Taboo (4): The Twilight Infiltration
At that very moment, while Seong Hyun-jin was scheming something suspicious with Elena.
"...you know."
"Yeah?"
Serena was sensing something was off.
"Why haven't those two come back yet?"
"Yeah, they're running a bit late."
Seong Hyun-jin and Elena had left before the swordsmanship duel began, and they still hadn't returned. By now, Clarice Levatein had defeated most of the other challengers and was on the verge of facing the representative from Celestial Academy's swordsmanship department in the finals. And yet, there was no sign of them coming back, so Serena naturally found it strange.
...They're not plotting something shady, are they?
Serena, who now knew Seong Hyun-jin all too well, was making a deduction that was almost spot on.
"He said earlier he was going to get proof that his theory was right, so he's probably searching for evidence right now, don't you think?"
Ciela had experienced Seong Hyun-jin's antics back in the Levatein Duchy, so she too arrived at a near-perfect conclusion.
At her words, Serena replied with a hint of suspicion.
"Elena-senpai is helping him out too?"
"Probably. Knowing her personality, she thinks it's fun to tag along for the experience."
"Th-then why did you let him go so casually? If you knew he wouldn't come back, you should've stopped him."
"You can't stop him anyway."
Serena froze at Ciela's matter-of-fact response. Ciela chuckled softly and continued.
"And why don't you relax a bit, junior? From what I see, you're the one in the lead, but you're acting the most anxious."
"...Me?"
"Yeah, like right now. It's not like Elena-senpai and Hyun-jin suddenly hit it off or anything, but you're fidgeting like you don't know what to do because you're worried."
Serena had no retort. She was definitely feeling that way. Sure, she was worried about Seong Hyun-jin causing trouble, but more than that, she was on edge about Elena making a move on him—or vice versa.
Ciela spoke lightly to the fretting Serena.
"I'm telling you to take it easy. Guys don't like girls who cling too much. It feels burdensome."
Serena's shoulders twitched at Ciela's sharp insight. Ciela smiled leisurely at her bullseye reaction, as if asserting her superiority.
Serena wasn't too foolish to miss the implication. She hadn't even fully won Seong Hyun-jin's heart yet, but here Ciela was trying to one-up her. Feeling a bit petty, Serena shot back.
"...How would you know? It's not like you've ever dated anyone."
"...!"
This time, Ciela was the one caught off guard. Flustered, she retorted to Serena.
"Wh-who said I've never dated?"
"You've never done it even once."
Serena pressed on.
"I know because I've never done it either. You can tell with people who haven't dated."
"Wh-where does it say that...?"
"It exists. Guess you didn't know."
Ciela's face twisted in panic at Serena's words. Seizing the moment, Serena drove the nail in.
"Oh, wait—I've actually dated now. It's ongoing."
"...!!"
Ciela's expression hardened at Serena's parting shot. After their brief verbal sparring, Serena claimed victory and stood up lightly.
"Wh-where are you going?"
"I need to go look for him."
Serena intended to search for Seong Hyun-jin. Sure, taking it easy like Ciela suggested had its merits, but she didn't want to ignore the anxiety gnawing at her.
"Like you said, I don't have the luxury to relax yet. Leaving Hyun-jin alone makes me uneasy."
Serena admitted honestly, then added,
"No one wants someone else taking what's theirs, right?"
Claiming Seong Hyun-jin as hers. That was something only Serena Eldark could say in this world right now. Not even his close friends, nor his beloved master, could utter it. Knowing that full well, Ciela clenched her fist and gritted her teeth slightly. The bitter taste of defeat stung, but she had no ground to argue.
"I'll be back."
With that, Serena left first.
#
"Junior."
"Senpai, you need to be quiet."
Seong Hyun-jin hushed Elena and turned back to the window. It was the only window in Wise Star Abraham Nobwells' laboratory. He planned to slip into the lab through that window once the moment was right, which was why he'd warned her to stay silent in case sound carried over.
But Elena looked at him with a hint of exasperation.
"You do realize that us being up here draws more attention than me chattering a bit...?"
As Elena said, passersby were glancing up curiously, wondering what was going on. And it made sense—they were perched on the very top of a small spire next to the Tower of Salvation.
It offered a perfect view down into Abraham's lab in the tower, but nothing drew eyes like people climbing up to the spire's peak.
"But this is where we have to be to get in."
"Even so, do we really need to sit out here on the roof? We could wait inside, watch for our chance, and then go in..."
Seong Hyun-jin clapped his hands lightly at her suggestion.
"Ah, right."
"...?"
Elena stared at him in shock, dumbfounded that he'd overlooked such an obvious point. After a moment of blank staring, she let out a soft pfft.
"Ah, you really are a fun junior."
"Suddenly?"
"As a gift for entertaining me so much, I'll give you a present."
Elena smiled as she explained.
"All the spires in Celestial Academy empty out at 5 p.m."
"What does that mean?"
"5 p.m. on Wednesdays—which is today. That's when the Holy Kingdom's ritual called the Twilight Prayer happens."
A mandatory prayer for everyone in the Holy Kingdom, held at dusk—hence the name Twilight Prayer.
Elena elaborated.
"Everyone residing in the Holy Kingdom must attend at that hour. No exceptions, not even for travelers just passing through."
"Being a theocracy, they've got some strict rules like that, huh?"
"Exactly. And it applies even to the great ones called the Palstar Heroes."
Seong Hyun-jin asked her,
"Does that mean we have to go pray too?"
"We should, but if we go pray with everyone, we won't have time to sneak in, right?"
Seong Hyun-jin nodded and said,
"What happens if they catch us skipping?"
"Fine, detention, or worst case, deportation. We'd have to leave before the exchange meet even ends."
"Then..."
Seong Hyun-jin grinned.
"We just don't get caught."
"You catch on quick."
Elena nodded.
"5 p.m.—that's our chance to infiltrate the lab."
"Oh."
"Where do you think you're sneaking into?"
Just as Seong Hyun-jin marveled at Elena's words, another voice came from behind them. Startled, they whipped around and relaxed upon seeing Serena.
"It's you, Serena-junior."
"When did you get here? You scared me."
"I wasn't even that quiet. With you two blatantly up on the spire, it wasn't hard to find you... What shady plotting were you doing that you didn't even notice me coming?"
To Serena's question, Seong Hyun-jin declared boldly,
"For a new case at our detective agency."
"...You were still doing that?"
"We never filed for bankruptcy, so of course."
"If you're splitting hairs, we never registered the business either."
As Serena retorted in disbelief, Seong Hyun-jin waved it off dismissively. Deciding to loop her in on the plan now that she was here, he said,
"Serena, listen up. I'll tell you the plan."
"What plan?"
"We're sneaking into the Wise Star's lab at 5."
"Sure, go ahead... What did you say!?"
As Serena jumped in shock and demanded clarification, Seong Hyun-jin raised his index finger and pressed it firmly against her soft lips. Her pale pink lips yielded softly under the pressure.
"...!"
"Shh, or we'll get caught."
Serena's cheeks flushed at the sudden touch. She glanced at him sidelong with just her eyes.
"Calmed down?"
"......"
She nodded as if to say yes, and Seong Hyun-jin pulled his finger away.
"The Wise Star will leave the lab empty for the Twilight Prayer. That's when we sneak in and find out what he's really researching."
"...Why do we need to know that?"
"It's suspicious."
Seeing Seong Hyun-jin move purely on suspicion, Serena asked,
"...Trusting your gut again?"
"Yeah."
Seong Hyun-jin confirmed it, and Serena sighed. Recalling how spot-on his intuition had been in the Levatein Duchy, she...
"...Fine, I'll trust you this time."
She decided to believe in Seong Hyun-jin.
"Let's try your crazy plan."
That way, she wouldn't later torment herself with regret over failing to trust the man she loved.