Heavy Rain Chapter 63

Only now did Lyle’s strange behavior make some sense. Why he had tried so hard to keep Haejin in this mansion. It was the first time he had learned that there was such a thing as compatibility between pheromones. Still, if it made Lyle act like that, it must certainly have a great influence.

Then, a sudden fear struck him. What if Lyle refused to let him go even after the contract ended?

He had a place he needed to go.

Moving his body sluggishly, Haejin turned on the screen of the tablet Mark had provided. He was using this machine very carefully so as not to leave even a fingerprint. This was so he could leave it here without a trace of anyone having used it.

He searched the internet step by step for the information he wanted to know. Sure enough, searching for pheromone compatibility brought up plenty of useful information.

[There exist pheromones that are exceptionally compatible genetically. In these cases, Alphas and Omegas often feel an unconscious attraction toward the other person.]

Looking at the first result that popped up, Haejin gave a bitter smile. Even if such cases were common, it seemed like information that did not apply to him and Lyle.

The knowledge related to pheromones was well-organized so that even he could understand it easily. There were many things he hadn’t known because his manifestation had been late. It was the kind of information that made him think he should have looked it up sooner. While reading various stories as if possessed, Haejin’s fingers faltered.

“…”

Was there really a need to know everything now? Once again, his own behavior of trying to adapt more than necessary felt uncomfortable. So, he decided to quickly skim only the necessary parts for now.

After wandering through documents for a long time, he started branching out into tangential knowledge, perhaps because he had searched for the wrong thing.

[Furthermore, excellent compatibility is one of the conditions for imprinting. In cases of imprinting, there is a danger of death if the partner’s pheromones are absent…]

Upon realizing that the knowledge had crossed over into the category of imprinting, Haejin returned to the beginning with a blank expression. He had often seen the phenomenon of imprinting in things like movies. As expected, it was probably not very necessary knowledge for the current situation.

As he searched by adding a few more keywords, the information he wanted finally appeared. It was information stating that while there are pheromones with exceptionally superior compatibility, one does not necessarily have to be bound by them.

Only after checking that far was Haejin able to let out a sigh. He had been nervous in case it was a situation where it had to be him and no one else, so it was a relief. Lyle had probably just proposed the contract terms because he was the most convenient partner. Since the situation was gradually changing, it would be fine.

As one worry disappeared, another concern assaulted Haejin. Where did his wallet go? He had definitely been holding it until Lyle arrived and had placed it on the bedroom nightstand.

Because he had rushed out at the sound of a commotion outside, he had just set it down carelessly for the time being. Was the place he set it down not the nightstand?

Haejin’s thoughts, reflecting on the situation at that time, inevitably flowed to one place. Could the servants have touched his belongings again?

As soon as this thought occurred, he lowered his gaze gloomily. Because if he thought that the people who had acted so much like they cared for him during the day had stolen it, it felt like it would be truly too sad.

“…”

Once suspicion arises, it grows endlessly and bulks up so quickly that it could fill this not-very-large room. Soon, having taken on a massive size, it began to weigh heavily on Haejin.

Because of the suspicion that grew in the darkness, Haejin felt his sleep vanish completely. To make matters worse, since the room had changed to the annex, his mood became even stranger. He even had irrational thoughts that everything that happened until the afternoon was nothing but a dream and that he had returned to 5 years ago.

He had to find the wallet.

In this state, he had no confidence that he could properly look at the face of Mark, who would come to find him tomorrow morning. Perhaps he would have a seizure again upon seeing him, who was a ‘Butler’.

A sudden fear took hold. As if possessed, Haejin slipped out of bed and put on a robe. These days, the chilly weather was continuing even at night.

Let’s just find the wallet quickly and come back.

Haejin, who hadn’t even brought his crutches for fear of making noise, had to enter the main building with quite a struggle. It was only after he saw the door of the room where he used to reside that he suddenly snapped to his senses. Why on earth had he come all the way here in the middle of the night without crutches?

However, thinking of the wallet made him feel anxious again. What if it really was stolen? He wasn’t worried about the cash inside or anything like that. His sole concern was the photo he had kept in his wallet because he had no place to put it. It was the only family photo he had managed to keep. He couldn’t lose it like this.

But if he opened that room, Lyle would be there.

Lyle’s pheromones, currently in rut, revealed their thick presence enough to be felt outside the room door. Only after arriving here could Haejin recall the worry that he might get caught up in that rut.

In many ways, it was nothing short of an irrational compulsion. If he had realized his mistake, he should have gone back, but he couldn’t find his bearings because the existence of the wallet weighed on his mind.

As a result, he had to wander back and forth in front of the room door he used to use until his ankles turned cold on the chilly day. His body, unable to go either way, kept swaying precariously. Even though he bit his lip in his anxiety, he felt no pain. It was because he had delayed for so long that his cheeks had turned cold before he knew it.

At this rate, one of the servants might pass by.

The moment he thought this, he could wait no longer. Haejin took one deep breath and approached the door. Gathering his courage, he grabbed the doorknob. Let’s hold my breath and go from the drawing room to the walk-in closet quickly. Couldn’t he just cover his nose and mouth with whatever he could grab and come back quickly?

Just as he pushed the doorknob slightly inward and a gap was created, the door swung open.

“…!”

Haejin was sucked inside without even being able to make a small sound. His unstably staggering legs lost their balance even more because of the cast. In the blink of an eye, the floor becomes closer and closer.

Just before he fell disgracefully onto the drawing room floor, a firm embrace held and supported him. Lyle’s thick pheromones surrounded Haejin as if they were a cushion.

However, this time, he froze completely due to fear. Because he had already realized that the owner of this embrace was Lyle through the pheromones that surrounded him entirely. When he reflexively snapped his head up, his gaze met a pair of deep blue eyes.

This is bad.

Only now did he snap to his senses regarding what he had done. He had done something stupid. Walking into the presence of Lyle, who was in rut, on his own feet.

As he inhaled the thick pheromones, his breath hitched. Had he not acted too recklessly without considering the consequences because of the thought of the family photo?

But how on earth was he awake? From what he had caught a glimpse of, he heard that Lyle had been administered twice the usual dosage of sleeping pills. They said he wouldn’t be able to wake up for 3 days at all.

“…”

In front of Lyle, who was only looking down at him without a word, Haejin took several faltering steps backward. Soon, the closed door touched his back. His body began to tremble violently. He was so terrified of what Lyle might be thinking of him for coming to this room of his own accord.

Lyle, who approached with large strides, placed both hands beside Haejin’s head. It was a situation where he was trapped helplessly in his embrace, and he couldn’t even open the door. As Lyle lowered his head, a hot breath brushed against his ear.

The fine hairs on his cheeks, which he didn’t even know existed, stood up one by one like needles. The goosebumps that started near his cheeks spread throughout his entire body like paint spreading on a wet canvas.

“…”

A feeling of despair pierced through Haejin’s head. Lyle’s pheromones were gradually filling this room so thickly that he felt as if he were drowning.

However, even though he gasped for breath for a long time, for some reason, Lyle didn’t budge from that posture.

“…?”

It was a very long time later that Haejin, who had been preoccupied with gasping for breath with his head lowered, came to his senses. He finally realized that during that time, no impact of any kind had been inflicted on his body.

When he lifted his faint gaze and turned his head, Lyle still had his face close to Haejin’s neck. As if he were inhaling his body scent.