Heavy Rain Chapter 75

In this mansion, he wanted to have conversations that were as devoid of substance as possible. This was because he believed it was a way to erase his own traces. However, carrying on hollow dialogue was more difficult than he had thought. Sitting across from Lyle for one hour every day, Haejin realized this.

Chattering on as if explaining the books or articles he had read soon reached its limit. Eventually, Haejin’s personal preferences began to seep into their conversation time little by little.

Favorite foods, colors. Preferred books or machines he was interested in, and so on. Of course, Haejin did not directly reveal that he favored these things. He merely used them as topics. Therefore, if the mentioned items were to suddenly appear before him, he intended to stop immediately.

Fortunately, as if observing the line he had drawn, Lyle did not try to initiate changes. Perhaps his purpose truly lay only in his pheromones. How ironic it was that he found that indifference pleasing.

“I see.”

Lyle answered curtly, his gaze barely managed to remain fixed to the floor. Keeping his head from constantly turning toward Haejin was a struggle.

The greenhouse, which he had thought felt suffocating, strangely felt as if it were awakening brightly the moment Haejin entered. When the boy’s pheromones touched his skin, a greenhouse bloomed inside Lyle as well. In a place that had been nothing but desolate, green bushes miraculously flowered and created a gentle breeze in tune with the boy’s scent.

It was a serious problem that his greed only grew as time passed. Haejin answered with forced composure, but Lyle keenly noticed how his gaze repeatedly drifted toward the green plants or flowers.

It seemed he really had to build the greenhouse even larger. So large that one wouldn’t even realize this was an indoor space. For now, they would use this place during the winter and rebuild it in the summer.

So that Haejin could have at least one corner of this mansion that he liked.

“Are there any flowers you are allergic to? If there are, I will have them removed.”

“…I have none.”

Haejin, who had been staring at the flowers as if bewitched, narrowed his eyes at the question that reached him just then. He tried to maintain distance, but he couldn’t help but answer. Since allergies were dangerous, it was only natural for him to ask such a thing. However, his expression stiffened automatically because he couldn’t shake off a certain strange feeling.

Just as it was becoming awkward because Lyle acted as if he didn’t care at all, his phone rang briefly.

Reading the message, Lyle’s brow furrowed slightly. This time, his gaze turned directly toward Haejin and asked cautiously.

“…Mark says he has something to relay; would it be alright if he comes in for a moment?”

“Yes.”

Haejin had to nod, feeling that strange sensation again. Since he had been so sensitive during meal times, it made sense for the other to ask like that.

What on earth is this feeling? It is different from the faint anger he felt before, so it is only confusing.

“Young master. I have come because there is something urgent to tell you regarding the construction. I thought it would be best to discuss it while you are both together. Mr. Bright, is that alright?”

“It is fine.”

Looking into Mark’s wrinkled eyes, Haejin forced back a bitter smile. He always showed cautious gestures, worrying whether Haejin might be afraid of him. However, in truth, Haejin had long since grown accustomed to that gaze that looked at him with concern.

It was a pity.

“It seems the noise and dust will become severe due to the construction. The situation with Mr. Bright’s room has become a bit problematic.”

“….”

At the unexpected result, Lyle cast his gaze toward Haejin’s hand resting on the dining table. It was an unconscious action.

Installing the elevator had ultimately been delayed a bit. Preparations to replace the contractor were proceeding smoothly, but this time an organization obsessed with cultural heritage had contacted them. He could have just ignored them, but because they dared to spout nonsense about the old mansion being at risk of collapse, Lyle couldn’t just let it go.

Currently, he had commissioned a precision survey of the mansion’s structure to identify any potential risks. For fear that he might put Haejin, who would use it, in danger.

“For now, we must temporarily move Mr. Bright’s room, but as you know, that is the only guest room in the main building, and the outer areas will likely become cluttered as well.”

Even if the outer areas were fine, Lyle had no intention of sending Haejin there. The image of Haejin standing in front of his door, drenched in rain in that secluded corner, came to mind.

That wouldn’t do.

While weighing the better rooms in the main building, Lyle thought of one place at that moment. A largely impulsive proposal burst out before he could restrain it.

“In my drawing room where you come every day, there is actually another bedroom connected to it.”

Haejin’s unreadable gaze turned toward him. Reflexively suppressing his pheromones further, Lyle met that gaze. He found his eyes captured by the boy’s eyelashes, which seemed to reflect the sun even better today. In this greenhouse he had made so green, the only thing Lyle looked at was the boy’s black hair.

“…Since coming every day is too troublesome and dangerous, I was wondering how a place nearby would be.”

The room Lyle used was the one used by the master of the mansion. As such, it was designed with the couple’s bedrooms facing each other across the drawing room.

Since even his parents had not shared this room harmoniously, its meaning had long since faded. However, even as he spoke the words, he only hoped that Haejin would remain unaware of this brazen proposal.

“….”

Whether he knew what was in his heart or not, Haejin’s gaze simply bounced back and forth between Lyle’s and Mark’s faces. As the silence grew longer, sweat soaked into Lyle’s palms.

Because it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide his thirst, Lyle tried to voice a point that had been bothering him since a while ago. It was because there were many things near that room that also fit his purpose of installing an elevator.

“And there is a study near that room as well. Since it is the largest in this mansion, it will be useful this time.”

Lyle’s behavior of being somewhat obsessed with the study since before was strange, but Haejin thought nothing of it. Instead, he recalled the scene he had encountered on the way to this greenhouse.

He did get the impression that the interior of the mansion was a bit bustling. There were more rooms with doors open than usual, and the people passing by looked busy. It seemed a major repair was needed somewhere.

Thanks to staying here for over five years, Haejin knew well that this old mansion required a lot of care. Had it coincidentally been the area near his room that was the problem this time?

Utterly unaware that all this commotion was because of him, Haejin simply continued to think that the situation was troublesome.

“I understand.”

However, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was becoming excessively close. His distance from Lyle.

Of course, it was also true that the path to his room had been arduous. He had to climb stairs with crutches, and this mansion was a very inconvenient structure for someone with an injured leg.

Heading to Lyle’s room while accompanied by a crowd of servants who followed him as if anxious every time gave him a different kind of trouble. Surely only one or two people had followed to help him at first, but somewhere along the way, too many people started chasing after him whenever he tried to move.

Furthermore, if the master of this mansion asked to swap rooms for a moment because repairs were needed, what more could he say?

“…Thank you.”

That strange feeling had been continuing for a while. It was even more so upon hearing Lyle’s softly spoken thanks. Something was clearly suspicious, but it was hard for Haejin to gauge exactly what it was.

𓂃ﾟ ⋆ ﾟ ☂︎ 🍂༄˖°

He had only nodded his head once, but a great many people had to move diligently. Even though Haejin, who had done the nodding, was being kept quietly in his bedroom and couldn’t move.

When he tried to pack his bags thinking he should help with something, the servants desperately dissuaded him. In the end, feeling like he was only obstructing their movements here and there, he was sitting quietly on the bed.

By the way, since he was only moving for a short while, was there a need to take all his luggage?

“How was the greenhouse? It is my masterpiece that I put quite a bit of thought into.”

Just then, Mark, who had stepped away for a moment for other business, rang the bell. Although there must be much to do because the inside and outside of the mansion were cluttered, he came to check on Haejin’s condition at least once an hour.