Chapter 94

EP.94 Exposed

The sensor at the entrance detected me and emitted an orange light.

“Hmm…?”

I took off my shoes and frowned when I saw a figure in the living room.

“Yuria, why are you sitting here with all the lights off?”

At my words, Yuria’s shoulders flinched.

Calling her “Yuri” must have reminded her of Song Jihyuk.

She looked at me with a trembling voice.

“Dad…”

“Something must have happened. I can hear the worry in your voice.”

“Do you have time to talk…?”

“Of course. Let me change first, and I’ll be right back.”

“Okay…”

I quickly changed into comfortable clothes and returned to the living room.

I turned on the auxiliary light, grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge, and handed it to Yuria.

“What’s with the beer…?”

“When you’re deep in thought, a drink can help clear your mind. Even a low-alcohol drink can make you feel refreshed. I’ve learned that from living this life.”

Yuria weakly smiled, took the beer, and opened the cap with her hand.

The way she did it so casually was a bit scary.

After opening my bottle too, she took a sip.

Yuria let out a satisfied “Ah,” and the corners of her mouth faintly rose.

“It’s really good.”

“Right? Too bad we didn’t toast…”

I trailed off and sat down next to Yuria, looking at her.

“Now, tell me. What’s bothering you?”

“…Dad.”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think about ruling people through power?”

“Are you talking about a tyrant? Or an absolute monarch with all the authority? If it’s the latter, the answer is clear. Think back to the days when I ruled the kingdom. Remember how it was.”

“The former.”

“Hmm… It depends on the situation. If the ruler has overwhelming power, they won’t ruin the country. The people might call the ruler a tyrant, but that’s it.”

Yuria bit her lower lip.

She must be thinking about Tairat.

“Our kingdom… was destroyed by Tairat, who had that overwhelming power. You know that. Mom, Aaron, the royal mages… everyone was killed by demons.”

“That’s right.”

“Don’t you resent him?”

“Of course I do. I dream of tearing him apart every day. But regardless of my feelings, if Tairat were to conquer Earth, he would rule it as well as he did in Erandel.”

Yuria looked at me in disbelief.

“That’s ridiculous… Do you even hear what you’re saying?”

“I’m just being objective. Tairat has power. Countless demons under the Demon King’s command are loyal to him. The name ‘Demon King’ itself is his power. An overwhelming power at that. Have you ever heard of demons causing trouble?”

“Ah, no…”

“Even though they keep getting killed by Sehwa, you, and Song Jihyuk, they never rebel and faithfully follow orders. Why? Because they fear and respect the name ‘Demon King.'”

“…..”

Yuria’s body trembled heavily.

It was because Kim Taegon had said something similar to what Song Jihyuk once said: “Respect comes from fear.”

“If the ruler lacks power, a coup or uprising could overthrow them… But if the ruler’s power is so overwhelming that no one dares to rebel… then ruling through power isn’t so bad.”

“Do you… really think so?”

“If I set aside my personal feelings… yes. If I had power like Tairat, the kingdom wouldn’t have fallen. Tairat wouldn’t have dared to invade if he feared our power. We could have enjoyed peace for a long time.”

“…..”

“Even if a war broke out, countless brave warriors under my name would have fought Tairat’s demons to the death.”

Yuria suddenly stood up.

The beer bottle tipped over, spilling beer, but she didn’t care.

She stormed into her room and slammed the door.

I silently cleaned up the spilled beer and went to my room, smirking.

Yuria will now ask three people about this topic.

Sehwa, Dr. Cash, and Yoo Seunghyun.

Kim Taegon defended Tairat, and Sehwa would likely do the same.

On the other hand, Dr. Cash and Yoo Seunghyun would oppose tyrannical rule.

That would make it 2:2.

But the numbers 2:2 or 4:0 don’t matter.

What really matters is the degree of trust.

Yuria trusts Kim Taegon the most, second only to Song Jihyuk, who is already an absolute figure in her mind.

Next are Sehwa, Yoo Seunghyun, and Dr. Cash, but even combined, their credibility doesn’t come close to Kim Taegon’s, her father.

Moreover, Yuria is already assimilating into my way of thinking.

In short, no matter what answers she gets from the three, she will follow Kim Taegon’s opinion.

Although she’s currently shocked by Kim Taegon’s answer, once she processes it, she will truly open her heart to me.

**

The next evening, Yuria met Yoo Seunghyun.

-Hello, Seunghyun.

-Hello…

Seunghyun stopped mid-greeting.

He must have noticed Yuria’s nails.

Light red. Plus, he’s seen her pictures online and knows she’s a Beast Slayer.

If he’s thinking, he must find it suspicious.

Let’s see how this plays out.

-Why… are you like that?

Yuria asked with a puzzled expression.

Seunghyun replied.

-It’s nothing… You got your nails done…?

Yuria shyly fidgeted with her hands.

-Ah, yes. How do they look?

-They… suit you…

-You don’t look like you mean it.

-Just… thinking about work. Shall we go eat?

Seunghyun shook his head and returned to his cheerful self.

I thought his mental state would collapse, but he recovered just by shaking his head once?

He’s grown more than I expected.

The two walked out and arrived at a restaurant.

The place Seunghyun reserved was quite nice.

The customers were polite, and the atmosphere was elegant.

Seunghyun showed good manners by pulling out Yuria’s chair before sitting down.

-Thank you.

Normally, such actions might feel overprotective, but Yuria liked it.

It reminded her of Aaron.

Seunghyun quickly ordered food from the waiter.

Skilled. Even though it’s an unfamiliar place for him, he didn’t hesitate.

He must have done his research. Not bad.

After ordering, Seunghyun leaned closer to Yuria.

-Um… Yuria.

-Yes?

-Do you have something to tell me?

-What… do you mean?

-The new Beast Slayer who fought monsters in China with Leona… that’s you, right? I read the World Union’s statement and was sure of it.

Yuria’s eyes widened at Seunghyun’s whisper.

She asked in a trembling voice.

-How… did you know?

-You look a bit different… but I’ve seen you up close. I thought you looked very similar. Plus, the name is the same. Beast Slayer Yuria… How could I not know?

Yuria swallowed hard.

She must be thinking she should have used a fake name.

Seunghyun continued.

-I was surprised. I never dreamed you were Sehwa… no, Leona’s comrade.

Yuria’s shoulders flinched, but she tried to keep a calm expression.

-You know Sehwa…?

She had only heard Song Jihyuk’s name from Seunghyun, not Sehwa’s.

Last time at the park, she deduced Sehwa’s name herself and hadn’t mentioned it to Seunghyun.

So pretending not to know was the right move.

-Yes. Actually, Sehwa is my ex-girlfriend.

-What…?

Yuria’s mouth dropped open.

Her acting is killing it. She’s better than Sehwa.

Seunghyun scratched the back of his head.

-That’s not the important part… I have something to ask.

-What… is it?

-Did you approach me on purpose?

It was a reasonable assumption.

Yuria did approach Seunghyun on purpose.

She had to because of Aaron’s reincarnation, but she still approached him deliberately.

Also, it hasn’t been long since they broke up, and Yuria, Sehwa’s comrade, shows interest in him?

Anyone would be suspicious.

Coincidentally, her nail color matched Sehwa’s… He must think she’s playing with him.

-I…

Yuria swallowed hard and looked straight into Seunghyun’s serious eyes.

His gaze seemed to say:

If my assumption is true, I’ll be disappointed, but I won’t judge until I hear you out.

Yuria, who had been hesitating, confessed.

-I did approach you on purpose.

-I see. Thank you for being honest. Then… was your surprised reaction when I mentioned Sehwa just acting?

-No. Absolutely not. I had no idea you dated Sehwa. I approached you because… of reincarnation.

-Reincarnation…? You mean the reincarnation you mentioned before?

-Yes. It’s related to that. I can’t explain in detail now… but someday… I’ll tell you everything.

Yuria’s tone was sincere.

Seunghyun, uncharacteristically, stared at her with sharp eyes, then let out a shallow sigh.

-I believe you. So Sehwa has nothing to do with why you approached me?

-Not at all.

-That’s all I needed to know.

As they talked, the food arrived.

A juicy steak and wine.

After the server left, Seunghyun picked up his knife and smiled brightly.

-Shall we eat?

-Yes.

The atmosphere almost turned awkward, but Seunghyun kept the conversation lively during the meal.

After finishing, they smiled at each other as dessert arrived.

Now it was time for Yuria to ask her question.

-Um… Seunghyun.

-Yes?

-I have a question. If you were a ruler and used power to suppress your people, what would you think?

Seunghyun looked dumbfounded.

He was caught off guard by Yuria’s sudden question again.

But soon, he fell into deep thought.

After silently staring at his dessert, he answered in a calm tone.

-I don’t know much about this, but I’m against it.

-Why?

-Because I can’t stand seeing people suffer. That’s all. No other reason.

Why would the people suffer?

If I rule well, they won’t.

-Hmm… I see.

Seunghyun’s answer was lackluster, but Yuria was satisfied.

She could feel his genuine concern for the people in his tone.

I got up and started putting on my clothes.

I was pretending to coincidentally witness their secret meeting.

I had planned to show up later, but Seunghyun’s growth was rapid.

If his mental state gets any stronger, I won’t be able to toy with him and he’ll just become a nuisance.

So let’s just kill him.

**

Yuria’s heart felt like it dropped with a thud.

She looked utterly shocked.

As Yoo Seunghyun and Yuria left the restaurant, I happened to pass by and frowned heavily at the sight of them.

“Huh? Isn’t that Song Jihyuk?”

Seunghyun, looking confused, quickly approached me with a bright smile and extended his hand.

“I wasn’t sure, but it really is you, Song Jihyuk. It’s great to see you. We met a few months ago at the pancake place, right? I never dreamed I’d see you again like this.”

I relaxed my expression and shook his hand.

“Yoo Seunghyun, right? It’s great to see you too. But… who’s this…?”

As my gaze shifted to Yuria, she flinched.

Seunghyun, standing in front of her and not seeing her reaction, scratched his head.

“We’re on a date.”

“A date…? But I thought you were with Sehwa…”

“Ah… Sehwa and I… broke up.”

“Really…?”

As I acted surprised, Seunghyun smiled softly.

“I guess you haven’t been in touch.”

“Yeah… I took a leave from university… and I’ve been too busy with work to keep up with my classmates… I don’t know what to say…”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

Like hell I won’t.

I’ve been plotting to kill you.

“Ah, I want to thank you again. Thanks to you, Song Jihyuk, I paid off all my debts… and I’m living a stable life now.”

Seunghyun bowed his head.

“No, I just did what I had to do. But… is she okay?”

“Huh?”

“The person you’re on a date with. Her face is really red…”

At that, Seunghyun turned around and was startled.

Yuria’s face was so red it looked like it might explode.

Seunghyun approached her and asked.

“Yuria, are you okay? Are you feeling sick? Did you catch something?”

“Huh…? Huh!?”

After lying like that and then running into me, she must be flustered.

Her future must look bleak, and she can’t make a proper decision.

Yuria’s face trembled, and she shook her head.

“I… I’m fine…”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine…?”

She furrowed her brow. Seunghyun took a step back.

“Ah, okay…”

I took the opportunity to approach them and said to Seunghyun.

“I should get going. I have an appointment. It was nice seeing you.”

Seunghyun replied.

“It was nice seeing you too. Can I get your contact info? I’d really like to treat you to a meal, but it’s a bit awkward to ask Sehwa for your number…”

“No, I’m really busy, so I don’t know when I’ll have time. If we happen to meet again like today, we can have coffee then. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get going now.”

“Thank you so much!”

Seunghyun bowed his head to me again.

In the past, he would have tried to keep me around, but now he just gives a simple thank you.

He’s definitely matured.

Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.

I smiled kindly and whispered in Seunghyun’s ear.

“By the way, I’m jealous.”

“Huh…?”

“She’s really pretty.”

“Ah…”

Seunghyun, embarrassed, lowered his head and chuckled.

Yuria, who must have heard our whispering, was stomping her feet.

I slightly raised the corner of my mouth and said.

“Take care.”

“Get home safe!”

I waved casually and turned away.

As I was heading home, my phone lit up.

Yuria, who had parted ways with Seunghyun, was calling me.

I ignored her call and left a simple message.

[Uijeongbu.]

To be continued―――――――――――――――――――――

---