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They shook hands formally, like business associates meeting after a long time. They didn’t speak for a moment, but a deep sense of relief washed over Seo Do-jin’s face. Yoon Tae-ha was equally glad to see their faces.
“It’s nice to see you after a long time. I thought the day I’d want to see Agent Seo Do-jin’s face would never come.”
“You must be very disappointed that day has arrived, Agent Yoon Tae-ha.”
“You look like you’ve lost some weight?”
“You’re saying that with a real skeleton next to you.”
Yoon Tae-ha, letting go of his hand, turned to Lee Hae-kyung and frowned worriedly. Seo Do-jin was right.
“Right. You don’t look well. Hae-kyung oppa, haven’t you received guiding recently?”
“The Assemblyman isn’t someone who neglects his brother’s guiding. He came two days ago, even though he was busy, and did the guiding. He nagged endlessly, though.”
“The Assemblyman always worries about Hae-kyung oppa.”
Lee Hae-kyung’s guide was his older brother, Lee Ho-kyung. He had taken on the role of his younger brother’s guide ever since his younger brother manifested as an Esper, and he was also an important helper who allowed Lee Hae-kyung, who received the highest ice-elemental rating, to operate freely.
At their concern, Lee Hae-kyung simply shrugged.
“He wants to keep his Assemblyman badge for as long as possible.”
“That’s just something the Assemblyman says...”
As Yoon Tae-ha mumbled, Lee Hae-kyung rose from the bed, as if there was no need to discuss topics related to him further. Yoon Tae-ha, checking her watch, also stood up, gently rubbing the area near her collarbone. Then, both men simultaneously asked in surprise.
“Does it hurt?”
“Are you in pain?”
It was as if they had witnessed a major injury. Yoon Tae-ha laughed like a deflated balloon at their overreaction. Even knowing that everyone in this room was in mortal danger, she strangely found herself laughing.
“I just touched it because it felt strange. It doesn’t hurt at all.”
Lee Hae-kyung asked seriously.
“Does it feel foreign?”
“I feel something if I focus on it. But there’s no discomfort in movement.”
While she was demonstrating stretching exercises to ease their worries, a Changcheon agent knocked on the bedroom wall and appeared.
“You need to get dressed. And your hair... it needs a quick tidy-up, it seems.”
The agent, accompanied by a specialist to get her ready, asked the two men to leave the bedroom.
As they left, Yoon Tae-ha began her disguise in the sealed bedroom. After putting on the dress Cheon Geon-young had supposedly bought, tidying her hair, and applying light makeup, there were about 2 minutes left until the time Kwon Hyuk had specified.
The specialists stood Yoon Tae-ha, whom they had transformed, in front of a full-length mirror and critically examined her.
“Looks great, doesn’t it? She’s been exercising for a long time, so her posture is good, and it shows.”
She felt intimidated by the blatant gaze, but at the advice to never slouch her shoulders, she immediately straightened her posture.
“Indeed. Other than the bust area being a bit too snug, there’s nothing to criticize. The breast size can look slightly different depending on the type of dress...”
What she was wearing was a black dress with a silhouette often seen in ancient sculptures depicting the female form of goddesses. The square neckline dress, which fully revealed her neckline, collarbone, and the upper part of her chest, had elegant curves and seemed to flow with her body.
She didn’t know what material it was made of, but the fabric was as soft as a flower petal. The backline of the dress was deeply cut, extending just above the waist, which was the main reason it felt like it revealed more skin than being undressed.
“Because even the scent has to be the same.”
The woman who had styled her hair finished by spraying perfume.
Coming out of the bedroom, Yoon Tae-ha double-checked that Chertan’s necklace and her black ring were not on her body. They were already hidden in her luggage. The bulky spear, due to its size, had to be entrusted to Changcheon for now and would be returned in Nautilus.
Confirming that the only accessory she was wearing was the diamond necklace, she turned sharply, and her eyes met Lee Hae-kyung, who was waiting in the living room. The pupils of the ice-elemental Esper, unmatched in his composure, widened slightly.
“Isn’t it strange? Honestly, tell me, isn’t it strange?”
Witnessing his reaction, Yoon Tae-ha pressed him urgently.
“You’re beautiful. Not strange at all.”
“The collarbone part is more exposed than I thought. It’s not particularly red or anything, is it?”
“Not at all.”
Seo Do-jin, who had turned his head while talking to Kwon Hyuk, also let out a strange exclamation of admiration as soon as he saw Yoon Tae-ha in her new clothes and approached. He seemed to want to find something to nitpick but was disappointed that there was nothing.
“Wow... A specialist truly is a specialist. I almost asked, ‘Who are you?’ Still, it seems like you’ve mostly become a watermelon.”
“Watermelon?”
Yoon Tae-ha, who was already uneasy about wearing clothes that she felt didn’t suit her, raised her eyes, and Seo Do-jin waved his hand.
“No, I mean you’re pretty. It suits you well. My eyes are so dazzled I feel like I’m getting dry eyes.”
She didn’t have the luxury of fighting back against Seo Do-jin’s teasing. As she finished preparing to go down, Lee Hae-kyung quietly advised her.
“Do-jin will go to Nautilus instead of me. There’ll be someone to back you up, so don’t worry and act.”
“If I’m dealt with, will you be walking around in a dress like this, oppa?”
“Do you want to see? If you’re curious, I’ll wear it once. There’s nothing I can’t do for a younger sibling who came back from the dead.”
Seeing Seo Do-jin flex his arm, making his muscles bulge, Yoon Tae-ha showed a strong aversion.
“I hate that so much.”
“So, fight tooth and nail out there. With the mindset that a prison cell is better than a coffin.”
Yoon Tae-ha was conscious of Kwon Hyuk standing behind them, but he casually dismissed Seo Do-jin’s remark.
“I’ll prepare plenty of immunity waivers.”
Kwon Hyuk, even going a step further, personally opened the hotel door for her. Yoon Tae-ha exchanged a final glance with the people remaining in the room, then stepped out into the corridor. She didn’t want to exchange grand farewells as if they would never meet again.
As she boarded the elevator, she intuitively sensed that this was the last place she could let her guard down.
Below, she would have to confront the bodyguards attached to the chimera, Geum Gang-seop’s close associates, and Cheon Geon-young. She composed herself, counting the descending numbers internally.
The descending elevator stopped once on the 51st floor. An ordinary guest boarded. The elevator stopped again on the 37th floor. Similarly, a guest unrelated to the charity event entered, pulling a suitcase.
The elevator also stopped on the 20th floor. Yoon Tae-ha took a step towards the wall, making space for the new person entering. Then the door opened, and through the gap, a dignified-looking elderly man appeared. An alarm light flashed in Yoon Tae-ha’s mind as she recognized his face.
People moved hesitantly, making way for Chairman Cheon Seong-beom, who was leaning on a cane.
“There are many people. Let’s take the next one.”
His bodyguard advised, but Chairman Cheon shook his head and boarded the elevator first.
“Don’t make a fuss, get in. Others are waiting.”
Chairman Cheon spotted Yoon Tae-ha inside and exchanged a glance, as if meeting someone he was happy to see. It wasn’t a look of wariness or suspicion. It was a sign of trust, the kind one sees between those who share a common goal.
‘He didn’t recognize me.’
She clenched her fists in a corner where Chairman Cheon couldn’t see. In the meantime, the elevator, with Chairman Cheon and his bodyguard now on board, arrived at the floor where the Charity Gala was being held.
The bodyguard exited first, followed by Chairman Cheon. Yoon Tae-ha naturally followed them out. Unfortunately, there was no one in the corridor to fawn over Chairman Cheon. The old man could speak to her at any moment.
Soon, as she expected, Chairman Cheon, who was walking ahead, slowed his pace. Yoon Tae-ha didn’t avoid him, naturally maintaining her speed to match his stride.
“Is that dress a gift from our grandson?”
When he spoke, Yoon Tae-ha, suppressing the urge to vomit, replied.
“He said it’s a surprise gift. Does it suit me well?”
“Of course it suits you. My grandson must be nervous.”
They entered the hall together. It was moderately noisy inside, as if the second part of the auction hadn’t started yet. Chairman Cheon, as if he had no intention of continuing the conversation, nodded his head, bidding her farewell, and returned to the people he had been associating with.
Yoon Tae-ha, left in her spot, watched Chairman Cheon’s cane-assisted gait until he was out of sight. The shadow of the old man, who had once cruelly pushed her down with his hard cane, dragging her into hell, stretched long.
The unfamiliar back and familiar gait intersected, creating a dangerous crack. Yoon Tae-ha turned her head to avoid being swallowed by it.
First, she needed to find her partner. Her mission was to stay by his side until the event ended. She meticulously scanned through the crowd. Beside the well-trained stallion-like men stood women in dresses like colorful, luminous tropical fish, showcasing their glittering scales.
She shifted her gaze towards the stage area. On the stage where the auction would take place, a heavy white art display stand was positioned. Around the display stand, gloved staff members were waiting for the arrival of the artworks.
“Ms. Yoon Tae-ha.”
Just then, a low voice came from behind her. All her senses were on high alert. Yoon Tae-ha turned around, avoiding another guest who brushed past her, and met the eyes of the voice’s owner.
“You’re late.”
Eyes mixed with ashen melancholy and animalistic longing gazed down at her. Yoon Tae-ha’s breath caught in her throat. There was no trace of mental ease or looseness on Cheon Geon-young’s face. Dressed in a perfectly formal suit, he looked chillingly complete.
While the unfamiliar appearance was frightening, a bewilderingly wild welcome surged within her. She had to speak. Say anything. She barely parted her lips.
“The elevator stopped several times on the way down.”
His gaze meticulously followed the area around Yoon Tae-ha’s collarbone. Her chest seemed to be rising and falling more than usual due to her breathing, so she had to consciously breathe slowly. Cheon Geon-young was observing every single emotion that appeared on her face.
“I wanted to hurry, but I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to be sorry.”
At first glance, it sounded like he was trying to put her at ease. But she wasn’t someone who wouldn’t notice the hidden sarcasm within his words.
Yoon Tae-ha forced her stiff lips into a smile. Whether they wanted it or not, they had been distant once, and that would have changed the relationship she cherished. In some way or another.
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