House of the Fog

Ms. Gong sighed deeply as she ladled the soup. Her sharply drawn eyebrows lowered. It was the first time she showed emotion. The thin man nodded in agreement.“…”Dan was frozen stiff. He had never imagined that the person supposed to give him his seed would be too busy to do so.Whether she knew his inner turmoil or not,“Eat before it gets cold.”Ms. Gong gestured for him to sit quickly. Then she took a spoonful of the soup to her mouth. The man also scooped a mouthful of rice into his mouth.Rice, and meat too.Snapping back to reality, Dan pulled out a chair and sat down, then timidly picked up his chopsticks. Even the chopsticks in a rich household were heavy and luxurious.Dan hesitated for a moment before following Ms. Gong’s lead and taking a sip of the soup. His eyes widened as soon as he swallowed.“Wow… It’s… It’s so delicious.”The soup, rich with the flavors of beef and radish, was incredibly savory. It was seasoned perfectly for eating with rice, the meat was tender, and the radish was soft yet had enough texture when chewed.Dan kept scooping soup into his mouth, even furrowing his brows in delight.“…Really?”Ms. Gong raised an eyebrow. Her spoon swam in the soup with a ‘splash’.“It’s the best soup I’ve ever had in my life.”Dan said after swallowing another gulp of soup. At the orphanage, the soups were things like dried radish soup, miso soup without any solids, or kimchi soup with floating red pepper flakes. Meals with soup were rare to begin with, so this soup had to be delicious. It was almost heavenly.“Why go that far…”Ms. Gong lowered her eyes, then cleared her throat and straightened her back.After that, Dan exclaimed with every bite of side dish. “Hmm,” “Mmm,” “Wow,” “Oh wow,” were the sounds he made. He didn’t seem aware of it, but the table was quite noisy.Ms. Gong glanced at Dan. It wasn’t to tell him off for being loud during the meal. She was just curious because a food-loving child had entered their usually quiet house.Dan ate the bean sprouts with gusto, put some squid jeotgal on his rice, and after eating the anchovies, drank soup because the accompanying chili was too spicy.“Eat this too.”At that point, Ms. Gong pushed the last remaining fried egg towards him. Dan only peeked up with his eyes to check, then said, “Thank you,” and moved it to his rice bowl. He then carefully tore it apart with his chopsticks, savoring it.Dan’s chopsticks moved busily, and his cheeks, puffed out, moved even busier. However, he didn’t touch the mackerel. Half of it was eaten by the man, and the other half remained untouched. He looked at it several times but didn’t reach for it with his chopsticks.“You can’t eat fish?”Ms. Gong asked.“Oh, no.”Dan shook his head side to side.“Then why aren’t you eating it?”“Well… Can I… eat it?”At that, Ms. Gong chuckled.“What’s there to stop you? It’s not like we’re saving it for the Colonel.”“…”“Anyway, the Colonel hardly ever eats at home. We should eat it.”Dan blinked slowly. Why? Why doesn’t he eat this delicious food? Is he full from eating people outside? The questions nearly came out, but he managed to swallow them back. Even if he lacked social cues, he knew this was a secret.At that point, the man, who had been silently eating, finished his rice and left. Feeling oddly relieved, Dan reached for the mackerel. The mackerel was, of course, delicious, tender, savory, and salty.Soon, Dan’s rice bowl was empty too. He licked the end of his spoon, an uncouth and dirty habit, but he had never received any table manners education at the orphanage.Dan felt regret, not for the meal but for the remaining bean sprouts. However, he didn’t feel he could eat them without rice; if he did, Ms. Gong might report to Taejae that they had brought in a pig instead of a seed bearer and kick him out.When he reluctantly put down his spoon,“Do you want more rice?”Ms. Gong asked.“Can I?”Dan asked back with a bright smile, then quickly regained his composure.“Oh, no, it’s okay. I’ve eaten well.”“You don’t want any? There’s some left.”“It’s fine.”“Then I’ll have to throw it away.”“Throw… throw away the rice?”“Yes. We’ll have to cook for dinner too. Making scorched rice isn’t something we do every day.”“Well… Then, I’ll eat it.”Dan stood up, pushing his chair back. Ms. Gong didn’t stop him; instead, she kindly served him more rice herself. She also gave him new soup. It seemed like there was more than in the first serving, but Dan was just happy.He cleaned out all the remaining side dishes. He even scraped the sauce from the squid jeotgal dish and didn’t miss a single sesame seed on the vegetable dish. He drank every last drop of the soup.Ms. Gong sat expressionlessly in front of Dan while he did this. And when Dan finally put down his spoon, she asked casually,“Your name is…”“Yes?”“Your name. What’s your name?”At this unexpected question, Dan blinked several times before he caught on.“Oh, my name. You’re asking for my name? I’m Dan. Just Dan, not ‘Da’ as in Da family.”“Ah, I see, Mr. Dan.”Ms. Gong nodded in understanding, then started moving the empty dishes to a tray. Dan sat there in a daze for a moment.Mr. Dan.She called me Mr. Dan.It was the first time he had heard such an address. At the orphanage, he was rarely called by his name; it was always “hey,” “you,” “kid,” or “this brat.” But “Mr. Dan”? He had only been twenty for a few months, but he felt like an adult for the first time. His heart fluttered.Dan stood up, carefully stacking his dishes.“I’ll do the dishes.”But Ms. Gong tried to take the dishes.“It’s fine.”Dan held onto the dishes.“Uh… I’ll be careful not to break anything. I’m good at washing dishes.”“It’s really okay.”Ms. Gong eventually took the dishes back and headed to the kitchen briskly. Dan followed her with a puzzled look.“Then should I clean? Sweep or mop… Oh, I can do laundry too.”“No. Go back to your room.”Ms. Gong was firm and didn’t look at Dan anymore. Instead, she showed her annoyance through her actions, indicating he should leave.“…”However, Dan couldn’t easily leave. He tilted his body left and right, watching Ms. Gong’s mood. After wandering around the kitchen entrance for a few minutes, Ms. Gong looked at him with a face that screamed irritation.“Are you monitoring me?”With that question, Dan had no choice but to return to his room. He wanted to do some cleaning, but the house was so large he didn’t know where the broom was. Deciding it was better to stay in his room than to cause trouble by poking around, he closed his door and sighed deeply.“Ha…”The room was still the same, spacious, clean, and luxurious. But it didn’t feel like his room. It was too grand for him.Dan removed the wig that was lying on the bed like a centipede, straightened the sheets, and then tidied the already tidy room. As he did, sleepiness gradually crept over him. It seemed like the price for staying awake until dawn was now coming due.However, Dan didn’t lie down on the bed; he sat in the desk chair. He knew he’d get scolded if he was found lounging during the day. Director Lee had said that lazy servants get slapped.Dan propped his elbows on the desk, staring out the window with half-closed eyes. The fog was so thick that nothing was visible, yet he kept looking.Hoping that maybe Taejae would appear through that dense fog.“When will he come…”He should come by tonight.Only then can I bear his seed.Though the room was nice, the food was tasty, and the people were dignified, Dan still wanted to finish his ‘task’ and return to the orphanage quickly.Because that was his home.There, Father was, and though not close, there were other male omegas in the same situation as him. After living with them day in and day out, being alone here felt strange, cold, and lonely.“Sigh…”Dan sighed again. While swaying side to side, he reached out and opened one of the windows, thinking he might hear Taejae’s arrival.Fog began to seep in through the open window, bringing with it the smell of grass and stone. The damp, humid air clung to his face and soon enveloped his entire body.Dan slumped over the desk. He just stared blankly at the misty haze with only his eyes open.Dan ended up sleeping for a long time, draped over the desk. It was a deep sleep that made him miss both lunch and dinner. He woke up because of the cold. His nose was freezing, making it hard to breathe.“Ugh…”Dan groaned as he sat up. His back, which had been bent, his arms that had supported his head, and his curled-up body ached everywhere. But the most painful was, of course, the cold. His bones felt like they were freezing.Wondering why it was so cold, he remembered he had left the window open. As he got up to close it, he realized the world outside was pitch black. Meaning, it was night.“Is he still not back…”Or did he come back, but I was too asleep to notice?Dan bit his lip as he closed the window. But at that moment, two sharp beams of light pierced through the fog. Then came the sound of heavy wheels crushing gravel and an engine growl like a beast’s roar. It was a car.It’s Taejae.Dan realized this easily. He frantically searched for and put on his wig, adjusted his clothes in front of the mirror, and then rushed out of the room like he was escaping from a burning house.He reached the entrance after passing through a hallway that had become somewhat familiar after a day, and Ms. Gong was already there to greet.“…Mr. Dan?”She looked at him with wide eyes, as if to ask why he was there.“Hello.”Dan smiled awkwardly and stood beside her. His fingers, clasped below his belly, fidgeted nervously.He had come out because he felt he should, but now that he thought about facing Taejae, he didn’t know what to do. He tried to think, but his head, which had always been dull, wasn’t suddenly going to become clever.Dan was wasting time biting his lower lip when the front door burst open, and a wave of cold air rushed in. Startled, Dan looked at the door without realizing it.It was Taejae. He was entering while holding open the heavy, thick door with one hand.He was wearing a pine-green military uniform, which felt quite different from the formal attire he had seen yesterday. His jacket was in his hand, and instead, he wore a long-sleeved t-shirt. The thin fabric revealed his massive, muscular arms clearly. His chest and abs, sculpted by muscle, were distinctly masculine. His forearms were so thick and veiny that the shirt seemed to struggle to contain them.Though he had no fat, his waist was thick and solid, secured by a black belt, and his pants, also pine-green, were thick and roomy. He wore boots that were pitch black and looked as heavy as steel.There was also a subtle scent of earth; his boots were caked with mud, as Ms. Gong had mentioned, he must have been to training.“You’re back.”Ms. Gong greeted him with a bow.“Yes.”Taejae responded shortly.“You’re, you’re back.”Dan followed suit in greeting.“…”Taejae’s eyes narrowed slightly. It was understandable since Dan, who wasn’t called for, had come out to greet him.Taejae looked at Dan for a moment but didn’t acknowledge his greeting. He sighed briefly and handed his coat to Ms. Gong, who folded it in half and placed it over her arm.Suddenly, Taejae sat down on the edge of the entrance and began to untie his tightly laced boots with practiced hands. Ms. Gong just watched without helping.To Dan, it was a strange sight. A servant was right there, yet he was taking off his own shoes. Director Lee would call his sons every time he needed to take off or put on his shoes.“Have you had dinner?”Ms. Gong asked in a quiet voice.“Yes. I’ve eaten.”Taejae replied in an equally quiet voice. Once he had his boots off, he stood up, and Ms. Gong placed slippers in front of him. He put them on and fully entered the house.“Shall I make you some coffee?”“That would be nice. I’ll be taking a shower, so take your time.”“Yes.”Their conversation was dry, but it seemed normal and routine. It was a cycle they had repeated for decades, and Dan felt like he had no place in it.After this brief exchange, Taejae walked past Dan without hesitation, as if passing through a wall. His indifferent steps made Dan’s wig flutter.It was a perfect dismissal.An utterly dismissive one.It was clear now. Taejae had no interest in Dan whatsoever.Dan’s face drooped as if someone was pulling it down from below.He never thought being a seed bearer would be easy, but he hadn’t expected it to be this hard. What he had worried about was violence, abuse, or scorn, not being ignored.Dan watched Taejae’s back as he crossed the hallway with large strides. At that moment, Taejae passed by Dan’s room. Dan’s eyes drooped even further.Taejae must have passed his room when he left the house too.And yet, he didn’t come to find him.Even though he knew that Dan was in that ‘first room’.Director Lee had said that an alpha couldn’t resist an omega, but was that wrong?Dan sighed deeply, feeling like the ground was collapsing beneath him, when Ms. Gong, who was shaking off Taejae’s clothes, spoke.“Mr. Dan, you should go back to your room.”“…Yes.”She turned away from Dan and headed towards the kitchen. Dan turned in the opposite direction. After taking one step, two steps, three steps, he stopped abruptly. Quickly catching his breath, he turned around and ran back to Ms. Gong.“Ms. Gong, Ms. Gong!”“Yes?”“The coffee. Can I, can I bring it to him?”“To where?”“To the Colonel…”“…”Ms. Gong blinked quickly, her wrinkled eyes showing confusion at what this dull and fearless omega was talking about. Dan hastily added,“I won’t steal it. I, I won’t break anything. I’ll just deliver it.”At that, Ms. Gong, with her chin tucked in, stared at Dan with wide eyes.“Be careful… be careful…”Dan’s hands trembled, causing the black liquid on the tray to wobble. One wrong move, and coffee would spill over the edge of the teacup painted with blue flowers. The cup Ms. Gong had wiped several times before placing on the tray must not be dirtied.Dan walked two steps, stopped, walked another two steps, and stopped again. At this rate, the coffee would be cold by the time he reached Taejae’s room, but there was no other way.After some time, Dan finally reached the end of the hallway with the stairs. As he was about to climb, he met the gaze of a folk painting on the wall.“A Magpie and Tiger…”Dan murmured the name of the painting.A “Magpie and Tiger” painting, where a tiger, a magpie, and a pine tree were depicted, symbolizing warding off misfortune and bringing luck into the house. Though crude, there was a similar one in Director Lee’s room, so Dan knew about it.For a moment, Dan forgot about the coffee he was holding and looked up at the painting. The beautifully drawn tiger, the magpie with shiny feathers, and the blue pine tree, it was truly a magnificent picture.Who painted this? It must have been by a very, very famous artist. It would be expensive too, hanging in such a place in this house.Dan, with his mouth hanging open, admired the painting before snapping back to reality. He quickly passed by the painting and set his foot on the stairs.The stairs were either naturally that color of wood or had darkened with age, a very deep brown.The walls along the staircase were covered with frames, and from a quick guess, they included shiny medals, portraits, and black-and-white photos.The people in the photos seemed to be Taejae’s family, but who his parents were was unclear since all the pictures showed were young people. Moreover, given the size of the mansion, there should have been room for twenty family members, yet the photos only showed groups of three or four.Of course, there were pictures with many people, but those looked like military unit photos. Everyone in uniform and holding guns, so they must be.Dan climbed the stairs while glancing at the frames. The stairs were solid, slightly creaky, and very cold. He had come out in such a hurry that he was barefoot, and it felt like he was stepping on ice.By the time he reached the second floor, his cheeks were flushed with heat, and his breathing was heavy.The second floor had a different atmosphere from the first. There were no windows since rooms lined both sides, making it feel darker and quieter. The air felt heavier, almost crushing.The lights placed at regular intervals were bright enough to walk by but somehow felt eerie and distant.There was also a strange smell. It wasn’t wood or marble, nor was it human scent. It was thick and sticky, clinging to the skin rather than entering the nose.How to describe it? Yes, it was like the fog surrounding this mansion. Very thick, heavy, and cold.Though the scent was mysterious, it wasn’t bad. It was rather addictive. Unconsciously, Dan took deep breaths as he walked slowly.“I can do it. I can do it.”Dan opened his eyes wide, gripping the tray tighter and tensing his jaw.‘Can you do well? I believe in you.’

Remembering the words Director Lee said before leaving gave him a little courage. Dan kept taking deep breaths, following the directions Ms. Gong had given him.‘After climbing the stairs, you’ll see a long hallway.’He passed through the quiet hallway.‘Walk straight, and you’ll see a space branching off to the right. There will be a sofa and a table; it’s the guest room for visitors.’He entered the guest room.‘There will be two doors like the one to your room on one side, and on the opposite side, there will be double doors; that’s the Colonel’s study.’He stood in front of doors that felt as massive as the entrance.‘Asking for coffee means he won’t go to bed immediately, so he’ll probably be there.’A faint golden light leaked out from under the firmly closed door in a rectangular shape.‘If he’s not in the study, just leave the coffee and go. Don’t loiter around.’Dan put his ear against the door. No sound was heard, just the cold that made his earlobe tingle.Yet, Dan knew Taejae was beyond the door. He had a presence more distinct than anyone Dan had ever seen.Dan exhaled a long breath, shaking his head to straighten his wig. Holding the tray with one hand, he knocked on the door.After a brief pause,“Yes.”A heavy, deep voice came through. It was a bass that seemed to stab at the solar plexus. Despite all the mental preparation, Dan’s shoulders jolted up. The breath he sucked in with a ‘sss’ sound got stuck between his chest and throat like a stone.“Cough…”Dan coughed. He quickly bit his lips, but it was a poor response. It felt like someone had fired a cannon from his lungs to his throat.“Cough. Cough… Cough…”Dan coughed roughly, his chest heaving. His shocked lungs kept forcing air back up. The utensils on the tray clattered. Dan’s face turned as red as if it would burst at any moment. That’s when it happened.One side of the door was thrown open, and before he could react…“…”His eyes met Taejae’s.“…”Up close, Taejae seemed even larger and more intimidating than at the entrance. His face was barely visible even when looking up at him. His wet bangs were down to his eyelashes, perhaps from a recent shower, and through them, his calm eyes were visible.Though his gaze was neither angry nor hostile, Dan felt fear. It was the kind of fear one might feel when a beast hidden in the bushes is watching you.The coughing stopped. Instead,“Hic!”He started hiccupping. Dan’s thin shoulders bounced up and down. His chest, with protruding ribs, also shook. His wig danced around.“…”Taejae tilted his head slightly to one side, his eyes seeming to ponder what this tiny creature was doing here.“Uh… Hic, ah… Hic, it’s…”Dan looked up at Taejae with a dazed expression.Taejae wore a soft-looking knit with loose pants, yet his armored muscles were still evident. Or rather, they seemed even larger than before. His scars also looked more pronounced.It was strange. Muscles and scars aren’t something that can be put on or taken off like clothes, but still, why did he need to be this threatening even at home? It wasn’t like this was a battlefield.Overwhelmed by Taejae’s presence, Dan stood there in a daze.“Hic… Hic…”Occasionally hiccupping.“Why are you here?”Unable to wait longer, Taejae spoke first. With his arms crossed and leaning against the door, he looked down at Dan with calm eyes.“Uh, oh, so, sorry-ah, hic!”Dan bent at the waist in apology, then quickly straightened up when he saw the coffee cup wobbling. He then offered the coffee he had brought without spilling a drop.“Co, coffee, hic! To bring…”The tray trembled violently. The teacup convulsed with clatters, and the coffee inside was in turmoil. Dan tried to suppress the shaking by biting his lips together, but with each hiccup, waves surged over the coffee.And finally, a single stream of black liquid trickled down the smooth teacup. Just one drop, but it was so large and heavy that it pooled at the bottom of the cup.Dan closed his eyes tightly and then opened them.It was a complete mess. This wasn’t what he had imagined. His wig fell forward like a waterfall, his stupid hiccupping, and his clumsiness in not being able to carry a tray properly.He could even laugh at his own pitiful state, but what must Taejae think seeing this?Dan’s pale face flushed blue and red. He felt pathetic to the point of death, and at the same time, Taejae was terrifying beyond words. The tray in his hands trembled even more. His fingers gripping the tray turned snow-white.“…”Taejae looked down at Dan silently. The little one seemed in quite a state, with his erratic breathing and heaving chest. How to put it, it was like he was having a seizure. He looked like he might roll his eyes back and fall over at any moment.Corpses, he was sick of.Taejae sighed softly. Then, he extended a hand towards Dan’s face.“…”“Hic.”Even after several seconds, there was no pain. Unable to wait, Dan opened one eye to peek. Taejae’s hand had pushed aside the sagging wig and was deep in his field of vision.Dan froze stiff with shock. Even in that state, he didn’t stop hiccupping.What is this…At the unexpected sight, when Dan stepped back, Taejae pinched his nose with his thumb and index finger like a clothespin. And then he didn’t move.Dan’s thin eyelids fluttered.What’s this? What’s the intention?It wasn’t a gesture to torture by twisting his nose. Nor was it to rip his nose off his face. It wasn’t suffocation either, as his mouth wasn’t covered.The hand, as big as a pot lid, just pinched his nose enough to block the nostrils. Incredibly, the touch was gentle.As Dan was panting through his mouth like a dog, looking up at Taejae,“Don’t let it out.”Taejae said something incomprehensible.“Eh?”Dan meant to say “What?” but it came out as a nasal, foolish sound. Taejae spoke again.“Just inhale.”“…”“Breath. Inhale.”Finally understanding Taejae’s command, Dan rounded his lips and inhaled.“Hoo.”“Again.”“Hoo.”“One more time.”“Hoooo.”“Good.”Taejae didn’t let him exhale. Dan felt like his lungs would burst, but he followed the order with all his might because he thought if he obeyed, he wouldn’t get hit.Dan’s face turned beet red. His lungs and even his cheeks puffed up with the breath he kept swallowing. But Taejae didn’t release his nose. Then, when Dan’s eyelids began to droop,“Phew…”He let go. Dan bent over and exhaled the breath he had been holding. The tip of his nose, where Taejae had held it, was as red as a strawberry.Dan had to exert himself for a while to expel the air that had accumulated in his lungs. And when he finally came to his senses,“Uh…”He realized the hiccups had stopped. Did Taejae do it? Was that the purpose of his bizarre action? It was amazing. For someone rumored to be a monster, he seemed to have all sorts of supernatural abilities.Dan looked up at Taejae with his mouth hanging open. At that moment, Taejae snatched the tray from Dan’s hands.“Now, go.”As always, Taejae turned away from Dan without hesitation. He entered the study and closed the door. But Dan fearlessly stuck his hand between the heavy doors. If Taejae hadn’t quickly grabbed the door due to his quick reflexes, Dan’s tiny hand would have swelled up like a sweet potato.Unaware of Taejae’s frown, which was unlike his usual demeanor, Dan stammered out his words.“Um, I…”“…”“I’m Dan. The omega you bought.”Taejae’s brows furrowed even more, his face asking what kind of nonsense this was. That’s how Dan interpreted it. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and then clasped his hands neatly below his belly as he asked,“When, when will you come to my room?”“Why would I go to your room?”“Oh, should I come to you?”“What?”The conversation didn’t flow smoothly; it kept going off track. Dan tilted his head. If he wasn’t to wait for him, and he wasn’t supposed to come, then what was he supposed to do?Dan peeked at Taejae through his tangled wig, but Taejae seemed uninterested in providing an answer.“But, if you come, I can receive your seed, you haven’t come… If it’s troublesome for you, should I come? If you could tell me the time, I could prepare…”“Ha…”Taejae exhaled something that could have been a sigh or a lament, so Dan had to stop mid-sentence. The breath from Taejae made Dan’s wig flutter. It was very hot breath. And he could also smell the mysterious scent that had permeated the second floor.Could this be Taejae’s scent?Was this the alpha’s pheromones he had only read about in books?The first time he had ever smelled an alpha’s pheromones, it was strange, mysterious, and stimulating. Feeling odd, Dan pressed down his wig, making his bangs stick to his forehead like sesame leaves, looking foolish.“…”Taejae looked down at Dan quietly. Then, after another sigh, he turned around. This time, he didn’t close the door. Dan rolled his eyes and followed him into the study, not deep, just two steps.The study was spacious, shaped like a long rectangle. A sofa and table that could seat seven or eight people were at the entrance. Behind that was a large desk and a plush chair where Taejae had probably been sitting. Beyond the chair were large double windows, but nothing could be seen because it was night.On the left wall, there were bookshelves and cabinets, and on the right, there was a frame with unreadable Chinese characters. There was also a Taegeuk flag and what looked like a unit emblem hanging.The scent of Taejae was stronger inside the study. There was also a faint smell of tobacco and paper.Click.Taejae placed the coffee tray on the desk and lightly touched the teacup. Feeling it was lukewarm, he clicked his tongue but didn’t touch the coffee again. Instead, he took a cigarette from a pack and put it in his mouth.Seeing this, Dan’s eyebrows drooped. He had ultimately failed his errand to deliver the coffee. He was truly beyond help.A useless idiot who couldn’t do anything.A male omega born wrong.A fool.As Dan swallowed his self-loathing while looking at his pale toes, Taejae lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply. The sound of the cigarette burning was clear.For a while, only the sound of Taejae smoking filled the room, making the air hazy like fog.“Two days.”Taejae said.“Yes?”“Leave in two days. Or even tomorrow, if you want.”Dan didn’t understand his words immediately. Or rather, he refused to accept them.“…Where from?”“From this house.”“To where?”“Anywhere.”“…”Dan took a step back, his cheeks turning bloodless. He had come to secure a promise of bearing seeds, not to be chased away. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have come. He would have stayed quietly in that luxurious room, waiting for the right time.‘Don’t do anything to get on their bad side and get kicked out. Just stay quiet and behave.’‘I’ve said it clearly. Don’t get kicked out. If you come back alone, I’ll beat you black and blue.’Dan’s lower lip trembled. His eyes darted around, unable to settle. Swaying from side to side, he took two large steps toward Taejae.“But, the Colonel should continue his lineage. You need to have an alpha to form a family…”Dan couldn’t finish his sentence.“…”Because Taejae’s gaze had turned cold. It wasn’t warm to begin with, but this was on another level. There was a murderous intent in his eyes, as if he would kill Dan if he spoke more.Taejae, who had been silently observing Dan, scratched the scar on his eyebrow with the hand holding the cigarette. He licked his lower lip as if to suppress his anger. Then, sitting in his chair, he leaned back, blowing smoke towards the ceiling with a low voice.“I have no intention of having children with you. So, go wherever you want to go. I’ll handle the orphanage director, so don’t worry about it.”“But… I don’t have any place I want to go.”“Then you have two days to think about it.”“…”Dan fell silent. Not to go back to the orphanage, not being kicked out, but to go wherever he wanted. Such a choice. Such an extensive and irresponsible proposal.Since Dan didn’t say anything, Taejae just looked at him with his eyes. Then, as if realizing something, he let out a short, “Ah.”“I’ll give you money.”“Money…”Dan murmured the unfamiliar word. He knew money was valuable because Director Lee was obsessed with it.But for Dan, it wasn’t. He didn’t know how to use money. He had barely touched it, so how could he know? Occasionally, visitors to the orphanage would give him some change as alms, but all he ever did with it was buy candy from a street vendor near the orphanage.Part of the reason was because Dan was considered stupid, and another part was because Director Lee never taught him anything related to money.“I’ll give you enough to do whatever you want, so instead of being a…”Taejae paused. He licked the inside of his cheek as if something was bothering him and then continued.“Instead of being a seed bearer, find another job.”“…”It was an incomprehensible statement. Another job? Dan was a male omega, and his job was to bear an alpha’s seed and give birth to an alpha. It was his fate from birth. There was nothing else, nothing he had ever thought about, nor desired.Dan rubbed his face with his palm. Since Taejae had touched his nose earlier, he kept smelling Taejae’s scent around, which was driving him crazy. Wiping his nose hard with his sleeve, he took another step toward Taejae.