The vehicle passed through the city center and climbed into a residential area lined with tall walls.
Seo Jeong-won widened his eyes once again at the scenery outside the car window.
While the opposite side was densely packed with buildings, here it felt like a different world, where tall fences were neatly stacked one after another.
It all felt unfamiliar.
Even a single brick looked expensive.
Kwon Tae-hee’s mansion was located at the highest point of the neighborhood.
The car drove to the very end and then came to a stop.
It didn’t look like a house—it resembled an art museum you’d see in an architecture magazine from a bookstore.
Behind the mansion was a mountain, and in front, a high wall that completely shut it off from the outside world like a fortress.
“Shall we go in?”
Seo Jeong-won’s expression tensed slightly.
Chief Jung, who had stepped out from the driver’s seat, opened the backseat door for Kwon Tae-hee.
Seo Jeong-won swallowed dryly, reached out a trembling hand, and opened the door.
As he came face to face with Kwon Tae-hee, who was walking around from behind, he awkwardly lowered his head.
“The basement is a garage, so there’s nothing to see. You’re free to use everything from the first to the third floor, but you can’t leave the premises without permission.”
“Ah, okay. I’ll be careful.”
Following Kwon Tae-hee up the stairs, a garden soon came into view.
The lush green grass was damp with moisture.
“Ah…” Seo Jeong-won let out a small sigh. The sprinklers were running, and rainbows appeared wherever the sunlight hit.
Even without much interest, if you lived here, you’d see this scene a few times.
And it was far more beautiful than anything he’d seen in his own garden.
“Take your time looking around. I hear there are quite a few fruit-bearing trees too.”
Without even glancing at the rainbows, Kwon Tae-hee led Seo Jeong-won forward.
“Come on in.”
What opened before them didn’t seem appropriate to be called just a “front door.”
Seo Jeong-won felt ashamed standing alone in a place that was too spacious and sparkling to simply be a spot for taking off shoes.
Even his sneakers were worn down at the heels—was it okay to leave them there?
“Excuse me.”
As he glanced around the space, which was smaller than his own home yet somehow grander, he spotted a clean pair of sneakers.
They didn’t look like they’d ever fit Kwon Tae-hee.
He studied them for a moment and then quietly took off his shoes and placed them neatly in a corner.
Kwon Tae-hee tilted his head, watching Seo Jeong-won, whose face was flushed for some reason.
Then, his expression suddenly twisted when he sensed a strong pheromone scent.
He had clearly told him to leave, yet the smell suggested he was still lingering in the house.
“This place is really big and nice, oh…?”
As Seo Jeong-won was admiring paintings hung at regular intervals in the hallway, he looked up at the sound of someone approaching.
Without knowing who it was, he instinctively prepared to greet them—only to stare rudely at the man in front of him.
His face looked very familiar.
“Wow, you really look a lot like me.”
A high-pitched voice rang out.
The man, with a bright demeanor, resembled Seo Jeong-won so much they could be mistaken for brothers.
“…Ah…”
His eyes trembled with confusion.
As he met the gaze of the man observing him, he looked away and sneaked a glance at Kwon Tae-hee.
“I’m Song Hae-seop. Nice to meet you.”
“Hello. I’m Seo Jeong-won.”
“Tae-hee told me to leave on Friday. I wondered why—so it was because of you, Jeong-won. Or… is it the same arrangement as mine?”
Despite the casual tone, he wasn’t smiling at all.
In fact, he looked somewhat displeased.
“What?”
“I was curious who was coming that he’d make me leave the house. Now I know. But Tae-hee, who was first—me or him?”
With a faint smile, Song Hae-seop asked the question.
Kwon Tae-hee, who had been frowning in annoyance, met his gaze and then turned his neck as if he were tired, murmuring quietly: “Do we really need to be having this conversation?”
His voice was devoid of any emotion, causing Song Hae-seop’s expression to twist.
“Well… I guess it’s not that important. These things always end up the same anyway. Still, if you were planning to bring someone else in, shouldn’t you have told me in advance?”
He spoke as if he didn’t mind, but he couldn’t quite hide the subtle hint of disappointment.
He turned his gaze toward Seo Jeong-won and stared.
Then, biting his lip, he turned his head away with a look of bitterness.
At that moment, a cold, emotionless voice rang out.
“Whether I buy one or two…”
“Items I paid for don’t have identities of their own. If you understand, just leave.”
At the sharp retort, Song Hae-seop dropped his gaze.
The hand holding the strap of his bag trembled pathetically.
“I’ll go.”
Kwon Tae-hee placed a hand on Seo Jeong-won’s shoulder, who was standing frozen in place.
Urging him to come inside, he walked past Song Hae-seop, who stood there like a tragic hero.
Even before they had exited the long hallway, the sound of the front door slamming shut echoed through the house.
“Are you curious who he is?”
Kwon Tae-hee, now having seated Seo Jeong-won on the living room sofa, asked the question.
Instead of sitting beside him, he perched on the edge of the table and exchanged a brief glance with Seo Jeong-won.
Seo Jeong-won’s dark eyes trembled like an earthquake.
Kwon Tae-hee’s light brown eyes calmly and meticulously observed his face.
They did resemble each other, just like Song Hae-seop had said.
Kwon Tae-hee hadn’t realized it until he saw them side by side.
Now he understood why he had kept rejecting the omegas the agency sent.
Even though he had always said he wanted someone calm and gentle, all of them had seemed miserable and pitiful.
When he told the agency he was switching providers, they had pleaded with his to just try one last person—and that was Song Hae-seop.
Though he wasn’t quite what he had wanted, he was still the best among the ones he had seen.
The fact that he was a recessive type had bothered him, but he figured it wouldn’t matter as long as he could conceive.
So, he even went through with the contract.
“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
The white skin, deep brown eyes, reddish lips that looked painted on, and the slender frame—all of it reminded him of someone.
A face he couldn’t quite remember flickered in his memory, but at the time, he hadn’t been able to place it.
“Seo Jeong-won.”
Then today, seeing Seo Jeong-won and Song Hae-seop side by side—he finally realized.
What it was that he truly wanted all along.
“You remember when you told me I wasn’t your best option, right?”
Has it been about six months since Song Hae-seop started coming here?
Despite being a fervent omega with potent pheromones—which led to the expectation that conception would be easy—he hadn’t gone into heat, even after taking heat-inducing medication.
Even pheromone showers only made him slightly aroused, like wet firewood that wouldn’t catch fire.
Given his traits as a recessive omega, it was an expected outcome, but there was a lingering thought of whether they should consider replacing him.
After all, the thing they’d paid for wasn’t functioning as expected.
Still, even that felt like a hassle, so the decision was to just wait a little longer.
“Is he someone I should know about?”
Jet-black hair and pupils, skin so pale and translucent that bluish veins showed through, softly blushed lips, and a body with gentle lines—looking at Seo Jeongwon, there wasn’t a single part that reminded one of Song Hae-seop.
Was this the difference between the real and the fake?
There was a growing desire that the child would resemble Seo Jeongwon.
An absurd, irrational craving to have a child with a beta.
“Executive Director?”
“No, there’s no need.”
At the low-toned reply, Seo Jeongwon gave a slight nod.
When Song Hae-seop had asked if he was being used for the same purpose, it became clear—Kwon Taehee’s “best option” was Seo Jeongwon.
If that man were to get pregnant first, what would happen to the debt that had been repaid on his brother’s behalf?
It was an irrational, shameless question—but curiosity lingered.
Still, unsure if it was appropriate to ask, the subject was changed.
“The potted plant—I should probably set it down and water it. Is there a spot that’s not too sunny, somewhere a bit shaded and cool? It’s an air-purifying plant, so it’s best to place it where someone stays often.”
“Then the bedroom would be ideal.”