Chapter 106: How to Handle a Predator
"What are you two doing?"
Her voice didn’t carry anger or betrayal.
But honestly, that didn’t matter.
Because the pressure she was exuding was so overwhelming that it felt like the air around us had dropped to freezing temperatures.
Iris, who had been passionately sharing her thoughts about constellations just moments ago, froze in place—like a frog caught in a snake’s gaze.
"Ah, Hoyeon. I thought you were taking the day off… um, did you suddenly feel like coming outside? Maybe for a cream bun or something—"
"What were you two doing?"
I had tried to talk my way out of it, but Hoyeon wasn’t in a state where words would do anything.
No matter what I thought or said, the only answer she wanted to hear was the one she had in mind.
Otherwise—
Her claws or fangs might turn on me… or on Iris.
And I was certain of it.
If it were just me, that would be fine.
But if she harmed Iris, that would be a problem.
She could get suspended, or worse—expelled.
That wouldn’t do either of us any good.
So I had to calm her down.
All hesitation, all courtesy—gone.
Her dominance was so absolute that just standing here made my stomach churn.
"Ah, it was nothing much. We were just having a little chat. Right, Lady Iris?"
"…Ghk—Hrk… Y-Yes… Hiee… Uegh…!"
Crap.
Iris looked like she was about to choke.
Not that I blamed her.
The first time I had faced Hoyeon’s wrath, I could barely hold myself together either.
And Iris already feared Hoyeon on a normal day.
Honestly, I should commend her for managing to answer at all.
"What were you talking about?"
Every word she spoke felt like it made the world tremble.
Or maybe it was just me trembling.
Probably both.
But I could worry about that later.
For now, calming her down was priority number one.
"We were talking about our… future relationships. You know. How I used to, um… move around a lot before. I was just sorting things out."
"Speak in a way I can understand."
It wasn’t that complicated.
Then again, maybe it was to her.
She had never really had "friends," so the concept of sorting out relationships might be foreign to her.
If you’ve never had connections before, there’d be nothing to sort out.
But saying that in front of Iris, who was part of that "sorting," seemed like a bad idea.
She might be barely breathing now, but she was still listening.
"Basically… You and I have a unique relationship, right?"
"Mhm. Dogeon is mine. I won’t give you to anyone. No one."
Was she serious?
Was this her real opinion?
Possession, huh…
I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
I had thought we were equals, but the way she phrased it…
It was a word choice that made me feel oddly unsettled.
"R-Right. So, if you’re the most important person to me, then I should treat you the best, right? That’s why I’m putting some distance between myself and others. So I can focus all my attention on the most important person."
Hoyeon stared at me, then at Iris.
When she looked at me, there was no hostility.
But when her gaze landed on Iris…
It was filled with nothing but hostility.
Poor Iris flinched and swallowed hard every time their eyes met.
If it were Anya, she would have at least been able to hold her ground.
"Most… important… person. Most important… person. So you weren’t abandoning me to go play with someone else…? Oh, thank gods…!"
After repeating my words to herself, the sharp glint in Hoyeon’s eyes finally faded.
They were still a bit piercing, but at least they were back to her usual intensity.
That meant the worst of it had passed.
The suffocating pressure had disappeared as well, allowing Iris to finally cough and take in deep, gasping breaths.
"I really thought… you had gotten distracted by someone else again…"
Hoyeon let out a huge sigh, looking visibly relieved.
Like she had come here fully expecting a battle, only for it to be a false alarm.
So that’s what this was about.
Was she angry?
I wasn’t sure.
If she was, I would have already been slapped across the face.
It wasn’t anger.
But I wasn’t going to press her about it.
After all, I was the one who had left room for misunderstanding.
Keeping my mouth shut was the best course of action.
"…Hnn. I’m so… so relieved. Really. But still… you shouldn’t be doing things that can be misunderstood in the first place!"
Now she was mad.
At least enough to scold me.
And apparently, she was aware of how her speech sounded, because she was trying to adjust it.
Not that it mattered.
The only people here were the three of us, and one of those three was still half-dead.
"Haha… Yes. You said you were resting today, so I figured I’d use the time to sort things out. I didn’t expect you to show up."
Looks like I’d have to postpone dealing with the rest of this.
But judging by her reaction, she wasn’t against the idea.
So she’d probably let me handle it later.
"Ah… I see. So I messed things up by coming out here… Then why don’t we just finish it all today? I’ll allow it. And since I’m free, I’ll come with you!"
Wait.
I knew she wasn’t opposed to this, but wasn’t she a little too excited?
…No.
I could see it.
The look in her eyes.
She wanted me to cut ties with everyone and focus solely on her.
It made me chuckle wryly.
"Alright, alright. Sure. But first, I’d like to move Lady Iris somewhere more comfortable…"
"She’s not a child. She’ll manage on her own. Don’t fuss over it. Now, come on! Let’s go!"
With that, Hoyeon pushed me forward.
I felt bad about leaving Iris behind like this.
But if I did try to help her, Hoyeon would definitely get mad.
So, mentally apologizing, I let myself be dragged away.
Sorry, Iris. I’ll buy you a coffee later.
***
"Hnn. Goodbye, Eric."
"Take care, Anya."
Anastasia, her steps still unsteady, watched her lover disappear from sight before immediately heading for the shower.
Her body ached—especially her lower abdomen and thighs—so all she wanted to do was collapse into bed.
But she was way too sticky to sleep comfortably.
And Eric had insisted she wash up.
So she had no reason not to.
How Desperate Must He Have Been?
Hoyeon had begged so insistently that Anastasia had briefly wondered if it was truly necessary.
But no brilliant answers came to mind.
She tried to shake off the lingering sensations, pulling herself from her daze and stepping out of the bathroom without getting sidetracked.
As she slowly drifted into slumber, her mind painted images of a warm, harmonious home.
Lost in the comfort of that dream, she didn’t notice the commotion outside her door.
"Is she asleep? Or maybe she’s out. Lady Anastasia, are you in there?"
"Hmm… Step aside. I want to try something. This time… I think it’ll work!"
"…You’re not seriously going to pick the lock, are you? Hoyeon, I don’t think that’s a good ide—"
Click.
The doorknob turned.
Hoyeon, unbothered, muttered, "Oh, it worked," and stepped inside Anastasia’s room without hesitation.
"Don’t look! No, don’t look, and don’t come in!"
The door slammed shut almost immediately.
Dogeon, who had been debating whether to follow, was left standing alone in the hallway.
He considered opening the door and asking why, but knowing the security enchantments, it would likely blast his ears off if he tried.
So, abandoned like a stray dog, he could only wait outside.
"She’ll come out soon… right?"
She had told him not to enter.
So all he could do was wait.
He thought he had caught a glimpse of bare skin, but he chalked it up to his imagination.
And so, he patiently stood outside.
***
Hoyeon was busy.
She shook the barely-dressed Anastasia awake, handing her a set of clothes.
Anastasia, still clinging to a pleasant dream, groggily frowned.
But as her mind caught up with reality, she realized someone who shouldn’t be here was here—
And she bolted upright.
"L-Lady Hoyeon?! How did you get in here? I never let you in or gave you the password—"
"I know. I’ll explain later. First, put on some clothes. Dogeon wants to talk to you."
"…Dogeon? To me?"
Her attempt to make sense of the situation was swiftly crushed by Hoyeon’s completely unhelpful explanation.
They had grown distant lately, but she hadn’t done anything that warranted a private discussion with Dogeon.
Or had she?
Was he about to say, “I know you have someone, but I don’t mind. Please accept me too—”?
She quickly dismissed the ridiculous thought.
If Dogeon were here to say something like that, Hoyeon wouldn’t have just stood there.
No—she would’ve torn him apart before he even got the words out.
Their relationship was at least as deep as hers and Eric’s.
Maybe even deeper.
"Alright… I’ll go. But you will explain this properly later."
Muttering to herself, she slipped into the clothes Hoyeon had handed her and hesitantly followed her out.
Dogeon was still waiting in the hallway.
As Anastasia stepped out, she exchanged glances with Hoyeon standing behind her.
Something about their silent exchange sent a shiver down her spine.
Just what was he about to say?
Her curiosity was piqued.
And then—
"Lady Anastasia. Just as we have so far, I would like us to remain good friends."
—It was exactly what she had wanted to say.