Episode 186. Weekend

Ignoring Liliana, who was sniffling while kneeling, I played with Dahee.

“Dahee-ah. Don’t you want to go out and play?”

“I want to go out and play!”

The kid, who hadn’t been awake long and was yawning, perked up immediately upon hearing the suggestion to go out and play.

“Let’s go out and play, Oppa. Think about where we should go.”

“Gasp… Okay. Just a sec!”

Nam Dahee immediately closed her eyes and fell deep in thought.

Even though the order got messed up because I already slept with Nam Daeun… becoming close with Dahee is essential for the conquest. And if she’d been locked up for years, she’d naturally love going out to play.

“Play with me too….”

Liliana, having finally given up pretending to cry, clung to me. Since she missed the sex opportunity, she must be thinking of grabbing at least the chance to play.

“You think about it too.”

“Okay!”

Even though tear tracks were clearly visible on her eyes, the sight of her giggling and scheming about where to go play with Nam Dahee was a bit scary, but it’s better than her crying constantly, I guess.

Naturally, I entrusted Nam Dahee to Liliana’s embrace and got up from my spot.

“Scarlet.”

“Yes. Hoyeon-nim.”

“Can you leak some information to the informants?”

“What kind of information are you referring to?”

“Their whereabouts. Just spreading rumors that they’re related to Lee Hoyeon is enough. And there’s information that needs to be delivered only to the Buyer Guild Master; is that possible?”

“Yes. If you write something like a letter, I can secretly deliver it and come back.”

The plan is roughly this.

“Become close with Nam Dahee, raise Nam Daeun’s affection level, and conquer them by giving the Buyer Guild Master, Park Min-gyu, a chance for revenge.”

“It’s simple if you call it simple, but it’s not as easy as it sounds.”

“Ah….”

Just then, a rustling sound was heard from the side. Nam Daeun, who had been lying next to me, had regained consciousness. Nam Daeun was still dazed, even after seeing Liliana and Nam Dahee with their eyes closed in strange poses in front of her. As Nam Daeun turned her head around, her eyes met mine, and she startled with a flinch! before checking her own body. Then, she placed a hand on her chest. She probably couldn’t comprehend this situation, which was completely different from her last memory.

‘How intensely did she climax for her memory to be wiped clean?’

“You’re awake? You’re not hurt, are you?”

I spoke first to Nam Daeun, who looked dizzy.

“….”

And when I spoke, Nam Daeun seemed to grasp the situation roughly. Her face turning slightly red suggested she was embarrassed.

“… It hurt.”

“Liar. It felt good, didn’t it?”

“….”

Nam Daeun lowered her head, her face flushing even more. Teasing a virgin after her first experience was indeed fun.

*

Talented and young women are bound to receive envy and jealousy. Especially the likes of wizards, who are strangely full of old folks. Needless to say, if the most prominent among them happens to be a young woman. Naturally, Im Sol had a hard time making friends. Of course, Baek Ahyoung, the best among healers, and Min Yeji, the most successful among her peers in the hunter society, were no different. Therefore, after becoming friends, the three of them met often.

“Ahyoung’s been looking happier lately. Isn’t she?”

“She looks the same as usual.”

“Hey, it’s because you keep sticking close to student Lee Hoyeon with all that one-on-one treatment and stuff.”

“… That’s not true?”

Today’s meeting place was Im Sol’s laboratory. As Im Sol’s research was nearing its final stage and she said it was hard to make time, the other two came directly to the lab to visit.

“Oh really? If not, then whatever~. But are you still researching, Sol? Have you ever spent this long on a single research topic?”

Im Sol, who was called a genius mage before Lee Hoyeon. The reasons she was called a genius mage weren’t just one or two. An absurd talent, being able to use magic of all elements. And the brilliance to solve difficult problems that mages couldn’t solve in an instant. Combining those two, she solved whatever research she set her mind to within a month, which is why she was called a genius mage.

“This thesis is the most complex among the ones I’ve prepared so far. It’s because I’m researching it with Hoyeon.”

“Huh? Even with two genius mages gathered, if it’s taking this long, just how amazing must it be.”

“You can look forward to it. It’s truly incredible.”

Im Sol was confident about this research. “Since the concept of embedding will into magic formulas didn’t exist until now, most of the research mages have built up until now will become mere scraps of paper.”

‘Just who is Hoyeon, who discovered this….’

Every time she conducted research, Im Sol felt a thrill from Lee Hoyeon, who discovered such concepts alone. And on the other hand, she felt joy. “She thought she would be lonely her whole life.”

‘A monster like you could never be born again.’

‘A genius who appears once in a thousand years.’

‘At least for several generations, a mage like Im Sol will not be born.’

Im Sol always heard such words. But that a mage like Lee Hoyeon appeared in her generation made Im Sol truly grateful.

Listening to the story, Min Yeji looked at Im Sol, wondering just how amazing the research was. However, Baek Ahyoung, who was drinking tea, thought differently.

‘Researching with Hoyeon…?’

At that moment, Im Sol became a potential rival in Baek Ahyoung’s mind. Swallowing hard, Baek Ahyoung observed Im Sol’s expression. Her outward expression showed nothing.

‘Would a professor cross the line with a student?’

It was fine for her since she wasn’t a professor, but Im Sol was. Knowing Im Sol was a decent person as an educator, her suspicion lessened slightly, but Baek Ahyoung sharpened her focus. “She had to suspect everything. My darling was that dangerous of a man.”

“Ahem. Well, since Hoyeon is hospitalized, it must be hard to research together, huh…? I check on him every day, and it seems he needs more time to recover.”

Using the acting skills honed through her work as a healer, Baek Ahyoung subtly tested Im Sol.

“… Right?”

Im Sol tilted her head slightly. She felt a strange emotion while listening to Baek Ahyoung’s words. Even though they were ordinary words, she felt strangely unpleasant. Looking at Baek Ahyoung’s innocent eyes, it was clear she was worried without any ulterior motive, yet Im Sol felt that way.

“… Still, after her hospitalization ends, she has many plans with me. It’ll be fine.”

“Plans…?”

Hearing that Im Sol had many plans with ‘darling’ was the first Baek Ahyoung had heard.

“Yes. We have to research together, go to the expo, and present the thesis once it’s finished.”

“Ah…”

“… What are you two doing? Let’s go to a cafe.”

To break the strange tension flowing between the two, Min Yeji interjected into the conversation.

“No. I still have a lot of research left. Until Hoyeon is discharged, I want to make as much progress as possible.”

“I need to go see Hoyeon too.”

Im Sol looked down at her papers, and Baek Ahyoung started gathering her things.

“Ahaha… Let’s go then. Ahyoung-ah. Come on, let’s go. Sol-ah, we’ll head out first! See you later!”

Eventually, Min Yeji dragged Baek Ahyoung out, ending the silent battle between the two.

*

Saturday morning.

After burning through Friday in the dorm, Liliana and Nam Dahee couldn’t decide where to go play, so I told them to decide over the weekend and returned to the hospital.

“Come to think of it, we can’t just go out to play right away.”

“Since the information guilds are probably investigating Nam Daeun and Nam Dahee, I can’t carelessly show my face.”

“Since my magic hasn’t returned, I can’t even cast the rune barrier, which is good for me.”

“I’ll be fine once it recovers next week.”

“I’ve also let Scarlet know to just stay put for now, until I give the signal.”

“Because I wanted to move after my body recovered.”

“Still, telling them in advance like this will allow them to prepare.”

Knock knock.

Just then, a knock was heard at the door.

“Yeah. Come in.”

The one who opened the door and came in was Lumi. I told them to just let people who came for a visit once in, and it seems they’re really doing that. She seemed to bother the nurses every time she came for a visit, but now I feel a bit more at ease. But Lumi’s condition upon entering was strange. Her face was flushed, and she was wearing a cute pink mask on her chin.

“Lumi, what’s wrong?”

“Hoyeon-ssi… Hello… I think I caught a cold from Lucy. Hwaaa….”

“Et-hee!”

Letting out a peculiar and cute sneeze, Lumi sniffled.

“Hey, why come visit me if you’re sick? You should be resting at home.”

“Well… I dropped my smartwatch while sneezing and it broke… and since it’s the weekend, I couldn’t get it fixed.”

“… Tsk. So you came in person?”

“Yeees….”

“She promised me she’d visit every day. It was like a promise.”

“To be precise, it wasn’t a promise but a notification, but well, it’s the same thing.”

“Sigh, don’t do that, I’m worried. I appreciate you coming, but I’ve seen your face now, so go rest.”

“Are you worried about me? Hehe… Thank you.”

Despite sniffling, Lumi gave me a faint, smiling glance.

“… I told you to go rest quickly.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve such kindness. Tch.”

“Because she acts like that, I feel unnecessarily sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ll get better soon. Ugh, my head is spinning.”

“This won’t do. Do you want to get examined here at the hospital?”

“If I ask Baek Ahyoung to treat you, you’ll be cured in one go. Of course, asking a woman to treat you makes me feel a bit sorry, but it can’t be helped.”

“No, thank you. I’ll just rest at home.”

Lumi got up from her spot and stumbled out. Seeing her like that worried me so much that I also got out of bed and helped Lumi.

“Don’t come near me… You’ll catch it….”

“Okay, okay. Take a taxi when you go. I’ll call one for you.”

“Thank you….”

I called a taxi for Lumi, and only after confirming she got in and was leaving could I relax.

After returning to my room and resting for a bit, I received my regular check-up from Baek Ahyoung. Perhaps because her condition wasn’t great today, she didn’t try to get me to undress and just checked my physical condition.

“You’ll recover quickly… It seems like it’ll only take a few days.”

A warm light came from Baek Ahyoung’s hand and enveloped my body. She said it was magic that enhances natural healing abilities.

“My magic circuits must recover through natural healing to avoid side effects, which takes a long time.”

“Thank you. Always.”

“… Mm.”

‘Why is she in such a bad mood today?’

★ Heroine Status Window

[Baek Ahyoung]

• [ Affection: 100 ] (+1.3)

• [ Lust: 90 ]

• [ Appetite: 45 ]

• [ Fatigue: 30 ]

Current Status: Competitors… There are too many competitors aiming for my darling…

“….”

“I don’t know what it is, but just looking at it makes me uneasy.”

“Darling.”

Inevitably, uttering the magic word, I reached out to Baek Ahyoung.

“… Haaa.”

Letting out a weak sigh, Baek Ahyoung came into my arms. While the warm, white light enveloping my body continued, as Baek Ahyoung approached, it felt like an angel was embracing me.

“You really look like an angel.”

Even though I praised her earnestly, Baek Ahyoung didn’t seem to hear my words at all and met my eyes. It was a slightly burdensome gaze.

“Darling… I’m always your number one priority, right?”

“Of course.”

I answered without the slightest hesitation and hugged Baek Ahyoung tightly. “If I hesitated here, I felt like things would get really bad.”

“I love you, darling….”

Thankfully, Baek Ahyoung buried herself deeper into my chest.

‘….’

Looking at Baek Ahyoung in my arms, I wondered how long the magic word ‘darling’ would work.