CHAPTER 380: THEN, CAN YOU CALL ME BABY RIGHT NOW?

I sat on the bed first, looking at the little bottle of oil still in my hand. The faint smell of strawberry clung to my fingers, and I wondered if this was actually what I smelled like once again.

Ah, to think my scent was... strawberry.

I mean, this was so fragrant, soft, sun-warmed, and sweet. Was this why they couldn’t stop biting my neck whenever we were doing something?

Oh... a little gasp escaped my lips... It makes sense now. It’s so sweet that even I want to lick it, but I know it’s not edible, so I’ll restrain myself.

The mystery of why my masters like licking and biting my neck had been resolved, but that was it.

Apparently, I’m dessert.

Strawberries.

I handed the oil to Min-Cheol and then laid on my belly with my hands stretched ahead of me.

It felt oddly embarrassing, like being told your handwriting looks childish or that your voice is softer than your appearance.

But there was also... a sense of satisfaction in knowing. Like finally getting a direct answer to a question I’d carried for too long.

How do I smell?

Now I know.

I smell like strawberries. How funny is that?

Well, it’s not bad, actually. I can make sense of my masters and their baseless obsession with wanting to taste me if this was the kind of scent I carried with me.

Still... the mystery of why Jin-Yeok has something like this on him still remains.

I wonder what excuse Jin-Yeok will give concerning this this time.

I tilted my head back and laughed under my breath.

"Hyung, you’re smiling to yourself again," Min-Cheol’s voice interrupted, and I quickly rolled to my side, hiding my face against the pillow.

"No, I’m not," I quickly denied.

"Yes, you are," he teased. "You look like someone who just found out a big secret."

Well, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

It was a mystery to me anyway, so solving it is like finding a secret.

"Little Min, just press your hand over there a little more," I instructed as he began to massage my back.

I thought he would simply be inflicting pain on me, but surprisingly, he’s doing well. Did he watch a massage tutorial while I told him to wait outside or something?

He’s a faster learner, so I don’t doubt he just saw this and picked it up.

"How does this feel, Hyung?" he asked, and I closed my eyes.

"Mm, it’s nice," I hummed. "You’re doing great, Little Min."

"Then, can you call me baby right now?" he asked, and I shot my eyes open. This brat... He was getting even bolder.

My face heated up, and I pretended to think about it.

"Come on, Hyung. Pretty please."

"Um, well, alright," I said and then glanced back over my shoulder at his expectant eyes.

His expectation and the situation we were in made it seem like I was calling him intimately, more than that of an innocent baby.

Still, baby was baby after all.

It’s a little embarrassing, but here I go...

"Um, B-baby," I called, my cheeks heating up even more. "You have to press harder in that spot, Baby."

Yes, it sounded natural on the second try.

I wanted to see how he was reacting to this, but I was too embarrassed. It had the same calling effect as when I called Jin-Yeok Daddy.

Only this time, I don’t think I’ll get an erection.

But for him... What was his current status?

This shouldn’t get him hard, right?

But how would I know anyway? I was laid face flat on the pillow, leaving my back to him.

"Um, Hyung," Min-Cheol called, and I used this opportunity to raise my head and look back.

"Yes, baby?"

His head nearly exploded with heat. He was red, and his face seemed to match his hair, if not having a thicker shade of pink.

"I... I’d like to excuse myself for a while," he said, getting up and immediately turning away.

"Huh?"

"S-sorry, Hyung, but I really need to use the bathroom." With that sudden outburst, he ran away, shutting the door behind him.

I stared at the door for a while, trying to process what had just happened, and then my face gradually grew red as I realized... Ah, he was hard.

I buried my face in my pillow and screamed a few times before looking up, my heart thumping as I realized I had once again corrupted this poor kid.

’No, no, let’s just think of it as puberty hitting him,’ I thought and buried my face once again.

(Mind you, Min-Cheol is still 24. His years didn’t magically reduce over time.)

After Min-Cheol left, I got ready to go meet Choi Jie-Yu, who was still waiting.

I did not rush since I already told the maids to see to it that she’s comfortable. And since she was a guest who came without prior notice, I’m sure she has no complaints about waiting for a while.

As I walked down the stairs, the strawberry scent lingered all over me, and I thought of something.

Though the massage oil might carry my exact scent, it doesn’t exactly carry the spiking effect my Pheromones do.

If it were my Pheromones I was releasing at that moment, Min-Cheol wouldn’t have been able to stand still, and he would’ve run away from the start.

But it’s just the oil carrying my scent. It had no effect on him.

"Well, a replica is always a replica."

I got down and went to the living room. There, I found Jie-Yu having tea.

"Sorry for the wait," I said, announcing my presence, and she immediately stood to her feet.

"Ah, no, I should apologize for barging unannounced." She bowed her head, and I smiled.

She didn’t exactly barge in, but I guess that’s the kind of thing you say if you don’t want to seem disrespectful.

"Well, it’s fine. Let’s sit."

Choi Jie-Yu... I wonder to what extent Jin-Yeok helped her.

"How did you find this place?" I asked, first and foremost.

"Ah, that’s because Mister Shin Jin-Yeok sent me on an errand," she said and rubbed her arm nervously. "Honestly, I didn’t know I would get the opportunity to be acquainted with one of the four great Alphas. It’s all thanks to you."

"What are you saying? You’re the one who saved me. If it hadn’t been for you, I would’ve sustained injuries at that time, so I should be thanking you," I said to her sincerely.

If it wasn’t for her, things would’ve gotten dire back here. Literally. And then I would’ve had to leave early from the party too, robbing me of my chance to actually see those slaves and free them.

"Choi Jie-Yu," I took her hand and expressed my sincerest gratitude. "Thank you. Is there anything you want from me, perchance? Anything at all. I can help you. Take it as me repaying you for your help."

"Ah, no, no," she shook her head. "How could I possibly make a demand when it’s thanks to you that I’m acquainted with a powerful figure? Just having his men take me to the hospital alone gave me quite a solid ground to step on." She felt ashamed, but I could see relief in her eyes. "If I were to ask for more, that would just be me being shameless."

"And what’s so wrong with being shameless? I mean, I do it all the time."

"What?"

"If there’s something you want, and an opportunity to get it laid bare right in front of you, instead of thinking of what people might say, go ahead and grab it first. You can solve the snares and misunderstandings later. At least, that’s how it goes in my book."

Jie-Yu looked at me, and what I saw in those eyes that held unshed tears was admiration and hope.

She felt... she had finally seen the light she had been desperately searching for in the dark tunnel she was walking in.

She didn’t know how much longer it would be to catch that light and get rid of the darkness entirely, but... she was willing to give it her all.

"First, you helped me at the party where I could only receive shame," she sniffed, rubbing her cheeks with her palm as tears slowly slid down her cheeks. "And now you offer to help me once again. Is there any way I can ever be able to repay you for the hand you reached out to me first? For the sweetness you gave me at the banquet?" She looked at me with a passionate gaze, and my gaze softened.

Ah, this gaze was far too passionate.

If my masters see, they will immediately come to dislike Jie-Yu just because she likes me.

"They say opportunity comes but once," I said to her and smiled. "I hope you’ll take it now when it’s right in front of you."

"Yes." She cleaned her tears, her heart bursting with happiness and relief. "I’ll definitely take it."

"Atta girl,"