I didn’t want to seize rights through unjust means. To betray the kindness he’d shown me, to try and fill an unfillable thirst—nothing could be more foolish. What Father had asked of me was theft, and even though I knew it was immoral, I couldn’t compromise with reality.

“...Huh.”

Father let out a hollow laugh and staggered slightly. I instinctively tried to support him, but he shook me off harshly, making that impossible. As I stepped back in hesitation, he spat out his words as if grinding them between his teeth.

“Can’t even seduce one alpha and get a damn seed planted, and now you can’t even do that properly?”

I clenched my molars tightly. It was a deeply insulting remark, but it didn’t shock me. I’d known for a long time now what kind of image Father had of me.

“...I’ll formally present the negotiation terms to Kwon Yido.”

This was the most I could offer. No, I intended to formally request it this time, since I’d already handed over the materials once. Not as a one-sided gift from him, but as the rightful compensation in a proper contract.

“Ask for the promised materials in advance—”

“Can’t you shut that mouth of yours?”

With a roar, Father hurled the USB drive he was holding to the floor. As if that wasn’t enough to vent his anger, he stomped on it with his shoe. Breathing heavily, he ground his teeth and glared at me, eyes blazing.

“You think that bastard’s going to hand it over just because you ask nicely?”

“...”

“If he was going to, he would’ve done it already. That bastard never intended to keep his promise. He’s just using us and planning to toss us aside!”

Father shouted with bloodshot eyes. He stepped right up to me and grabbed my shoulders tightly, putting force behind every word.

“You think I sent you there to listen to some pipe dream? If you bring up those materials to that bastard, won’t he just hide them even more, huh?”

I was the one who ended up flustered by his intense reaction. I didn’t misunderstand his desperation, but I couldn’t grasp why he was so furious just at the suggestion of talking to Yido. It almost felt like he didn’t want me to say anything related to him at all.

“What, Kwon Byung-wook passed away or something?”

“...”

“People have seen that old man walking around just fine. You really think some alpha still running around screwing everything in sight is going to drop dead that easily?”

Was Kwon Yido lying to me? Of course, an eighty-five-year-old man probably wasn’t running around screwing everything, but still.

“What if our company dies first? Then what?”

“Father.”

In that moment, I saw it clearly—the disgust in his eyes. Just from calling him that, he reflexively recoiled in rejection. As if he’d never played the role of a kind father. The moment he deemed me useless, his true colors showed.

“...A corporation doesn’t collapse that easily.”

So I ended up speaking my mind without meaning to. Something I would never normally say. A bold statement, arrogant enough to enrage him.

“Even if you slap on makeshift fixes, if you don’t rip out the root cause, it’ll all end up the same. If stealing one system was enough to flip everything, it wouldn’t have collapsed this far in the first place. You know full well nothing changes unless outdated management practices are torn out.”

The collapse of Haesin Financial Group—fundamentally, it was Father’s responsibility. He’d buried countless management crimes and only focused on the immediate crisis, blind to the long-term damage. Even though there had been opportunities to change, he kept circling around, looking for the easy way, and ended up here.

“If anything, in the long run, not turning our backs on Kwon Yido might be the better—”

Smack!

A sharp crack split the air. My head snapped to the right, and my body swayed where it stood. My vision flared white, unable to focus, drifting somewhere near the floor.

“You think a piece of shit like you can lecture me?”

My ears rang. Father’s voice echoed like I was underwater. Was this what it felt like for your brain to rattle? The dizzy sensation was unfamiliar, jarring.

“So what, you want to grovel to that bastard like a goddamn rat?”

I stared blankly into space, unable to comprehend what had just happened to me. After a brief delay, the sting began to radiate across my left cheek. I tasted iron on my lips. Every time I blinked, the distance between me and reality grew smaller, pulling me back in.

“...”

He hit me. Not just anyone—Father. For no greater crime than speaking my mind.

And the moment I realized that, all the pain rushed in. My cheek, the tongue I’d bitten, the torn-up flesh inside my mouth. The tight pressure on my solar plexus, the wave of nausea riding in its wake.

“Useless bastard...”

Blood-tinged saliva pooled in my mouth. I wanted to swallow it, but the nausea kept rising, making that impossible. My chest heaved, threatening to spill something at any moment.

“Should’ve never picked up trash like you.”

When I lifted my gaze, I met dull, empty eyes. The look you’d give a pebble kicked along the road—utterly devoid of emotion.

“Know your place. Even a beast remembers who fed it. Why the hell are you always like this? You wouldn’t even be alive if not for me. What the hell do you think a mutt picked off the street knows about management?”

He was right. If it weren’t for him, I would’ve died in the falling snow. I wouldn’t be standing here getting slapped—I’d be nothing more than trash on the roadside.

“Get the hell out of my sight. I don’t want to see your face for a while.”

But then, why—

Why did I still feel so wronged, even knowing all that?

Why did everything he said make my heart crumble?

“...I’ll be ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) going now.”

I bowed deeply and left the chairman’s office. Until the door fully closed behind me, Father didn’t offer a single word of parting. That didn’t upset me. It only left me with a flood of unspoken questions.

'Useless bastard...'

I wanted to ask him—what am I even here for? Was I really just a pawn to be used? And now that I wasn’t even useful anymore... how the hell was I supposed to go on living?

***

I took the stairs down the tall building instead of using the elevator, afraid I might run into someone. A couple of times, I swayed to one side, but thanks to the railing, I managed to avoid an embarrassing fall. By the time I reached the first floor, the pain in my left cheek had subsided quite a bit.

“...”

Mr. Kim, who was standing near the building, said nothing upon seeing me. As always, he simply opened the car door and disappeared silently. When he returned, he was holding a small convenience store bag.

“...What is this?”

The bag felt cold. Inside was a flat pack of ice cream. It had a blue plastic lid and a snowflake design on the outside. The label read Milkshake. Watching him quietly fasten his seatbelt, I let out a faint smile.

“It’s not exactly ice cream weather...”

This must’ve been the only thing he could think of. Holding the ice cream in both hands, I gently pressed it against my swollen cheek.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

“...Yes.”

Times like this, Mr. Kim really couldn’t hide his expressions. He could’ve just smiled it off, but instead, he was furrowing his brows tightly. His eyes, reflected in the rearview mirror, looked so serious that, paradoxically, I started to feel a little better.

Until we arrived home, Mr. Kim didn’t say another word. In that time, the ice cream had begun to melt into a soft slush, and I simply stared out the window at the passing scenery. Normally, I’d be flooded with stray thoughts, but today, my mind was completely blank.

The only thing weighing on me was the dinner I’d have to share with Kwon Yido. It would’ve been nice if the swelling went down by then, but that seemed unlikely. My skin was naturally sensitive, and even a minor injury always stood out sharply. That’s why, even now, the marks Yido left behind on my body hadn’t faded.

Would he believe me if I said I just fell?

Honestly, it probably didn’t matter. We had shared a bed, yes—but in truth, we’d grown more distant than before. We still ate together as usual, but the time we used to spend talking after dinner had completely disappeared.

“...Then I’ll see you later.”

Mr. Kim opened the car door for me at the gate and stood there for a long while. He looked like he had something to say, but it never made it past his lips. It would’ve been nice if he’d told me I’d be okay. But unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury of needing that.

“Please get home safe.”

That was all I said before turning away from him and pressing the doorbell. I’d lived here quite a while now, yet this was my first time entering through the front gate. And I was doing it with melted ice cream in my hands and a swollen cheek.

Creak—the gate opened. Mr. Kim still hadn’t gotten into the car. I could feel his gaze burning into the back of my head, but I pretended not to notice and took a step forward.

“...Young Master.”

It felt familiar. When was it? Ah—on the day of the engagement. When the double doors opened and he called out to me, just like now.

“Please apply some ointment when you get inside.”

It was laughable that, after all that thinking, the only words he could offer were those of concern. But the most ridiculous part was me—how I actually froze upon hearing them. I thought I was fine, that it didn’t affect me. Turns out I was just pretending.

I didn’t bother answering. I just kept walking and passed through the gate. But the moment I saw the wide garden inside, a sudden thought struck me.

“...”

It felt like I’d come home.

Just like when Kwon Yido brought me here from the officetel—that overwhelming mansion somehow felt like my lifelong refuge.

Walking down the stone path, I glanced around the meticulously kept garden. I’d seen it countless times, going to the greenhouse or walking after lunch. The groundskeeper would tend it in the early morning, and occasionally sparrows would hop across the neat lawn.

Peaceful. That’s the word.

Everything that happened today felt like a dream. Though a ringing still lingered in my ears, maybe it would all vanish if I just closed my eyes.

I thought maybe I’d try sleeping. I planned to take the maximum dose of sleeping pills and fall asleep quietly, as if nothing had happened. I didn’t care if nightmares came—as long as I could escape this reality for a little while.

But all those plans were shattered the moment I stepped inside and reached the second floor. Just before I turned toward my room—

Someone was standing there.

“You’re just getting in now?”

“...”

Kwon Yido was standing by the door, wearing the same clothes as in the morning. Leaning against the wall, looking unmistakably like someone who’d been waiting for me. I’d watched him leave for work earlier, and yet his neat suit showed no sign of disarray.

“Why are you here...”

I stood frozen, blinking as we locked eyes. And when I saw his deep gaze harden, I instinctively lowered my head.

Ah. I’m screwed.

That thought was quickly followed by his terrifyingly cold voice slicing through the air.

“Lift your head.”

“...”

I flinched, my shoulders jerking. I tried to pass him like nothing was wrong, but he was faster. Striding over, he grabbed my chin and forced my face up.

“...”

“...”

He smelled like wood. Heavy, still pheromones poured over me as if he might devour me at any moment. Maybe it was because we’d shared bodies that my senses reacted more sharply, or maybe it was the torrent of emotions he hadn’t yet contained. Either way, the atmosphere was suffocating.

“Jung Sejin.”

Only after a long pause did he finally say my name, his voice low and tight with restraint. Then he asked, eyes frighteningly cold—

“Who did this to you?”

I was going to say it was nothing. That was the plan. But clearly, Kwon Yido didn’t have much patience left.

“I asked you—what bastard did this?”

My jaw began to ache under his grip. It wasn’t even that strong, but the heat of his touch burned where he held me. I avoided his gaze and answered as calmly as I could.

“...I fell. On the street.”

Even I knew it was a ridiculous excuse. I just hoped he’d let it go if I offered up something that simple. Naturally, he didn’t even blink as he replied in a clipped, precise tone.

“I asked a stupid question, didn’t I? I already know who you went to see.”

He released my chin and touched my swollen cheek with his index finger. When I flinched and narrowed my eyes, he immediately pulled his hand away. After a long pause, he closed his eyes and gently stroked my ear.

“I don’t know when the palm of a hand became a sidewalk...”

“...”

“If you were planning to lie, you shouldn’t have come home with that face.”

His hand moved from my ear to the corner of my eye. There was nothing there, but he carefully stroked it with his thumb. Then he wrapped his hand around the back of my head and pulled me into his arms.

“Don’t cry, Sejin.”

“...”

There was no warning. The moment he said that, tears spilled from my eyes. They ran down my cheeks, multiplying every time I blinked. I didn’t even know when it started. All the grief I’d buried just came pouring out.

'Don’t disgrace your father’s name.'

“Hhng...”

I thought if I just tried harder, things would change. My traits, the world, the people in my so-called family. I thought if I put in more effort—if I hid my flaws—things would get better.

So I did everything I could. My grades were always top-tier. I never dozed off in school. I played the role of the loving son and carried myself with feigned composure. When someone complimented me, I made sure to say it was all thanks to my father.

'Of course. He’s my son, after all.'

Words tossed off like charity—

I drank them like parched soil soaking up rain. Even though I knew it was empty flattery, I still craved that drop of affection. I killed off who I really was just to play the part I’d been given, just to hear the word son.

“Hic...”

I wanted to be loved. More precisely, I wanted to be family. Even if all that remained in the end was obligation, I couldn’t let go of the comfort that came with even a fleeting sense of belonging.

But some things in this world don’t change, no matter how hard you try. Just because I lack pheromones doesn’t make me a beta. Just because we lived in the same house didn’t make me real family. The affection Father had shown me disappeared with a single word.

'Sejin, a marriage proposal has come for you.'

Was I supposed to be grateful for the chance to earn another family?

In the end, all I got was a hostage situation disguised as marriage. The goal they’d set from the moment they took me in had finally been reached. And now here I was, being held in Kwon Yido’s arms.

“Hhk...”

If someone asked me why I was crying so bitterly, I wouldn’t have had an answer. Maybe it was because the pain hit me all at once. Or maybe... I just wanted to be held.

The warmth of his embrace shattered my defenses, and the tears wouldn’t stop. For a long time, he held me close as I cried in silence. His hand awkwardly stroking my back may have been clumsy, but it comforted me more than a thousand words.

His pheromones soaked into me—gentle, sincere, and just for me.