Chapter 43
“Yuri, by now, you should also make a choice. Who do you think will live longer, Nikolai or Owen?” Yuri sighed at the blunt question.
“Of course, if it’s up to my body, which you cherish so much, you’ll probably live longer.”
He only drinks alcohol in moderation, smokes only as much as needed, and never touches drugs.
Owen doesn’t particularly enjoy eating, but he takes care of his health. Not enjoying eating was also a reflex from the days when starving for days at a time became a habit due to his birth mother. It lingered throughout more than half of his life, and the habits remained scattered throughout.
When Owen reached out while sitting down, Yuri looked down at his torn palm and naturally bent down, bringing his face close to it.
Owen lightly tapped Yuri’s face while smiling quietly.
***
Sarin woke up from deep sleep because of the bird sounds coming from outside. For a moment, it felt like she was back in her house in Gangwon Province, so close did it sound.
As she opened her eyes, the black darkness behind the blackout curtains greeted her. Thanks to the soft bedding, she could tell this wasn’t the collapsing house in Gangwon Province.
The return to reality was quick.
She didn’t remember how she got to the bedroom, but she didn’t want to dwell on it deeply. The more she thought about it, the more she imagined what Owen might have done. There was no part of her body, including her knees, that didn’t ache, making her suspect whether she had been rolled down the stairs on her way up.
“…Still, I slept well.”
Whenever she drank alcohol and fell asleep, she always had a headache that felt like it would split her head when she woke up. But opting for sex with Owen instead of alcohol at least spared her from that regrettable headache.
”Why did I drink? I should have just endured it. Should have held back.” Every morning after drinking, she repeated the regret.
Yet she had to drink because she couldn’t sleep otherwise. Staying up all night with bleary eyes, if she went to work, she kept making mistakes. As much as she made mistakes, her salary was cut, so she had to sleep somehow. That way she could earn money and with that money, she could pay for medical bills or pay off debts.
Sarin knew her flaws well. But reality had confined her to repeat negative choices. With that thought in mind, Sarin pulled one foot out of bed.
“I guess he really brought me here naked.”
She really didn’t want to think about it.
Knock knock.
She heard a cautious knock from outside. Sarin put her foot back into bed. It was a careful knock that Owen wouldn’t do.
“Yes.”
Sarin replied in a cracked voice, and soon the door opened. Gayeon walked in, a change of clothes in her arms.
“Did I wake you?”
“Uh, no. I just woke up.”
“Well, that’s good, because I brought you some clothes.”
How could anyone be so attentive, Sarin thought, overwhelmed with emotion and unable to say thank you.
“I….”
“I know, I know. With Kirill, there are times and places where he’s, um…., I don’t know, experienced.”
Gayeon laughed first, knowing how much trouble Sarin was in. Seeing her bright smile, Sarin’s own smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“Thank you so much.”
“Come on, it wasn’t hard, I only picked out clothes you’ve never worn.”
After briefly wondering if she’d have to rummage through a dresser full of Owen’s clothes, Sarin breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that even her underwear had been carefully selected and brought to her.
“I’m constantly in your debt.”
“You don’t owe me anything, I’m glad I could give you what I have, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to part ways as soon as we meet, but I’m glad I was able to say goodbye.”
Gayeon said, still smiling.
“What? Suddenly….”
As Sarin panicked at the unexpected news, Gayeon grabbed her hand from outside the bed.
“Well…. We should get out of here for now, but I’m sure we’ll see you again.”
Gayeon and Kirill’s presence here would soon reach Nikolai’s ears. There’s a mischievous look on her face as she and Kirill prepare to leave early in the morning.
The reason Kirill is upset is that the chaser is not ensuring her safety. That was Nikolai’s way of saying.
“It’s too sudden.”
“Well, we just showed up out of nowhere, so why are you so upset all of a sudden? This is just for Miss Sarin, but we’re going to Eden City.”
So we’ll see you again soon, Gayeon said.
“Eden City?”
“Yeah. I heard Nikolai is there, so I’m going to go right up to his doorstep.”
As if he’d think he’d be in his shadow, Gayeon laughed heartily. It was bold of her to say that she was curious about Eden City, since it’s where Owen’s eyes are, and she hadn’t been there in a while. Sarin’s face brightened at the thought of seeing Gayeon again sooner or later.
“Be careful.”
Somehow, it felt like she had to say it.
“Well, what else can we do? If I die, it will truly ruin the relationship between Grandpa and his grandson.”
Unable to distinguish whether she should laugh or worry, Sarin firmly held Gayeon’s hand.
“Let’s meet in Eden City.”
Owen never stayed away from Eden City for long. Sarin naturally deduced that he must be busy there since he never lingered here for too long.
“Yeah. If you need my help, feel free to ask anytime. I’ve put my personal number under the clothes here.”
As she reached into the clothes Gayeon handed her, she rustled some paper. Before leaving the room, Gayeon looked back at Sarin and whispered.
“Let me know when you need me. I’ll help you, whether it’s material or anything else.”
“Why are you doing so much for me?”
We barely know each other.
“Just because… I don’t want you to live like me…?”
Seeing Sarin, who was worn out by life, Gayeon’s eyes seemed to understand that her path ahead might not be smooth. Moreover, the man named Owen was too dangerous.
Kirill was always straightforward and honest to the point of being burdensome in some aspects. On the other hand, she couldn’t figure out what the man was thinking, so she classified him as dangerous.
Even if it was just a fleeting encounter, Gayeon didn’t want to see Sarin get hurt. Feeling a sense of camaraderie in their different yet similar paths, she wanted to intervene unnecessarily. Eventually, when she accepted Kirill, Gayeon regretted everything.
If Sarin wasn’t at that level yet, she wanted to help her as best as she could.
“I’m not sure. My choices have always been a mess from the beginning. Even now, I’m still not sure.”
Sarin spoke quietly but clearly.
Looking at herself, who had been addicted to alcohol, Sarin realized that she had caused a stir. She always seemed to have a knack for making the worst choices. Then she wondered what she would say now that she had chosen Owen over alcohol. Maybe she didn’t even know if she would nod her head uncontrollably.
“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? I didn’t choose Kirill knowing it would be like this.”
Relieved by Gayeon’s words that it was supposed to be like this, Sarin nodded.
“Yeah…”
“And choices are supposed to be irreversible.”
Sarin nodded again. There was a comforting power in her words. After seeing Sarin’s calm face, Gayeon said a brief goodbye and left the room.
After showering and changing into the clothes she had been given, when she came downstairs, Kirill and Gayeon were already gone. Owen wasn’t visible either. Yuri, who was sitting on the sofa and dozing off, was the only one there. Hee barely opened his eyes at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.
“Uh…”
It still felt strange to call Owen’s name. Whenever she accidentally uttered his name, his gaze would also change oddly.
“He’s in the warehouse. He said the process of dismantling the leather isn’t finished yet.”
Sarin’s face turned red as she realized what happened while dismantling the wolf’s leather yesterday. Seeing her face, Yuri clicked his tongue softly. That’s why Owen can easily read her intentions.
“Yes.”
Her gaze flickered towards the window. It seemed like Owen could open that door at any moment, bringing in the smell of blood.
“You don’t have to worry about Pavel.”
“I’m not worried. I’m just concerned about the situation where I have to tell the child that he’s her father.”
Her face, which had turned red, responded calmly in an unexpected tone. Sarin, who had never shown such expression to Owen, found Pavel’s skill in turning first impressions into disasters remarkable.
“Well… that might not happen…”
Yuri vaguely opened his mouth. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but Owen wouldn’t expose the child to Pavel. The child was only a means to an end for the woman in front of him. Thinking of similar remarks, she suddenly sighed at the realization.
“This isn’t like a love confession or anything.”
As she recalled, it was a statement that combined obsession and affection into one. Yuri frowned at the impression.
“What?”
“No, nothing.”
She strongly denied saying anything. Suddenly, she felt a chill as if the fireplace had burned out. Yuri shivered involuntarily. After wrestling with Pavel and the past, she had unnecessary thoughts.
“Ha…”
A deep sigh escaped Yuri’s lips.
Bringing Pavel back wasn’t about fulfilling the role of a father to the child or for any noble purpose. He just wanted to shake this woman up.
The guardian of an unopposed child. Owen shook the woman who came to Eden City alone solely for her, just as he had shaken Owen.
To prevent her from finding any loopholes and escaping.
Eden City’s Owen always did things perfectly like that.
