The next morning, the air in the dining room was completely different from before.
Dowon sat in the same seat as always, but the chair across from him was glaringly empty.
“……Young master?”
Mrs. Park called out to Yeohwi, who was hesitantly standing at the kitchen entrance.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“Ah, I, I am.”
Seong Yeohwi had absolutely no confidence to face Dowon after the emotions he felt last night and the aftermath of the intense things they’d done.
He had tried to squeeze himself into a corner and endure until Dowon left since it seemed he’d be leaving for work soon, but it appeared he’d been caught by Mrs. Park’s eyes.
Yeohwi approached the dining table quietly like a dead mouse, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Screeeech…… Even the sound of pulling out the chair sounded lifeless.
‘How should I position myself?’
His legs in gray sweatpants twisted this way and that. Normally he would have cheerfully shouted “Good morning!” loud enough to burst eardrums, but today he just moved his lips and swallowed dry saliva.
Then he reached for the fruit plate placed farthest from Dowon and began nibbling only on melon pieces. As if the heat from last night hadn’t yet subsided, his unusually pale nape and earlobes were dyed bright red.
Crunch. Crunch……
The funny thing was, once he ate, it went down well into his stomach.
On the table were perfectly arranged freshly baked baguettes and croissants, avocado toast topped with smoked salmon and poached eggs, Greek yogurt and honey, and a fresh fruit platter.
Nevertheless, Dowon today too didn’t touch anything except his coffee cup.
Eyes and hands wandering on the table not knowing what to do. Awkward movements. A sense of dissonance like a puppy that barked noisily every morning had suddenly become quiet. There was no way Dowon couldn’t see through the attitude that had changed overnight.
The clumsy behavior of glancing near him yet never actually making eye contact even once was even more irritating.
Dowon set down his coffee cup with a thud.
‘Ha.’
The bastard who had energetically approached him even when pushed away and ignored now didn’t even look this way with only his ears dyed bright red.
There was no need to even guess the reason.
It must be because of the commotion his grand-uncle Do Jingyu caused in this house, and his own position being blatantly humiliated in front of him.
“I showed you something unsightly.”
A chilly voice broke the silence.
Yeohwi looked up, startled.
“Forget it. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
“Huh?”
In his bewilderment, Yeohwi choked on the milk he was drinking.
“Cough, kek! Kk……”
Milk flowed down his collarbone and streamed onto the chest of Yeohwi’s white t-shirt.
“Uwah.”
When he rubbed his chest in embarrassment, the wet t-shirt clung embarrassingly to his skin. The sight of white liquid dripping from his lips was also shameful.
To Yeohwi fumbling around looking for a napkin, Dowon irritably tossed him the clean napkin placed in front of him.
And coldly looking down at Yeohwi hastily grabbing the napkin to wipe off the stain, he unilaterally announced a heartless decision.
“I never planned to have you attend the founding party in the first place.”
“……What?”
“It’s not a place for you. I’ll just say you had a severe illness or something as a reason for not attending.”
It was a perfect drawing of the line that left no room to escape. It was close to an order that allowed no rebuttal or appeal.
“Not just this time, but I’ll be going alone to all official events in the future, so keep that in mind.”
Yeohwi’s already large eyes became round. His hand wiping the t-shirt stopped dead.
“No, why……? Why? It seems like a place I should go too.”
His voice became urgent.
“If you go there, won’t you meet that crazy old man again? If Dowon-ssi is alone, it’s obvious he’ll be even more arrogant and spout whatever bullshit he wants. And at such an important place too.”
Dowon ignored those words and stood up from his seat.
There was no hesitation in his gesture adjusting his shirt cuffs. He quickly buttoned up his suit and turned around.
“Mrs. Park, I’ll be late today.”
As Dowon walked toward the long corridor, Yeohwi hastily kicked back his chair and followed him.
“Dowon-ssi! Wait a moment!”
The long, long corridor. The sound of Dowon’s large strides going ahead and Yeohwi’s barefoot desperately chasing after him in sweats mixed chaotically.
When they had nearly reached the entrance, Yeohwi reached out his hand like grasping at straws and pinched and pulled at the hem of Dowon’s black suit jacket.
Dowon’s steps stopped.
“I…… Can’t I go too?”
Dowon slowly turned around.
His chilling gaze rested on the long fingers gripping his clothes.
The slightly wrinkled fabric and Seong Yeohwi persistently pulling on it. Irritation flashed in his glaring eyes.
“……Let go.”
“I won’t cause trouble.”
“……”
“I’ll stay quiet, really. I’ll do absolutely everything you tell me to.”
Yeohwi didn’t let go.
Rather, he clung even more desperately.
To the extent that even he didn’t know why he was acting this way.
“That party, you have to go as a couple. And our marriage, it might seem strange to others of course, but anyway it was directly arranged by Chairman Do. If you come with the match the Chairman chose, who would dare act crazy in front of you, right?”
“……”
“So, so rather…… you should be more confident! Far from being pushed out of the succession structure, as if there’s something to this marriage. As if there was some great hidden intention.”
Dowon tried to shake off the grabbed clothes. Then Yeohwi let go of the clothes, but quickly ran and this time blocked the entrance door.
Seong Yeohwi stood perfectly blocking the mansion’s enormous and heavy entrance door behind his back. Dowon’s brow furrowed fiercely.
“What the hell are you trying to do? Move aside.”
“It’s a place I should go to!”
Yeohwi shouted.
He spread both arms blocking the door horizontally. That appearance was more intimidating than expected. His large build, as if proving rapid growth, was in no way inferior to Dowon’s.
“Please trust me. I won’t have strange thoughts. I’ll go and do exactly only what Dowon-ssi tells me to. I’ll do exactly as told. If you tell me to shut up, I won’t say a word and will keep completely quiet! If you tell me to lower my eyes, I’ll only look at the floor and shoes.”
Yeohwi’s light brown eyes shook with desperation. He could be seen trembling finely. But within that trembling, a sticky obsession and heat that hadn’t been there before were clearly settled.
“Ha……”
Dowon pressed his forehead with one hand in fatigue and lowered his face.
‘Look at this.’
After showing him getting a few words said in front of Do Jingyu yesterday, now he’s trying to climb up. How much did he look down on him to try to charge forward without distinguishing front from back?
Although vexation secretly welled up, Dowon didn’t show that emotion outwardly. He just pressed his throbbing temple while pondering how to deal with this uncontrollable little brat.
“You’ll do whatever I tell you?”
“Yes!”
“Then as I’m telling you, move aside.”
“Dowon-ssi……!”
Dowon, who had been pressing his forehead, swept his fingertips over one deeply furrowed eyebrow and sneered at him.
“What can someone like you do if you go? When you crawl and grovel even in front of me.”
“Well, I, I probably……”
“Just a lot of noise. No substance.”
At those words, Yeohwi shouted as if desperately.
“It can’t be helped! Because I’m a greenhorn who knows nothing!”
“What……?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know! I don’t know anything about Dowon-ssi either, and honestly I have absolutely no idea how I can be helpful to Dowon-ssi. So please tell me a bit! I said I’d do as told! I can learn!”
“Your manner of speaking……”
“If you teach me, I can really do well! Please trust me!”
“Hah, it’d be fortunate if you don’t piss yourself at the party venue. I’m telling you for the last time. Move aside.”
Yeohwi’s back hit the wall.
When no attempt worked, Yeohwi brought out his last resort.
“……I’ll chase after you.”
That bastard……?
Dowon’s eyes narrowed. Yeohwi’s gaze was serious.
“If you keep ignoring me, whether it’s the party, the company, or your office…… I’ll barge in.”
“……”
“Yes. It’ll be a mess. If you don’t want that, tie me up in the house or something.”
Yeohwi’s eyes shining sharply and fiercely. They were no longer the bright eyes of a puppy.
Eyes that who knows what trouble they’ll cause if let loose.
Eyes that will dig around here and there, bite beasts and people, and bare their teeth.
In that case, it might be better to put a leash on him in some way.
