chapter 52

Ha Jin-seong spotted Se-hyeon entering the party venue. Seeing him casually maneuvering through the crowd with a relaxed demeanor, Ha Jin-seong couldn't help but laugh.

(Ha jin-seong's pov)

Did he really think he could hide like that?

Se-hyeon had a tall stature and good proportions. I often saw him standing, and not once had his back hunched or his shoulders slouched. On top of that, his neat appearance, coupled with his indifferent expression, accentuated his charm even more. Acting as if he had no interest in the

world, he occasionally flickered his eyes, making it impossible to look away.

What can I gain from Ahn Se-hyeon?

Shin Tae-oh also seemed curious about the reason behind my actions. Well, in the eyes of others, I'm not in a normal state right now. Holding hands with the despised Ha Min-hyuk and persistently pursuing Se-hyeon, who disliked me, it was understandable.

So I answered. It wasn't strange for an enigmatic, half-hearted alpha like me, with my own secret that no one else knew, to want Se-hyeon, who casually extended his hand and embraced me with an unaffected face. Rather, I wanted to devour him and make him my omega.

It meant that an important phase was approaching, one that could potentially change my life.

Ha Jin-seong walked toward Se-hyeon.

If he came as my secretary, I planned to ask him if he would also become my lover. That would be the most ideal direction...

But when Ha Jin-seong noticed the urgency in Se-hyeon's young face, he unknowingly halted his steps. There was no need to wonder where Se-hyeon was looking.

Se-hyeon rushed toward Shin Tae-oh and soon raised his hand as if pulling him close. Ha Jin-seong grimaced when he saw Se-hyeon, who was kneeling and looking up at Shin Tae-oh.

What... Where does that gaze, looking at the boss, come from?

Until now, I thought Shin Tae-oh was the only one holding onto Se-hyeon.

That gaze, full of concern, pity, and tender affection directed towards Shin Tae-oh, is simply that of a secretary?

Anger surged through me to the point where my whole body trembled. I was foolish. I was excited, imagining Se-hyeon being with me. I felt a mixture of disappointment and fury at my own foolishness.

"How dare you toy with me?"

Me, Ha Jin-seong?

Ha Jin-seong glared at Se-hyeon, his fists clenched tightly, suppressing the trembling in his body.

(Note: I hope there would not be any confusion, Ha jin-seong's Pov ends here)

***

(Se-hyeon's pov)

I never expected it would be this helpful to see the interior photos of the palace.

Se-hyeon was currently with Shin Tae-oh, in an area where no one else was present.

There were multiple spaces inside with pathways connecting them, and Se-hyeon was moving through one of those passages.

If I hadn't explored in advance, if I hadn't realized that such a passage existed...

"Phew."

Someone could have caught the pheromones spreading out as Shin Tae-oh exhaled.

"I'm thirsty again. No wonder my tongue feels moist; it seems strange."

Se-hyeon, who supported Shin Tae-oh by placing his arm on his shoulder, grumbled in dissatisfaction.

The frenzy caused by the pheromones stirring in his inhalation and released in

his exhalation was no joke.

"Ugh, the smell of pheromones." Se-hyeon murmured.

I'm about to embrace his swaying waist, but upon catching the scent of pheromones, I made a disgusted sound.

Se-hyeon pinched his nose and glared at Shin Tae-oh.

"What were you doing until it got to this point?"

You shouldn't have played around while without checking yourself. If you hadn't realized it immediately, wouldn't it have spread to others like this? Then everyone would be able to say that this person intoxicated not by alcohol but by pheromones? It could have damage you imagine in public Taenyang!!

"Haha. Isn't this a bit too much?"

Shin Tae-oh's weakened laughter captivated Se-hyeon's ears.

"I hear everything... I didn't faint, you know."

Shin Tae-oh's resentment at Se-hyeon remarks, questioning if it was appropriate to say that when he knew the situation, was met with a scoff.

Well, wouldn't it have been better if I had pretended not to know that he was acting coy? Then I could have said all sorts of outrageous things without Shin Tae-oh overhearing.

"Don't just stand there and listen. Walk properly."

"I can't walk."

Instead of exerting strength in his legs, Shin Tae-oh leaned even more on Se-hyeon.

"Ugh."

Already burdened with his weight, Se-hyeon staggered and barely managed to regain his balance.

This guy!!

"Pull yourself together!"

Even if the rut had come, he should have walked properly as expected.

"What were you doing until it got to this point? Did you win some kind of rut? Isn't that what it is?"

"Hehehe."

Shin Tae-oh buried his face in the se-hyeon shoulder and laughed.

Did you just laugh?!

"I didn't know either... I just thought my body felt heavier than usual. Did you think it was a rut?"

(Shi Tae-oh's pov)

And to laugh at a moment when I should be full of tension.

When I talked to Ha Jin-seong, I was serious. Just thinking about Se-hyeon made my heart tighten, and I couldn't even manage a laugh. But now, even if I try to stay still, it's not easy.

It's all because of Se-hyeon. Being with him, I couldn't help but laugh.

(Shin tae-oh's pov ends here)

"That's right. Laugh when you can laugh."

Se-hyeon stood in front of the hotel room, half-giving up. It was fortunate that there was a party going on at the hotel... Otherwise, he shuddered to think of what could have happened.

With a dizzying imagination suppressed, Se-hyeon used the key card to unlock the door and opened it. And when he saw the lights come on in the room after inserting the key card, confirmed that's Shin Tae-oh's room, who had been leaning against him.

We managed to come to the room without attracting attention.

Pulling Shin Tae-oh like a broomstick, Se-hyeon laid him on the bed, and then he wiped his soaked forehead while exhaling heavily.

(Se-hyeon's pov)

It was really tough. When there was a rut before, either Secretary Lee Jin-ho or Shin Tae-oh himself took care of it, so I never experienced anything like this.

The person who managed things so well didn't even know there would be a rut today.

Anyway, Se-hyeon felt relieved as he finished with a sigh and picked up his phone.

"Chief, I'm here."

While explaining the situation to Lee Jin-ho, Se-hyeon never took his eyes off Shin Tae-oh. It was to assess whether he was in danger, but...

"Sigh..."

Wiping his wet hair away, the glistening forehead becomes visible.

"Phew."

The eyebrows that were once neatly shaped now curve rebelliously, exuding a defiant atmosphere.

"Ah."

Shin tae-oh's lips, slightly parted due to dryness, and what can be seen inside...

"We need a suppressant urgently."

Se-hyeon turned away from Shin Tae-oh.

- It will take about an hour to get there. Can you wait?

Upon hearing Lee Jin-ho's response after receiving all the information, Se-hyeon wiped away the sweat trickled down with the back of his hand.

One hour?

It hasn't even been a few minutes since Shin Tae-oh was laid down, and already the room is filled with pheromones.

Well, the amount of pheromones wasn't the issue. In Se-hyeon's case, he could handle being around them...

But the problem was Shin Tae-oh,

breathing heavily from behind.

"Is there no way to make it faster? Or should I go to a nearby pharmacy and get emergency suppressants?"

- you know that won't work.

"Hm..."

I had been the one to bring the suppressants myself all this time, and now I'm acting foolishly. Shin Tae-oh, being a strong hormone-driven alpha, didn't respond well to typical suppressants. He had to take the ones prescribed specifically for him, which meant there was no other option but to wait for Lee Jin-ho.

- How are you going to hold on?

"I understand. Please come quickly."

Se-hyeon, now struggling to breathe, covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve as he responded, hoping Lee Jin-ho could hear his hesitant voice.

After ending the call, Se-hyeon turned back to Shin Tae-oh.

"It will take an hour. Can you wait?"

"It's okay. Go outside."

Shin Tae-oh waved his hand towards Se-hyeon while leaning against the pillow. Normally, even a simple gesture like that had strength behind it, but now it was just like a soaked cotton ball.

What should I do with this cotton ball?

If I just leave, Shin Tae-oh will have to endure it alone.

While contemplating for a moment, Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh's clothes. It was obvious that if he took off that suit now, the shirt would be drenched in sweat.

"Should I help you?"

Shin Tae-oh's half-closed eyes widened. He seemed to be assessing whether what he heard was real. Se-hyeon kindly repeated what he had just said.

"I recommend the method I usually use."

Recommend?

Shin Tae-oh, struggling to keep his fading consciousness in check, looked up at Se-hyeon with effort. As he gazed into Se-hyeon's calm eyes, a strange sense of relief washed over him.

Yes, it resonated deeply that he wasn't alone.

"Do it."

At this point, any method would do.

"I understand."

With those words, as Se-hyeon disappeared, Shin Tae-oh paused for a moment, then let out a somewhat dejected smile. He had said he would help, but he just left. He hadn't anticipated that Se-hyeon had a reason to leave in such a feverish state of mind. It felt both right and

disappointing at the same time.

"How pathetic."

Se-hyeon doesn't care about me. But what did I expect?

Shin tae-oh's body, growing increasingly hot, had reached the point where even the constricting necktie felt suffocating. Resolving the tightness in his body would bring some relief, even if only temporarily Shin Tae-oh laboriously raised his hand to loosen his necktie and unbutton his outerwear.

Then his hand moved toward the belt.

Snap.

Water poured down from Se-hyeon's hands, drenching not only Shin Tae-oh but also the bed.

Shin Tae-oh lifted his dazed face and there was Se-hyeon, who had disappeared after offering help, now appearing with a basin filled with cold water. Se-hyeon held the basin in one hand and spoke.

"In moments like this, a water baptism is the best."

Se-hyeon remembered when the last time he suddenly felt overwhelmed, he rushed to the bathroom.