Chapter 191
“I was curious about what was going on. The students said there was something fun, so I decided to follow them. But then, there was a loud noise and smoke…”
The one making a fuss in response to the man’s mellifluous voice was none other than Choi Ireh.
“Oh, oh my… You must be a guest… No wonder I didn’t recognize you…”
At some point, she began twirling a lock of her neatly braided hair around her finger.
“I-I am Choi Ireh, the Head of the Disciplinary Department… I’m a second-year, and my major is the Expulsion System…”
“So, you’re the young lady of Sungshan. I’ve heard much about you. They say you dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to guiding your fellow students as the fair and just Head of the Disciplinary Department.”
“Oh, you’re making me blush…”
Choi Ireh, who now looked as shy as a schoolgirl, had long since turned red to the tips of her ears. The man, as if reassured to have encountered her amidst the chaos, casually continued their conversation.
“But…”
He suddenly shifted his tone, speaking with a voice full of concern.
“Did I do something wrong? Earlier, it seemed like the members of the Disciplinary Department were chasing other students. If I’ve made a mistake, I should be punished…”
“Oh no, not at all! Punishment, you say?”
Choi Ireh quickly shook her head, clearly startled by his words.
“You’ve done nothing wrong, guest. The ones who should be punished are those troublemakers who instigated this mess.”
“But…”
Before anyone realized it, the situation had flipped, with Choi Ireh now trying to dissuade the man from blaming himself.
“This is an internal matter of the academy. You were just unlucky to get caught up in it. There’s no need to worry. And if any issues arise, I, Choi Ireh, will personally guarantee your innocence.”
Her firm declaration was followed by her suddenly averting her gaze and trailing off.
“A-And… someone as kind as you wouldn’t willingly associate with such unruly students…”
“…”
The man gave a strange smile before pausing briefly and then speaking again.
“…The kind one here seems to be you, Head of the Disciplinary Department.”
“I-I don’t know… Stop teasing me! You’re too mean…”
“Haha, my apologies. It’s just… it’s been a long time since I met someone I feel I can truly connect with. I couldn’t help myself.”
“Heuu…”
Choi Ireh, who had been making a sound akin to a deflating kettle, began fanning herself with her hand as if to cool down.
“Anyway, you may go now, guest. I’ll hold my ground here firmly.”
“…”
For some reason, the man seemed displeased with Choi Ireh’s insistence on staying behind. He subtly displayed his reluctance before suddenly interrupting her.
“Um… If it’s not too much to ask… May I know your name?”
“Head of the Disciplinary Department! By the way, earlier… weren’t you looking for a girl wearing a rabbit mask?”
“That’s right…! Kwon Yuri, that little… I mean, my friend can be a bit… mischievous… haha…”
“I think I saw her earlier. She seemed to slip away through that passageway…”
“R-Really? I was certain she’d come this way. I should go after her… But then again…”
Just as she was about to dash off, Choi Ireh hesitated, glancing at the man. It was clear she was more reluctant to leave him than to chase after the troublesome rabbit.
However, as the man leaned in closer, his movements brushing against her ear like a tickling whisper, Choi Ireh froze in place, as if caught in a spider web.
“Admirable… I like women who take responsibility…”
“Though glasses suit you well, I think you’d look even better without them…”
“Next time… again…”
The whispers were so soft that they were barely audible. It seemed only Choi Ireh could fully grasp their meaning.
Lowering her head and hesitating, Choi Ireh suddenly gripped her blade tightly. Then, with determination, she strode into the chaotic banquet hall.
Her face was filled with frustration, likely directed at the rabbit girl who had slipped away.
“Kwon Yuri! Hey!! Where are you, you brat!!”
“Follow the Head!!”
“Whoa!!”
Before long, Choi Ireh disappeared into the smoke, leaving the passageway eerily silent, as no one remained to guard it.
Behind an overturned table that Choi Ireh had passed without a second glance, a girl with golden eyes sat slumped, muttering to herself in a hollow voice.
“…Shameless woman.”
***
The man and Seoyeon reached a passageway illuminated by a streetlamp behind the annex.
He hadn’t spoken a word or looked back throughout their escape from the underground.
All Seoyeon could see was his back.
“I’ll be leaving now.”
“Ah…”
Watching him take a step away, Seoyeon let out a despondent sigh.
Even at their parting, it seemed he had no intention of turning to face her.
The anxiety that had subsided earlier began to churn within her once more. Especially after witnessing the humiliating scene that had just unfolded.
She was desperate to hear the man’s gentle whispers once more, even if they were lies.
The two hours she had spent doing nothing now felt like a bitter regret.
“W-Wait…!”
The thought struck her like lightning.
Before she knew it, Seoyeon had opened her mouth and called out.
“Just wait… Can’t you stay a little longer?”
“…”
“There’s no need to leave so hastily… right?”
Two years of despair and sorrow.
A miraculous encounter she thought she’d never experience again.
Those two precious hours of happiness.
It was more than enough time to reel her in completely.
“This is a social gathering… We could walk together… maybe look around…”
Blinded by her desires, she had lost all perspective. Encountering one fawning girl after another had dulled her judgment.
Even her previous resolve seemed like a distant memory.
“T-They’re even doing fireworks later…”
“Two hours have already passed.”
“Ah…?”
But her desperate pleas were met with nothing but his cold, clipped words.
“E-Even so…”
“I see no reason to stay.”
“A-Ahh…”
The man resumed walking. All Seoyeon could do was stretch her hand out into the empty air, grasping at nothing.
‘No… Not like this…!’
Her mind was spinning, overworked to the point of nearly shutting down. She was consumed by the singular thought of stopping the man at all costs, by any means necessary.
And at the peak of her swirling thoughts, Seoyeon finally found her answer—or what she thought was an answer—and called out again to the man’s back.
“C-Compensation…!”
-Stop.
It was indeed an answer. At her shout, the man halted instantly. Not only that, but he turned back to face her, even asking her directly.
“What did you just say…?”
“The compensation Heukryeon owes for your life…”
Seoyeon swallowed hard. The satisfaction of regaining his attention dominated her thoughts.
“…Just tonight. No, just a few hours with me. If you grant me that… If you accept my proposal…”
The girl with golden eyes continued.
“…I’ll consider the compensation settled.”
Her words were spoken. Seoyeon prayed earnestly as she gazed at the man, who had now fully turned toward her.
What she had just said was entirely her own decision. There was no telling what repercussions might follow from her family head later.
But that was for her to bear alone. She was willing to endure anything if it meant spending more time with him.
This was nothing but a small complaint.
In essence, a plea for recognition of her efforts.
***
The nausea was overwhelming, as if even her head was pounding with pain. The result of her flirtation was somewhat successful, she had to admit. Thanks to it, they had managed to escape the underground banquet hall safely.
However, it was true that the aftertaste was far from pleasant. The moment he saw the glow of the streetlamp beyond the passageway, he made a resolution.
No matter how valuable it might be as a real-world experience, he would never do something so foolish again. Among all the knowledge the captain had imparted, this one felt the most useless. He would rather drive his fist into his own stomach than go through this again.
…That was his intention, at least.
But barely a few minutes had passed before he found himself tested once more.
“…”
He was staring into a pair of shining golden eyes. They were trembling, full of evident tension.
He couldn’t fathom the reason. Wasn’t making him suffer for two hours enough?
It was only his constant reminder of the contract with Kwon Yuri that allowed him to sit face-to-face with her.
He had gone out of his way to bring her here, unwilling to see her fall into a troublesome situation.
And yet, what more could she possibly want to keep holding onto him like this? Did she enjoy watching him in torment so much?
…No, that couldn’t be it. The emotion conveyed by those golden eyes was nothing but pure goodwill.
It was just that he wasn’t the recipient of that goodwill.
The moment he realized this fact, he finally understood the root of the pain he was feeling.
And he also knew how to resolve it.
“H-How is it…?”
The golden eyes spoke again.
All this pain, he was only feeling it because he was still himself.
The solution was simple.
He needed to erase himself. He merely had to become something else for a short while.
Not the rustic bumpkin from the countryside, but the heir of the illustrious Heukryeon family.
The very person to whom this girl was pouring all her goodwill.
-At Paechun, they’re demanding several lucrative businesses as compensation for your life. Even the heads of the family are personally negotiating…
The worried voice of Team Leader Myo Sanga echoed in his ears.
A few core businesses in exchange for a few hours of a dream.
The disparity in value was so vast it couldn’t even be weighed on the same scale.
If the heir of Heukryeon were to hear this proposal, then…
There would be no reason to refuse.
***
A long silence ensued.
Finally, the man, who had stood motionless in the darkness, opened his mouth.
“…I must leave before midnight.”
“H-Huh?”
“If you’re fine with that…”
“O-Of course! That’s fine!”
The flustered female student quickly adjusted her posture. Nodding fervently, she glanced at the man and cautiously asked,
“T-Then, shall we go…?”
“…Let’s.”
“…Yes!!”
The heir of Heukryeon stared at her with vacant eyes. He couldn’t grasp anything clearly.
How could someone who claimed to love her fiancé act like this? Was her fiancé not as impressive as he seemed? Was she looking for someone else instead?
“…”
There was only one thing he could be certain of.
He could plainly see it.
Her crescent-shaped eyes were brimming with genuine happiness.
***
Deep within the Cradle Garden.
A thick, dark trunk. Branches extending in all directions, covering the entire sky. Leaves glowing faintly blue, emitting particles of light.
“Yes, I’ve admired you for so long… No, no, that’s not right.”
Underneath the Centennial Tree, someone’s murmuring could be heard.
“That’s too old-fashioned… Something else… Something else…”
A girl, pacing anxiously, circled around the trunk. Her sleeveless dress fluttered in the night breeze, the color matching her hair perfectly.
As she continued mumbling, she suddenly looked up and muttered in an icy tone.
“…Not yet. Hold it firmly.”
-Kiik!
-Siiik!
As if in response, the cries of beasts echoed loudly. On the branches above, an unusually vibrant green vine was coiled tightly.
For some reason, it seemed to move like a living creature, wriggling as if wanting to escape. However, its attempt appeared futile, blocked by translucent barriers resembling cats or caterpillars that surrounded it.
“Tch. After all the trouble I went through to find this mistletoe…”
Clicking her tongue lightly, the girl fell back into deep thought.
After standing still for a while, she hesitated before speaking again.
“O-Oh, brother… Shall we… No, no!!”
But she immediately shook her head even more vehemently than before.
“What brother! I’m the senior here!! Something else, something else…!”
She couldn’t even bring herself to mess up her neatly combed hair, which only added to her frustration.
-Dong! Dong! Dong…!
-Boom! Bang!
Just then, nine distinct chimes echoed from the direction of the clock tower. As if on cue, fireworks exploded beyond the garden, lighting up the sky.
“Beautiful…”
Yeon Minha, too, found herself mesmerized by the sight. But then, suddenly overcome with a piercing loneliness, she shuddered.
Unknowingly, she turned her head to look behind her.
“Tch…”
But the garden was devoid of any signs of life. The girl instinctively pouted.
“I wanted to watch the fireworks… together…”
She muttered softly.
“You promised you’d come…”
There were only a few hours left until midnight.
Yet, the one she was waiting for showed no trace of appearing.