Ch.200200. Towards Seol Yuhwa!

[Once Again, He Saves Lives. Do Jonghyun Repels the Enemy’s Attack!]

[Public Opinion Poll Finally Shows Favorable Responses Surpassing Opposition!]

[Golden Cross! People Who Believe in Do Jonghyun’s Good Intentions Are Reflected in Public Opinion.]

[Jaeger Association May Set Do Jonghyun Free Depending on Trial Results…]

The news I saw as soon as I woke up this morning couldn’t have been happier.

The outlook on my situation is positive, and Ariel is by my side now.

Finally, we’ve broken down the walls between us and met, so last night should have been busy, but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it much.

The reason?

As you know, when I transform, there’s a backlash. The higher the evolution stage, the worse it gets, and the cost decreases as I adapt.

So no matter how good an opportunity I’m given, on that day itself, it’s worse than a severe body ache.

Eun Serin didn’t seem to know this either and only looked embarrassed the next day.

“So you were sick. In that case, Ariel, you must have had a hard time.”

“Are you kidding me? We didn’t even do anything properly!”

Ariel snapped, clearly irritated. Well, thanks to my condition, the mood we’d built up had collapsed.

“I have to go to the Guild Master (Jo Sunghee) and the Jaeger Association for questioning anyway. I’ll be away for another day or so.”

“…”

Then Eun Serin pulled out lunch boxes in front of us.

“It’s hard to go out for meals when you’re busy, right? So I bought these, but it’s a shame.”

“Just go already!”

Ariel shouted, and in the meantime, I looked at the lunch boxes.

[Eel]

[Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)]

“Haha… you chose very practical options.”

Eventually, Ariel examined the lunch boxes and handed them to me.

“Just hurry up and recover, will you?”

“Thanks. Then can I ask for the same as last night?”

“…Cheeky Do Jonghyun.”

Her trembling with indignation is quite cute. But she’ll do it.

After yesterday, everything has definitely changed with Ariel.

Now, with my stiff body, I should replenish my energy first.

Fortunately, my efforts to recover as much as possible were going smoothly.

Eating the warm food, I could feel the warmth from my esophagus all the way down.

That night, I barely managed to secure the minimum “stamina.”

After a pleasant day, we finally woke up for a late lunch.

“Did you sleep well?”

Eun Serin was already by the bed. It was quite surprising, but this was originally a place where Serin and I stayed together…

But something seemed off. Serin’s expression wasn’t good.

“There’s a bit of a problem. Ariel, can we talk for a moment? It’s about Yuhwa.”

“…”

Seol Yuhwa’s name came from Serin’s lips.

*

The watching eyes had been focused on disrupting things from within since Geum Dohyun’s time.

Despite the tremendous blow of losing Morgan, they were busy working to ruin their enemies until the very end.

And the watching eyes used the conflict between Ariel and Seol Yuhwa.

[In fact, Seol Yuhwa isn’t from a famous wealthy family or high-ranking government official’s home, but lives in a semi-basement without parents. She’s been lying about everything all this time.]

The watching eyes instructed an informant within the academy to spread this.

They reignited the spark left by Morgan. What’s worse, since this was something Ariel had said in anger, there was no denying it.

The school newspaper published this rumor. The school representative, who even beat Ariel in skill, had been living a school life based on such lies?

This was bound to become a major issue.

-The Jaeger Academy is a mess. A complete mess!

-Ugh, the grade representative lied…

-But isn’t it because she’s poor?

-What does being poor have to do with lying? Lying is the problem.

-No, there’s no harm done, and this kind of sudden exposure doesn’t help anyone.

The school community was buzzing with this issue.

The fact that Seol Yuhwa, who was more dignified and cultured than anyone else, was actually poor.

Of course, most of her classmates defended her.

“She did it because she was poor and embarrassed. She didn’t directly harm anyone!”

“Still, did she have to lie? She even claimed she was well-educated.”

“She was just embarrassed, like you said. Besides, she didn’t cause us any harm. She’s been our classmate for two years.”

“Right. Yuhwa is our classmate and talented. We shouldn’t make a big deal about this…”

The response was mostly favorable to Seol Yuhwa, but would she see it that way?

After coming to school, she realized the uncomfortable truth from the strange looks people were giving her.

“…”

Her face was filled with more embarrassment than ever, and she was so shocked that her vision nearly went white.

“It’s okay, Yuhwa. Things like this don’t matter.”

Her friends continued to comfort her, but that wasn’t important to Seol Yuhwa.

The world she had maintained was broken.

Her friends pitying her? It was a huge wound for Seol Yuhwa, a reality she couldn’t accept.

“Ah…”

From the next day on, Seol Yuhwa stopped attending classes.

*

The problem we were told was that Seol Yuhwa was literally refusing to come to school.

This was a big issue for us. Seol Yuhwa is important both for the future and for me.

Ariel turned her head away.

“If you think about it, it’s Seol Yuhwa’s fault for hiding and lying because she felt ashamed.”

“Ariel.”

When I firmly grabbed her shoulder, Ariel got slightly angry.

“Am I wrong? Even if my words were harsh, ultimately she’s the one who went around lying.”

“But she was deeply hurt because of your mistake. You know that. Did you want these rumors to spread?”

“…”

Ariel didn’t answer and just kept her head turned away.

Then she glanced at me slightly.

“So I should go to her house and apologize?”

“Ariel!”

Ariel turned her head away again, acting prim.

“I know I did something wrong. But aren’t you taking her side too much? I didn’t spread the rumors…”

“But you were emotionally excited, so someone might have overheard.”

After our conversation, Ariel went outside.

After all, Ariel doesn’t need to be monitored here anyway.

Ariel left after confirming Seol Yuhwa’s home address.

Eun Serin took my hand as I remained alone.

“This must be the watching eyes. Before I was expelled, they were trying to cause discord among humans. They were connected with Morgan, and that’s why Seo Jinwon was also targeted.”

“It’s the most annoying method. It would be good if they reconcile, but there’s one thing that worries me.”

“What is it?”

“Whether they reconcile or not, Yuhwa will still be hurt. Her self-esteem was already low, and now her pride has been crushed too, so the aftermath will be significant.”

That’s right. Once words are spoken, they can’t be taken back. There’s a reason for that saying.

Even if the two become friendly again, they’ll have to endure the aftereffects.

“It might be difficult indeed. The resentment between them…”

“Don’t worry.”

Eun Serin gently grasped my hand and pulled it toward her.

“I’ll take care of it. I’ll make sure both of them are okay. That’s what I was going to do anyway. So leave the rest to me and focus on helping them reconcile.”

“It feels nice and warm.”

Serin’s face was definitely brighter than before.

She pulled me closer.

“It’s my turn now, right?”

“Ah!”

I couldn’t help but nod reflexively. That’s right. Now that we’ve overcome the big mountain called Ariel, it’s time for the next one.

Naturally, Eun Serin started to sit on my lap.

There was nothing to hold us back anymore. But this joy didn’t last long.

That evening, a phone call came in.

It was from Ariel, and she left me a shocking message.

“Jonghyun! She’s not at home! I contacted the White Dragon Guild too, but only her family is there, and she’s gone!”

“!”

I couldn’t help but feel that the situation had become more serious than I thought.

I exchanged glances with Eun Serin, who was lying on the bed.

“I think I need to move.”

“But you need permission from the association to move. To get their permission, they need to know the situation, which might make it even more widely known.”

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t go?”

In response to my question, Eun Serin smiled lightly.

“No, as a woman, a savior who appears in times of crisis is truly like a prince, isn’t it?”

“Then I’ll go first.”

“It’s a shame, but I should step back since I’m rooting for you two. Go ahead. I’ll be waiting, my husband.”

“…!”

That gentle and respectful title gives me strength. I left this place with optical camouflage.

*

Seol Yuhwa had a blank face. In her mind, she couldn’t help but admire how Jonghyun rushed to help her regardless of whether he was a monster or not.

It was courage. Courage for the person she loved.

But Seol Yuhwa didn’t have that courage. It was shocking enough that Ariel knew about her past and tormented her, but her feelings for the monstrous Jonghyun also lagged behind.

‘It’s over.’

She clearly judged that it was over for her.

Jonghyun and Ariel are dating, and she’s just being abandoned.

She walked along the beach where the wind was swirling. She still remembered.

The incident when the insect monster met Junhu. Strangely, the insect didn’t attack Junhu.

The reason was that the monster was actually Jonghyun.

“…Was that the first time?”

In over a year and a half of memories, her feelings for Jonghyun had developed into love.

But the fact that he was a monster was an issue.

Of course, her love was strong, but she couldn’t step forward confidently like Ariel.

In the midst of all this, the current incident overlapped, causing her to be greatly shaken emotionally.

“I’m losing everything… because I lied…”

If she had just been open from the beginning, would this have happened? No, at least if she hadn’t lied.

There might have been a better way.

But now it’s all gone. She was already struggling with losing Jonghyun, and now the secret she had been hiding was also exposed.

So she left without a destination. She was full of the desire to disappear somewhere right now.

As she walked along the beach, she saw a call from Ariel on her phone.

‘I don’t want to see it.’

A woman who took what she wanted to have. She didn’t want to answer such a call.

Seol Yuhwa looked at the setting sun and turned back toward the mountain.

Right now, she just wanted to go anywhere. It was when Seol Yuhwa stepped into the undergrowth.

“Ouch!”

She felt a sharp pain in her neck. At that moment, Brisingamen helped her regain her senses.

“This is!”

As the surprised Seol Yuhwa shook her head from side to side, a caterpillar fell beside her.

“I’m sorry. Brainwashing doesn’t work on my side. So please die.”

After stepping on the caterpillar with her foot, she sensed that this mountain was not normal.

‘This is…’

Brisingamen sent warnings from all directions.

But having detected them, she crushed everything that appeared to be an enemy.

As sounds of bursting were heard everywhere and Brisingamen was about to calm down, she felt a threat that triggered her instincts.

‘Su-suddenly…’

A shock that felt like her entire body would be shattered. A terror that made her feel like she would die if she took just one step enveloped her entire body and then passed.

As something passed by, a tremendous pain resonated throughout her body.

When Seol Yuhwa gritted her teeth and moved her head,

she saw that her arm had been mangled by the aftershock.

‘Who?’

“I, I… was trying to take off one arm. But it didn’t go in the direction I wanted. What kind of ability is this?”

In front of her appeared a boy named Jiho, with scales reminiscent of a snake.