Translator: Vine
Translated At: Nyx Scans
Chapter: 87
"Why am I here, you ask?"
Eunha spoke, her voice laced with disbelief.
"You're the one who invited me."
"..."
Conversely, Yijun fell silent.
It was impossible to tell for sure because of the mask, but he seemed lost in thought.
"I never invited you here."
That was what he finally said.
There was no way to confirm whether his words were true or not.
However, one thing was certain: there was no longer any need to be here.
"Really? Then I'll leave."
Eunha turned her back decisively.
Yijun abruptly blocked Eunha's path.
"Wait a minute. I invited you? I need to know what that means."
"You said you didn't, right? Then it's fine."
"You, you came here because I invited you?"
"..."
Eunha answered with a silence heavier than words.
Yijun stared intently at Eunha from behind his mask.
Whether he was smiling, finding it absurd, or even expressionless, was still unknown.
After a long silence, he quietly parted his lips.
"You've changed."
"What?"
"You used to hate crowded places."
"..."
At Yijun's words, Eunha laughed silently beneath her mask.
This situation, where Yijun was telling her she had changed, was truly strange.
Who was the one who had actually changed?
"Follow me first."
"Where? I said I'm going back."
"Not that way. By now, reporters will be in the hotel lobby. To leave, go out through another exit. I won't stop you if you particularly want to be interviewed by reporters."
"..."
"There's a hidden elevator behind the ballroom. I know the location."
Yijun, without waiting for Eunha's reply, spun around.
Eunha, after staring blankly at Yijun's back, eventually, slowly began to follow him.
With different strides, at different speeds, they walked the same path.
Leaving the ballroom, they walked down an empty corridor, and leaving the corridor, they turned a corner.
Walking through the maze-like interior of the hotel, the two exchanged not a single word.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' suspects this bastard, sister, wondering if this isn't some new kind of kidnapping method.]
"..."
Eunha, following Yijun, stared intently at his back.
She didn't agree with the cat's opinion that he was trying to kidnap Eunha, but it was true that the surroundings were becoming increasingly deserted.
The moment they left the final corridor, Yijun finally stopped.
Eunha, stopping accordingly, calmly looked around.
The ceiling, the walls, even the floor were made of reinforced glass, making it feel as if she were floating in mid-air.
The cityscape visible beyond the glass windows was distantly far.
The forest of buildings in Seoul, viewed from above, sparkled faintly like the Milky Way in a black sky.
The sound of the ensemble that had filled the ballroom was already too far away to be heard.
In that silence, Eunha spoke.
"To my eyes, I don't see any elevator here."
Yijun, calmly gazing outside, replied shortly.
"Yeah. Actually, it was a lie."
...What did you say?
Beneath the mask, Eunha's brow furrowed sharply.
Simultaneously, the cat's yellow message window flashed.
It seemed quite provoked.
Eunha was about to say something to Yijun but closed her mouth again.
Just as she was about to turn her back without a word.
"I heard you were hospitalized."
Yijun, tracing the glass window with his fingertips, spoke quietly.
Eunha, who had stopped moving, turned back.
Yijun, without looking this way, spoke again.
"You look better than I expected."
—Indeed, it seemed Yijun knew about Eunha's entry into the Busan Gate and her hospitalization.
How he knew that, and why he kept silent about it to the Association despite knowing, was completely incomprehensible.
But she didn't think he would answer even if she asked.
So she just said this.
"You speak as if you were worried."
"The you I knew was someone who wouldn't even go to a hospital, let alone be hospitalized, for most things."
Yijun's gaze turned to Eunha.
Both were wearing thick masks.
"Are you planning to continue being a hunter?"
"Why do you ask something like that?"
"Because I'm thinking I wish you'd quit."
At the direct answer, Eunha closed her mouth.
Wish I'd quit? Me, a hunter?
"Why?"
"As you know, the world you knew and the world now are not the same. You seem to be continuing your hunter act in that ridiculous attire, trying to fit into the modern era, but are you really planning to become a concept hunter?"
No, perhaps she already had.
In front of the silent Eunha, Yijun muttered softly.
"I'm curious. Unlike before, there are overflowing hunters in the modern era, so what reason is there to continue being a hunter to that extent?"
He took a step closer.
"You know, I hate the fact that someone like you is a hunter."
A low, mid-toned voice, as if whispering a spell.
As much as his voice, his scent also wafted closer.
A pheromone scent, so strong it made one's mind go blank.
Simultaneously, a voice of the same tone brushed past Eunha's ear.
'I like you as you are now.'
Not much had changed.
He slowly lifted his head towards the moon behind which he stood.
Come to think of it, it was a full moon that day too.
Eunha stared blankly at the high-floating full moon.
Beside Eunha, who was blankly looking up at the moon, Yijun spoke again, as if muttering.
"I told you before too."
He, being tall, slightly bent his upper body to meet Eunha's gaze.
"Eunha. You're not suited to be a hunter."
Eunha, who had been silently gazing at the moon, finally raised the corners of her lips faintly.
"Yet there was one foolish colleague who wanted to be like me."
Eunha slowly turned her back.
And without looking back, she parted her lips in a monotone.
"Did you bring me here, even lying, just to say this?"
"..."
"Even without going that far, we could have talked. I think we were at least that close."
Aren't we?
Eunha, adding that as if throwing it out, slowly took a step she had paused.
Click—
The sound of heels hitting the glass floor was particularly cold.
Yijun didn't stop her.
Eunha didn't look back either.
The moon was still bright.
But that moon was no longer the moon of that day.
Returning to the ballroom, Eunha headed straight for the elevator to leave the hotel.
While passing numerous invited guests, someone strode towards her.
Whoever it was, she intended to ignore them.
She didn't want to stay here any longer.
However.
"Excuse me, Lady."
Eunha unknowingly turned her head towards the source of the voice.
It was an instinctive reaction because of the unfamiliar English.
A stranger, with shoulder-length bobbed hair and slightly shorter than Eunha.
'...No, is it a woman?'
Her voice was so androgynous and beautiful that it was difficult to guess her gender.
The fact that the other person was also covering their face with a mask made it even more confusing.
She was merely guessing it was a man based on the tuxedo attire.
What he was wearing was a half-mask shaped like butterfly wings.
Looking at it, the gold-foiled butterfly printed on the invitation suddenly came to mind.
"Ah, you'd be more comfortable with Korean, wouldn't you?"
The person let out a low laugh from behind the mask.
They seemed somewhat excited.
"My condition has been strangely good lately, so my fortune-telling was correct for a change. I've wanted to meet you for a long time, but I never thought you'd actually come. Where have you been all this time? I've been looking for you."
A tone as if they had known Eunha from before.
Eunha, feeling puzzled, stared intently at him.
Only then did he let out an "Ah," and lowered his overly raised shoulders.
"I'm sorry. I got too excited. My introduction should come first."
He gently placed his hand on his left chest.
Bowing lightly, he whispered in a voice so soft it seemed it would soon be drowned out by the sound of the surrounding string instruments.
"Fortune-teller."
Emerald eyes sparkled behind the mask.
"Just call me Andrea, Princess."
Princess.
It couldn't be seen as mere flattery.
He knew.
Eunha's alias.
The Princess of Dark Flare.
"..."
Eunha took a step back.
Perhaps reading the caution and distrust in her movement.
Andrea hurriedly held up both hands.
"Ah, please don't be suspicious. I'm just, someone like your fan. I know you participated in the auction recently too. Wearing that cat mask."
"...Could this be the only cat mask in the world."
"Hmm. That's true, but... No, please, don't doubt me. I just want to have a conversation with you."
"A conversation?"
Eunha asked shortly.
Suddenly, Yijun's voice brushed past her ear.
'I never invited you here.'
In that case, could this person possibly be...?
Eunha lifted her gaze and stared intently at Andrea.
Scratching his head as if troubled, he fiddled with his neck area as if he had no choice.
"Phew. Normally, I shouldn't do this, but..."
What Andrea took out from behind his tie was a pendant the size of a 500-won coin.
A wing pattern was engraved on the silver coin-shaped pendant.
"I'm affiliated with GIA."
GIA (Global Intelligence Alliance), a secret alliance of hunters from all over the world, regardless of nationality.
That pendant was proof that Andrea was affiliated with GIA.
It was as clear an identification as a resident registration card, perhaps even more so.
However.
"..."
In the unintentionally ensuing silence, Andrea scratched his cheek and spoke again.
"GIA... it is."
"..."
"..."
Nevertheless, the silence didn't easily dissipate.
It was natural.
Because Eunha didn't know what GIA was.
A humanitarian hunter organization.
Faceless heroes.
GIA was famous for appearing like a comet at disaster-level sites occurring in various countries around the world and disappearing like the wind.
Though it was a secret organization whose exact scale, constituent members, establishment year, and even leadership were completely unknown, their popularity was immense worldwide.
However.
"...If it's the CIA, I know of it."
It seemed Eunha was inevitably lacking in modern common sense.
"Huh? CIA... you say?"
Andrea's eyes widened so much it was noticeable even behind the mask.
Then, he suddenly clutched his stomach and burst into innocent laughter.
"Ahaha! You're more amusing than I thought. That's right. Many people get confused. Well, what we do is similar, if you can call it that."
Ahem.
Clearing his throat and composing himself, he spoke again in a calm, explanatory tone.
"Well, anyway, our GIA has recently taken considerable interest in your activities. We also know you recently terminated your contract with Wolf. Ah, the source of the information is a secret."
"..."
Eunha didn't answer.
Nevertheless, Fortune-teller, Andrea, continued speaking with an attitude that seemed to believe without a doubt that Eunha was the Princess of Dark Flare.
Due to the unusual content of the conversation, nearby invited guests began to glance this way.
'This is troublesome.'
Eunha didn't wish for attention to be drawn to her.
Furthermore, she didn't know the other person's identity, but the other person knew hers.
A not very pleasant situation.
While looking around to somehow cut off Andrea's words and escape the place,
"【What are you doing here?】"
English was heard again.
Turning her head, there stood the man in the black suit and white mask with smiling eyes—
'Baek Yijun?'
He was there.
It seemed he had followed Eunha in the meantime.
Yijun naturally slipped between the two.
"【Johann? When did you get here?】"
"【I've been here for a while. So? What are you doing here? Don't tell me you forgot what you're supposed to do?】"
"【What are you talking about. I just...】"
"【Don't make excuses, Andrea. I told you clearly. Not to show the pendant here. You broke the rules. And to an outsider whose identity you don't even know.】"
"【No, Johann. Listen. You don't know who this person is. I saw it.】"
"【Andrea, your fortune-telling is certainly reliable. But no matter who this person is, the fact that you broke the rules doesn't change.】"
"────"
"────"
After that, the two conversed at length in English that was completely incomprehensible.
Eunha wasn't good at English, but for some reason, she could tell that Yijun was very displeased.
His tilted head, his voice even lower than usual.
More than anything, the air surrounding him was like that.
A starkly different appearance from when he was conversing with Eunha earlier.
It felt that way sufficiently even though he was wearing a mask.
Glance.
During his conversation with Andrea, Yijun suddenly sent a short glance towards Eunha from behind his mask.
Though he didn't explicitly say it, he seemed to be saying.
Go quickly.
"..."
Eunha slowly began to walk.
Andrea said, "Ah," and looked towards Eunha, but Yijun, who blocked his way, didn't move.
Finally, until Eunha was very far from that place, Andrea couldn't stop Eunha.
And so, Eunha safely exited the ballroom and got on the elevator.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' asks, "What, did that blonde guy just help sister?" questioning the intentions behind the actions of someone whose motives are unclear.]
'I don't know.'
Eunha too couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Getting off the elevator, the lobby, empty just like when she first arrived, appeared before her eyes.
"Are you leaving? I'll call a limousine."
The man who had been waiting in the lobby approached Eunha.
However, Eunha, with a tired face, shook her head.
"No, it's fine."
Eunha, having briefly expressed her refusal, quickly left the hotel before the man could persuade her otherwise.
In the end, what GIA or Fortune-teller was, who had invited Eunha there, why Yijun had changed so much—she couldn't find out anything.
