Shun POV:

The clear stream reflected the emptiness surrounding the moon. Stars twinkled, but the light it needed—the light it wanted was already gone. The flowing water was unable to move the moon with it. The falling water was unable to carry its wishes. The crashing water was unable to express the anguish within.

I stood near the edge of the precipice with Phoebe on the opposite side. The burbling of water swallowed any sound that interrupted its cry, prompting the night breeze to try and bridge the gap between us instead.

“...I really like you, Shun. How... do you feel about me?”

It was as I expected.

Phoebe confessed.

Some would regard this as a second confession, but I didn’t see it that way. The first time she told me how she felt was in order to be honest and direct; Phoebe wasn’t expecting me to reciprocate her feelings right away.

Why?

Because I didn’t know her, and this was real life. Not some damn game where women fell head over heels for you for no actual reason.

‘...’

I recalled paying 3 gold for one night at Yeongyeol. The room itself wasn’t luxurious for the price being charged, yet the Inn was always packed. Their clientele consisted of those from various parts of the world with all kinds of trades, yet there was never any conflict.

Many paid for others to stay. Sometimes that payment extended to months in advance. It was a place where bonds were formed, and that created an atmosphere where people wanted to stay.

That was the inn known as Yeongyeol.

“Why are you interested in me?”

“I-I think you’re cool...”

My lips curved upward at the memory. Phoebe herself called it a lame reason seconds later, but she was... honest.

‘Stupid.’

All of our time together flickered through my mind. It was enough for me to feel a faint movement in the darkness that consumed my chest.

“Phoebe, if a random man approached you on the street, lifted your chin up, and told you to be his, what would you do?”

I peered down at the cascading water, battering the surface below.

“...Push him away? I mean, I wouldn’t let him get that close in the first place.”

“...”

The corners of my mouth rose at Phoebe’s normal reaction. I knew I wasn’t crazy yet hearing her response offered me no comfort at all.

“You don’t know me.”

I swivelled my dead eyes toward her. What benefits would I receive from being in a relationship with her? How could I tell if she would turn her blade toward a Ravendawn?

I couldn’t.

Phoebe’s hands trembled as we locked eyes. There was nothing she could say that would change what had already happened. There was nothing she could do to remove that feeling of powerlessness I felt during that time period.

“...I can get to know you. When I look at you, all I see is an unbearable amount of pain in those dark eyes of yours. I just... I just want to be someone special to you. I want to support you...”

“Keep your pity to yours—“

“Shun!”

The vibrance in her amber eyes conveyed a pure desire to take on whatever burden I was carrying. The tears that spilt over were a result of her resolve for there to be something more than me and her.

Us.

That was what Phoebe wanted.

I avoided her honest gaze, finding solace in the night sky above. Time crawled past, but Phoebe’s heart only drew closer with it.

“No.”

My answer was met with the quiet sounds of sobbing. It overpowered the bombardment of water, reducing its rage to nothing but a mere whisper. Phoebe’s hand rose to wipe the never-ending stream away when I parted my lips.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“You’re telling me this now because you don’t know if you’ll make it back. How could I accept that?”

“You’re saying you’ll... consider it?”

Her question stopped me from avoiding the understanding in her gaze. My revenge wouldn’t last forever; there would be an ending. As for the next chapter in my life, that was something I cared little about.

But maybe I should give it some serious thought.

“You’re a lovely woman. You’re kind, caring and cute. Despite your annoying persistence, at the very least, you don’t disgust me like the many others I’ve met.”

A blank expression swept over Phoebe’s face for some time. Her eyes soon curved upward, and her lips parted to let out a sweet chuckle.

“I don’t know how I should take that, but thank you...”

Phoebe was most likely trying to make a connection to all of the women she had seen me interact with, which were few in general. In other words, she was already trying to figure out how she could best lighten my load, but since she drew a blank, this was her response instead.

Any man would be fortunate to have a woman like her by their side. However...

“I don’t have the answer you want to hear. There are two people I need to kill, Phoebe, and I will stop at nothing until they’re both dead.”

A wave of bloodlust so dense its dark appearance soaked the surrounding area. My pupils dilated to the limit at the deaths I would make them suffer.

“!”

Two soft arms wrapped around my waist. A floral fragrance, reminiscent of dragon fruits, dispelled the slight heaviness in the air. It contained a sweet, bouncy texture that matched the softness of the skin pressing against my neck.

I stepped back.

But my trembling hand moved forward. It rested across Phoebe’s shoulder blades.

“Then you’re not saying, no?”

“I’m not. But don’t expect anything from me right now.”

Rather than reply, she continued to stroke my back in silence. The heat emanating from her cheek increased with time until Phoebe moved away. The calluses around the base of her fingers did little to intervene with the softness the tips offered. They caressed my cheek, spreading a gentleness that complimented the care in her amber eyes.

“...Okay. Thank you for being honest with me. That’s always for the best.”

An adorable smile brightened her face and disguised the interlocking of hands behind my head.

*Thump*

A sound from the darkness tried to remind me of its existence when Phoebe stepped in closer. Her luscious eyelashes flared out from the narrowing of her eyes. Their appeal turned seductive. The pursing of her thin lips accentuated their beauty that travelled through the moonlight toward me.

Her breath reached mi—

I turned around, and Phoebe’s hands retreated.

“Let’s go.”

***

“Aww, our Byeol is so cute, isn’t she?”

Minji leaned over the counter and rested her hand against her cheek. The softness in her eyes multiplied at the shy interactions between Gerard and Byeol, but behind that outward care was a hidden layer of relief. Whatever Byeol had experienced in the past, it made Minji a lot more attentive to her well-being. That was the reason why Byeol’s progress in her relationship with Gerard led to this reaction.

To Minji, Byeol was like a younger sister.

Based on all the information I had obtained from observing her mannerisms, demeanour and movements, Byeol’s bright personality was likely the cause behind the trauma she suffered from. During the Ki Artifact incident, Byeol had no intention of standing up for herself. If it wasn’t for Gerard stepping in, the situation would have been resolved by her accepting the job and brushing the disrespect to the side.

It proved that Byeol was a pushover. In order to maintain a peaceful environment around her, she would let others treat her how they wanted. That was why Phoebe’s reaction was so intense.

Byeol’s relationship with Gerard also wasn’t official, despite the closeness and obvious interest they showed each other. None of the other party members encouraged them to progress their relationship either, which was unusual when someone like Phoebe was involved. Even in the one instance she did make a suggestion, it was followed by a quick change in topic. This showed that there was an underlying reason as to why they were letting it play out in a slow manner.

In other words, Byeol was taken advantage of in her last relationship to such a degree that she became apprehensive at the thought of going beyond friends. I surmised that she had either been cheated on or suffered from domestic abuse. By keeping Gerard at a distance, she could protect herself while continuing to assess his character or use that time to recover from the past.

This was my current hypothesis.

“Juri’s gone for good.”

Minji let out a soft sigh as she watched Byeol sit at a table with Gerard.

“Where?”

“No idea, but I hope she’s happy. It’s weird how her face would stiffen whenever I talked about my boyfriend though.”

I turned my attention to the system, but no mission update occurred. It meant that the complete disappearance of Juri verified the legitimacy of that X Ranked mission, so the likelihood of crossing paths with her again was close to zero.

‘It doesn’t matter anyway.’

“Ahem... I’m not one of those women who like to rub it in the face of others, okay? He just makes me really happy and treats me really well.”

Minji’s light black eyes contained traces of purple. Her plum-coloured hair fell just below her shoulders and had a smooth texture to it.

“Shun, I... kind of want to propose to him instead.”

“...”

She ran her tongue over her thin lips with upturned corners. Her eyes formed an arch as she stared off into whatever delusion she conjured up.

“Yeah... Kiss me again, please... Oh, honey...”

“...”

The veins on the side of my head popped. I peered down at Minji, snapping her back to reality.

“...What? Haven’t you ever been in love before?”

“No.”

The side door opened, and Phoebe walked through it. Whether it was coincidental or not, the stretching of her arms led to her facial features being squashed together. A cute yawn left her mouth that she hurried to cover with her hand.

“Shun!”

“What?”

I swivelled my eyes back to Minji. The corners of her mouth rose, and an irritating smirk appeared.

“I was calling you this whole ti—“

“Did we get permission for the damn dungeon or not?”

“...You did. Your party’s striking achievements and Experienced Scout Byeol’s letter of recommendation played a huge role in the Guild Master agreeing to your request. Byeol will give you a rundown of the details, but it’s a tricky one.”

The playfulness diminished on Minji’s face with the narrowing of her eyes.

“How?”