IBPC | Chapter 12.1

When Seoyul woke up, he saw the dim dawn light filling the room. It seemed he had fallen asleep while intending to just rest his eyes for a moment. Squinting, he looked around and saw Heegon lying beside him.

“……”

Even with his eyes closed, Heegon’s face maintained its sculpted appearance. His thick eyebrows and long, prominent nose made his eyes look deeply set, giving him a profound look.

His thin, straight lips hinted at his stubborn nature. Most strikingly, Heegon’s jawline, extending from beneath his ears, was incredibly handsome.

Seoyul lay there, absentmindedly staring at Heegon’s face. Truly, a dominant alpha was superior. But who would believe that such a man, a prince of the Jinha Kingdom, was jealous of his brother because of him?

“How did Kangmu smell your scent? …What did you do for him to smell your scent?”

Of course, he was the only omega in this world. Being drawn to each other’s pheromones was instinctual, and Heegon might have just been showing simple possessiveness. But…

“…He’s kind of cute.”

Seoyul gently brushed the hair that had fallen over Heegon’s chin with his fingertips. He tried to suppress the smile spreading across his lips.

Honestly, he couldn’t deny it any longer. His heart kept being drawn to Heegon. When Heegon looked at him intently, or when he showed unintentional kindness, or even…

When they shared ordinary kisses, not driven by pheromones during their intimate moments, but just caught up in the mood.

Tae Heegon, he couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering helplessly. Maybe it was because he had never met an alpha before, but… what could he do? It’s not like this excitement was entirely false.

But…

As Seoyul watched Heegon, lost in thought, another emotion began to surface, catching him off guard.

What if these feelings grow uncontrollably? What should I do then?

Seoyul looked at Heegon with increasingly heavy eyes. The deeper he thought, the more complicated his heart became, making it hard to take his eyes off Heegon. Outside, the sky was gradually brightening.

“……?”

Seoyul, still asleep, felt a gentle breath on his cheek. He furrowed his brow slightly and slowly opened his eyes. As his vision cleared, he saw black eyes coming into focus.

Who…?

Still groggy from sleep, Seoyul stared blankly as the black eyes came closer.

“You sleep quite late, don’t you?”

It was Heerang, leaning her face close to Seoyul’s.

“……?!”

Recognizing her belatedly, Seoyul opened his eyes wide. Heerang tilted her head and rubbed Seoyul’s cheek with her small hand.

“Wake up, let’s go pick some flowers together.”

“……?”

“You don’t have anything else to do, right?”

“……?”

Am I still dreaming?

Seoyul looked up at Heerang, at a loss for words.

Seoyul yawned widely. As Heerang said, it was late morning, but Seoyul had spent the early hours staring at Heegon after waking up in the middle of the night. Unable to fall back asleep, he only managed to doze off again long after the sun had risen, leaving him tired.

Seoyul wondered why he had to accompany the Imperial Princess to pick flowers, looking at the flowers in his hands. Heerang had already handed him a handful of flowers she had picked.

“My brother likes flowers.”

Heerang was earnestly picking the prettiest flowers among them. Her words made Seoyul frown slightly.

Heegon? Likes flowers? He didn’t seem like it.

“When I pick flowers and put them in his room, he really likes it.”

Ah, it’s not the flowers he likes, but the thoughtfulness of his cute little sister picking them for him.

Seoyul finally understood and chuckled. Heerang, hearing the sound, stopped picking flowers and turned around.

“Are you scared of my brother too?”

“…What?”

A somewhat unexpected question. Seoyul responded with an awkward sound instead of an answer.

Scared of Heegon? …Dubo said the same thing before. Is Heegon really that scary? He seemed nice to his sister.

Standing there without answering, Heerang took his silence as agreement and pouted. She approached Seoyul, lowering her voice.

“But… he’s not.”

“……? What do you mean?”

“My brother… he’s actually a kind person.”

What kind of reputation does Tae Heegon have with others?

Seoyul chuckled wryly to himself. He crouched down to Heerang’s level, lifting the flowers she had given him with a bright smile.

“I know, the prince is a kind person.”

“……”

“Just seeing how he looks at the Imperial Princess, his eyes drip with honey. How could I not know?”

“Why would honey drip from his eyes?”

“Well… it means he looks at you so kindly, that feeling shows. It feels so sweet, we say honey drips from the eyes where I’m from.”

Seoyul quickly explained his words. Heerang looked at Seoyul for a moment, then smiled, seeming a bit cheered up.

“You too.”

“…What?”

“When my brother looks at you, honey drips from his eyes too.”

Heerang’s words made Seoyul’s eyes widen in surprise.

An awkward laugh followed. It was to hide his blushing face from the unexpected comment.

⊹₊⟡⋆

“Is he really a fully grown Eumin?”

Heegon had been planning to visit Kangmu anyway, but before noon, Kangmu came to see him first. They sat in silence with tea in front of them until Kangmu finally broke the silence.

Heegon answered without lifting his head. “How did you know?”

“Well… I caught the scent yesterday.”

“……”

“You might not know, but Eumins are occasionally born on my mother’s side. When I was young, I met an Eumin my age. Of course, they didn’t survive to adulthood…”

Kangmu reminisced about the past before returning to the present. “But I was so surprised to see that boy yesterday. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a healthy, adult Eumin. How on earth—”

“—Enough.”

Heegon wondered if he could come up with an excuse for Kangmu. But seeing Kangmu’s certainty, he realized it was futile. So he cut Kangmu off with a firm voice.

“Keep your mouth shut.”

“What?”

“You saw nothing and no one yesterday. Do you understand me?”

Heegon finally met Kangmu’s gaze. Kangmu couldn’t hide his bewilderment, understanding what Heegon’s eyes were saying.

“But… hyung-nim, surely you don’t intend to keep that boy being an Eumin a secret?”

“……”

“You know, don’t you? Any Eumin who survives past sixteen must be reported to the kingdom.”

“All you need to do is keep quiet.”

“What do you mean…”

Kangmu looked at Heegon with disbelief. But Heegon showed no signs of wavering. Realizing this, Kangmu felt overwhelmed.

“Hyung-nim, if His Majesty finds out, there will be severe consequences.”

“I’m not saying I can hide it forever.”

“Then what?”

Heegon paused before answering Kangmu, who was waiting for a response. “At least… once he bears my child.”

“…What?”

“Once he conceives my child…”

But his words trailed off, leaving them unfinished. Kangmu’s expression turned to one of concern at Heegon’s ambiguity.

“Do you truly not understand the gravity of this? What will you do afterward? If a man conceives, it will be obvious to everyone that he’s an Eumin, and then—”

“You’re unusually talkative.”

As Kangmu continued to express his concerns, Heegon frowned and cast an annoyed glance.

“Why, are you tempted by the Eumin?”

Kangmu was momentarily speechless at Heegon’s sharp gaze, like a predator baring its claws. He recalled past memories, thinking of the boy and his brother.

Though they hadn’t met often, the boy and hyung-nim…

Kangmu remembered the two of them together on the city wall during the Lantern Festival.

“Are you keeping him just to have an heir?”

“……”

“From what I see, hyung-nim, you…”

Thud—

Heegon stood up abruptly, slamming his hand on the table. The teacups in front of them shook violently.

Heegon leaned closer to Kangmu. “I already have another Eumin who has survived the second bout of erotomania. Once they endure the third and fourth, I’ll bring them to the palace. When the time comes, I’ll handle both the boy and the Eumin outside the palace. Until then, keep your mouth shut.”

“……”

“Of course, I’ll reward you appropriately, so don’t be greedy and wait. My priority is having an heir.”

A threatening scent emanated from Heegon’s body. Sensing it, Kangmu had more to say but held back. It seemed Heegon misunderstood something about him. What concerned him most about this situation was simply…

Kangmu eventually closed his mouth. Heegon, too, retracted the scent he had been emitting. But in that moment…

“……?”

Heegon sensed something and looked up. As he withdrew his scent, he felt a presence…

This is…

Heegon, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, quickly stood up and approached the door, flinging it open.

“……”

There stood Heerang, looking up at him with wide eyes, her hands full of flowers. But Heegon’s gaze passed over her, focusing on the end of the empty hallway. The faint trace of a scent he could keenly detect lingered there.

Seoyul…

As Heegon frowned, Heerang pursed her lips and dropped the flowers she was holding onto the floor. She looked up at Heegon with a disappointed voice.

“The flowers in the garden were so pretty… I wanted to bring them to you.”

“……”

“But you made me a liar, brother.”

Heerang turned her back on Heegon. “I told Seoyul that you were a kind person… but you’re so mean, brother.”

She hurriedly left Heegon’s room. Watching her retreating figure, Heegon unconsciously bit the inside of his mouth.

⊹₊⟡⋆

Heegon entered Seoyul’s room. He saw Seoyul’s back as he sat by the table near the window. He didn’t need to pay much attention to notice Seoyul flinch at his entrance.

Heegon hesitated for a moment before approaching Seoyul. Seoyul turned his head to look up at him.

A face that seemed unaffected.