“……?”

“……?”

Seeing the small round eyes staring up at him, Hyeon-woo instinctively froze.

The child looked up at him and beamed.

“Paah!”

“W-what?”

“Paah! Paah!”

“……?”

The child shouted excitedly toward him.

Startled, Hyeon-woo took a step back.

“Aigo, Yeon-woo!”

“Uh…”

“I’m so sorry—really, truly sorry.”

A flustered young woman ran over, bowing repeatedly as she scooped the small child—Yeon-woo—into her arms.

“I swear he was playing over there with his friend, but somehow he wandered all the way here…”

“N-no, it’s fine.”

Still startled, Hyeon-woo shook his head.

Seung-hyuk quickly picked up the ball the child had dropped and handed it back.

The child giggled brightly.

“Really, I’m okay.”

“Thank you for understanding. He’s not usually the type to go up to strangers…”

“Haha…”

Recently, this kind of thing had been happening more and more.

When walking the garden path, children often hovered unusually close to him.

They didn’t usually bump directly into him like this, but still.

“Haa…”

The mother apologized again before carrying the child away.

Watching them leave, Hyeon-woo exhaled quietly.

Beside him, Seung-hyuk murmured as he watched:

“That kid must be a trait-carrier too.”

“Figures, right?”

Hyeon-woo lowered his hand and rubbed his stomach.

Some children are born naturally sensitive to pheromones.

Even before their trait manifests, they’re unconsciously drawn to others with strong markers.

But being drawn toward an unborn baby…

It meant the child inside him had an unusually strong presence already.

So it’s probably dominant… this baby.

The tiny life inside him was already exerting a strong influence.

He didn’t know whether it would manifest as omega or alpha later—but he had a feeling it would grow into someone with an extremely potent pheromone profile.

“…….”

“……?”

Without speaking, Hyeon-woo stared at Seung-hyuk beside him.

Meeting his gaze, Seung-hyuk tilted his head, confused.

“Why?”

“Ha… nothing.”

Obviously, it was because the baby had inherited the protagonist’s ridiculously strong genes.

Shaking his head, he resumed walking.

Soon they reached the end of the garden path.

There were almost no people here—everyone usually turned back at the large tree halfway through.

Standing beneath the tall branches, Hyeon-woo looked up at the leaves swaying high above.

“Hyung, should we head ba—”

“Hey, Lee Seung-hyuk.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to have the baby.”

“…….”

Lowering his gaze, Hyeon-woo looked directly at him.

The abrupt declaration made Seung-hyuk stop short, eyes widening.

“I should’ve asked your opinion, sorry… but I’ll handle everything else. Just… keep giving me pheromones…”

“Hyung.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s get married.”

“…….”

This brat—just because I was sudden, you think you can be sudden too…

Flustered, he tried not to show it, keeping his tone casual.

“No.”

“I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m not asking you to trust me.”

“Just… use me. For you and the baby.”

“…Use you?”

“I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. So please—let’s marry.”

“…….”

So he wasn’t proposing romantically—he was suggesting a contract marriage.

A dry laugh escaped Hyeon-woo.

“So you’re not asking for marriage—you’re asking for a contract?”

“You can think of it that way.”

“…Ha…”

To stay by his side, Seung-hyuk seemed willing to accept anything.

Hyeon-woo thought for a moment.

But this wasn’t a bad deal for him either.

To safely carry the pregnancy, he needed constant pheromone support from Seung-hyuk.

And having him close without explanation would draw unwanted suspicion.

If they married, it would justify everything.

He’d receive pheromone support daily, and the risk of miscarriage would drop drastically.

“Fine. But when I say we divorce later, you let me go cleanly.”

“…Okay.”

Seung-hyuk hesitated slightly, then nodded.

His pheromone wavered briefly with unease—but only for a moment.

“Let’s head back, hyung.”

“…Yeah.”

Speaking in an even tone, Seung-hyuk came closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Nodding, Hyeon-woo returned to the hospital room with him.

11장. The True Ending of the Regressor

The next day, Hyeon-woo prepared for battle.

Not a literal one with bloodshed—

But one equally exhausting, enough to require steeling his mind.

“Are you really okay going alone?”

“Yeah. It’s actually better if you’re not there.”

“But still—”

“Unless Chairman Joo wants you to disappear without a trace, stay home.”

“…Yes.”

Only a firm tone worked on Seung-hyuk.

Adjusting his tie, Hyeon-woo clicked his tongue.

He wasn’t exaggerating.

With the chairman’s temperament, seeing Seung-hyuk beside him would only provoke him further.

Facing him alone was safer.

“If anything happens, call me.”

“Okay.”

“Do you need more pheromones? I can give you—”

“I said I’m fine.”

Since morning, Seung-hyuk had followed him around like a puppy, flooding the air with pheromones.

He smelled only of Seung-hyuk at this point.

Annoyed, Hyeon-woo began walking.

“Don’t drive today—ask Jung-hoon to take you. Okay?”

“So demanding…”

“…I love you.”

“……”

Halfway through putting on his shoes, Hyeon-woo froze.

He looked back with an irritated scowl.

“I told you not to say stuff like that.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“Haa…”

Shaking his head, he finished putting on his shoes.

“Just get ready for class later.”

“Yes. Come back safely.”

“……”

At least he didn’t try to kiss him again.

Receiving Seung-hyuk’s oddly gentle send-off, Hyeon-woo left the house.

After receiving permission from the doctor to be discharged, he had gone home.

Hyun-jin had moved out to the empty officetel that originally belonged to Seung-hyuk.

It was perfect timing, since Seung-hyuk wouldn’t be returning there for a while.

Now, the hardest part remained:

He had to tell Chairman Joo about the pregnancy—and the marriage.

He couldn’t hide it forever.

And with someone like Chairman Joo, confronting him head-on was the safest choice.

Still, the nerves were unavoidable.

A man who viewed his child as nothing but a company tool…

If he decided Hyeon-woo was no longer useful, who knew what he would do.

He wore a public mask, but his true nature was no better than Cha Kwon-oh’s.

“Haa…”

He was as prepared as he could be.

If Plan B failed… there’d be no choice but to improvise.

His expression darkened.

“Arrived, Executive Director.”

“Ah.”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Jung-hoon, who had driven him since morning, looked worriedly at his pale face.

A week-long hospital stay had left its mark.

He looked thinner… somehow fragile.

It triggered an odd sense of protectiveness.

What am I thinking…

Jung-hoon shook his head vehemently.

Hyeon-woo was still every bit the imposing, capable alpha.

Comparing himself—a beta—to him was ridiculous.

He must have gone mad to think of “protecting” him.

Receiving Jung-hoon’s flustered escort, Hyeon-woo entered the elevator.

He had already told him he would stop by the chairman’s office first.

Jung-hoon got off on his floor; Hyeon-woo continued up to the top.

Ding.

The doors opened quietly.

He stepped out into the polished corridor.

“Good morning, Executive Director.”

“Long time no see, Chief Kang.”

“Yes, welcome back. The chairman is expecting you.”

“Alright.”

Nodding lightly to the chief of staff, he entered the office—

And immediately faced Chairman Joo’s dissatisfied glare.

“You collapse at work and call that doing your job? Huh? Can’t even manage your own health?”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Tch. Don’t know who you take after.”

“……”

You, obviously.

But he didn’t say it aloud.

Chairman Joo clicked his tongue again.

“So? Why are you here? Better not be for some trivial nonsense.”

“Of course not.”

He took a breath—

Preparing to drop a bomb no one could call trivial.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Preg— what?”

“And I’m going to marry an alpha.”

“…What did you just say?”

Chairman Joo’s eyes shook violently.

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