Seo Yi Kyung’s eyes wavered. Han Seung Jae was more than capable of doing exactly that. As if to check, Yi Kyung turned his gaze to his wrist. There was no mark. He even set down his chopsticks and inspected it closely for fingerprints, but he could not see a single trace.
Seung Jae added,
“Be more careful from now on.”
His tone seemed gentler than before, but the chill in his eyes had not eased in the slightest. He almost seemed to be examining every inch of Yi Kyung’s body.
Yi Kyung knew he was not someone who trusted others easily, but knowing that did not make it any more comfortable to have him watching so relentlessly from right across the table. Yi Kyung picked up the chopsticks he had set down.
“……”
With his head lowered, Yi Kyung focused solely on eating for a while. He had little choice when Seung Jae kept staring at him. At least while he was eating, Seung Jae did not ask him anything. This body, however, had its limits when it came to food.
After clearing only a little from his plate, Yi Kyung raised his head. I can’t eat any more. When his eyes met Seung Jae’s, he pointed vaguely at the stack of documents on the table. It was an attempt to divert that oppressive gaze.
“Don’t you need to look those over?”
Yi Kyung bit his lip. It seemed he had brought up something he should not have.
In the original novel, “Seo Yi Kyung” had spent most of his time at home. His personal outings amounted to little more than going to buy art supplies with Butler Do accompanying him or visiting exhibitions. His world had been so limited that he knew nothing about what Seung Jae did outside the house.
The Seo Yi Kyung sitting here now was different. He already knew exactly what kind of man Seung Jae was. Moreover, Seung Jae’s behavior in person was even colder than he had imagined.
“Are you worried I won’t get my money back?”
Until now, no one had ever questioned Seung Jae’s decisions. But he was married now, so it would not have been strange for his spouse, Yi Kyung, to take an interest in his work.
“I’m confident I can recover it.”
Yi Kyung’s eyes trembled at those words. To hide his awkwardness, he picked up the chopsticks he had set down and placed more food on his plate, even though he was not hungry.
He should not have asked. Yi Kyung already knew precisely how much weight Seung Jae’s words carried. In the original novel, Seung Jae had displayed an early talent for investing and never hesitated to reach into ventures that others avoided.
Venture capital. Seung Jae’s business model was to invest in companies with strong technology and high growth potential but insufficient capital. The greater the risk, the greater the potential return.
He had never suffered a loss. He invested according to the terms stipulated in the contract, but if the venture failed to turn a profit, he acquired the business for next to nothing. Then he leveraged its technology to inflate its value and sold it at a much higher price.
That was Seung Jae’s way of doing business. It brought him into contact with people from all walks of life. Everyone who came to ask him for help did so despite knowing exactly how he operated.
Business was, after all, a gamble in which people staked their lives, and gambling demanded a willingness to take risks. They came to him with the vague conviction that they were different from everyone else who had failed—that all they had to do was turn a profit.
Outside the building, Butler Do opened the rear door of the waiting sedan. Yi Kyung slowly bent down to get in. Seung Jae looked down at him.
“Go home and sleep.”
Settling back against the seat, Yi Kyung looked up. Apparently, Seung Jae would not be returning with him. He gave a barely perceptible nod. Even without a clear response, Seung Jae continued.
“There’s an art museum exhibition. Would you like to go see it?”
Standing between them, Butler Do’s eyes widened. Seung Jae’s tone was so close to gentle that he almost doubted he had heard correctly.
A short while ago, Butler Do had paced anxiously outside the tightly closed door, straining his ears in case the sounds of violence came from inside the private room. Fortunately, no such calamity had occurred.
Butler Do glanced discreetly at Seung Jae. His gaze remained fixed downward. When Butler Do followed it, he found Yi Kyung’s face filled with hesitation.
Young Master Yi Kyung loved nothing more than going to see paintings. Could it be that he simply did not want to go with Seung Jae?
The sight of Seung Jae viciously gripping a man by the head flashed through Butler Do’s mind. It could well have been deeply shocking to the delicate young master. Out of habit, Butler Do parted his lips to intervene, but the words scattered before they could become sound. Seung Jae’s gaze had turned razor-sharp.
Yi Kyung raised his head.
“All right.”
Seung Jae, who had remained standing there just to hear that brief reply, closed the car door for him. Belatedly coming to his senses, Butler Do hurriedly bowed. He walked around to the other side and took the seat beside Yi Kyung.
Seung Jae turned away. He slid past the door Secretary Park was holding open and took his seat. The two cars began moving in opposite directions.
Once the sedan carrying Seung Jae disappeared from sight, Butler Do released a long breath. His troubled gaze shifted to the right. Yi Kyung’s pale face appeared almost serene. Even so, Butler Do decided on his own that he must be trembling with fear.
“What are we going to do about this……?”
Butler Do trailed off, conscious of the driver in front of them. The man was employed by Seung Jae. That meant the two of them were effectively the only people here they could trust and rely upon.
At the faint sound of Butler Do’s worried breathing, Yi Kyung glanced sideways. His face was laden with concern. Yi Kyung turned to look out the window. The night streets, streaked with passing neon lights, filled his view.
It would have been a lie to say he had not been startled as well. But he had already known what Seung Jae was like. That was why he had recoiled in horror when he first opened his eyes and saw him. Even so, Seung Jae had treated him with consistent patience. The most likely reason was that they had not been married for long.
But had Seung Jae not declared that very morning that he would show him no further consideration?
In the original novel, Seung Jae had always maintained a composed demeanor in front of “Seo Yi Kyung.” That had given Yi Kyung enough confidence to say what he wanted.
“I don’t like you, Seung Jae, so you don’t need to concern yourself with me.”
He had intended to put some distance between them first, then search for a way out. He had not expected Seung Jae to cast off his mask so quickly.
Then again, “Seo Yi Kyung” had never displeased Seung Jae. He therefore could not have seen Seung Jae lose his temper, destroy things, or treat people like pieces of luggage.
Yi Kyung suddenly pulled his phone from the inner pocket of his suit. Watching the fingerprint lock release smoothly brought home once again that this was reality.
Tap, tap…… He dragged his fingernail across the screen and examined his saved contacts. Dong Hoo. Butler Do. Father. Mother. Seung Jae’s name stood out sharply among them, clinging stubbornly beneath his thumb.
When he opened the photo gallery, all he found were photographs of canvases covered in landscapes and pictures of exhibition tickets. There was little else. Even after scrolling all the way to the end, he found no sign that anyone else existed in Yi Kyung’s life.
Just as the original novel had shown, “Seo Yi Kyung” appeared to have lived within an exceedingly narrow world. His painting studio, exhibitions, home……
Yi Kyung rested his forehead against the car window. Between the sudden invitation to dinner and everything else that had happened today, he was beginning to wonder whether this truly was the Han Seung Jae he had read about.
Yi Kyung’s small lips moved in a murmur. The words lingering on his tongue soon slipped back down his throat.
I don’t know anything about art. What am I going to do?
Long after midnight, Yi Kyung tossed and turned in bed. I only slept a little during the day, and now I can’t fall asleep.
The sheets rustled and twisted around him. He slipped the phone he had already exhausted beneath his pillow and pulled the blanket over his head. Whether he lay on his left side or twisted his body to the right, sleep showed no sign of coming.
Eventually, Yi Kyung sat up and lowered both legs over the edge of the bed. His pajamas whispering softly, he headed for the terrace.
He passed through the curtains, faintly illuminated by the light outside, and pushed open the glass door. The night breeze rushed toward him. Trees filled the garden, carrying a scent that soothed both body and mind.
After a moment’s hesitation, Yi Kyung settled into one of the chairs by the table. Resting his chin on his hand, he gazed down. Soft lights lined the stone steps in the dark garden. With the surroundings silent as the grave, he soon became lost in thought.
Butler Do had said he had fallen ill after returning from the honeymoon, which meant he was essentially still at the very beginning of the story. The original novel had not described Seung Jae’s emotions in any detail, so Yi Kyung had mostly been forced to speculate. Curiously enough, Seung Jae had always pretended to be a gentleman in front of “Seo Yi Kyung.”
Today, however, had been entirely different. Was it because of what Yi Kyung had said that morning? Had Seung Jae decided there was no longer any need to maintain that facade?
Just then, the curtains drew aside and the glass door opened. Yi Kyung’s shoulders flinched at the approaching presence. When he turned around, Seung Jae was standing over him.
“You’re home early.”
“……”
No answer came. Then again, was it really early? It was already well past midnight. Yi Kyung rose halfway from the chair.
“You’re l-late?”
That did not seem to be the response Seung Jae wanted either. His eyes narrowed.
“Why aren’t you asleep?”
Something suddenly flashed through Yi Kyung’s mind.
“You look ready to run away.”
He remembered having gone through this exact situation before. Yi Kyung parted his lips slightly. Seung Jae seemed to be laboring under a serious misunderstanding.
“I slept during the day, so I couldn’t fall asleep. I was getting some air.”
Yi Kyung recited the explanation evenly. He thought it better than lying. Besides, it was the truth. Perhaps the truth had gotten through to him, because Seung Jae turned away. Yi Kyung watched his retreating back and started to follow, only to stop.
His toes fidgeted before he bent the knee he had straightened and perched on the chair again. Even if he followed, he had no idea what he was supposed to do. Seung Jae had not told him to come, either.
Unlike before, however, he could no longer sit peacefully and lose himself in thought. Every nerve in his body was focused on Seung Jae inside the room. As if to block him out, Yi Kyung covered his face with both hands. His mind churned with disjointed thoughts.
I’ve never even dated anyone, and then one day I suddenly have a husband. And of all people, it had to be the arrogant Han Seung Jae from The World of Omega.
“Are you going to stay like that?”
Yi Kyung lowered the hands covering his face. Seung Jae was wearing a bathrobe. His hair was wet, as though he had only just stepped out of the shower.
When Yi Kyung did not answer immediately, Seung Jae stepped onto the terrace.