The penthouse in Hannam-dong was a masterpiece of cold marble and floor-to-ceiling glass, but tonight, it felt like a cage.

**Jeon Jaehyung**—the man the world called the "Ice Prince" and the "Nation’s Voice"—stood by the balcony doors. At thirty-five, his face was still impossibly handsome, though the exhaustion of a decade-long secret was etched into the corners of his light-blue eyes.

Behind him, the sharp click of designer heels against the marble sounded like a countdown.

"I’m done, Jaehyung. I want out," **Song Hana** spat, her voice as beautiful and hollow as the award-winning performances she gave on screen. She was a breathtaking actress, the "Nation's Sweetheart," but to Jaehyung, she was the woman his grandfather had shackled him to in a power move that had backfired into a nightmare.

Jaehyung didn't turn around. "You’ve been 'out' for years, Hana. You’ve spent more nights in the villas of your 'directors' than in this house."

"Then let's make it official," she snapped, tossing a folder onto the glass coffee table. "My lawyer drafted the papers. I want the Gangnam estate, the Jeju property, and forty percent of your royalties for the next ten years. It’s a small price to pay for my silence."

Jaehyung finally turned, his gaze icy. "You want my children's inheritance to fund your lifestyle with your lovers?"

"Those brats are a mistake!" Hana shrieked, her composed mask finally slipping. "I wanted to abort them the moment I found out. You’re the one who forced me to carry them. You and your obsessive 'bloodline' pride. Do you think the fans will still buy your albums when they find out their bachelor idol is a father to freakish children?"

Jaehyung’s hand tightened on the railing. "Don’t you dare call them that."

"Aria’s eyes, Jaehyung! They’re blood-red!" Hana laughed harshly. "People won't think she’s royal. They’ll think she’s a curse. If you don't sign those papers and give me what I want, I’ll take a photo of her tonight and send it to Dispatch. Let’s see how your 'Main Vocalist' career survives a scandal of that magnitude."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Jaehyung stepped toward her, his presence looming and dark.

"Go," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Go back to your lover. I’ll send my lawyer to your agency tomorrow morning. You’ll get your divorce, but you won't touch a single cent of the twins' money. And if you ever breathe a word about Aria or Leo, I will personally ensure every scandal your agency has buried for you comes to light. I have the receipts, Hana. Don't test a man who has nothing left to lose but his children."

Hana flinched, her eyes darting to the door. She grabbed her handbag, her face twisted in a sneer. "Fine. Keep your little monsters. Just remember—you’re the one who has to live in this silence. Not me."

She slammed the door, the sound echoing through the empty halls.

Jaehyung stood still for a long moment, his chest heaving. Then, a soft sound from the hallway made his heart stop. He turned to see two small figures standing in the shadows of the nursery door.

**Leo**, with his father’s light-blue eyes, was holding his sister's hand tightly. Beside him, **Aria** looked up, her large, innocent eyes glowing with a startling, deep **Cherry Red**.

"Papa?" Leo whispered. "Is the mean lady gone?"

The Ice Prince collapsed to his knees, his composure vanishing as he pulled his children into a fierce embrace. "She's gone," he choked out, burying his face in their hair. "She’s never coming back. I promise."

The Two Faces of the King

The world knew them as **NEO-CHROME**, the "Kings of the Fourth Generation." They were a five-member powerhouse known for their futuristic concepts and flawless vocals.

In the center of it all was **Jeon Jaehyung**, the eldest and the Main Vocalist. To the millions of "Chromes" (their fans), he was the unreachable "Ice Prince"—cool, professional, and seemingly married only to his music.

### The Members of NEO-CHROME:

**Jaehyung (35):** The Leader in spirit and the Main Vocalist. The "Father" of the group (literally and figuratively).

**Kael (28):** The Main Rapper. Sharp-tongued and observant. He’s the one most likely to notice Jaehyung’s secret phone calls.

**Minho (26):** The Main Dancer. High energy and a prankster. He’s the reason three previous team doctors quit.

**Sejun (24):** Visual and Lead Vocal. Soft-spoken but incredibly popular.

**Ryu (22):** The Maknae (Youngest). A "Gen-Z" idol who is always on social media, making him a constant danger to Jaehyung’s secrets.

### The Secret Nursery

After the door slammed on his wife, Hana, the coldness of the penthouse began to melt. Jaehyung carried the twins into the "Hidden Wing"—a soundproofed suite of rooms that didn't exist on the official floor plans.

"Papa, why was the lady screaming?" **Leo** asked, his voice small. He rubbed his **light-blue eyes**, a perfect mirror of Jaehyung’s own. At four years old, Leo was already starting to look like a miniature version of a K-pop star, but his soul was gentle and shy.

"She was just saying goodbye, Leo," Jaehyung lied softly, sitting them down on the plush rug.

Then he looked at **Aria**.

If Leo was his mirror, Aria was a mystery from a forgotten age. Her hair was dark and silky, but it was her eyes that stopped people's breath. They weren't just red; they were the color of **ripe cherries**, shimmering with a depth that felt ancient. This was the **Imperial Heritage**—a trait that appeared only once every hundred years in the Jeon bloodline. To the world, it was a legend. To Jaehyung, it was a target on his daughter's back.

"Does it hurt, Aria?" he whispered, brushing a stray hair from her face.

"No, Papa," she giggled, her eyes glowing slightly brighter as she reached for a stuffed tiger. "It just feels... warm. Like the sun is inside my head."

Jaehyung felt a lump in his throat. He was thirty-five. He had spent fifteen years building a career that was now a golden cage. He was the most famous "bachelor" in Asia, yet he spent his midnights changing bedsheets and whispering lullabies to children the world wasn't allowed to know existed.

### The Contrast

His phone buzzed. It was the **NEO-CHROME Group Chat**.

**[Group Chat: NEO-CHROME - NO MANAGERS]**

* **Minho:** Jae-hyung! Where are you? The choreographer is losing his mind. We’ve been at the studio for three hours.

* **Ryu:** Hyung, are you sick? You missed the live stream too. The fans are trending #WhereIsJae.

* **Kael:** Leave him alone. He said he had "family business."

* **Jaehyung:** (Typing with one hand while Leo climbed on his back) *Sorry, guys. Personal emergency. I’m leaving now. I’ll do double practice tomorrow.*

* **Sejun:** Rest well, Hyung. You’ve been looking tired lately.

Jaehyung sighed, putting the phone down. He looked at his mother, who had just entered the room to take over. She was the only one who helped him guard this fortress.

"Go, Jaehyung," his mother whispered. "Be the King for a few hours. I’ll watch the heirs."

"Heirs," Jaehyung muttered, pulling on his black hoodie and face mask. "They aren't heirs, Mom. They’re just my kids. And I'm going to make sure they stay that way."

He kissed the twins' foreheads—one blue-eyed, one cherry-eyed—and stepped out of the hidden wing, shifting his shoulders as he prepared to become the "Ice Prince" once again. he drove toward the label's headquarters

The practice room at the label's headquarters was a sensory overload of heavy bass, screeching sneakers, and the smell of industrial-grade floor cleaner. Wall-to-wall mirrors reflected five men moving in perfect, lethal synchronization.

**Jaehyung** was at the center. At thirty-five, he was a decade older than the *maknae*, **Ryu**, but his movements were sharper, fueled by a desperate kind of adrenaline.

"Again!" the choreographer shouted.

The music restarted. *Thud-thud-thud.* Jaehyung’s knee gave a sickening *pop*. He didn’t flinch. He couldn't. If he showed pain, the managers would call the company doctors. If the doctors came, they’d realize he was reaching his limit. And if he reached his limit, he wouldn’t be allowed to go home to the hidden wing of his penthouse.

"Break! Ten minutes!"

Jaehyung collapsed against the mirror, his chest heaving. He pulled his hood low, hiding the dark circles under his light-blue eyes.

"Hyung," **Kael**, the rapper, walked over and tossed him a cold water bottle. Kael was observant—too observant. "You’re off-beat. Only by a millisecond, but you’re off."

"I'm fine, Kael. Just didn't sleep well," Jaehyung muttered, taking a long swig of water.

"You haven't 'slept well' in four years, Jae," Kael lowered his voice so the other members couldn't hear. "The 'Family Business' you keep mentioning... is it the divorce? We know you and Hana are... difficult."

Jaehyung stiffened. The group knew about his forced marriage to the actress—it was impossible to hide a wedding—but they thought it was just a cold, childless contract. They had no idea about the nursery. They had no idea about the **Cherry Red** eyes waiting for him at home.

"It’s being handled," Jaehyung said shortly. "Don't worry about it."

---

### The Silent Phone

While the other members, **Minho** and **Ryu**, were filming a TikTok in the corner, Jaehyung’s private phone—the one hidden in his gym bag—vibrated.

He lunged for it.

**[Encrypted Message: Mom]**

> *Jae, Aria is asking for the 'Sun-eyes' story again. Her eyes... they glowed when she woke up. I had to close the curtains. Even the sunlight seems to trigger it now. Please hurry home after practice.*

Jaehyung felt a cold sweat that had nothing to do with the dance routine. The **Centennial Heritage** was waking up. The royal blood in Aria was reacting to her growth, and he was stuck in a dance studio pretending to be a bachelor.

"Hyung! Look at this!" **Ryu** ran over, shoving his phone into Jaehyung’s face. "The fans found a photo of you at a pharmacy at 4:00 AM yesterday. They think you’re dating someone because you were buying... pediatric vitamins?"

Jaehyung’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at the blurry photo on the screen. It was him, masked and hooded, standing at a late-night counter.

"I... I have a cold," Jaehyung lied, his voice steady. "I grabbed the wrong bottle. I was tired."

"The 'Chromes' are going crazy," **Minho** laughed, leaning over. "They think the 'Ice Prince' has a secret girlfriend with a kid. Can you imagine? The scandal would be bigger than the moon!"

Jaehyung forced a laugh. It sounded hollow in his own ears. *If only you knew,* he thought. *The scandal isn't a girlfriend. It's a dynasty.*

---

### The Breaking Point

"Alright, back to positions!" the choreographer yelled.

Jaehyung stood up, but as he pivoted for the high-jump transition, his knee finally buckled. A sharp, white-hot pain shot up his leg. He hit the floor with a heavy *thud*, his face contorting.

"Jaehyung-hyung!" the members rushed forward.

"Call the medical team!" the manager shouted, reaching for his radio.

"No!" Jaehyung gasped, clutching his knee. "No company doctors. Just... just wrap it. I’m fine."

"You aren't fine, Jae," Kael said, his face grim. "Your career is on the line. If this is a ligament tear, the comeback is over."

Jaehyung looked at the mirrors. He saw a man who was falling apart. He saw a king whose crown was made of glass. He needed a doctor, but not a company doctor who would report his every move to the Board.

He needed someone who could keep a secret. He needed someone who wouldn't care about his fame.

He closed his eyes, the image of his daughter’s glowing red eyes flashing behind his eyelids. He was thirty-five, a father, a prince, and a broken idol. And he was running out of time.