episode_0065

I geared myself up and pushed the door open, but I didn’t walk for long.

Just like me, Hong Yeonhwa also resides in the dormitory without opting for a house.

The top students of each grade can choose between the penthouse at the dormitory or a house, and Hong Yeonhwa chose the penthouse.

The dormitory building was laid out in a 4×2 grid, so it was a short distance that only took a few minutes to walk.

If I expand my spatial perception, I can include the distance. If I’m worried about Hong Yeonhwa’s safety, I could discreetly check with my spatial perception, but…

“That’s a bit…”

It pricks at my conscience.

Even now, I sometimes make mistakes in controlling and end up pulling information from the wrong places. Although my proficiency in spatial perception is still improving.

Did I walk about 5 minutes from my dormitory? I arrived at the main hall of the dormitory where Hong Yeonhwa resides.

I authenticated with my smartwatch and entered the building. The exterior and facilities were exactly the same as the dormitory I live in.

While waiting for the elevator, I exchanged greetings with some students I met.

As I was about to respond to the greetings, the elevator quickly arrived.

Not only did it end there, but I also chatted with the people who boarded the elevator with me. It was a more courteous attitude than before.

“They mentioned something about proof, right?”

Special admission student.

The principal brought them in, so there are high expectations for their potential, but there were many doubts due to their strange behavior.

I would have felt the same way. Being a hero who already pushes their body to the limit, and on top of that, having a frail body and bringing a blind and deaf person…

Of course, my body has improved now. My spatial perception has improved to the point where hearing the word “blind” pricks at my conscience…

As for the deafness… there were definitely issues. Communicating through holograms in emergency situations has many inconveniences.

Although it’s very rare, if there comes a situation where holograms can’t be used, communication abilities would be severely restricted…

“Would bringing the Confession Necklace solve this?”

The Confession Necklace.

It was a lower-grade artifact according to the Association’s standards.

If you only consider its ability to reveal the wearer’s inner thoughts, it’s excellent for interrogation.

However, due to the fact that as you become more skilled, you can control the thoughts revealed and the fact that it leaves an imprint on the first wearer, it’s practically a curse-like artifact.

I found it in the original work and thought it was useless, so I just sold it at the auction house. There were many other good things, so there was no reason to carry that around.

Besides, there were many other ways to interrogate enemies.

But right now, there’s nothing as urgent as the Confession Necklace in my situation.

The imprinting effect for filtering inner thoughts? It’s actually good.

A necklace that can communicate thoughts better than eyes and a healthy body…

If I bring that, I will truly become a true advocate for disabilities. At that time, I will be able to confidently say that there is no discomfort around me.

– Ding!

As I was imagining an easy future, the elevator door opened. Beyond it, a corridor with a red carpet was revealed.

Luxurious decorations were displayed on both sides of the corridor, creating an atmosphere that made it difficult to touch them casually.

Feeling uneasy, I glanced at the decorations and took a step forward. The carpet was so luxurious that it felt a bit awkward to step on it.

Of course, the dormitory facilities below were incredibly impressive from my perspective, but here, it seemed to exceed that standard.

It was at a level where you could believe it was a mansion from a certain sign. The pottery placed there alone exuded a grandeur that could make a fortune.

I stood in front of the door at the end of the corridor.

The penthouse on the top floor. With a sigh, I pressed the doorbell next to the door.

Soon, someone will…

– Ring

“?”

The moment I pressed the doorbell, the door opened.

Standing in the entrance was a woman dressed in an outfit that seemed out of place for the times. They called that a maid outfit, right?

“Hello. I am Ariel Trident, in charge of Miss Hong Yeonhwa’s protection.”

Her half-closed black eyes blinked, then she bowed her waist and greeted me.

I also bowed my head in return.

[Hello.]

“Miss Yeonhwa is inside. If it’s not too much trouble, may I guide you?”

[Yes, please.]

“Very well, please follow me.”

With overly polite manners, Ariel turned around after our brief exchange.

Following her guidance inside, I scanned the room with spatial awareness.

Black hair and black eyes. Half-closed eyes and a modernized maid outfit.

‘Ariel Trident.’

It’s my first time seeing her in person, but I know her from the original work.

She plays the role of Hong Yeonhwa’s protector and servant, an essential character whenever Hong Yeonhwa is involved in the original work.

She was a top-tier hunter during her active days.

In the 11th round, when Hong Yeonhwa was relentlessly chasing me, it was Ariel who pursued me, not Hong Yeonhwa. It was quite a nuisance at the time.

“Here we are, sir.”

The interior was so spacious that walking was only a momentary task.

Ariel, standing right next to one of the doors, bowed her waist.

It seemed like this was the room where Hong Yeonhwa was. I nodded my head… Huh?

[You mean sir?]

“Oh, my mistake. Mr. Yi Hayul. Here we are.”

Ariel, muttering a mistake in a mechanical tone, opened the door.

‘…’

This is quite an extravagant treatment.

That was the impression I got. There was something uncomfortable about being treated as a mere guest from the start.

I entered the room with a strange expression.

The interior was very spacious.

All the furniture was elegantly designed, and one side of the wall was made of glass, allowing plenty of sunlight to stream in.

Hong Yeonhwa was lying on the bed, leaning against the backrest where the sunlight was pouring in.

Looking somewhat anxious, she turned her gaze from the hologram to me as she sensed my presence.

“Oh! You’re here?”

Her anxious expression turned into a bright smile. I also felt relieved and closed the distance between us.

While doing so, I carefully observed Hong Yeonhwa’s condition with spatial awareness. Skipping the external body, I first checked the state of her magical power inside.

‘Hmm…’

Her magical power was tangled and tangled in various ways. If it’s like that, it would be a significant hindrance in using magic.

Physically, there didn’t seem to be any major issues. Of course, if the magical power problem worsens, it would affect the body as well, but it wasn’t at that level yet.

I approached her at her call.

I brought a chair and placed it next to the bed, then sat down. Upon inspection, Hong Yeonhwa didn’t seem to be in severe pain, which put my mind at ease.

“Is there any pain? You were in pain when you came out of the tower the other day.”

[There’s no problem, just like the message I sent the other day. I’m more worried about you, Hong Yeonhwa. Are you feeling okay?]

“Yeah, there’s no need to worry at all. There’s nothing more than a bit of fatigue. It’ll recover on its own in a few days.”

I was honestly puzzled by Hong Yeonhwa’s first words.

She was the one who couldn’t attend the after-party due to feeling unwell and lying in bed, so why was I the one receiving her concern?

“How was the after-party yesterday? Anything special happen?”

‘Ah, here we go.’

She asked with a curious expression.

She must have felt regretful in many ways for not being able to attend the after-party yesterday.

I nodded vigorously and tapped on my smartwatch. I eagerly recounted what I had felt from the back view.

It was an attempt to slightly appease Hong Yeonhwa’s disappointment.

From the strange glances I received when I first entered, to the variety of food and drinks on the table, and the spacious and diverse facilities of the banquet hall.

The incident where I was swept away by the disciples for not knowing the etiquette related to the side table.

Being swayed in a daze and rescued by Baek Arin…

“That dog, hmph! Baek Arin didn’t do anything bad to you, did she?”

[Bad thing?]

I asked with a smirk, and Hong Yeonhwa glanced at my face for a moment before turning her head, saying it was nothing.

Whenever I had a question in the middle of something, I would ask it.

Especially when it came to Baek Arin, there were many questions, and it seemed like they got along well despite their bickering.

“Oh right. I’ve been curious since earlier, what’s that?”

As those words came out, I was about to reveal almost everything about the aftermath.

Hong Yeonhwa pointed to the gift envelope on the nearby table. Although she tried to act nonchalant, there was a clear expectation in her eyes.

‘Uh…’

My fingers, which had been tapping on the smartwatch, abruptly stopped.

I hesitated for a moment, then brought the gift envelope to my chest.

It was brought as a get-well gift… but it felt somewhat lacking.

The luxurious facilities I had seen here made me feel even more so.

The art pieces and the luxurious appearance of the hallway, the furniture that gleamed.

Hong Yeonhwa’s dorm, filled with luxury items…

Compared to those, the gift I brought was so plain and insignificant.

“Uh? Uh? What’s that?”

Hong Yeonhwa’s voice sounded excited somewhere. Judging by her expression, she seemed to have figured out why I brought it.

Should I hand it over? Should I just say there’s no gift right now? No, those expectant eyes would be disappointed. I hated that. But handing over this shabby thing would also seem disappointing…

In a moment, dozens of questions and answers went through my mind. I was surprised at how fast my mind was working.

‘……’

Her expectant gaze pierced through me. My body moved on its own. I nervously reached out the gift with trembling hands.

The hologram displayed the pre-copied sentence.

[It’s a get-well gift]

“Wow! Thank you so much…! I’ll take good care of it!”

The hidden expectation burst out. Hong Yeonhwa’s eyes sparkled as she reached out her hand.

Although I tried to take the gift back with a casual gesture, the difference in strength between me and Hong Yeonhwa was overwhelming. I had the gift taken away from me by Hong Yeonhwa without any resistance.

I suppressed the sigh that was about to burst in my empty hand. The habit of preventing the curse of silence was settling in.

“Can I open it now?”

[Yes]

With a scary speed, Hong Yeonhwa’s hand moved. With a careful touch, the wrapping paper gradually came off.

My heart pounded as Hong Yeonhwa carefully handled my gift. While my heart was touched by how precious she treated my gift, I couldn’t help but worry that such expectations might turn into disappointment.

Finally, the gift was unwrapped.

As my heart thumped, the contents of the gift spilled out into the blanket.

“A scarf?”

The gift was revealed in Hong Yeonhwa’s eyes.

The identity of the gift is a scarf. It’s a plain red scarf with no special decorations.

[They say temperature regulation is important for Fear users.]

The body of a Fear user is specialized for handling flames. As the body grows to better contain flames, their mana takes on the nature of fire.

Therefore, Fear users generally have very high body temperatures. However, it doesn’t mean their body temperature is high all the time.

Like Hong Yeonhwa now, there are cases where the body temperature drops rapidly due to various reasons.

It could be likened to the hot days and cold nights of a desert.

There are cases where the body temperature of a Fear user drops once and they keep falling without end.

Yeonhwa’s eyes blinked. She absentmindedly turned her gaze towards me while fiddling with the scarf.

I swallowed dryly and waited for her response.

In the information perceived through spatial awareness, I focused on the following words with concern.

“Thank you so much…! I’ll treasure it!”

Yeonhwa’s response filled with emotion made my heart thump. It was a heartbeat of joy, not tension.

While I was relieved, Yeonhwa happily fiddled with the scarf.

I carefully observed if she was acting to match my mood, but there was no sign of pretense.

‘I’m relieved…’

My anxious heart warmed up. This is why people give gifts, I thought. Seeing the recipient so happy made me happy too, and a smile naturally appeared on my face.

“It’s really soft… Where did you get this?”

Yeonhwa, confirming the texture while fiddling with the scarf, exclaimed in admiration. She seemed to like the texture that she felt in her hands.

I paid a lot of attention to the texture. Because of this, I couldn’t sleep a wink last night.

Taking a sip of the drink Eriel brought in the middle, I tapped on my smartwatch.

“I made it.”

“Oh. Hayul made… what?”

Yeonhwa, speaking with a strange attitude, suddenly turned her head. My body shuddered at the round eyes she widened.

I checked the hologram, wondering if I had said something wrong. There didn’t seem to be any issues.

Just in case it looked different from Yeonhwa’s perspective, I tapped on the smartwatch again.

“I made it.”

…

This time, there was no response.

She just stared at me with a blank expression.

…Why is she acting like this?