At the End of That Memory Chapter 8

The marriage between us was not the result of sweet love. It was a promise between one company to another; a clear contract. It was obvious that what they wanted was not a loving couple, but a smart successor.

“I’m a man, so the chances of pregnancy aren’t high, but since I’m dominant, it’ll be okay as long as we match my heat cycle. There is only a week left for my heat cycle, and I do not have any ailment or disease.”

The probability of an Omega getting pregnant varied depending on gender and superiority. It was common for women to have higher chances than men, and to have a higher level of dominance than recessiveness. Although I was a man, I was also dominant, so even if I had defects, there would be no problem with having a child.

“Kwon Yido, it would be great if we could match your rut as well and the fact we have to use medicines…”

“Jung Sejin.”

Kwon Yido cut me off gently. He didn’t seem angry but rather offended. With that same cold face, he opened his mouth.

“If you’re asking for us to have sex, this way isn’t very romantic.”

“…”

My mouth remained closed. I wanted to ask that he could do it now, but I wasn’t tactful enough to say it out loud. It was clear that something had been distorted while I was expressing myself, but I wasn’t sure if he considered if I was being critical of his favors.

“…Since you were being kind to me, I just thought it would be a good idea to make sure.”

I said those words and gulped. The inside of my mouth went dry due to the heavy atmosphere. However, it was true that I was more familiar with the usual Kwon Yido than the person who acted kindly to me.

“If you’re offended…”

“You shouldn’t apologize.”

Kwon Yido frowned and firmly denied what I said. Well, it would be nice if he relaxed his expression a little since he still looked uncomfortable.

After a while, he looked at me and asked.

“Do you like children?”

“Yes, well…I tend to like it.”

I have liked them for a long time. Sometimes, when one of my colleagues brought a child, the loveliness in them was indescribable. The unique innocence of a child even made me feel pleasant whenever I met them.

Come to think of it, I heard that Assistant Manager Yoon’s son is going to kindergarten soon. The corner of my mouth relaxed when I thought of that adorable appearance.

“Yes, Jung Sejin will be a good father.”

Kwon Yido brightened the mood with a much calmer voice. He leisurely crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees. Even though he had just come out of the shower, he still had our engagement ring on his left hand.

“I understand Jung Sejin’s feelings, but I’m not confident I’ll be a good father yet.”

“…”

Was it perhaps time to say otherwise? Parenting wouldn’t be Kwon Yido’s role anyway.

Kwon Yido, whether he knew this fact or not, spoke leisurely.

“But I have no intention of leaving my child in someone else’s hands…I hope to redetermine our plans for children after we are officially married.”

I kept my mouth shut without saying anything in response. I couldn’t ask him when we were getting married, or if there was a reason for me to come over to stay here or things like that. The moment I blinked, a word came out of his mouth.

“There is a greenhouse in the garden.”

Kwon Yido’s dark eyes spoke. The topic related to children ended here.

“I had the manager plant things like flowers, but if you want, you can plant some yourself.”

“…Do you mean flowers?”

“Yes, you can leave the gardening to someone else, if you’d like.”

“…”

“You like it, right? Flowers.”

My head was spinning. I never experienced feeling speechless like this before, but after meeting Kwon Yido, I kept feeling this way. The feeling of my stomach churning and my throat tightening was similar to a flight or fight response.

“Yes…I like them.”

Should I ask how he knew about it?

If I thought about it calmly, it wasn’t that strange. I answered before how I had carefully taken the bouquet that Kwon Yido had given me, and that I had lost track of time while looking at the flowers. It was not difficult to figure out my preferences if he had little interest in me.

However, various things bothered me that I couldn’t ignore. For example, things like the lily of the valley he prepared, a meal that suited my taste, or the greenhouse in the garden.

I wasn’t that foolish to be happy with his unconditional kindness. The marriage between us wasn’t a good fit and Kwon Yido was a competent businessman who only made moves when he saw profit. It was obvious that he wanted something from me, but the fact that I couldn’t figure out what it was made me anxious.

“My explanation must be insufficient.”

While I was in a daze, Kwon Yido began to chant in a breathy voice. He also moved his fingers resting on his knees. Since he was Kwon Yido, even the smallest movements of his seemed fluid.

“I didn’t say there were no conditions.”

“…Yes?”

My mind felt frozen as if cold water had been poured on it. Not because of the words he spoke, but because of his gaze mixed with all kinds of emotions. The indefinable look in his eyes disappeared as soon as he blinked a couple of times.

“I have no intention of having you pregnant before the documents are even finalized. I don’t have a hobby of having mandatory sex on a certain date, and I don’t want that from you, Jung Sejin.”

“What you want then…”

“Jung Sejin.”

I kept my back straight. Even though my name was simply called, I became nervous as if I had heard an unpleasant command. Kwon Yido leaned back against his back and looked at me with dry eyes.

“Since when have you been so interested in this marriage?”

Of course, it wasn’t a question. I didn’t know if this was a rebuke to me for just staring at him. As I closed my mouth like a person who had been hit on the head, he calmly moved his lips.

“I guess unconditional kindness is burdensome, but if that were the case, you should have rejected this engagement itself.”

“…”

“There is no way a smart person like Jung Sejin would not know that this is an unprofitable marriage, and it is too late to do that now.”

As Kwon Yido said, marriage itself was a one-sided game in which only one side had an advantage. The Haeshin Group had already benefited sufficiently by being connected to the Seonho group. So I thought it would come at a cost, and I concluded that I was an ‘easy to manage dominant Omega who could become pregnant anytime’.

“If I wanted a successor, there would have been more Omegas with better conditions than Jung Sejin.”

With one word, he completely destroyed the impression I had built. It was something I couldn’t refute, and it was the first question I had.

Why did Kwon Yido choose Haesin, which was all going bankrupt, out of so many companies?

“It’s a simple story.”

My thoughts that were about to deepen were cut off by Kwon Yido’s words. The eyes that met exquisitely were fixed on me without wavering even an inch. If he wasn’t talking, he looked like a well-drawn picture.

“You have something I want, but I don’t want to say it now, and until I get what I want, I hope you receive everything I give you with open arms.”

Even at first glance, it was full of all kinds of contradictions. If there was one thing you wanted, he could get anything he wanted without a lift of his hand. There was no need to waste time and worry about me.

“Or do you want me to beg you to accept it?”

The persistent gaze gave me a feeling of caution or even a bit of lingering regret. Although he has always been kind, his tone was as arrogant as it was towards my father. His overbearing and arrogant attitude seemed natural rather than unpleasant.

“…No, you don’t have to.”

When I saw that, my mind cleared up. I was convinced that after a long time, all of this would eventually become a meaningless past. Anyway, once I was done with my usefulness, Kwon Yido would abandon me without any hesitation. What would be the meaning of understanding his intentions?

“I understand what you said, Kwon Yido. I was being too impatient.”

Sometimes giving up was a better solution than anything else. It was the only way I would be able to remain a good son and not fall apart. There was no need to face too many facts or attach meaning to trivial things. Going along with the flow was the best way for me to survive.

“…It’s great that you understand me.”

Kwon Yido responded in an overly businesslike tone. Although he said he was glad, his expression did not look happy at all. He lowered his eyes for a moment, then suddenly opened his mouth with a small sigh.

“Speaking of which, let’s start with cars.”

Cars? There was no need to ask that. Before I knew it, he had raised his eyebrows and was speaking softly.

“Within a week, you will choose any three cars you want.”

It was a playful tone as if he was going to buy me a toy. I wondered how he interpreted my gaze, so he nodded his head with a generous expression.

“It’s okay to have more than three.”

“… By that car, are you talking about a car?”

“What else?”

It was a question I asked with the hope that it wasn’t true. But I didn’t expect Kwon Yido to snort.

“Do you think I was asking to buy you green tea or something?”

Kwon Yido personally suggested that I widen my expectations. There was a bit of shamelessness in what sounded like dismissive words. As I frowned, he spoke in a casual tone.

“It doesn’t matter what kind, but at least it shouldn’t disgrace my reputation.”

“… … .”

“If you need a driver, I’ll arrange someone.”

I had no intention to refuse. Kwon Yido was stubborn, and we had many conversations before. If I told him it wasn’t necessary now, he would think I didn’t understand what he had been implying.

“What is your answer?”

“Well…”

I lowered my eyes and chose my words carefully. Generous eyes calmly waited for my words. In a way, it seemed like an expectant gaze.

“Three seems like too many.”

“Too many?”

He tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand. Only three? The voice that asked that question was also full of puzzlement. After all, the number of cars owned by Kwon Yido must be more than double digits. The level of his consumption may feel insignificant.

“I’m not interested in cars.”

It was more of a hassle than a burden. I didn’t want it, and there was no place for me to use it in the first place. Moreover, when this marriage ends, wouldn’t it be difficult to get rid of it?

“Thank you for your kind suggestion but you can offer me any of your cars. There is, of course, no need for you to arrange a driver for me as well. I have a license.”

I spoke in a way that did not offend Kwon Yido as much as possible. He made eye contact with me, rolled his eyes, and lowered his voice gently. Smiling kindly was easier than breathing.

“Since I’m giving it to you as a gift, I would like it if you use it to the fullest.”

“…”

Kwon Yido sighed softly and touched the area around his chin. His narrowed eyes looked at my face for a while, as if he was thinking about something. After a short interval, he softly opened up his mouth.

“You’re good at negotiating.”

It was a gentle smile. The results weren’t bad. I was relieved by that fact and relaxed my stiff shoulders. Even though we hadn’t parted, I kept feeling tense when I was with Kwon Yido.

“I know what you mean. It’s late, so we’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.”

Kwon Yido habitually checked his wrist and frowned when he saw that there was no watch. I laughed at the fact that ‘’Kwon Yido’  also made a mistake that did not fit the situation. He looked at me covering my mouth and laughed along without any sign of offense.

“…Let’s stop here.”

* * *

The conversation with Kwon Yido was similar to focusing on the main point rather than beating around the bush. He didn’t say what he wanted and I returned to the room without even the slightest hint. If he didn’t feel the need to inform my father about it, there was no way he had any intention of telling me as well.

The only thing I figured was that what he wanted was not a successor born with special traits. Was I glad that I didn’t have to spread my legs, or was I anxious because I couldn’t even play the role of an Omega? Either way, it wasn’t a very pleasant situation.

“I don’t know what’s going on…”

I took the sleeping pills that Chief Kim brought me, lay down on the soft bed, and thought about Kwon Yido. He apologized for letting me have dinner alone. Kwon Yido also said that he would buy the flowers again when the precious ones wither. He also prepared a greenhouse for me and even wanted to buy me a car.

Even though no one was watching, Kwon Yido was wearing our engagement ring on his finger. He never spoke down to me, nor did he verbally abuse me or was forceful. Sometimes, when he smiled slightly, it seemed like he was interested in me, bordering on kindness.

“…”

As I thought about that, a ridiculous assumption briefly occurred to me. The unrealistic assumption that he might have a crush on me.

Of course, that illusion was only for a brief moment. Why would someone as good as Kwon have feelings for me? I didn’t know if we met before, but according to me, we met for the first time at the engagement ceremony.

As I quietly closed my eyes, I felt the rich scent of wood. I stayed in his room for a long time, my entire body was covered in Kwon Yido’s pheromones. As if I was standing in a forest drenched in autumn rain, a heavy scent permeated my breath.

It was a strange feeling. Rather than being uncomfortable with pheromones that I was not used to, I felt a sense of security. I had the urge to wrap my arms around his chest and lose myself in his serene scent.

Immediately, the feeling of sleep poured in. There was no way for my body, which had stayed up all day, to escape the ravages of sleep. As my consciousness began to fade away, I had a premonition that I would not have a nightmare today.

* * *

For the next few days, I woke up early in the morning and had breakfast with Kwon Yido. Kwon Yido, who woke up at the same time every day, would sit at the table looking stylish like a model, unlike me, who was dressed comfortably. The dress shirt and tightly buttoned vest felt too much for me, who was wearing knits and casual wear.

Even the way he ate anything was elegant, especially the way he held his chopsticks as if they were straight out of a textbook. How could the simple act of carrying side dishes be so elegant? Even though I knew it wasn’t polite, I found myself staring at him from time to time.

‘If anything happens, please contact me.’

Kwon Yido never forgot to say it before heading to work. I wondered when something would happen in a house full of bodyguards and employees. Even after saying those words, the way he turned his head a couple of times showed that he was feeling pity about something.

Anyway, through this time, I learned many things about Kwon Yido. He usually had no facial expressions, yet he often smiled while talking to me, his employers were afraid of him, and his word was the law in this house.

When he said he was sorry for making me eat alone, it wasn’t just empty words.

The time we spent together wasn’t limited to just breakfast. Kwon Yido came home from work early, took a shower, and had dinner with me. After the meal was over, we even talked in his room as if we had made such a promise.

‘What did you do today?’

The topic of our conversation was usually about what I did during the day. My daily life consisted of walking in the garden and reading books, but he found it interesting as if he heard a different story every day. In particular, the way the cold corners of his mouth curled up when I mentioned the greenhouse was not bad.

Honestly, it was a good life. After I arrived at his house, my condition had been close to excellent. I didn’t have the nightmares I had been having before, and I didn’t have any stressful situations. Kwon Yido’s pheromones, which I was burrowed in for hours, were much more helpful for a good night’s sleep than the sleeping pills I always took.

In just four days, I became Kwon Yido’s fiancé waiting for him to get off work. As if I had noticed at some point, the conversation with him also felt enjoyable. That was because the only person I interacted with in this large house was Kwon Yido.