No One Came

As soon as I finished speaking, even through my blurred vision, I could see Chairman Seong’s face harden like a stone guardian statue.

Ah… as expected, he was angry.

I had just broken off a strategic engagement that had been arranged since childhood, all on my own.

The atmosphere turned silent in an instant.

And the fact that his Alpha pheromones no longer pressed down on me made it even more terrifying.

At the same time, something surged up in my chest.

‘Why do I have to worry about this when I’m not even the real Seong Chanyeong?’

I missed my parents.

I had been pretending to forget, pretending to adapt, because going back felt impossible—but now that my body was hurting, all that buried sadness came pouring out.

“…Don’t. Soon…”

Chairman Seong said something to me, but I couldn’t hear him properly.

From the tone, it sounded like he was telling me not to break the engagement.

“Please… don’t be angry.”

Don’t say anything to me.

Because even I don’t know where your real grandson has gone.

“Please… just let me live freely. Please…”

As my consciousness blurred, even the things I had been holding back while dealing with those Alphas slipped out.

It felt oddly relieving.

At this point, I almost felt lucky that I was about to pass out.

‘He wouldn’t hit someone who’s unconscious… right?’

The moment that thought crossed my mind, everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, a stark white ceiling greeted me.

“…Where is this…”

A hospital.

As I sat up and looked around, the IV in my hand and the patient gown I was wearing came into view.

More than anything, the spacious private room made it obvious I had been brought here.

Hospitals were familiar places to me, given how sickly I used to be.

For a brief moment, I wondered if I had somehow returned to my original world—

But no.

It was wishful thinking.

“Oh, Young Master. You’re awake.”

With the sound of the door sliding open, someone entered.

An elderly doctor, around the same age as Chairman Seong.

‘Of course.’

There was no way my real family could afford a VIP private hospital room like this.

I was still in this novel, still in Seong Chanyeong’s body.

“…Who are you?”

“Hm, it seems the shock was quite severe if you’ve forgotten my face. I am Kim Bokdol, Chairman Seong’s attending physician.”

‘Damn.’

I messed up.

If he was the chairman’s personal doctor, then he definitely knew Chanyeong.

Afraid of raising suspicion, I lowered my head immediately—

But his reaction was unexpected.

“It’s alright, Young Master. This incident is the responsibility of everyone at the main house, including myself. You don’t need to worry so much.”

‘Huh?’

Contrary to my expectations, he didn’t suspect me at all.

Instead, he apologized for not taking proper care of me.

Whatever the reason, this worked in my favor.

‘Let’s just go along with it.’

With a bit of added politeness.

“I went because Grandfather called me after a long time… I was nervous. But I didn’t expect him to not even know something so basic.”

Even though I didn’t know either.

But hey—strike first, win first.

Naturally, the doctor looked puzzled.

“But why did you eat seafood? You must have known it’s harmful to you.”

“…There was no way I could refuse food given to me by my grandfather. Especially when I went there to talk about breaking off the engagement.”

The real Seong Chanyeong would never say something like this.

But I poured every ounce of acting skill I had into it, making it clear—

‘I’m just a scared guy intimidated by his grandfather.’

‘…Will this work?’

I wasn’t confident.

But strangely, the doctor’s eyes welled up with tears.

Then—he apologized to me.

“I’m sorry. I have no excuse. On behalf of the chairman, I sincerely apologize.”

“No, it’s fine. I suppose I brought this upon myself. I must’ve been so awful that he even forgot I have a seafood allergy.”

If I had reached the point of losing consciousness, then someone in the main house should have known.

And yet, no one did.

‘…Did they really know and just pretend not to?’

Chairman Seong’s overly warm attitude earlier lingered in my mind.

I didn’t expect him to express his dissatisfaction in such a way.

As expected of a top conglomerate chairman—

Even his betrayals were subtle.

It annoyed me.

If he had done it knowingly, then not only was it insulting to me, it was also a waste of perfectly good food.

Unforgivable.

‘In the end, the answer is still the same—escape.’

There was no need to feel guilty just because they were “family.”

It already seemed like I was disliked beyond repair.

And from dealing with those insufferable Alphas, I had learned one thing clearly—

Even if the people in this world weren’t literal paper characters, they couldn’t stray far from their original roles.

The only person I could rely on in this world was myself.

‘…I’m lonely.’

That realization weighed down on me, and my shoulders slumped.

Seeing that, the doctor grew flustered and tried to comfort me.

“That’s not true, Young Master. The chairman truly wished to spend some quality time with you.”

Yeah right.

I wasn’t a five-year-old who’d fall for that.

“Thank you for saying that, Doctor.”

“Then, about the chairman—”

“But I don’t believe it.”

“…Pardon?”

My tone turned cold, cutting him off.

He looked completely taken aback.

“He’s still my family, isn’t he? And yet he didn’t even know I have a seafood allergy. Do you really think he didn’t know I’d suffer like this if I ate it?”

“That’s… the chairman also has his circumstances—”

“So I’m not part of those circumstances, is that it?”

I got out of bed and stepped onto the floor.

Wearing the slippers, I faced him directly.

“Look at this. Grandfather—no, Chairman Seong—hasn’t even shown up in my room.”

“That’s not true. He said he would come soon. He’s only delayed because he feels guilty for not knowing something he should have known as your family.”

The elderly doctor spoke hurriedly, his eyes trembling.

I let out a small laugh.

“You don’t have to try so hard to defend him. I understand what he truly thinks.”

In the original story, Seong Chanyeong was always treated like a nuisance.

No one could control him.

He chased after Alphas, grew jealous of Seo Eunsu, and schemed endlessly until he fell into ruin—

Because no one ever stopped him.

‘I’ve never heard a single story about his family trying to stop him.’

So the doctor’s words didn’t move me at all.

They just sounded like excuses to cover up the chairman’s inconvenience.

‘I want to be alone.’

I didn’t want to stay here anymore.

Being around Chanyeong’s real family only made it clearer that I was alone.

Click.

I pulled out the IV from my hand.

Naturally, the doctor panicked.

“Young Master! What are you doing? You still need to rest!”

“No. I’m going home.”

If I stayed here any longer, I’d suffocate from the loneliness.

“Y-Young Master…”

“Even if the chairman is busy, what about my parents? My sister? The fact that none of them came… I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

I knew I was being emotional.

I knew nothing would change even if I complained about people who weren’t truly my family.

But I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Even the hospital name printed on my gown reminded me this place belonged to the Seong Group.

I just wanted to go back to the countryside.

To that quiet place that smelled of soil.

That was my real home.

“Doctor Kim, do you have the clothes I was wearing before I came here? I need them to leave.”

“I understand you’re upset, but this time is different. Please, just listen to the chairman once.”

He tried to stop me, but I quickly found the shopping bag with my clothes inside.

I picked it up and spoke.

“I’m sorry, but could you step outside? I need to change.”

“Young Master…”

“Please tell the chairman something for me.”

I wasn’t really sorry.

But I wanted to say it anyway.

For the first time, I felt sorry for the real Seong Chanyeong.

What kind of life was it, where not a single family member came even when you were sick?

‘Ah… I should give this too.’

Inside the pocket of my clothes in the shopping bag were the engagement cancellation papers and a check with an absurd amount written on it.

“I’ll leave this with you. Please give it to the chairman.”

“…What is this?”