Bunny at the Lion's Den
"Whoa—"
Park I-rae let out a gasp of admiration as she stared up at the towering wall before her. What was this place called again? That... rich family estate you always saw in dramas? If someone asked her to pick the nicest place she'd ever seen, she'd hands-down say the home of her guild master... Ha Yeon-u and her sister Ha Yeon-ah. The penthouse of a luxury high-rise. Spacious, with killer views... Like the best house an average person could dream up.
But now, it looked like she'd have to revise that opinion.
Park I-rae couldn't help but check her appearance again. She smoothed her wind-tousled hair once more, pulled out her compact mirror to inspect her makeup, and scanned her clothes for any wrinkles or sneaky dust. She even lifted her arm to sniff herself before taking a deep breath, holding it, then exhaling long and slow. Finally, she reached out and pressed what looked like an intercom buzzer.
A woman's voice drifted out from the speaker, sounding languid and relaxed somewhere.
The tone sounded surprisingly young. Is this the woman senior's with? Whatever the case, she couldn't afford to give anyone a reason to nitpick. With that in mind, Park I-rae carefully opened her mouth.
"Yes, hello. I'm Park I-rae. I have an appointment with Senior Ye-han."
Her heart pounded so fiercely it felt like it was right there in her ears. Park I-rae forced herself to calm the wild thumping in her chest, just like the night before her A-rank certification exam back in the day.
Soon, there was a click as the lock disengaged, and the door swung open. The heavy-looking black iron gate glided silently and smoothly, revealing a spacious garden beyond. A path of large, polished stone slabs stretched straight from the front gate to the entrance. The mansion was sleek and modern, dominated by massive glass windows. Park I-rae felt a mix of awe and a twinge of inferiority.
Senior was S-rank now, sure, but not long ago he'd been scraping the absolute bottom as an E-rank. This place obviously wasn't his—it belonged to his partner... the one who'd gifted him S-rank power. In Seoul, where land prices had skyrocketed even more after the Gate incident, a mansion like this would be way beyond ordinary wealth. Even for an elite A-rank like her, it would take years of belt-tightening to afford something this grand. Only someone who'd been operating at S-rank for years could pull it off.
The opponent's cheat-level specs, on blatant display from the start, made Park I-rae feel a bit deflated, but she quickly pulled herself together. She might be at a disadvantage now, but there was no rule saying she'd stay behind forever. She believed in her own talent. For a hunter, personal ability trumped money every time. Senior's power scaled with the strength of the heroines he absorbed, sure. But give her a little more time, and she'd grow even stronger—stronger than her current A-rank, reaching heights beyond.
Come on, Park I-rae. You got this.
She psyched herself up inwardly. Clank—As she did, the mansion door opened, and someone stepped out.
Neatly trimmed light brown bob hair. A beauty with a somewhat intimidating air but a lazy allure. Her chest... mine's bigger. But even without tight clothes, her wide hips were strikingly prominent. The woman approached in loungewear, looking right at home.
Though it was a stranger, Park I-rae started with politeness. Whoever she was, living here meant she was connected to senior—and a bad first impression wouldn't help.
"Hello. I'm Park I-rae."
"Hehe. You don't have to be so formal with me."
"Pardon?"
"The master is waiting inside. I'm Na Yu-ri. Um... just think of me as something like a servant."
Master...? The unexpected word threw Park I-rae's mind into chaos.
"Uh... sorry...?"
"No, no. Hehe... that actually makes me happy. Anyway, come on in."
The woman smiled warmly and led her inside. The vast living room held only the shadow of a lone woman on the sofa—no sign of senior. Though her face wasn't visible, her overflowing presence alone made Park I-rae swallow hard. It dominated the space, like facing something enormous... Even an A-rank like her felt overwhelmed for a moment.
Park I-rae had felt this a few times before—like her first meeting with Ha Yeon-ah unnie... or catching sight of Association President Jeong Beom-ho while tagging along with her...
Dark, nearly black hair with a familiar purple sheen cascading down. Park I-rae instantly realized this was senior's first—Shin Ye-hwa herself.
After that mess, she'd figured the woman would at least dye her hair for a low profile. But no, same as back then. Park I-rae moved forward slowly, steadying her chest. Her heart, racing at the door, fell eerily still now that she faced the source.
"Have a seat?"
Shin Ye-hwa spoke without even looking. Now that's more like it... Park I-rae actually felt steadier as she cautiously sat on the sofa.
First things first—greetings.
"Hello. I'm Park I-rae, Senior Ye-han's close junior."
"Nice to meet you. Thief Kitty?"
"..."
A voice laced with amusement stabbed down from above her bowed head. No proper introductions yet, but already casual speech. Classic her... Park I-rae stiffened for a split second but forced herself to look up casually.
"Just kidding. Hehe. Welcome? Park I-rae, right? Oppa talks about you a lot."
Finally facing her properly. Amethyst eyes like jewels. A stunning beauty no one could forget, man or woman. And familiar, even without meeting before.
Of course—who else? The woman lounging like a queen had rocked the nation in the worst way just months ago. The one who'd tarnished S-rank reputations. The poster child for failed justice, now not even S-rank. Somewhere, people were still cursing her as the villainess.
Honestly, given her bitchy personality, Park I-rae had half-expected her dead until senior mentioned her. Facing that amused smile, a chill ran through her. It was... a predator's grin. The gaze of a dominant sorting the pecking order. The breath of something devouring the weak.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Park I-rae."
But even dragged into a tiger's den, stay sharp and you'd survive. Park I-rae mustered her courage.
Upstairs in the bedroom, Seong Ye-han paced restlessly, a knot of unease in his gut.
Hope I-rae'll be okay...
He had no clue what storm the two would brew upon meeting. Since learning the truth of his ability, Ye-hwa had been surprisingly chill about him sleeping with other women. Hell, she'd actively shoved them his way like setting a table. No issues there.
But I-rae was different. Na Yu-ri, Seon-hui noona, Ha Yeon-ah... Yu-ri went without saying, and Seon-hui was basically Ye-hwa's doing. Ha Yeon-ah had rolled in on her own to some extent, but Ye-hwa had known about her early and even pushed him to take her.
In short, those three were concubines Ye-hwa the principal wife had approved first. I-rae, though? No touch from Shin Ye-hwa... a connection forged independently of her will.
If not for that fluke overlap, if Ye-hwa hadn't gotten blackout drunk and flipped out on him that day... Park I-rae would've been in Ye-hwa's spot 100%.
An older connection than Ye-hwa's. One who'd known he had a girlfriend and still schemed to steal him with her body. To Shin Ye-hwa, Park I-rae was the biggest threat—regardless of power or looks.
'Oppa, come down later. The girls need to talk first.' Ye-hwa's smiling face as she said it flashed in his mind.
'Please let it go smoothly...'
Seong Ye-han closed his eyes and prayed. Of course, if things got too heated, he wouldn't stand by. But... fights happened. Humans bonded through clashes and makeups. Better for them to sort it themselves than him meddling. He knew that much.