Lee Seol's Scheme (2)
"I know this is really rude……but you two. Could you kiss just once for me?"
Silence. Shin Suyeon’s and my eyes shake like mad. Even though we’d mixed our bodies quite a bit……we’d never kissed. Not even a light peck. At first we kept our distance because it was just a contract for our bodies, so we avoided kissing, but now……
……
Our eyes met. Her face looked like she was asking, What do we do, Seonghyun? But we couldn’t refuse. If Lee Seol found out we were lying, who knew what would happen. Screw it. It’s just one kiss. We’d done skinship outdoors and even gone all the way in a bathroom. Compared to that, this was kindergarten level.
Yet—Why the hell is my heart pounding like this?
My chest hammered like it was about to burst. It wasn’t just me; Shin Suyeon’s face had turned bright red too.
We have to do it.
I slowly leaned toward her. She squeezed her eyes shut. Just as I steadied myself and moved in to kiss her—
"S-stop!"
Lee Seol halted me before I could get any closer. Her breathing had grown ragged; she clearly hadn’t expected us to actually go through with it.
"I-I was being too pushy, wasn’t I? I’m sorry. I’m sorry, unnie, Hyun-ah……"
"……It’s fine."
"……It’s okay."
Maybe because we’d stopped right before the kiss, the atmosphere grew even more awkward. In the end, we left without really knowing how time had passed.
Lying on my bed, I sent her a message.
She’d realized her acting was painfully bad. Either way, we’d dodged Lee Seol’s interrogation.
Starting tomorrow, I need to grind assignments hard again. If Shin Suyeon, a buffer, joined Lee Seol’s team, their hunting speed would skyrocket. I had to rack up points in advance so I wouldn’t fall behind.
And so the next day arrived. It must have been around 3 a.m. when someone shook me awake.
"Seonghyun-ah! Lee Seonghyun! Wake up, quick!"
"Why……"
"Yuri……I think Yuri’s sick!"
……What?
***
Han Yuri had collapsed. Well, she was human too; of course she could get sick. The problem was—
Potions aren’t working.
Ordinary colds or minor ailments could be fixed with mid-grade potions. But even after using high-grade ones, her fever wouldn’t break.
"Agh……ugh……"
"Yuri, what do we do……Shouldn’t we take her to the infirmary?"
"Let’s watch her condition a bit longer. Ahyeon, go get some fresh wet towels."
"O-okay!"
After sending Choi Ahyeon out, I activated my sense of smell.
The text has faded. The word “Neutral” in the corruption line was paler than before.
If this gets worse, will “Neutral” disappear completely?
For now, I needed to check inside Han Yuri’s body. I lifted the top of her pajamas. Her snow-white stomach and navel were exposed.
"You……pervert……Where are you……touching……"
Han Yuri protested in a dying voice, but she lacked the strength to even lift a finger.
"I’m not doing anything weird. So don’t worry and just sleep."
"……How am I supposed to sleep like this……"
Since she kept resisting, I had no choice but to hold her hand and examine her internally. It was less direct than touching her upper body, but I could still feel what was happening inside.
She’s fine. Her mana and bodily functions were operating normally. That left only one possibility.
Magi deficiency?
Plants needed water to grow. A Witch’s seed also required magi as its water. Since the supply of magi had been cut off after high school, the seed had gone three years without any energy. Still, it was only a hypothesis for now. Time to test it.
I slipped my hand into my pocket and gripped the crystal orb. It was the one full of magi I’d obtained after killing the principal. When I channeled magi through the orb, it flowed into her bloodstream. Unlike ordinary people who would reject it, the magi quietly dissolved like water and vanished—absorbed by the seed.
The “Neutral” text has gotten a little darker. My hypothesis seemed correct. When the seed lacked magi, its quality deteriorated further toward the evil side.
Is that why all three Witches’ seeds were “Evil”?
But Han Jaehyuk had known Han Yuri was a Witch. He must have taken some measures. Or maybe magi extracted from ordinary people has its limits? That was probably why he’d been so obsessed with Sacrifices.
I pushed the stray thoughts aside and kept supplying magi. Her condition gradually improved. Han Yuri seemed to notice the change in her body and looked down at our joined hands. Maybe because holding my hand had helped, she let out a hollow laugh.
"This is ridiculous……"
"Why."
"Why is my life like this……I’m getting treatment from the enemy I’m supposed to kill."
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Lee Seonghyun."
"What."
"You’ll regret this later……"
"……"
"The moment my breath stops in your hands, you’ll regret treating me now."
Even so, I didn’t let go. Han Yuri’s voice began to tremble with tears.
"Why are you pretending to be so kind……It’s messing with my head……"
"……"
"I have to kill you……I’m supposed to kill you, but if you keep doing this……"
She bit her lip and cried, tears filled with countless emotions. It looked as if something was colliding inside Han Yuri’s chest. To ease her mind, I spoke again.
"If the knight collapses, who’s going to drive the bus? I’m only doing this for my own sake, so don’t turn this into a drama by yourself."
"You damn bastard……"
Fortunately, my words stopped her tears. About five minutes later, Han Yuri’s condition had stabilized considerably. When I tried to let go and stand up—
"Don’t go……"
"Huh? What did you say?"
"……Are your ears clogged? I said get lost……"
That temper of hers. The moment I released her hand and stood—
"Seonghyun-ah! I brought more water! Huh? Yuri, are you okay?"
"Yeah. And keep your voice down. My head hurts."
"Yes……!"
After that incident, the next day came. As expected—
"Lee Seol is absent today due to illness."
Lee Seol had collapsed too.
"What do we do about Seol……If potions don’t work, it must be something really serious, right?"
"It’s obviously the aftereffects of the kidnapping. If I ever see those Demon Sect bastards, I’ll tear them apart!"
While everyone burned with anger toward the Demon Sect, I anxiously fidgeted with my hands.
Yoon Seah must have collapsed too. She was overseas. Even taking the fastest plane would take at least a day. By the time she arrived, the seed’s corruption would definitely have worsened. Time was limited. If I had to choose one, I’d treat Lee Seol, who had the higher chance of recovery.
After lectures and Irena’s private tutoring ended, I hurried toward Lee Seol’s house when my phone rang.
[Association President]
"Yes, sir."
-Seonghyun-ah, are your classes over?
"Yes, they’re all finished."
-I’m really sorry, but could you come to our house for a bit?
"Seol’s already sick; would it be okay if I visited?"
I played dumb for now. Lee Jun swallowed hard.
-Seol keeps calling your name. The doctors and healers have already come and gone, so could you please come over?
"Understood. I’ll head over right away."
-……Thank you so much.
"It’s nothing. Not between you and me, sir."
I didn’t forget the lip service until the very end. I was going to Lee Seol’s house anyway; raising Lee Jun’s favorability couldn’t hurt.
A two-story house with a garden. They’d moved here after the penthouse burned down. When I approached, an Association employee opened the door.
They’ve even posted guards now.
That wasn’t all. Dozens of defensive artifacts were installed everywhere. Given that Lee Seol had been kidnapped, it made sense.
"The President had some business and stepped out. I’ll escort you to her room right away."
"Thank you."
[Please knock! ლ( ╹ ◡ ╹ ლ) ]
A handwritten sign. Very much like Lee Seol—cute and charming. I knocked and stepped inside. A pink room greeted me. Various teddy bears and all kinds of flowers. It was practically a flower garden. In the center of the room sat a bed. Lee Seol was asleep with an IV drip in her arm.
"Hyun-ah……Hyun-ah……"
She called my name while groaning in pain. Her appearance was heartbreakingly frail. I slowly approached and took her hand. She flinched and trembled slightly, but soon resumed her steady breathing. I quickly checked her internally.
Similar condition to Han Yuri?
The moment I poured magi into her, Lee Seol’s complexion visibly improved. Maybe because of that, she opened her eyes.
"Hyun-ah……?"
"Yeah. I came to visit. How are you feeling?"
"A little better than before……Maybe because you’re holding my hand……"
"My childhood nickname was Gangnam’s Healing Hands, you know."
"Pfft. What kind of nickname is that……"
Her voice was slightly dazed and weak. She must be in a lot of pain. I quickly activated my sense of smell.
The word “Good” was on the verge of disappearing. If I’d arrived any later, only “Neutral” would have remained. After pouring in almost all the magi like I had with Han Yuri, the color darkened again. Seeing it return to normal, I figured it was time to stop. I gently released Lee Seol’s hand.
"Seol-ah. How do you feel now?"
"Mm……I don’t know……cough, cough!"
"Wait a second."
When Lee Seol started coughing—something she hadn’t done before—I grabbed her hand again and pushed in more magi. But—
"Cough! Cough!"
The coughing wouldn’t stop. Cold sweat ran down my back.
Is this case different from Han Yuri’s?
To make matters worse—
"Ugh……Hyun-ah……cough, cough!"
Lee Seol coughed with tears in her eyes. Shit……I’m sure I gave her enough magi……!
This was one of the worst crises I’d faced across both timelines. I sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.