heat for him, wouldn’t have knotted, wouldn’t have imprinted. He wouldn’t have lost his sight due to the rut and become isolated in this mansion, nor would his bright future have been completely stolen away.
The fact that the imprint, which had taken everything from Tae-geon, was the result of his own twisted desire made Hyeon-woo unbearable. A wave of intense guilt washed over him.
“…Why didn’t you tell me the truth about imprinting on me?”
Tae-geon smiled bitterly at Hyeon-woo’s question, which he asked while trying to hide his trembling voice.
“You’ve forgotten. That our reunion wasn’t exactly beautiful.”
“……”
…That’s right. He remembered vividly. That time when both of them were completely out of their minds.
He had been the same. He hated Tae-geon, who didn’t love him, who had pretended to be K and deceived him, who had turned him into this monster.
He had been desperate to hide the fact that the child he had cherished in his womb was Tae-geon’s bloodline. He had cornered Tae-geon, claiming it was another alpha’s child. He had stabbed Tae-geon, saying he was happy living away from him now. He hadn’t even given Tae-geon the chance to confess about the imprint.
As Hyeon-woo recalled the past, a dizzying vertigo swept through his mind. As always, when he thought of his reckless twenty-year-old self who had raced to the limit fueled by stubbornness and spite, his heart ached and his breath caught.
He could feel Tae-geon watching him nervously as he suffered in silence.
…I’m the one who committed the sin, so why are you making that face?
It was hard to face Tae-geon, who was apologizing to him without knowing anything.
There was still something he needed to ask. He needed to press for the truth about the day his parents had the accident. He should have used this momentum to push and demand that Tae-geon spill everything he knew. But he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. For now, he wanted to quickly escape from this crushing guilt. The truth about the accident could come later.
With a troubled face, Hyeon-woo said to Tae-geon.
“…You asked, didn’t you? Why I helped with your rut.”
Feeling Tae-geon tense up, Hyeon-woo continued.
“…It was painful. Knowing that you were suffering because you had imprinted on me.”
“……”
“It felt like it was all my responsibility. So I couldn’t just leave you alone.”
A self-deprecating smile appeared on Tae-geon’s lips as he lowered his head weakly. As if it was the answer he had expected, yet laughing dejectedly at himself for not abandoning a futile hope, Tae-geon’s face made Hyeon-woo unconsciously clench his fists.
“I don’t want to feel this guilt towards you! But you keep…!”
Hyeon-woo suddenly stopped speaking, as if overcome with emotion, and caught his breath. Then, as if expelling his pent-up feelings, he painfully blurted out.
“You called for me… While writhing in agony, you kept calling my name, over and over!”
Hyeon-woo’s shouting voice was a mess of anger, resentment, and sadness.
“…And then you say the reason you tried to drive me away was because I helped with your rut? That you felt this couldn’t go on?! Then you shouldn’t have called for me so desperately!!”
Hyeon-woo transferred all the guilt and remorse he felt onto Tae-geon. Tae-geon silently listened to Hyeon-woo’s explosive outpouring.
Having vomited everything inside him, Hyeon-woo glared at Tae-geon sitting across from him, his chest heaving. He didn’t like Tae-geon’s passive attitude at all, behaving as if he would endure everything.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
