Ch 61

Unlike when he had melted softly in Ji-an’s presence, tension filled Ideun as he stepped into the villa.

‘You’re saying you harmed yourself?’

As he descended to the basement, Ideun first put on the gloves handed to him. The previous night, he had lost control and struck the doctor, leaving a small wound on his hand. He hadn’t even realized he was injured. It had been quite a hassle to evade Ji-an’s persistent questioning about where, how, and why he had hurt his hand.

Upon reaching the basement, all the lights flicked on at once. Those who had been trapped in darkness let out cries of pain as they were suddenly exposed to the brightness—except for one room, the one where Secretary Baek was held.

Stepping inside, Ideun let out a low whistle as he took in his surroundings. He hadn’t expected him to stay put, but even so, he was quite impressive. Approaching Secretary Baek, who lay collapsed with a chair in one corner, Ideun raised his foot and slowly pressed down on his hand.

It wasn’t even fully extended, just loosely curled. But when he applied his weight, Secretary Baek’s eyes snapped open, and his mouth gaped in silent agony. The sound of his bones being crushed beneath Ideun’s foot was drowned out by the screams blaring from the earphones that had fallen from his ears.

Irritated by the noise, Ideun crushed the earphones underfoot, and only then did the eerie sound that had filled the space disappear.

“I told you to behave. And yet, you took them off.”

The flashlight that had initially been fixed in place had shifted due to Secretary Baek’s struggles and eventually flickered off.

“Fuck. Where do you think you’re—”

The moment their eyes met, bloodshot and furious, a curse flew from Secretary Baek’s lips. Ideun responded with a look of mild exasperation. He had no intention of sparing him, even if he begged and repented, but he hadn’t expected him to be so cooperative in fueling his anger.

“I thought you’d be a little weaker by now. Glad to see you’re in good health, Secretary Baek.”

“Choi Ideun, you son of a bitch. I fixed your damn rut so you wouldn’t pant like a rutting beast, and now you’re doing this? All over some worthless beta who isn’t even worth pitying? What would Chairman Choi think of this, huh? She raised you well, found you a proper match, and yet you go and bring home that trash—”

“Secretary Baek, let’s pick one. Just one. You can either rage and curse or beg. But this… it’s just.”

Crossing his legs, Ideun sat on the chair opposite him, watching in silence. Killing him outright would have been too simple. Burying him in the ground or stuffing him in a drum and dumping him into the sea—that would still be too lenient.

This wasn’t something that could end with a moment’s pain.

Not just one, but two lives had been utterly destroyed. Not just anyone’s lives—his and the life of the person he loved most.

“You think you know everything, don’t you? A high-rank alpha, huh? What a joke. That brain of yours is pathetic. Your grandmother murdered your parents, and the bastard you cling to so desperately has had his humanity beaten out of him. And yet, you come at me? If you want to rage, go after that crazy old hag!”

His head throbbed from the shouting. Right, there was the old hag, too. But she was next. The one who gave orders was a problem, but the one who followed them blindly was just as bad.

“Then why don’t you tell me everything? What I know and what I don’t. Otherwise, shut up.”

By now, the call should have come in. Ideun glanced at his watch, then wordlessly stared at Secretary Baek, who continued to spew insults, persuasion, and desperate attempts to shift blame onto the old woman. Let’s see how long he could keep running his mouth.

“They’re ready.”

Having gathered all of Secretary Baek’s words, Ideun stood up from his seat.

“Alright. Handle it as planned, and let’s wrap this up.”

He intended to deal with everything that might drag him back to the past as quickly as possible. Secretary Baek, now forced to his feet, was bound again. A gag and blindfold were placed on him, followed by a hood to completely obscure his vision. Finally, white latex gloves were slipped onto his hands.

Two men escorted him out, and soon the space was restored to its original state. The chair was set back in place, the disheveled carpet was smoothed out, and the ropes that had restrained him were collected by the staff.

The first vehicle to leave for Incheon carried two of Secretary Baek’s underlings in the same condition as him. Standing in the garden, Ideun turned his gaze toward Dr. Kang, who was being dragged out next.

“Doctor.”

“……”

Dr. Kang trembled violently, his face drained of color. Ideun, his expression unchanged, reached out and straightened his disheveled clothes. Without a hint of emotion, he lightly brushed over the bruises blooming across his swollen face.

“See, you should be more careful when driving. What if you crash into a tree while taking a mountain road? You could roll down a cliff and die instantly. You’re not young anymore, so be careful. Be extra careful. Take care of your health, and look after our old hag’s health too. If you’re too shaken up, tell her you need a few days off for the aftereffects of an accIdeunt. Rest up properly. That should help.

“Is there anything you don’t understand or want to ask about what I just said?”

Ideun spoke slowly, brushing off a speck of dust from Dr. Kang’s hair. The doctor quickly shook his head in panic.

“I hope I don’t hear anything strange about this not being an accIdeunt. You wouldn’t want to end up in a psych ward for dementia, would you?”

This time, Dr. Kang frantically nodded.

“Make sure he gets home safely.”

Ideun watched as the luxury sedan carrying Dr. Kang left the villa. Then, turning back, he checked on Secretary Baek. After being deliberately led through a maze of corridors inside the house, then around the back garden to disorient him, he was finally loaded into the van.

The fire started at the electrical room behind the house. A few sparks, followed by a loud pop, and then flames began to spread. There was no need to use accelerants. A fire was all that was needed—it didn’t have to burn everything down.

The dry January wind blowing from the river carried the flames to the villa, which was filled with highly flammable materials: curtains, bedding, and wooden furniture. The blaze steadily consumed its way forward.

* * *

Instead of being consumed by his thoughts while trapped in a hotel room with nothing to do, Ji-an chose to move his body and stepped outside. However, with no particular destination in mind, he simply walked wherever his feet took him. As he wandered aimlessly, he stopped in front of a pharmacy. He wasn’t even sure when he had left the hotel and entered the connected shopping mall. Normally, he would have passed by without a second thought, but something about the pharmacy made him hesitate.

It wasn’t even the weekend, yet the mall was crowded with people. Feeling self-conscious, embarrassed, and flustered all at once, Ji-an hesitated before stepping inside.

His eyes met those of the pharmacist, who silently prompted him to state what he needed, but Ji-an couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Um…”

“Yes?”

“…Pregnancy…”

Ji-an barely whispered the word, his lips merely forming the shape of the word rather than voicing it properly. The surrounding noise swallowed up his faint murmur. But, of course, a pharmacist would know exactly what he was asking for.

“How many would you like?”

Wouldn’t one be enough? Why would he need several?

“Would you like three, from different brands?”

Ji-an glanced at the test kits the pharmacist placed on the counter before looking up again.

“In the early stages, the results may not be clear, so people usually buy at least two or three to be sure.”

A short while later, Ji-an left the pharmacy with three omega pregnancy test kits inside his crossbody bag. He wanted to return to his room immediately and check, but he had been told that testing first thing in the morning was the most accurate. So, instead, he wandered through the mall at a leisurely pace.

As he walked past various shop windows, looking at the displays absentmindedly, he stopped in front of a bubble tea store. When he resumed walking, a sweet bubble tea was in his hand.

It wasn’t exactly shopping, but had he ever aimlessly wandered around a mall like this before? Sipping on his drink, Ji-an continued strolling through the mall until he stopped in front of a cosmetics store.

He wasn’t the type to be particular about shampoos, body cleansers, or other daily necessities. He never checked the scent, texture, or ingredients—he simply picked up the cheapest large-sized product at the supermarket. If it were for his own use, he would have grabbed whatever was most affordable without a second thought.

But today, Ji-an couldn’t just walk past the store after recalling the sight of Ideun’s chapped lips that morning.

As soon as he entered, a store employee’s eager gaze made him instinctively want to step back, but in the end, two natural lip balms, safe even for young children, found their way into his bag.

Like a squirrel busily gathering acorns in the autumn forest, Ji-an’s crossbody bag gradually filled with small, random items as he wandered through the mall.

Three pregnancy test kits that made his fingers flinch every time they brushed against them. Two lip balms. Three wool balls for Bobo to play with. A simple leather wallet from a discount stand.

His wandering eventually led him to a movie theater. Ji-an’s choice wasn’t a flashy action movie, a horror film, or even a romance—he picked an animated film, the kind perfect for the holiday season, filled with adorable animals.

Holding a small popcorn and an orange juice, Ji-an watched the movie alone, surrounded by children who had come with their parents or families during the school break. Though the heartwarming movie left him feeling cozy inside, barely half the day had passed.

With bubble tea, popcorn, and some leftover orange juice filling his stomach, he had unintentionally skipped a late lunch. So, instead of retracing his steps, Ji-an took a different route.

This was the first time he had spent time like this since possessing this body. Even in France, he had always followed a planned schedule arranged by a coordinator.

Then, remembering something, he hurriedly left the mall and went to the bank to get a debit card issued.

Standing outside, Ji-an’s gaze was caught by the sunset. The deep crimson sky, framed between tall buildings, looked beautiful.

Just then, a luxurious sedan, adorned with colorful balloons and decorations, came to a stop in front of him. A person got out from the passenger seat and opened the back door wide, revealing a woman dressed in an elegant, pure white gown.

With the help of an attendant, she carefully stepped out of the car. The dazzling tiara atop her neatly styled hair drew Ji-an’s attention.

Behind her, someone held up the voluminous folds of her dress as she walked forward.

So, there’s a wedding today.

Ji-an stepped aside to let them pass, waiting patiently. Only when he noticed the ornate ring on the woman’s hand did it finally hit him—he had forgotten something important.

He and Ideun shared nothing. No couple rings, no matching outfits—nothing at all.

Their time together had been short, and Ideun wasn’t exactly the romantic type. And he himself… Hadn’t he been avoiding Ideun just a few days ago?

This must be what it means to be tangled in a hopelessly complicated relationship. Meeting before truly knowing each other, with a little snake arriving first…

Fixating on the word “couple ring,” Ji-an recalled the card from Ideun tucked inside his wallet.

Still, using that card to buy a couple ring felt a bit too much.

He had never bought a ring before, let alone knew his own size, and he certainly didn’t know Ideun’s.

“Ugh, nothing is ever simple.”

Am I really going to marry him? So, it’ll be me, Ideun, the little snake, and Bobo—just the four of us? Really?

Though he hadn’t confirmed it with a pregnancy test or a hospital visit yet, Ji-an had already begun accepting the little snake.

It wasn’t as if Ideun would lie about something like this, and more than anything, the memories from his dreams—those involving the little snake—hadn’t faded like ordinary dreams. They remained vivid, as clear as if they had happened just moments ago.

His appetite hadn’t increased, but he had started craving certain foods. He felt sluggish and drowsy at odd hours. Sometimes, his lower abdomen felt heavy and ached faintly. All of it seemed connected to the little snake.

“There’s too much I don’t know.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Ji-an looked around. Spotting a taxi waiting at the stand, he headed toward it.

If he didn’t know something, he had to find the person who could explain it best.