“Daddy can’t miss out, right?”
Looking at Angela, Winston asked, and the child nodded. It felt like he had taken his daughter hostage, but there was no other choice. With a very reluctant face, Yujin got up, and suddenly Winston reached out his hand. What was this? Yujin’s expression openly showed his feelings. Without answering, Winston leaned in and grabbed Yujin’s hand. Flustered, Yujin tried to pull his hand back quickly, but Winston immediately interlaced his fingers and held tight. In the blink of an eye, they were both hostages. Winston turned around, and Yujin was practically dragged along behind him.
What on earth is he thinking?
Instead of the stairs, Winston took the elevator down to the lower floor. As the door opened, he was greeted by a lavishly decorated interior. An involuntary sigh escaped his lips as memories flooded his mind. For several days, the servants had been busily moving around the house. Thinking this must be the result of their efforts, he nearly sighed aloud. The wide, tall mansion was filled everywhere with Christmas decorations. Hanging around the chandelier was a large bas-relief of Santa riding a sled pulled by reindeer. Irregularly hung around were large and small beads that glittered like snow. Angela clapped her hands with delight at the quaintly hung frames and ornaments, but Yujin felt a pang of sympathy, imagining how much effort the servants must have put into this moment.
“Is it always like this?”
Winston looked down as if puzzled, and Yujin quietly asked,
“Do you do this every Christmas?”
“Of course.”
“What?”
Frowning at the casually spoken words, Yujin asked again, but Winston didn’t answer and instead pulled the hand he was holding.
“Waaah!”
The scream came from Angela. Following the child’s wide eyes looking up high, Yujin also looked and opened his eyes wide. A huge birch tree taller than Winston stood there. Overwhelmed by its sheer size and presence, Yujin was speechless and just stared. Angela was the same.
“I’ve never seen such a big tree.”
Angela looked at the tree in awe, and Winston smiled, asking,
“Will you put the star on top of the tree?”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
Angela opened her eyes wide in surprise, and he eagerly lifted her body into his hands. Because of this, Yujin’s hands, which had been clasped together until then, were left empty. Glancing down at his empty hands absentmindedly, he wrapped one hand around the other and turned his gaze toward the child.
“Wow!”
As Winston stretched out his arm, Angela rose to a dizzying height. Seeing the child go as far away as the star she held, Yujin almost felt dizzy. But Angela was braver and more daring than him. With an excited face, she carefully placed the star on the tree and beamed a bright smile. Winston checked that the star was securely fixed and gently set Angela down.
“Good job, Angie.”
Winston smiled and reached to ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) stroke the top of the child’s head but stopped. Angela was wearing the pretty princess braid that Yujin had done. Seeing the child quickly cover her hair with both hands as if afraid of messing up her hairstyle, Winston awkwardly withdrew his hand. Their scene gave off a strange feeling. Of course, only Yujin felt that feeling. Only Yujin knew they were father and daughter.
His mouth tasted bitter, but he turned his head, pretending not to notice. Then, looking down at the boxes piled on the floor, Winston asked,
“Shall we decorate the tree together now? Angie, will you do the lower part? You do the bottom, and you take care of this section.”
He placed a box in front of the child, and Angela nodded enthusiastically, quickly grabbing an ornament. Yujin stood awkwardly, and Winston said to him,
“You take care of this part.”
Drawing a line on the tree with his hand, Yujin asked with a clearly displeased expression,
“You want me to do it?”
Winston answered as if it was obvious.
“The tree is decorated by the family together, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
With Angela helping, Yujin had no other choice. Eventually, with a face full of complaints, he approached them, and Winston handed him another box.
“Here, this is yours.”
Yujin sighed loudly and started hanging the decorations reluctantly. Naturally, Winston took care of the highest parts.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry.”
Suddenly, Angela started singing. That was understandable; it was Angie’s first time at this kind of event. Yujin thought so and took the situation lightly. The problem came next. Winston began humming and singing along to the child’s carol.
“What’s wrong?”
Feeling Yujin’s gaze, Winston turned his head and frowned. Seeing his expression, Yujin realized how shocked he must have looked.
“Why are you singing all of a sudden?”
Yujin asked softly, and Winston answered as if he still didn’t understand.
“Because it’s Christmas?”
Blinking blankly, Yujin shook his head hurriedly like a wet dog. Ignoring Winston’s gaze, he focused on decorating the tree. He had resolved not to be disturbed no matter what sounds came next. But that resolve was broken in less than a minute.
“How’s your body?”
“Uh, huh?”
Startled by the sudden question, Yujin dropped a bell. Winston quickly caught it and held out his hand. Yujin softly said thanks and picked up the bell, but his heart was pounding wildly. What was this? Was he asking about the child? Winston stared piercingly at the confused Yujin and said,
“You said it was a cold.”
Only then did Yujin remember with an “Ah.” Below, Angela was still singing. This time it was “Silent Night, Holy Night.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to call a doctor? I heard you refused earlier.”
Winston’s voice came through the loud singing. Yujin avoided his gaze and answered,
“I’m fine.”
He continued, trying to sound as casual as possible.
“I rested a lot and got better. No need to call a doctor.”
Although nervous, Yujin stubbornly distracted himself. As if decorating this tree was the most important thing in the world. Watching Yujin’s silent face, Winston finally spoke.
“Alright.”
That was all. As if nothing had happened, Winston decorated the tree. Yujin sneaked a glance and confirmed Winston had no particular reaction, then let out a small sigh of relief.
Even though he took the suppressant, a faint pheromone scent still lingered from him. Probably because the heat cycle was approaching.
If this continues, the medicine might not work.
It was at least calming for now, but only a temporary fix. If he got swept up in the atmosphere like last time, it would be irreversible. Now he could smell Winston’s pheromones. Could he reject Winston?
‘Yujin.’
For a moment, Winston’s low whisper seemed to reach Yujin’s ear like an illusion. His heart pounded as if it would burst through his ribs. When he nervously tried to hang the angel doll on a branch, their eyes met across the tree. They stood frozen, unable to look away from each other.
Suddenly, Yujin’s pheromone scent deepened even more. As if tempting Winston. Not a wrong thought. Omega pheromones naturally flow to seduce the alpha before them.
“Daddy, are you sick?”
Angela seemed to sense the scent too, raising her head to ask. Flustered, Yujin was about to say he was fine but closed his mouth. He didn’t know how his voice would come out. What if a groan slipped out? Just imagining it was terrifying. The child kept looking up at him with a worried expression. When Yujin was at a loss and covered his mouth with one hand—
Suddenly, Winston lifted Yujin up with a swift motion.
