Chapter 8: The Unintended Marking

The elevator doors opened again.

Unlike before, Jichan felt none of that strange sensation when the doors opened this time.

He watched Hanseong stride out without hesitation, then hesitantly followed him outside.

The moment he stepped out of the elevator, he felt a heavy pressure weighing down on him.

Fortunately, perhaps thanks to that damn ritual of sharing vital essence, the sensation wasn’t unbearable enough to make him dizzy or collapse on the spot.

However, he could clearly tell that this place wasn’t ordinary.

It was an instinctive, animalistic feeling.

It was as though his feet were walking on clouds, yet the heavy pressure bearing down on his entire body felt like he was carrying a boulder that was just barely bearable.

“Phew. I’m the only one who feels this way, right?”

“Yes, it’ll probably be a little difficult for you.
Since we used a temporary measure instead of formally marking you as my mate…”

“Are these banquets held often?”

“No. They’re rare.
We’re not exactly on good terms with one another, so not everyone welcomes these gatherings.
I’m no exception.”

They walked down a corridor lined with plush carpeting and soon came to a stop in front of a massive door.

“Let me warn you in advance.
It’s best not to get close to either the Azure Dragon or his mate.
Since this is an official gathering, nothing should happen, but still…”

“You said you’d protect me.”

At those words, Hanseong turned to look at Jichan.

“I’m going to trust only you, you know.
So make sure you protect me properly.
If anything happens, I’m blaming that damn tiger for everything.”

‘After kissing me and dragging me into this bizarre place, he ought to take responsibility.’

Jichan shrugged.

“By the way, the gods these days are all so… worldly.
I’m already looking forward to seeing what we’ll find when this door opens.”

The Four Guardian Beasts of the East, staying in an ultra-luxurious suite at a top-class hotel.

Jichan watched the door open with a faint sense of apprehension, wondering whether they would suddenly be transported to another dimension and find themselves in a forest thick with trees.

Fortunately, no dense forest appeared.

Perhaps that was only natural.

‘Imagine being transported to a forest after coming all the way to a hotel suite.
That would be outrageous.
Do you have any idea how much it costs to rent a place like this?’

Jichan wondered whether gods needed human money, too, but then he remembered the foreign luxury car he had ridden in earlier.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he peered inside.

The man who looked like a bandit, whom he had seen the other time, approached him with a friendly greeting.

“Hey, welcome.
We meet again, mate of the White Tiger.”

“Yes.
It’s good to see you again.”

After finishing his greeting with a slight bow, Jichan turned to look at Hanseong.

He had felt an arm wrap around his waist.

Before he knew it, he was being escorted inside.

The sound of the door closing behind him made his heart thump heavily.

Only then did it truly sink in that he had stepped into a place from which he could never return to his old life.

Before he knew what was happening, he was being swept farther and farther inside.

Some people approached to greet him, while others merely glanced at him, whispered among themselves, and hesitated to come any closer.

Somehow, it reminded him of the parties thrown by the children of wealthy families that he had seen in movies or on television.

The Four Guardian Beasts and their mates were the main attractions of the banquet.

However, since this was also an extraordinary gathering where gods and divine beasts had assembled in one place, many lesser gods who admired the Four Guardian Beasts had come as well.

Their society wasn’t all that different from human society.

The degree to which someone bowed their head and bent their back seemed directly proportional to the strength of the person standing before them.

Jichan awkwardly accepted their greetings and offered faint smiles, but the atmosphere was far from welcoming.

‘Welcome, dear mate.’

‘Congratulations, dear mate.’

‘Lord White Tiger will soon be able to find peace, too.’

‘Dear mate, dear mate.’

Although they were the same words the White Tiger had called him earlier, they felt different coming from these people.

Moreover, perhaps because this was the divine realm, Jichan continued to feel dazed and short of breath.

He was far from being in good condition.

“May I ask your name, dear mate?
Please introduce yourself.
Do you have any idea how famous you’ve become among us lately?”

At someone’s words, the gods who had been watching from a distance began gathering around him one by one.

They were beings in human form who were called gods.

They had come together to catch a glimpse of the mate of one of the Four Guardian Beasts, someone they might only get to see once in their entire divine existence.

And among them, this was the mate of the White Tiger, a god renowned for his strength, wisdom, and composure.

“Ah…”

“Um…”

Jichan and Hanseong opened their mouths at the same time.

Then Jichan glanced at Hanseong and simply closed his mouth again.

Even opening his mouth had become this difficult.

The corners of his lips, which he had forced into an awkward smile, were trembling.

Jichan was gradually leaning more and more heavily on Hanseong, who had wrapped an arm firmly around his waist as though determined not to let him escape.

“Um…”

Hanseong furrowed his brows, pondering for a moment before speaking again.

“Pride?”

The moment Hanseong opened his mouth, the surrounding area, which had been quiet as everyone waited to hear what he would say, erupted into whispers.

“He said Pride.
Pride.
Names are getting stranger these days.”

“We should call him Lord Pride!
Lord White Tiger might get angry if he hears us.
Shh!”

“But doesn’t Pride sound familiar to you?”

“You know, that thing people eat in the human world.”

“Oh, honestly!
Lord White Tiger might hear you!
Keep your voice down!”

Even through his dazed state, Jichan could hear every word of their conversation clearly.

His eyebrow twitched.

“That damn… tiger.
Phew…”

He shook his head at the dizziness and slowly blinked.

Hanseong tightened his arm around Jichan’s waist to keep him from swaying.

Perhaps sensing that something was wrong, he lowered his head and quietly whispered into Jichan’s ear.

“What’s wrong?
Are you feeling very unwell?”

“Ah… Is this place always like this?
I’ve been feeling dazed and… strange… since earlier…”

When Hanseong’s breath brushed against his ear, a shiver ran down Jichan’s spine, making him feel as though his entire body were covered in prickles.

His vision kept blurring, almost as if he were drunk.

It was an unsettling sensation.

“I’m not sure.
You’re the first mate I’ve ever had, too…”

As if Jichan didn’t already know that.

A place where he could feel drunk without having touched a single drop of alcohol?

The more deeply he inhaled, the more his mind seemed to fill with a thick white fog, leaving him dazed and languid.

And from the tips of Hanseong’s fingers resting at his waist, a slow, scorching warmth began spreading through his body.

“It’s been a while, Hanseong.”

The beings gathered around them began to retreat discreetly.

The curiosity in their eyes was quickly replaced by fear.

Jichan looked toward the voice and saw a man with yellowish hair.

It was the mate of the Azure Dragon, whom he had met not long ago.

The person standing beside him had to be the Azure Dragon himself.

“I seem to remember that we weren’t on familiar enough terms to exchange greetings.”

Hanseong’s voice was low as he spoke without even turning around.

At the Azure Dragon’s mocking chuckle, Hanseong’s hand tightened around Jichan’s waist.

Jichan couldn’t quite tell what it was, but he sensed something chilling in the air.

Since Hanseong hadn’t turned around, Jichan couldn’t see the Azure Dragon’s face.

Nevertheless, the cold atmosphere seeping into his back sent a shiver down his spine.

Perhaps because of that, the hazy languor clouding his mind seemed to clear a little.

But that relief lasted only a moment before an unpleasant wave of dizziness surged up and consumed his entire body.

Even though he was leaning against Hanseong, he couldn’t stop his legs from trembling.

He sincerely hoped he would never have to return to the divine realm again.

He felt so unbearably irritated that it was as though he had downed fifteen bottles of soju.

Hanseong wrapped both arms around Jichan as he swayed and examined his complexion.

His expression grew rigid.

Apparently deciding that he couldn’t let this continue, he lifted Jichan into his arms and whispered softly.

“Don’t turn your head.
I don’t want him to see your face, my dear mate.”

Regardless, Jichan wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible.

Without resisting, he rested his head against Hanseong’s chest and closed his eyes.

Being carried out in another man’s arms was enough to make him want to die of embarrassment.

But he felt as though he might actually die if he stayed there any longer, so for now, he had to prioritize staying alive.

“You couldn’t even handle your own mate properly, so you mixed your breath with his.
You didn’t do it knowing it was practically an aphrodisiac, did you…?
I can’t decide whether to call you stupid or clever.
Thanks to that, your mate’s marking will be completed today.”

The Azure Dragon’s taunting voice followed Hanseong as he walked past.

Jichan flinched for an instant, but Hanseong quickly left the banquet hall.

Jujak, who had only just grasped what was happening, hurried after him and opened the door for them.

In no time at all, Hanseong had carried Jichan downstairs and placed him in the car.

Jujak had followed Hanseong out, saying something about an old man from Mount Bangjang, but Jichan couldn’t remember the details clearly.

He had thought that everything would be fine as long as he left the thirty-fourth floor.

Yet the strange sensation persisted even after they descended through the hotel and got into the car.

He wondered whether it would disappear if he waited a little longer.

Even as he struggled to hold on to his fading consciousness, the sensation of Hanseong’s touch felt strangely dizzying.

“Phew… Did… something go… wrong?”

“No, um… Yes.
It might not be good news for you.”

An ominous premonition crossed Jichan’s mind.

If what the Azure Dragon had said earlier was true…

Hanseong leaned over and reclined the seatback slightly, making Jichan feel much more comfortable.

However, when Hanseong’s hair brushed against his ear and neck, Jichan shuddered unconsciously, and a hot breath escaped his lips.

As Jichan’s breathing gradually grew more ragged, Hanseong, who was holding the steering wheel, became increasingly anxious.

He had trusted the old man from Mount Bangjang’s advice without question and brought Jichan along to share his vital essence.

Now, it looked as though he had only ended up harming an innocent person.

Regret washed over him.

If he had known, he wouldn’t have brought Jichan there.

‘No.
If I had known… if I had known for certain, would I really have left him behind?’

Hanseong tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

The first thing he had to do was deal with what had already happened.

Jujak had gone to seek the wisdom of the old man from Mount Bangjang, but Hanseong was beginning to seriously doubt the fox-like old man who had conveniently left out the most important details when giving his advice.

It would have been perfect if he weren’t so sly.

The old man had probably told him about a quick way to mark his mate under the pretext of caring for Hanseong.

But if that marking was achieved through the arousal caused by his own breath, then Hanseong wanted no part of it.

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