Chapter 228

EP.228 Dr. Kidnapping Plan #2

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After escaping the bustling airport, Dr. Jennifer Cash and Yuria got into a taxi and headed to Yuria’s house.

They couldn’t go to Sehwa’s office apartment, and Dr. Cash’s house might have Jihyuk, so they made this decision.

Dr. Cash leaned her head against the taxi seat and rubbed her tired eyes.

Yuria, seeing this, asked, “Are you tired?”

“Just my eyes hurt a bit. I’m not mentally tired at all.”

“Let’s rest at my place for a while before moving. Don’t worry, there are plenty of rooms.”

“Thank you. By the way, is your father home? I should greet him.”

Yuria inwardly panicked.

Her father, Glen Elenard, had died long ago with her mother.

He had vanished without a trace, sharing the fate of their fallen kingdom.

The Glen Elenard Dr. Cash knew… was actually Kim Taegon, a reincarnated Earthling, disguised by their master.

Reincarnation hadn’t happened; he was someone who no longer existed.

Quickly thinking of an excuse, Yuria said, “I live separately from my father now.”

“Oh…? Why?”

“My father is mainly active in Daejeon. The commute is very long… and he’s been busy lately.”

“Ah… He’s in real estate, right?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a shame…”

It was a shame.

But it was because she couldn’t be with her master, not because of her father.

Glen Elenard was of no use to her now.

Just the thought of sharing blood with him made her skin crawl. If he were alive, she would have hunted him down and killed him.

“It is a shame. I’ve been thinking of moving to Daejeon later.”

“Such a filial daughter? You’re good. Ah, Yuria… Did your father ever collaborate with Jihyuk on business?”

“Yes. He probably still is. I don’t know the details, though.”

“By any chance… though it’s unlikely…”

Dr. Cash hesitated.

Yuria guessed what she was about to say.

“Are you wondering if he was influenced by Jihyuk?”

“Yes… I was just wondering if there were any changes…”

It was an annoying delusion. Schizophrenia could be so wretched.

But the time to shatter Dr. Cash’s mentality wasn’t far off, so Yuria held back.

With a serious expression, Yuria said, “I know my father’s personality best. If something had changed, I would’ve noticed. When we talked or met, there was no sign of it. My father is wise. I can guarantee he wouldn’t fall for anything.”

“That’s a relief. Sorry. I guess I worried for nothing.”

“It’s okay. By the way, when we get home, I should set up a meeting with Sehwa. How about you come to the meeting place too, Dr. Cash?”

“Me? You want me to tail her?”

“I’m too young to have deep insight… As you said, I’ll try to talk to Sehwa and see if there’s anything strange, but given our relationship, I’m not confident I can stay objective. And seeing is better than hearing, right? Observing Sehwa’s expressions and gestures might help.”

Yuria wasn’t lacking in insight. She was very mature, far more capable of making calm judgments than Dr. Cash, who had mental issues.

But she agreed with the latter part.

Certainly, observing expressions, gestures, and tone would help in making a calm judgment.

“Alright, let’s do this. I’ll give you a phone. I’ll connect a recorder to it, so just keep it on. I’ll listen to your conversation and observe Sehwa’s behavior.”

“Got it.”

“Thank you, Yuria.”

She was the one who should be grateful.

For trusting her so easily.

Yuria smiled brightly, strengthening Dr. Cash’s resolve.

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At a pub in Handaegil, Sehwa and Yuria were having a conversation.

Disguised as a lone customer, Dr. Cash sat far away, adjusting her hat and wireless earpiece.

She listened intently to their conversation.

“How was the Maldives?”

“Meh. It rained a lot.”

“I told you it was the rainy season. You should’ve gone somewhere else.”

“I just relaxed at the hotel. How about you? How have you been?”

“Same old. University, studying… Bored.”

It was just small talk. Nothing suspicious.

Yuria would subtly steer the conversation soon, so Dr. Cash waited.

But even after they finished their beer and chicken, paid, and left, there was nothing suspicious in their conversation.

Finally, Dr. Cash got up, paid for the untouched snacks, and followed them.

The two entered a busy convenience store in Handaegil, bought canned beer, and walked along the sidewalk.

As the crowd thinned, Dr. Cash had to follow from a distance.

Soon, a small park by the roadside came into view.

Sehwa, laughing and chatting with Yuria, pointed to it.

“Unnie, wanna drink there? Looks nice.”

“The park…? Hmm…”

Yuria hesitated for a moment.

Dr. Cash realized Yuria was worried about her.

The park… It was already dark.

The park was a better place to hide than the open roadside, so Dr. Cash sent a single signal to the tracker on Yuria’s back.

“Sure, let’s do that.”

Feeling the static, Yuria nodded, and the two entered the park, sitting on a bench.

They started drinking beer peacefully.

“It’s quiet… It’s been too noisy lately. No perverts around.”

“Perverts?”

“Even though I have a boyfriend, some guys keep asking me out for drinks. It makes me hate people in general.”

Dr. Cash, hiding in the bushes, swallowed hard.

Though she couldn’t see clearly, Sehwa’s face under the streetlight was filled with disgust.

Honestly, she could understand such feelings.

Even she got annoyed when men hit on her.

But hating people in general was hard to overlook.

Dr. Cash clearly remembered her first meeting with Sehwa.

When a horse-headed demon appeared and destroyed an apartment building, she found Sehwa while evacuating people.

Sehwa was trembling with her boyfriend, Yoo Seunghyun, but still tried to alert people to evacuate.

Someone who cared for others even in life-threatening situations.

Lee Sehwa was that kind of person, full of justice.

She also remembered when Sehwa first charged her Aiter.

Even though she was dating Sehwa, she felt guilty after a sexual act with Jihyuk. Dr. Cash had advised her that justice and personal morals were different.

But now… Why had she changed so much?

Her plain clothes had turned into a revealing miniskirt.

High heels were a given, and her makeup made her eyes look sharp.

She was too seductive. It felt like she had changed from a puppy to a fox.

Maybe her new boyfriend liked that style?

“I get it.”

Yuria empathized with Sehwa’s complaints. Dr. Cash was slightly surprised.

Empathize… What did that mean?

Ah, right. Yuria was acting to draw Sehwa out.

She was trying to gain her trust.

“Don’t you get pissed? They don’t even know who’s protecting them…”

Dr. Cash sighed at Sehwa’s reckless response.

It was clear. Sehwa had completely changed.

And she seemed to be getting more aggressive over time.

There was no need for Yuria to debate with her.

Dr. Cash thought about Sehwa’s boyfriend.

She didn’t think it was Sehwa again.

He was a good person and wouldn’t let Sehwa change like this.

So it must be someone new…

‘Could it be Tairat… or a spy planted by Tairat…’

It might sound like a delusion, but it seemed possible.

If she had changed this much, someone close must have influenced her, and that someone could only be her boyfriend.

Yuria would probably agree.

“Sehwa, calm down for a bit. I’ll go to the restroom.”

“Okay.”

Yuria got up, looked around, and disappeared into the public restroom.

The park was empty except for Sehwa, Yuria, and herself. It was too quiet, making her nervous.

Trying not to make a sound, Dr. Cash suddenly felt strange.

‘Wait… Why is there no one here…?’

Handaegil, with its high foot traffic, should have people around… But all she heard were the chirping of insects.

Feeling uneasy, Dr. Cash pressed her back against a well-maintained tree when,

Click!

The distinct sound of high heels clicking once.

Then,

Clickclickclickclick!

The sound rapidly approached, and Sehwa suddenly appeared before Dr. Cash.

“Dr. Cash, hello?”

“Gasp…!”

Dr. Cash’s heart almost stopped.

How did she know? There was no sound, and she was wearing a hat and mask. It was too dark to see her face clearly.

Even if the face shape was familiar, it should have taken time to recognize.

As Dr. Cash gasped for breath, Sehwa smiled softly and pulled her out of the grass.

“You’ll get your clothes dirty here. Let me dust you off.”

Her casual demeanor was even more chilling.

Dr. Cash’s heart raced. She felt like the protagonist of a horror movie.

Stammering, she said, “Th-thank you… I was just taking a walk and saw you and Yuria…”

“Then you could’ve just called us. Why were you hiding?”

Her relaxed attitude made it clear she knew.

Did she notice during the tailing? Or from the pub?

Whatever it was, she was completely exposed.

She had prepared for being caught, but from the start, she was completely overwhelmed and couldn’t speak.

Dr. Cash gripped her left hand tightly with her right.

She wanted to hide the small tracker and her hands were trembling slightly from fear.

Trying to calm herself, she apologized.

“Sorry… I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay. But Dr. Cash, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Y-yes. It has been a while.”

“Shall we hug? I’m so happy to see you.”

Sehwa’s emotionless gaze made Dr. Cash swallow hard.

Why did she feel so cold?

“I don’t really hug… Yuria went to the restroom, right? She got up earlier…”

“You know, so why pretend not to?”

“What do you mean…?”

“You have an earpiece in your ear. And that strange device in your left hand… Is it a bug?”

Her sharp eyes were astonishing. How could she see that in the dark?

“This…? It’s just for listening to music…”

“Really? Then can I have one?”

Sehwa extended her hand.

She was clearly mocking her.

But Dr. Cash couldn’t get angry or argue.

Not because she was caught tailing, but because she was scared.

As Dr. Cash remained silent, Sehwa smirked and continued.

“You can’t keep your left hand still. Are you pressing a button? If it’s not a bug, is it a signal device? Who are you calling?”

She was completely read.

Sweat dripped down Dr. Cash’s cheek to her chin.

“Sehwa… Calm down.”

“The one who needs to calm down seems to be you, Dr. Cash.”

“Y-you’re right… I’ll calm down. So let’s talk…”

“Talk? Did I say I’d use violence? I feel really bad.”

Dr. Cash’s vision blurred for a moment, but she forced her eyes open.

It was now or never.

“Sehwa… What happened to you recently?”

Instead of answering, Sehwa changed the subject.

“Dr. Cash, you’re really smart. But… you got it wrong.”

Got it wrong? Did she mean she wasn’t the suspect?

Dr. Cash tried to understand Sehwa’s implication.

But,

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Before she knew it, Sehwa was behind her, covering her mouth with one hand and choking her neck with the other, making her struggle.

“Let’s stop the jokes here. Sorry about this.”

Sehwa’s voice was clear in her ear.

As her vision darkened, Dr. Cash was certain Sehwa had turned to the dark side.

The only person she could trust was Yuria… But even after pressing the tracker repeatedly, Yuria hadn’t come. She must be in trouble too.

This park was a trap!

Dr. Cash’s strength slowly faded as she tried to escape Sehwa.

Her strength was terrifying. Even without transforming, she was this strong…

“I’ve thought of many methods, so please endure. Surrender sincerely. That way, your power will grow stronger.”

Her kind tone was the last thing Dr. Cash heard before her consciousness faded.

Soon, Dr. Cash’s resistance completely faded.

Her eyelids fluttered weakly, and her pupils rolled up.

Her vision turned yellow, then black. She couldn’t hold on any longer.

‘No…’

What would happen to her now?

With that thought, Dr. Cash’s vision completely darkened.

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