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    Loves Balance

    Coincidentally, their previous conversation had touched on the underfed people of Mangwol District, so he couldn’t just pretend he hadn’t heard. Jae-seung asked, intending both to ensure Shin-woo ate and to send him away:

    “Hey. You haven’t eaten, right? Go get some food and come back.”

    “I’m fine.”

    “Then bring me a bottle of wine so I can drink.”

    “I’m fine.”

    This bastard. Even after staring at him blankly, Shin-woo showed no signs of backing down, so Jae-seung finally surrendered. He called Shin-woo to the nearest guest room, saying they needed to talk for a moment.

    As if they had paired up during the blackout, there were people in the guest room passionately kissing and rolling around on the bed. As soon as the door flung open, they hurriedly gathered their clothes and fled. Jae-seung sighed and gestured to Shin-woo. He truly intended only to talk, but perhaps due to the couple who had been on the bed, the air in the room felt somewhat heated.

    Though he must have sensed the tension, Shin-woo trudged in and casually sat on the bed. Naturally, his eye level lowered significantly, and once again, his eyes looked up at Jae-seung. Faced with the same docile expression as when he had knelt in the storage room, Jae-seung was momentarily at a loss for words.

    He couldn’t fathom the intentions of this guy who had rushed here despite his girlfriend looking for a store in another region. To the point where Jae-seung felt foolish for having worried until just before the party that Shin-woo might run far away, the man had come fully prepared today. Even bringing his underlings along.

    “Why are you here sabotaging the party instead of going on a date?”

    Though his inner desire to ask about the girlfriend seemed too blatantly exposed, he didn’t mind since Shin-woo had indeed ruined the party. Shin-woo chuckled and replied,

    “My girlfriend is busy looking for a new monthly rent right now.”

    Is this bastard subtly testing me? As Jae-seung frowned, Shin-woo briefly added, “I also wanted to wish you a happy birthday in person rather than just texting.”

    “The recent blackout was caused by someone cutting the power.”

    But soon he revealed his true colors, instilling fear by mentioning ‘someone’ had cut the power.

    “I know. There were people who came to someone else’s party wearing funeral attire.”

    It was necessary to let him know that he knew exactly who this ‘someone’ was. Pointing out the funeral attire, Jae-seung deliberately looked Shin-woo up and down in his black suit. He expected Shin-woo to falter a bit, but he remained brazenly firm.

    “They didn’t just cut the power out of boredom; they came to kill you, young master.”

    It wasn’t entirely surprising that the people who likely killed his father were now targeting the son. Just as he had invited them to the mansion today, had Shin-woo also invited his underlings to the mansion that day in the past to kill his father?

    “They failed and left, but you need to be careful. You obviously need protection, and from now on, don’t hold parties like this without me. It’s dangerous to let just anyone into the mansion.”

    The reason for his warning was simple: You’re not safe without me. Keep me by your side and continue to spend money on me. To make this clear, he had even staged a blackout at his birthday party to put on a show.

    It was essentially a threat.

    “Alright.”

    “…”

    “If you’re going this far, I can’t say no.”

    Jae-seung emphasized “this far.” The purpose was to hint that he wasn’t a clueless idiot.

    He had no other choice, but he also realized that keeping Shin-woo at a distance wasn’t always the best strategy. With Shin-woo completely outside the mansion, Jae-seung had been more anxious and on edge, not knowing what he might be plotting. He had ended up hiring a detective but remained completely unaware until Shin-woo brought outsiders into the mansion.

    In this case, it’s better to keep him close and monitor him. Having reached this conclusion, Jae-seung spoke,

    “Come back.”

    At those words, Shin-woo looked up. As his facial muscles moved, his two ears twitched slightly. Jae-seung, who had been glaring at the round edges of his ears, abruptly turned his gaze away.

    “To the main mansion, not the annex.”

    “Where I was before is fine.”

    “It’s too isolated. How would I know if you bring your girlfriend there to sleep?”

    He meant to criticize Shin-woo for bringing just anyone into the mansion, like his underlings today, but Shin-woo suddenly changed the subject.

    “I’m thinking of bringing in a puppy.”

    Thinking Shin-woo was deliberately deflecting, Jae-seung felt both angry and his eyes rolled at the mention of a puppy. The idea of bringing a mutt he was raising with his girlfriend into his mansion made Jae-seung want to ask if Shin-woo was testing his patience. Suppressing the urge to swear, Jae-seung tried to speak calmly.

    “I don’t keep dogs anymore, so leave it with your girlfriend.”

    “Then I’ll just commute from a hotel. But please let me bring it when I come to work.”

    “Shit, how’s that any different from keeping it here?”

    “I’ll keep it in the garden. If it plays there, it shouldn’t be much of a bother.”

    Not a bother? That finally made him explode. Jae-seung spilled out all the words he had been holding back.

    “Why are you bringing a dog you’re raising with your girlfriend here? Is this a dog park? Can’t you separate personal and professional life in a job you’re paid for? Does your girlfriend tell you to do this? Is she that inconsiderate? If so, it means neither you nor that woman have the means to raise a dog in the first place. What made you think you could raise a dog? Why are humans so irresponsible?”

    “…It’s a puppy I picked up. Not one we’re raising together.”

    After quietly listening to the torrent of words, Shin-woo reluctantly mumbled. Seeing him look somewhat complicated as he said this, Jae-seung closed his mouth.

    Picking up a dog while away from the mansion, does this guy who’s not even sure where he’ll stay lack self-awareness? It was absurd, but perhaps because Shin-woo was being submissive, Jae-seung’s anger subsided. Considering how Shin-woo was trying to stay close, it could become his weakness, so keeping it in the garden didn’t seem too bad.

    “I don’t like dogs, so keep it out of my sight. And.”

    Jae-seung firmly laid down the rules, crossing his arms.

    “I’ll pay you the same as before. In return, you’ll deal with me during my rut periods.”

    There was one more thing to make clear. Better to exploit than be used by him.

    “Not just limited to rut periods, do it regularly.”

    “…Pardon?”

    Shin-woo flinched in surprise, raising his eyebrows high. Seeing him unable to hide his bewilderment was enjoyable. Jae-seung stood askew and attached a half-hearted excuse.

    “I heard I’m not good at controlling my pheromones. I think doing it regularly might help.”

    “Is that a proven theory?”

    “Yeah. It’s in research papers.”

    Proof or not, ejaculating did make his body feel lighter. Shin-woo clenched his jaw at the lie Jae-seung told without blinking. His ears twitched again.

    “It seems like there’s no basis for this at all.”

    “It’s true. Look at today, after ejaculating once, my energy became very stable.”

    “That’s because of the Omega, but normally-“

    “I’m unstable normally too. Yewook was saying so? Though you probably wouldn’t understand even if I explained it to you.”

    A Beta can’t sense pheromones, so he won’t be able to refute. Jae-seung babbled nonsense.

    “Let’s do it when I want to.”

    “…”

    “And when you want to as well.”

    Recalling the incident in the storage room, Jae-seung added mischievously. Hesitating for a while without immediately answering the subtle probing, Shin-woo rubbed his forehead. He sighed loudly, as if for Jae-seung to hear.

    “I’ll have to think about that.”

    “Do you think I’m giving you a choice here?”

    After briefly making a strange expression at the retort, he sighed even longer than before.

    “Alright. But I don’t think it will help.”

    “Good. And one last thing.”

    Another? Shin-woo’s furrowed brow as he looked up seemed to say. Even if it takes longer, I need to be clear about what needs to be clear. Jae-seung dropped his playful attitude and spoke firmly.

    “Break up with your girlfriend. My conscience won’t let me sleep with someone who has a partner.”

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