Chapter 278

EP.278 Changing Adele #2

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Sitting in the café with an anxious expression, Silvia smiled brightly when Adele entered.

Then, she calmed her expression, trying to suppress her joy as much as possible.

It was to match Adele’s mood.

Standing up, Silvia raised her hand.

“Adele, over here.”

Her voice was as gentle and quiet as possible.

Did her efforts pay off? Adele beamed and ran over to hug Silvia.

“I missed you, unnie.”

While hugging and patting Adele’s back, Silvia felt relieved inside.

Even on the phone, Adele seemed quite tense, but it seemed like her anger had subsided.

This was the perfect time to apologize, and the chances of being forgiven were high.

After the hug, Adele sat across from Silvia, who handed her a tall cup filled with pink liquid.

“I ordered strawberry yogurt. It’s yours.”

“I was just craving this. Unnie, you really know my taste.”

“Yeah… because it’s you.”

Adele happily slurped the yogurt.

Seeing Adele’s expression brighten significantly, Silvia took a sip of her Americano and apologized.

“Adele. I’m really sorry.”

Adele, with the straw in her mouth, smiled like a crescent moon.

She seemed happy to feel Silvia’s sincerity.

After savoring the taste, Adele asked,

“What part are you sorry for?”

“Telling you I like Jihyuk… saying I’d charge with him… and saying he has feelings for me.”

Hearing the exact words she wanted, Adele nodded her head vigorously.

Seizing the moment, Silvia continued.

“Especially the last part. I think you were really angry about that. Jihyuk doesn’t have feelings for me, but I lied.”

Silvia’s choice was a lie.

A lie mixed with a tiny bit of truth.

She was already rotten to the core.

Since things had come this far, she decided to thoroughly deceive Adele.

“Was the part about liking Jihyuk a lie?”

“Yeah…”

“And the part about charging?”

“That was…”

Hesitating, Silvia trailed off, but Adele said it was okay.

“Tell me. I didn’t come here to fight, but to make up with you.”

“Okay… I do want to charge. But… if you don’t like it, I won’t.”

“Then what will you do when the device’s energy runs out? How will you face the demons?”

“I… don’t know yet. I don’t feel like meeting other men… Sorry, Adele. Am I really pathetic?”

Adele felt a very comfortable energy from Silvia, who was blaming herself.

It felt warmer than when she was with the doctor… that kind of feeling.

Unaware that this energy was the “Magi,” Adele asked,

“How much energy do you have left now?”

Silvia looked around and carefully pressed the device’s energy display button.

The number that appeared in the air was [84%].

She had anticipated Adele’s question and used 16% after transforming post-breakup with Jihyuk.

It was the exact amount left after fighting Adele.

“This much…”

An obsession with energy consumption?

It had disappeared since she had fun with Jihyuk at the hotel.

Since she planned to meet him often to charge, it was better to do this to avoid suspicion.

She was trash, indeed.

But she liked Jihyuk enough to endure that image.

Anyway, Adele must have used a similar amount when they fought.

As expected, seeing the energy level, Adele sighed in relief.

“Phew…”

“Even if it drops to 0%, I won’t touch Jihyuk… so don’t worry.”

“Your feelings are well conveyed. Okay… I’ll accept your apology. Let’s think about it together.”

Silvia perked up her ears.

Did “let’s think about it” mean… she might allow charging with Jihyuk in an emergency?

She had already decided to meet Jihyuk secretly and consistently, so what did it matter…

But there was a big difference between getting permission and not.

Of course, this was just wishful thinking.

Given Adele’s personality, she would never give permission.

“Yeah… thank you, Adele.”

“No, I’m sorry too. For yelling at you…”

“No… I deserved it…”

“Don’t say that.”

“Um… and… I have one request.”

“What is it?”

“Can someone like me… still believe in the Rosario Church…?”

With overwhelming guilt and betrayal, she wanted official permission from the saint.

It was just for self-satisfaction, to find something to lean on… but isn’t that what religion is for?

Adele smiled softly.

“If you have genuine faith, of course, you can believe.”

“But back then… you said I wasn’t worthy of believing in the Rosario Church…”

“Of course, I did. But that was just… a spur-of-the-moment outburst. It wasn’t sincere.”

Adele still wanted to change the Rosario Church’s doctrine.

Not to stop Silvia from joining, but because she disliked wicked people joining.

So, she planned to plead with Rosario soon.

Whether she’d get an answer or not was another matter.

Silvia looked touched by Adele’s generosity.

Watching her fondly, Adele’s eyes widened when Silvia cleared her throat and said something surprising.

“Ah, there’s something I really want to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Jihyuk scolded me and took me to a performance hall to cheer me up… you know?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Did you hear from Jihyuk that he found the owner of the last Aiter?”

“What!?”

Her voice was so loud that café patrons turned to look.

Realizing her mistake, Adele lowered her voice.

“R-really…?”

“Yeah. What happened was…”

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“Hello, Miss Adeline.”

The front desk staff bowed politely.

Adele, smiling brightly, acknowledged their greeting.

“Hello. Is Jihyuk upstairs?”

“Yes, let me guide you.”

One staff member quickly came out and held the elevator.

Another picked up the phone, presumably to call the CEO’s office.

It felt like becoming a drama’s madam.

Smiling broadly, Adele followed the respectful staff to the floor with the CEO’s office.

Watching the floor indicator rise, Adele glanced at the staff beside her.

The beige suit and flesh-colored stockings suited her well.

She was pretty and had a good figure.

Was she meeting Jihyuk separately?

Absolutely not.

Though this woman was pretty, Silvia was incomparably more beautiful.

Jihyuk, who didn’t even glance at Silvia, wouldn’t be swayed.

Still, it was irritating.

Especially the short skirt revealing her thighs was quite annoying.

What was that?

Wearing such clothes casually was fine.

But this was a company.

And as a front desk staff, she should be neat… that look was obscene.

She didn’t want Jihyuk to glance at her.

Really vulgar. She needed to be educated…

“Ah…!”

Adele, unknowingly having such thoughts, coughed.

“Ahem…! Ahem…!”

The staff asked worriedly,

“Are you feeling unwell…?”

“No, I’m fine. Is work not too hard for you?”

“It’s fine. Thank you for your concern.”

Ding!

They arrived at the CEO’s office floor.

The staff excused herself and went ahead, knocking on the office door.

A low, dignified voice came from inside.

“Open it slightly.”

Turning the knob gently, the staff bowed to Adele and left.

Entering the office, Adele met someone unwelcome.

Jihyuk’s personal secretary, whom she had seen before.

‘Miss Wooi…’

That ‘woman’s’ skirt was too short. It was infuriating.

Adele almost glared at Aram as she bowed and left, then walked briskly to sit across from Jihyuk.

“That person… is the secretary, right?”

“Yes. I called her for a work report.”

Work report… then it’s understandable.

“But why didn’t you call? I was surprised when I got the internal call.”

“Unnie Silvia told me about Miss Stella.”

“I see. Did you make up well?”

“Of course. We’re closer than real sisters, so we made up well. The important thing is… why didn’t you tell me?”

Jihyuk tilted his head.

“What do you mean?”

“About Miss Stella. You should’ve told me. Why did you hide it?”

“Hide? I tried to tell you in the car yesterday, but you told me to be quiet.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Think about it.”

Then Adele remembered Jihyuk bringing up the encore.

And how she had yelled at him to be quiet.

Speechless, Adele fidgeted with her sleeve, and Jihyuk slumped his shoulders.

“Why are you so eager to scold me? It’s quite disappointing…”

Always thinking ahead!

That was Jihyuk’s problem!

Though she came to scold him today… the problem was still the problem!

Despite all her warnings, there was no improvement…

But feeling guilty, she changed the subject.

“I had no intention of scolding you, so it’s regrettable you thought that. By the way, what was the report about?”

“We were working on a business collaboration with an entertainment agency, but their stock dropped significantly…”

“Hmm… that’s a problem.”

Adele pretended to understand.

Jihyuk nodded with a kind smile.

“Yes, it’s a problem, but it can be solved.”

“How will you solve it?”

“First…”

Jihyuk’s eyes sparkled as he started explaining.

Successfully changing the subject, Adele snickered inside.

He was so simple.

Pretending to listen, Adele spread her arms.

Jihyuk, who was talking enthusiastically, suddenly stood up and came over, lifting Adele into his arms.

Then he said,

“Adele, you’re driving me crazy.”

That was exactly what Adele wanted to say.

Jihyuk was driving her crazy.

She felt love from him. Genuine, warm, deep… that kind of love.

Adele’s mouth hung open, thinking she could do anything for Jihyuk.

And Jihyuk felt the same.

With him, she could forgive even the worst of villains.

As long as Jihyuk was by her side, nothing else mattered.

Zzzt-!

“Ah.”

Suddenly, her lower abdomen hurt.

A sharp, stabbing pain.

No, it wasn’t pain, more like an itch.

Frowning, Adele was about to ask to be put down when,

“Are you uncomfortable here?”

Jihyuk sat Adele on the sofa and gently rubbed her lower abdomen, saying that.

Staring at his face, Adele asked,

“How did you know?”

“Your eyes seemed to suggest it.”

Just by looking at her eyes…

And as soon as Jihyuk’s hand touched her, the pain disappeared.

Was this fate, a destined match?

“…Press a little harder.”

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Yes…”

“Should we go to the hospital…?”

The hospital? He really couldn’t read the mood.

‘Tsk…’ Adele made a small sucking sound and said,

“N-no need for the hospital…! Just keep rubbing… it’s getting better…”

“Okay.”

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