Lee Hayul became a member of the Guhwa family.
This was the news that spread through society after the recent Guhwa family’s annual banquet.
Clan members from both the main family and the branch families gathered to see him with their own eyes.
In Hayul’s hands, they saw the raging Guhwa flames, with the red flower buds bursting open like flames blooming at the scene.
That was all the proof that was needed.
From the very beginning, even though he had already ignited the Guhwa flames, there was no one left to doubt, as all doubts had been dispelled right then and there.
Even if the banquet had ended there, the entire world would soon have learned that Lee Hayul had manifested the Guhwa flames.
However, the news didn’t stop there.
The news that spread to the outside world was so shocking and intense that the intelligence agents of various factions had to work tirelessly through the night, trying to verify the truth and uncover the deeper intentions behind the reports.
Nonetheless, the outcome of this information, as it spread through the world, was clear:
Lee Hayul was the one who had manifested the Guhwa flames, and he had a particularly close and affectionate relationship with the next family head, Hong Yeonhwa.
As a result, the public perception of Lee Hayul was now that he was the son-in-law of the Guhwa family, a role that Hong Yeonhwa held dear.
The flood of meeting invitations to Hayul’s inbox significantly decreased.
The next head of the Guhwa family had chosen him. People were afraid of possible retaliation if they openly pursued him.
Also, within Siyoram Academy, female students approaching Hayul with blatant intentions had begun to decrease.
Those who didn’t want to start trouble with the Guhwa family began to keep their distance.
“Heh heh heh~”
Amidst all this, there was still one person who had the audacity to openly flirt with the son-in-law of the Guhwa family.
Upon hearing the sound of humming from nearby, Hong Yeonhwa subtly turned her gaze.
Yellow hair that gracefully hung down to her waist and soft round eyes that sparkled.
Despite her gentle face, her violent and curvaceous body immediately caught the attention of the men around her—Elia.
For reasons unknown, she was humming and seemingly in a good mood, which made Hong Yeonhwa recall their conversations, both inside and outside the Tower of Growth.
“... ...”
While it may not be known by regular people, polygamy was occasionally practiced among superhuman factions.
In fact, it was relatively common. In regions where powerful factions carved out their own territories and ruled, political marriages were widespread.
For instance, the current head of the Taesan family had two husbands, and the head of the Changae family had two wives.
The Guhwa family’s head, Hong Yeonhwa’s father, had one wife, but several past family heads had engaged in polygamous marriages.
“...Hoo...”
She felt a tightness in her chest.
‘I can’t just hit her...’
Hong Yeonhwa was suddenly overcome with an impulse to act, but she quickly suppressed it.
She had a deep bond with Elia. Since the start of the semester, Elia had approached her with a playful attitude, and they’d become close friends. She didn’t want to recklessly harm her friend.
Above all, Lee Hayul cherished Elia.
Wasn’t she the first person he met and the first one to help him?
Because of that, Hayul had opened his heart widely to Elia.
No matter the reason, if Hong Yeonhwa were to strike Elia like a dog and turn her into a bloody mess...?
She couldn’t even begin to imagine how Hayul would react to that.
...No, to be more precise, she didn’t want to imagine it.
Now, Elia was as pure and sweet as an angel who had descended from the heavens.
If those beautiful eyes, which were currently filled with only affection for Hayul, were to show hatred and hostility...
Just imagining her shedding tears, crying sorrowfully, caused a sudden dizziness to overwhelm her.
And even though she tried to pretend otherwise, Seo Yul, who was opening her heart to Elia, would likely develop even more resistance and hostility toward Hong Yeonhwa...
Hong Yeonhwa didn’t want to be hated by Lee Hayul, nor did she want him to be upset.
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‘Ah...’
This was truly a difficult situation.
If it was just some random stranger who had no deep connection with Lee Hayul, she could easily drive them away.
But the people Lee Hayul had already grown close to...
She couldn’t just remove Elia, his mentor, or even Baek Arin from his life.
Interfering with Hayul’s personal relationships was never a good idea.
Hong Yeonhwa sighed deeply.
She had returned to her dormitory.
It wasn’t her own dormitory, but rather Hayul’s.
After noticing that the yellow street cat had sneakily settled into Hayul’s dormitory, Hong Yeonhwa had also moved in.
She felt a small unease. What if, after letting Elia stay, he suddenly kicked her out?
Luckily, those fears were unfounded.
Hayul didn’t kick her out.
Instead, he feigned happiness, constantly asking if she felt uncomfortable, and kept checking in on her.
Thanks to that, Hong Yeonhwa was able to settle into Hayul’s dormitory.
She opened the door with the verification code Hayul had given her.
The door opened silently, and as she was about to step inside, her expression froze.
“Hmm?”
At the strange presence, Elia also stopped in her tracks. After tilting her head for a moment, Elia let out a soft gasp.
Only then did Elia sense another presence in the dormitory.
There were two of them.
One was Hayul’s familiar presence.
Previously too faint to detect, but lately, it had become more tangible, like his energy had grown stronger.
And the other one was... a chilling presence.
Hong Yeonhwa glanced down at the floor. Two pairs of shoes were lying in the hallway.
“.......”
With a stiff expression, Hong Yeonhwa stepped into the dormitory. Elia, blinking in confusion, followed closely behind.
Beyond the sliding door that separated the hallway and the living room, a light was on. Shadows were cast against the frosted glass.
With trembling hands, she placed her palm on the sliding door, calmly pushing it open.
The lit living room came into view.
And then...
“Hahaha, it tickles. Don’t go anywhere, just stay here, alright? It’s fine~”
[Yeah...]
Sitting on the sofa, Baek Arin was holding Hayul in her arms, his belly pressed against hers.
“......”
Hayul’s condition was strange.
For some reason, he was sweating profusely. His hair was damp, and the sweat that dripped from his cheek fell between Baek Arin’s chest.
His mouth was slightly open as he gasped for breath, revealing his pale pink tongue. His breath and body scent mixed in a dizzying blend.
“Here...”
With a gentle smile, Baek Arin patted Hayul’s head, and he lowered it deeply.
In his black sleeveless shirt, his chest was clearly visible as Hayul’s face was engulfed by it.
He then pressed his nose against her cool chest, trying to cool down.
“Hehe, you’re cute...”
Baek Arin encouraged his actions by guiding his head to her chest.
She smiled warmly as she lifted her head and, for the first time, met Hong Yeonhwa’s gaze.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Hong Yeonhwa stood there stiffly, looking as if she might crumble into pieces. Baek Arin waved her left hand casually.
Time passed.
“Anyway...”
Sitting at the kitchen table, Hong Yeonhwa finally spoke up.
Her lips, which had been tightly sealed in silence, parted, and an emotion-filled voice escaped, bubbling with frustration.
“...Of all times, Hayul’s Guhwa flames triggered a trial, and you were the one who had to calm him down...”
“Mmhm. That’s right.”
Baek Arin, sitting across from her, absentmindedly brushed through her disheveled hair as she nodded.
The trial of Guhwa.
Hong Yeonhwa had experienced it once before.
The massive side effects that came with the transformation of the Guhwa flames.
There were many types of trials, but the first one that typically hit was always the same.
It forced the practitioner to relive their memories, stirring up emotions.
From trivial daily matters to life-altering events...
The emotions dragged out by the trial would eventually escalate, causing the person to lose control.
If they couldn’t overcome it, they would end up consumed by the flames, burning themselves to destruction.
Hong Yeonhwa had struggled alone with it for several days before finally overcoming it after receiving a scarf from Hayul.
“Hayul hasn’t manifested his Guhwa flames for very long, right? But the side effects have been severe. That’s why I’ve had no choice but to stick around and provide constant support. Ah~ it was really dangerous earlier in the forge.”
That was how Hayul had ended up in such a state.
“Therefore, I’ll be staying here for a while. I’m counting on you~”
“Yeonhwa, I’m so sorry...”
“No, it’s not Hayul’s fault. Don’t apologize.”
Baek Arin waved her hand dismissively, still holding Hayul in her arms. Hayul mumbled an apology against her chest.
Of course, Hong Yeonhwa, though wishing to immediately smack Baek Arin and separate them, couldn’t do it.
The heat and rising emotions within Hayul were being held in check by Baek Arin’s presence, which was the undeniable truth. Hong Yeonhwa couldn’t act rashly.
Though she could help Hayul by adjusting the Guhwa flames, she couldn’t help to the extent of Changae.
She was someone who had experienced the trial herself.
She knew how exhausting it was to endure that without assistance.
And considering the painful memories Hayul might be recalling, having suffered since childhood until now...
“Haah...”
In the end, separating them would only increase Hayul’s suffering.
And the worst-case scenario could lead to death. She couldn’t put Hayul in danger just because of a petty jealousy.
Hong Yeonhwa let out a deep sigh.
It was a silent acknowledgment of the situation.
“Oh no... He’s so limp. Hayul, are you able to eat?”
“I have to feed him, even if he doesn’t want to eat. The trial will continue for a few more days, so he needs to keep his strength up.”
Now, an unwanted cohabitant had appeared.
[Tower of Coordination Leader tilts their head] [Yeonhwa's !What is this?]
[Tower of Knowledge Leader shrugs]
[Tower of Growth Leader expresses concern]
[Soon, A# is about to enter the Tower of Knowledge]
[Tower of Knowledge Leader nods]