"By the way, who was that woman earlier?"
Rishar seemed a bit calmer too, so I decided to ask about Arachne.
I knew a little about Arachne from the novel Liberators of the Underground City, but Astrid's memories had zero info on the Black Spider.
All she'd heard were vague rumors about a criminal organization called the Black Spider.
Unlike the Liberators, who were popular among the people for their Robin Hood-like activities, the Black Spider was an object of fear. So it didn't come up much in conversation.
"That woman... is Arachne. The leader of the Black Spider."
No, I already knew that much... But as Astrid, who supposedly knew nothing about Arachne, I had to feign surprise.
"Why would the Black Spider's leader come here...?"
Pretending to be shocked, I asked what I was truly curious about.
"Didn't you hear? That crazy talk about coming to celebrate Jin's birthday."
Rishar said curtly.
C-crazy talk...? Rishar wasn't the type to use such harsh words.
"You mean that was for real? Why would the Black Spider's leader celebrate Jin's birthday?"
At my question, Rishar's face twisted.
"From what I heard, Arachne called Jin 'my son'..."
Really...? Was Arachne truly Jin's mother?
"That woman..."
A voice full of fury burst from Rishar. The pressure was intense. I could almost see flames flickering behind his sky-blue eyes.
"Yes. She's the one who gave birth to him."
No way, for real? The original novel never mentioned this relationship—I had no idea.
No wonder they looked so alike at first glance. I even thought, 'Could she be Jin's older sister?' They were truly blood-related. Mother and son, even...
But the more I heard, the angrier I got. So this so-called mother, after over a decade, her first words to her son were, 'Why haven't you died yet?'
What kind of mother says that? And she didn't even deny Rishar's claim that she could easily kill Jin. How could she even think of killing the son she birthed?
"I can't say more. It's Jin's old wound. Please don't be curious anymore, Teacher. I beg you."
Rishar shut his mouth tight after that.
He was right. I couldn't pry into Jin's family history through Rishar.
I was curious, but I didn't want to poke at Jin's wounds. I decided to drop it.
"Got it, Rishar. You were shocked too, yet you comforted me—thank you."
I smiled at Rishar to show my gratitude, but given the situation, it couldn't be a bright smile.
"Will Jin be okay?"
Rishar asked, gazing at the sleeping Jin.
Yeah, will he? I'm not a real doctor, haven't done any precise tests—it's all just guesswork.
"He'll be fine. Jin is..."
Someone with a strong mind. Even if the body housing that great spirit was frail.
"Yes, Jin will be fine."
Rishar repeated my words like a vow.
* * *
Why, right now, was that woman standing before Jin's eyes?
"Hello, Jin. Long time no see. How many years has it been? 20?"
Her bright smile, venomous eyes, voice dripping with nauseating seduction.
Sixteen years ago, he'd fled from her, vowing never to see her face or hear her voice again.
It felt like his breath was stopping. As if her hands were strangling his throat.
That hallucination dragged Jin back to a moment over 20 years ago. Into the most horrific memory of his life.
"Jin, what's wrong? Look properly. This man is..."
Arachne's cold hand gripping his face so he couldn't look away, the sensation of it touching his skin—it crept up from his memories, tightening around Jin's throat.
"Your father. What do you think?"
His biological father, a man he'd never seen alive, now dead with eyes wide open... the same color as Jin's own eyes.
Like a frozen lake... soul-less blue eyes. Just like the ones Jin now had at Lake Shore, staring at Arachne.
"It's amazing, Jin. Why haven't you died yet?"
Why haven't you died yet? That was her first greeting to her son after 16 years.
But to Jin's ears, it was just wind passing by. His soul was already trapped in that horrific memory from when he was eleven.
"See that, Jin? Eyes just like yours. The eyes I so despise."
The moment he learned why she hit him whenever she drank, hating his eyes. Horrifyingly, half the blood in his body came from the dead man before him.
His first—and last—meeting with the father who gave him blood and flesh was nightmarish. Introducing his father to his eleven-year-old son by killing him right in front of him. A truly diabolical method.
The initial and final encounter with his father left a lifelong scar on Jin.
Already frail, Jin would faint whenever he faced Arachne after that. Even after two decades—enough time for mountains to change—he still did.
This time too, he'd lost consciousness right after meeting her at Lake Shore.
But when he woke, Astrid was dozing with her upper body slumped over the bed.
'...Astrid.'
He was such a fool, so selfish. Thinking he shouldn't be greedy for this woman, yet unable to push her away decisively.
The lavender scent from her body was always pleasant. Not like sprayed perfume—an understated natural aroma from her skin and hair.
Jin reached out and stroked Astrid's hair. At that moment, her eyes snapped open. It felt like this had happened before.
The difference? This time, he had no chance to pretend sleep and dodge.
* * *
"...Jin? When did you wake up?"
I'd dozed off but woke to Jin's presence—only to freeze at the scene before me.
Jin was frozen too. In a super suspicious pose, like he'd been caught secretly petting my sleeping head.
"Jin?"
I called his name in panic. My heart was pounding.
Calm down first, self. I desperately tried to soothe my freaking-out heart by finding a logical reason for this weird pose.
"Did I have something in my hair?"
Right. Something must've been in my hair. Jin was probably trying to remove it considerately, and I woke suddenly, freezing him like this.
Perfect, flawless logic. What else could it be?
"...Yeah, Doctor, what's with all this in your hair? You said thorough hygiene was key to curing me."
After freezing briefly, Jin casually tapped my head like nothing happened.
See? I was right.
I nodded, but an awkward silence followed. Jin had already rolled onto his back, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Oh, right. Jin had hyperventilated and collapsed. Check his condition first...
"Do you remember why you're here?"
I asked carefully. I worried about how much he remembered. What if thinking of Arachne tormented him again?
"...No. Unfortunately, I don't remember a thing. Why am I sleeping here? I clearly went for a walk to Lake Shore with you, Doctor, but now I'm here."
Jin answered.
Was this fortunate or not? Hopefully not some neurological issue causing memory loss. Maybe a defense mechanism? My head hurt.
"Ah, Reilly. Go call Rishar. Tell him Jin's awake—he'll come running."
I sent the boy guarding nearby to fetch Rishar, who must be worried. Reilly hurried out of Jin's bedroom.
"...You really don't remember? Oh, don't force it."
I asked Jin, then quickly changed tack. What if recalling triggered hyperventilation again, or dramatically worsened his condition?
Jin smiled brightly at me. Seeing him smile so purely made forgetting seem a blessing.
"Let me check your vitals."
I checked his temperature, pulse, breathing. Temperature up a bit from morning, but not abnormally high. Breathing fine too.
But...
"Tachycardia again."
I sighed. Why did this flounder's heart always do this?
"My heart's pounding because of you, Doctor."
I blinked blankly at Jin's words. What was he saying? My fault his heart was racing like this?
"Forgot? Anyone would be startled if a sleeping person suddenly opens their eyes. Put yourself in my shoes."
Jin grinned mischievously.
True, if I were removing dust from sleeping Jin's hair and his eyes snapped open, I'd jump too.
"...S-sorry."
Fine, blame it on surprise this time... But why did tachycardia keep happening? It hurt that my medical knowledge was so shallow.
