If You Want Me - Episode 100
<Episode 100>
My legs trembled under her gaze as if a beast was about to devour me. It felt like I should immediately bow my head and apologize, but apologizing seemed like admitting that meeting him was wrong. Isn’t it okay for two people who like each other to have a relationship?
Seo-won bit the inside of his innocent mouth, not wanting to acknowledge it with his mouth firmly shut. Then, as if she knew everything without Seo-won saying anything, she pushed him into a corner with her momentum.
“I don’t even want to treat you like this when I think about how you played dumb and fooled around with Do-gyeom.”
“…..”
“And even made a baby.”
…So you knew that there was a child between me and Do-gyeom. It was embarrassing and unpleasant to have it known like this, not in a formal setting.
Even if it’s a child made by mistake, it’s not just me but Do-gyeom who did it together, but listening to her, it felt like I was the only bad person. However, I couldn’t really deny it. Although it was because of the guys who drugged me, it happened because he got involved while trying to save me from my heat cycle.
As Seo-won only bowed his head deeply instead of answering back, she brought up the point right away as if even talking more was a waste of time.
“But you’re also an omega, right? Since it’s not an easy choice to remove the baby, I’ll give you plenty of settlement money. This is your new identity and passport, so go live abroad.”
“…..”
Saying that, she clicked her tongue as if giving charity to a lowly commoner and threw a white envelope of money on the table. Even without checking the contents, I could intuitively tell that it contained a forged ID, passport, and money.
I think I’ve seen a similar scene in a famous drama. I had that thought for a moment, but I couldn’t even laugh. I never dreamed that I would actually experience something like this.
Seo-won clenched his fists tightly on his lap, then loosened them and asked in a trembling voice to confirm.
“If I take this… are you telling me to get rid of the baby?”
“Did you think of giving birth then?”
She asked, her eyes wide open.
I had somewhat expected that if Madam found out I was pregnant, she would tell me to get rid of the baby. I had been constantly afraid of that situation.
I’m still scared of her now, but not as much as I thought. It felt absurdly simple, to the point where I thought this was too light.
Judging by the fact that she had prepared a forged ID and passport right away, it seemed she was well prepared… If I were in a destitute situation and my mind was unstable, I might have been shaken, but that wasn’t really the case.
Although I couldn’t even present a business card to Do-gyeom’s family, it was enough to buy a house for my mother in Seoul… I did run away to an island or the countryside and live without money, but there was a reason for that. Moreover, Do-gyeom put a card and a billion-won amount in my account, telling me to use it.
Above all, now I didn’t feel insecure about his heart. I was convinced that Do-gyeom didn’t imprint on me by mistake, but truly liked me.
When I was desperately running away, if she had told me to break up with Do-gyeom and give me money, I might have accepted it. But in the current situation, even if she offered any good conditions, I didn’t want to accept erasing both the baby and Do-gyeom.
The answer was set, but I was worried about how to say it politely without offending her. Even if I hadn’t decided to get married yet, she wasn’t someone I wanted to look bad to.
As I carefully chose my words, she seemed to have noticed that Seo-won would not simply take the money and made a persuasion that wasn’t really a persuasion.
“Of course it’s tempting. It’s Do-gyeom’s child and the seed of a dominant alpha.”
“…I don’t want to have the baby because it’s a dominant alpha’s child, but because it’s my child and I want to protect it.”
“Stop with the obvious words. Think rationally, do you really think it’s possible for you to be with my son? What’s so great about you, Seo-won? You should at least be equal, but you have none of that.”
Madam blatantly dug at my weaknesses as if she was tired of treating me nobly.
I had known well for over a decade that Do-gyeom and I were not on the same level. So there was nothing to be hurt about, but was it because I was upset? I didn’t think that was a reason not to meet. Seo-won thought he shouldn’t just listen, so he belatedly opened his mouth.
“I know I don’t meet your standards, Madam. I expected you to oppose it too.”
“So?”
She gave him a look as if to say, go ahead and say more. There was a strong sense of her wanting to hear what kind of great thing he was trying to say.
Perhaps Madam might know this too… but it didn’t seem like Do-gyeom would have told her. Seo-won moved his lips, prepared himself firmly, and opened his mouth.
“But… Young master imprinted on me.”
“…Imprint?”
“Yes, a one-way imprint.”
At Seo-won’s words, Madam asked again as if she had heard nonsense, and after hearing it again, she made a surprised face and covered her mouth with her hand. She seemed to be hearing about the one-way imprint for the first time.
“That can’t be…”
“If it’s hard to believe, you can check.”
“…..”
She looked like she wanted to call Do-gyeom right away and check, but she couldn’t translate it into action, probably because calling him would let him know that she met with me.
Do-gyeom and I initially thought that he made a mistake and imprinted on me, but thinking about it now, it wasn’t something that could simply be done by mistake. It was an act that could only be achieved with solid love and trust.
The more she tries to forcibly separate us, the more she puts him in the hell of imprint pain, so it would be difficult for her, who cherishes her son terribly. Seo-won watched her reaction and explained the previous situation.
“When I realized I was carrying Young Master’s child, I ran away because I was afraid of the wall of reality.”
“…..”
“But Young Master held onto me. I found it difficult to come back because I thought Young Master might have imprinted on me by mistake… but now I believe that Young Master’s feelings for me are sincere and that he will protect the baby too. I’m sorry.”
“So you’re insisting on having the baby?”
“Yes.”
Seo-won nodded without a moment’s hesitation. I tried my best not to offend her, but as long as I tried to protect Tteokbokki, it was inevitable that my image would be ruined.
At Seo-won’s resolute answer, silence flowed in the cafe for a moment. She seemed to be deep in thought because of the unexpected one-way imprint.
Around the time when only the faint noise of the cafe staff brewing coffee filled the space between the two, she straightened her upper body that had been leaning against the back of the chair and asked seriously.
“Putting aside the fact that our Do-gyeom imprinted, what if I don’t allow your marriage? What will you do then?”
“Well… I haven’t decided on marriage yet, so I think that’s a problem to think about when the time comes.”
“Seo-won, you wanted to marry our Do-gyeom, didn’t you? If you don’t get married, that child will be illegitimate. Even if it’s a dominant and Do-gyeom’s child, an illegitimate child can’t receive benefits.”
Marriage was something I really hadn’t decided on yet, but she was convinced that Seo-won would naturally aim for marriage in the end.
Seo-won also thinks it’s natural to want to be socially recognized if it’s a truly loving relationship. However, her words somehow seemed convinced that I thought of the child as a means and wanted to marry Do-gyeom because of that.
“The one who wants to get married more than me is Young Master…”
“…..”
“And even if I could never see Young Master again, I still wanted to raise the child. That’s why I ran away. I have no intention of using the child as any means.”
If I had been interested in the wealth and glory I could gain by being with Do-gyeom, I wouldn’t have been able to stay by his side for so long. It was because I sincerely liked him that I stayed with him despite the heartache.
Seo-won answered resolutely, but she still showed a reaction that she couldn’t understand.
“Is there a reason to protect it that much? If you simply want a child, you can have one with someone else, can’t you?”
“As you know, Madam, I am a recessive omega. So having a child is almost a miracle… The doctor said this would be my last child.”
“…..”
At the words implying there would be no next time, Madam closed her mouth as if she hadn’t thought that far.
No matter how cold-hearted she was, she seemed to know how much meaning it held because she was also an omega. Of course, there are people who don’t want children, but if you do, it has great meaning in life as a whole.
I thought she would push me more, but she let out a big sigh as if the conversation was over. She put the chain bag she had placed on the seat back on her shoulder and stood up.
“I think I gave you a good enough opportunity, but if you don’t accept it, I’ll have to do it my way.”
Is she leaving for today? As Seo-won also stood up at the sight of her backing down more readily than he thought, she continued.
“I’m busy so I’ll get going, don’t follow me out. It’ll only be awkward if we go out together, there’s nothing good about it, right? Oh, and keep today’s events a secret from Do-gyeom.”
“…I understand.”
As Seo-won reluctantly nodded, Madam looked at Seo-won for a moment with suspicious eyes and moved toward the exit.
With a jingling sound, she left the cafe. Through the window, I could see her getting into a luxurious sedan and leaving.
Around the time when the car was no longer visible even as a silhouette, Seo-won put the teacup on the table to his mouth. He couldn’t take a single sip while talking to her, and in the meantime, the tea had turned cold.
“Ha…”
Seo-won put the empty cup down on the table and let out a deep sigh.
While thinking that facing his mother alone wasn’t as significant as what he had feared and trembled about last night, on the other hand, he felt overwhelmed by her energy.
Come to think of it, what did Madam mean by her last words, that she would solve it her way?
Although he wanted to ask Do-gyeom for his opinion, Seo-won sat in the cafe for a long time and then left, troubled by her earnest request not to tell him.