The Black Lion Returns
The man with a stubborn, irritable expression turned on his heel after offering nothing more than a perfunctory greeting. The elegant woman and the masked male student followed suit. Seoyeon’s golden eyes remained fixed on the three figures until they disappeared around the corner of the corridor.
“…Time truly is merciless.”
A voice thick with cynicism pulled her from her thoughts. Her biological father stood there, his lips twisted into a strange smile. The benevolent, good-natured expression he had worn moments ago had vanished without a trace, replaced by the face of a man consumed by greed and hunger for power.
“Was that really the Black Lion I once knew? Where did all that sky-piercing arrogance disappear to?”
Seoyeon wondered if he hadn’t been arrogant enough just now. “Are they truly his biological children?”
“Nonsense.”
Her father dismissed the idea outright. “That woman is already past the age where it’s biologically possible—unless she’s achieved Category 1 like Hae Wolhwa.”
He turned and began walking in the opposite direction from where the Heukryeon group had gone. “Still, their talent seems genuine. If they’re worthy of sharing the Heukryeon name, there’s no need to say more. I wonder how they managed to find such a raw gem.”
Seoyeon followed silently.
“What a shame. If only it had fallen into my hands first…”
His words, treating the masked student like an object, stirred a fierce revulsion in Seoyeon’s mind. She pressed her lips together to keep it from showing.
“Tsk. A troublesome obstacle has appeared. Of all times, the Heukryeon had to return to the Supreme Council now—and with an unexpected second son, no less…”
The man clicked his tongue in regret, then asked without turning his head, “Enough. What use is there in dwelling on the past? How are things with the Northern Army?”
“…We’re making steady progress with the recruitment. We’ve been continuously supplying funds to cover their shortages in supplies and budget. The Northern Army is already little more than our private soldiers.”
“Good. Very good.”
Only then did the man nod with a hint of satisfaction. His eyes gleamed with deep, heavy greed. “Keep proceeding as planned. They will become a great asset to us in the future.”
“…Yes.”
Though she nodded obediently, not everything she had told him was the truth. The difference lay in the fact that their loyalty would ultimately be directed toward her alone, not the Paecheon family.
“I’ll overlook your past mistakes. However, once you return to the Cradle this time, don’t delay any further—join the student council. With the Heukryeon back, we no longer have the luxury of hesitation.”
It was a rebuke for Seoyeon’s unauthorized raid on the Red Fire family. Not only had she failed to properly deal with the Red Fire successor and the masked student, but her actions had ultimately led to the Heukryeon’s return—an unfavorable outcome for Paecheon.
In exchange for her achievements so far, Seoyeon had been granted considerable autonomy. She could reject numerous marriage proposals on the grounds that the candidates were unsatisfactory, or refuse her father’s demands to join the student council—treatment far different from other family members who were treated like mere cogs in a machine.
Seoyeon had used that freedom to focus on her own goals. But now, using this failure as an excuse, her father seemed intent on significantly curtailing that autonomy. The people he viewed as threats were not limited to his political rivals. Even his own children, who might one day challenge his absolute power, were potential sources of anxiety.
“We must never lose our influence in the Cradle. Use any means necessary.”
“…Yes.”
Once again, she simply nodded. To Baek Il-yong, Seoyeon had to remain an obedient, compliant daughter. Only then could she wield Paecheon’s power for her own purposes and topple him from the highest position when he least expected it. A peaceful death was unacceptable. He deserved to be dragged into hell while tasting the deepest despair. From the day he was born until now, most of her misfortunes had stemmed from him.
Seeing the reporters gathered outside the assembly hall, Baek Il-yong once again let out a twisted sneer. “The bottom-feeding vermin are swarming. Disgusting creatures…”
His face, filled with genuine contempt, suddenly transformed. After straightening his appearance, he stepped in front of dozens of cameras with a bright smile.
“Chairman Baek! A word on the Heukryeon’s return to the Supreme Council!”
“There are allegations that the raid on Red Fire was politically motivated…!”
“Regarding Lady Baek Seoyeon’s fiancé…!”
“Now, now! I’ll answer all your questions, so please ask one at a time!”
He waved his hands with a slightly troubled expression. “The Heukryeon’s return is something I also welcome. Rather than pointless arguments, we need sincere discussions for the future of our Republic…”
Behind the man, whose words flowed as smoothly as if oiled, Seoyeon stood with a gentle smile, her hands neatly clasped as though they were a harmonious father and daughter. Even as she genuinely found him repulsive, she felt a deep self-loathing at how she mirrored his methods when dealing with others.
Everything should have been nearing its conclusion. Yet now, her heart was filled with confusion and doubt. Seoyeon had replayed that day’s encounter hundreds of times. Below her navel, where the masked student’s fist had struck, a lingering, tingling sensation remained. He had aimed for her most precious and private place—the one no one but its rightful owner should ever touch.
By all rights, he should have been reduced to a bloody pulp on the spot for daring to attempt violating her body. But Seoyeon hadn’t done so. More accurately, she couldn’t. Even now, closing her eyes brought back the vivid sensation. The sound of his mask shattering and fragments falling to the floor rang loudly in her ears. And the next moment, she had met eyes that felt clearer and more transparent than anything in this world.
At the same time, for some reason, Seoyeon recalled the most precious thing she had once lost—the very thing she could never reclaim because of her own mistakes. Pain mixed with a faint, aching pleasure rose in her lower abdomen, but he turned away in an instant and vanished beyond the mist.
“Hnn…”
This time, her views aligned with her father’s. Though worn by the world’s hardships, those gentle eyes were clearly different from the sharp gaze typical of the Heukryeon. Seoyeon was going mad. He was one of the people she hated most in the world. But since that day, the moment she laid eyes on him, her hatred melted away without a trace—like spring snow. And Seoyeon had no way to resist it. Unknowingly, gentle concern would slip from her lips, and receiving his cold reply would make her heart sink and her breath catch.
The masked student. The one who had entered the Cradle with a recommendation letter from the Heukryeon after fifteen years. Though his peculiar appearance and somewhat twisted personality had made him a target of ridicule as an oddity, he had proven his abilities and was overturning people’s perceptions from the ground up. And the person closest to him at present… was her rival, Yeon Minha.
After the Southern Incident, Seoyeon had seen them walking together across campus from afar. Though Yeon Minha wore a rather cold expression, Seoyeon could easily recognize the change in her eyes. After all, she herself had once looked at someone with that same light in her gaze. Yet she had merely laughed it off. So much for acting high and mighty—birds of a feather, after all. She had mocked them like that.
But now, for some reason, just thinking about them being together made cold sweat run down her back and her chest feel suffocatingly tight.
“…Lady… a question… if you could say a word…”
“…”
“Lady Baek Seoyeon?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment… So, my thoughts are…”
A reporter’s question pulled Seoyeon back. Even as she answered with a bright smile, her mind was filled with other thoughts. It was a question that bordered on certainty regarding a certain possibility. There was only one way to resolve it. She had to face him again, no matter what.
***
Once the major chaos had largely settled, I returned to the capital’s Information Bureau branch. There were several things I wanted to ask, and there was no one better suited to explain the various political situations I wasn’t familiar with.
“…It’s locked?”
By the time darkness had fallen over the streets, I once again sought out the Silver Moonlight while hidden under a hood. But for some reason, the entrance to the underground tavern was firmly sealed with an iron shutter. Was it a day they weren’t open…? The thought crossed my mind, but this wasn’t even a real tavern to begin with. Moreover, Mok Jinu had said it was open year-round, day or night, and to come anytime. What should I do? Once I returned to the Cradle, it would be difficult to come out again for a while. There was piled-up schoolwork, and things around me would be noisier than before…
Upon closer inspection, I could see traces of particle circuit insertions and soldering scattered across the shutter.
“…”
I finished my brief deliberation. Whatever the case, I might as well go in. If no one was there, I could just leave again. I placed my hand near the edge of the shutter and injected particles in the sequential pattern he had once taught me. With a mechanical whirring sound, a small passage suddenly opened in the center of the shutter with a clunk. I descended the pitch-black stairs into the basement. There, I noticed a strange atmosphere I hadn’t felt before. How to describe it. A fishy smell. Dampness. Stickiness. Lukewarmness…? It grew stronger with every step.
“Ugh… hnn…”
“…Ah…”
At the same time, faint sounds resembling moans began to reach my ears. A strangely thin, delicate voice brushed against them. A thought suddenly flashed through my mind. Fishy. Damp. Sticky. Lukewarm. It reflexively reminded me of blood flowing from the body, and the moans then…? Just imagining the possibility made my body tense up instantly. I carefully descended the stairs and pressed my ear to the inner door, but thanks to the soundproofing, I couldn’t sense anything more than before. What if Mok Jinu had been attacked and was on the brink of death…?
“…”
It was even easier to decide on breaching than before. Setting aside the fact that he was an ally helping me in every way, he was also Danjang’s closest friend. If Mok Jinu died, Danjang would be devastated. With that resolve, I took a deep breath, stepped back slightly from the door, and kicked it with all my strength.
-Kwaaaang!
The door instantly turned into a rag and tumbled to the floor along with its hinges. I could now clearly see the interior of the tavern.
“W-what the—!”
“Kyaaah!”
And what met my eyes was a handsome man seated with a woman dressed as a barmaid on his lap, his hands moving in an obscene manner…