Side Story 43. The Story After (43)

It’s annoying. And tiring.

Alice watched the people moving back and forth in front of her and thought.

“Director-nim. The color at the tips of the eyes is a bit weak….”

“A color that matches Miss Alice’s vibe….”

She was sitting in the makeup room.

It’s a place where she wastes about an hour every time there’s an important event.

Alice kept refusing, but due to the strong opposition from someone influential in the Iris Guild, she eventually had to get makeup for every event.

For reference, that person is still letting out puffs of air while looking at Alice.

“Alice. You’ve become much prettier than before! Ah, Director-nim. The color of your lips seems weaker than usual?”

“You noticed. Considering the lighting at today’s party, we intentionally used one shade lighter….”

Alice sighed and watched Irene’s fuss.

Fortunately, it was almost time for entry, so the makeup was finished.

“Unnie. Next time, please cut it down to 30 minutes.”

“Okay. But the directors must be disappointed. They haven’t been able to properly showcase Alice’s charm. Should we start replacing them soon?”

“It’s not the directors who are the problem, it’s you, Unnie. I don’t want to create any more unemployed people.”

Alice and Irene headed towards the party venue, chatting.

The party at the venue had already begun.

Since the Iris Guild were the main hosts of the party, they would enter slowly.

“Alice. Did you prepare answers for the reporters’ questions? You have to answer everything today.”

“Of course. There’s hardly anything to explain anyway… I just need to show off my friendship with Lee Hoyeon well.”

The slander against the Iris Guild has already been explained.

The EK Guild wasn’t expecting a huge reaction either, so most of it was just crude rumors.

The purpose of today’s party is to prevent terrorism and show off the friendship with Lee Hoyeon.

“They’ll ask about Lee Hoyeon too. Like dating rumors.”

“Should we just reveal it this time?”

“That’s a good idea too. Although Father might get angry….”

“Hmm, that’s true. It would be better to wait at least until graduation from the academy.”

By then, Alice will inherit the Iris Guild, and Isaac will likely step down as Guild Master and be too busy gallivanting around.

He’ll probably be a little less interested in his daughter’s love life.

“We’re here. Let’s go in. Alice.”

“Okay. Unnie.”

There’s a predicted terrorist attack at this party venue.

And the people inside are trusting only the Iris Guild.

Perhaps it was because of the long makeup session.

Alice felt a slight tension as she entered the party venue.

• Today’s main hosts, the Iris Guild, are entering!

Click- Click-

The familiar sounds of shutters and camera flashes greeted Alice and Irene.

“Why are you holding the party even though a terrorist attack was predicted today?”

“What are your thoughts on the dissatisfaction regarding the Iris Guild’s aggressive business expansion?!”

Alice walked towards the center of the party venue with a smile.

Questions should only be taken during the Q&A session. The urgent matter right now is finding Lee Hoyeon.

Joining him and showing off their friendship was one of the biggest objectives of the party today.

‘Is it over there.’

Inside the party venue.

Even though all eyes were on the Iris Guild’s entrance, she could see a group of people gathered.

Seeing some reporters there too, it was clear Lee Hoyeon was present.

“Alice. I see Lee Hoyeon over….”

Irene, who was walking ahead of Alice, stopped in her tracks.

She had spotted Lee Hoyeon surrounded by reporters.

“… Lee Hoyeon?”

The reporters’ shutter sounds continued endlessly.

Lee Hoyeon, dressed in a neat suit with his hair slicked back, was talking to people with an awkward smile.

Irene stared blankly at his face for a moment.

“He’s so cool….”

Irene, who had re-established her understanding of the world’s beauty by looking at Alice for a month, erased that realization completely in 5 seconds.

“Unnie. What’s wrong all of a sudden? … Huh?”

And Alice, who would normally have nudged Irene’s shoulder to snap her out of it, also stopped walking upon seeing Lee Hoyeon.

The two sisters just stared blankly at Lee Hoyeon like that.

*

After entering the party venue.

Lee Hoyeon walked around the inside of the party venue, greeting people.

“Mage Lee Hoyeon! It’s an honor!”

“Thank you.”

Even though it was a party venue with a predicted terrorist attack, the people’s expressions were bright.

The reason became clear quickly.

“Even if the terrorism actually happens, we can rest assured because Mage Lee Hoyeon and the Iris Guild are here!”

“There won’t be any dangerous incidents, so don’t worry and enjoy the party.”

Some people believed the terrorism wouldn’t happen, while most thought that even if it did, the Iris Guild would stop it.

That’s how important the image they’ve built up until now is.

‘So those guys are the traitors?’

As he walked around the venue, he could see people from the EK Guild too.

There were people who conspicuously didn’t approach him, and when he looked at their faces, he could tell immediately.

Although it was the first time seeing them in person, he had memorized their faces from pictures provided by the Iris Guild.

‘Their magic power is suspicious?’

The magic power of several guilds, including the EK Guild, flickered in an unusual pattern.

It seemed like they were planning to betray them immediately once the signal came from inside.

‘Just in case, maybe I should set up a safety device.’

Lee Hoyeon brushed past the suspicious individuals, attaching magic power to their bodies.

If he decided to, the magic power would spread throughout their entire bodies.

• Today’s main hosts, the Iris Guild, are entering!

Finally, the Iris Guild began to enter.

Now, he needed to join them.

Lee Hoyeon quickly bid farewell to the people around him.

“I should be heading over to the Iris Guild side now. Everyone, have a good time.”

“M-Mage Lee Hoyeon! If you could spare us a moment….”

“Us too! About collaborating with our guild!”

“I apologize. Please make any official requests through the Iris Guild.”

Lee Hoyeon turned around with a smile.

He saw Alice and Irene standing in front of the Iris Guild members.

Isaac followed right behind them, and Lee Hoyeon noticed him glaring in his direction.

“Mage Lee Hoyeon. You look much better than you did a few days ago. Have you been using magic or something?”

Isaac, stepping forward past Alice, greeted Lee Hoyeon.

He wore a friendly smile, but somehow seemed angry.

“Thank you for the compliment. My secretary is quite interested in my appearance.”

“Is that so…. Tsk.”

He almost told him to go ahead and announce his marriage to that secretary he liked so much, but Isaac swallowed his words, conscious of the reporters nearby.

Right now, the priority was to publicize the friendship between the Iris Guild and Mage Lee Hoyeon.

‘What’s so great about that womanizer….’

The reason he showed hostility towards Lee Hoyeon was simple.

He had seen his two daughters standing there blankly staring at Lee Hoyeon.

He felt like shedding tears of blood as a father….

“Anyway, have a good time. Guild Master-nim.”

Lee Hoyeon bowed his head slightly and looked at Irene and Alice behind him.

Then he remembered what Scarlet had told him.

• There’s nothing quite like a ‘bisou’ to show off your friendship.

• A ‘bisou’? What’s that?

• It’s a French greeting where you touch cheeks and make a ‘kiss’ sound with your lips. You must know about them, Hoyeon-nim?

• … I think I might have seen them online? But I don’t think I’ve ever received one.

• That’s because it’s a greeting reserved for close relationships like family, relatives, or lovers. It’s not commonly done when meeting for official business. However, even in public settings, people sometimes exchange ‘bisous’ if their friendship is particularly strong.

Bisou.

It’s a European greeting where you touch cheeks and make a ‘kiss’ sound.

They say it’s not done in public settings, but Lee Hoyeon and Alice share a friendship that goes beyond that.

It seemed like a good way to demonstrate their closeness, so he had discussed it with Alice beforehand.

“Alice?”

“Ah….”

But something was strange.

Alice was supposed to initiate the ‘bisou’, but she was standing stiffly, as if frozen.

“Alice. Standing like that will just make it awkward, don’t you think?”

“… Did you put on perfume?”

“Uh, I think so?”

Scarlet recommended it, but why perfume out of the blue?

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Lee Hoyeon slightly distanced himself and examined Alice’s face.

Her flushed cheeks and eyes avoiding his gaze. Her rapid breathing and pounding heart.

Lee Hoyeon realized the state Alice and Irene were in, albeit belatedly.

Both of them were embarrassed.

The cause… was obvious without much thought.

They were embarrassed by Lee Hoyeon, who had dressed up for today.

‘As expected, women understand women best.’

Scarlet must have done such a good job decorating me.

Lee Hoyeon suppressed his rising smile, took Alice’s shoulders, and touched cheeks.

He made a ‘kiss’ sound on her heated cheek, then greeted the other side.

She still seemed dazed, so he gently flowed some magic power into Alice’s body.

“Hngh! Ugh. Hooo….”

Shivering from the familiar sensation, Alice looked at Lee Hoyeon in surprise.

Seeing him smiling with a face full of mischief brought her back to reality.

‘Wh-What a stupid thing to do….’

To get flustered and nervous over that pervert.

Alice couldn’t remember a day she resented herself more than today.

She felt like hiding in a mouse hole if one were available.

Lee Hoyeon left Alice be for a moment and approached Irene.

“Irene-ssi. It’s been a while.”

He exchanged ‘bisous’ with Irene too, touching cheeks, but she also stood there blankly.

In the end, he flowed magic power into her just like he did with Alice.

“Hhht! Ah!”

Irene blinked and looked directly at Lee Hoyeon.

Then, she looked back and forth between Alice and Lee Hoyeon before letting out an unidentifiable groan, like ‘eueu…’.

‘Irene-ssi has such a cute side.’

Lee Hoyeon smiled, looking at Irene’s gaze.

She must be wondering whether it’s Alice or me.

The answer to that question can be given in bed.

“Well then, let’s all go inside.”

Lee Hoyeon approached them to show off his friendship with the Iris Guild.