episode_0088

I spent the whole day closely hanging out with Yeon Myeong-ha. And as evening approached, we prepared to head back to yesterday’s banquet hall.

I had been informed in advance by my employer that the head of the red-haired family from the lab would be present this evening.

All the windows are covered with curtains and the only sound that comes from a dark room without a mirror is the sound of something being touched.

“Head… Neat… The clothes frame is also good… The scent goes well together… ”

After inspecting my outfit for a while, Yeon Myeong-ha gently touched her nose to my chest before leaving.

She said, nodding her head as if satisfied. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, as if she had put on makeup.

“What’s the use of it all since you’re putting this on your face anyway?”

As I spoke while feeling the texture of the mask in my hand, Yeon Myeong-ha shook her head violently.

“Still, you have to do what you have to do, right? Did you see your mother yesterday? My parents are really strict people. It’s better to look a little eccentric than to look shabby. Wizards are very strict with incompetents, but they tend to be quite lenient with weirdos… ”

Then he did not hide his regretful expression.

“It’s a shame… It’s really perfect… ”

“… I am sorry.”

There was still no way for me to get a reaction close to a seizure even if I caught a glimpse of my figure in a window or a puddle of water.

“Ugh, no. Rather than that, let’s go now. I think we’re almost ready.”

Then Yeon Myeong-ha shook her head and grabbed my sleeve.

I checked my outfit one last time and followed after her.

Guided by the waiting employee, we passed through yesterday’s long hallway and headed back to the banquet hall in the main building.

As I passed a familiar section, I glanced to the side. The photo of the man and woman who looked just like Yeon Myeong-ha was still there.

When I look ahead again, I see a woman who looks like she came out of a photo, walking in step with me. He seemed a little nervous and gurgled slightly.

This feels really weird.

Unlike yesterday, the banquet hall we arrived at had a rather extravagant and noisy atmosphere. Sensitive electric lamps emit bright light in all directions, and employees preparing hot meals also walk around in a hurry.

After spending some time, I began to see a middle-aged man approaching with several attendants.

Yeon Myeong-ha approaches him with slow steps and bows deeply.

“Long time no see, father. How have you been?”

Then the man made a gesture to lift his waist and let out a dry voice.

“Are you coming? You look good too. It’s definitely been 3 years… Oh my god.”

When Yeon Myeong-ha raises her head, the man’s eyes are instantly filled with surprise.

He stopped talking and was blank for a moment.

“I thought this would turn into a lady, but it was beyond my imagination. How could it be that he looks so much like his mother?”

“I’m still not good enough to follow in my mother’s footsteps. I will work harder.”

Although he still looked pitiful and restrained, there was a hint of satisfaction on his face.

My eyes naturally turn to the man’s back. The hostess of Jeokhwa, who welcomed us yesterday, was there with us.

Although he tried to appear solemn under the bright lights, his nervous and anxious expression was still evident on his face.

Aren’t you also from the Demonic Twenty-Seven Tribe and now the wife of one of the most prestigious families?

I couldn’t figure out what on earth made that person so anxious.

What I didn’t understand even more was her reaction when the man told her that she looked just like her mother.

It was only a split second, but I could clearly see her face contorting as if she had just heard the most horrible curse in the world.

I also don’t think she looks much like her mother… Still, does it make sense for a child to show that kind of expression just because he or she looks like him?

The man who greeted Yeon Myeong-ha came up to me, who was standing behind me, and offered to shake my hand.

“Welcome. The matriarch of Jeokhwa. It is called Yeonjeongmun.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Yoo Jin-hyeon.”

I held his outstretched hand and faced the man.

Should I say that it feels like they changed Yeon Myeong-ha into a man and made her look much older?

He still had clear traces of his childhood in the photos, but time was slowly taking away his youth.

Her hair and skin were dull and dull, and her eyes were dim, so she wore thick glasses.

At first glance, the eyes seemed to have lost their shine and were dark, but beyond them, some kind of light, unknown whether it was gunfire or madness, occasionally twinkled.

Suddenly, the image of the principal, who still retains the beauty of his youth, comes to mind. She must have still been young when this person was in her cradle. It was said that a wizard with exceptional qualities could suppress aging and remain young until death. So does that mean this person hasn’t reached that level?

A disciple who looks older than his teacher…

Just as I was examining the man, he was also examining me. It feels like his gaze will pierce the mask. Next to him, Yeon Myeong-ha was looking at him sideways, looking a little nervous.

But his sharp eyes glanced at me in an instant and disappeared.

“I am late in greeting you because I have an important research project to attend to. You’ve been rude to a guest who hasn’t visited in a long time. Please consider it with a generous heart.”

“Oh, no. senior… Thanks to my senior’s care, I was able to live without any inconvenience. In fact, I received a warm welcome.”

It seemed like there was a need to adjust her title in front of her parents.

However, the unexpected kindness towards me is a bit surprising. Jeokhwa has clearly been famous for his vicious nature due to mental contamination for generations?

No matter how much he made up his manners, he was someone you couldn’t even pity when you first met him. Perhaps she took away her mother’s personality rather than her appearance. So then that wasn’t a compliment? It’s so confusing that it’s hard to get a feel for it.

“Thank you for considering me that way. Now, don’t do this here, just take a seat.”

He gestured toward the chair provided.

The moment he turns around. Suddenly, I heard a small metallic sound, so I checked the source.

An ornament that looked like a religious symbol was hung like a necklace around the neck of the head of the Jeokhwa family.

Unlike the ordinary crosses you usually see, the upper part looks oddly long. Due to the difference, at first glance, it appears as if the cross is hanging upside down.

The necklace that was revealed for a moment soon disappeared into his collar, and since I was also completely ignorant of religion, I no longer paid any attention to it.

However, I still remember him saying that his face brightened noticeably after receiving counseling from the nuns he visited every month. Is counseling with religious people that effective? To a certain extent, it alleviates mental pollution and perhaps even reduces personality?

If that’s the case, I’d like to seriously think about taking refuge.

At the gesture of the man’s hand, they take their seats one by one, and with soft music playing, the employees begin to bring food.

“Okay. I’ve already heard that you received the Gold Star Military Merit Medal. In addition, he beat Paecheon and took first place in Cradle.”

“Yes, father.”

The man nodded slowly, as if satisfied with Yeongyeonha’s confirmation.

“If it is the successor to Jeokhwa, it should be like that. How can I stand up if I fall behind those rat-like losers? Even though it was a little late, you did well. I hope you continue to achieve that well in the future.”

“Thank you, father. I will work harder.”

Although his voice was dry, the person sitting next to him was overjoyed. Conversations in a similar vein continued afterwards. But I tilted my head as the sense of discomfort grew.

He only repeatedly, like a parrot, praised the honor he had earned through the Gold Star Military Service Medal and his achievements in overcoming defeat. I have no interest in things like her mental contamination or her near-death crisis in the South.

Just like her mother, who keeps drinking from her glass without saying a word.

Even the pitiful person seemed to have taken it as a compliment to himself, but only showed a happy expression…

“… This is also thanks to the help of my junior here, both materially and spiritually. If it weren’t for this kid, I would have been struggling quite a bit by now.”

“… okay. He is a recommended student of Black Lotus.”

With a gesture of sympathy, the man looks at me again.

“I was so focused on my research that I had no interest in the outside world, but it seems like I heard the story at first glance. For the first time in 17 years, Heukryeon designated a recommended student. Was it Sogaju’s recommendation? The nobles over there have long since lost any interest in extracurricular activities.”

“Yes.”

I nodded at his words.

“You seem to have some unique aspects, but your skills seem to be solid. Our Red Lotus has maintained a close relationship with the Black Lotus for generations. We have a common enemy called trash and failure.”

His eyes turn to my mask again.

“It’s not a direct relationship, but I’m very satisfied that the relationship seems to continue anyway. Please serve my daughter well. It is clear that Heukryeon is a famous and prestigious family, but compared to the rich history of our Jeokhwa, it has some shortcomings. Moreover, that proud Patcheon was soon thrown to the ground… ”

“… ”

Serve? I guess it’s just my mood that there are certain words that are oddly annoying.

As I slowly turn my head to the side, I see Yeon Myeong-ha looking at me and her father in turn with a restless expression.

I guess I heard it wrong.