Chapter 97
“Tell him that it’ll be a breach of contract if he comes any closer.” It was rare for Seo Dawon to express his irritation.
I gulped once and did as he commanded, “I-if you come any closer, it’ll be a breach of contract.”
“…….” Koo Hui-seo’s expression changed.
It was as if the words ‘don’t come any closer’ was a huge affront to him. He looked as if he thought he heard wrong; Koo Hui-seo alternated looking between my face and the gold line drawn at his feet.
However, as nothing changed even after dozens of glances, Koo Hui-seo lowered the corners of his mouth that awkwardly lingered and muttered, with a pale complexion, “Lee-kyung-ssi, don’t you understand me…”
“…….”
“I don’t have anyone else close to me anymore except Lee-kyung-ssi.”
He acted as if I had betrayed him.
I felt uncomfortable with that attitude, yet, on the other hand, I felt pity watching his trembling body–like a shivering man left outside in a downpour of rain…I stared back, without saying anything to contradict him.
How many minutes went by?
In the end, Koo Hui-seo retreated a couple of steps with a melancholic look. “Lee-kyung-ssi is so fickle…” he grumbled, emphasizing his words by stamping his feet.
When I watched him, silent, his gaze wandered the floor before fixating on mine momentarily. Of course, Koo Hui-seo dropped eye contact first; when I saw how he refused eye contact, I came to a conclusion. ‘He’s upset…’
Would it have been better to leave him to his own devices? 1
Of course, Koo Hui-seo was a genuinely insane person who killed off those he was dissatisfied with–his mother and his younger brother; it was a hundred times better to behave distantly than to be intimate with him.
It’s not like I wanted to blindly garner hatred, but it was far too hard to act intimately as he wanted.
“I had expected some affection from Lee-kyung-ssi…” Koo Hui-seo didn’t seem to be the type to stubbornly be prideful just because he was upset. He took the odd attitude of audibly muttering all his complaints, even though he avoided eye contact with me as much as possible.
I was dumbfounded by his poor behavior, but, at the same time, his behavior played its role in slightly defusing my sharp vigilance. It seemed foolish to be wary of something like that. Should I say that he was childish?
“Usually, it’s normal to be scared of those who would kill their own mother…” So, against my wishes, I unknowingly responded.
Still looking around at his surroundings, Koo Hui-seo’s ears perked up at my voice and, once again, he muttered to himself. “Lee-kyung-ssi said…I should start a new family…”
My throat choked up for a moment because I thought he was blaming me for giving murderous advice. However, I reminded myself that Koo Hui-seo wasn’t in his right mind–his words couldn’t be taken at face value. I understood that his perspective was far from ordinary people.
“I only meant that you should meet new people. Find those that match well with Koo Hui-seo-ssi…”
“I like Lee-kyung-ssi…”
“……”
“I think we’re well-matched…Lee-kyung-ssi and I.”
That’s how I received my first serious confession from a man–of all things, a sincere confession from a psycho…
I steeled myself, trying not to let my complicated emotions show on my face. The confession itself wasn’t what worried me, but rather I was concerned with how I can refuse him without causing bloodshed.
We had an advantageous deal between him and us. He, who would soon become the guildmaster for [Red Dragon], was one of the few decent cards we had up our sleeves.
That was why Koo Hui-seo, no matter how crazy he was, could not be robbed of his life. So, I needed some plausible justification to reject his confession. It’s within both of our interests to maintain a good relationship.
However, considering Koo Hui-seo’s current attitude, half-baked reasons wouldn’t make him give up easily…What could I say to convince him? “Seo Dawon…….”
“Seo Dawon-ssi?”
I closed my mouth, surprised at my own admission, but Koo Hui-seo’s ears had already picked up everything. He asked, straight away, “Do you have a special relationship with Seo Dawon-ssi?”
“……”
“Lee-kyung-ah, what are you doing? You gotta nod.” Seo Dawon fished for an answer, giggling. I was forced to nod, feeling strangely flushed.
I wanted to deny any relation between us, but confirming Koo Hui-seo’s theory was the only way to explain my slip of the tongue. Also, it was possibly the most plausible justification.
However, Koo Hui-seo looked more concerned than depressed or withdrawn. “But Seo Dawon-ssi is…Before I was locked away, there were rumors that he was a dishrag…Did you know that before seeing him?” 2
“What?”
“He was a very promiscuous man…I don’t think…Lee-kyung-ssi and he will last very long…”
“Puhahaha!” As soon as Koo Hui-seo finished speaking, Jung Garam burst into laughter next to us. He looked as if he was familiar with this rumor.
At that moment, I don’t know why, but my good humor plummeted. I glanced sideways at the Mage, inwardly clicking my tongue. ‘Well, I suppose it would be strange for there to be no rumors with that kind of face…’
Despite my rationalization, though, I felt oddly upset.
I wanted to shake off this mystifying disappointment; though Seo Dawon opened his mouth to speak, I cut him off. “Well…I can’t help it if we break up someday, but that doesn’t matter right now.”
“Really?” Koo Hui-seo asked.
“Yes…I like dishra–…I mean popular people in the first place.”
“Really? You have unique tastes.”
“…..”
“Hmm… I see.”
Jung Garam muttered to himself, “Well, I guess there’s guys with no dignity out there…” 3 Seo Dawon simply closed his mouth and looked at me strangely. Koo Hui-seo patted his chin, observed me, and docilely stepped back.
With that finished, we could finally leave the mansion. Koo Hui-seo, holding my hand tightly and not hiding his reluctance to see me go, said “Please come to the mansion at least once a month.”
“Alright.” I readily answered–we needed to periodically verify the reports on Koo Kyungman’s physical condition anyway.
Koo Hui-seo’s face brightened at my answer; he offered to escort us to the car and provide a chauffeur. While waiting for the car to arrive, I casually asked him, “When will you be authorized as the new guild master?”
“First, I’m going to report them both as missing, then temporarily take over as interim guild master. Afterwards, I’ll reveal mother’s corpse.” He nodded, estimating that all of this would take no longer than seven days. As we entered the limousine, brought over by the chauffeur, I said my final parting remarks, “Please watch out for Bae Jaemin. If he contacts you, let us know.”
“Of course.” Koo Hui-seo shockingly bowed his head to mine, brushing his soft lips to my cheeks. I looked at him, amazed at how he could look so unperturbed.
I was confused as to whether he was indulging in foreign-style greetings or if he had an ulterior motive. In the meanwhile, the glass pane of the window rose, dividing us, and the car started on its journey. I…had to endure the stinging gaze of Jung Garam and Seo Dawon, who watched it all happen from my side.
When the car left the estate, Seo Dawon spoke first, “Lee-kyung-ah. You don’t believe those rumors, do you?”
“What rumors?” I asked, nonchalantly, but in fact those rumors regarding Seo Dawon’s past did concern me. Just what did he do to be remembered so vividly by someone like Koo Hui-seo?
Seo Dawon, after staring for a bit, suddenly leaned towards me. He moved as if to whisper something into my ears, but, instead of whispering, he lightly bit them instead.
“W-what are you doing!” I shouted, both frightened and flabbergasted.
Seo Dawon shrugged his shoulders–turning on me though he was in the wrong–“Why are you so indifferent after hearing these rumors that I’m promiscuous” 4
“What are you…W-why should I care about something like that!”
“You should grill me, asking whether or not it’s the truth, and burn with jealousy.”
I stared back in bewilderment, forgetting that I had been rubbing my bitten ears. The shock made me miss the perfect timing to respond back, ‘Why should I be jealous?’
Seo Dawon smiled at me, “When you said you liked me, why would you say the reason was because I’m popular? Koo Hui-seo wasn’t convinced at all.” He laughed, asking if there was ever an idiot who only cared about popularity with his date.
I sat, frustratedly massaging my neck.
However, Seo Dawon didn’t stop there. He also bit my cheek–the one Koo Hui-seo’s lips touched; when I froze, he grabbed my chin and drew closer, his lips almost brushing mine.
Jung Garam was next to us. He simply looked annoyed and sneered, “Are you really going to do this in the car?”
Jeez. What on earth is he doing?!
I couldn’t slip from Seo Dawon’s grip on my own strength. I couldn’t watch the sight of him coming closer–closer to my lips–so I closed my eyes.
However, instead of biting at my lips, Seo Dawon stopped a hair’s width away and, in a low voice, warned me, “Next time, if you don’t avoid Koo Hui-seo’s nonsense…I’ll continue?”
“It’s not that I didn’t avoid him…!”
“I’m different from Lee-kyung-ie. I get very jealous; remember that.” And then, he distanced himself from me as if nothing had happened.
TL: Thanks for kofi Hi-mi! This bonus chapter is for you!
We’re at the end of this arc! There’s a lot to parse–the nightmare fuel of it all. Koo Hui-seo…Confessions and MC’s dense dense feelings. I’ll probably write my own feelings in comments but also I wanted to ask. In preparation for chpt 100+… who’s your fave suitor? (Or character in general?)
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