Vol 1 Ch 11

As Yeonho had said, there were plenty of unopened new toothbrushes piled up in the living room bathroom.

 

It was too much to be used by one person, rather than just buying them as spares…. The same went for the towels and various cleansers. There were even different types of aftershave.

 

‘Do a lot of people come to this house to wash up?’

 

His mood wasn’t good when he thought about it. He glared at the various items lined up on the shelf, finished his rough brushing, and went back to the living room.

 

He felt a vibration inside his pocket. He could count on one hand the number of people who would know the number of his new cell phone, which he had just opened.

 

He looked back at the bedroom where Yeonho had disappeared. When he listened carefully, he could still hear the sound of water falling. It would be difficult for the phone to ring like this when he was with Yeonho.

 

In the end, he pressed the call button, but he didn’t put the receiver to his ear right away. As expected, a desperate voice poured out of the speaker in 0.01 seconds.

 

“Young Master~!”

 

He was glad he didn’t put it to his ear.

 

After coughing was mixed with the voice that shouted something once more, he grabbed the phone that he had moved away.

 

“Ciao. From the sound of your voice, you’ll live for another hundred years.”

 

The other person’s snorting grew louder at the familiar sarcasm. He could easily imagine the other’s petty expression, which must have been flushed. The person on the other end of the line raised his voice again.

 

“Why are you only answering the phone now! Do you know how worried I was, thinking something had happened to you?”

 

“How did you get the number?”

 

“Young master really ignores such things. I have that much ability! More importantly, don’t change the subject. What are you thinking, leaving the house…? If you have any complaints about me, you should say something. Running away from home at this age!”

 

“I should have written it down. It’s not running away from home, it’s a vacation.”

 

“Mamma Mia! What kind of vacation takes you all the way to Korea? What about the company? I heard you only left a text message for Federico?!”

 

Now that he knew the number, it would have been easier to find out where he was going. But even at the words that mentioned his secretary, the man’s expression didn’t change much.

 

The quiet peace of the past few days was gone. He felt a bitter feeling.

 

After a few seconds of silence from the man, the excited voice barely returned to normal.

 

“What really happened? If you really needed a break, you should have scheduled it properly.”

 

“That’s how it happened. Is everything okay?”

 

“What could be okay when Young Master has run away from home!”

 

“I said it’s a vacation.”

 

A groan rang out at the words that wouldn’t give in.

 

“Federico is one thing, but I’ve also received a call from the main family. They want you to come home sometime next week.”

 

“It’s probably a trivial matter anyway. Take care of it. Ah, this time, ‘take care of it’ means you take care of it.”

 

“Young Master!”

 

“More importantly, what about what I ordered you to do back then? Did you contact that house?”

 

“……”

 

“Not yet?”

 

“I did! They were positive about it.”

 

“Well… they didn’t seem very positive.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“No, anyway, that house wasn’t upset, right?”

 

“Didn’t I tell you? History, dignity. What kind of name is Abertone?”

 

The cognome (surname) that he hadn’t mentioned because it was too long.

 

The voice, which seemed to be bragging even though he wasn’t an Abertone himself, was full of pride.

 

The real owner of that name, or rather, Marteo Abertone, who had been pretending to be Tony until just now, smiled bitterly. The other person, who couldn’t guess his expression, was snorting again.

 

“Perhaps, is that why you went all the way to Korea? I even offered to adjust the dates. You should have sent me instead!”

 

Should he go around to all the countries that had sent proposals? There was also impatience in his voice. But he had no intention of doing that, not even a speck of it.

 

Marteo looked back at the bedroom where Yeonho was once more.

 

How did things turn out like this? That wasn’t his intention….

 

Yesterday’s memories came to his mind involuntarily.

 

Do Yeonho’s expression, which had been unfamiliar as if he were looking at a stranger, both when they bumped into each other on the set and at night when he tested him again just in case….

 

The voice that had said he hated morphs, especially birds, and the words that it was his first time seeing heterochromia were still ringing in his ears.

 

That’s why he couldn’t help it. If he told the truth, he would definitely be rejected before he even started.

 

Marteo twisted the corners of his lips bitterly.

 

“You have to protect the house. And there’s something you have to do.”

 

Something to do…? At the pause, Marteo continued without dragging it out.

 

“Is there any place where my picture has been officially uploaded?”

 

“Why is that…?”

 

“Contact all the places where you can get pictures and take down the data. Even any paparazzi cuts.”

 

He had never liked being exposed to the media, but this was the first time he had given such an order.

 

A sudden vacation, an absurd request. What on earth was he thinking?

 

But now that the words had been spoken, it was the butler’s duty to carry them out.

 

“I’ll take care of it and call you back. So please answer the phone on time!”

 

“We’ll see. Oh, and one more thing.”

 

“What is it now?”

 

It was when he was bracing himself for some strange task. Marteo, who slowly rubbed his eyebrow bone at the person he couldn’t even see, cleared his throat for once.

 

“…I stole something of Tony’s.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Let’s just call it even for the salary cut. Then, goodbye.”

 

“Wait, just a moment, Young Master! What is it…? Steal? Don’t tell me it’s my gold watch? Or the Ondmedrun LP that came out for the 30th anniversary?”

 

What on earth did you take~!

 

The beginning and the end were similar in volume. Nevertheless, Marteo hung up the phone right away.

 

He knew that the sound of water had stopped in the bedroom, which he had been paying close attention to even while talking to the ‘real Tony.’

 

At the same time as he put the phone in the storage box, Yeonho, who was wearing a bathrobe, entered the living room. When their eyes met, Yeonho raised one eyebrow.

 

“What. Were you still doing that?”

 

“……?”

 

“No. I thought I heard voices. I thought you were on the phone.”

 

“It was a wrong number.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Yeonho, who thought that he wouldn’t lie about something like this, easily changed the subject.

 

“Oh, right. More importantly, what’s your schedule like today? Do you have anything planned for the afternoon?”

 

“No.”

 

Marteo spat out the answer right away without even asking why.

 

“Then let’s go out and eat. Anyway, it’s our official first day. But there’s somewhere we have to stop by first.”

 

This time, without any objections, Marteo nodded his head right away.

 

‘He’s just like a dog?’

 

If he was a morph, wouldn’t his anima be a loyal hunting dog?

 

Beyond the absurd thought, Yeonho smiled to himself without realizing it.

 

***

 

The place they arrived at by taxi, saying they had somewhere to stop by, was a place Marteo also knew.

 

[Royal]

 

Yeonho shrugged his shoulders at Marteo, who was looking up at the sign of the closed room salon.

 

“I left my car there yesterday.”

 

In the parking lot of the room salon, which didn’t do business in the morning, Yeonho’s Audi, which had become familiar to his eyes in the past few days, was left alone as he had said.

 

Yeonho, who took out the key and started the car, continued with a nod.

 

“Get in. There aren’t many places to eat around here, so we have to go out a bit.”

 

As he got into the passenger seat, Yeonho, who skillfully changed gears, slowly entered the alley.

 

Even though it wasn’t afternoon yet, the signboards that had been stretched out here and there outside to promote the store were quite annoying.

 

‘How many of these are there? I should report it to the district office.’

 

In fact, it was too much of a hassle to do even if he was paid, but the messy road, which was full of traces of the night before, made him think about it.

 

It was after they had passed through such an alley for a while. Yeonho’s car, which was already slow, stopped right in its place.

 

As if someone had kicked it with their foot while drunk, a signboard of a store was lying flat on the road. Moreover, the problem wasn’t just the signboard. On the opposite side, a large sedan that took up a lot of space was parked there.

 

Cadillac Celestiq?

 

Yeonho’s eyes narrowed as he identified the model. If it had been abandoned in front of a bar, he would have thought there was another human like him, but…. The car was parked in front of a claw crane machine center that only kids went to.

 

“What is it? What bastard parked his car in a place like this?”

 

Just as he was unconsciously muttering in a disgruntled voice, he heard a small cough next to him.

 

“There must have been a reason.”

 

“What reason?”

 

“They had something urgent to do…”

 

“Like a sudden urge to poop?”

 

“……”

 

He was serious, but for some reason, Marteo’s expression became very sullen. Then, with a sigh, he opened the car door.

 

“I’ll go move it.”

 

“Okay. I’ll go crazy if it gets scratched.”

 

The subject of the craziness was obviously the owner of the car. Marteo’s eyes clouded over once more. But the question didn’t last long.

 

Because Marteo’s upper arm, which had easily lifted the signboard and moved it inside, was more important than that.

 

‘Damn, you’re strong? You’d be useful at night, too.’

 

A small exclamation escaped Yeonho’s lips as he watched. In the meantime, Marteo, having dusted off his hands, returned to the car.

 

Finally securing the space, he took his foot off the brake.

 

Marteo glanced at the slowly receding Cadillac, and then his eyes caught something else. Yeonho, who also looked in the side mirror, smirked.

 

“You like cars?”

 

“…?”

 

“You seemed interested.”

 

“…Just… Most men don’t dislike them.”

 

“Then you must know how to drive. Did you apply for an international license?”

 

“Why would I…”

 

“If you don’t have a car, you can use mine. I have one sitting at home. It’s not a Cadillac, though.”

 

“You’re saying I can drive Do Yeonho’s car?”

 

He was supposed to call him Executive Director, but he called him Do Yeonho. Still, minor issues could wait. Yeonho nodded casually.

 

“As long as the relationship lasts. Well, if you behave, I might even give it to you.”

 

“……”

 

He expected him to be happy, but even with the added remark, his expression didn’t brighten. Was it because he had seen the Cadillac? Even Yeonho felt awkward.

 

“Do you give such favors to everyone?”

 

A low voice spat out an unexpected question. Yeonho’s eyes widened, and Marteo turned his body forward, repeating in a blunt tone.

 

“Never mind. I don’t need a car.”

 

“……?”

 

Yeonho clearly meant well, but something felt off. If the other person acted like this, even the kindest intentions would sour. After a few seconds of stunned silence, laughter finally burst from Yeonho’s lips.

 

“You seem to be mistaken. I’m not doing this because I care about you.”

 

“……”

 

“I hate waiting. I need you to come running whenever I call. Can you do that without a car? I told you, we’re not dating.”

 

“……”

 

“If you don’t like it, forget it.”

 

The rapidly cooling conversation ended there.

 

‘I thought he was like a dog… but he’s not a hunting dog, more like a guard dog.’

 

His thoughts were revised.