Chapter 203

When I suddenly visited the Mardan Clan, I noticed a flustered clan member.

“Ah… Are you here to see the Clan Master?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

I had three options in mind for a temporary place to stay.

The first was Yanagiya Riki’s Kotozuke Clan.

Given Riki’s personality, she wouldn’t kick me out if I asked to stay for a while. In fact, based on her past reactions, she’d probably welcome me.

However, going all the way to the Eastern Alliance seemed like too much trouble, so I dismissed the idea.

‘And… for some reason, I feel like she’d actually try to transfer me to her clan if I stayed there.’

Of course, I had no intention of switching clans.

The second option was Ruska’s Acacia Clan.

With multiple branches, distance wouldn’t be an issue, and considering Ruska’s loyalty to me, it seemed like the best choice.

But since Yoo Ju and Wi Ho-yeon didn’t know about my relationship with the Acacia Clan, I dismissed this option too.

The final choice was Ha Yu-ri’s Mardan Clan.

It was a good place to stay, and since Ha Yu-ri was essentially under my control, I decided to stay there temporarily.

I also thought about Yoon Yeon and the Myth Clan, but I didn’t want to impose on Yoon Yeon for such a trivial reason.

“… Could you wait a moment? I’ll inform the higher-ups.”

“Yes, please.”

The man went into the Clan House and returned shortly.

“Um, could you wait a bit longer? Ha Yul-nim said she’ll come to greet you.”

‘… Ha Yul?’

This was unexpected. I had assumed Ha Yu-ri would come down herself.

‘Did I come at a bad time?’

I hadn’t considered that as a Clan Master, she might be busy.

‘Well, I did kind of casually call for her without thinking.’

Even though she’s technically my slave, I might have been too casual in how I treated her.

‘I should be more careful in the future.’

From Ha Yu-ri’s perspective, showing up unannounced like this could be annoying or even offensive.

While I was reflecting on my behavior, Ha Yul came down with a smile on her face.

“Oppa!”

I couldn’t hide my surprise at Ha Yul’s enthusiastic approach.

*Thud.*

“Uh…”

Before I could react, she had already hugged me.

While I was comfortable with Ha Yu-ri, I always felt awkward around Ha Yul.

“Have you been well?”

She looked up at me while still in my arms, asking how I was.

“… I’ve been fine. And you?”

With Ha Yu-ri, I could be blunt, but with Ha Yul, it was different.

‘… Of course, I can’t treat her the same way I treat Ha Yu-ri.’

I didn’t even want to, out of basic decency.

Even if I’m a scumbag, I couldn’t be rude to Ha Yu-ri’s younger sister.

‘And honestly, this type is hard to talk to.’

I found it easier to talk to someone like Ha Yu-ri, who’s arrogant and blunt. At least I didn’t have to hold back.

‘Wasn’t she supposed to be introverted?’

I remember Ha Yu-ri saying Ha Yul was introverted, but her actions didn’t seem to reflect that.

‘Or maybe I’m getting special treatment.’

“Yes! By the way, please call me Yul.”

“Isn’t that a bit too familiar? Calling you by your name…”

“But just calling me ‘you’ feels too distant.”

“……”

‘She’s exactly as Ha Yu-ri described.’

Ha Yu-ri had praised her sister so much that it was almost annoying, but seeing her now, I could understand why she’d be popular with guys.

Her sparkling eyes looking up at me seemed to trigger some kind of protective instinct.

‘She’s cute.’

Luckily, I didn’t feel any romantic attraction. It was more like seeing a cute younger sister.

“… Alright, fine. Can you show me around?”

“Hehe, sure! I’ll guide you.”

As we walked together, I decided to strike up a conversation. It felt awkward to walk in silence, so I thought it’d be better to talk first.

“How’s your magic coming along? Getting used to it?”

“Yes. My magical power hasn’t changed, but I’ve gotten better at controlling it. My fire control is much smoother now.”

“Really?”

‘That’s good.’

I asked because of the scene I saw in Ha Yul’s subconscious.

In that scene, she had struggled with controlling her fire.

“My sister helped me a lot. I’ve learned so much from her.”

Well, with a magic prodigy like the Ice Witch by her side, it’s no wonder.

‘It’s the perfect environment for growth.’

Even though ice and fire magic are different, the fundamental principles of mana control are the same, so it must have been a big help.

“It’s all thanks to you, Oppa.”

“No, it’s all your hard work. I didn’t do anything.”

I wasn’t just being polite. Ha Yul’s growth was entirely due to her own efforts. I hadn’t done anything to help her.

“No, you and my sister saved me.”

“…..”

“I’m always grateful. Honestly… I never thought I’d get to see my sister’s face again. She’s family, but you had no reason to save me.”

“That’s…”

“You’re really kind, Oppa. Hehe…”

I almost laughed at her words but held it in. After all, I’m far from being a kind person.

“… By the way, where’s Ha Yu-ri? Is she busy?”

“Ah… well…”

Ha Yul seemed hesitant to answer.

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s not a big deal, but… my sister’s been acting strange lately…”

‘Acting strange?’

“… What do you mean? How is she acting strange?”

“Um… well, when she heard you were coming, she… kind of avoided you?”

“What?”

‘What’s going on?’

I was completely baffled by the idea of Ha Yu-ri avoiding me.

“She’s avoiding me? Why… why would she do that?”

“I’m not sure either. Maybe she had a fight with you or something?”

“Are you crazy?”

“…I don’t remember fighting or anything.”

I tried to think hard when asked if we had fought, but no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t recall any recent issues with Ha Yu-ri.

“Well… her face turned red, and she was stuttering. She asked me to guide her instead, so I came down here…”

‘What the hell…’

I had no idea what was going on. There was no reason for Ha Yu-ri to avoid me.

‘Did I do something wrong recently?’

It’s possible that I messed up without realizing it, but I hadn’t even seen Ha Yu-ri since the last incident.

“We haven’t even met recently, so how could we have fought…”

At my words, Ha Yul looked puzzled and asked, “Huh? You haven’t met her?”

“Huh?”

“That’s weird… She definitely told me she met you…”

“What?”

I couldn’t help but feel something was off. I clearly had no memory of meeting Ha Yu-ri.

Even if it was a memory created using replica clay, the replica would’ve been with Ruska, so the chance of running into Ha Yu-ri was zero.

I reflexively asked Ha Yul, “She said she met me? When did she say that happened?”

“Well… a few days ago, she went to the Eternity Clan herself. You didn’t know?”

‘Ha Yu-ri came to Eternity?’

I definitely had no memory of meeting her. The situation didn’t add up, and I was utterly confused.

This was the first time I’d heard about her coming to Eternity.

“Are you sure she came to Eternity?”

“Yes, she told me herself.”

‘I need to talk to Ha Yu-ri directly.’

It seemed like the only way to figure out what was going on.

“By the way, oppa, why did you come here today?”

“Ah…”

‘Damn… it’s a bit awkward to tell her.’

Since I was practically running away from home, I hesitated to tell Ha Yul.

“Well… I need to stay at the Mardan Clan for a while…”

At the mention of staying at the Mardan Clan, Ha Yul’s eyes lit up.

“Really?”

…She didn’t seem curious about the reason. She just seemed thrilled that I was staying at the Mardan Clan.

“Hehe, then could you wait in the guest room for a bit? I’ll go tell my sister!”

“Sure.”

And with that, Ha Yul went to relay the message to Ha Yu-ri.

******

In the end, I was able to stay at the Mardan Clan.

Well, it was obvious since Ha Yu-ri wouldn’t kick me out.

I even got to stay in a guest room reserved for VIPs.

I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but it seemed even more luxurious than the room I stayed in at the royal palace.

‘…I don’t remember seeing this room before.’

I was sure I hadn’t seen this room despite frequently visiting the Mardan Clan.

Anyway, I expected to be treated well, but that wasn’t the issue.

‘What’s with her not showing her face for two days?’

The problem was that Ha Yu-ri was deliberately avoiding me.

‘Damn, at least tell me why.’

For two days, only Ha Yul came to see me, and honestly, I felt uncomfortable dealing with her.

‘Ha… let’s focus on other things first.’

Most importantly, I needed to check on the situation at Eternity.

‘Are Yoo Ju and Wi Ho-yeon okay?’

I had been harsh with them, but it was just an act, not my true feelings.

Fortunately, I had left a chimera at Eternity to monitor their condition.

‘Yoo Ju…’

I checked Yoo Ju’s condition first through the chimera.

‘What the…’

The first thing I felt when connecting with the chimera was confusion.

Yoo Ju’s office, seen through the chimera’s eyes, was a complete mess.

Papers were scattered everywhere, and fragments of what looked like thrown objects littered the floor.

‘What the…’

I was even more shocked to see a shattered glass bottle on Yoo Ju’s desk.

The flowers that had been in the bottle were wilted on the floor.

And in the middle of that chaotic office, Yoo Ju sat slumped in her chair with empty eyes, as if she had given up on everything.

She looked like a broken person who had lost everything, like someone who had invested their entire fortune in stocks or cryptocurrency only to see it all crumble.

‘Sh*t…’

It was only natural that cold sweat dripped down my back seeing her in a worse state than I had imagined.

‘Damn it… what’s going on? Why has she given up? Shouldn’t she at least contact me?’

Of course, I had planned to return if Yoo Ju or Wi Ho-yeon kept contacting me, albeit reluctantly, under the condition of securing my freedom.

The problem was that Yoo Ju seemed to have given up on everything.

“Ah… why… sob…”

Her sobbing and muttering to herself were pitiful.

It was obvious that the situation was completely messed up.

‘Damn, do I need to go back right now? What should I do?’

I was seriously considering going back and kneeling down to explain that it wasn’t my true feelings.

While I was deep in thought, there was a knock on the office door, and Wi Ho-yeon entered.

“…Master.”

“…..”

Even when Wi Ho-yeon called her, Yoo Ju didn’t respond.

“Master, please, please pull yourself together. This isn’t the time for this.”

‘That’s right, Ho-yeon. I’m glad you’re keeping it together. Please do something about Yoo Ju.’

I couldn’t help but cheer for Wi Ho-yeon as I watched.