TCBW C68

Chapter 68

He recoiled from Dowoon as though he had heard something obscene—something indecent and mortifying—and shook his head frantically.

“I… I absolutely can’t tell you!”

Dowoon stared, unsure how to interpret such a reaction. Whatever Unhyo had said, it would clearly take time and coaxing to get Suhoe to confess it.

“Hm. Is that so?”

“…Mm… yes.”

Flushed, overwhelmed by embarrassment, Suhoe turned away and hurried into the kitchen to gather the teacups they had used.

Watching him go, Dowoon took out his phone and sent a message.

[Search the area.]

He assigned his men to sweep the premises.

If Unhyo had left something behind—some “hint” for Suhoe to find—he intended to intercept it.

And then he made a second decision: to search Suhoe as well.

“A-ah! No, don’t!”

But Dowoon ignored him. Without hesitation, he lifted Suhoe into his arms and carried him upstairs.

At the same moment—

Unhyo, seated inside a taxi, handed the driver a generous sum, smiling pleasantly.

“Thank you for waiting so long.”

“Well, hey—if it’s to save someone’s life, right?”

The driver, pleased with the large tip, tucked the bills away and drove off.

As the taxi exited the neighborhood, men in black suits surged into the gated community.

Watching through the window, Unhyo’s pleasant expression vanished, replaced by one of icy calm.

Just as I thought.

He had tested Dowoon—tested whether he truly cared about Suhoe, or whether his intentions were the same as when he first took him away.

Dowoon had sensed the gravity of his visit. In the same way, Unhyo had come with a purpose.

That day on Unbang Mountain, when Chairman Lee visited, Unhyo had overheard the truth.

The memory still made his blood boil, as though it might burst from his veins.

Since becoming ill, Gyegeum had barred anyone from entering the spiritual hall. But upon the arrival of a certain elderly man, she allowed him inside.

Unhyo had not understood who he was until he heard the conversation.

“What is that fool Dowoon doing? Not even a child yet. And once they enter that household, they never come out. Why hasn’t that Omega—Suhoe or whatever—conceived?”

At those words, Unhyo realized the man’s identity and the subject of the discussion—Suhoe.

“Once the child is sacrificed, everything will be resolved. A living offering holds tremendous power.”

Sacrifice. A living sacrifice.

“The child born from Suhoe will save Young Master Dowoon and Young Master Dohyun.”

It felt as if a tree trunk had struck his skull.

Suhoe’s child would be a sacrificial offering.

His entire body went cold, every hair standing upright.

He staggered, breath stolen away.

Everyone on Unbang Mountain knew Suhoe’s circumstances.

Unhyo had believed he knew better than anyone. And he had been wrong.

He had worried for Suhoe’s fate after childbirth—but had never considered the fate of the child.

He had assumed the child would be raised by the Lee household.

Never had he imagined a sacrifice.

He tried to run to Suhoe immediately, but the spiritual barrier of the shrine held him in.

So he spent sleepless nights waiting, certain that even Suhoe did not know.

If he stayed silent, Suhoe would conceive, give birth, and lose the child without ever knowing the truth.

Fortunately, the child had not been conceived yet. He still had time to save him.

And so, consumed by fury and urgency, he waited for his chance—until the day the barrier weakened and he could leave Unbang Mountain.

Today.

A night when the servants planned to drink.

A night when the spiritual boundary faltered.

By instinct alone, he knew this was the moment.

Without hesitation, he fled and took a taxi straight to Seoul—to Suhoe.

But there was an unexpected complication.

Suhoe appeared genuinely in love with Dowoon.

If he learned the truth now, the shock of betrayal might break him.

“How is married life?”

“…It’s… not bad.”

Just that simple question brought a shy flush to his cheeks, and Unhyo nearly lost composure.

He looked healthier, brighter than he had ever been on the mountain.

Even from across the room, Dowoon’s gaze remained fixed on him—with unmistakable concern.

Torn, Unhyo leaned in and asked quietly:

“Listen well. You will have a child, yes?”

“Ah!”

A lifetime of hearing those words, yet Suhoe still flushed crimson, stealing a timid glance toward his husband before turning away shyly.

That moment confirmed it—he truly did not know.

“D-don’t say such things…”

Unhyo hesitated.

He looked so happy, so content—so in love—that revealing the truth now felt like throwing him into hell.

Terror crept into his heart. This was not the time.

So instead, he said only what he could:

“Eat well… nourish yourself… take your supplements…”

“…Mm.”

After watching him warmly for a moment, he whispered:

“There is a gap beneath your shoe cabinet. I hid pregnancy supplements there. Take one before… the marital act. Omegas with weak bodies must have them. And do not tell your husband.”

“Of course not! I’d die of embarrassment—how could I say that?”

Knowing Suhoe’s shy nature, Unhyo relaxed.

He then prepared to leave—but not before testing Dowoon one last time.

“The child.”

At once, Dowoon moved to shield Suhoe and send him inside—escaping the subject.

So he does know. He truly intends it.

And in that instant, Unhyo realized he could not trust him.

At the same time, he bitterly regretted hiding Omega contraceptive pills beneath the shoe cabinet instead of something else.

After Unhyo left, surprisingly peaceful days followed.

Suhoe’s feelings for Dowoon deepened. And Dowoon, too, ceased pushing him away.

Then, one afternoon—

Dowoon suddenly stopped outside a building.

A floral scent in the air reminded him of Suhoe—and of the good news he intended to share with him tonight.

―Your test results from last week look excellent. You may resume preparing for pregnancy.

The “good news” came from Professor Eun—no more condoms required.

“Sir?”

Haeon, seeing Dowoon frozen in thought, spoke cautiously.

“Are you hesitating because of the curse?”

“…What?”

“I noticed your fingers have been stiff these past few days. I wondered if the curse has flared again, causing pain.”