Chapter 198

‘Sigh…’

“Yoon Seong, try this, okay? I heard a famous chef made it, so I brought it for you.”

Yoo Ju, who somehow got her hands on a lunchbox, was now feeding me.

“Here, try a piece of meat, okay? Come on, say ‘ah~'”

It was ridiculous. I wasn’t a patient, yet here I was being fed like one.

And to make it worse, Wi Ho-yeon, my bodyguard, was standing right beside us.

“Uh, Ho-yeon is here too… I can eat by myself…”

Before I could finish, Ho-yeon spoke up.

“Please don’t mind me. It’s fine.”

At Ho-yeon’s words, Yoo Ju smiled at me.

“…See? She said it’s fine.”

‘Damn… She’s doing this on purpose, isn’t she?’

I don’t know if it’s some kind of show-off thing, but lately, Yoo Ju has been extra affectionate toward me whenever Ho-yeon is around.

Ho-yeon, on the other hand, remains unfazed, sticking to her role as a bodyguard. But from my perspective, it’s impossible not to feel awkward.

Even if she says not to mind her, any normal person would feel the pressure.

‘…Is she trying to assert her dominance in front of Ho-yeon? Like, “Don’t even think about it”?’

Honestly, I’m getting tired of Yoo Ju’s antics.

‘…I need to talk to Yoo Ju alone at some point.’

I know Ho-yeon has feelings for me, and I can’t just let this slide.

Honestly, it’s painful to watch.

I know Ho-yeon is suppressing her feelings, even lowering her own position for my sake.

‘But the real question is, how long is this going to go on?’

I took a bite of the meat Yoo Ju offered and cautiously spoke up.

“…Don’t you think it’s about time I can go outside?”

“…What?”

At my words, Yoo Ju stopped feeding me.

Her change in attitude made me hesitate, but I felt like I needed to be firm.

“The safety issue is…”

“No.”

‘What?’

Before Yoo Ju could even respond, Ho-yeon was already staring at me with a determined look.

“What are you saying, Lee Yun-seong?”

“Uh…”

“Yoon Seong, that’s not happening.”

‘Damn.’

Ho-yeon, who silently tolerated Yoo Ju’s affectionate displays, suddenly became a demon when it came to my safety.

Even Yoo Ju was giving me a look that said, “Absolutely not.”

“…Ha, so are you two planning to keep me locked up forever?”

“That’s not it, but no.”

“…..”

“I hope you don’t feel like you’re being imprisoned. We’re doing this for your safety.”

“What…”

“Lee Yun-seong, I agree with the master. Please don’t feel like you’re being imprisoned.”

“How is this not imprisonment? I can’t even go outside…”

“If you need anything, I can go out and get it for you. If you’re feeling cooped up, how about taking a walk in the garden right in front of the Clan House? I can accompany you if you’d like.”

“That’s not really going outside…”

“Or if you need anything else, just let me know and I’ll take care of it…”

At the word “take care,” Yoo Ju’s eyebrow twitched, and she cut Ho-yeon off.

“Take care? What are you talking about? It’s fine. I’ll take care of Yoon Seong.”

“…Sorry.”

My head was starting to hurt because of these two. It didn’t seem like they were going to listen to me.

‘Ha, fine. I guess time will solve this…’

Putting aside my freedom, I couldn’t just let Yoo Ju keep treating Ho-yeon like this.

“…Ho-yeon, I think I left something in the office. Could you go get it for me?”

“Ah… What is it?”

“Some documents, and… the materials I asked In-woo for. Could you get those too?”

“Yes, understood.”

I needed to get Ho-yeon out of the room for a bit. This wasn’t something I could talk about with her around.

As soon as Ho-yeon left, I hardened my expression and called Yoo Ju.

“…Yoo Ju.”

‘I need to be firm.’

I had to act like I was angry. Well, honestly, I was a bit annoyed.

After all, Yoo Ju had been blatantly ignoring and belittling Ho-yeon lately, and it wasn’t sitting well with me.

“Huh…?”

Yoo Ju seemed startled by my cold tone.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?”

“Why, why are you… Did I do something wrong…?”

I felt bad for Yoo Ju, but in our relationship, I held the upper hand.

It’s a bit messed up to categorize relationships as “superior” and “subordinate,” but in any relationship, there’s always a power dynamic.

Even though it’s a trashy way to think, in romantic relationships, the one who loves more tends to lose.

“You’re being too harsh on Ho-yeon.”

“…..”

“I get it when it’s just the two of us. I owe you that much. But doing this all the time is too much.”

‘Does this hurt your feelings?’

Yoo Ju stayed silent, but I could sense a hint of resentment on her face.

“Ha, but…”

“But? Ha…”

“Ah…”

Yoo Ju seemed almost scared. Not of me, but of the fact that I was showing this side of myself for the first time.

‘Now that I think about it, I’ve never really gotten mad at Yoo Ju before.’

“Mi, I’m sorry. I messed up… So, please…”

“Do you really think you messed up?”

“Y, yes! Really. I messed up… Please forgive me…”

‘…This is making me soft.’

Seeing Yoo Ju so submissive, I couldn’t help but feel my resolve weaken.

“Sigh… Come here.”

I sighed and pulled Yoo Ju into a hug, stroking her head. I could feel her relax.

“I’m sorry… I did it because I was jealous. I’m sorry…”

Her tearful confession about jealousy made me flinch for a moment.



But, he reacted calmly.

“Jealousy?”

“Yeah… I’m jealous.”

“Ugh…”

He stroked her head for a while. Probably thinking that since he had expressed his feelings, she wouldn’t do it again from now on.

******

After I spoke to Yoo Ju, fortunately, she stopped deliberately ignoring or mistreating Ho-yeon.

She still made comparisons in bed, but that much… I could tolerate.

And whether Ho-yeon noticed that I had personally hinted something to Yoo Ju, she approached me when we were alone.

“Yun-seong, thank you.”

“Huh? For what…”

“…I know you spoke to the Master for my sake.”

‘…She caught on quickly.’

Well, Ho-yeon wasn’t the type to be clueless, and in fact, she was quite smart.

Especially since Ho-yeon had worked with me a lot, she probably knew that the things I asked her to bring weren’t really necessary for me.

‘Plus, she must have felt the change in Yoo Ju’s attitude since that day.’

No matter how much Ho-yeon acted like a saint, human emotions don’t work that way.

She must have been deeply worried about Yoo Ju’s attitude. It was obvious she was suffering alone, even if she didn’t show it.

“Well, it’s fine. I just… noticed something.”

“…You’re really kind.”

‘Kind, my foot…’

“By the way, how’s Baek Si-hoon lately?”

As soon as Baek Si-hoon’s name came up, Ho-yeon flinched.

“Ah… why do you ask?”

“I’m thinking of having a chat with him. There are things to interrogate, and I want to see his face. Didn’t he hurt you?”

“Ah… right.”

“Yes, as far as I know, he’s currently imprisoned.”

“…Yes, that’s correct. The Eternity Clan does have an underground prison. Although it hasn’t been used in a long time…”

It’s normal for large clans to have prisons to accommodate criminals.

Eternity did have a prison, but it was rarely used since Gu Yeon-jeong’s time, and it hasn’t been used at all since Yoo Ju became the Clan Master.

“Anyway, I’m thinking of meeting Baek Si-hoon. How’s his condition?”

“…At first, he was furious, but now he seems somewhat resigned. But… are you planning to go now?”

“Ah, yes.”

At my answer, Ho-yeon hesitated for a moment, then carefully spoke up.

“Um… Yun-seong. Sorry, but could you go ahead first? It’ll just be a moment… I think.”

“Huh?”

“I need to… grab something from my quarters, then I’ll join you right away.”

‘Something to grab?’

I was puzzled by her saying she needed to grab something. She was already armed, and I hadn’t seen her carry personal items around.

“Well, it’s not urgent, so let’s go to your quarters together.”

“Ah, no, no! Please, go ahead first, I’ll catch up right away!”

‘What’s with her?’

…It seemed like Ho-yeon was hiding something.

“…Alright. I’ll head to the prison first then.”

‘Well, everyone has their secrets.’

I didn’t press her. Her reaction suggested it was something personal.

Right after parting with Ho-yeon, I headed to the prison. It seemed there was no one guarding it.

Baek Si-hoon was already detained, and escaping on his own was absolutely impossible, so it didn’t matter much.

It was my first time visiting the prison since joining Eternity.

I expected it to be dirty or poorly maintained, but while it was gloomy, the exterior looked quite clean.

‘Fancy prison for that guy.’

A stark contrast to the underground prison at the training facility.

Just as I spotted him, he noticed me too.

“You…”

‘He looks like a mess.’

Kneeling with his arms chained. His body was a wreck, so it seemed he’d been vented on.

‘…Ho-yeon wouldn’t have done this. Must be Yoo Ju.’

“How… how are you alive?”

The guy was gaping at me like an idiot.

He must have thought I was dead. Well, he probably thought the clone he met was the real me.

But putting that aside, after seeing his face, my lips twitched automatically.

“Haha, you look like a mess, huh?”

Lately, I’ve been stressed out dealing with Yoo Ju and Ho-yeon.

Hearing my sarcasm, the guy who had been spacing out suddenly started screaming.

“You bastard! How dare you…!”

‘These guys have ridiculously strong egos.’

Well, to some extent, it’s understandable. That guy, Gwi Chang, is a top-tier player.

From his perspective, whether it’s foreigners like him or natives, most people probably seem insignificant.

‘He probably thinks one swing of his spear could take out countless people, right?’

Gwi Chang’s personality is arrogant, and with his military power, he must have felt like the world revolved around him.

So, he probably didn’t need to care about anyone’s opinion when he turned outlaw.

But for those reasons, he ended up like this.