Episode 4. Nouveau Depart (4)

The wait lasted longer than I thought. I left home too early, and my father told me to stay in the waiting room before calling. Even so, I had to greet the person I was talking to. I didn't even get a chance to see his face, much less give him my name.

"Chief."

Unlike me, who was stuck in the waiting room, Director Kim was busy going in and out, relaying his father's words. Once, he gave me a general idea of the meal schedule, once he brought me something to eat, and once he showed me Kwon I-do's information on a tablet PC.

And this time, what he handed me was a small bottle the size of a lipstick.

"The chairman gave it to me."

"… … ."

I could easily guess what was inside without even opening it. As I quietly touched the body, he said the words I had expected.

"It's pheromone perfume."

Pheromone perfume. I told my father several times that this kind of thing wasn't very effective.

"He said he'd call me soon, so spray it before the meal starts and come out."

Director Kim spoke calmly, but somehow his face looked awkward. He swallowed a small sigh, as if he felt sorry for saying such things. I opened the lid, sniffed, and let out a faint smile.

"You must have chosen it carefully."

The light scent was really natural, like a pheromone. A product that artificially added a unique scent for betas that couldn't sense pheromones. I've seen many perfumes so far, but this one seemed the most realistic.

"Did Director Kim choose it?"

"… … ."

Director Kim silently pushed up his glasses. It was a habit that came out when he was in trouble. Silence meant affirmation, and it was clear that he had taken the initiative himself under his father's instructions.

"I like it. I'll use it well."

It was just a polite remark, but the scent itself was actually nice. Well, it was not something he, a beta, needed to know about the lack of pheromone effects.

I pulled down the watch on my wrist and sprayed perfume on the upper part where my blood vessels pass. While I pressed my wrists together, Director Kim silently watched how much I was doing. I applied the lingering scent to the nape of my neck and asked Director Kim.

"Should I spray more?"

"… … No. That's enough."

I felt a disturbing gaze somewhere. It was the gaze he had been looking at me for the past week. If I delved deeper, I would know why, but I had never tried to look at him.

"That… … ."

Director Kim hesitated for a while after lightly speaking. When I raised my eyes to tell him to speak, only then did an awkward word come out.

"Does something like this have any meaning?"

"… … ."

The scent of flowers is so thick. The dulled sense of smell caught the unfamiliar smell amazingly. The calm and gentle scent did not feel like a pheromone to me, an omega.

"Well."

A brief trick. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Spraying perfume on a flower with no scent won't attract butterflies."

The knocking sound was heard right away, so our conversation ended there. Director Kim shut his mouth, and I stood up from my seat, leaving him behind.

The employee who came inside announced the start of the engagement ceremony.

"Mr. Jeong Se-jin, I'll get ready."

The sliding door inside the room was an exit connected to the garden, as expected. Two employees stood next to the door, and another one explained various trivial things. For example, they said that the groom would come to pick me up when the door opened, or that we could just hold hands and move.

"There's nothing difficult, so don't be nervous and just relax."

Everything was real, not a rehearsal. After waiting for so long, I ended up having an engagement ceremony without anyone seeing me. Well, even if I had seen them, it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

"Do you have any questions?"

"No, it's okay."

I straightened my watch on my wrist and straightened my clothes. Director Kim, who was waiting behind me, smoothed out the wrinkles on the back of my jacket. Finally, I even fixed my tie, and the staff nodded to the people on either side of me.

"Master."

Just before the door opened, I was stopped by a title I hadn't heard in a long time. I didn't look back, but Director Kim's voice came through clearly.

"I hope you do well."

He seemed to be saying all sorts of things. He knew better than anyone that I would do well.

"Don't worry."

The sliding doors began to open left and right. The sunlight seeping in through the narrow gap was warm enough to sting my eyes. When I closed my cold eyes tightly and opened them, a wide landscape unfolded beyond the open door.

"I'm not old enough to be called a master anymore."

The first thing I saw were flowers in full bloom. Snow-white petals replaced the silk, and colorful fresh flowers decorated the place where the guests should be.

In the middle of a dazzling, colorful garden, in the middle of a dazzling spring.

He was there.

"… … ."

That was my first impression. His neatly combed hair was neat, his formal attire, including his vest, was elegant, and his perfectly measured gait seemed noble.

Was this face, which I had seen countless times on TV or in the newspaper, so superior?

Funny enough, I even felt that the cuffs on the ends of his sleeves were special. The shoes with luxurious engravings seemed entirely for him. All of this was no exaggeration, as the man had the talent to perfectly digest everything he wore on his body.

"… … Mr. Jeong Se-jin?"

The reason I couldn't answer that question was not simply because I was impressed by his appearance. It was because he, who was chosen as a businessman who never smiled on a certain program, held out his hand with a faint smile.

"I'm Kwon I-do."

The heavy pheromone, like wet wood, matched well with his dignified voice. A presence that could not be imitated by mere perfume. A scent that could not be artificially created, engulfed me from the tips of my toes.

It was a sensation that made me feel ashamed of the perfume I had just sprayed. It was also a sense of oppression that I had never felt before. Maybe that's why I couldn't avoid the gaze that met my eyes or look away from him.

"… … ."

I felt uneasy. Was it fear of the unfamiliar alpha, or curiosity toward the unfamiliar dominant? My heart was racing, making rational thinking impossible.

"In real life… … you're much more handsome."

However, the smile that had become a habit over a long time flowed naturally in any situation. I habitually opened my eyes and placed my hand on Kwon Yi-do's outstretched hand. The moment our fingers touched, his dark pupils rippled like waves.

"This is Jeong Se-jin."

"… … ."

He didn't say anything for a long time. He just slowly moved his lips with a face that looked like it might collapse at any moment. I couldn't ask him why or what the problem was.

"… … definitely."

A large hand slowly grabbed my hand. It held it tightly enough to seem a little strong, but then quickly released its grip as if it was handling a fragile object. The extremely cold body temperature strangely approached me warmly.

"It's better to see it in person."

"… … ."

I felt a sense of deja vu. No, I should say I felt like crying. The sunlight was too strong, or maybe Kwon I-do's pheromones were coming over me sadly. There was absolutely no reason for him to look at me like this when I was meeting him for the first time in my life.

"… … I hear a lot that you don't take pictures."

I jokingly replied, but Kwon I-do's expression didn't get any better. Rather, the expressionless face he was forcing himself to maintain felt unnatural.

It was strange. That someone I didn't even know was reacting like this to me. There were many things that were off-putting about simply looking better in person than in pictures.

However, the place and the situation weren't good enough to point out that kind of awkwardness. We were engaged, but we weren't really on equal footing. I should just be thankful that he didn't feel bad about me.

"Do you know that?"

Kwon I-do opened his mouth a beat later. He turned his gaze away from me and spoke in a barely audible voice.

"How long have I waited for this moment."

"What… … ."

I followed him without being able to ask him anything because he started walking. We walked side by side on the flower-covered path, holding hands until we reached the stage. His askew face was still filled with incomprehensible emotions.

The engagement ceremony was held just like a wedding. We exchanged gifts according to the host's instructions, and the cake was cut while the two families watched. On the right were my parents, Minjae, and Seoyoung. On the left were the family of Seonho Group. Except for the absence of guests, the ceremony was no different from a wedding.

Kwon Yi-do maintained a poker face the whole time after he first showed signs of agitation. He hesitated for a moment when he put the ring on my hand, but it was such a small change that I didn't even notice it. If I hadn't heard his exhalation, I probably wouldn't have noticed it even though I was nearby.

The ring he gave me was prepared by the Seonho Group, but the gem in the center was not cubic no matter how you looked at it. It was probably a diamond, or something else. Either way, it felt excessive to use as an engagement ring.

"I sincerely congratulate you on your engagement."

After all the food was over, the two families began a meal while popping champagne. It was essentially a meeting to establish trust between companies. Kwon and I, sitting next to each other, thought that if there had been a reporter, the shutters would have been snapped continuously, as the two families sat across from each other.

"It's an honor to be in-laws like this. Vice President Kwon Sang-mi."

My father bowed with a rare expression to please the Seonho Group. Min-jae continued eating silently, and Seo-young was the same. Only my mother was the same as usual, but even she was just keeping her back straight so as not to show her nervousness.

"It's an honor. "Since this is the family our son chose, we have high expectations."

The vice president of the group, Kwon I-do's mother, treated her father with the typical face of a businessperson. She did not give excessive compliments, was not arrogant, and did not show any humility. She simply accepted her father's flattery leisurely, as successful people usually do.

"Unfortunately, my second son could not attend, but I am glad that Haesin understood. I hope this event will be beneficial to both companies."

"Haha, what can I do because of work? Yes, Vice President. I will never disappoint you."

Kwon Sang-mi's husband sat next to her, and Kwon I-do's older sister and her husband and their seven-year-old daughter were next to her. That little girl was that rare female alpha. I remember the day the results of the genetic test came out, she was the center of attention of the media.

More than that, that... ... I think I should cut it up.

I felt really sorry for her wrestling with a steak the size of my face. He held a knife in his small hand, but it didn't seem to be working. If the place was closer, I could at least change the plate. With that thought, I squinted my eyes.

"… … ."

Suddenly, the child raised his head. Since he had been absentmindedly staring, our eyes met before he could turn his head. His round eyes opened wide, and his tightly shut lips moved slightly.

Before I could explain, the child turned his head with a pouty face. His pale cheeks twitched as if he was embarrassed by his own shortcomings. While I was feeling sorry for no reason, I heard someone laughing.

"Hye-yul, you're a little shy."

"… … Ah."

It was Kwon Ido. He looked back and forth between me and the child with an interested look, not knowing how long he had been watching. Yes, his name was Kwon Hye-yul. There had been an article saying that he named it Hye-yul after the art gallery owned by the Seonho Foundation.

"Brother-in-law. Please cut Hye-yul's meat."

Kwon I-do casually spoke to his family while I was feeling embarrassed. The man who was talking about the cultural foundation donation turned his gaze to Kwon Hye-yul's plate. Kwon I-do's older sister also looked at Kwon Hye-yul.

"Our Hye-yul hasn't been eating meat?"

"No, she has been eating."

"Really? Then I'll cut up the rest."

His gentle smile was clearly that of a father who loved his daughter. Kwon I-do's older sister kept trying to dissuade him, saying that he should keep doing it, but even that was nothing more than nagging filled with affection. Those who were considered such cool-headed businessmen now looked like nothing more than an ordinary family.

"The vice president and his wife are such a good couple."

My father, without missing the opportunity, praised them with a happy smile. He even looked at me with a face filled with emotion.

"Our Sejin also had a hard time when he was young because he wasn't used to handling a knife… … . Right, honey?"

"Of course. You taught him how to do this."

"I brought our Sejin in and raised him like my own child. It breaks my heart to send him off to you, Director."

It was a very affectionate conversation. If others heard about it, they would think, "This is a really harmonious family."

"Sejin is so well-off now, but when he was young, I had to take care of him so much… … ."

"… … ."

The food I was eating felt as rough as sand. The little appetite I had left had now disappeared without a single drop.

I quietly lowered my eyes and looked at the plate in front of me. The neatly cut food was the result of the education I received from my father when I was young. No, to be exact, it was the manners I learned to survive by starving for three days and nights.

"Children are immature in everything."

A soft voice dug into my dull ears. I had felt this way since earlier, but Kwon-do had a good pronunciation for no reason. Maybe it was because of the pheromones, but it felt a little strange.

"It's natural for parents to help them go down the right path."

It was a prickly remark for some reason. Maybe I was the only one who felt that way, but my father responded with an excited voice.

"Oh, Director Kwon-do, your educational philosophy suits me well. You'll be a great father later."

I thought it was a little too polite to use toward my son's spouse. The funny thing was that I didn't feel any discomfort at that.

"Now that we're on the subject, how about our Sejin and our children's plans… … ."

Jjanggeurang.

Before my father could finish speaking, a strange sound interrupted the conversation. It was the sound of Min-jae, who had been silent, dropping his fork onto the plate. Minjae quickly grabbed his fork again with a flushed face.

"I'm sorry."

An awkward silence hung over the table. His father, who had been glaring fiercely, coughed.

"My child is still a student, so he's not used to this kind of situation… … ."

"No, I understand."

For the second time, his father's words were cut off. This time, since the other person was Kwon Ido, his father's mouth trembled and his expression remained gentle. Kwon Ido took a sip of champagne and put his glass down gently.

"I told you. Children are immature in many ways. As you saw earlier, my nephew is not used to handling cutlery."

Minjae, who had suddenly become the same age as a seven-year-old, frowned. Still, he seemed unable to protest openly, so he lowered his head to hold back his anger. Even he, who was not afraid of anything, had no choice but to endure in this situation.

"Ha, haha… … . I'm glad you understand."

As expected of someone who had been running a business for a long time, my father was much better at controlling his facial expressions than Minjae. My mother, who was handing Minjae a napkin, also tried to keep a smile on her face.

Kwon Yi-do looked at them and made a light remark.

"Did you ask about our plans for children?"

No one answered, but he didn't care. He just glanced at the family members except for me and added in a calm tone.

"Well, I'm sure no one doesn't know that this engagement ceremony is a kind of contract… … ."

Why wouldn't he? There was a reason why my father was so humble even though he was having such a fancy ceremony.

"While we're on the subject, let's talk about the conditions."