I wanted to ask what the point of that was. A gun with no bullets—wasn’t that just a toy?

“...It’s just, I’ve never seen a real gun before.”

Click. The sound of the drawer locking was still vivid in my ears. True to his meticulous nature, he tugged on the drawer twice to make sure it was firmly shut. Only after confirming it wouldn’t open did he stand and say,

“Let’s go back to your room. You probably didn’t get much sleep.”

He said it gently, but in the end, it was a dismissal. The fact that he didn’t ask why I came likely meant he’d figured out there was no real reason. I followed him in silence, and when he looked back and noticed something, he frowned.

“...Barefoot?”

“Ah, there weren’t any slippers.”

Right then, the door to the study closed, plunging the hallway into darkness. In the thin thread of remaining light, I instinctively reached for the hand he held out. The problem was that the natural gesture startled me.

“......”

“......”

Tap. I slapped Kwon Yido’s hand away. It was the same left hand that had held the gun in the study. It was undoubtedly rude, and even I was taken aback by my reflexive reaction.

“Ah, that was...”

My heart pounded unnaturally fast. A chill crept up my spine, raising goosebumps all over. The same touch that had comforted me the night before now felt threatening.

“...I’m sorry.”

I apologized in a voice barely above a whisper and fled back to my room. I changed into my clothes and lay in bed, chasing sleep that wouldn’t come. When morning came and I went downstairs, Kwon Yido didn’t ask a single question.

“Really, I’m not afraid of you, Mr. Kwon. I was just... a little startled.”

My throat felt tight, so I took a sip of juice. Since Kwon Yido had initiated the conversation, I had things I needed to say, too.

“I was very disrespectful in several ways.”

His gaze turned toward me. Those calm, heavy eyes said more than a dozen words. As always, I launched into the explanation I was expected to give.

“I’ve never had anything like that happen before, so I didn’t expect a heat cycle to come so suddenly. I should have prepared in advance. I acted irresponsibly. I’ll be more careful next time.”

I’ll be careful. And I’ll do better.

It was what I always had to say when I showed an ugly side of myself to my father. When I said that, my father would always frown and reply—

“Incompetent brat. Act properly next time.”

“‘Careful,’ huh...”

Kwon Yido repeated the word under his breath, a slight furrow between his brows. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then quietly pressed his lips together. After a small pause, he spoke in an even tone.

“How exactly will you be careful?”

It wasn’t mockery—maybe mild disbelief. It wasn’t the kind of atmosphere where he’d say, If only you’d stayed in your room instead of the greenhouse. Before I could answer, he countered my apology in his usual composed tone.

“If it was something that could be solved by being careful, I didn’t realize. But if it came on suddenly, just like you said, then there’s not much that can be done.”

It didn’t sound sarcastic. He was simply speaking in that elegant, unhurried way of his.

“Accidents happen even when no one’s at fault. That’s what ‘force majeure’ means.”

There’s no way to prevent an accident that comes out of nowhere. It was a completely rational and reasonable statement. Of course, I hadn’t expected to hear it from him.

Kwon Yido soon returned to his meal. He urged me to eat, too, but my appetite still hadn’t come back. I quietly spoke as I stared at the ring on his finger.

“...I’m immune to suppressants.”

I should’ve said this earlier. Really, it was something my father should’ve told him even before the engagement.

“The doctor said it’s because of a malformation in my pheromone glands. That’s also why I don’t emit any pheromones normally. It only happens like yesterday, during heat cycles.”

I tried to sound calm, but I was actually tense. It was the first time I’d ever confessed my defect to anyone outside my family. No—since I hadn’t even told my family myself, maybe this was the first time, period.

“I see.”

Kwon Yido responded far more casually than I expected. He didn’t seem surprised, nor did he look like he planned to ask more questions. His face was as neutral as it had been the day of the engagement dinner.

“Mr. Jung Sejin’s pheromones are kind of like a floral scent.”

“......”

Maybe... he’d known from the start. Whether someone told him or he figured it out himself, it would explain so many things that hadn’t made sense otherwise.

“Thank you for helping me.”

Instead of asking how he knew, I chose to finally express my gratitude. It wasn’t just a polite formality—it was sincere. Along with a promise to never let it happen again.

“This kind of thing... won’t happen again.”

When I woke up in his bed, I had felt a brief pang of disappointment at the empty space beside me. That fleeting feeling made me realize how complacent I’d become. Before I grew any more lax, it was time to raise my guard again.

“...It’s strange, isn’t it.”

Suddenly, Kwon Yido murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. His lips tilted in a faint, self-deprecating curve.

“What I used to find convenient is now turning into an obstacle.”

An obstacle? I didn’t need to ask. He looked down for a moment, then raised his gaze again and spoke.

“There are things I hope people won’t ask about. But when no one does, I find myself wanting to say them anyway.”

“...Such as?”

Hmm, he exhaled, tapping the table lightly with his index finger. It seemed to be a habit when he was thinking deeply.

“For example... how I knew you were in the greenhouse.”

It was a light example—and one I had already asked about. Kwon Yido frowned slightly as if remembering.

“Or... who changed Mr. Jung Sejin’s clothes.”

“I’m not really... curious about that.”

I replied reflexively, and he moved his lips as if to speak but swallowed it back. With an unreadable look, he asked again.

“Why not?”

“Well...”

Why? Because it didn’t matter. There were plenty of staff—surely someone had helped. It wasn’t something worth wondering about.

“...Am I supposed to be curious?”

My question, loaded with confusion, made Kwon Yido’s expression twist faintly. He gave a short, incredulous laugh.

“Of course.”

His lips smiled, but his eyes didn’t. His calm gaze clearly showed that he wasn’t pleased.

“Someone undressed you, Mr. Jung Sejin. Shouldn’t you at least pretend to be curious?”

“......”

Just changing clothes—it wasn’t something to say with that kind of tone. Not in that low voice.

“I don’t really—...”

I stopped mid-sentence. There was something in his gaze that unsettled me. My instincts told me something was off.

“...Was it you, Mr. Kwon?”

“......”

The silence that followed was as good as confirmation. Kwon Yido looked me in the eyes like he was waiting to see what I’d do next. And that was when a very basic question popped out of me.

“Why didn’t you have someone else do it?”

If someone had to change my clothes, there was no reason it had to be him. He could’ve simply ordered one of the staff. Why bother with clothes soaked in all kinds of bodily fluids?

“...That must’ve been troublesome. Thank you.”

I offered polite thanks, but Kwon Yido didn’t respond. He simply stared at me, his gaze unchanging. After a light sigh, he shifted the topic.

“The secretary will bring your phone this afternoon.”

“......”

My phone? As soon as he said that, I remembered. Oh, right. I left it in the greenhouse. Maybe he noticed the realization on my face, because he gave me a knowing look.

“Doesn’t seem like you were very worried about it.”

“...I was out of it.”

Sometimes I think his intuition is supernatural. I don’t think I’m that easy to read, though...

“The screen was completely shattered, so I told them to get you a new one. All the data’s backed up, so don’t worry.”

“You didn’t have to go that far...”

“Mr. Jung Sejin.”

“......”

“You don’t have a bad memory, do you?”

I stared back at him, lips pressed shut. His face was expressionless, but I could tell—he wasn’t pleased.

“...Thank you. I’ll use it well.”

He had said I should accept everything until he got what he wanted. It wasn’t that it burdened me—just that it puzzled me.

I knew it meant nothing to him. It was as easy as lifting a finger, as minor as handing out a piece of candy.

But maybe that’s what made it feel like... kindness without cost. And that, somehow, was the problem.

“If you understand, come downstairs with me for a bit.”

Kwon Yido said this as he rose from the table. “Where?” I looked up, and he nodded toward the hallway.

“There’s something I want to give you.”

***

The elevator past the inner door led directly to the basement garage. It was a space used only for a few frequently driven cars—I had never been down here, not once. Then again, I hadn’t explored anywhere outside my room and the greenhouse.

Kwon Yido led me to the far end of the garage. The cars parked in wide rows were his personal vehicles, never seen in the media. They said collecting cars was his hobby, and sure enough, I spotted a few limited-edition models my father used to covet.

“Do you remember what you said a week ago, Mr. Jung Sejin?”

His distinctive voice echoed off the garage walls. He glanced at me, then said each word clearly.

“Without a driver. Just one car. A model I personally like.”

‘Thank you for the offer, but I’d prefer just one car that Mr. Kwon likes. I don’t need a driver either.’

“Yes, I remember.”

Was he... giving me a car?

He had asked what car I wanted a week ago. Originally, my heat cycle was supposed to begin tomorrow, and I had planned to lock myself in my room this evening. With everything that had happened since, I’d forgotten all about it.

“A new model just came out from M Motors. I thought it would suit you.”

M Motors—one of the most renowned German brands. Known for both safety and comfort, adored by enthusiasts. I remembered one of my junior staff practically drooling over the catalog.

“I actually prefer a different line, but since you’ll be the one driving, a sedan seemed better.”

He pointed to a sports car parked on the left. The kind Minjae would’ve frothed at the mouth over, but definitely not my style. Cars that flat didn’t ride well.

“So I was going to give you that one... but there’s a problem.”

Tap. Kwon Yido came to a stop. Hands in his pockets, he looked down at me slightly askew.

“Even if we expedite it, the wait time is a month.”

“A month?”

“Technically, around three weeks.”

“Isn’t that... still fast?”

When a new model comes out, it can take six months—sometimes two years. Especially with M Motors, where units are limited, even placing a reservation isn’t easy. Probably, he’d pulled strings to move his name up the list.

“Sure, it’s fast on paper—but three weeks without a car is still long.”

Even though he’d just said three weeks, he frowned like it was an unbearable delay. He seemed disappointed that his plan had been thrown off—but there was something else behind it.

Then, his lips curved into a soft smile.

“So let’s do this.”

He stepped aside and nodded toward the two cars parked behind him. They were both impressively sleek. The black one was from Seonho’s own line, the white one from B Motors, M’s rival.

“Until the new one arrives, you can alternate between these.”

“...What?”

I stared at him blankly. I wanted to ask what he meant, but he beat me to it.

“Since I can’t deliver on time, think of this as a temporary measure. Trust is built on punctuality, after all.”

With that, he pulled two car keys from his pocket and handed them to me. Under the garage lighting, the branded logos gleamed brilliantly. As I looked between the keys and the cars, he added casually,

“They’re already broken in, so don’t feel pressured.”

“......”

Broken in? I may not be interested in cars, but I knew that black model had been released just last month. The matte black version had made headlines everywhere.

“...We never set a deadline.”

I didn’t take the keys—instead, I looked up at him. I rarely had to look up at anyone, but he was tall enough that I did. No wonder his head always stuck out in photos, even in a crowd of reporters.

“I said I’d pick a car within a week, so giving it to me in a month wouldn’t break the promise.”

Meaning—I wasn’t going ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) to accept it. He must have understood, but instead of pulling the keys back, he wiggled his fingers as if urging me.

“Just take them. You know you can’t say no.”

“......”

And you know I would say no.

“...Thank you.”

It felt like taking poison—I accepted the keys with both hands. Not a single scratch on them. Clearly, “broken in” had been a lie. Then again, for someone who collected cars, just owning one probably counted as “used.”

What was I even supposed to do with this...

It wasn’t like I had no options. I could just keep them safe and return them once the new car arrived. He wouldn’t be able to say anything then.

But with his sixth sense, Kwon Yido shattered my plan with a single line.

“Just so you know, I don’t reuse anything once someone else has touched it.”

“......”

My hand clenched around the keys. It wasn’t an empty threat—I knew from everything I’d seen of him. He said use it until the new one comes, but in reality, he planned to give me all three.

“If you ever need a driver, just say so.”

“No, that’s... really fine.”

I barely swallowed the sigh rising to my throat. I wanted to say, This is too much, but when I saw his face, I lost the will to argue. His slightly gleaming eyes looked absurdly excited—like a child.

“Is it too much?”

He asked quietly, watching my silent expression. I wanted to say, It’s not that—it’s just that I don’t understand you. But I only allowed myself to be half-honest.

“...Yes, a little.”

He looked far too pleased with that answer. People said he rarely smiled—but honestly? I was starting to think he smiled more than Mr. Kim. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

“Then let’s do this.”

Still wearing that rare smile, he continued. His usually dark eyes shimmered with a hint of mischief. Tilting his head slightly, he winked.

“One week.”

“......”

“If, within that time, you find something you really want, I’ll reconsider the keys.”