Lee Taeseong really didn’t go back to Kwon Yido. When I told him to co inside because it bothered seeing him standing there in front of the side door, he just moved to the entryway and stood there blankly instead. It was irritating, but I couldn’t just pretend not to see him and walk back to my room.
“...Let’s go to the greenhouse instead.”
In the end, I headed toward the greenhouse with him in tow, just like always. I didn’t forget to tell the housekeeper who always prepared tea to set out two cups this ti. Lee Taeseong glanced at , his face stiff like a robot, and silently followed behind.
Sure enough, once we arrived at the greenhouse, he stopped right at the entrance and didn’t co in. Standing straight with his hands clasped behind his back, he looked so much like a gatekeeper it was almost comical. Whatever Kwon Yido had ordered him to do, it probably didn’t include standing there like a statue.
“Co in, Mr. Lee.”
“No, I...”
“I feel like I’m being watched, so I’d prefer if you ca in.”
When I frowned as if troubled, Lee Taeseong’s cheek twitched. With a face clearly debating what to do, he eventually followed inside. The brisk way he walked behind was definitely different from Kwon Yido.
Two teacups were already set on the table, arranged in advance by the housekeeper. In the beginning, she used to follow in and pour the tea herself, but after I asked her not to, she began leaving everything quietly in place. And yet, the tea was always warm—sothing I still found oddly impressive.
“Have a seat.”
“...”
I sat down naturally and poured the tea into both my cup and Lee Taeseong’s. The flower in the clear teapot looked like a magnolia. The petals hadn’t discolored at all—it must’ve been kept very fresh.
“Are you going to stand and drink?”
I glanced over at Lee Taeseong and asked. Even after I told him to sit, he avoided my gaze with his eyes lowered.
“I’m fine.”
“Mm...”
On a normal day, I’d coax soone like this into sitting, but Lee Taeseong didn’t seem like the type to be swayed. He had no flexibility—if anything, the nicer I treated him, the more rigid he’d probably beco.
“Just sit down. You already know you can’t refuse anyway.”
So I just copied what Kwon Yido would’ve said. Sure enough, it worked instantly. With a face like he’d bitten into sothing foul, Lee Taeseong sat across from . Was this the kind of face I made when I was handed that car key? No wonder Kwon Yido found it amusing.
“You’re not allergic to pollen or anything, are you? I think they filtered it all out, but just in case.”
“...No, I’m not.”
He looked thoroughly uncomfortable as he fidgeted with the teacup. The contrast between his large hands and the dainty cup was almost absurd. His hand size seed similar to Kwon Yido’s—but maybe it was the shape, or maybe I just wasn’t used to it.
“Please, help yourself.”
I took a sip and opened the novel I’d brought with . It was the final book in the series I’d picked from the shelf. Once I finished this, I’d have read everything in the room, and I’d need to ask Kwon Yido if I could use the study.
“...”
Flip. The sound of the pages turning tickled my ears. I’d turned at least three pages, and Lee Taeseong still hadn’t taken a single sip of tea. Even while reading, I could sense him squirming in his seat like he was sitting on thorns.
This was one of my favorite monts since coming into this house. When the greenhouse was full of floral scents, and the soft aroma of flower tea drifted through the air. When I could sink so deeply into a book that reality seed to vanish.
Usually I ca here in the morning, but today I ca in the afternoon, so the light stread in from a different angle. The sunlight scattered across the cream-colored pages, glittering gently. Thinking it was a bit too bright, I angled the book slightly—when suddenly, Lee Taeseong, who had been silent, spoke.
“...Did you have sothing you wanted to say? Is that why you made sit?”
I looked up at him quietly. His awkward gaze was full of discomfort.
“No. I just don’t like making people stand around while I read, that’s all.”
He might have been more comfortable standing, but I didn’t want anyone standing beside for hours on end. Maybe for one day, but we’d be doing this repeatedly.
“From tomorrow, you should bring a book too. We’ll keep preparing two cups of tea.”
Kwon Yido said we’d talk in more detail after he got off work, but I doubted anything would change. He’d probably force a bodyguard on one way or another, and if I kept refusing, he’d just send soone new. It was easier to make peace with it and find a compromise.
“I can’t sit around sipping tea while I’m on duty.”
“Then just consider it part of your duty.”
Flip. Another page turned. Human peripheral vision really was impressive—I had my eyes on the book, but I could still see his face contort clearly. I gave up and lowered the book, then smiled at him as I asked:
“Have you had lunch?”
He looked at like I’d just pulled so kind of cheap trick. His eyes softened a little, but the hostility in them didn’t disappear.
“I have.”
“What did you eat?”
“Just gimbap... Why are you asking?”
He wasn’t so wild animal, but the more I asked, the more on edge he beca. His sharp, defined features seed even more bristled.
“I thought we could have a little conversation. You seed uncomfortable just sitting there.”
“...”
“Is the work hard?”
The more I smiled, the worse his expression got. Judging by his face alone, I was practically the source of his suffering.
“It’s manageable.”
“That’s impressive. It can’t be easy becoming a team leader at your age.”
By appearance, he seed like he was in his early to mid-thirties. To be part of Kwon Yido’s security team, and a team leader at that—he must’ve been highly competent.
“...I’m not a team leader anymore.”
He replied with a sigh, rubbing his face with one large hand and furrowing his brow.
“I was demoted after an incident. So please don’t call ‘Team Leader.’”
“...”
For a mont, a thought crossed my mind. Did he step down because of ? Is that why he’s acting so hostile? But Lee Taeseong continued in a serious tone.
“I made a mistake and got demoted.”
“...So you’re calling being assigned to a demotion?”
“...”
The mont our eyes t, he seed to realize what he’d said. A trained bodyguard, yet his reaction was unnecessarily honest. He lowered his head like a scolded child.
“I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
“It’s fine. I was joking. No need to apologize so seriously.”
And honestly, it wasn’t even inaccurate.
“Drink your tea. It’s getting cold.”
“...”
Silence fell again. I didn’t feel like continuing the conversation, but this ti it was Lee Taeseong who spoke first.
“...Aren’t you going to ask?”
“Ask what?”
The greenhouse was warm, so the tea still retained its heat. I cupped the glass in my hands and took a sip, the magnolia aroma still lingering. Only after I set it down did Lee Taeseong finally bring it up.
“What kind of mistake I made...”
The way he trailed off told he didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t know why he was bringing it up at all. Him and Kwon Yido both.
“Are you one of those people too? Who don’t want to be asked but get itchy when no one asks anyway?”
“...”
Sure enough, he fell silent. I must’ve hit the nail on the head.
“I’m not that curious. Even if you want to say it, just hold it in.”
I planned to make this arrangent moderately tolerable—not dig into anyone’s personal history. Topics that started like this usually led to unpleasant conversations nine tis out of ten.
“...Most people ask, so I assud you would too. I didn’t plan on telling you.”
Thankfully, he took the hint and ended the conversation himself. He turned his head and let out a sigh, like he was slightly relieved. Awkward or not, I guess it was an uncomfortable topic for him.
We didn’t exchange any more words after that. I went back to my book, and Lee Taeseong continued to shift uncomfortably, glancing at now and then. He kept twitching like he wanted to get up, but I never gave him permission to.
About an hour later, he finally started drinking his tea. It had long since gone cold. He took a sip and grimaced. His expression made it clear he didn’t like it, but he drank the rest in one go like it was poison.
“Director.”
“...?”
I flinched. It was a familiar title, but hearing it in this setting felt strangely out of place. I slowly lifted my eyes from the book. There was Lee Taeseong, still with that stiff expression.
“...You tell not to call you ‘Team Leader,’ but I’m still ‘Director’?”
He must’ve known I’d resigned. Using my old title felt unnecessarily harsh. Suddenly, I felt a little guilty for calling him ‘Team Leader.’
“I apologize. I just didn’t know what else to call you.”
“You can just call by na.”
“...No, I can’t do that.”
“Well... If you insist, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
When I replied casually, he nodded. I flipped the last few pages of my book and said offhandedly:
“Go ahead, Mr. Lee.”
“...”
His expression looked like he was about to curse. Since he couldn’t, I guess that was the best he could manage.
“...It’s ti for dinner.”
“Oh.”
I gave a small exclamation and took out my phone to check the ti. No wonder the light had dimd—it was already past six. I hadn’t realized because the days were longer lately and I wasn’t hungry.
“Guess it’s ti to eat.”
As I gathered my book and phone and stood, Lee Taeseong stood too. He even let out a quiet sigh of relief. We’d only just t today, but he really wasn’t a flexible person.
“If possible, I’d like you to eat your als on ti.”
“...Why is that your concern, Mr. Lee?”
I asked sincerely, unable to understand. I highly doubted even Kwon Yido would’ve told him to check on my als. Why would an escort care about that?
“If you skip als, the Executive Director worries.”
Thud. The book I’d been holding slipped from my hands. The pages rustled as they hit the stone floor, crumpling slightly. Lee Taeseong picked it up quickly without showing much surprise.
“...Ah, thank you.”
I instinctively averted my gaze. Not because I was embarrassed about dropping the book—but because of what his words reminded of: the phone call with Kwon Yido.
“I am worried.”
There’s no way pheromones could travel through a phone, but the mont I heard those words, my chest stirred. His heavy voice had carried through the receiver, deep into my gut. The way my throat tightened and my stomach clenched—it was sothing I’d never even felt when my father praised .
It wasn’t the first ti Kwon Yido had said he was worried. He’d used the word without hesitation when I ate dinner alone. But this ti, the weight behind it was fundantally different.
I should’ve felt burdened. It should’ve been strange, or at least unfamiliar. Like when he handed the car key—I should’ve found it baffling.
“If I skip als... Mr. Kwon gets worried?”
But no matter how awkward it felt, I couldn’t say it was unpleasant. Maybe it was satisfaction, or expectation—or even a little excitent. Like I’d been waiting for him to worry all along.
“Yes. Just hearing that you skipped lunch yesterday made the Executive Director co ho early.”
“Yesterday...”
I gripped the book tightly, frowning faintly. Yesterday was the day he’d found in the greenhouse, after my heat cycle had suddenly triggered. He’d said he’d be late—but ca ho shortly after lunch instead.
“You an... Mr. Kwon was notified?”
Surprised, I asked, and Lee Taeseong fell silent. He must’ve sensed sothing odd in my reaction. I brushed the back of my neck as naturally as I could to reassure him.
“Even so... I doubt he ca ho just because I skipped one al. Maybe you misunderstood, Mr. Lee?”
I was half-serious. There’s no way he ca all that way just because I missed a single al.
“...No, I’m certain. He asked if you’d eaten, and as soon as he heard you hadn’t, he left right away.”
Then why? His eyes seed to ask that question. Like I was a clueless child. Now I understood why this man didn’t like .
“...Then I guess I shouldn’t skip als anymore.”
It was the only thing I could say. Smile like nothing’s wrong and move on. I couldn’t afford to show my confusion.
“Let’s go. You should eat too, Mr. Lee.”
I felt his eyes following . I stepped out of the greenhouse first, barely keeping my thoughts in order. In my mind, the image of Kwon Yido from the previous day kept surfacing.
***
After dinner, I filled the bathtub and soaked in the water. I hadn’t originally planned on doing that, but the housekeeper had gone so far as to add the bath bomb herself, so there was no backing out. I hadn’t realized that ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) asking “Will you be taking a bath?” was actually code for I’ll get everything ready for you.
The bath bomb, a soft white pearl mixed with subtle and sweet fragrance, dissolved gently in the water. A blend of rose and jasmine—floral in essence, light yet comforting. It was so pleasant, I regretted not using it sooner.
I stayed in the water for quite a while before stepping out wrapped in a bathrobe. Maybe because I’d stayed in the warm water too long, my body felt pleasantly heavy—just the right amount to fall asleep imdiately if I lay down.
Now that I thought of it, Kwon Yido probably hadn’t co ho yet. If I soaked in his pheromones for even an hour, I might really fall into a deep sleep.
“...”
No, since when did I start relying on that?
It seed I’d beco too used to nights without nightmares. Even the insomnia I thought would worsen after coming here had improved. It wasn’t unreasonable to start expecting his pheromones. The sleeping pills I used to take one by one remained untouched.
“Get a grip...”
Shaking out my damp hair, I crossed the center of the room. When I checked the wall clock, more ti had passed than I’d thought.
Was I in there that long? I blinked in surprise at the realization—just as a soft knock ca at the door.
“Mr. Jung Sejin, are you in there?”
It was Kwon Yido. His low voice ca through the door, unmistakably his. So he’d co back while I was in the bath, after all. Flustered, I quickly walked to the door.
“Just a mont.”
Click. Without hesitation, I opened the door. Through the crack, I saw Kwon Yido dressed in comfortable loungewear. Ah, I really had been in there too long. I’d stayed in the bath doing nothing all the way until he got ho and showered.
“I didn’t hear anything because I was bathing...”
“...”
“...Mr. Kwon?”
Click. Our eyes t. It was the exact mont I instinctively looked up. In his dark pupils, my face reflected clearly. He blinked slowly.
“Ah.”
With a soft exhale, his gaze slowly swept down and up. His dark eyes were still and heavy, so quiet it felt suffocating. His lips moved slowly.
“...Did you just get out of the bath?”
“...”
I didn’t even think to respond. Without realizing it, I swallowed dryly, and his gaze deepened. Beneath his calmly brushed-down hair, his usual elegant eyes stared directly at .
It felt like his gaze was touching .
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