Ch 69

“Secretary Lee has all the files, so if you’re curious, you can check them yourself. I should have confirmed it much earlier… It’s my fault for trusting my subordinates too much, my sin. Even if you resent me for life and refuse to see me, I have nothing to say.”

Strength gathered in Ideun’s hands resting on his thighs. He didn’t need to verify the truth through Secretary Lee; it wouldn’t be difficult at all to uncover it. He already knew exactly what kind of b**t**d Secretary Baek was.

“Can I see that b**t**d?”

Just uttering the words made his teeth grind, and a growl of barely contained rage escaped with them. Even if he tore him apart alive, it wouldn’t be enough to resolve this turmoil within him.

“CEO Nam handled it. Secretary Lee has the photos and videos.”

At the mention of CEO Nam, Ideun closed his eyes and took a slow breath.

“…I won’t be visiting often. But I won’t stop Ji-an from coming here, nor will I interfere with any food you send.”

That was all Ideun could promise at this moment.

“I’m proceeding with the wedding as soon as possible, before spring comes.”

As he hesitated before standing up, he spoke. There was no doubt that she already knew, but there was a difference between knowing and hearing it directly from him.

“…You should have at least brought some gold or something before saying that. Do you think hurriedly tossing an offering will make up for everything?”

“!”

The feeble, apologetic voice filled with remorse vanished in an instant, replaced by a sharp, scolding tone. Ideun’s head snapped up in surprise.

“When planning a wedding, during pregnancy, during childbirth, and while raising a child—mess up any of these, and it will last a lifetime. You’ve already botched two. Tsk, tsk. So, Ji-an agreed to marry you?”

With those words, she pushed a large chest forward. Ideun was at a loss for words. He had indeed been in the wrong, and Ji-an had already scolded him for it. He had only managed to clumsily patch things up in the hospital.

He had wanted Ji-an to stay at the hospital a few more days so he could prepare better for their wedding and homecoming, but Rowoon had told him to get lost, and Ji-an had insisted on going home to roll around with Bobo. So, he had lost his chance to buy more time.

Thus, he had resolved to put more effort into the wedding planning, but the sharp gaze pinpointing his every flaw left him at a loss.

“He’s a good boy. His heart is so kind and pure. Treat him well. That’s all there is to it. Take this, it’s from me. I never get the chance to give you anything because you always disappear.”

Without a word, Ideun carried the chest to his car. Upon opening it, he pressed his fingers against his temple.

A gold ox, a golden toad, and a jade bracelet? It seemed she had gathered everything of value she had. And among them was a file. As he flipped it open, a long sigh escaped his lips.

“Seo Ji-an, you’re richer than me now.”

The documents inside made the truth abundantly clear. Crafted by people who excelled at growing wealth, this fortune would continue to expand even as Ji-an slept soundly.

At least money had once been a way to win favor… But now, even that was no longer an option. As Ideun sank into the cold reality that he had lost even this advantage, he slowly started the car.

If money wouldn’t work, he had only one option left—to repay with his own body. That was the only way forward for him.

***

 

Ji-an, deep in slumber, stirred at the warmth enveloping him. Still damp from a fresh shower, Ideun pulled him into an embrace, prompting Ji-an to shift and burrow deeper into his arms.

Resting his arm on Ideun’s bicep, Ji-an let out a small yawn.

“Where’d you go?”

His voice, still thick with sleep, slurred slightly, but Ideun understood. “The old lady,” he answered briefly.

“Mmm… good job…”

Without opening his eyes, Ji-an wiggled the hand resting on Ideun’s chest as if trying to lull him back to sleep. His breathing soon grew slow and even.

Ideun, waiting for this moment, pulled the blanket tighter around him and pressed a kiss to his hair.

He had never realized how comforting it was to have someone hold him when he returned late at night. The warmth, the soft body curling against him, the drowsy murmurs—it all filled his chest with an ache.

What would have happened if he hadn’t met Ji-an by chance that day?

He would have spent his mornings waking up alone, wandering through an endless fog of loss.

“Seo Ji-an.”

“Mm.”

As he softly called Ji-an’s name and stroked his hair, a faint response came.

“I love you.”

“Mm.”

A small smile formed on Ideun’s lips at Ji-an’s sleepy reply. He held him even tighter, only to loosen his grip slightly when a muffled “Don’t like it” came in protest.

He only wanted one thing.

For Ji-an to never be hurt again, to never suffer, and to always remain safe in his arms.

***

“Meooow.”

Instead of the phone alarm, Ji-an woke to Bobo’s tiny meows and the kitten bounding across the bed. Stretching his arms above his head, he let out a long yawn.

The lingering scent of Ideun filling the bedroom brought a smile to his face.

Even though the space beside him was empty, he didn’t feel lonely. Rolling over, he buried his face in Ideun’s pillow.

Was it because they were an Alpha and Omega, bound together? Or was it simply because it was the scent of someone he loved?

Whatever the reason, right now, he felt incredibly content.

Despite Bobo repeatedly stepping on him, the tiny kitten, weighing less than 2kg, wasn’t enough to cause any discomfort.

After lazing around for a while, Ji-an finally allowed himself to be led outside by Bobo, who tugged at his clothes with determined little bites.

Unlike the darkened bedroom with blackout curtains, the rest of the house was bathed in bright morning light. Ji-an instinctively shielded his eyes as he stepped into the sunlit space.

“Meow Meow Meow.”

As if explaining something exciting, Bobo trotted ahead, his meows rising and falling in pitch.

Following the kitten down the stairs, Ji-an suddenly froze.

His gaze snapped to the wall clock.

It was past 10 a.m.…

Bathed in the warm sunlight streaming through the living room’s large windows, a man in a suit stood with a cup of coffee, gazing outside.

And Ji-an knew exactly who he was.

As he hesitated, the man turned his head, placed his coffee cup on the table, and walked toward him with a gentle smile.

“You’re finally up.”

Standing a few steps from the bottom of the stairs, Ji-an barely had time to react before he was lifted effortlessly, a kiss pressed to his cheek before he was set down again.

“…Work?”

“I was going to see you before I left, but I’m not going.”

At Ji-an’s feet, Bobo was wrestling alone, biting onto the hem of his pajama pants. In front of him, Ideun stood with a bright smile, casually declaring that he wasn’t going to work. Ji-an raised a hand to his forehead.

Something felt seriously wrong.

“Why aren’t you going to work?”

“Because I want to stay with you…”

As Ji-an twisted his head left and right to escape Ideun’s relentless kisses, the sound of a ringing phone made him tap Ideun’s arm. The phone kept ringing, and Ideun had no intention of answering it. In the end, Ji-an reached into Ideun’s pocket and pulled it out himself, pressing the call button—only for his whole body to jolt in shock.

— Hey! You b**t**d!

The intense and straightforward words from the other end of the line hit him square in the ears.

“…….”

— Do you know what time it is? You’re still not here, and the meeting is at 11…

It was only after Ideun took the phone from Ji-an’s hand and stepped away that Ji-an, still feeling his heart pounding wildly, pressed a hand to his left chest to calm it. Well, to be fair, Ideun had been rather indifferent to work matters lately…

As Ideun moved away, Ji-an picked up Bobo in his arms. Let’s just have something good to eat. But just as he was heading to the kitchen, Ideun grabbed him by the waist, making him clamp his mouth shut.

“Baby…”

“Go to work.”

“There was a misunderstanding.”

“Sure, go to work.”

“I really don’t have to go. A video conference. Yeah, video—”

“Bobo, should we go out?”

He had no actual intention of leaving the house, but the words had an immediate effect. Even at the front door, where he had gone to see Ideun off, Ji-an had to push against his back to get him out. Once he finally managed to shove him outside, he quickly rushed to the window.

Only after Ideun’s car completely disappeared from view did Ji-an hurry to the dressing room. Everyone kept saying he needed absolute rest, but with proper food, sleep, and rest—plus Ideun’s pheromones always around—he felt better than ever.

The fever that used to rise at night had vanished, his congestion and lingering cough had mostly subsided, and his cold was nearly gone. He wasn’t in a situation where he had to wander around, nor was he weighed down by worries anymore. Unlike when he had to bear everything alone, now that everything was out in the open, he actually felt more at ease. Even Ideun, who had constantly tried to suppress and push away his feelings, had fully accepted them now.

Things had happened in a jumbled order, but somehow, he had even received his grandmother’s approval in the strangest way possible.

Last night, Ideun had visited his grandmother. Judging by the things he had brought back, it seemed like some of the misunderstandings between them had been resolved. Given how deep and complicated those misunderstandings were, they wouldn’t be cleared up overnight—but this alone was already a huge step forward.

As Ji-an changed into outdoor clothes and checked the time, his eyes caught sight of a box placed in one corner of the dressing room. What did she send? If it was food, it would’ve gone to the kitchen. Squatting in front of the box, Ji-an was about to check it when a notification popped up on his phone.

“Oh, right. The planner…”

Seeing the message that the planner would arrive in ten minutes, Ji-an relaxed his legs and sat comfortably in front of the box. He wanted to head out right away, but meeting the planner came first. In the meantime, he might as well check the box.

“…….”

The moment he opened it, he was met with the sight of a brass ox and a toad sitting prominently inside, making him choke up. Grandma really sent these. He wasn’t planning to sell them right away, so should he put them in a display case as decoration? As he debated, he pulled out a folder that was also inside.

“A real estate sales contract?”

The moment he read the first page, his head tilted to the side. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact location just from the address, but he could tell it was in a bustling area.

“……Sale price… Let’s see. One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million, hundred million, billion, ten billion… hundred… hundred billion… trillion?”

Ji-an counted the digits one by one with his finger, then reread the amount carefully, this time in written form.

“This old woman. I should say nothing even if he quits his job and lazes around. So that’s what he was so busy running around for?”

Checking that the contract was dated two days ago, Ji-an nodded and looked further down. As expected, his grandmother was the seller, and the buyer was—

“Huh?”

Ji-an’s eyes widened as he saw his own resident registration number, phone number, and name listed under the buyer’s section. Not Choi Ideun, but Seo Ji-an? Just moments ago, he had been muttering, “That old woman is ridiculously rich. I totally hit the jackpot.” But now, his hands trembled.

Flipping through the documents, he found another real estate sales contract.

So, Grandma gave me three properties?

This is a legitimate transaction, right? It has to be, right? I don’t know a thing about this, so how is this even possible?

Too stunned to laugh or cry, Ji-an set the folder down and stared at the first contract he had ever seen in his life.

“And what’s this stock transfer agreement?”

He had jokingly demanded 50 billion in front of his grandmother, thinking it was just a tantrum. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine it would return to him tenfold.

With a sense of dread, he opened his banking app to check his balance. The visibly increased amount didn’t even shock him anymore.

He had already been so stunned that he had no words left. He knew his grandmother was incredibly wealthy. The lavish meals she prepared every time he visited, the food she sent to his house and the hospital—he was well aware of how generous she was.

But this was beyond anything he could comprehend.

Who would have thought he’d suddenly become the owner of prime real estate in a bustling district and a shareholder of a major corporation that everyone recognized?

Now that he thought about it, when he had thrown out that ridiculous 50 billion figure, she had seemed exasperated. I lowballed it too much…

Still dazed from the sheer absurdity of the situation, Ji-an only snapped out of it when he received a message that the planner had arrived. Gathering the scattered documents and placing them back into the box, he left the dressing room.