Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Elder (1)
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The social hall was full of people who resembled dukes and duchesses.
Regardless of gender, they were all dressed to the nines. They were a bundle of people with strong egos. But even among those domineering figures, that man and woman stood out with their commanding presence.
I inhaled the suffocating air they exuded and let out a breath.
“Do we really have to greet them?”
“Honestly, I initially planned to keep you hidden too.”
Ye-hyeon brought up something I hadn’t expected.
I blinked and turned my gaze to the men standing beside me. They hadn’t relaxed since we left the house. Even my master had his nerves on edge, which confirmed that some unignorable heavyweights were gathered here.
Though I still didn’t know exactly who they were.
A dazzling crystal chandelier sparkled overhead.
Ye-hyeon studied my face.
“Anyway, we can’t hide you forever. Better to face them head-on than play games.”
“I still don’t understand why they’re so interested in me…. But I’ll follow your decision.”
“Hilde.”
Ye-hyeon called my name in a tone that wasn’t quite right.
I silently met my superior’s large eyes. Yoon stood there with his hands in his pockets, quietly listening to our conversation.
To me, waiting for a response, Ye-hyeon said,
“If we get through introducing you to the elders safely today, I’ll tell you everything I know, as much as you want.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know everything myself. But once the introduction is done safely, there’s no reason to hide it from you.”
Ye-hyeon curved his lips into a refined smile.
I knew this smile. I’d seen it just once, in the Supreme Commander’s office. The smile he gave me when he left after I first heard Re-yeon’s name.
A proud smile given to a subordinate who met his expectations.
“Thanks for holding out without showing how frustrated you were.”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
Then I barely managed a nod. I still didn’t know what to say.
My awkward reaction must have been funny because Yoon chuckled at me.
The man who suited black so well it was odd he didn’t wear it more often turned his body and said,
“I’m sitting this one out. Nothing good comes from getting close to them.”
“Yeah. Stay as far away as possible.”
Ye-hyeon readily agreed and turned his gaze to the pair.
“They’re the kind you don’t want to get tangled with.”
Then he walked toward those very people he didn’t want to tangle with.
He approached the woman first, her silver-gray hair tied back in a single knot. That was the proper order, he said. He’d explained that she was ‘higher up’ than the platinum blond man. Observing this hierarchy strictly was crucial. Don’t mix up the order no matter what, he’d advised.
The second most powerful among the elders.
Codename: Suhoi.
As soon as I stopped nearby, I spotted her standing out gracefully amid the crowd surrounding her.
The silver ornaments on her pitch-black dress, which seemed to devour light, let out a clear chime.
She had a stern impression. Elegantly tied silver hair and sharp features. Her green eyes were far brighter than Ricardo’s. The piercing gaze from those pale green eyes felt like it drilled through the back of my skull.
There was no trace of a smile on her face.
“Yekaterina.”
Ye-hyeon quietly called her name.
“I’d like to introduce my subordinate.”
Flying gazes stabbed toward me.
The eyes of those around Yekaterina turned to me. People of all sorts narrowed their eyes and scrutinized me. I endured their stares while quietly assessing the surroundings.
There were wary looks and envious ones, but they were a tiny minority.
Most looked at me with the same emotion.
Contempt.
Or disdain. Mockery asking who this stranger was. Here, fame was power. I couldn’t recognize everyone around Yekaterina, but they were surely all famous in their fields.
I recognized several right away. If I knew them, they had to be hugely famous. A movie star. A party leader. A news anchor from a major broadcaster. A top influencer.
People with hordes of fans.
How ridiculous must a rookie Black Badger, who’d appeared in the news just once, look among them.
It was to be expected, being invited to a place where I didn’t belong. But I ignored the blatant scanning eyes judging me, the clear snickers of laughter, the questions of who the hell I was, and the mocking replies of “a rookie Badger, apparently.”
To be precise, I couldn’t afford to care. I couldn’t avoid Yekaterina’s gaze. Standing before her and taking it full-on, her presence pressed down on me even more than from afar.
And what was this? Sharp stares pricking my nape?
They’d hidden bodyguards all over the place.
“Finally, I get to see you.”
Yekaterina approached me with a weighty greeting.
“His special guest. You’ve had it rough.”
The greeting felt a bit off?
I couldn’t question it. I just gave a polite smile and greeted her warmly.
Yekaterina’s hand was firm.
As we shook hands, the surrounding noise quieted a bit. The stares from the crowd burned hot.
They sure love staring intently at someone else’s greeting.
The woman pierced me with her bright eyes and greeted me again.
“I believe you’ll continue making the right choices, just as before.”
“Thank you. I’ll keep striving.”
A strong hunch told me ‘that time’ wasn’t when I rescued Porden, but I smiled and let it slide.
“So you can make a choice you won’t regret looking back.”
A glint flashed in Yekaterina’s eyes at my response.
It vanished in an instant—probably only I caught it. I didn’t bother chasing the cause of that brief shine. After releasing our handshake, I kept smiling and subtly stepped back.
A woman who wielded overwhelming presence even among those who naturally commanded fame.
I didn’t want to chat long with this embodiment of power. My nape still stung from the sharp stares. And these weren’t childish glares from celebrities—they were warnings laced with killing intent from dangerous people.
Send me home!
Ye-hyeon gave Yekaterina a thoroughly businesslike smile.
“Please take good care of our rookie.”
“I should be the one saying that.”
Yekaterina replied flatly and turned away.
Then, returning to her entourage, she added indifferently,
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been glad to see someone. I’ll watch with interest from now on.”
Me?
Why me? I wanted to ask, but held back.
Ye-hyeon said he’d tell me everything he knew if this social event went smoothly. A few more hours, and things would start making sense.
So instead of blinking in confusion, I smiled brightly.
Ye-hyeon turned.
He whispered for us to go in a small voice. I nodded and followed behind him. Maybe because of Yekaterina’s parting words, a few people approached with curious eyes, but I had to pretend not to notice as I trailed my boss.
Curiosity, contempt, mockery, wariness, malice—all that varied attention fell away.
We’d escaped Yekaterina’s territory.
I realized it as my nape cooled, crossing the vast social hall.
***
The second elder was the platinum blond man.
He pulled off a pristine white three-piece suit flawlessly. Even with traces of age on his face, he was more strikingly handsome than most. Slicked-back hair and smooth features. A relaxed smile played on his lips.
He too was surrounded by people.
But they felt different from those around Yekaterina. As we drew closer, the man elegantly turned.
Ugh. The stinging stares are pouring onto my nape again.
Different from Yekaterina’s bodyguards, though.
They carried killing intent, but weirdly mixed with excitement?
What kind of guys did he hire as bodyguards?
The man, holding a champagne flute beautifully between his fingers, looked at us as we stopped and raised his glass.
Seeing Ye-hyeon, he beamed.
“Supreme Commander!”
What’s this? Why’s he so thrilled to see Ye-hyeon.
“Nice to see you again. I’ve been waiting for you. You look even better lately. Care for tea after this?”
Ye-hyeon let out a sigh without hiding it.
I blinked, not understanding the situation.
Why was this guy—ranked third among the elders—grinning at Ye-hyeon and hitting on him? Why was my boss sighing like he was used to it, not even hiding his darkening expression?
The Supreme Commander even said in a sullen voice,
“I thought I’d improved these past few days. Enough not to catch your interest.”
“Haha. Doesn’t look that way, unfortunately.”
The platinum blond middle-aged man laughed brightly at Ye-hyeon’s words.
The people here eyed us with curiosity too. But not as intensely as those by Yekaterina. The stares hitting me weren’t as blatant. They found the new face intriguing, but ultimately cared most about their own business.
As I blinked, appreciating the stark difference, I heard Ye-hyeon mutter,
“You still love the pitiful look.”
“Because those are the ones who shine brightest once polished.”
The man smiled at Ye-hyeon, eyes fixed on him.
He seemed born with innate elegance.
“You too. Ye-hyeon. I promise no talk of complicated matters. Really, tea after?”
“I’m here to introduce my subordinate.”
Ye-hyeon coldly cut off the invitation.
He shifted slightly to make way for me. Feeling awkward, I passed him and approached the man. This elegant fellow didn’t seem pleased that his chat with Ye-hyeon was interrupted.
But what could I do?
I bowed my head and greeted first.
“My subordinate, Hildebert Talib.”
“Ah~…”
The man dragged out the sound as if recalling something, observing me.
I met the elder’s bright gray eyes, waiting for his reaction.
“The one from the rumors.”
“Pleased to meet you. Hildebert Talib.”
“Prometheus.”
Huh?
“Not today’s special guest. As expected, not someone who piques my interest.”
“Sorry. As you see, just an unremarkable rookie.”
“Personally, you don’t catch my eye, but circumstantially, I have to pay attention.”
Like Yekaterina, the man said something cryptic.
He smirked at my blinking, a slanted smile brimming with smug confidence—different from Ricardo or Yoon’s.
A smile exuding the elegance and assurance of someone born different.
He extended his hand to me.
“Eric Airheart. Let’s get along.”
Codename: Spitfire.
I shook hands wordlessly. After the formal exchange, Ye-hyeon quickly left. Leaving behind Airheart, who urged him to seriously consider the tea invitation.
Following Ye-hyeon as he strode across the hall, the stares clinging to my nape vanished.
Look at my nape cooling off.
Just greetings, and I’m this drained. No wonder Yoon wanted nothing to do with them.
I shuddered once, then returned with Ye-hyeon to where my master waited.
***
The social hall began to stir about thirty minutes after the seniors and I started eating.
It was while I was eating green grapes, between Ye-hyeon—who was in a good mood since Eric hadn’t shown interest in me—and my master—who was enjoying watching me awkwardly exchange names with the elders.
I was listening, stunned, to the explanation that Eric was a pervert who loved wretched souls and got off on saving them. Not being on his radar was proof I was living life right.
What a proper lunatic.
That’s what I was thinking when the hall froze.
It literally froze over. Sudden silence blanketed the noisy space. A chilling stillness thick with tension.
I lifted my head, sensing the abrupt change in the air.
Everyone was looking at the same spot.
Yoon and Ye-hyeon were no exceptions. The men, who’d seemed in the best moods since we arrived, set down their utensils and stared silently. Every gaze in the hall flew and embedded there.
The entrance to the annex. A door beautifully framed in gold.
That door, which had been closed until now, opened, and someone entered.
“Falcon’s here.”
Someone at the next table whispered breathlessly.
“The rumor was true.”
Codename: Falcon.
Elder rank one. Power rank one. And the one who’d never once stepped down from that throne.
I watched the man slowly walk into the frozen crowd.
Dressed impeccably in a dark suit, accompanied by one tall man, he entered the social hall.
A silver-haired gentleman with neatly combed hair. Impeccable in every way. He carried an aura like blue blood would spill even if stabbed, gloved hands in smooth leather. His pocket watch chain reflected the chandelier’s light.
His features were refined. Middle-aged verging on elderly, but time hadn’t been cruel to him. The lines around his eyes and mouth added depth and quiet charisma.
Undoubtedly a stunning beauty in his youth.
With piercing blue eyes and smooth golden hair.
His cold demeanor kept people at bay, but his unique charisma and sharpness drew followers.
Cruel, yet clever at hiding it.
Ah.
“Colton.”
At my whisper, Ye-hyeon and Yoon whipped their heads around.
But I had no mind to respond to the seniors. I was half-dazed.
Overwhelmed by rushing memories, by the shock of meeting someone I ‘knew’ from this world for the first time.
The past sharpening.
Dizzying memories flooding in.
“Colton Wiseman.”
So you were an elder.