episode_0122

“Hahahaha! Come right in!”

The old man was characterized by his white hair and long beard. The first impression of Flame Emperor Hong Myeongseon was simply ‘jovial’ itself.

Passing through the gate of a house situated deep in the city center, I stepped onto the garden path and then into the entrance hall. That was how we arrived at Hong Yeonhwa’s house, where Hong Myeongseon was waiting.

Perhaps he had been contacted beforehand, for he greeted Cheon Soyul and me with a loud laugh.

Swinging his arms back and forth, Hong Myeongseon almost pushed us into the house. He then turned to Hong Yeonhwa and grinned.

“My granddaughter! Welcome! I was waiting, wondering if you’d had fun at the amusement park, but I never expected you to bring guests like these.”

“I’m home, Grandfather.”

“Heh heh, do you know how surprised I was to get your text? I’ve been anxiously waiting for you, you know?”

“…Grandfather, really.”

Hong Yeonhwa blushed slightly, appearing a little embarrassed by Hong Myeongseon’s teasing. But she didn’t seem to dislike it, so their grandparent-grandchild relationship seemed quite amicable.

Cheon Soyul and I exchanged a glance, then followed Hong Myeongseon and Hong Yeonhwa deeper into their house.

From the moment I saw it, I had wondered how they managed to acquire such a mansion in the middle of a bustling metropolis.

‘It’s spacious. Very spacious.’

Upon inspecting the interior, it was even more so. It was literally a mansion-level residence, not just a house. And it seemed they even employed servants…

Of course, as someone whose parents were a brilliant mage and Korea’s top scout-type Awakened, I had never lacked financially. However, having lived in an ordinary apartment, I couldn’t help but find it quite remarkable.

“Yeonhwa…?”

It was then that a new voice was heard. As I was admiring the mansion’s interior and decorations, I turned my head towards the source of the sound. A middle-aged woman stood there, appearing as if she had just emerged from the kitchen.

‘Could it be?’

Her appearance made me consider a possibility. She was a woman with an overall gentle impression, save for her sharp eyes. She greatly resembled the new friend I had made today from Jeokho Academy.

“Ah, Mother.”

As expected, Hong Yeonhwa’s eyes widened, and she trotted towards the woman. Then, a beat later, Hong Yeonhwa turned to us and started to speak, saying, “Ah.”

“Let me introduce you. These two people I met by chance are from Cheongsong Academy’s…”

“*Sob sob!*”

But before she could finish, the woman, Hong Yeonhwa’s mother, burst into tears and sank to the floor.

“?!”

“M-Mother? Why suddenly?”

Cheon Soyul and I, greatly flustered, kept extending and retracting our hands. While we couldn’t keep up with the sudden change in situation, Hong Myeongseon, behind us, was perfectly calm.

“Haha, don’t mind her. My daughter is just a bit over-the-top like that.”

“Y-Yes?”

“It seems Yeonhwa is happy to have brought a friend home. She must be moved.”

What did that mean? It was the moment I blinked, exchanging eye contact with the equally flustered Cheon Soyul.

“Yeonhwa, for our Yeonhwa to invite a friend home…! *Sob*, this mother is truly moved! How I’ve looked forward to a day like this ever since you were in elementary school!”

“M-Mother!”

Hong Yeonhwa’s mother sniffled, indirectly exposing her daughter’s usual social life, and Hong Yeonhwa’s face turned beet red as she shrieked.

Urgently helping her mother up, she glanced at us and stammered.

“P-Please don’t do this…! Do you have to make me so embarrassed?!”

“…Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, calm down, Yeonhwa.”

“Anyone listening would think I’m a hot-tempered person…!”

Hong Yeonhwa squeezed her eyes shut and pleaded, and her mother chuckled freely.

Hong Myeongseon, beside me, casually threw in a comment then.

“Isn’t it true?”

“Grandfather!!”

“Oops.”

The old man couldn’t handle his granddaughter’s outburst. He chuckled and grabbed my shoulder, hiding behind me.

“Well, look here. She’s a granddaughter who gets angry easily and is very shy, but she’s still a cute one. Could you perhaps get along well with her?”

“…!!”

“Uh, um.”

Hong Yeonhwa’s face flushed with heat, and I, caught in the middle, let out an awkward sound. But by what means could I refuse an elder’s request to get along with his granddaughter?

“I will, Flame Emperor-nim.”

I replied awkwardly, and Hong Myeongseon laughed heartily, patting my back vigorously.

“Haha! You don’t have to call me so formally! Just ‘Old Man’ is fine. Or, if you’re inclined, you could even call me Grandfather-nim…”

“*Screamed!*”

And at Hong Myeongseon’s doting words, Hong Yeonhwa erupted. Pummeling him with her small, fern-like fists, she spewed flames.

“Grandfather, please, don’t do this…! I texted you in advance not to play unnecessary pranks precisely because I thought you’d do this?!”

“Hehehe, the temperature has risen even more, Yeonhwa. This old man is happy that your magic duel with this friend seems to have had a good effect on you.”

Though small flames sporadically flew out, causing the wooden floor to gently smolder, the servants merely calmly reached for fire extinguishers. Only then did I understand that this family’s atmosphere was normally like this.

Signaling the approaching servants with fire extinguishers to stop, I finished extinguishing the flames with cold air, and for some reason, a fresh laugh escaped my lips.

“What?! Our daughter brought a boy home?!”

“Is he handsome?”

“They say there’s a girl too?”

“Is she pretty?!”

Perhaps it was thanks to my slightly increased understanding. Soon after, when Hong Yeonhwa’s father, older brother, and older sister came rushing down from the second floor, I was able to maintain my composure.

Special trait: Fire-attribute, very boisterous.

After watching the chaos for a moment, I quietly whispered to Cheon Soyul beside me.

“They’re an interesting family.”

“…Y-Yeah.”

Cheon Soyul reluctantly nodded. Even she couldn’t entirely hide her awkward expression.

*****

“*Huuuuh…*”

Hong Yeonhwa weakly caught her breath and flopped down onto the porch.

It had been a chaotic day.

The news that ‘that’ Ice Empress’s favorite disciple and Manroe’s daughter had visited was apparently enough to excite the family relatives staying at the mansion.

Among them, her father was particularly the hardest to handle.

She hadn’t even brought only Lee Hyunjin, yet how much she had struggled to deal with her father persistently clinging to him and being noisy.

Naturally, Hong Yeonhwa had no romantic feelings whatsoever for Lee Hyunjin.

She wasn’t completely uninterested in him, but if anything, the person she had the most fervent fan-like devotion for was the other one: Cheon Soyul.

The unrivaled top second-year student at Cheongsong Academy among mages of her age. If limited to the same gender… isn’t she the future Archmage, considered the best among female mages?

The moment she accepted her dinner invitation, how much she had secretly cheered.

She had even asked her to stay overnight, wanting to have private conversations and discuss heat-attribute magic.

And Cheon Soyul had accepted it without any hesitation.

“…Heh.”

Hong Yeonhwa sat on the porch, swinging her legs loosely. A languid voice leaked from her lips, an added bonus.

Currently, she had finished her meal and gone to wash up. Hong Yeonhwa had prepared her own clothes for her.

Their physiques seemed similar from the outside, so size wouldn’t be an issue.

‘What, what should we play? …A board game? Now that I think about it, where’s that magic chessboard? It was for Awakened ones only.’

Hong Yeonhwa drew a bright smile, waiting for Cheon Soyul to emerge.

If she was there, there was no reason not to include Lee Hyunjin as well.

It was then that Hong Yeonhwa’s thoughts first turned to Lee Hyunjin.

Stopping her swinging legs, she recalled what had happened during the day.

A man who had spent a shameful night of illicit play with another woman despite having a perfectly fine fiancée. However, his magic skills were undeniably impressive.

‘…It was almost a complete defeat.’

Hong Yeonhwa slightly furrowed her brows. It was a somewhat vexing memory to recall, but today’s sparring had certainly left a strong impression on her.

It had been a very long time since she had been so thoroughly defeated… And if she were to consider students of her age, it was almost unique.

“…*Hmph, hm.*”

After a peculiar nasal sound, Hong Yeonhwa’s eyes narrowed.

She didn’t show it, but yes. She was a little vexed. No, quite a lot.

Her deliberation while sitting still didn’t last long. With a grunt, Hong Yeonhwa stood up, reaching a conclusion about Lee Hyunjin.

“Alright, then.”

While her primary focus would be Cheon Soyul, there was no doubt that Lee Hyunjin was also a person to watch carefully.

If she observed him closely, she might even be able to learn from his excellent qualities as a mage.

Even putting aside his highly questionable personal life (?) and behavior, his character itself didn’t seem particularly bad.

She didn’t want to admit it willingly, but—

Anyway.

“She should be coming out soon, shouldn’t she…?”

Hong Yeonhwa checked the time and spun around. Now, she would be able to see Soyul Unnie appearing in her pajamas.

The corners of her lips twitched slightly. It seemed she was quite expectant, but.

“*Eh.*”

Hong Yeonhwa’s expectations, however, might have been shattered in a rather unfortunate way.

“…Ah, oh. Yeonhwa? Were you, *huff*, waiting for us…?”

“…”

Cheon Soyul appeared in her pajamas, yet somehow, very disheveled. Her hair seemed not entirely dry and was still damp, and a reddish flush lingered on her cheeks.

And then, appearing right behind her, was Lee Hyunjin.

“…”

No way, did they bathe together? Under heaven, men and women are distinct [a saying emphasizing the traditional separation and distinction between genders], so are they saying they took a bath together just now??

Furthermore, those flushed cheeks and legs twisted in an inexplicable way.

No way.

No way.

…No way.

“H-Haha.”

A strained laugh escaped Hong Yeonhwa’s lips.

Her reddish eyes suddenly dulled to a dark, lifeless gaze.

‘I’ll kill him I’ll kill him I’ll kill him I’ll kill him I’ll kill him.’

It was the moment she unleashed her killing intent towards Lee Hyunjin.