"Glug… glug…"
Chewie drained the entire glass of water in one go. Seeing it empty, Seo-jun reached for the small bell beside her bed—a standard fixture in noble bedrooms, meant to summon servants without raising one's voice.
A young servant who had only started working that very day entered Chewie's room, head bowed, hands trembling with nerves. Slowly, her approached Seo-jun and asked if there was anything her could assist with.
Seo-jun explained the situation. The servant immediately fetched a pitcher of drinking water from the kitchen and even brought along a few light snacks so Chewie wouldn't go hungry during the night.
Impressed by how efficiently the young servant worked, Seo-jun praised her.
Chewie, however, grew visibly irritated.
Overcome by jealousy, she deliberately knocked over the glass of water the servant had just handed her. But Seo-jun reacted instantly, catching it before it hit the floor.
"You should be more careful, Chewie," Seo-jun said firmly."I may like you, but I don't like women who cause trouble or hurt others."
With nothing else to be done, Seo-jun stood and left the room, leaving Chewie lying in bed with her face turned away, clearly sulking after he sided with the servant instead of her.
Back in his own room, Seo-jun collapsed onto the bed and closed his eyes, trying to shake off the exhaustion of a long day.
At exactly three in the morning, he jolted awake at the sound of his window opening.
The large, heavy windows of a noble's bedroom weren't something just anyone could move. His body tensed as he saw the silhouette of someone slowly approaching his bed.
Thump. Thump.
Hands shaking, Seo-jun reached beneath the bed and grabbed his sword—kept there deliberately, considering how many people held grudges against Adrian Hanwick. The man was infamous for wrecking households with his dangerously charming reputation.
His right hand gripped the scabbard, his left the hilt. He was fully prepared for whatever came next as the shadow stopped right in front of him.
Seo-jun's eyes snapped open.
Without a word, he rolled off the bed and drew his sword.
The figure immediately dropped to the floor, scrambling and begging.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Hy—"
At that last word, Seo-jun froze.
He sheathed his sword instantly and grabbed the struggling man by the leg.
"Hyung!" the man screamed.
Still not recognizing him, Seo-jun instinctively launched into a full wrestling move—straight out of professional wrestling, courtesy of his love for WWE and his idol, John Cena.
The violent commotion drew everyone in the estate rushing into Seo-jun's room.
What they witnessed made Margaret Hanwick faint on the spot—she'd never seen such a bizarre combat technique in her life.
Edmund quickly ordered the guards to separate Seo-jun from the sobbing man.
Amid the chaos, Lucien burst into uncontrollable laughter, earning a sharp glare from Edmund.
Still not understanding what was happening, Seo-jun stared in disbelief as everyone fussed over the crying intruder.
"Why are you worried about him?!" Seo-jun snapped.
"I'm the one who was almost attacked!"
Edmund merely shook his head and escorted the man out. The servants and guards followed, leaving Seo-jun behind with Lucien, who was still laughing so hard he could barely stand.
"Stop laughing before I actually use this sword to shut you up," Seo-jun growled.
"Explain why everyone was looking at me like that."
Lucien took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before answering.
"Because… he's not a bad guy, Hyung."
"Then who is he?" Seo-jun demanded, genuinely confused.
He didn't recognize the man at all—he'd never even seen his face in any history book he'd read.
Lucien slapped his own face, forcing himself to compose his expression.
"Hyung… what did you drink?" he asked incredulously."How drunk were you to not realize that was our youngest brother… Rowan Hanwick?"
Seo-jun immediately grabbed his head, guilt crashing down on him all at once over the misunderstanding.
In the book he'd once read, Rowan was never clearly described. In fact, Rowan was said to have never returned home at all—vanishing from the story until the Kingdom of Aurelion was overthrown by rebels, an event that ultimately wiped out the Sebastian Hanwick family in a massive war.
"Oh my god… what did I just do?" Seo-jun muttered, rubbing his temples.
"I had no idea that was Rowan."
Hearing that, Lucien completely lost it.
Annoyed beyond patience, Seo-jun shoved a handkerchief into Lucien's mouth and dragged him straight toward Rowan's room, where their parents were waiting.
Still weighed down by guilt, Seo-jun pulled the handkerchief out of Lucien's mouth and forced him to open Rowan's door. Their sudden entrance startled Edmund, who immediately started smacking both of them with the newspaper still in his hand.
"Ow! Ow! Please stop, Father!"
Seo-jun and Lucien cried out at the same time.
Seeing her sons being hit again, Margaret burst into tears. Her sobbing made all three of them freeze, guilt washing over them as she began praying to God, blaming herself for her family's lack of harmony.
Even as Edmund tried to calm his wife, his glare toward the two boys remained sharp and unforgiving.
Sensing the tension getting worse, Seo-jun quickly shifted positions. He nudged Lucien to stand right next to Edmund, while he himself stood beside Lucien—at a carefully calculated, safer distance.
Rowan, who had finally calmed down, glanced at Seo-jun as he continued quietly shoving Lucien around.
Edmund slowly approached, wrapped an arm around both of their shoulders, and then unleashed a vicious pinching attack—paired with a wide, unsettling smile.
Margaret suddenly stepped closer to the three of them, all trying to hide their true feelings—Seo-jun and Lucien biting back pain, while Edmund smiled through his irritation.
"Oh? What's going on, dear?" Edmund asked gently.
Margaret took her husband's hand.
"Come now, dear. Let's step outside for a moment. Rowan wants to speak with Adrian alone. Lucien, come with Mother," she said in the refined tone of a noblewoman.
Lucien immediately followed her out.
Still burdened by guilt, Seo-jun couldn't hide his awkwardness as he was left alone with Rowan Hanwick, who was leaning against the bed.
"Hyung, come closer."
Seo-jun slowly approached the bedside.
"Yeah… I'm sorry, Rowan," he said quietly.
"I lost part of my memory after waking up in a casino a few months ago. That's why I've forgotten some people's faces."
Hearing that, Rowan nodded calmly.
"I understand, Hyung Adrian. In that case… come a little closer and take that chair. It's time we talk about the business deal we agreed on."
They began discussing the profit split in greater detail. The conversation stretched on until morning sunlight slipped through the gaps in Rowan's curtains.
When a servant asked permission to tidy the bed, they finally shook hands—finalizing every detail and agreeing to put everything into a formal contract to prevent future losses.
Without taking a moment to rest, Seo-jun—energized by how real his plan had become—immediately drafted the agreement according to their original terms.
The rubber production project had officially begun.