Yeonhui's Hidden Intentions
While Serena was lost in confusion, Yeonhui turned to Ciela and asked, “So in the end, it’s not a territorial issue—it’s just that there are no problems when facing magic beasts. That’s peculiar. Was there ever a type of evil spirit like this?”
“No. This is the first I’ve heard of it, too.”
Ciela shook her head slightly, admitting it was new to her as well.
“It’d probably be quickest to head back to the academy and ask my master.”
“Then we should return for now.”
Yeonhui said this as she glanced at Serena—and pointed at Seong Hyun-jin, who was nestled in her arms.
“We should get your junior laid down to rest soon, too. He’ll catch a cold if he keeps sleeping out here in the cold.”
“…Senior Yeonhui.”
“Yes?”
Serena narrowed her eyes slightly and met Yeonhui’s gaze. She opened her mouth to probe the other woman’s true intentions.
“What are you thinking?”
“…What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?”
“No…”
Serena hesitated, wondering how to phrase it. She steeled herself, deciding to ignore the formalities and get to the bottom of Yeonhui’s scheme.
“Why are you suddenly acting like you’ve lost interest in Seong Hyun-jin?”
The question hit like a nuclear bomb dropped in the middle of a battlefield. Everyone listening froze. Ciela, who harbored deep affection for Seong Hyun-jin, went rigid, and even Clarice faltered in surprise.
But the one being questioned—Yeonhui—didn’t bat an eye. If anything, she looked puzzled as to why Serena would even ask, and countered with a question of her own.
“Why do you ask that?”
“Why do I…?”
“Isn’t this actually putting you in a better position, Junior Serena?”
Serena flinched at Yeonhui’s words. It was true—if she didn’t have to worry about Yeonhui, it was all upside for her. She’d only need to keep an eye on Ciela to have Seong Hyun-jin all to herself.
“…Yes, it’s good news.”
But that was exactly what bothered her. Yeonhui wasn’t the type to give up so easily.
“But it’s just too strange for you to back off like this.”
Serena might not know everything about Yeonhui, but a woman’s intuition was a powerful thing. Just look at how she’d reacted that day when Seong Hyun-jin and Serena had gotten together. Was that the behavior of a normal woman in love? No—Yeonhui had been utterly consumed by Seong Hyun-jin himself. Regardless of anything else, her obsession with him was intense. For someone like that to drop everything after a single rejection? It was absurd. As absurd as saying Seong Hyun-jin hated his master.
Yeonhui nodded slightly, as if understanding Serena’s suspicions, and replied, “I get what you’re suspicious about. But what if I really gave up for your junior’s sake? Can you be so sure I haven’t?”
“I wasn’t sure at first, but now I am.”
“On what grounds?”
It wasn’t just a hunch. There was solid evidence, just as Serena had said.
“Just now, you deliberately stepped in on something Ciela and I could’ve handled.”
A moment ago, when Seong Hyun-jin collapsed, Yeonhui had rushed forward faster than anyone—even after seeing Serena and Ciela react. She’d intercepted them and taken over. Logically, if she’d truly given up on him, there’d be no reason to do that. Serena could’ve caught him herself, so Yeonhui cutting in was proof her feelings lingered.
“…You’re right, that does look suspicious. But can I explain?”
“Go ahead.”
“It was a coincidence.”
“…You’re saying you just moved by accident?”
“Yes. My body moved on its own before I knew it. Even if I’ve decided not to pursue your junior anymore… that doesn’t erase the bond we’ve built or the help he’s given me, right? I still feel grateful for those times. So my body reacted faster than my mind.”
Serena narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t find a solid counterargument to Yeonhui’s explanation, so she couldn’t press further. Of course, she still harbored doubts…
And as Yeonhui had pointed out, they couldn’t leave the sleeping Seong Hyun-jin out in the cold forever.
Reluctantly, Serena backed down to wrap things up.
“…I must’ve been too sensitive. Sorry.”
“I understand, Junior.”
Yeonhui accepted the apology with a bright smile.
“Sorry for acting in a way that caused misunderstanding.”
“…No, it’s fine.”
The tension seemed to ease, but every woman present sensed two things clearly. Serena’s possessiveness toward Seong Hyun-jin had intensified. And whatever Yeonhui was truly thinking, it wasn’t entirely pure.
“……”
Gazel Bishadel, who had quietly watched the entire exchange, could only chuckle inwardly.
# Seong Hyun-jin’s eyes fluttered open groggily. The last thing he remembered was the snowy expanse, but now a lavish, ornamented ceiling greeted him. He recognized it—it was the ceiling of the room assigned to him in the duke’s residence.
“…Someone carried me here.”
With a groan, Seong Hyun-jin sat up and scanned the room. Traces of someone nursing him lingered on the bedside table, but the person was gone.
I had a fever…? My head’s still hot.
He’d only used the third form of the Spirit Exorcism Sword, yet he’d blacked out and spiked a fever. Even he found it ridiculous.
It shouldn’t have been this bad…?
Ciela had asked him to expend just enough power to feel fatigued, so he’d used the third form, Heavenly Evil Slaughter. It should’ve held him until they returned to the duke’s residence. But the moment he unleashed it, the backlash drained his strength and sent his head spinning—as if it had suddenly siphoned off all his vitality at once.
It hadn’t happened with the magic beast nearby, but without it, the drain hit immediately. Seong Hyun-jin let out a disbelieving chuckle.
“…What the hell is this thing?”
Until now, he’d thought it was somewhat obedient, its power unique, and its vitality drain a bit unusual. But this level of precise calculation felt more like a transaction.
But if it’s like this, then Senior Ciela’s guesses might not cover everything…
Thinking back, it was odd how fine it had been in front of the magic beast. He’d assumed it absorbed the beast’s mana instead of his vitality, but this instant drain suggested otherwise. It seemed more like it deliberately held off draining him when the beast was present.
“No idea what’s going on.”
It’d be great if he could talk to the spirit, but ordinary humans couldn’t converse with contracted spirits. Spirits understood human language, but humans couldn’t comprehend spirit tongue—not due to lack of study, but because it was inherently incomprehensible. To humans, it just sounded like cries.
Communication was possible, but detailed talk wasn’t.
Seong Hyun-jin recalled Karin’s words. She’d called it a vicious evil spirit.
A real evil spirit…? But normal ones wouldn’t leave their contractor alone like this.
Still, the meticulous way it drained his vitality screamed evil spirit.
“It’s weird…”
It was a grateful spirit providing him unique power, but the mysteries piled up.
Just then, as he pondered—a light knock sounded. Tap tap.
Assuming he was still asleep, the door opened before he could respond.
In walked a cute girl with brown hair swaying gently. Her slender, petite frame instinctively stirred protective instincts, and the pure white uniform suited her perfectly.
“…Ah?”
Spotting him awake, she beamed.
“Junior, you’re up!”
“Senior Yeonhui.”
It was Yeonhui. She quickly shut the door behind her with a click and dragged a round chair to the bedside, sitting down.
Relieved to see him looking fine, she sighed.
“Thank goodness. I was worried you’d be out longer than today. Glad you woke up before nightfall.”
“Did you nurse me, Senior Yeonhui?”
“Huh? No, that was Junior Serena.”
“Oh, Serena…”
Seong Hyun-jin tilted his head. If Serena had nursed him, why was Yeonhui here alone? She’d have to dodge Serena’s watchful eye, and Ciela wouldn’t stay quiet either.
As he puzzled over it, Yeonhui asked about his condition.
“How’s your body feeling, Junior?”
“Yeah, just a bit of fever now.”
“No need for my healing?”
“No injuries, so I should be fine.”
Yeonhui nodded at his response, then flashed a meaningful smile and murmured softly.
“Good. Then there’s nothing holding us back.”
“Holding what back?”
The moment Seong Hyun-jin’s brow furrowed in question, Yeonhui said, “Junior.”
“Yes.”
“Even if you say you’re okay, just in case—take this.”
She pulled something from her bosom: a packet containing a single pill.
“Ah, you brought medicine?”
“Yes?”
“I was wondering why you came alone.”
“…Ah, of course that’s why. With Junior Serena here, how shameless would I have to be to visit you solo?”
“My bad, I misunderstood.”
Relieved, Seong Hyun-jin swallowed the pill she offered and washed it down with water from the cup nearby. He thanked her.
“Thanks. Fever reducer?”
“Yes, you seemed feverish.”
“It’s gone down a lot, but there’s still a slight one left. Better safe.”
“Exactly.”
Yeonhui nodded, then stared intently at him. As if resolving something, she cautiously spoke up.
“Junior, can I ask you something?”
“What?”
Seong Hyun-jin tilted his head at her words. Yeonhui went straight for it.
“With Junior Serena… how far have you gone?”
“…Pardon?”
His eyes widened at the sudden question. Before he could respond, Yeonhui rapid-fired on.
“Just kissing so far, right? And the childish kind, too.”
“Senior? Why ask something like—?”
“As expected, you haven’t. Or maybe you can’t? Junior Serena’s so shy.”
Yeonhui stood, leaning over the bed with hands planted, eye-level with him. She whispered softly.
“If you want, I could do it for you?”
“……!?”
“I told you before. Anytime you want… you can come to me.”
She continued, “Of course, if you don’t want it, I won’t force you. But Junior…”
Yeonhui’s hand gripped his forearm firmly. Despite the bold touch, Seong Hyun-jin strangely didn’t feel the urge to shake it off. His body wouldn’t obey. He could move, but instead of repelling her, a weird desire to pull her closer surged.
Something’s off…
Come to think of it, his face felt hot. Like the fever returning.
He’d just taken the ‘fever reducer’—why was it worsening? Seong Hyun-jin’s eyes bulged.
The changes below his belt were proof enough that the pill wasn’t what she’d claimed.
Noticing, Yeonhui whispered seductively, “This part’s so healthy… Don’t you think it needs some relief?”
“Senior, what the hell did you give me…?!”
“Like I said, I won’t force anything on you. But if you want it…”
Yeonhui said, “I can accept you anytime.”
Her slender, delicate fingers trailed up his tensed forearm, veins bulging from his resistance. They traced the veins and firm muscles.
“Junior Hyun-jin, it must be hard to endure. You want to feel better, right?”
She kept whispering.
“Just reach out, and you’ll feel relief.”
Urging him to lose control and touch the woman before him.
“Come on, it’s okay to let go, Junior.”
Seong Hyun-jin, gritting his teeth to hold out, finally broke.
“Fuck!!”
He exploded in curses, bolting upright. Yeonhui’s face lit up with ecstasy.
“Junior Hyun-jin, finally…”
Finally, her junior was reaching for her. That’s what she thought—
“Kyaa!?”
Bang!!
Seong Hyun-jin shoved her aside and demolished the door—handle and all—that Yeonhui had locked on entry.
“H-Hyun-jin Junior…?”
And vanished in a flash.
Staring at the ruined door, Yeonhui murmured in disbelief.
“Where… where are you going…?”