Episode 590. Gate of Hell (4)

I drew up a contract with Victor stating that he had to come immediately if I called him again.

The reward was Lee Hoyeon’s autograph.

Scarlet, satisfied with the deal, came back home.

She planned to greet the women she hadn’t seen in a while with a smile.

“What is this situation?”

However, seeing the state of the living room, Scarlet couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

Rebecca and Nam Daeun were gasping for breath, slumped over the table, while Liliana was being held by Lee Hoyeon, completely out of it.

“S-Scarlet Yang. It’s been a while… Sorry I couldn’t come out to greet you.”

“No. That’s fine. Rebecca-nim. Please explain the situation.”

“I don’t really know either. Liliana just suddenly collapsed… I thought she was doing something weird like usual? But then there was a paang- sound around Liliana, and after that, I don’t remember anything….”

“Mine’s similar….”

Nam Daeun, holding Nam Dahee, barely managed to speak.

Since she was close to Liliana, her recovery was slower than Rebecca’s.

‘Did Liliana-nim cause trouble again?’

Scarlet turned her head and looked at Lee Hoyeon.

Lee Hoyeon was holding and shaking Liliana, who was lying on the floor.

“Liliana. Liliana? Snap out of it.”

“Ugh, what’s wrong. Haaahhhmmm. Huh? What the heck! When did you get here?!”

“Haa… Are you awake?”

Liliana, opening her eyes, was startled to see Lee Hoyeon looking at her.

She had seen the message that he was coming from France, but she didn’t expect him to arrive already.

She must have slept too much.

But this is harsh. Rebecca and Daeun didn’t even wake me up.

“Haaawwwwng. When did I fall asleep?”

Liliana yawned widely.

Her body felt stiff, as if she had woken from a deep sleep.

But the atmosphere around her felt a bit strange.

“Huh? What is it. Why is everyone looking at me.”

An awkward silence.

Seeing everyone staring at her, Liliana subtly hunched her shoulders.

She was used to this feeling.

It was the same look she got a few days ago when she ordered chicken for 15 meals straight.

The solution was simple. Anger fades with time.

Liliana tried to go back to sleep.

“Mmm… sleepy.”

“Liliana. Don’t sleep, get up.”

“W-What is it…?”

Lee Hoyeon woke Liliana up again, as she was pretending to be asleep.

Liliana seemed to have no memory of anything.

He had already heard the situation from Nam Daeun and Rebecca, so he had no intention of pressuring Liliana here.

It wasn’t her fault, and the last time she made a mistake, Liliana had locked herself in her room.

Lee Hoyeon didn’t like seeing Liliana in pain either.

Lee Hoyeon spoke as gently as possible.

“Liliana. Don’t you remember anything? It seems your hellish magic went berserk.”

“Berserk…? Ugh, um….”

Liliana tried to recall her memories.

She clearly remembered eating and then immediately lying down for a nap.

She thought she might have been dreaming then….

“Ah, ahh…. Ugh….”

Liliana clutched her head and collapsed onto the floor.

Strange memories and a headache seemed to be rummaging through Liliana’s mind.

“Liliana-nim?!”

“Wait a moment, Scarlet.”

Lee Hoyeon slowly raised his magic power.

‘…Is it because of the Gate of Hell?’

Something strange happening to Liliana meant there was a problem with her seal.

She had mentioned something similar happened when Lucifer unleashed his powerful magic.

Just a few hours ago.

With the appearance of the Gate of Hell, the connection between Earth and the Underworld had strengthened.

That seemed to have affected Liliana’s seal.

“Eye Opening. Heart (心).”

Lee Hoyeon’s eyes shone gold.

──『 Eye Opening. Heart (心)』 ──

▶ Unique Skill

▶ Lee Hoyeon can understand everything about mana at the moment he desires.

He comprehends the principles of all creation and transcends the level of mana.

───────

Lee Hoyeon placed his hand on Liliana’s head.

Albedo had said that the seal Liliana mentioned was a secret technique of the Succubus Queen.

Perhaps because of that, Liliana’s seal was structured in a way Lee Hoyeon couldn’t comprehend.

But it was different now.

Lee Hoyeon’s golden eyes gazed upon Liliana’s seal.

Lee Hoyeon’s magic, having stepped into the divine realm, could penetrate even the Succubus Queen’s seal.

As expected, Liliana’s seal was slightly loosened.

It must be because of the Gate of Hell. That was the cause of Liliana’s rampage.

‘It seems like I can tamper with it….’

Lee Hoyeon pondered, looking at the seal.

The seal was a type of sealing technique.

Reverse calculation was Lee Hoyeon’s specialty.

If he decided to, he could break it, but the repercussions would be directly transmitted to Liliana.

‘A seal related to memories is dangerous.’

Memories aren’t simple things.

Especially since Liliana’s case wasn’t just about recalling past events.

Her personality seemed to have become even more twisted in the Underworld.

If he carelessly broke the seal, the Liliana he knew might disappear.

“Ah, ah… Ugh, ughh….”

“Bear with it a little longer, Liliana.”

The pain inflicted on Liliana was intensifying.

For now, he had no choice but to reinforce the seal.

Lee Hoyeon manipulated the hellish magic, sealing the gaps in the seal within Liliana’s mind.

It was only a temporary measure, but for now, he had to eliminate Liliana’s pain.

He would have to think about other measures slowly.

“Done. Now… Kkuhk?!”

The moment he covered Liliana’s seal with magic power.

Memories he had never seen before flooded into Lee Hoyeon’s mind.

– It couldn’t be helped. Caliope is a succubus. She was born with power too strong for a succubus to possess.

– … Aren’t you afraid your daughter will covet your position?

– Even from you, please don’t say such things. It’s an insult to a succubus who cherishes kinship.

The voice of a woman with a beautiful and alluring appearance echoed in his mind.

A surprisingly long tail remained in Lee Hoyeon’s memory.

The scene shifted rapidly.

Demonic beasts kneeling around.

Creatures of the Underworld who were terrified just by making eye contact.

It was from Liliana’s perspective.

Lee Hoyeon was taken aback by the memories that entered him, but quickly regained his composure.

This was a magical phenomenon caused by sealing the gaps of the berserk seal.

As long as he had the Sky-Piercing Palace and Eye Opening: Heart activated, magic posed no threat to Lee Hoyeon.

“Ah, ugh. W-What is this.”

“Liliana, are you okay?”

Lee Hoyeon shook off the disorienting memories and checked on Liliana.

“Owie owie… My head hurts.”

Liliana slowly opened her eyes.

She was squinting, but the pain seemed gone.

Lee Hoyeon let out a sigh of relief, placed his hand on Liliana’s forehead, and continued speaking.

“Liliana. Can you use your magic power?”

“Magic power?”

“Yeah. We need to check if anything has changed.”

Fortunately, he had stopped the seal from going berserk, but there might be aftereffects from the rampage that had already occurred.

It could be something good, like awakening her hellish magic, or something bad.

Fwaaak-

Magic power bloomed in Liliana’s hand.

It was magic power so strong it surprised even Lee Hoyeon.

“It’s the same?”

“Then, do you remember anything?”

“Memories….”

Liliana stared blankly into the air.

The memories that had been hazy since meeting Lucifer were still there.

Even her mother’s face from that time….

“Ah…?”

Just then, she felt something.

Familiar hellish magic.

A sensual atmosphere and an aura that stimulated desire.

“…Mom.”

She felt her mother’s presence.

From far away.

*

That evening.

Lee Hoyeon sat at the table, looking over the food.

Nam Dahee and Liliana sat beside him.

“Unnie. I want to eat with Oppa too.”

“Okay. Sit with Oppa and Liliana-ssi.”

“I’m starving to death. Food! Food!”

“Food! Food!”

Lee Hoyeon smiled watching Liliana and Nam Dahee bang the table with their spoons and chopsticks.

It used to be absurd seeing them like this every day, but seeing it again after a while made them look cute.

For the record, Lee Hoyeon had tried to help prepare the meal, but Nam Daeun told him to rest since he must be tired from moving around so much, so he sat at the table.

Lee Hoyeon watched Liliana drooling over the meat and revisited the memories he had seen earlier.

She had recovered quickly, but she was surely thinking about it inwardly.

‘Did the Succubus Queen seal Liliana’s power to keep her in check?’

The Succubus Queen. If Liliana’s mother sealed her, it made sense.

But that was strange.

If she feared her own daughter, she could have just killed her.

If Liliana’s power was too strong and sealing her was the best option, she could have just buried her deep underground.

The Succubus Queen didn’t do that.

Instead, she raised Liliana herself for 15 years.

‘There must be some circumstances involved.’

To personally check if the seal was working properly?

Or perhaps to overlay other memories on top of the seal?

There were many possibilities, but Lee Hoyeon believed there was a meaning beyond his comprehension.

‘The Queen I saw in Liliana’s memories truly looked like her mother.’

Moreover, Lee Hoyeon remembered what Albedo had said.

– ‘A mutant with magic power that disregards the Demon King’s authority has appeared…. For the sake of the Underworld’s order, the irregular must be eliminated quickly.’ That was the rumor. Liliana-nim disappeared not long after hearing that rumor.

A mutant with magic power that disregards the Demon King’s authority.

If that was Liliana, the Demon King wouldn’t have let her be.

Liliana.

She still had many secrets yet to be revealed.

‘Finding the Succubus Queen will require effort too.’

Although his tasks had increased, Lee Hoyeon hardened his resolve.

Because he had decided to stand by Liliana, no matter what.

“Honey. Are you worrying about something?”

“Huh? Ah. Sorry.”

Only then did Lee Hoyeon notice the table, now ready for the meal.

Liliana and Dahee were already eating, and Rebecca and Nam Daeun, having finished their preparations, sat at the table looking at him.

“Hoyeon-ah. If you have something on your mind, tell us.”

“N-No, it’s nothing like that, so don’t worry. What about Scarlet?”

“Scarlet-ssi mentioned she had a dinner appointment with the Korean branch manager.”

“Aha….”

Lee Hoyeon smiled and picked up his spoon.

He had no intention of hiding what happened with Liliana forever.

Rebecca and Nam Daeun had suffered due to Liliana’s rampage, and they would likely want to help with Liliana’s situation.

‘But it’s not my place to bring it up first.’

He planned to let Liliana speak for herself when she was ready.

Until then, he would stay quiet.

[This darkness is a mysterious phenomenon that appeared in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The sea, seemingly infected by the darkness, is hardening like land, forming new islands….]

Just then, the news reported on the Gate of Hell.

Lee Hoyeon clapped his hands to change the subject and spoke to Rebecca.

“Right. I had something to tell you, Rebecca-ssi.”

“Huh? Me?”

The black pillars spreading across the globe.

There were too many to destroy alone.