At the End of That Memory Chapter 36

Kwon Yido permitted me to sleep, however, my motivation to do so had already disappeared. I thought I should contact my family once the ceremony was over. It was not the time to disappear so suddenly and leisurely rest in bed.

However, as if Kwon Yido sensed my thoughts, he added quietly.

“I informed Jung Sejin’s family about it.”

I quietly turned my eyes and looked at him. Those dark eyes were fixed on me without wavering.

What did he really say to his family? Did he explain in detail what happened with Kwon Yijung, or did he just say we were going home first? Since it was not like Kwon Yido, the most likely possibility was that both sides were simply told not to interfere.

I placed one hand on the bed and raised my upper body. My jacket and vest had been removed, and I was wearing only a dress shirt and a loose tie. Since there was no way someone else touched me, Kwon Yido must have taken it off.

“…Thank you for caring for me.”

I felt numb because I was so tired. It didn’t matter either way, I just felt relieved that the whole situation was over. It wasn’t a bad result considering all of the annoying work had been handled with a blink of an eye.

“Thanks to you, there were no troubling matters.”

As soon as Kwon Yido heard me, he shut his mouth. His face was still expressionless, but his eyes were full of complex expressions. After pursing his lips a couple of times, he asked a vague question.

“…Where does it hurt?”

Since I suddenly lost consciousness right before his eyes, it was no wonder that such a question was asked. What was strange was that he looked overly worried.

“No such place…I’m okay.”

“You don’t feel sick or anything like that?”

“Yes, everything is fine.”

I shrugged my shoulders in reassurance. Thanks to a good night’s sleep, my condition was even better. Despite this, Kwon Yido still stared at my face as if he had something to say.

“…”

“…”

Silence hovered between us. While I was fiddling with my tie, he didn’t say anything to me. It was not like he had something to say to me, it was like he wanted to hear something from me.

I knew it was my turn to ask questions. It would be right to ask what happened to Kwon Yijung. Since those things happened before I lost consciousness, my possible reactions were limited.

“…Thank you for your help.”

But there was no need to ask such things. Kwon Yijung was the second son in the Seonho Group, and if I made mountains out of moles, I would be at a disadvantage. To summarize, there was no benefit to me in going over an incident that was only an attempt.

“Did Lee Taeseong contact you there?”

Kwon Yido’s silence was nothing short of affirmation. Perhaps Lee Taeseong, who followed Kwon Yijung and me, had secretly contacted him. If only a bodyguard had come forward, the problem would have been bigger, so it was a very wise decision.

“You should give him some special allowance.”

“…Is that all you have to say to me?”

I looked away for a moment to gather my thoughts. I was going to move on as if nothing had happened anyway, but I didn’t know what else to say to him. Oh, or was this what you wanted to hear?

“The bathroom…I didn’t follow him on purpose.”

The pheromones that had been flowing gently stopped. I couldn’t check his expression, but he seemed to have thought about what I said. I looked down at the wine stains on my shirt and spoke in a calm voice.

“I did it because I was worried that CEO Kwon Yijung might cause a fuss because he spilled wine on my clothes.”

“…”

“Even if you ask me to take responsibility, I have nothing to say. I had no idea such an unpleasant thing would happen.”

It would be a lie if I said I didn’t know at all, but there was no need to explain it in detail. I was also a man, and Kwon Yijung was a man as well, so I just assumed that I would be able to easily resist. Since Kwon Yijung did not use force against me, it was necessary to consider whether it was truly force majeure.

“If you’re in trouble for no reason…”

“Let’s stop here.”

A cold voice cut me off. I would apologize, or I would take responsibility. That was the moment I was about to say that. Kwon Yido pulled down his tie with one hand and let out a soft sigh.

“If you say one more word, I think I’ll get angry at the wrong person.”

As if what he said wasn’t a lie, he looked really angry. He did not lose his senses like when dealing with Kwon Yijung, but the suppressed anger gently flickered in his eyes. It was a calm and serene feeling, but it felt even more overwhelming.

“I should have killed that bastard there.”

“…”

My shoulders shook in shock. The gloomy voice did not sound like a joke at all. I opened my mouth in confusion.

“…Isn’t he your older brother?”

“Older brother?”

Kwon Yido’s lips twitched slightly. It had a mysterious expression as if it was laughing.

“Something like that?”

“…”

“I don’t think I’ve called Kwon YiJung ‘Hyung’ since I was five years old.”

I couldn’t help but be surprised by those words. It was already a well-known story in the media that the members of the Seonho Group had a close relationship. Actually, based on what I remembered seeing on his engagement day, the atmosphere wasn’t that bad.

“Your relationship…It doesn’t seem good.”

I remembered him punching Kwon Yijung without any hesitation. I didn’t see it closely, but given the strength of a dominant Alpha, it wouldn’t be surprising if one or two teeth were missing. They weren’t close, to begin with, so maybe that was why he readily took my side.

“…I think there’s a misunderstanding.”

However, Kwon Yido lamented as if my thoughts were wrong. It was as if his sharp gaze was looking into my inner thoughts.

“Even if we had the best relationship, I would have done the same.”

It didn’t look like he was lying. Everyone who heard it could tell that it wasn’t just bragging. While I was looking for something to say in response, he slowly reached his hand toward my face and spoke.

“Let me ask you again. Are you in any pain?”

A long finger touched the corner of my cheek. Gently lifted my chin and gently caressed my ear. It occurred to me that the question he asked was not just limited to my body.

“I feel like you were having a nightmare…”

As expected, Kwon Yido carefully added me, who did not respond. As I looked at those worried eyes, the voice I heard throughout my dream came to mind. He comforted me, saying nothing had happened, and patted my head several times. That kindness, ambiguous as to whether it was a dream or reality, seemed to have been Kwon Yido.

“If you think it will remain as a trauma, tell me.”

He nodded generously, saying he would call a doctor if that was the case. When he asked if I was feeling unwell, I think he was asking about my mental health rather than my physical condition.

“…No, you don’t have to do that.”

It was a delicate consideration, but the nightmare was something I had been dreaming of from the beginning. Even before I got engaged to him, I always dreamed of being raped by a stranger. Those were experiences that were too clear to be dismissed as mere dreams, like afterimages of memories.

“Nothing happened anyway…”

“…”

“Even if something happened, my body wouldn’t be worn out.”

Being slapped by her father and harassed by Kwon Yijung. Both were nothing more than violence, so it would get better with time. The level of insult or shame might be different, but it would not be as huge a trauma as he worries.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m really fine.”

He didn’t respond even after I finished speaking. The beautifully drawn eyelashes were calmly lowered. Finally, he raised his eyes and asked in a pitchless voice.

“Jung Sejin, aren’t you angry?”

It wasn’t an argument. Maybe it was just a normal question as if he was really curious. As if asking, “Have you eaten lunch?”

“…Well.”

I thought he looked really innocent and out of place. I didn’t even know how powerful it was, to be honest about my feelings.

“It is kind of my right to be angry..”

“…”

“Nothing will change anyway, so why waste my emotions?”

It wasn’t just limited to this incident. Anger also required stamina. If I get angry at every absurd thing, I would just get tired and fall off before anyone else. It wasn’t that I was being nice, it was burdensome, and it wasn’t that I wasn’t angry, it was like feeling resigned.

That was the reason why Minjae did whatever he wanted without hesitation. Since there was nothing to be responsible for and no expectations to meet, he probably didn’t feel the need to endure it. So in front of Kwon Yido, on the contrary, I couldn’t say a word and kept my mouth shut.

“I told you, you just need to claim and use your rights.”

Kwon Yido spoke without changing his expression. It didn’t seem like he couldn’t accept what I said, but there were still some parts he didn’t understand.

“If you just say one thing to me, I will take care of it. Is there really nothing you want?”

“…”

The words couldn’t help but sound kind. Just like when he said I didn’t have to attend the ceremony.

“… Even though you were busy, you came to help.”

However, the sincerity he showed was enough to express my anger towards Kwon Yijung. I didn’t expect anything more than that, and I didn’t expect him to do anything more significant. As my fiancé, he provided the bare minimum of protection, so wouldn’t it be a luxury to ask for more than that?

“You even brought me here yourself…”

“…”

“What you’re doing is more than enough…”

There was nothing more useless than the expectations placed on people. No matter how tempting his words were, I had an obligation to get myself straight. I should remember what I was worth.

“The only thing I want is for you to stop talking about this…Can you at least listen to this?”

When I smiled with a slightly embarrassed face, he let out an inaudible sigh. The long flowing breath was full of many meanings. Fortunately, he seemed to be willing to listen to my request and quickly changed the topic.

“If you don’t feel like sleeping anymore, just eat something. Looking at you, you must have starved all day, so I told him to prepare simply.”

Kwon Yido tilted his finger and half-laid on the bed. It seemed like he was trying to order room service, but I inadvertently grabbed his arm. He stopped moving and slowly looked back at me.

“…I have a question.”

I didn’t really have anything to say, but I just squeezed some words out. Fortunately, countless questions came to my mind. Among them, what I said was something foolish that I wouldn’t normally ask about.

“Why are you so nice to me?”

To be honest, I thought the answer would be ‘Because I like you.’ The anger he showed towards Kwon Yijung, and the worry he showed towards me, there was only one direction they all pointed to.

But he defied all expectations and gave a very subtle answer.

“I need to curry some favor.”

“…Favor?”

Kwon Yido sat down on the bed again and gently cupped my left hand. He gently traced my ring finger, which still had a ring mark, and naturally clasped it. As I narrowed my eyes at the tickling sensation in my chest, an elegant voice fell into my ear.

“Later…Even if I do something really bad, I want you to take my side at least as much as you can, Jung Sejin.”

Really bad. It was a word that did not suit Kwon Yido. I didn’t know about other people, but I didn’t think he would ever do something like that.

“I don’t think you’ll do anything bad.”

“Well…”

So I jokingly retorted, and he narrowed his eyes with a suspicious smile. He said something I had heard before.

“I’m very careful not to let anything that is mine be taken away.”

It was an incomprehensible word. I couldn’t figure out what it had to do with trying to win favor. Still, one thing he wanted was clear.

“Let’s do it like this.”

“Like this?”

Our eyes met in the air. He stopped shaking my hand and looked at me quietly. As I gave strength to our clasped hands, his neat eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Since you helped me today, no matter what happens, next time I will take Kwon Yido’s side.”

As was his habit, he closed his eyes and smiled. If nothing else, it wasn’t difficult to take his side. It was not an unreasonable request, nor was it an undeserved wish. Even if I didn’t promise, I had no choice but to be on Kwon Yido’s side from the beginning.

“No matter what anyone says, we are engaged. Kwon Yido and me.”

Even though the relationship was bound by contract, this level of shamelessness would be okay. Actually, the fence that Kwon Yido allowed me was wider than this. He had a blank look on his face for a moment, then his expression softened with a grin.

“Can you promise me?”

“Well…Can we wrap our fingers?”

I followed what Kwon Yido once said. He took my left hand from me and lightly kissed my ring finger, which still had the ring mark. The lips that brushed against my skin with the sound drew a soft curve.

“This is what I promise.”

It was a tickling action. As I unconsciously wiggled my fingers, he pressed our clasped hands down on the bed. He gently cupped my face with his hands.

“You’re not going to sleep anymore…”

“…”

“Looking at you, it doesn’t seem like you’re hungry.”

Slowly his face came closer. His palm slowly moved to my ear, and before I knew it, he was wrapping the back of my head and tickling the nape of my neck with his little finger. I tilted my head and he whispered something from a close distance.

“Is there anything else you want to do?”

The gently wafting pheromones were so distinct that one had to be unaware of them. What he wanted, what he wanted to say to me, and what answer I needed to give back.

“…”

I closed my eyes without saying a word. Was it because of the tantalizing touch, or was it because of the deep, dark pheromones? Even though it wasn’t a heat cycle, my body felt warm. I thought I wanted to get a little closer and feel Kwon Yido on my skin.

Instead of asking further, he slowly approached me. The lips touched me without any weight and stayed in that spot for a while. The soft and soft texture gave me a tingling pleasure as if I had been turned on by electricity.

“Kwon Yido’s pheromone…”

“…”

“Do you…know it’s really good?”

I pressed my lips to his and whispered, just as he did. He touched the back of my hand with his intertwined fingers and gently tickled it. Beyond the slowly lifted eyelids, I could see maroon eyes colored with excitement.

I blinked, closed my eyes once, and then he pressed our lips together again. A breath mixed with pheromones rushed through the gap between deeply overlapped lips. The moment I moved my neck, the soft tongue gently dug into my delicate skin.

It was a quiet kiss. My excitement was slowly building up, but I remained calm as if I was waiting for the right moment. A heavy scent, like trees wet from autumn rain, lingered in my nose.

He subtly rubbed the area around my chin with his slightly parted lips. Kwon Yido’s temperature seemed to remain where the soft touch passed. He wrapped his arms around the back of my head and buried his nose in the crook of my neck, touching the spot where my pulse was beating with the high bridge of his nose.

“You sprayed the perfume I gave you.”

“Mhm…”

The feeling of his breath touching me was extremely itchy. My toes curled, and my stomach felt hot. The desire to push him away and the desire to leave it alone kept colliding inside me.

“The lingering scent…It smells very light.”

He leisurely added his thoughts on the perfume. He bit down on the nape of my neck with his lips, resting his teeth on the delicate skin. With a tingling sensation, a soft tongue licked the area as if applying medicine.

“The people who were around Jung Sejin must have also smelled this scent.”