Yoon Seoho had been in an exceptionally good mood since early this morning.
Usually, the very first sensation that greeted him upon opening his eyes after a night’s sleep was a heavy, suffocating boredom.
His daily routine revolved entirely around contemplating what kind of absurd stunt he should pull next just to shake himself out of his persistent lethargy.
But today was different.
He couldn’t remember the last time his mind had felt this remarkably crisp and clear.
His entire body thrummed with a profound sense of intrigue, and he found it nearly impossible to suppress the excitement swelling within his chest.
Had he ever felt this way before?
Born into a world he found utterly tedious, this was an entirely foreign sensation.
“Ha. To think I woke up and my mood doesn’t feel like total shit.”
He still found it hard to believe. To think that the mere appearance of a single oasis in his desolate life could trigger such a monumental shift.
“No. ‘Mere oasis’? There’s no way a presence like that is ‘mere’.”
Muttering to himself, Yoon Seoho lightly traced the edge of his lips.
Even without looking in a mirror, he could tell the corners of his mouth were turned upward.
Anyone else seeing him right now would probably assume the world was finally ending.
That was how lethargic and freezing cold Yoon Seoho usually was when he wasn’t acting the part of a charismatic cult leader.
For someone who had spent his entire life drowning in innate apathy, this sudden surge of vitality was nothing short of miraculous.
Standing in front of his walk-in closet, Yoon Seoho meticulously checked his reflection.
He wanted to present an absolutely flawless appearance to the person he needed to impress.
Though his looks were naturally perfect without any effort, he still felt a strange anxiety that it wasn’t enough.
While this self-conscious side of him was entirely unfamiliar, it didn’t leave him with a particularly bad feeling.
“Hmm. This should be perfect.”
Lightly stroking his chin, Yoon Seoho took one last look down at his tailored indoor clothes before stepping out of the closet.
He switched on his smartphone and stared intently at the figure sleeping motionlessly on the screen.
Through the hidden CCTV camera installed in the bedroom, he was monitoring his possession twenty-four hours a day.
‘Click.’
Opening the door, Yoon Seoho slipped into the room and cut through the dimly lit space.
From the massive bed positioned further inside, the faint sound of breathing reached his ears.
The slow, rhythmic thumping of a heartbeat tickled Yoon Seoho’s eardrums.
As an S-rank Esper, his senses were heightened to a terrifying degree—capable of hearing even the distinct sound of an ant crawling across the floor.
Finally reaching the edge of the bed, Yoon Seoho looked down at the sleeping youth.
The boy was lying in the exact position Yoon Seoho had left him in last night.
Reaching out a hand toward the figure sleeping as straight and motionless as a doll, Yoon Seoho gently brushed his fingers across the waxen, pale cheek.
Feeling a trace of faint warmth radiating from the skin, he noted with satisfaction that, at the very least, the body maintained a human form.
Yoon Seoho leaned down, bringing his lips dangerously close to a round, neatly shaped ear.
“Yuan.”
The moment he whispered the name softly, the tightly closed eyelids began to tremble minutely.
Yoon Seoho watched the sight without blinking once, determined not to miss a single micro-expression of the person in front of him.
“Time to wake up.”
“……Mmh.”
An incoherent mumble slipped past the boy’s plump lips.
The arc of Yoon Seoho’s smile deepened significantly.
“Our Cult Leader is quite the sleepyhead.”
Caressing the flushed cheek, Yoon Seoho’s eyes curved with amusement.
Seo Yuan seemed to struggle immensely against the heavy pull of sleep, and it took a full ten minutes before his eyelids finally fluttered completely open.
“Are you awake?”
Yoon Seoho locked eyes with a pair of beautiful, obsidian-black pupils.
Perhaps because the drowsiness hadn’t fully dissipated yet, Seo Yuan merely stared up at him with a blank, dazed expression.
Then, his lips parted slightly.
“……Seoho Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m… sleepy.”
To think the very first words out of his mouth would be so incredibly endearing.
Seeing how Seo Yuan immediately used the correct honorific after being corrected just yesterday, Yoon Seoho found him exceptionally praiseworthy.
“You’re sleepy?”
“Yeah…….”
“Still, let’s get up. You need to eat.”
Yoon Seoho had already firmly resolved to thoroughly domesticate and raise the possession in front of him.
Since the physical body was human, he intended to manage the boy’s health with absolute precision.
Consequently, skipping breakfast was entirely out of the question.
Yoon Seoho waited with boundless patience, softly coaxing Seo Yuan as the boy struggled against his heavy fatigue.
When Seo Yuan finally managed to pull himself out of bed, he stumbled unsteadily upon stepping onto the floor.
Yoon Seoho’s arm shot out instantly, catching him before he could fall.
He couldn’t allow a single scratch to mar this fragile body.
Yoon Seoho thoroughly scanned every inch of Seo Yuan’s frame, checking for any abnormalities.
“Are you alright?”
“Mmh.”
Startled by the sudden movement, Seo Yuan looked up at Yoon Seoho with wide, fully awakened eyes.
Yoon Seoho found even that reactive expression utterly captivating.
“As long as you’re fine, that’s all that matters. Let’s go out.”
Leading Seo Yuan out of the bedroom, he guided him straight to the dining table, which was already laden with an array of dishes perfectly suited for a light morning meal.
Having observed how well the boy had eaten the porridge the night before, Yoon Seoho had prepared the spread without hesitation.
He had verified that the boy’s body possessed no aversion to human food and showed no signs of physical rejection.
Every single action Yoon Seoho directed toward Seo Yuan was born out of cold, calculated precision.
He intended to grasp everything about Seo Yuan in his palms and manipulate him completely, ensuring the boy would never harbor a single stray thought of rebellion.
If Seo Yuan ever realized his own true identity and attempted to run away, Yoon Seoho would have no choice but to sever those beautiful ankles.
Naturally, Yoon Seoho preferred to avoid such a loss.
Those slender, near-perfect ankles and feet deserved to be preserved in pristine condition.
However, if Seo Yuan truly attempted to escape, he wouldn’t hesitate for a single second to slice through them.
A concept like guilt simply didn’t exist in Yoon Seoho’s psychological makeup; he was entirely incapable of feeling that brand of empathy.
If his property dared to leave his side without permission, it was only natural that a fitting punishment be delivered.
After settling Seo Yuan into a dining chair, Yoon Seoho sat directly beside him, personally taking on the role of an attentive servant.
For someone who had lived a life where others constantly catered to his every whim, Yoon Seoho showed absolutely no reluctance in serving someone else.
Instead, with a genuinely pleased expression, he diligently guided food into Seo Yuan’s mouth.
Perhaps because his appetite hadn’t fully kicked in yet, the boy’s crimson lips opened and closed at a sluggish pace.
Yoon Seoho meticulously cataloged every single detail—noting which ingredients Seo Yuan preferred and which ones he subtly recoiled from.
While the boy had devoured a decent amount of porridge the night before, today he ate like a tiny bird, his face quickly displaying a full, satisfied expression.
“Are you full?”
Seo Yuan offered a slow nod.
