AOA 49

I didn’t have years of experience in the adult world, but I’d seen enough to know all kinds of things happened. Love triangles among married people were the bare minimum, sometimes it went as far as squares or even pentagons.

I’d witnessed people accusing each other of sleeping with this guy or that woman and then getting into screaming fights. Once, I even saw two of them grabbing each other’s hair and rolling on the floor.

According to my values, cheating after marriage was incomprehensible. Throwing yourself at someone who’s already married was just as bad.

Seeing Lee Jaegwang again, who had been so polite until a moment ago, only reinforced that. The smart thing to do now was to draw a clear line.

“It matters to me. I’ll get going.”

“Aw, come on. Let’s chat a bit more.”

“Jeong Minchae.”

I was just about to get up when Jaegwang clung to the moment, and almost simultaneously, Baek Mugyeong’s voice called my name.

When I looked over, he was standing at the entrance of the lounge. I’d never been more relieved to see him.

Baek Mugyeong had visited yesterday evening after work too. It wasn’t much of a visit, honestly. He just asked how I was feeling and whether I needed anything.

I had told him there was no need to come, but he simply said, “See you tomorrow,” and left.

Still, I didn’t expect him to show up with such perfect timing.

“I’ll be going. Take care.”

I gave Jaegwang a polite nod and left my seat. Then I glanced at Baek Mugyeong, who wore a stony expression, signaling silently that we should go. Fortunately, he didn’t ask questions and followed.

When we entered the hospital room, it was filled with flowers. They’d been delivered the previous afternoon, courtesy of Baek Mugyeong. I hadn’t asked why he’d sent them, but the cheerful flowers did brighten the room and lift my mood.

“I texted earlier, just letting you know again. I’m getting discharged tomorrow.”

I had sent him a message earlier to say I’d be discharged, but he hadn’t replied. I figured I’d bring it up again just in case.

“Your taste in alphas seems questionable.”

“Excuse me?”

Seated on the nearby sofa, Baek Mugyeong made this out-of-the-blue remark. I looked at him, confused.

“Do you know that the alpha who was with you in the lounge just now is Lee Jaegwang?”

“Yes. We exchanged names.”

“Do you know he’s infamous for being loose below the belt?”

“……?”

“Even if you’re in need of an alpha, you should be more discerning.”

It took me a second to understand what he meant. After hearing Jaegwang say he didn’t care if I was married, I finally got what “loose below the belt” implied. But what did he mean by “be more discerning”?

…No way.

With that sudden realization, anger surged through me. The fact that he’d even considered I might cheat with Jaegwang was absurd.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘be more discerning’? I just said hello.”

“Am I supposed to believe that?”

Baek Mugyeong really had a gift for raising people’s blood pressure. He could say the most aggravating things with that arrogant face of his.

He was the living definition of someone who earned dislike just by opening his mouth.

I suppressed the anger bubbling up inside me. Arguing or explaining myself here wouldn’t be wise. If I wanted a divorce, I had to let things like this slide.

Getting divorced is seriously hard.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to maintain a calm expression, resisting the urge to kick him in the shin and yell, “Cut the crap.”

“Think whatever you want.”

I wanted to add that since we agreed not to interfere in each other’s business, he had no right to criticize me for meeting another alpha. I held back.

I said it as quietly and calmly as possible, but I couldn’t stop the edge from slipping into my tone. Apparently Baek Mugyeong noticed, because his gaze sharpened.

What, you gonna glare me into submission? I’m not scared of you.

I squared my shoulders and stared him down. We ended up in a silent staring contest. When I didn’t avert my gaze, Baek Mugyeong’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. He clearly didn’t like how this was going, but neither did I.

“If you need an alpha, I’ll introduce you to one.”

“Pardon?”

“Not trash like Lee Jaegwang, someone safe and clean. Wouldn’t that be wiser?”

He explained this so kindly, so calmly. But I finally understood what it meant to be absolutely dumbfounded.

He was offering to help me find someone to cheat with.

“That won’t be necessary.”

With all the patience I could muster, I replied clearly and firmly.

“I know we said we wouldn’t interfere in each other’s lives, but still, you should be seeing someone decent. Lee Jaegwang runs his mouth just as much as anything else. He goes around spreading details about who he’s slept with and how. Yeah, even a damn dog wouldn’t do that. If any scandal reaches Grandfather’s ears, it won’t end well.”

“Why do you keep speaking as if I’m planning to cheat? I don’t have any intention of doing that.”

I’d engraved the word endurance in my chest not just three times, but ten, but this really pushed me to my limit. Still, I kept my voice calm and logical.

Baek Mugyeong clearly believed I would cheat. That made me both upset and frustrated. If I’d actually accepted Jaegwang’s card, maybe I’d understand, but I hadn’t even done that, being accused like this was completely unfair.

“You’re an omega.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Omegas, alphas too, have moments when they can’t control their bodies. To put it bluntly, you’ll go crazy wanting sex on a regular basis.”

A flash of memory hit me. The time in Cebu, when I’d manifested as an omega and practically clung to Baek Mugyeong for sex. And more recently, I’d gotten caught up in his rut and lost all reason.

The tingling sensation of being drowned in pleasure made chills run down my spine. My cheeks flushed with heat.

But this was a serious matter. It had only been a few months since I’d manifested. My stabilization period had come quickly, but I hadn’t gone through a heat yet.

“Well… I haven’t had a heat yet, so I don’t know.”

“It won’t be very different from when you first manifested. The meds help, but they’re not foolproof. If an alpha gets near you, you’ll be begging to be fucked before you know it. You already know that.”

His crude explanation made me frown. But what he said was true, drenched in an alpha’s pheromones, you did go insane wanting sex. Imagining that happening with some random alpha made me feel sick.

“So, you’re telling me to find a safe, uncomplicated alpha?”

“Yes.”

“And what if I don’t want to? Or more accurately, what if I don’t want any alpha at all, safe or not?”

“Then don’t. It’s just a suggestion, not a demand. But I’m not sure how long that confidence of yours will last.”

I didn’t understand what he meant again. When I tilted my head, his brow furrowed slightly.

“Let me give you an example of what could happen.”

While I was still wondering what he meant by “example,” it hit me, a wave of alpha pheromones. Musk, wet wood, and flowers, Baek Mugyeong’s scent.

It was the third time I’d encountered his pheromones in full consciousness. Unlike that time in the second-floor hallway during his rut, the density was very low, more like when he’d layered his scent over Baek Yeongseop’s to erase it at the charity concert.

It was like perfume drifting in on a soft breeze. It wasn’t enough to drown me in sensation, but my body still tingled all over.

A curse nearly slipped out of my mouth. My face flushed with heat, and I jumped to my feet, stepping away from him. That wasn’t enough, I hurried to open the window.

The top of the window only tilted inward, so it would take time to fully air out the room, but the breeze helped.

“I get it. That’s enough now.”

I took another step away as I spoke. Baek Mugyeong, still seated calmly on the sofa, stood and moved closer.

I couldn’t smell his pheromones anymore. But knowing what he was capable of scared me a little.

Still, I didn’t want to show I was intimidated, so I stood my ground with my legs firmly planted.

“In this world, young omegas who’ve just manifested, like you, are treated like trophies. There are plenty of bastards around, so you’ll need to stick to open, well-lit places for a while.”

Even though he left a lot unsaid, I understood what he was warning me about. I hadn’t been an omega long, but already several alphas I’d met had released their pheromones the moment we spoke.

Only after hearing it from Baek Mugyeong did I realize it wasn’t flirting, it was harassment.

They saw me as young and easy. That’s what the whole “trophy” thing meant. Because I was married to Baek Mugyeong, I’d become a target.

A hollow laugh almost escaped.

But he was right. This world really was like that. Just look at Baek Yeongseop, or even Jeong Guhyeon. If you had money and power, you could live however the hell you wanted.

I was so furious I thought I might lose it in a whole different way.

“Can I curse?”

“What?”

“Not at you, Baek Mugyeong. At those bastards. I mean, what do they take me for? God, fuck.”

“Jeong Minchae?”