Chapter 24 The Beginning of War

“Hey. This is going too far.”

My mind was completely alert.
I looked at Reytana before me.

She was a blonde beauty smiling at me, appearing incredibly warm and affectionate.

But the hidden side behind that smile was truly cruel.

I had known this before, but I felt it again anew.

“Oh my… Si-woo. You can make such an expression.”

When I glared at Reytana, she broke into a bright smile.

And she approached me playfully, petting my head as if to provoke me.

“By the way, looking at you like this, you’re really handsome. Your angry expression is somehow sexy…”

Reytana continued her attitude as if she had taken control of the conversation, seemingly without a care.

From her perspective, she didn’t seem to take this very seriously.

She looked relaxed, as if threats were familiar to her.

“Let me warn you beforehand. Don’t even think about messing with Si-eun before killing me.”

I brushed away Reytana’s hand that was stroking my head.

I was now suppressing my anger with superhuman restraint.

Just looking at her face made me incredibly disgusted.

I wanted to crush her right now, but I was holding back because I didn’t know what might happen to Si-eun.

“Oh my. How scary. What will you do if I say I’ll kill Si-eun if you look at me like that?”

When I glared at Reytana with killing intent, she responded with a playful expression.

Her face seemed to say, “Don’t you know who’s in control here?”

“If you leave even a single scratch on Si-eun, don’t even think about surviving.”

I calmly continued speaking to Reytana’s face.

“Hoho. Just kidding.”

Reytana looked bored when I didn’t show much reaction to her provocation.

Then she smiled again and showed a cheerful laugh.

“Although we used to eat from the same pot in the past, even if I don’t know strangers, I can’t do anything to the sister of someone I’m acquainted with.”

Reytana put her hand into her bosom.

And pulled out a business card to hand to me.

“But… I might be able to do it. Depending on Si-woo’s attitude?”

The business card had Reytana’s contact information.

It meant to contact here if I wanted to save my sister.

“So I’ll wait for a quick answer before it’s too late.”

Reytana waved her hand at me.

“Hahaha.”

And she turned around, laughing cheerfully, and left the hospital room.

“Haa…”

After Reytana left, I briefly touched my head and let out a sigh.

A cold and heavy sigh, filled with suppressed anger.

Right now, I’m feeling a rage rising to my fingertips that I haven’t felt in a long time.

Lee Si-woo.

During my adolescence, I used to get angry at trivial things and would pick fights if anyone slightly ignored me.

If anyone insulted me, I’d insult them back twice as hard, and if someone picked a fight, fighting came before words.

Back then, it might have been due to my personality of not wanting to be ignored, but looking back, it was probably my way of maintaining self-esteem after losing my parents early.

I myself recognized that I was close to being a troublemaker back then.

But like most childhood personalities, they change with time.

Over seven years of protecting Si-eun, I realized that my pride meant nothing, even to the point of humbling myself to others.

Working as Yoo Eun-ha’s manager, known for her difficult personality, also played a part. Anyway, I became someone who doesn’t get angry easily.

And I was satisfied with that personality.

At 24, I’m not a child, and I can’t explode over trivial matters.

Adults should live like adults.

So the 17-year-old Si-woo and the 24-year-old Si-woo are very different.

My weak and prideful personality became more peaceful and rationalistic.

You could say I’ve drunk too much of society’s murky water.

But even me, who has drunk all of society’s murky water.

Me, who can’t even remember the last time I properly got angry.

There’s one thing that remains unchanged, both then and now.

That’s anything related to Si-eun.

People have lines they shouldn’t cross, and they live respecting each other’s boundaries.

Lines that absolutely should never be touched.

For me, Si-eun is that line.

And Reytana has just crossed that line.

“Si-woo-nim. Is something wrong?”

Shortly after Reytana left, someone entered the hospital room.

It was Park Jin-ha.

“Reytana left laughing. What happened?”

Park Jin-ha asked me worriedly.

She seemed very curious about what Reytana and I discussed.

“My sister was kidnapped.”

I told her the truth directly.

There was no need to hide it or delay telling her.

In fact, she needed to know.

“Yes… What?”

Park Jin-ha was shocked by my words.

Completely unexpected.

“Is this because of me…? I’m… I’m sorry… Because of me… Did Reytana kidnap your sister because of me?”

“That’s right.”

Her expression gradually turned terrified.

Reytana had kidnapped my sister to recruit Park Jin-ha.

Park Jin-ha seemed to roughly understand the situation.

“I… I didn’t know. I’ll… I’ll just join the Order. Si-woo-nim… This… doesn’t seem right.”

Park Jin-ha spoke with her head bowed, her mental state seemingly shattered.

“I was wrong… I’ll just… join. Sorry for causing you trouble…”

She seemed unprepared for how her actions might burden me.

Park Jin-ha was apologizing to me.

“No. There’s no need. It’s not your fault. You don’t want to join either.”

I patted Park Jin-ha’s head.

Park Jin-ha bowed her head as if she had done something wrong, but she hadn’t done anything wrong.

The real villain was the one who did the bad deeds.

The one who didn’t negotiate with that bad guy isn’t at fault.

Park Jin-ha was ultimately just a victim.

“B-but… If I just sacrifice myself… I can just follow the Order’s commands… do dirty work…”

Despite my words, Park Jin-ha continued speaking to me in a trembling voice, as if she had done something wrong.

Her words essentially meant that if she surrendered to the Order, everything would be resolved.

“…”

I thought for a moment.

Certainly, Park Jin-ha surrendering to the Order was one solution.

It would be easiest to just sell her out.

“No. Why would you join the Order when we can just destroy them?”

But that wouldn’t work.

Not because I wanted to protect Park Jin-ha, whom I just met today.

It was simply due to my anger at them touching my sister.

“And after suffering such humiliation, I absolutely can’t let this pass.”

I spoke coldly.

Just thinking about Reytana made me want to go crazy with anger.

Reytana would know quite a bit about me and my sister.

She would naturally know how much I cherish Si-eun.

Yet she dared to touch my sister.

This was absolutely unforgivable.

It was like completely scraping away my self-respect.

I have my pride too.

Protecting my sister is one thing, but there are things my pride cannot tolerate.

So I had to make it clear.

Show what happens when someone touches my pride.

“Si-woo-nim…! The opponent is the Order. That’s really…”

Seeing me, Park Jin-ha spoke out, seemingly worried.

Her words certainly had a point.

The Order was absolutely not a group to be underestimated.

It was one of the three largest guilds in Korea.

Normally, charging in like this would be completely absurd.

But…

“I know.”

I don’t think I’ll lose.

Not with my current self.

“Oops!”

I got up from the bed.

And took off my patient gown.

I found my clothes and put them on.

“Uh…!”

Park Jin-ha turned around, looking embarrassed.

Suddenly undressing was indeed an awkward situation.

I would have normally changed elsewhere, but unfortunately, now wasn’t the time to be particular about such things.

“Jin-ha, didn’t you say you have a lot of free time today? Are you coming with me?”

“Yes? Yes. Of course, Si-woo-nim.”

Having changed my clothes, I recalled her previous words and asked.

Having just been promoted to S-class, Park Jin-ha would definitely be free for a while.

Fortunately, when I asked, she readily agreed.

“Then let’s rely on you for the day.”

“Yes…”

I stepped out of the hospital room.

And Park Jin-ha followed me closely.

“But where are we going? Do you know where your sister is?”

Following me, Park Jin-ha asked with a curious expression.

“I have a good idea.”

I answered her question.