Chapter ten : Mercy Is Not an Option .
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"Noya, where are you going?"
Noya's steps came to a halt.
He looked back.
There stood his contractual spouse and his brother, staring at him.
Noya hesitated at the question.
The spouse he knew never asked questions.
But he answered simply.
"To change the atmosphere."
He needed to breathe a little.
He had forced himself to stay inside the room for several days.
"Shall I give you a ride on the way?"
Noya raised his eyebrow slightly.
He had never had any casual or even formal conversation with his spouse's brother
yet here he was, offering him a ride
Perhaps he should simply refuse.
As if Noya's intention had been read
the young man opened his mouth again to complete his offer
"Won't you agree? I just wanted to get to know you under the pretext of a ride."
The young man looked at Noya with bright silver eyes,
but Noya could not distinguish him clearly
He only seemed like any other person, gray in color
Yet Noya was momentarily captured by that gaze
It reminded him a little of himself.
Noya was surprised by his own thoughts
and tried to forget the matter and focus on the conversation.
"Since you've gone this far, I have no choice but to accept your service."
The young man smiled with calculated lightness.
He stepped forward confidently toward Noya,
then shifted his gaze briefly to his brother.
"See you later, little brother."
He didn't know what to do.
He didn't even understand the meaning or substance of the conversation that had taken place between his brother and Noya.
And because he didn't understand, he chose not to interfere.
Ever since he was young, his brother had been mysterious.
And he had felt the same sensation from Noya as well
So he left the place, not wanting to get entangled with the problems of mysterious people
The young man glanced sideways at Noya
and spoke casually while still waving at the retreating shadow of his brother
"He really is still foolish and spoiled, just like before."
Noya replied simply, as if confirming those words
"I think it's too early to involve a child in adults' games."
The young man stopped waving
and turned to face Noya
"I thought so too, especially forming a family. He's still far too reckless."
Noya began walking outside without even checking whether the other person was following
"People like him are always lucky."
The young man walked at the same pace as Noya, not falling behind
the two of them moving side by side while keeping a personal distance between them
"I never thought so, but seeing you made me realize how many advantages that child actually has."
They reached the car.
Noya took the seat next to the driver
and the young man calmly moved toward the driver's seat.
Exactly a ride meant for getting acquainted
without the need for anyone else
Noya continued speaking in a superficial tone
That was how the conversation appeared throughout,
even though inside, he was carefully and secretly studying the person he was meeting.
And this was how both of them got to know each other
"How can you envy someone beneath you?"
The car started moving.
The young man gently gripped the steering wheel and began driving smoothly
"Given my position, there are many advantages I've gained, but they are nothing compared to my personal freedom."
"So you failed to protect your personal life as well."
Noya answered as if he understood this part
He too had failed to protect his personal life and emotional relationship.
Now he knew why he had been reminded of himself upon seeing this person.
From the conversation, he had noticed how similar they were in many ways.
"Hah."
The young man let out a slow breath that pulled Noya's thoughts away,
then continued.
"In that case, shouldn't you move on instead of adding fuel to the fire?"
An old saying, like adding salt to a wound—
both are stinging.
Meaning: don't make matters worse or more complicated
when someone wants to move on.
Noya's lips moved in a faint gesture of mockery.
"And what's the point of wrapping poison in candy?"
A metaphor for truth:
what is the use of hiding a bitter truth beneath a beautiful, false facade destined to collapse?
The young man opened his mouth again smoothly,
as if trying to reconsider Noya's words and respond in a more professional and honest manner
"Sometimes, we find more comfort and interpretation in that facade than in the torment of a truth that brings no hope."
He was indicating that the false facade was their only refuge—
something they both shared and lived within,
far from the hardened reality.
Because living under that veil of lies, pretending everything is fine and acceptable,
was easier for them than living sadly in a shattered reality
"In the end, our goal is the same."
Noya fell silent for a moment,
then turned his head toward the young man and looked at him.
The young man sensed it and smiled in response.
Noya continued.
"Don't you agree?"
He nodded lightly in affirmation and opened his mouth to reinforce it.
"You're right."
A small word that ended a discussion rich with layered meanings—
one that began with the behavior of a reckless child
and ended with the declaration of an unspoken contract between two parties sharing one secret,
driven by the instinct of similarity.
Noya rested his face in his hands and relaxed his expression while looking out the window.
He opened his mouth and broke the stiff silence with a question.
"By the way, where are you really taking me?"
The young man tightened his grip on the steering wheel with both hands and smiled, raising his eyebrow slightly.
"I don't know. I'm just driving around the streets."
Noya waved his hand lightly.
"Just take me to Rosray Café."
"Your taste is unique."
"Don't you have work? Hurry, hurry."
"Yes, yes, I'm on my way."
After some time driving, the young man stopped.
"Alright, when are you coming back?"
Noya looked at him with slight suspicion, then disappeared.
"I have a short appointment here, then I honestly don't know."
The young man looked at his phone and checked his schedule.
"Exactly when will you be done here?"
"About an hour, maybe more."
"Call me when you're done."
Noya raised his eyebrow slightly and sighed.
"And how am I supposed to call you?"
The young man extended the hand holding his phone.
"With this number."
Noya saved the number and got out of the car.
After closing the door, he leaned toward the window.
"Just don't make me wait too long."
The young man smiled and shrugged lightly in agreement.
"Lucian Falconis will answer."
Noya accepted the name formally,
even though it was sudden, and replied in the same firm tone.
"Noya Nireth will be waiting."
And with that, a strange yet beautiful conversation came to an end,
announcing the beginning of a new page.
He moved to the shop.
It overlooked the sea.
He noticed a shadow in the far corner of the second floor.
He approached and sat across from her without a single word or greeting.
"Your habits haven't changed, my nephew."
"We're not here for amusement."
Noya replied in a tone devoid of any emotion,
his meticulously shaped face like a rigid board that would never melt.
"Then why did you call me?"
The beautiful woman spoke sternly.
Despite the sweetness of her voice, her features were unreadable.
She hadn't come to play.
She was not interested.
"I found the mark of the President."
It was the first time she showed an unnatural reaction.
She was shocked.
She set down her teacup so it wouldn't slip from her hands.
She blinked several times, then stopped.
She stared at Noya carefully,
searching for the slightest tremor that might indicate a lie.
But Noya was not lying.
He didn't even have time for that.
The woman exhaled once she realized it.
She gently swept her black hair back
and interlaced her fingers adorned with beautiful, gleaming nails.
She straightened in her seat.
Now she was truly serious.
No jokes. No pleasantries.
"How can I trust you?"
Without beating around the bush, she brought up the most sensitive point of this deal.
And that was what Noya liked.
He had always liked this trait in his aunt—
in fact, he liked it in all members of the Nireth family.
Nireth was a family of art.
So between wasting time circling around a topic in conversation
or spending time painting,
playing music, or anything else,
they would certainly choose the latter.
They were frank. Direct.
They disliked prolonging anything except their art.
And since Noya was one of them,
their way of speaking was easier for him to follow,
and it was astonishingly easy to understand and read their thoughts.
"I will become the next President."
Noya said it again,
but this time, with the President's mark—
the bag he had found at the auction.
The woman's lips parted in a flawless smile.
Her green eyes gleamed in a captivating yet dangerous way.
"I believed you. I helped you before. So now it's my turn to raise my demands."
Noya extended his hand and revealed a key—
not an ordinary key,
but something closer to an emerald-colored brooch.
"Of course. I haven't forgotten my aunt's contribution in destabilizing the family from within."
She brushed her face gently with her hand and spoke with a mischievous, playful smile as she raised her eyebrow enticingly.
"It sounds bad when you put it that way."
She was joking in her own way,
even though what she had done truly was exactly as Noya described.
She had destabilized the Nireth family from the inside.
She was the primary mover behind the scenes of several conflicts.
And all of this had been to ease Noya's movement within the family
and give him time to find the President's mark.
After all,
she had been the strongest candidate for the position of family President.
She had enough power to do whatever she wanted,
and full authority over the family estate.
She had indeed been busy in recent years because of Noya.
And now, after waiting, the results of her hard work had finally returned.
"I came to hear your terms now."
Noya replied as he lifted his coffee and took a small sip,
his gaze still studying his aunt's face.
"My daughters and my son."
She leaned closer to the table,
rested her face on her hand,
and lightly spoke of the most important point.
Noya stopped drinking his coffee.
His eyes gleamed dangerously.
He caught what lay behind those words.
He wondered which children she meant.
His aunt was known for her extensive harem.
Being a powerful alpha had enabled her to pass her blood to many omegas
and bear many children—
though few of them had survived.
Almost all of her children had died.
So Noya understood why she brought this up first.
She didn't want to risk her children anymore.
And that was the same reason she had worked in Noya's favor.
Because of the former President's poor health
and the decline of the family's influence in many countries,
his aunt had lost many children during operations—
or simply to people who wanted revenge on her.
Despite the many reasons, it did not change the fact
that she had lost her children.
From that moment on, she swore revenge.
And Noya was her only path to it.
This was something Noya had suspected before.
How could an aunt with such a vast harem
fail to bear more children to compensate, even slightly, for what she had lost?
It later became clear
that after the shock of losing many children at once,
she had been unable to make any other omega pregnant.
They said it was a psychological illness born of trauma,
not true infertility.
She convinced herself of it,
because illness had also played a role in killing her children,
and she did not want to give birth to more children
who might not even live past the age of five.
Noya understood this more than she might expect.
But that did not mean he would sympathize with her.
This was a deal.
There was no need to dig into personal emotions.
"They are Nireth, Aunt."
Noya sighed and continued in a cold tone that allowed no retreat.
"No matter how their blood differs or mixes, they still carry Nireth blood."
Noya swallowed his last words—
those related to blood.
But his aunt understood.
That this very blood was what had killed them.
After passing this point—which she understood without it being spoken aloud—
he continued.
"No matter how hard you try to hide them, they will eventually surface and get involved in what's coming."
The woman intertwined her fingers,
rested her face in her hands,
and tried to hide her expression.
She closed her eyes, attempting to drive away the memory of their deaths.
"I know. That's why my demand is different."
She raised her face.
All emotion vanished, as if it had never existed.
"You know I have two daughters and one son. I've talked to them about everything."
Noya looked at her and didn't rush her,
but before she could continue, he interrupted briefly—just to be sure.
"Was that agent with you?"
Her eyes trembled for a moment, but she nodded silently.
Noya said nothing and let her continue.
"I know that being Nireth means everything will happen—artistic work, and arranged marriages as well."
She didn't mean ordinary artistic work—
painting, sculpture, singing—
but rather the dark side of artistic work,
like what Noya had done before to the men who pursued him,
and similar acts.
"My son is ready to do anything for you, and my eldest daughter as well.
Even though I oppose this.
But my second daughter already has someone she loves,
and she has given him the special mark of affection."
Noya listened attentively to his aunt's words
and was surprised at the last part,
though he did not show it.
The surprise was not that his cousin loved someone,
but because of the special mark of affection.
How could he not recognize it?
It was part of him.
It was a mark unique to the Nireth family.
Even if their bodies mixed with many people,
even if they formed many relationships,
there would only ever be one person they truly loved—
the one they would remain bound to until death.
That was affection.
A symbol of Nireth's pure love,
imprinted on the soul and body of the one they loved.
And the moment they did this,
they could never live without their partners.
They could not endure separation,
because their emotions transferred and their souls intertwined,
binding them even more tightly together.
Yet there had been many cases within Nireth
where someone abandoned their partner even after giving the mark
and immersed themselves in another relationship—
but the mark never disappeared.
It remained a constant reminder
that Nireth affection does not change,
even if one enters another relationship.
"President, at least her—don't take her emotional life away."
His aunt's words pulled Noya out of his deep thoughts.
She had fully acknowledged him as the new President of the family
and addressed him as such.
Because the ending was the same either way,
it was better to hurry and get used to the title for the future.
Noya opened his mouth,
and because he knew the weight of partners, he did not argue.
He had already formed a plan in his mind.
"I have no intention of doing that.
Even for the rest of your children.
Your son will be given a grace period of two years.
If he does not find someone he loves,
I will give him an arranged partner after we take over the family.
As for your eldest daughter,
I already have a suitable partner for her as well—
and that will be after a grace period of three years."
The mother smiled gently,
a heavy burden finally lifting from her shoulders.
"But I do not guarantee that your son will not be involved in artistic work."
The aunt did not reply
nor show any sign of dissatisfaction.
She had already heard what he said.
Her gentle daughters would not be dragged into it.
She was immensely relieved by that alone.
"That is enough for me—
their safety and their lives."
Noya rested his face on his hand
and looked at his aunt with his dark emerald eyes.
"You are far too simple, Aunt."
She looked at him,
studying his movements and the murderous intent leaking from him.
It suffocated her.
A chill ran down her spine.
She felt terror toward him.
She watched him, trying to understand what he was about to do.
Noya calmly stirred the spoon in circular motions inside his cup of coffee,
drawing something beautiful—
an art unlike any other.
"What should I do with the agent?"
"H—"
The aunt gasped.
Fear tightened around her heart.
She saw Noya moving the spoon
as if gripping a dagger and stabbing straight into his heart.
She struggled to open her mouth,
scratching her throat with her nails just to breathe and speak.
She gathered her words, barely forcing them out.
"He is loyal to me.
And I am on your side, so—
he will never betray you."
"Heh."
A cold laugh escaped Noya's throat.
With dark, sharpened eyes, he spoke in a calculated, assassin-like voice—
cold, carrying not a single trace of emotion.
"We are not dealing with mathematical figures, Aunt."
He raised the spoon toward her with crushing pressure and overwhelming killing intent,
causing the cups and the table to crack.
"Loyal to you? That's amusing.
Wasn't he spying on you?"
He continued speaking without any intention of easing the pressure he imposed on the air.
It was only by luck that Noya directed his power at the atmosphere, not at her.
"If I killed you here,
your children would have to be loyal to me because they are Nireth.
But he is not.
Who guarantees me his loyalty?"
She tried to raise her voice,
scratching her throat until she could breathe and speak.
"I guarantee it, President."
Noya stood up and took a few steps to her side.
He gently patted her shoulder.
At the same time, his energy and killing intent withdrew from the surroundings.
But his voice did not change.
"From among your harem,
you placed your special mark of affection on an agent who betrayed you."
The woman was stunned.
Even though the pressure had vanished,
the weight of Noya's words was heavier than any force.
She did not know how he had discovered it,
who even knew about it,
or how the information had leaked.
Noya withdrew his hand and left the place with calm steps.
He had obtained what he wanted.
"I expect a better response the next time we face each other."
He looked back at her once more and spoke in an empty tone.
"That is, if you want him to remain alive."
Noya left the place,
but the woman did not move from her seat.
She was drenched in sweat and anxiety.
She was no longer the powerful woman who had sat before him—
but a fragile person whose past had been meticulously unearthed
and whose weaknesses had been exposed.
She breathed calmly, gathered herself, and stood up.
The moment she took a single step away from the table,
everything shattered.
She startled and staggered backward.
She hadn't noticed earlier due to the overwhelming pressure,
but seeing the table and chairs crumble into dust
reminded her of who she had been speaking to.
He had destroyed everything around him—
from lifeless furniture to living beings
.
He left behind nothing but destruction,
a blatant threat and a constant reminder of what he was capable of.
She left the place after paying for the damages.
Noya left without any regret,
despite knowing that what he had done was extremely harsh toward his aunt.
But he was right.
He was not forgiving enough to allow an agent who monitored them
to remain within Nireth's circle of power—
even if his aunt loved him deeply.
Noya stood overlooking the sea from the balcony of another shop adjacent to the café.
He raised his hand and pulled out from beneath his clothes a necklace hanging from his sculpted white neck.
It was black, adorned with small, sparkling white gems,
as if glittering powder had been randomly scattered across it.
At its end hung a single letter—
clear and brilliantly beautiful.