Chapter 224
Chapter 224
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Suspicion
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I watched Philip leave Rachel's house and sent Dorothy back.
But the direction he was heading was toward Grace's place. He was planning to drag her along and finally inspect the inside of my house.
"You need to know when to give up. What a persistent guy."
Damon wasn't someone absolutely essential to this camp or anything like that.
He was probably just your average worker... one with no particular skills.
I wasn't worried about Philip bringing Grace and poking around my house.
No matter how much he searched, he wouldn't find anything.
If anything, it was a gain since I could see Grace's face.
Sure enough, Philip soon returned with Grace in tow.
"Grace. Come on in."
"Un-ho, sorry about this. Dropping by so suddenly."
"You're welcome anytime."
Philip, who had entered the house alongside Grace, scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
And he looked shocked.
"No way... where on earth did you get furniture like this...?"
Luxurious-looking sofas, beds, and other furnishings.
It was a home interior you wouldn't see just anywhere. For someone like me who could use inventory, decorating a place like this was a piece of cake.
"What? Jealous?"
"Forget it."
Philip snorted and began slowly strolling through the house to investigate. He even got down on the floor and peered enthusiastically under the bed.
I looked at him pitifully and asked Grace,
"...Grace, do you suspect me too?"
"No... Philip asked me to come, but... just chalk it up to occupational habit and understand. Have you seen Damon?"
Unlike Philip, she showed no signs of suspecting me.
Sure enough, he was the problem.
"I had no idea he lived next door until Philip told me."
Philip, who had been diligently checking the area, approached with a sullen expression, dissatisfied with something.
I could guess what he was hoping for, but...
"So, satisfied now?"
"What did you do to Damon?"
Was this guy bluffing, or did he really believe that...?
"I have no idea why you're looking for him from me."
"Philip, stop pinning the blame on him without evidence. Sorry, Un-ho, for the hassle. We'll get going."
Grace dragged Philip out, his reluctance dripping off him.
"Grace, next time come alone. I'll treat you properly."
Philip hadn't found any special clues in Un-ho's residence.
The luxurious furniture was unusual, but it was hard to see any particular connection to this incident.
"Philip. This isn't the old world anymore. We can't do proper investigations. It's dangerous to conclude he's the culprit based just on your gut. And Un-ho has no reason to harm Damon."
Grace spoke to Philip as if advising him after they left Un-ho's place empty-handed.
Logically, she was right.
But Philip couldn't shake the thought that Park Un-ho was the culprit.
Time passed, night fell, and darkness enveloped the surroundings.
Philip sat quietly by the window, gazing toward Un-ho's residence.
It was impossible to see clearly in this darkness, but he stared anyway out of frustration.
It might have been obsession.
'Was it just a needless suspicion, like Grace said?'
He knew well that hunches didn't always lead to the truth.
Fatigue was starting to set in.
Staring endlessly into the dark wasn't easy.
"Hoo..."
Philip let out a sigh without realizing it.
He thought he should get some rest.
That was when it happened.
A faint light appeared from the house next to Park Un-ho's.
His drowsiness vanished in an instant.
The house next door was Rachel's.
Philip examined it closely.
It was too dark to see clearly, but he could make out the silhouette of an adult woman.
It had to be Rachel.
She moved holding a candle toward Park Un-ho's residence. And she opened the door to his place as if it were her own and went inside.
"That... no way?"
Philip's mind raced.
'What if Park Un-ho and Rachel... are accomplices?'
Rachel had been suffering domestic violence from Damon.
Philip and Grace had strongly warned Damon about it before, and things had seemed quiet lately.
That didn't mean her grudge had disappeared.
Park Un-ho was a psychic, and even without that, he looked like a very tough guy.
Rachel had asked him to deal with Damon in exchange for her body, and Un-ho had done it.
...That would make everything fit.
Otherwise, there was no reason for Rachel to go to Un-ho's place so late at night.
Philip watched Un-ho's residence for a long time after that.
And in the dim dawn,
Philip, who witnessed Rachel leaving Un-ho's residence, let out a cheer of triumph.
As soon as day broke, Philip went to find Grace.
Her face was full of fatigue, as if she'd just woken up.
"Grace. Those two are suspicious."
"Those two?"
"Park Un-ho and Rachel. Looks like they were accomplices in Damon's disappearance."
"...That again?"
"No, hear me out. Last night, I saw Rachel go into Un-ho's place and leave at dawn."
Philip's face somehow looked exhilarated despite pulling an all-nighter.
But in contrast, Grace felt an inexplicable frustration upon hearing him, and her sleepiness vanished.
"...Is that... true?"
At that point, Grace started to have suspicions too.
She acknowledged Damon was a bastard, but that didn't mean it was okay to just kill him.
"...I'll go meet them first and see."
"You?"
"He has his guard up around you. I'll go alone and talk first."
After hearing about the two's relationship from Philip, Grace decided to visit Rachel first.
She didn't know why, but...
She ended up going to Rachel before Un-ho.
As Grace headed to Rachel's residence, a inexplicable whirl of complex emotions swirled within her.
And she worried.
'If they really are the ones who dealt with Damon, what should I do?'
Grace's thoughts grew complicated.
"Grace, come on in."
"Rachel..."
Rachel greeted Grace with a relaxed face.
The house was clean and quiet.
The two sat facing each other at the table.
"Where's Dorothy?"
Grace, looking around, asked.
"She went out to play."
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence flowed between them.
Grace examined Rachel's expression.
Sure enough, as Philip said, her face looked more at peace than usual.
In the end, Grace spoke first.
"What's your relationship with Un-ho?"
Rachel looked slightly surprised at Grace's question but soon regained her calm.
"What kind of relationship?"
"...That is..."
Grace found it strangely hard to bring it up now that she was trying to respond.
"Are you asking because you think I'm his girlfriend or something? Of course not."
"Ah... you're not?"
What was Philip talking about?
He was a longtime colleague.
It was hard to think he'd lied just to frame them.
"He did me a great favor once... I just come by occasionally to clean for him."
Did Philip see wrong?
"Cle... cleaning? Late at night?"
"I do it quietly while he's asleep and leave."
Rachel's words were so serene that Grace almost thought, yeah, maybe.
But she couldn't take it at face value.
Cleaning late at night?
It was definitely suspicious.
"Does... that bother you?"
"Huh? Me? Oh, no. Why would I..."
"Don't you have feelings for him, Grace?"
"What?!"
Grace felt her face heat up for some reason.
"Did you come because you're curious if we're sleeping together? If so, no need to worry. We're not in that kind of relationship."
"Th-that's..."
For some reason, Grace felt like Rachel was teasing her. She thought this wouldn't do.
"Rachel. I... came about Damon."
At the mention of Damon, Rachel's face slightly hardened.
"What do you mean?"
"Philip... thinks you and Un-ho are involved in his disappearance. I'm here to check on that."
"...Damon."
A faint flash of anger crossed Rachel's face for a moment.
Grace didn't miss it.
But Rachel quickly returned to her calm expression.
"He..."
"...?"
"Is he really worth searching for like that?"
"Huh?"
"Right now, my daughter and I are living happier lives than ever without him. So why are you looking for him so hard?"
"Th-that's..."
"To drag our mother-daughter duo back to hell?"
"No, not..."
-Clunk.
At that moment, the door opened and Dorothy appeared.
"Grace sis! What brings you here?"
Dorothy, who had supposedly gone out to play, had returned.
The child's expression was bright.
"Uh, uh... just..."
Dorothy warmly welcomed Grace.
Grace figured she couldn't talk about Damon in front of the child, so she left Rachel's place without gaining much.
Sure enough, it was suspicious, just as Philip said.
But the mother and daughter's life looked incomparably more comfortable than before.
Previously, they had expressions devoid of dreams or hope.
That's why she'd told them multiple times to move residences, but Rachel hadn't listened.
The reason for searching for Damon...
As Rachel said, Damon... was someone who didn't really need to be found.
Still, Grace thought she needed to meet Un-ho. She felt like she could decide what to do next only after seeing him.