I was just contemplating whether or not to go back. Since I realized that the magic of the lab had been broken, there was no reason to worry any longer.
“Then I’ll go in now. Please be careful.”
[Yes, thank you today]
First, I dropped Maxwell off at the association.
A spacious park near the association headquarters. Suddenly, a person appeared out of thin air, startling the people walking around the park.
“Huh, that person...?”
However, soon after, the person who appeared out of thin air confirmed that it was me, and they opened their eyes wide and whispered my name.
I had recently become famous, and since my appearance was so unique, they must have recognized me.
I couldn’t respond to each and every one of them because things were urgent. I roughly replied to Maxwell and used Space Jump.
The vibrations of the space that I had become accustomed to enveloped my body. Immediately afterwards, my legs floated up, and the surrounding environment suddenly changed.
- Thump
I stepped on the lawn that was surprisingly full of life. There was also a flower garden in full bloom every moment and trees planted sparsely to create shade.
It was one of the common gardens in a mansion.
“Ah! Your Majesty! Are you back?”
Rudy, a small fairy who was watering flowers nearby, smiled brightly and flew over here, making an exclamation mark above his head as if he remembered something.
“That’s right! Your Majesty! Queen Hong Yeonhwa was acting strange just now.”
A warning signal also appeared above my head.
[So? How?]
“That... something... it was like looking at a dead flower. I didn’t want to see it, and I didn’t want to go near it...”
[Hmm]
Rudy’s face also showed clear concern at my slightly clouded complexion. He always followed me around, jokingly mentioning the queen, but it seemed he had grown fond of Yeonhwa.
I calmed down for a moment and stroked Rudy’s hair with my fingers.
[It’ll be okay. [Rudy, do your job]
“... Yes!”
Rudy replied vigorously, immediately removing his worries as if he had no doubts about what I said. He smiled faintly and turned around.
He checked everyone’s location and status with his power of observation. He also checked the status of the lost magic.
When I analyzed the magic debris, it was indeed destroyed by the coup. It was a magic that took a lot of effort, but it wasn’t enough to withstand the coup.
‘Why did you do that?’
I don’t know why. Why would you suddenly barge into the lab, destroy the magic, and gulp down some unknown medicine?
The side effects of the coup? It doesn’t seem like Yeonhwa, who has been dealing with coup for over a dozen years, would be easily swayed by the side effects now...
- Kkiing... whoa!
[Yeah, yeah, it’s okay...]
Putting aside my doubts for now, I entered the mansion, calming down the spirits that were gathering around me.
There were many people gathered in the living room filled with sofas.
Ellia, Baek A-rin, Master, Professor Riana, and Lee Ji-yeon.
The people who were sitting on the sofa or standing next to me and talking with serious faces turned their heads at my presence.
“Ha-yul!”
“Boom.”
Ellia called me with a bright smile. As I quickly approached her, Ellia quickly pressed my cheek.
“Yeonhwa ate some kind of drug without permission, and I think that’s why she’s acting strangely!”
“Yes, yes. I checked it out.”
I also knew what kind of magic had broken down, and I heard about the situation through a text message that just arrived.
“It’s not the kind that causes trouble, right? No, what kind of drug is it that’s so effective? I feel aversion to people and my stomach feels queasy...”
“Plop ploop... Plop, there are no side effects, so it’s okay. The effect doesn’t last long, and I can reduce it further if I go and take separate measures.”
“Oh, that’s fortunate...”
Elia’s hand, which had been pressing her cheek, calmed down at my explanation.
The potion Yeonhwa drank was called the ‘hated medicine’, and it was a quantity that was prepared to be concentrated later.
The concentrated medicine was tested on the 5th person in the tower, and was restored when she left the tower.
The concentrated quantity is still in my subspace.
‘At least it’s before concentration...’
Yeonhwa must have been terrified when she realized the identity of the medicine she drank, but that’s why she didn’t run away and abandon Maxwell in the wasteland.
The dosage itself is small, so I can release it right away, and I already know the effect before concentration. It’s not a dramatic effect that would make someone stab her with a spear.
In addition, since I’m currently observing her location and condition in real time, I can fly right next to her if I sense something strange.
“Junior, that potion... is it the potion that came out of the dungeon back then?”
[Yes, that’s right]
After I briefly explained the whole story, Lee Ji-yeon, who had been sitting and listening quietly, raised her hand and asked.
The hated potion was obtained in the dungeon ‘Hanseokgongsan’ that Lee Ji-yeon entered together with, and she seemed to remember that I had explained its effects in general at the time.
“Disciple, what are you going to use that potion for in the lab?”
That was when the master, who had been standing quietly with his arms folded, suddenly spoke. The others’ gazes also turned to me.
I closed my mouth for a moment at the sudden topic.
“Uh... I learned alchemy and herbalism, and experimented with various things, so somehow... I’ll go to Yeonhwa and solve it.”
I rolled my eyes at the master’s calm gaze, then slowly turned around.
* * *
“Ah, ahh... Gaaaaaaah... ”
A scream full of sorrow and despair echoed from the pillow. Hong Yeon-hwa, who buried her face in the pillow, shook her legs in pain.
- Bang! Bang! Bang!
A short explosion rang out due to the rather strong force. The bed that had been hit by her leg creaked. Hong Yeon-hwa’s heart also shook along with it.
“Gwaaaaak...”
“Miss, even though it’s a cradle-like furniture, I wonder if it’s okay to ruin it just to vent your anger.”
The voice from next to her stopped the kicks that were hitting the bed.
A moment of silence flowed, and Hong Yeon-hwa turned her head slightly.
Ariel, dressed in a modern maid’s outfit, was standing near the door a little away from the bed.
Ariel shrugged her shoulders at the gaze that reached her.
“Why did you have to pick up something like that and eat it. “Haven’t you broken your habit of picking up and eating snacks that fell on the floor?”
“Oh, shit, when did we talk about that?”
Now you’re talking about a past that you can’t even remember. Hong Yeon-hwa’s legs were once again abusing the bed.
But soon, she turned her gaze back to Ariel.
Ariel tilted her head.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“... It doesn’t work on you?”
Hong Yeon-hwa asked, burying her face in the pillow again. She didn’t hear the exact explanation, but she had a rough idea of the potion’s effectiveness.
A kind of curse... or perception manipulation.
While running through the streets to avoid Lee Ha-yul and leaving the mansion, she could feel the awkward and reluctant gazes flying at her.
Such gazes were always present.
Hong Yeon-hwa had many good qualities, but her past karma remained. There were bound to be people who had bad memories and feelings about her.
But everyone who had gathered for the birth ceremony was looking at her like that. She couldn’t help but notice the effect there.
“Hmm, you tend to look down on me too much, Miss.”
“What?”
“I was once a top-tier hunter. I was the one who entered that dangerous unknown realm of magic. Do you think I can’t control even one negative emotion and open my eyes so fiercely?”
Ariel straightened her shoulders as if she was proud in response to Hong Yeon-hwa’s question.
“Of course it’s effective, but it’s not enough to be swept away by this level of effectiveness.”
“But why are your eyes closed?”
Ariel kept her eyes closed without making eye contact with Hong Yeon-hwa. By the way, she was holding her breath.
“My eyes are a bit tired these days. Even if I put in artificial tears, it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”
“Really? But I think we’re a bit far apart. Do you want to come closer?”
“I’ll decline due to personal reasons. By the way, I didn’t know you were researching such a potion.”
Ariel changed the subject of the conversation, sensing that it was going to be a disadvantageous turn.
“Is there anyone you want to immerse? If so, I can help you a lot.”
“You’re talking so fiercely, I’m afraid you might call me a former slaughterer.”
“Oh, my. I’m not a slaughterer, I’m a romantic hunter and adventurer.”
“How many knives do you have on your belt right now?”
“I have about eighty hanging on my belt right now, and I think there are about four hundred left in my subspace pocket.”
“Crazy.”
Hong Yeon-hwa let out a hollow laugh. Ariel, who successfully changed the subject, turned around to look at the closed door.
“I guess my time serving you wasn’t a waste. I can sense the cheeky and sly thoughts you have.”
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
“Cheeky? Ankh-um? Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Hmm, then listen to my reasoning and judge. Who knows why the young lady is in the old, obvious dormitory instead of outside the cradle─”
“Gyaaaah! Shut up!”
“This.”
Something flying through the wind.
Ariel, who had once fought with a knife, was all too familiar with it. As she calmly moved her head, a cotton-like weapon passed by her ear.
“Stop scratching me and get out! I’m already in a bad mood, and you’re gently scratching me!”
Ariel shook her head, covering her ears at the subsequent loud screams. With this, Ariel restricted her sight, smell, and hearing.
“Yes, yes. I, the employee Ariel, will go outside according to the employer’s instructions. Oh, and I have to explain the situation to Siyoram, so please tell me the whole story later, even if it’s just briefly.”
Ariel opened the door, whining.
- Click
The door closed. With this, Hong Yeon-hwa was the only one left in the room.
“... Haa.”
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been rubbing her face on the pillow for a moment, turned over.
A spotless, clean ceiling. This is the penthouse dormitory that Hong Yeon-hwa entered at the beginning of the semester.
She moved into the mansion with Lee Ha-yul, so it became empty, but her grade hasn’t changed yet, so she’s still registered as Hong Yeon-hwa’s dormitory.
- Who knows why the young lady is in the old, obvious dormitory instead of outside the cradle?
“... ... ”
Ariel’s words lingered in her ears.
That’s right. A cheeky and sly thought. Hong Yeon-hwa is harboring such thoughts.
I knew the potion’s effects. It would apply to Lee Ha-yul too.
I’m scared. I don’t know other people, but I didn’t want to be looked at like that by Lee Ha-yul.
That’s why I ran away because I didn’t want to see him now.
On that topic, I secretly wished that Lee Ha-yul would come and treat me like he always did.
In fact, Lee Ha-yul has a special constitution, so this effect doesn’t apply to him...
“Haa...”
I sighed involuntarily. It’s such an absurd and childish thought, even to herself.
Hong Yeon-hwa blankly buried her face in her pillow.
Her energy drained away.
I don’t know how long this effect will last. It might even last until tomorrow, and if that happens, the plan for the operation will be completely ruined.
I feel like shit.
- Yeon-hwa. Cowardice is fire. We are born with fire bloodlines, but we cannot be free from the threat of fire. So we must always handle fire, be alert, and be careful.
Her father’s words came to mind.
“... I tried too.”
Be alert, be careful, be careful.
Who doesn’t know that? The side effects of cowardice? Honestly, no one is more affected by the side effects of cowardice than she is.
The stronger the output, the stronger the fire. Hong Yeon-hwa knows that, and the world knows it.
That’s why she did that damn mental training like eating. Even when she wanted to go outside and play, she held back and sat up straight and meditated for so long.
How much have I let go of the things I want to smash. How much have I endured the things I want to crush, not the mouth of that rascal.
I tried so hard.
In the end, one twist might ruin an important day.
Thinking about it, I feel so bad and hate myself. The flames are burning so fiercely that it feels like they’ll engulf the ceiling.
It’s really unfair, but the one who should blame him is me. But Hong Yeon-hwa thought to herself that she tried so hard...
- Stepping
“...!”
Her thoughts that were sinking suddenly caught her by the sound of footsteps, and her hair was grabbed.
The light movement that appeared in the hallway without warning was very familiar to Hong Yeon-hwa.
Her heart pounded. To be honest, she had expected it, but it really came.
She got up halfway in surprise. Stepping, stepping... By that time, the movement had already arrived in front of the door.
“Gulp... ”
Hong Yeon-hwa, leaning against the back of the bed, swallowed. Knock- knock, her shoulders flinched at the sound of the knock.
- Yeon-hwa, can I come in?
The corners of her lips trembled at the refreshing voice from beyond the door. Joy, anticipation, fear... her emotions were mixed in a complicated way.
“Uh... no. Just a moment.”
Her fear grew. Hong Yeon-hwa stuttered and continued.
“I... I’m sorry. I ate something from the lab without permission...”
- That doesn’t matter. Yeon-hwa is okay, so it’s okay. I can wear off the effects of the drug right away.
“Ah...!”
Hong Yeon-hwa sighed. Her anticipation surged at the sound of it being able to wear off right away.
“Uh... but... just a moment. It’s still effective...”
Her fear grew again. Right now, she doesn’t seem to care because we’re not facing each other directly, but what if it changes when I open the door?
I’m afraid that the voice dripping with affection beyond the door will change.
I’m afraid that the innocent childlike smile will fall, and I’m afraid that the beautiful eyes dripping with affection will cool down...
“Wait, can’t I just wait until the effect wears off...?”
- I want to go in
“Oh, no! Just wait...”
- No. I want to go in.
Lee Ha-yool, unusually, insisted on his intentions.
The door suddenly opened. Hong Yeon-hwa hurriedly waved her hands around and hurriedly turned the blanket over her.
She felt gazes through the thick blanket. She tried to figure out the emotions in those gazes, but it didn’t work well.
- Step, step...
The steps approached the bed. It was right in front of her. Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes fluttered.
Suddenly, she realized that she looked really funny. Since when had she become so weak and timid?
In the past, when she encountered an unexpected enemy that was hard to beat, she would grit her teeth and let out a shiver of fear without even thinking about giving up...
- Kkook...
“Ah.”
An outside hand grabbed the blanket. She was startled and pulled the blanket back.
A battle of strength continued that was somewhat awkward compared to the strength they had.
“Yeonhwa, I miss you.”
“Ugh...”
Even that awkward strength was released on its own at Lee Ha-yool’s words. In the end, the blanket that had wrapped Hong Yeonhwa was swept away.
A bright light struck her face. When she opened her eyes that had been frowning for a moment, she met the gray eyes right in front of her nose.
‘Ah.’
Dreamy, deep eyes that seemed like they would never come out if she fell in.
How satisfying it was to see herself clearly in those eyes that were so deep that nothing could be seen.
How happy she was that her eyes, which had been indifferent to others, were filled with affection.
Right now, her emotions were unreadable. It seemed as if even her emotions had been swallowed up in her deep eyes.
Or maybe she was trying to exclude them because she was afraid of reading them.
[-]
Lee Ha-yool tilted his head. Hong Yeon-hwa’s heart sank at that small and cute action.
This time, his head tilted in the opposite direction. Hong Yeon-hwa’s two eyes fluttered at the seemingly curious reaction.
After a while, Lee Ha-yool blinked a few times and suddenly stuck his face out.
“Sniff sniff...”
Her body flinched involuntarily at the tickling of her nose on the back of her neck. Normally, she wouldn’t mind, but now she was so, so nervous...
Lee Ha-yool sniffed around Hong Yeon-hwa’s body like a puppy, as if checking something out.
At that silent action, when Hong Yeon-hwa’s anxiety reached its peak, Lee Ha-yool’s mouth, which had been shut, opened.
“I like the smell of Yeon-hwa.”
[Like]
“... ... ”
“Because it’s Yeon-hwa’s smell, I like it.”
[Like]
Lee Ha-yool, who smiled bashfully, hugged Hong Yeon-hwa.
The effects of the medicine are still ongoing, but it doesn’t matter.
The smell of Hong Yeon-hwa that you can feel has changed.
So what? The smell that you can sense in the first place is only the body odor of a few people.
There are smells that you like separately, but what you like more is Hong Yeon-hwa’s smell.
It’s good because it’s Hong Yeon-hwa’s smell.
I don’t particularly like the color red, but I like Hong Yeon-hwa’s hair and eye color.
I don’t know about the past. At least in this moment, Hong Yeon-hwa’s existence is essential to the happy life that I think of.
How can I hate Hong Yeon-hwa like that? That’s ridiculous. It’s an impossible premise, just like a building collapses if you pull out its pillars.
“Ehehe... ”
At least the hated medicine that is not concentrated doesn’t have much effect. To be exact, it tries to distort perception, but it doesn’t break through the strong sense of discomfort.
Although it wasn’t intentional, I got some kind of test data.
I buried my face in Hong Yeon-hwa’s chest and rubbed my head. I sniffed the scent of ‘Hong Yeon-hwa’ blooming inside.
“I’ll try to solve it right away.”
Hwaruk! The bright fear that bloomed from Lee Ha-yool clung to Hong Yeon-hwa.
It can’t be erased all at once, but the fear can erase the effects of the drug.
It’s a similar type to the one I practiced on Baek A-rin, but it’s much easier. It takes just a little time to burn it off.
- Hwaruk...
“... ... ”
“Huh?”
A sticky fear bloomed near my fear that was stuck to Hong Yeon-hwa.
In addition, a strangely sticky gaze was fixed on Jeong Su-ri.
Lee Ha-yul blinked.