KISS THE SCUMBAG Chapter 25

Winston blocked her words without hesitation, as if telling her not to whine any further about a matter already decided. Mrs. Campbell didn’t find her son’s high-handed attitude particularly pleasant, but she decided to understand him with a generous heart. After all, the person responsible for fulfilling the will was Winston, and Winston was also the one paying the greatest price in this situation.

However, lingering regret remained.

“Winston.”

Mrs. Campbell called her son’s name to get his attention. When Winston looked at her again, she spoke in her usual affectionate tone.

“Would it be alright if I invited Evelyn to the wedding? We’ve known that family for a very long time, after all. And you’ve been friends with her since you were young.”

There was a heavy exaggeration in her words. Winston had only attended kindergarten with Evelyn, and naturally, almost no memories of that time remained. As they grew up, all they did when they encountered each other was exchange simple, polite greetings and pleasantries. If Winston hadn’t met Yujin, perhaps their relationship might have turned into something different. But such hypotheticals were meaningless; in reality, Winston had met Yujin, and that was as far as his relationship with Evelyn went.

Nevertheless, he did not want to engage in any more unnecessary conversation with his mother.

“Do as you please, then.”

“Thank you.”

Overjoyed at her son’s permission, Mrs. Campbell beamed. As her son finally brought the buttered bread to his mouth, Mrs. Campbell waited before speaking again.

“You have some leisure time today. Did you delay your work start?”

“I intend to take a break,” Winston replied after swallowing the bread. “McCoy is coming in the afternoon. We’ll review the documents and immediately proceed with the legal formalities.”

At those words, Mrs. Campbell felt a chill run down her spine. She knew exactly what documents and legal procedures referred to.

A sudden sense of reality struck her. That her precious son, reclaimed with such difficulty, was getting entangled with that thing again was something she could not endure.

“Winston, I want to say one more thing.”

Seeing his mother staring at him with a stern face, Winston fixed his gaze on her without saying a word. Mrs. Campbell met her son’s eyes and opened her mouth.

“You must never bite the ear.”

She warned him gravely, her voice filled with intensity.

“If a mark were to be left, who knows what kind of schemes that thing might cook up? What if it uses that as an excuse to cling to you?”

Winston narrowed his eyes instead of answering. A short, cynical laugh leaked from his twisted lips.

“Mother, I am not a fool.”

At her son’s reply, Mrs. Campbell’s expression finally softened as if relieved.

“Yes, of course, that’s true. I trust you.”

Having scolded him in her usual gentle tone, she rang the bell on the table. When the butler who had been waiting in the hallway opened the door and entered, Mrs. Campbell ordered the black tea she always drank instead of breakfast.

“Add two spoons of honey.”

“Understood.”

The butler replied politely and departed. Seeing his mother’s face looking comfortable for the first time that day, Winston averted his gaze and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Where are you going?”

Mrs. Campbell asked, waiting for her tea, as her son stood up suddenly. Winston looked down at her while standing.

“I’m going horseback riding for the first time in a while. Please, feel free to stay as long as you like before you leave.”

“Oh, no, no. I’ll just have my tea and go. You go on and see to your business.”

She stood up after him, hugged Winston lightly, and smiled.

“My proud son.”

Her face was full of affection, but Winston felt no particular emotion. Mrs. Campbell thought this was a natural reaction since he had manifested as a top-tier Alpha. It was a widely known fact that top-tier Alphas had a significantly diminished capacity to feel emotions due to the influence of their pheromones.

Winston turned around with an expressionless face and left the breakfast room. The butler, who had been waiting in the hallway, stood at attention when he saw him, and Winston said shortly, “Prepare the horse.”

The butler bowed respectfully at the sight of his master’s retreating back as he walked off with long strides. Winston, who climbed the central staircase to his room, ran a hand through his hair and unbuttoned his shirt. As he walked toward the connected dressing room to get clothes comfortable for riding, his own image reflected in the mirror covering one wall suddenly entered his field of vision.

“You must never bite the ear.”

Meeting his familiar purple eyes, his mother’s words came to mind naturally. His brow furrowed of its own accord on his previously expressionless face, and a sneer leaked out.

Besides, it wouldn’t mean anything even if an Alpha left a mark.

An Alpha could mark countless Omegas, but it didn’t have much of an impact. In some cases, it disappeared for no reason, and above all, it was impossible to completely possess the other person. Even if a mark were left, the Omega’s pheromone scent could still be smelled by anyone, and Omegas could easily swap out Alphas just by having a new mark layered over the old one.

Ultimately, an Alpha’s mark was nothing more than a tool to help the partner feel orgasm faster and more intensely during sex, making the relationship easier. At times like this, it felt as if God was telling him that an Alpha was merely a tool for reproduction.

On the other hand, an Omega could only ever mark one person in their entire life; in exchange, the marked Alpha became subordinated to that Omega until the Omega died. Being able to smell the Alpha’s pheromone scent and being able to bear children were both limited to that Omega.

Consequently, the initiative in the relationship was effectively in the Omega’s hands. It might seem like tremendous power at a glance, but for an Omega, it was a life-risking choice as well. It was not rare for an Alpha to murder an Omega if their heart changed or if the mark had been forced upon them.

Since one could only escape that binding through death.

What made a top-tier Alpha more superior, anyway?

Winston thought.

We’re both swayed by pheromones all the same.

Of course, there were opposing cases. If the Omega they desired chose another Alpha, the male who lost the competition would not acknowledge his defeat and would instead kill the Omega.

In that sense, an Alpha is worse than a beast. Beasts clearly acknowledge their defeat.

Of course, most Alphas who lose their mates are themselves murdered. The Alpha’s obsession with their Omega is enormous. An Alpha who loses his Omega will always seek revenge. Even if it costs him his everything.

His mother probably knew the dictionary definition of an Alpha’s mark, too. But Betas couldn’t truly grasp how meaningless it was. That was why she could say such things.

Even so, Winston did not feel the need to make her understand. He didn’t want to waste energy on useless worries.

What does it matter? There’s absolutely no chance Winston would ever leave a mark on him.

Yujin was merely a tool to make Winston fulfill the will. He would never forget that fact. He wouldn’t get confused, either.

A life-threatening mistake is enough just once.

Winston threw his shirt aside as if casting it off and picked up a polo shirt. A long, large scar reflected in the mirror cut diagonally across his broad, strong back, sitting there hideously.

∞ ∞ ∞

“Is it true, Daddy? Can we really go out?”

Hearing Yujin’s words, Angela raised her voice in surprise. As her face flushed with excitement, Yujin smiled tenderly and stroked her cheek.

“Of course, Angie. Let’s pack some sandwiches and go out. We’ll eat lunch in the garden and come back, alright?”

“Okay, I love it so much!”

The child couldn’t contain her excitement and began jumping up and down in place. Since it was the first time he’d seen Angela look this happy since the house fire, Yujin felt happy, but at the same time, he felt a wave of guilt.

Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?