Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Elder (2)
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He had finally reached the top.
Thinking that, I tried to endure the pounding headache and nausea threatening to shatter me. Too much was crashing in at once, and my body ached. I vaguely felt Ye-hyeon place a hand on my arm, his face full of worry.
I crushed the utensils in my grip with all my strength and furrowed my brow.
The memories wouldn't subside.
"Your golden eyes—are those a trait of your kind?"
Refined pronunciation. Movements brimming with an inimitable elegance. The image of him in a spotless suit that suited his sculpted face perfectly flickered behind my eyelids.
Every time we spoke, he looked at me with those cool blue eyes.
"White hair too?"
"Hair color varies so much among us."
That was his response as he sat on the sofa.
"Don't quite a few of you have white hair?"
He was the sharpest mind among those I'd encountered.
Even at a young age, his brilliance couldn't be hidden, and from our first meeting, he'd been on the fast track to success, stepping on every milestone faster than anyone else. That's why he'd crossed paths with me.
With me... with us.
"You're always hanging around that guy."
Kyle's voice rang in my ears.
"You like him? He's smart, sure, but not the type you'd warm up to."
"He wouldn't expect affection either."
I smiled and replied to Kyle.
"We just can't ignore each other."
Peaceful Earth. An outdoor café bathed in pleasant sunlight. Under the merciless sun, people wore sunglasses and held melting ice cream. Actions slowed in the heated air.
The thick scent of summer enveloped my body.
A languid afternoon watching the deep blue sea and white crashing waves. That memory swallowed me whole. There had been a time so tediously peaceful. I couldn't move for a while, lost in the revived recollection. Yes, there had been such a gentle time, one where I could delusionally think things might continue without issue.
And surprisingly, that peace had lasted quite a while.
I watched Colton age. The young man full of ambition grew into a heavyweight with gravitas. His influence swelled terrifyingly over time. He called our relationship "friendship" on the surface, despite not knowing what friendship even was.
"Hildebert."
I recalled the time when he looked much like he did now.
"Have you made your decision?"
"Yes."
Even the tearing pain in my heart as I answered.
"It was bound to happen someday anyway."
What was?
I couldn't recall that far. A splitting migraine hit me, and I clenched my fist hard. Was it a defense mechanism?
Maybe I instinctively didn't want to remember the unhappy parts. I couldn't remember why that peace shattered, why I betrayed my kin, or even how I differed from humans.
Stupid brain. Remember.
Don't turn away from what you did—remember it.
Remember!
My body shook violently.
"Get a grip."
Yoon's cold voice snapped me back.
"Hildebert."
His icy tone sharpened my senses.
Sensations returned to the present. Panting heavily, I took in the seniors staring at me. Yoon, gripping my arm tightly with narrowed eyes. Ye-hyeon, looking at me with eyes full of concern.
The reception hall was once again filled with noise.
Colton must have blended into the crowd. He was out of my sight now. I tried to steady my ragged breathing and blinked several times.
Sweat beaded on my lashes and dripped down.
"Should I call a doctor?"
Ye-hyeon whispered worriedly.
I shook my head side to side, seeing the worry and strain in his large eyes.
"I'm fine."
"You're breaking out in cold sweats. Your condition... Hilde. Let's step out for a bit."
"I'm okay."
I insisted again.
Then I lowered my gaze to avoid the seniors' unrelenting stares. Ignoring the sharp pain in my temples, I focused on regulating my breathing. I couldn't leave now.
What a memory to resurface. What a human from my past to encounter.
I had words for him.
Words I had to say...
Yoon said coldly.
"I'll have Ami take you somewhere to rest."
"I'm really fine."
"Yeah, right. If you collapse, it'll be more trouble, so just behave."
"Give me five minutes."
I really didn't want to leave.
"I'll be fine in five minutes."
The seniors waited silently for those five minutes.
I stayed perfectly still, focusing only on my body. It seemed some intense defense mechanism had kicked in. As Yoon said, I couldn't afford to lose it here. I stopped digging through the past and listened to my heartbeat.
Tuning into my heartbeat always helped calm me.
Five minutes later, I exhaled steadily and lifted my head.
"I'm good now."
The seniors stared at me intently.
Ignoring their piercing gazes, I straightened my neck. People had started moving lively again, and Colton was nowhere in sight.
Where'd he go?
"He..."
"Not now."
Ye-hyeon answered before I could finish.
I turned and met the Supreme Commander's eyes. Concern lingered there still, but it was a different kind than before.
The Supreme Commander said in a low voice.
"Go when he calls for you."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yes. That's the kind of man he is. I remember. He's probably gotten worse over time."
"You seem to know him better than I thought."
Ye-hyeon murmured half to himself, eyes half-lidded.
"I only knew you two had history. Not the details."
"I haven't remembered everything either. Just the time we spent that felt like friendship."
"Friendship?"
Yoon arched a brow as if it were the strangest thing he'd heard.
I let out a short laugh. That reaction was to be expected. Colton Wiseman was even colder than Yoon.
Innate coldness and cruelty. Far worse than Yoon in his thirst for power. A dangerous man who masked his nature with natural elegance and charisma, armed with the sharp intellect to achieve his ambitions. Yoon at least cared for Ye-hyeon and Ami. Colton saw everyone as chess pieces.
Except for one possible exception.
Even that, I wasn't sure about.
I lifted my lowered eyelids to suppress the nausea.
"He called it friendship, but it was really just a polite acquaintance we saw often enough not to harm each other. Why it was like that... Not clear. Too much came rushing back at once; my head's spinning."
"You look like you're about to puke."
"Honestly, yeah."
"Should I knock you out and drag you out?"
Yoon asked Ye-hyeon so naturally.
How could he say that to his deputy who's about to hurl? I shot my master a look saying he was too much, but he ignored me.
Ye-hyeon looked at me with worried eyes, then slowly shook his head.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and habitually scolded his master.
"You can't treat a patient like that, Yoon."
"It's fine for patients who won't listen."
"I have someone to find too."
I leaned back, resting my arms on both armrests of the chair.
I blinked my sweat-beaded eyelids several times. My blurry vision cleared. The reception hall looked the same at a glance, but up close, the atmosphere was utterly different from before Colton's appearance.
In this unique ambiance, I scanned the brilliantly lit venue. I was looking for a face. Not Colton, whom I'd just seen.
The one who'd stood beside him, but I hadn't paid attention to.
"Jaeyeon."
The thought became sound, and I spotted him immediately.
He sat sloppily next to Colton at a corner table of the reception hall, where Colton was elegantly conversing with a heavyweight politician across from him. Jaeyeon stared right at me, a crooked smile on his lips, elbow lazily hooked over the chair back.
Fox-like upturned eyes and a well-shaped nose.
Black curly hair and a black suit with white pinstripes. He looked like a sleek model. His foxishly handsome features remained unchanged.
Right. Those eyes and nose were his trademarks. Jaeyeon boasted long eyes and a handsome nose whether as a woman or a man.
And those eyes always burned with intense hatred.
A hatred no one else could match, mercilessly devouring everything around it. But why did he hate me especially? That I couldn't remember either. Judging by the barrage of texts he'd sent, I'd definitely done something.
Jaeyeon curved his elongated eyes into crescents without breaking his gaze from me.
Then he blew a kiss into the air.
Ugh.
Still watching the sole exception (maybe) to the furiously mad Colton Wiseman, I muttered to myself.
"Seeing his face makes me want to puke."
"Tell me about it."
Yoon agreed.
"Just looking at him makes me want to shoot. At least he seems reasonable. I get how you survived meeting him."
"Jaeyeon built me a cabin."
The recalled fact turned my stomach.
"Can't we just blow that thing up?"
Ye-hyeon let out a deep sigh.
Turning my gaze, I noticed the white-haired superior looked even paler than usual. Now he seemed worse off than me. His complexion made me think it could get any whiter.
The refined superior lowered his eyes and exhaled deeply.
"So you knew Jaeyeon too."
"Yes. Haven't remembered much, though... Anyway, are you okay, Commander? You look awful."
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
Yoon's cold voice overrode Ye-hyeon's husky one.
My master glared at Ye-hyeon, brow deeply furrowed.
"You were never okay after getting tangled with that bastard."
Come to think of it, Jaeyeon especially hated Ye-hyeon.
Why Ye-hyeon? No, why me too? Anyway, why him?
What happened between that fox demon and him?
Well, even without anything, Jaeyeon's hatred was lethal enough. He had enough spite for all humanity. But to hate someone "especially more," there must've been a trigger.
I wanted to ask a ton, but knew it wasn't the time. Plus, I was busy dealing with my own surging memories.
Cooling Darjeeling tea and buttered bread on the table.
Ye-hyeon stared silently at his teacup and whispered.
"With his master beside him, he'll wait until after the reception to cause trouble."
"Very reassuring."
"Hilde."
I quietly met Ye-hyeon's gaze.
My superior, watching me steadily, narrowed his always sorrow-tinged eyes.
"He came to see you."
"Yes. I figured."
"Whatever slip-up you make, he won't kill you. We agreed not to kill you, no matter what."
So that's the agreement.
Is that why he doesn't need to hide what he knows from me now? Because of this agreement, he brought the object of Jaeyeon's hatred into the Core and didn't kick me out?
My guess felt right, but I didn't ask.
Instead, I nodded slowly.
"Thank you."
"Still, be careful. Not being able to kill you doesn't mean he can't hurt you."
Ye-hyeon's bitter smile etched clearly in my mind.
His signature pain-filled eyes held an uncharacteristic weary resignation.
"Be careful. He's at the top now."
***
An hour later.
Colton Wiseman, my old friend, called me in his smoothly characteristic way.
Through Porden, he summoned me to his table. Of all things. I'd completely forgotten about Porden. Thinking back, yes, this guy was the one who'd handed me the invitation.
The old gentleman radiating cold charisma stood frozen in front of him.
I watched the stunned Porden, then shifted my gaze to Colton seated at the table.
The man expressionlessly lowered his eyes and lifted his teacup.
"Mr. Wiseman."
Hello.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hildebert Talib."
That was how I'd greeted him the first time we met long ago.