Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: A Cold Flame
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At Bolupe's sudden action, Tia furrowed her brow and tried to pull her hand away, but he was a step ahead, gently wrapping his left arm around her waist.
Everyone at the ball was stunned by his audacity.
They knew Bolupe was a madman, but they never dreamed he would be so disrespectful to the successor of the Vampir family.
Just then, Lee Si-woo grabbed Bolupe by the scruff of his neck and forced him onto a sofa.
Slammed onto the sofa in the blink of an eye by an iron grip, Bolupe looked up at Lee Si-woo with a bewildered expression.
But Lee Si-woo didn’t even spare him a glance, acting as if he wasn't there at all as he spoke.
"My friend. I'm the host of this ball, yet you step forward without knowing your place. What does that make me look like?"
Bolupe, who had been rashly acting under Tia's charm, snapped back to his senses as if doused with ice water by Lee Si-woo's cold voice.
Only then did he realize he had been rude to both the Vampir successor and Lee Si-woo. He spoke in a panicked voice.
"Ah, that… I-I'm sorry… Lady Tia Vampir is so beautiful that… I seem to have made a grave mistake."
Lee Si-woo extended a hand to Tia and said.
"Lady Tia Vampir. Please accept my apologies. My friend is not feeling well today and has made a terrible error. I apologize on his behalf."
Tia shook her head and replied in a calm tone.
"It's quite all right. I'm used to this sort of thing."
The more Lee Si-woo spoke with her, the more he felt an inexplicable emotion stirring in his chest.
Was it a whim? Or was it a strange certainty that he would regret it if they parted like this?
Lee Si-woo impulsively reached out his hand.
"I am relieved to hear you'll overlook it. Well, it seems we need to clear the air after my friend made things awkward… If I may be so bold, would you grant me a dance?"
A flicker of interest crossed Tia's eyes at Lee Si-woo's consistently polite demeanor.
Most men, even those with iron wills, found it difficult to maintain their composure before the combination of her Talents, Peerless Beauty and Charm. It was strange that a rake from the Graves family was not losing his reason.
Besides, she was already feeling a deep curiosity about Lee Si-woo.
It was because of her heart, which hadn't stopped pounding since the moment she first saw him.
Perhaps that was why.
In an unprecedented move, she accepted a dance invitation she had never accepted before.
"With pleasure."
Tia took the hand Lee Si-woo offered.
The moment they touched, a jolt of static electricity shot through them, and they pulled their hands back in surprise.
Lee Si-woo shook his tingling hand, his eyes, shimmering with a faint heat, fixed on Tia.
Soon after, he roughly clasped her hand and led her to the center of the sky lounge.
At a slight nod from Lee Si-woo, a cheerful melody filled the hall.
As soon as she heard the familiar tune, an image of two men playfully dancing on piano keys came to Tia's mind, and her ears perked up.
"This song is…?"
Surprised by Tia's reaction, Lee Si-woo asked.
"Hm? You know this piano piece?"
"It's my favorite song."
Lee Si-woo tilted his head.
"That's unexpected. It's a piano piece from Earth, so very few people know it."
"How could I not? It's from my favorite movie, *Big*. Howard Shore's 'Heart and Soul.' Am I right?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a joyful melody that seemed to blow away all worries and cares washed over their ears.
Before long, without either of them making the first move, they began to dance lightly to the music.
Though awkward, their waltz, as they traced circles as if walking on clouds, made the onlookers unconsciously start tapping to the rhythm.
Watching the two with a look of discomfort, Tia's secretary made a phone call.
-What is it?
The secretary glared at Lee Si-woo and said.
"My lady is dancing."
-…With whom?
"Alma Graves. The scoundrel of the Graves family."
Adrian's voice, now tinged with less discomfort, replied.
-Ah, that one? Don't worry about it. I told Tia to humor him myself. Even if it meant dancing with him. After looking into it… that guy could be very useful if handled correctly.
"…Is that so? But the two of them seem to have surprisingly good chemistry."
-Hmm, so that fellow named Alma is quite the dancer, despite being a womanizer.
The secretary, watching unpleasantly as their gazes remained locked together like a magnet to iron, spoke again.
"But what if, by some chance, my lady develops an interest in another man…."
Adrian cut him off as if the thought was absurd.
-Her, interested in another man? Stop with the nonsense. You know, don't you? Tia has no interest in anyone but Lee Si-woo. A woman who wanted so desperately to be human willingly gave up her race when she heard I was holding Lee Si-woo captive. And you still don't know her?
"…True, that is the case. But, just in case, what if my lady were to meet Lee Si-woo?"
-That's impossible, so stop with the useless fantasies and do your job. How could Lee Si-woo possibly meet Tia? She's already become a True Ancestor, a supreme flower. Not only would he never imagine she is Ha-yun, but he wouldn't even recognize her if they met. Well, the most dangerous thing would be if Tia recognized him…
It would be impossible for Lee Si-woo to enter the Demon Country.
Adrian, who had peeked into her memories and memorized Lee Si-woo's face, had already made arrangements with immigration control.
-Even that would be impossible. The moment he sets foot in the Demon Country, he's a dead man.
As Adrian ended the call with a confident assertion, the secretary also dismissed his lingering anxiety and focused on the main figures of the ball.
But why?
Why did the unease that had briefly subsided come rushing back the moment he looked at them?
Perhaps it was because he saw a man and a woman, arms wrapped around each other's waists, completely absorbed in their dance as if time had stopped.
"The first time I learned this dance, I stepped on my partner's foot."
"That's funny. The first time I danced, my foot was the one that got stepped on."
"Back then, my partner told me. Don't get used to dancing. He told me to step on the feet of every man who dances with you. That way, he'd be the only one left to dance with. Because only I… can enjoy even being stepped on by you, he said."
Lee Si-woo swallowed hard.
Suddenly, a memory from the past washed over him.
-I like this song.
-Heart and Soul?
-Yes. Whenever I listen to it, I feel like every moment with you is filled with happiness.
-Is that why you're practicing dancing to this weird OST?
-What does it matter? As long as we're both happy, that's all that counts. After all, we're the stars of the ball.
-That's true.
-Mmm… and with a rhythm this fast, it's perfect for stepping on your feet, isn't it?
Tia's red eyes scanned the face of Lee Si-woo, who was lost in thought.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
"…About a woman."
Tia let out a faint smile at his words, thinking of another woman right in front of her.
Lee Si-woo, on the other hand, felt a storm of emotions.
No, to be precise, the longer he spent with this woman, the more he struggled to keep his wits about him as memories violently swept through his mind.
-But Si-woo, if I changed into a different person overnight, would you be able to recognize me?
-…You saw some crazy movie yesterday and now you're having strange delusions? Haah, Yun. I'm not some kind of wizard, how would I know? If your body changed, of course I wouldn't recognize you.
-That hurts. I feel like I could recognize you no matter how ugly you became, Si-woo. I have a sensor for finding you. It's my heart, which beats foolishly whenever I'm near you.
-…Sometimes, I find it amazing how you can say such cheesy lines so naturally.
-Don't change the subject. You should start practicing now. What if I get plastic surgery overnight? I could become incredibly beautiful. If you don't recognize me then, I might get pretty seriously sulky.
-I'm against you getting prettier, no, I won't even allow it… but I guarantee, if something like that really happened and I changed, you wouldn't recognize me either. I'm sure of it. We're not psychics. How could we recognize each other if our shells have changed?
-You know you can be so unromantic sometimes? That's too much. Can't you just throw away that boring logic for a moment and try to say something I'd like to hear, even if you have to force it?
-Were you upset? I'm sorry. But I'll promise you this one thing.
At that time, Lee Si-woo had pulled her into his arms and whispered.
-No matter what happens, I'll recognize you before you recognize me. I promise.
A dry voice escaped Lee Si-woo's lips.
"Yun?"
Tia's eyes trembled violently, like a buoy in a storm.
"What… did you just say?"
"Ha-yun… is that you? Is it really you in front of me?"
"…Si-woo?"
Alma Graves and Tia Vampir held hands, gazing at each other with heated stares.
As they exchanged glances intense enough to melt each other, Tia's secretary called out.
"My lady! The song is over. Please come over here."
Tia Vampir, Ha-yun, ignored her secretary's words and whispered.
"Si-woo. Is it you? Ah, no, it can't be. It can't… be. He told me. He said he was holding you captive. That he had you locked in a dungeon. He told me to obey him… or else he'd do something to you…."
Lee Si-woo slowly closed his eyes and recited in a soft voice.
"Come to the orchard in spring. There is light and wine, and sweethearts in the pomegranate flowers."
She let out a breathless gasp.
It was a poem she had once heard to the point of exhaustion, yet never tired of.
The lines from her memories, which she used to pester him to recite just one more time, now came from his lips, and Ha-yun's eyes grew moist.
She replied.
"If you do not come, these do not matter."
Lee Si-woo's fingers intertwined with hers.
As if he would never let her go again.
"And if you do come, these do not matter."
As he recited the poem she loved most, Jalaluddin Rumi's *Come, Even So, Come,* Ha-yun was finally certain that the white-haired man before her was Lee Si-woo.
And she understood why her heart was pounding as if it were broken.
Her heart had recognized him before she did.
"Ah… Si-woo. Si-woo… it's you. It was really you. How can this be? Oh, God… how could this…."
As she moved closer, ready to bury her face in his chest at any moment, Lee Si-woo gently pushed her away.
She looked at him with the hurt expression of an abandoned puppy and asked.
"Si-woo?"
Lee Si-woo stepped back from her and gave a formal, aristocratic bow.
His voice was loud, as if for everyone to hear.
"Lady Tia Vampir. This moment I've shared with you today will remain in my memory forever. To you, who have given me this great honor… may fortune always be with you."
No sooner had Lee Si-woo finished his bow and taken a few steps back than Tia's secretary approached her with a fierce stride.
"My lady. You are acting very strangely today. Are you perhaps not feeling well? Or did that man try some strange trick on you?"
Only then did she realize that Lee Si-woo had backed away because of her secretary, and she wiped her face with a dry hand.
It was always like this.
He was cold when he should have been passionate, and calm even in a reunion that should have been fiery.
As if he had a heart carved from ice.
That was why he was a cold flame to her, a midwinter bonfire.
Because he was cold yet hot, chilly yet warm.
Ha-yun replied in a barely audible voice.
"A trick… there was nothing like that. I just feel a little strange after dancing for the first time in a while. I'll just… sit and rest for a moment."
"Hmm, instead of that, why don't we head back?"
Ha-yun shook her head.
How could she part with him now, after finally finding him again?
If she just left like this, she felt he would disappear like a mirage.
"No. Young Master Adrian said that the Graves family's events should not be taken lightly and that I should stay until the end of today's gathering."
The secretary spoke, making no effort to hide his troubled expression.
"Is that so? Very well. Then please come this way. I will escort you."
Lee Si-woo watched intently as Ha-yun headed with her secretary toward the sofas prepared for VIPs. He then stood in the center of the floor where they had just been dancing and spoke.
"Thank you all for accepting my invitation despite your busy schedules."
There was a strange charm in Lee Si-woo's voice that captivated the audience with just a simple phrase.
"Truthfully, although I used the title of a ball, and I ended up dancing with Lady Tia… the real reason I invited you esteemed individuals here was not to dance, nor was it to form friendships."
Lee Si-woo continued speaking calmly.
"As you all know, I have made many mistakes in the past. No, 'mistakes' is not a strong enough word. The despicable things I have done are closer to sins. That is why I stand here today. To reflect on my past and to repent."
A murmur went through the crowd.
Suddenly inviting everyone to a ball to ask for forgiveness?
They wondered why Lee Si-woo, who had been dancing just fine moments ago, was suddenly acting this way.
"In that spirit, I plan to stand in court soon. I intend to confess to all my past sins and offer financial compensation to all those who were harmed by me."
The nobles began conversing with their friends, unable to grasp Lee Si-woo's intentions.
Llywen spoke to her father, Geren, her face grim.
"He's changed too much."
"Yes, he has changed astonishingly. Time is a fearsome thing. To see that timid and gloomy brat transform so much."
"It's strange. The Alma I knew loathed the very idea of a courtroom. He committed so many sins against women out of fear of falling out of his father's favor, yet he would cower and take a loss if those women came at him strongly. But now he's voluntarily going to court? About cases that are long past?"
"Hmm…"
"But… there is one reason. One reason he might genuinely feel this way."
"What is it?"
"The succession. If he is truly aiming for the position of heir, he has every reason to do this. The fewer disqualifications he has, the higher his chances of becoming the heir."
Just as Geren was looking at Llywen with a surprised expression, Lee Si-woo called out to Bolupe.
"Bolupe. My dear friend. Come here."
In the strangely unfolding atmosphere, Bolupe approached Lee Si-woo, cautiously glancing around like a frightened cat.
When Bolupe arrived, Lee Si-woo embraced him warmly.
He cried out in a voice thick with emotion, as if he couldn't control himself.
"You were the soulmate who shared my entire past, and you are still my most beloved friend. Bolupe… I am certain that without you, I could not have spent those days so happily."
"Huh? Ah, well… I did see you often back then… B-but this is a bit overwhelming."
Bolupe wondered why Lee Si-woo was acting this way, but he was at a loss for how to react to such lavish praise.
Lee Si-woo gently wrapped his arm around Bolupe's neck and said.
"But at the same time, you are an accomplice to the many sins I committed, a witness, and the guide who led me to sin."
"Eh? What are you talking ab—"
"To be honest! If you hadn't tempted me, I would never have committed such sins. After all, as a direct descendant of the Graves family, I wanted for nothing… whereas you were an illegitimate child, were you not? You, being insignificant, needed a powerful background to get away with your crimes, and to do that, you needed to entice me."
Bolupe was on the verge of screaming that he was a madman.
Who tempted whom?
Who was the one who followed him around like a puppy, saying he liked him?
Besides, even if he had tempted him, a scion of the Graves family could have cast him aside with a mere thought.
And now he was pulling this?
Just as Bolupe's eyes darted around, about to figure out Lee Si-woo's true intentions, Lee Si-woo spoke in a cloying voice.
"And yet! I still like you. To me, who has no other friends, your existence is too precious. But… I have changed. I now fear the guilt that weighs on my shoulders more than the friendship that lightens my steps."
Lee Si-woo's arm tightened around Bolupe's neck like a python.
Choking, Bolupe's face turned red as he glared at Lee Si-woo, his hands flailing.
As Bolupe's eyes rolled back and he struggled, Lee Si-woo whispered in his ear.
"I wasn't originally planning to take your life… but I've had a change of heart. Yes, from the moment you smeared your filthy mouth on her hand. I absolutely despise it… when someone touches what's mine."
"Uh… ughh…"
*Crack.*
Before anyone could say a word, Bolupe's neck was broken, and his body went limp in Lee Si-woo's arms.
A horrified silence fell over the sky lounge.
And it was Lee Si-woo's voice that broke that silence.
"The wicked Bolupe enticed me, Alma Graves, to rape and murder women. Of course, being timid and having much to lose, I could not bring myself to commit such heinous crimes… but Bolupe brazenly committed them, using my background as a shield. Therefore, today, I had no choice but to punish him with my own hands, a man so precious to me he was like my second heart."
Lee Si-woo's white eyes slowly swept over the crowd.
As his gaze met Ha-yun's, her eyes trembled.
People change with time.
But if some things change, some things do not.
Even if many of them seemed to have changed, the reality was that most remained the same.
Just as a herbivore does not become a carnivore simply by aging, one's fundamental nature does not change.
Yes, just as the man she loved was still a frost-covered serpent.
"Today, I killed my only friend with my own hands. It is sad, but it could not be helped. Even if the law forgives him, his victims will not forgive us."
Looking at his twisted smile, Ha-yun realized it once again.
That she still loved his contradictions and his hypocrisy.
Even his ugliness.
Like white, addicted to black.
Lee Si-woo looked at Ha-yun and spoke.
"Today, I have been very discourteous to my esteemed guests. As a token of my apology, I have prepared a gift. Please receive it from the staff on your way out. And Lady Tia Vampir, I have unintentionally committed a breach of etiquette. I do hope that next time… we can have a more casual meeting in a better place."
With those words, Lee Si-woo departed, leaving only the horrified gasps of the guests in the sky lounge.
At the same time, everyone had a premonition.
That from this day forward, a great storm would befall the Graves family.