Snake Venom Ch 27

Chapter 27

When Cheon Wooshin stood on one side of the door, Lee Yeonwoo tactfully positioned himself at the opposite end.

While Lee Yeonwoo examined the antique-style door adorned with intricate embossing in wonder, Cheon Wooshin sent a notification through the earpiece that he had arrived.

Lee Yeonwoo glanced sideways at Cheon Wooshin’s composed posture and upright profile, adjusting his tie and jacket. A signal came through the earpiece, confirming that everyone had reached their positions. A slight smile tugged at the corner of Lee Yeonwoo’s lips.

‘This… actually feels pretty good.’

At this moment, he really did feel like a bodyguard. Filled with an odd sense of pride, Lee Yeonwoo awkwardly clasped his hands behind his back and puffed out his chest. He had seen it done somewhere before.

It was currently 10 PM. There were 30 minutes left until the appointed time.

No matter how pure-blooded they were, when in heat, the beastly instincts of demi-humans inevitably surfaced. Blinded by the urge to breed, their judgment became clouded all the same. To prepare for the complete loss of reason, they were expected to be accompanied by a personal guard for protection and a representative to speak on their behalf.

– Number 2. First client is coming up.

A voice through the earpiece announced a client’s arrival. Once at the main gate, once more at the mansion’s entrance, and again at the third-floor elevator. By the time they reached the room guarded by Cheon Wooshin and Lee Yeonwoo, the clients had passed through a total of three checkpoints. It had seemed excessive at first, but since this was Lee Yeonwoo’s first time encountering the concept of a mating season, he figured there must be good reason for it.

“By the way, Team Leader.”

Cheon Wooshin turned only his eyes at the hushed whisper. Lee Yeonwoo looked quite flustered, his gaze unusually earnest.

“Go on.”

With permission granted, Lee Yeonwoo leaned his upper body subtly toward Cheon Wooshin.

“Shouldn’t we come up with a secret signal, just between us? If one of them is the culprit, they might notice.”

His lowered voice softly flowed into Cheon Wooshin’s ear.

“Something that only we understand, for yes or no. Has anything been decided already?”

The point was to act naturally so as not to raise suspicion or give anything away. Believing his idea to be fairly sound, Lee Yeonwoo suggested it enthusiastically. Cheon Wooshin watched him for a moment, his gaze narrowing.

“I can tell just by looking at your expression, Lee Yeonwoo.”

“……”

Cheon Wooshin tilted his head slightly and raised his hand in front of his eyes, spreading his index finger and thumb apart.

“Whenever your eyes get this wide, you find a way to run.”

With every calmly pronounced word, his tilted chin and the hollow beneath his throat moved gently. Cheon Wooshin slightly lifted one corner of his mouth.

“You start scheming.”

He was referring to what Lee Yeonwoo had done in the surveillance footage. With that kind of composure, he could understand whatever reaction might come. Slightly deflated, Lee Yeonwoo turned to look directly ahead. He hadn’t realized he had such a habit. Just as he was brushing a flushed cheek with the back of his hand—

A voice through the earpiece said the incoming client had passed the elevator. Moments later, a group entered their field of vision. Lee Yeonwoo, who had been making various expressions deep in thought, instantly sobered his gaze.

It was starting. Lee Yeonwoo took a deep breath. He sharpened his senses, discerning between what was unnecessary and what needed to be alert.

Of the two men in the lead, the one with the average build was human. The more muscular one was a wolf hybrid.

Lee Yeonwoo cast his gaze to the man at the rear. Even just assessing him required a deep furrow of the brow. Unlike the easily distinguishable scents of the previous men, his scent was distinctly different. Gulping, he swallowed dryly.

The sense of identity radiating from this one far exceeded any of the average purebloods he had encountered. It was worthy of a being from the apex of demi-humanity.

What had started as a bold examination soon turned to confusion. Even at close range, identification was difficult.

It was too soon to be disappointed. Lee Yeonwoo honed his senses even further.

He pushed aside the already identified scents and chased the new ones relentlessly. As his hearing heightened along with his sense of smell, the sound of shoes pressing into the carpet thudded loudly in his ears.

Suddenly, Lee Yeonwoo flinched. It was the moment he made eye contact with the pureblood who had been hidden behind the others. His amber eyes gleamed ominously. It was the gaze of someone who had suppressed their mating urges.

A chill raised the fine hairs on his skin. Even with the booster suppressant in his system, the sensation of retreating instinct brought a wave of dread. A sharp contrast in status—perceptible only to demi-humans—clashed violently. The pureblood was above, and Lee Yeonwoo was below.

Lowering his eyes, Lee Yeonwoo gripped his composure tightly.

This was exactly why he had taken two booster pills. As long as they didn’t deliberately flood the room with pheromones, he wouldn’t be affected. They were so averse to mingling their blood that they would choose specific days to breed exclusively among themselves. He wouldn’t even register to them. More importantly, his job was to distinguish the presence of venom hidden within the pheromones.

With his reason restored, Lee Yeonwoo secretly observed the pureblood again. The base of the neck—where pheromones were emitted most powerfully. Cheon Wooshin was verifying the list, buying him mere seconds. The tension in Lee Yeonwoo’s shoulders slowly eased.

‘No.’

Before Lee Yeonwoo could signal, Cheon Wooshin had already opened the door.

“Thank you for waiting.”

His voice was businesslike. Lee Yeonwoo glanced at Cheon Wooshin. Seeing the man usher the clients in and slowly close the door with an expression that combined seasoned experience and courteousness, Lee Yeonwoo felt a pang of admiration.

Was this what people meant by gravitas? Unlike himself, who had to expend extra effort just to mask his inexperience, Cheon Wooshin carried an enviable ease.

Suddenly, his nose tingled. He faintly caught Cheon Wooshin’s scent.

“You did well. Only eight more to go.”

Despite the light praise, he couldn’t be entirely happy. The possibility that an outcome might change based on his judgment left him uneasy.

“Are you really going to continue with this method?”

“This is a process of stacking certainty upon certainty. Either way, the scope of what you can do is limited.”

The cool distinction in his tone, calling it a supplementary method, also served as both comfort and encouragement. Lee Yeonwoo took a deep breath, relaxing the tension that had gripped his body from focusing on just one sense.

The earpiece signaled again. The next client had arrived, and the same procedure was repeated. None of them were it.

Lee Yeonwoo rubbed the back of his neck. Identifying multiple scents in a row and searching for the target fragrance proved far more exhausting than he had anticipated. The booster’s side effects were likely contributing as well.

Still, it was almost over. Shaking out his shoulders, Lee Yeonwoo stretched and looked straight ahead. The fatigue in his eyes had cleared, leaving them sharp again.

The ninth client had turned and was now approaching. Lee Yeonwoo straightened his posture as if he’d never been groaning a moment ago. Having done it several times now, he confidently began assessing the scents of the men ahead.

‘Hmm?’

Focusing on the scent, Lee Yeonwoo tilted his head slightly. A mix of multiple fragrances drifted toward him.

What is this smell? Though artificial, it didn’t seem to come from perfumed liquids or cleansers—it was far too alien, an odor that stabbed at his nasal membranes.

It wasn’t entirely dissimilar to a human scent, but something was off. Rubber… or silicone… Trying to give form to the smell only heightened his confusion. He blinked.

Why do these men all reek of that? And why does every one of them carry the exact same scent?

Lee Yeonwoo cast a glance toward the pureblood at the back. That man was even stranger. Unlike previous purebloods who had tightly controlled their pheromones, this man’s scent was easily readable. Was it a pheromone meant to display dominance? If so, the quantity was strangely insufficient.

Who were these people? Cheon Wooshin had only asked him to determine whether the venom belonged to them or not, but this was beyond suspicious.

Just as he took another deep breath, Lee Yeonwoo flinched. The men were now right in front of him.

From a distance, he hadn’t noticed it—but now a faint metallic tang crept into his nostrils. He didn’t want to believe it and checked again. But there was no mistaking the scent he had smelled countless times in Sodom. The smell of manmade materials, like silicone, mixed with blood. Lee Yeonwoo didn’t hesitate a second longer.

“Team Leader.”

To the eye, they looked exactly like the men in the photos. They had passed all three inspections without issue. If not for the scent, there would’ve been nothing to raise suspicion. And yet, something deep inside screamed that these men must not be let inside.

Cheon Wooshin, in the middle of verifying their identities against the photos, turned to look at him. His gaze asked what the matter was, but Lee Yeonwoo couldn’t force his mouth to open.

Speaking aloud could trigger unexpected complications. Not having received instructions for this specific situation, Lee Yeonwoo rubbed his nose as if distracted.