The Unbelievers Chapter 77

“You were very wrong.”

“I won’t do it again.”

“You must never do it again. Never, ever must such a thing happen again.”

Thinking of the deceased Seo Jeonggi, Manager Nam warned him strongly, emphasizing that for his own safety—rather than for anyone else’s—this must never happen again.

Eunseong also reflected deeply, having suffered greatly during this runaway attempt and realizing that his reckless actions had caused harm to those around him.

With a somber expression from the scolding, Eunseong sat down and pulled his milk toward him.

“By the way, I put out all of Mr. Eunseong’s clothes, so why are you wearing the CEO’s clothes?”

“He asked for something comfortable, so I gave him mine.”

Manager Nam, who had personally bought and brought over several sets of pajamas and comfortable clothes for Eunseong, turned a suspicious eye toward Yoo Siun as he hurried to explain, but then nodded and spoke.

“… You are doing well. Just keep doing that.”

Yoo Siun did not understand Manager Nam’s words at first, but he soon caught the meaning. It meant that even if he couldn’t return Eunseong’s feelings of love, he should soothe him in this manner to prevent him from being hurt again and running away.

“…”

Yoo Siun had been ignoring his own feelings and Eunseong’s confession in an effort to avoid any kind of relationship with him, and he was even resolved to undergo chemical castration if it were impossible to control himself through will alone.

He loathed the very idea of having a man carry a seed to bear a successor, as well as the behavior of the family that sincerely believed in and followed such a notion.

“After paving the way of chaos and destruction, the God who came through the Side Path shall appear as a light in the darkness through the Great Rift; this is the savior, the one to be worshiped, with lips sweet as honey, eyes as lovely as lilies; a swarm of snakes resides in the abyss and will be visible only to those whose spiritual eyes are opened; the keys to the whole world shall be held in his hand. Imprint the mark of the knight upon the forehead and hand.”

It wasn’t because Eunseong was the being who would place the keys to the whole world in his hands; affection had taken root completely for Eunseong himself. Even if Eunseong were not that being, Yoo Siun’s heart would likely be no different from how it was now. If anything, he prayed fervently that it wasn’t so—that Eunseong was not the “Great Rift.”

Yoo Siun looked at Eunseong while inwardly reciting the prophetic verses of the scripture. He knew all too well that it shouldn’t be, and he didn’t know what kind of catastrophe becoming involved with Eunseong might trigger in the future, yet even looking away was not easy.

Manager Nam did not even imagine that Yoo Siun also had feelings for Eunseong.

If there were even a one-in-ten-thousand chance that Eunseong could become pregnant with Yoo Siun’s child, he would have to stop these feelings immediately and cut them off by force, but he was constantly making excuses. Loving someone didn’t mean pregnancy, and kissing didn’t mean pregnancy.

Yoo Siun felt as if he had become a shameless person for having such cowardly thoughts. He kept his mouth shut. It was a matter he would have to explain to Manager Nam someday, but for now, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Even though he had rejected it, vowing that such a thing would never happen, Yoo Siun desired Eunseong from his heart. This included a desire rooted in the base nature of a man wanting to make Eunseong entirely his own, a fact Yoo Siun had denied until now.

Passing by Eunseong, who was drinking milk and eating an apple, Manager Nam approached Yoo Siun with an empty coffee cup.

“You don’t need to feel guilty. You are doing the right thing.”

“…”

“From today, I will be attached to Mr. Eunseong as his exclusive attendant. I received a report that there are no issues at the penthouse.”

“Please ensure the security on that side is thorough as well.”

To deceive the eyes of those who had noticed Eunseong’s existence, they had already sent a substitute to the penthouse to act as him before putting out the search for him as Lee Doyun.

Though they were at a distance, Manager Nam asked carefully in an even lower voice so Eunseong wouldn’t hear.

“… Did you happen to mention that story?”

“Which one. Ah, no. Not yet.”

Eunseong glanced over at them, wondering what they were discussing. Yoo Siun’s face froze cold. Manager Nam was talking about Eunseong’s father, Seo Jeonggi.

“I think it’s better not to.”

“…”

Even though Yoo Siun hadn’t said anything, Manager Nam shook his head firmly with strength in his eyes, signaling that he must absolutely not do it. No one knew what would happen if they informed Eunseong—who was already easily triggered and prone to running away impulsively—about Seo Jeonggi’s death.

Moreover, it wasn’t an accident; it was murder. Furthermore, they couldn’t exactly tell Eunseong the truth.

The being of prophecy capable of conceiving a man’s seed.

The branding on the back of the neck, discovered for the first time in nearly two hundred years since the last record in the early 19th century.

Within his family, Eunseong’s existence was like a miracle that would bring about the birth of the God who came through the Side Path.

Eunseong wouldn’t believe that such a thing had happened to him. He wouldn’t believe that Yoo Siun and his other blood relatives were breeders, either.

Because Eunseong was the being of prophecy, he had to live in hiding from a young age. His biological parents died because of his family, and he was even subjected to violence by the man he called father, as if he carried an original sin. He had to live a difficult life until Yoo Siun protected him.

Unlike Yoo Siun, who had been brainwashed by the family, Eunseong grew up underprivileged in an extremely realistic household. It would be unbelievable enough that he, a man, was the being of prophecy capable of conceiving a seed, but if he were told his biological parents or Seo Jeonggi died trying to protect him for that reason, he clearly wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Even without Manager Nam’s request, he intended not to bother telling the truth until Eunseong’s departure—no, if possible, even after that. Eunseong was already preparing to sever ties with Seo Jeonggi anyway. He believed their bond had been broken when he followed Yoo Siun out of the house back then. It wasn’t something he needed to know for his own good.

“I have doubled the security personnel for your commute. The same goes for the company. How about holding your meetings here? It’s better to consider everywhere else dangerous now. You must be careful for the time being as well, CEO.”

If the Seongha Construction side found out about Eunseong’s existence, they would try to take him by any means necessary, and it was a situation where they had to be wary of every breeder in Seongha, those whose spiritual eyes were opened.

They would now attempt to seize Eunseong by any means or methods. For Seongha to use any means or methods meant, as always, that they wouldn’t hesitate to commit murder.

Noting the being who was the start and the only key to all of this, Yoo Siun spoke.

“Let’s do that. Since we can no longer delay it.”

“Then I will understand and prepare accordingly.”

Yoo Siun nodded, without shifting his gaze from the unsuspecting Eunseong.

Manager Nam excused himself. Yoo Siun, having moved his finished coffee cup to the sink, looked back at Eunseong, who had eaten half an apple. With one cheek puffed out while munching on the crisp apple flesh, Eunseong spoke.

“I wanted to drink coffee today. Actually, when I was living alone, I often drank coffee in the morning.”

“You should have asked for some.”

“I thought the Manager was angry, so I was too scared to say anything.”

“He wasn’t angry. He was worried.”

“… I was startled when I woke up this morning. I thought I had been dreaming by myself.”

Eunseong muttered softly while fidgeting with the empty milk glass that only had white marks remaining. He was conscious of Manager Nam, who would be somewhere in the living room. Yoo Siun also glanced toward the living room, though Manager Nam was not visible.

“Manager.”

Yoo Siun called Manager Nam from where he stood. Despite the call not being very loud, Manager Nam rushed over immediately. Realizing that even small whispering could be heard by him, Eunseong swept a hand over his startled chest, relieved he hadn’t spoken recklessly.

“Yes, CEO.”

“I forgot today… could you go and water the greenhouse?”

“Is it alright for me to go in alone? I understood that no one is allowed to enter when you are not there, CEO.”

“Well, it’s not as if you are going to eat those medicinal herbs, Manager, right?”

“Pardon? No, I’ll pass. Well then.”

Absolutely not, Manager Nam frowned as if he had been told to eat some kind of filth. Then, as if to follow the instruction, Manager Nam turned around immediately without a hint of hesitation, even though he was being given a menial task. Like noise heard from afar, the sound of him crossing the living room and opening the door was heard faintly until his presence vanished completely. He was likely heading through the winter garden toward the greenhouse.

As the surroundings grew quiet and only the two of them remained, Eunseong’s face and actions stiffened awkwardly as he looked at Yoo Siun. He tried to act as if nothing were wrong, but he couldn’t help being conscious of last night.

“… I really tried not to sleep. I really intended not to, I really held it in.”

“You must have been tired.”

“I still can’t believe I fell asleep while kissing.”

As if hating himself for how he could fall asleep in the middle of kissing him, Eunseong made a gesture of tearing at his own hair. Yoo Siun found it cute that Eunseong was blaming his foolish self and regretting last night. Yoo Siun chuckled.

Seeing his smile, Eunseong slowly stood up. He approached and looked up at Yoo Siun with eyes that still couldn’t believe it. After standing there facing him blankly, he suddenly wrapped his arms around Yoo Siun’s waist. He buried his face in his chest. Yoo Siun looked down at the crown of Eunseong’s head, buried deep in his embrace. He couldn’t hold him back as he had last night. He didn’t have the right to do that.