Chapter 99

5

"Welcome, Darling!"

Greyson, who had been waiting after making preparations in advance, opened the front door himself and spread his arms wide to embrace Dane tightly. Pretending to call the cat's name while actually calling Dane "darling" was a tactic with motives that were all too transparent. Dane wanted to shake him off, but he couldn't because one hand was holding the carrier with Darling inside, and the other was holding a bag full of Darling's supplies. Instead, he muttered in a threatening low voice.

"Let go, while I'm asking nicely."

Despite fully understanding the meaning, Greyson only released his arms after rubbing his face all over Dane's shoulder. His cheeks were flushed red with a blush as he raised his head and took a step back.

"I've been waiting, for a very long time."

"Long time?"

What is he talking about now? When Dane unconsciously asked back with a furrowed brow, Greyson nodded his head with a bright smile.

"My entire life."

"That again."

Dane shook his head as if disgusted. Nonsense about destiny and whatnot had been on Greyson's lips since he first appeared, so he was used to it by now. Whether Dane agreed or not was a separate issue.

Well, it's good to have dreams.

Dane thought indifferently as he looked around.

"Which way is the room?"

As soon as the question dropped, Greyson turned around and said.

"Come this way, I've prepared the room with the best view."

Greyson hummed a tune as he went up the stairs. Seeing him showing with his whole body how good his mood was, Dane felt strange in contrast.

After climbing the stairs with five landings, the lower floor looked dizzyingly far away. After glancing over the railing at the tremendous height, Dane followed behind Greyson again. If Darling had been younger when she came here, she would have had a much more enjoyable day, he suddenly thought, but then shook his head. What's the use when it's not even my house anyway?

Only the sound of their footsteps echoed desolately through the wide and long corridor. It was so quiet that it seemed like there were only two people in such a large house, but there must certainly be caretakers. The statues placed at regular intervals were maintained spotlessly clean, and the long carpet also shone with a glossy finish.

"This is the room."

After passing several doors, Greyson finally stopped in front of one room and turned to look at Dane. It was perfect timing, as he was getting tired and was about to say that any room would do.

Greyson opened the door and stepped back, and Dane passed by him and entered first. And at the first sight that greeted him, he stopped in his tracks.

Beyond the wide-open front window, a magnificent night view stretched endlessly. The dazzling lights of the distant city dyed the black night entirely in indigo, making the pouring darkness shine as brightly as stars. As it was his first time seeing such a spectacle, Dane stood there for a moment, dazed and lost in thought. Had there ever been such a beautiful night?

Dane's house had been on a small hill, but there was a low mountain behind it, making it impossible to see the night view. Although he had occasionally glimpsed the night view flashing by the roadside when returning home late, to appreciate the night scenery through a full window in a room like this? During the day, there would surely be lush greenery visible under the endless blue sky.

Could there be a more luxurious consumption than this? Dane thought in a dumbfounded state. They say the greatest privilege of the rich is buying scenery.

"How is it, Dane? Do you like it?"

Greyson, who had been standing silently behind until then, approached slightly and asked. Anyone who would say they didn't like this room would either be a terribly ill-tempered person, someone who didn't know shame, or perhaps an emperor of some country. Of course, Dane wasn't that ill-tempered, he knew what shame was, and far from being an emperor, he was broke, having lost his house, which was his entire fortune.

"There are other rooms too. You can look around and decide. Would you like to do that?"

Greyson suggested without even waiting for an answer. Dane tried to speak but a metallic sound came out, so he quickly cleared his throat with an "ahem."

"No, it's fine. I like it. I'll take this room."

"Really? That's a relief."

Greyson smiled as if genuinely relieved. For Dane, on the other hand, it was a bewildering situation. The room, which was much larger than all three of Dane's living rooms combined, had folding doors that divided the space, with a bedroom on one side and a living room-like space on the other. Plus a sofa, TV, and even a tea table. If Dane wanted, he thought he might be able to live roughly without taking a single step out of this room.

And what about the bedroom on this side? Dane had never seen such a large bed, big enough for someone as tall as him to lie down with arms and legs spread wide and still have room to spare. Of course, even if it was tailored to the homeowner who was even taller than Dane, for Dane, who had always thought beds were too short when buying ready-made mattresses, seeing such a width that seemed tailored to his body made him feel the urge to lie down right away.

But more than the paintings on the wall, decorations, or expensive-looking porcelain, what attracted Dane's heart the most was the cat tower installed by the window.

The very cat tower that Dane had been saving up for months to buy, that he had received as a gift from Greyson by chance but had burned down before he could even properly assemble it, and that he had given up on buying anew due to the many expenses ahead.

"My goodness..."

Dane unconsciously muttered as if sighing. The massive cat tower had been assembled with both wings. This would surely satisfy Darling. He wanted to put Darling on the cat tower right away and capture the moment in a photo, but he had to be patient. Darling must have been under a lot of stress from the successive moves. It would take time for her to come out of the carrier, so he had to wait without being impatient for her to adapt to the unfamiliar environment.

Still, out of regret, he stroked the cat tower, and Greyson, once again sticking close behind him, asked.

"Darling would like this, right?"

"Well..."

Dane couldn't deny it and let his words trail off. He hadn't expected him to be this considerate. As he stood there blankly with complicated feelings, Greyson spoke again.

"It's a gift. You can take it with you when you leave."

"What?"

At the unexpected words, Dane turned his head, and Greyson readily smiled.

"It's a thank you for coming here."

Dane silently stared at his face. What is this bastard saying...

Such a gift would be nothing to Greyson Miller. He's someone who casually spends thousands of dollars. But it wasn't the same for the recipient. Above all, wasn't this a relationship with a set time limit that he had reluctantly accepted?

"...Miller."

Dane opened his mouth with an expressionless face.

"I don't like exchanging excessive gifts like this. I appreciate the thought, but I'll decline."

"It's not an excessive gift."

"It might not be for you, but it is for me."

Dane coldly refused.

"If you don't maintain appropriate boundaries, I'll leave here whether you stalk me or whatever."

He was serious. Of course, Greyson noticed that too.

"Alright. ...But please accept this one, I won't buy anything else in the future."

A bitter tone was felt in Greyson's voice. Dane paused and then nodded. This bastard doesn't even have a cat, and it would be a waste to throw it away.

Soon, Greyson pulled up the corners of his mouth and smiled. Dane felt awkwardness in his reaction but didn't bother to point it out. Instead, he pointed to a door on one side and asked.

"Is that the bathroom door?"

"Huh? No. The bathroom is that door over there."

Greyson said, his cheeks slightly coloring.

"That door connects to my room."

Dane silently looked at Greyson.

"...What?"

It was after a few seconds of silence that he uttered a single word with a furrowed brow.