Chapter 274: Interlude - Two Lovers

The next day, after leisurely completing the hospital discharge paperwork and spending a night at a nearby hotel, Song Ha-Eun returned home and sat across from the two people who had just finished breakfast.

She glanced at Kwon Oh-Jin and Isabella, who radiated a strange atmosphere, and smirked.

“So, did you guys do it?” she straight-up asked, unannounced.

Isabella shot up, flushing bright red. “Unnie!”

Kwon Oh-Jin coughed awkwardly and turned his head to avoid Song Ha-Eun’s gaze.

“Yup, you guys totally did.” Song Ha-Eun shook her head with a sigh.

She had expected it, but seeing the two of them radiate that fresh, loving energy made her feel sick. What could she do? She was the one who permitted them.

“Oh, right. Oh-Jin, the gorilla man was looking for you.”

“Han Jun-Man was?”

“Yeah. Yesterday, I mentioned that you were planning to head to the Demonic District. He said that he wants to see you once you’re discharged. He’s got something to give you.”

What could it be?

“It’s from that kid, Kim Si-Hoo, I think? Apparently, he made it himself,” Song Ha-Eun explained.

“Really?” Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes lit up at the mention of Kim Si-Hoo.

It was definitely worth looking forward to if that prodigy, with no rival in the country when it came to crafting Astral Relics, made it.

“Did he say what it was?”

“Not exactly. Just that it’d come in handy in the Demonic District.”

“

Hmm...

I guess I’ll have to check it out myself.”

“Yeah, you should. He was worried about you since the Serpens Queen utterly defeated you.”

“Utterly defeated, huh?”

“Well, did you win then?”

“No.”

I did get destroyed.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

“She was way stronger than me, so what could I possibly do?”

Song Ha-Eun giggled at the sight of Kwon Oh-Jin grumbling.

Somehow, he had always managed to pull off miraculous victories even against tough opponents. Right now, he looked quite dejected.

She playfully tugged his cheek and lightly shoved him on the back. “Go on, quickly.”

“Alright. I’ll swing by the association, then.”

“Take care, Mr. Oh-Jin. Oh, should I ask Roberto to give you a ride?”

“Nah, it’s close anyway.” Kwon Oh-Jin shrugged and stepped out.

***

As the front door shut tight, a heavy silence fell over the house. Song Ha-Eun and Isabella fiddled with their phones, sneaking glances at each other.

A man and two women, neither of them knew how to treat the other in this far-from-ordinary relationship. Despite knowing each other for quite a while, they now felt like strangers meeting for the first time. It felt like running into a friend-of-a-friend that one only recognized by face, and getting stuck together on an awkward elevator ride.

Isabella broke the awkward silence first. “Thank you, unnie.”

Wearing an apron and finishing the dishes, she softly smiled.

“If you hadn’t given your permission, I would’ve gone through life never knowing what it feels like to be this happy.”

The happiness felt as sweet as melted sugar. Now that Isabella had finally gotten together with Kwon Oh-Jin, whom she had long yearned for, her smile sparkled with joy.

“You don’t have to thank me. I just respected the choice Oh-Jin made.”

“But if you had opposed it, I’m sure Mr. Oh-Jin would’ve changed his mind.”

“That’s...”

She had a point.

If Song Ha-Eun had firmly rejected Isabella, Kwon Oh-Jin would have cut things off with her without hesitation. To him, the most important person wasn’t Isabella, but her.

Song Ha-Eun smirked as she leaned back comfortably in her chair. For some reason, a strange satisfaction swelled up within her.

“Unnie?”

“Huh?

Oh,

it’s nothing.” Song Ha-Eun shrugged with a proud expression. “Well, it’s true that Oh-Jin always followed me well. Even back when we were in the orphanage, he’d run through fire and water just for me.”

She recalled old memories with a high and mighty expression. They had a long-time bond since their days at the orphanage. The fortress of solid memories they had built over a lifetime together wasn’t something Isabella could ever hope to reach.

Isabella's brow twitched slightly as a faint vein appeared on her forehead. Seeing Song Ha-Eun proudly recalling memories with Kwon Oh-Jin made something bubble up inside her.

“Well, if we’re comparing, Mr. Oh-Jin risked his life for me twice.”

Once, when she had been trapped in the Demonic District, and again during Cassia’s attack. Without hesitation, he had thrown himself into danger to save her.

“That was just because you guys were in an urgent situation. You don’t have to risk your life to prove someone is precious to you, you know? Trust between people is something that takes a long time to build.” Song Ha-Eun kept emphasizing the amount of time.

Isabella smiled sweetly and nodded. Her smile looked picture-perfect, but her eyes had gone cold. “Time is something I can build up from now on. Eventually, I won’t be any different from you, you know?”

“What do you mean, no different?”

“Well, it’s like when you’re in your teens. A one-year age gap feels huge, but a couple of years barely matters when you’re in your thirties or forties.”

As the time spent with Kwon Oh-Jin grew, the unique memories that only he and Song Ha-Eun shared would slowly dwindle.

“

Hmph

, you think those two things are the same? Some things don’t change no matter how much time passes. You don’t know what he was like back at the orphanage, do you?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

“Oh my, are you one of those people who always start their stories with, ‘Back in my day?’”

Song Ha-Eun flinched, and her lips twitched. “Are you jealous?”

“Of course not. I’m just the second, after all.” Isabella leaned forward slightly. “And thinking back to last night... there’s no reason to be jealous.”

She gently placed her hand over her chest, recalling the previous night. The hot breath that tickled her skin. The sensation of his strong arms wrapping around her as if to break her. Kwon Oh-Jin had devoured her like a beast.

“

Hehe

. Mr. Oh-Jin was something else... Even though he wasn’t fully healed, he went at it again and again.” Isabella placed her hands on her cheeks and blushed as she recalled last night’s passion. “He really seemed to love this.”

She glanced at Song Ha-Eun and subtly pushed her breasts forward. Her deep cleavage immediately drew Song Ha-Eun’s attention.

Song Ha-Eun gulped dryly as her eyes landed on the generous curves clearly visible even beneath the loose apron. She wasn’t exactly lacking herself, but she couldn’t compete against those gravity-defying peaks.

Her face twisted in irritation. “

Ha

. As if you two actually managed to do it properly.”

Isabella’s expression stiffened. “H-How would you know that?”

Just as Song Ha-Eun had guessed, Isabella had been so nervous last night that she went stiff like a statue and simply followed Kwon Oh-Jin’s lead. Considering how seductive she usually was, it had been an embarrassingly clumsy first experience.

“I mean, it’s obvious.” Song Ha-Eun grinned and proudly raised her chin. “I’ve got way more experience with Oh-Jin. These days, I’m usually the one taking the lead.”

“Who takes the lead isn’t important, is it?”

“Sure, sure. It’s not important at all.”

Isabella bit her lip in frustration at Song Ha-Eun nodding with a victorious smile. The smug look on her face seemed to say, “You’re no match for me.” It made Isabella’s blood boil.

Then, her gaze fell on Song Ha-Eun’s chest, where their difference was most apparent. She knew how childish it was to feel superior over something like breast size, but people became absurdly childish when their emotions flared up.

“Y-You’ve got such tiny boobs!” Isabella shouted.

“It’s not that I’m small. Yours are just unnecessarily big!”

“They’re not unnecessary! You have no idea how much Mr. Oh-Jin loves them!”

“Oh, now you’re trying to one-up me again? Did you already forget how that ended last time?”

“

Hmph

. If you’re scared of losing, just say so.”

“I-I’m not scared, okay?!”

“Oh my, you’re awfully loud for someone who’s not scared.”

The two women stood up at the same time, glaring at each other like they would fight. However, an awkward silence soon fell between them again.

Around ten seconds passed without either one of them saying a word. Their eyes met in the air, and they both dryly laughed.

“

Haaa

. Look at us. Two grown women acting so childish,” Song Ha-Eun said.

“I know, right?”

Song Ha-Eun and Isabella sighed together and shook their heads.

“Honestly, this is all that jerk’s fault.”

“You’re right, unnie. It’s all Mr. Oh-Jin’s fault.”

They seemed ready to kill each other just moments ago, but now exchanged light laughter.

“Anyway... thank you for letting me stay by Mr. Oh-Jin’s side, unnie.” Isabella brightly smiled. “And also...

um

, yesterday you said it felt like you gained a little sister, right?”

“Yeah, I did.”

Turning her head shyly, Isabella tried to hide her flushed cheeks. “I felt like I gained an older sister too. I had one before, but it’s been a long time since we saw each other.

The affectionate older sister from her memories had tried to kill her. Of course, Cassia had been under the Heavenly Demon’s control. Still, even when they reunited in front of the Sanctum yesterday, it hadn’t exactly been a warm conversation.

“Well, let’s get along from now on since things turned out this way,” Song Ha-Eun said.

“I agree.”

Song Ha-Eun took Isabella’s hand and smiled.

“Oh, right. If some other chick tries to go after Oh-Jin—”

“I’ll take care of it myself,” Isabella said with a chilling grin. “I won’t let anyone come near Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“Good.” Song Ha-Eun nodded in satisfaction as if she had gained a powerful ally. “Come to think of it, I’ve been getting a weird feeling about someone.”

“Who?” Isabella asked.

“Phecda.”

“Miss Rebecca?”

“Yeah, she sat on Oh-Jin’s lap before. Can you believe that?”

“Tell me everything...”

For a while, the two women huddled together and plotted ways to keep other women from getting close to Kwon Oh-Jin.

“We should head to the Demonic District as soon as possible,” Isabella said.

“Right? If we’ve got to go anyway, no point in dragging it out.”

With the title of Alkaid, Kwon Oh-Jin had gained tremendous fame. Even though he wasn’t a nine-star Awakener yet, he had been acknowledged as a Seven Star.

Naturally, countless factions would soon be after him. Seduction tactics had long been a staple in power games between factions. Even during the Cold War, hadn’t Russian spies famously used seduction?

“Then, I guess I'd better get ready to leave.”

“Want some help?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

Unlike Isabella, who led the massive Colgrande Family, Song Ha-Eun didn’t have much to prepare.

Isabella warmly smiled and nodded. “Yes, actually. We’ve been a bit short-handed.”

“I’m not really good at paperwork and stuff.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.”

The Colgrande Family was one of the top five in all of Europe, an enormous powerhouse that ran dozens of businesses. If Isabella left her seat for any length of time, rival factions would pounce on the opportunity like hyenas.

Ever since she came to Korea and stepped back from hands-on duties, she had received reports that several families had been eyeing their companies. Only one optimal solution would keep those hyenas away.

“Just... burn a few places down for me, unnie.” Isabella extended her hand with a chilling smile.

Song Ha-Eun clasped it with a sly grin. “Now that’s my specialty.”

And so, preparations to depart for the Demonic District began.