Chapter 248: Celebration Party (4)

“

Whoa!

I knew it! Sir Alkaid did confess first!” Melissa clasped her hands together as her eyes sparkled with admiration.

Awe and reverence filled her gaze toward Isabella. The lecture Isabella had given her in the limousine flashed through her mind.

This is what it means to take control in love!

Melissa winked at Isabella and gave her a discreet thumbs-up that she remembered her advice perfectly.

Overwhelmed by Melissa’s adoring gaze, Isabella turned her pale face away. “Y-Yes. M-Mr. Oh-Jin was the one who... who confessed first. I-I should go finish cooking—”

Isabella desperately tried to change the subject and stood up, but the curiosity of a girl just beginning to understand love could not be stopped.

“Where?”

“What?”

“Where did he confess to you?”

“

Uh

. W-Well, that’s...”

Isabella glanced toward Kwon Oh-Jin and Song Ha-Eun. Both of them caught on to what was happening. Kwon Oh-Jin lightly chuckled, and Song Ha-Eun barely held in her laugh with both hands on her mouth as if she would explode at any moment.

Isabella bit her lip and gripped her skirt tightly. “I-It was at the beach.”

“

Ah!

San Fruttuoso! It was back then!”

“T-That’s right.”

Melissa squealed in delight with her eyes tightly shut. “A confession on a beach at sunset?! That’s so romantic!”

No one had mentioned a sunset, but her imagination was already running wild.

“Melissa, please calm down a—”

“What did he say? What was the most important line of the confession? What sweet words of love did Sir Alkaid whisper to you?”

“W-Words of love?” Isabella’s legs trembled as she squeezed out the words in embarrassment. “H-He said he would become my hope.”

He had whispered those words while holding her. Of course, it hadn’t quite been the kind of romantic line Melissa was imagining, but those words had shaken Isabella far more than any clumsy declaration of love ever could.

“Hope? Not love?”

“Yes...”

“

Hmmm.

” Melissa squinted as she hadn’t quite expected that.

Then, she turned her gaze to Kwon Oh-Jin with both her fists clenched.

“Sir Alkaid! When did you fall in love with Miss Isabella?”

“

Uh...

That’s...”

“M-Mr. Oh-Jin!” Isabella turned toward him and clasped her hands together as if praying. She silently pleaded for him to play along.

Kwon Oh-Jin scratched his head. “Maybe since the moment I first saw her?”

“

Ahh!

I knew it! It was love at first sight!”

Melissa pressed her flushed cheeks and squealed again, squirming from side to side in bliss.

“Melissa, I think it’s time we headed out,” Roberto said.

“

Ah!

B-But I still have more to ask—!”

Roberto deeply sighed and began dragging out Melissa, who acted completely out of control like an eight-ton truck with its brakes cut.

When they finally left, Song Ha-Eun burst out laughing and rolled on the floor. “

Pwahahahahahahahaha!

What the heck? So you’ve been going around telling people that you’re dating Oh-Jin?!”

“B-Be quiet, unnie!”

“

Ahahahaha!

This is freaking hilarious!”

“Unnie!” Flushed with embarrassment, Isabella turned to Kwon Oh-Jin. “Mr. Oh-Jin! Please stop her—”

“Seeing you again, Isabella, I’m reminded of that beach at sunset.”

“What...?”

Kwon Oh-Jin looked out the window and continued. “That day, I finally gathered the courage to confess.”

“

Heek

.”

“I told you that I would become your hope, Isabella.”

“N-Not you too, Mr. Oh-Jin!” Isabella stumbled back, pale with shock.

Kwon Oh-Jin laughed at her bright-red face. She usually carried the elegant and noble aura of an aristocratic lady, but seeing her malfunction and not knowing what to do made him chuckle.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t we a couple?” he teased.

“

Ahhh! Ahh, ahhhhhh!

” Isabella stomped her feet as tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t believe this! You’re both so mean!” Isabella suddenly grabbed a teacup and threw it.

Kwon Oh-Jin caught the empty teacup with ease and glanced at his watch. “By the way, is it okay for us to just be hanging around like this?”

“

Huh?

”

“There are only two hours left until the guests arrive.”

Isabella’s eyes widened. “

Ah!

”

Time had flown by in all the chaos.

“I-I’ll start cooking right away!” She darted off to the kitchen.

***

Han Jun-Man arrived first. “Congratulations on becoming one of the Seven Stars, Oh-Jin.”

Behind him, a boy wearing a white lab coat raised his hand energetically. “I’m here too!”

It was Kim Si-Hoo, the head of the association’s Astral Relic research lab. Despite his young age, he had landed the position thanks to his genius Astral Relic crafting skills.

“It’s been a while,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

They had regularly met for weapon maintenance in the past, but they hadn’t seen each other much after Kwon Oh-Jin acquired the Living Armor’s spear.

“I heard rumors that you got a new Astral Relic,” Kim Si-Hoo said.

“This one?”

Kwon Oh-Jin took out a folding knife from his waist and infused it with mana.

In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a spear.

Shrrrk! Click!

“

Ooooh!

That must be the rumored Ego Weapon!” Kim Si-Hoo reached for the spear with an excited expression, but the weapon suddenly released blue sparks.

Crackle!

“You can’t touch it unless you’re the owner.”

“

Hmm

, I see.” Kim Si-Hoo pulled out a magnifying glass from his lab coat pocket. “Could you set it down on the floor for a second?”

“Sure.”

Kwon Oh-Jin set the Living Armor’s spear down.

When Kim Si-Hoo brought the magnifier close, a bluish light began to unravel like threads and wrapped around the weapon.

“

Hmm

. A Dantalian,

huh

.”

“Dantalian?”

“That’s the name of the spear. It’s inscribed near the shaft.”

“What?”

Kwon Oh-Jin cocked his head and looked near the spear’s shaft. He only saw smooth, pitch-black darkness with no writing.

“

Ah

, to be precise, the spell is engraved inside the shaft. You can only see it using this.” Kim Si-Hoo held out the Astral Relic shaped like a magnifying glass.

Kwon Oh-Jin stared at the black spear with interest.

Dantalian, huh.

He knew it was an Ego Weapon, but never really considered that it had an actual name since he rarely felt that the weapon actually had self-awareness.

Kwon Oh-Jin grasped the spear and called out its name. “Dantalian.”

The black spear vibrated and released a powerful energy.

Woong!

Infusing just a touch of mana into Dantalian, Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes widened.

“

Huh?

The output feels stronger than usual.”

All he said was the weapon’s name, yet it released noticeably denser mana than usual.

“It’s because of the name,” Kim Si-Hoo said.

“What?”

“The stronger the self-awareness inside the weapon, the better its performance. That’s how Ego Weapons work.” Kim Si-Hoo studied the black spear again with his magnifier. “How about coming to the lab sometime? With the equipment there, I could analyze the writing inside the spear in more detail.”

“Okay, I will.” Kwon Oh-Jin smiled at the unexpected discovery.

With a mischievous grin, Kim Si-Hoo poked Kwon Oh-Jin in the side. “How’s that? Pretty good for a congratulatory gift,

huh?

”

“Eat to your heart's content today.”

Kwon Oh-Jin laughed and patted Kim Si-Hoo on the shoulder.

“

Ugh

, now I feel embarrassed about my gift.” Han Jun-Man awkwardly looked down at the fruit basket he had brought.

“Embarrassed? Not at all. I’ll enjoy it.”

“

Haha

. I bought it with my own money, not the company’s.”

Just as Kwon Oh-Jin accepted the large fruit basket from Han Jun-Man, Lee Woo-Hyuk arrived.

“Long time no see, Mr. Oh-Jin. I’ve been so focused on training since the Living Armor incident, I didn’t get a chance to contact you properly.”

The aura he gave off had completely changed since the last time Kwon Oh-Jin saw him.

He reached nine stars recently, didn’t he?

Compared to when Lee Woo-Hyunk was at eight stars, the energy radiating from him now made him feel like a completely different person.

“Looks like your training paid off,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

“

Haha

, not as much as yours, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

Lee Woo-Hyuk couldn’t hide his shock. He already knew that Kwon Oh-Jin wasn’t just chosen as a Seven Star by chance, but he didn’t expect him to be this strong.

He’s really only an eight-star, right?

Lee Woo-Hyuk shook his head in disbelief.

“Here’s a little gift.” Kim Seon-Young, the Valhalla Guild’s vice guild master, also came with Lee Woo-Hyuk. She handed over a bottle of champagne labeled Dom Perignon.

Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes wavered slightly as he looked at her. He suddenly recalled how she had glared at Lee Shin-Hyuk and shouted that they needed to save Lee Woo-Hyuk instead.

“What are you hesitating for?! He’s your brother! The only family you have left!”

For some reason, a surge of irritation bubbled up within him.

“Mr. Oh-Jin?”

“

Ah

, yes. Thank you.”

Kwon Oh-Jin accepted the champagne and turned away. He walked away to cool his head.

Get a grip.

It was already in the past.

After that, Vega and Riarc also joined the party.

“My child! Congratulations!”

“

Grrr

.

Hmph

, not bad, kid.”

Rebecca also arrived with her usual cheerful smile. “Mister! How have you been?”

Now that everyone had gathered, Song Ha-Eun raised her glass and burst into laughter. “Okay! Then, in celebration of Oh-Jin of Alkaid...

pfft!

Wow, that title is seriously awkward.”

“Shut it and finish your toast,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

“

Ahem!

Anyway! Let’s raise a glass to our Oh-Jin becoming one of the Seven Stars! Cheers!”

With a clear clink of glasses, the party kicked off noisily nd cheerfully.

“Delicious! As expected, this flavor can’t compare to what Ha-Eun usually makes!” Vega said.

“What?”

“You made all this by yourself?”

Those who tasted Isabella’s cooking widened their eyes in amazement, showering her with praise. The party only grew livelier as the food and drinks kept coming.

Kwon Oh-Jin felt a strange sensation on his leg.

Hmm?

Looking down, he saw a slender, pale leg brushing teasingly against his. Startled, he looked up across the table and saw Isabella acting as if nothing was happening.

“What are you—”

“Do you need anything else, Mr. Oh-Jin?” Wearing a mischievous smile, Isabella skillfully moved her foot and lightly stroked his foot under the table.

Only lovers secretly exchanged such intimate gestures. It didn’t take much for Kwon Oh-Jin to realize why Isabella was doing this.

Is this because of earlier?!

Getting embarrassed in front of Melissa seemed to trigger something in her. From across the table, Isabella extended both her long legs and entwined them around his.

“W-Wait a sec...”

What was she thinking, doing this in the middle of a crowded room? He tried to pull his leg away in a panic.

“Stay still.”

He couldn’t move.

Isabella slowly slid her legs up and down, tickling his shins. No, the word tickling was far too tame as the sensation was charged with an electric, sensual pleasure.

“You had fun teasing me earlier, didn’t you?” As if unwilling to let it go, Isabella intensified the movement of her legs.

Kwon Oh-Jin clenched his jaw to endure the wave of stimulation and screamed internally.

Come on! Even Ha-Eun was in on it, so why only me?!

He glanced desperately toward Song Ha-Eun for help, but she was too busy chugging the champagne Lee Woo-Hyuk had brought and chatting away to notice anything happening under the table.

“

Ugh

.” Kwon Oh-Jin bit his lip and tried to focus on something else.

As if mocking his efforts to distract himself, Isabella moved her foot up toward his thigh.

N-No!

Practically everyone he knew was at this party. If anyone discovered this humiliating scene, the aftermath would be nothing short of a disaster.

Shit, I made a sound.

Kwon Oh-Jin tightly shut his eyes and endured the overwhelming rush of pleasure.