Phenomenon

I passed through the long corridor filled with all sorts of artworks that showed off the wealth of the Perkus family and finally arrived at the drawing room.

Following Lykan into the drawing room, I saw Raellan and Navier, who were already seated.

Navier, who met my gaze, smiled faintly with a welcoming expression. I lightly raised my hand towards Navier as a greeting, and awkwardly sat down on the chair that the maid pulled out for me.

As a dish filled with drinks and desserts was placed in front of me, Raellan, who was sitting at the head of the table, put down the teacup he was holding on the saucer and opened his mouth.

,It’s been a while.”

It was a cold voice with not a trace of warmth.

Raellan, who opened his mouth with a short remark, seemed no different than before. His sharp eyes, resembling a snake hunting for prey, and his black suit, which had a design similar to a uniform, didn’t have even a speck of dust on it. It was a sight that revealed his cold and calculating personality.

,Yes, it’s been a while, I see you, -nim.”

At my greeting, Raellan didn’t move an inch, only rolling his eyes to look at me.

,Yes, I heard some good news. I heard that your brother has reached the realm of the Transcender.”

,Yes.”

I gave a listless reply and slightly pulled my chin in. I don’t know what Raellan is trying to say.

Judging by the fact that he immediately brought up Roel, he might have thought that it would be better to invest in Roel than me. Strictly speaking, the strategist was closer to an investor.

Since there are already many women around Roel, he might have made a cold calculation that adding one more Navier wouldn’t make a big difference.

However, Raellan said something completely different from my expectations.

,If you obtain all of the Mu-hyung of the main family, you will be able to follow your brother’s footsteps soon enough.”

At the sight of Raellan giving a soft smile that didn’t suit him at all, I hurriedly picked up the cup filled with warm tea in front of me with a dumbfounded expression, along with an answer of gratitude. It was because I needed some time to think.

I never thought I would hear words of encouragement from Raellan. But it would be foolish to think that those words were based on belief or trust in me.

The title of Mad Strategist is not an empty one. If Eunice is a strategist who reads the game, Raellan is the type of person who would simply burn that game for fun.

He must either think that I have a similar value to Roel, or he has some other ulterior motive.

After taking a sip of the tea with a heavy scent and putting down the cup, Raellan, who had been watching me, said in a relaxed manner.

,You look like you’re worried that there might be another meaning to my words.”

I was very flustered inside at his words that seemed to have read my thoughts, but I shook my head with a bold smile, pretending not to care.

,No.”

,Really? It’s easy for me to find out lies, you know.”

Raellan’s voice echoed quietly in the drawing room. If I answered no here as well, Raellan would surely take action to reveal my lie. If it’s obvious that I’ll break if I resist, I have no choice but to bow my head.

I paused for a moment.

,No one has ever said such a thing to me before… so I was wondering if there might be another meaning.”

When I took a low posture, Raellan smiled maliciously.

,A suspicious attitude is a good thing. It’s a good virtue to be wary of the poison in sweet words.”

Raellan, who pulled up the corners of his mouth for a long time, continued.

,But the words I just said were not said with another meaning, but sincerely. If you, who barely has the efficiency to break an absorption stone with the Mu-hyung of the Banga family, were to obtain all of the Mu-hyung of the main family, it would be too obvious that you would reach the realm of the Transcender.”

Kwang-!

,Stop talking nonsense!”

No sooner had Raellan finished speaking than Lykan slammed the table hard with his fist.

,Hic-!”

Navier let out a cute moan, startled by the sudden loud noise. Thanks to that, I unknowingly turned my head in the direction of the sound.

Navier, who felt my gaze, pursed her lips and put on an indifferent expression, but she couldn’t hide the fact that her cheeks were slightly flushed.

,Nonsense… Don’t you believe that your disciple will reach the realm of the Transcender?”

Lykan scoffed at Raellan’s words, which were full of laughter.

,I believe it! But I know that your words are not for the sake of my disciple.”

Lykan, who said that, turned his gaze to me with a ferocious expression and added.

,Did you think I wouldn’t know that you’re trying to make him greedy for the Mu-hyung of the main family?”

Certainly, after hearing Raellan’s words, I had unconsciously thought that I wanted to obtain all of the Mu-hyung of the main family. Raellan had planted the seeds of greed in my subconscious with sweet words. This was the poison contained in the sweet words.

Raellan slowly said, resting his chin on his hand.

,…Greed is the most important fuel for growth.”

Raellan gave me a bitter smile. It was a look that seemed to ask if I didn’t agree with his words.

,Enough.”

Lykan twitched his muscles and gathered mana. The maid who had been waiting in the back couldn’t stand the pressure that seemed to crush everyone in the drawing room and let out a faint moan.

,If you put vain hopes into my disciple, I will not visit the family again from now on.”

Raellan, as if he had decided to take a step back at Lykan’s firm voice, said with a snake-like smile.

,It’s a joke. Let’s not get serious at a long-awaited meeting.”

,Your jokes have always ended badly, so I’m just being wary.”

Raellan, with his gaze fixed on me, answered sarcastically without even looking at Lykan.

,That’s because the other person thought the joke was over on their own. It’s a punishment for making me lose interest.”

Lykan sighed. When the conversation stopped, silence fell in the drawing room for a moment. Navier gestured to me as if telling me to do something.

What am I supposed to do here? It was an absurd request, but I agreed that I had to do something before I suffocated in the silence.

,…How about we continue the rest of the story while eating?”

No one answered my suggestion. I should have just stayed still.

***

In the end, we did have a meal as I suggested. The problem was that it was an extension of an awkward and uncomfortable situation.

,Why did you suddenly say let’s eat there! The atmosphere got even worse!”

I sighed at Navier’s grumbling as she sat on the edge of the bed.

,Then why didn’t you step up instead of passing it on to me?”

,Ah, that’s hard for me too. My father and uncle don’t get along.”

The words, ‘Are you making someone else do something that’s hard for you too?’ came up to my throat, but I just swallowed them. I don’t want to continue a conversation that has no substance.

,…But the room is a bit flashy.”

I said that for no reason, but if I stopped looking at it with a spiteful gaze, I had no choice but to evaluate it as a room that was much better decorated than my room.

Navier’s room was diverse with all sorts of things to see. Heart-shaped letters were swimming leisurely like fish on the ceiling, and flowers were drawn on the cream-colored wallpaper, moving naturally as if swaying in the wind. The spotless clean glass window and the shiny gold handle that was polished to a shine also caught my eye.

The refreshing scent of the diffuser and the light pink bed connected to the ceiling and floating in the air, large enough for several people to lie down on, and the faint pink smoke coming out from under it, as if a humidifier was turned on. It felt like a princess’s room from a fantasy.

While slowly looking around, I asked without thinking because there was an unpleasant picture of male students wearing school uniforms and smiling with their arms crossed next to a small desk.

,What is this?”

As if having a seizure, Navier bounced up from the bed and ran over, covering my eyes with both hands.

,Why, why are you peeking into my room without permission!”

Peeking… I can’t say that I don’t have such a shady hobby at all, but this was unfair.

,…Wasn’t it you who dragged me into your room to look around?”

It wasn’t something that the person who grabbed my arm and forcibly took me to her room after the uncomfortable meal finally ended and I was about to return to the guest room should say.

The hands that were covering my eyes forcibly turned my head elsewhere. It seems like she doesn’t want to show it to me. It’s similar to the reaction of an otaku who got caught with an anime poster.

The two hands that were covering my eyes fell weakly, and Navier muttered as if making an excuse.

,Th, that’s just something they gave me as a service when I bought a book. No more looking around!”

Well, it seems like I’ve already seen everything… I shrugged my shoulders. Navier pouted and grumbled something, then suddenly remembered something and raised her voice tone, asking with an expectant voice.

,I’ll be learning the Mu-hyung of the main family tomorrow… then are we going on a date in two days?”

,Huh? Uh… that’s right.”

I was so flustered that I turned my head without realizing it. I had completely forgotten about planning a mysterious and adventurous date course to reveal the secrets of the past that Navier wanted.

I can make the excuse that I was busy with Kane’s work and obtaining the Window of Shadows, but it was obvious that Navier would be disappointed. For some reason, I didn’t want to disappoint Navier, who always helped me and readily showed consideration.

As I was quickly racking my brain somehow, something at the edge of my vision caught my eye. It was a red string sticking out slightly from under the pillow.

Without thinking, I reached out and pulled the string, and a book that was under the pillow came along. It wasn’t just a string, but a bookmark of the book.

,My friend’s man was a beast…?”

That was the title of the book decorated with red velvet. Just as I was about to open the book and turn the pages, Navier screamed from behind.

,Kyaaak-!!!”

,Wh, what is it…!”

I lost my balance from the impact I felt on my back and fell straight onto the bed. Navier looked like a delicate girl on the outside, but in reality, she’s 3rd in the combat department. She’s not an ordinary woman. That was the reason why I couldn’t help but be pushed back by her surprise body check with her weight on it.

Before I could even be flustered by the sudden attack, Navier climbed on top of me, burying my face in the bed.

,St, stay still!”

,Wh, what are you doing…”

I felt the soft sensation of Navier’s butt on my waist. When I unknowingly tried to raise my body in embarrassment, Navier seemed to have lost her balance and completely pressed her body against me, so I felt something soft touching my shoulder blades as well.

Just as I was frozen in place, Navier, who had finally taken the book from my hand, took her body away from me.

,That’s why you shouldn’t try to peek at other people’s things without permission!”

Navier, who was panting, asked with a worried voice after a while, as I was lying still on the bed without moving.

,Ar, are you okay…? Are you hurt anywhere?”

I turned my head towards Navier, who was saying that and poking my shoulder with her fingertips, and said.

,I just… need to be like this for a moment.”

,Are you hurt? Should I call my uncle?”

I hurriedly raised my hand towards Navier.

,No, it’s not. I really just need a moment.”

I’m not hurt. If I had such a weak body, I wouldn’t be able to withstand Lykan’s training.

It’s just… a perfectly natural physiological phenomenon for a man.