Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Chapter 51. How Did You Find This Place?

“…In truth, I lived as a mortal in my previous existence.”

The gathered wyrms had assumed that nothing else she uttered could possibly stun them further.

Yet the moment that startling revelation left her lips, every drake in the chamber—save for Rokan—stood entirely dumbfounded, unable to mask their sheer bewilderment.

To some degree, this disclosure provoked an even fiercer wave of shock than her earlier pledge to bind herself in an Eternal Covenant with a mortal man.

“I… existed in this very realm for just over two decades. I was merely an ordinary person… no different from him.”

A distinct tremor ran through her tone, her sentences fracturing as she struggled to form each syllable.

The memory of the day she had first confided the truth of her rebirth to her kin flashed through her mind.

On that occasion, those listening had been her dearest kinfolk; they had greeted her confession with profound empathy, drawing her into an affectionate embrace.

However, the entities surrounding her now shared no such familial bonds.

The overwhelming majority of those present already harbored deep disdain toward her.

Her chest had pounded with sheer terror back when she confessed to those who cared for her; facing a hostile gathering now only magnified that suffocating dread manifold.

“During that prior lifetime, there was someone I cherished. And that man…”

The piercing, antagonistic glares fixed upon her seemed to cut straight into her flesh, causing her chest to heave in ragged, shallow breaths.

With Rokan’s steady presence offering physical support, Sia took a hesitant pause to steady her lungs before attempting to speak once more.

“…I found myself unable to erase his memory, which drove me to return here. And so…”

“You dragged yourself back simply to rekindle some unfinished romance. A predictable narrative, I imagine.”

Evan abruptly severed her explanation, clicking his tongue in blatant mockery as he likened her tale to the cheap tropes of an uninspired melodrama, deliberately prodding the rest of the dragons into collective scorn.

“She merely conjures such ridiculous justifications to mask her blatant foolishness.”

“Evan!”

Rokan’s furious shout thundered toward Evan, who persistently wounded his kin with venomous remarks.

Yet, despite the formidable elder raising his voice, Evan showed no inclination to back down.

“Rokan! Unacceptable conduct remains unacceptable!”

“You overstep your place, whelp.”

Rokan exposed his fangs, releasing a low, menacing snarl from deep within his throat.

Only a desperate shred of self-control prevented him from unleashing his suffocating Dragon Fear, a display that would have sparked a catastrophic clash even the gathered dragons would find impossible to quell.

“Eliminating the root cause directly would undoubtedly prove far more practical. Putting an end to that mortal’s life presents a clear remedy.”

“Silence!”

The mere mention of harm coming to Minjun caused Sia to roar with such force that the entire cavern reverberated, instantly wiping away any lingering trace of her former fragility.

“Lay a single claw upon my Oppa, and see what happens. Just attempt it. One of us will not leave that confrontation breathing, for I will show no mercy.”

“Calm yourself; I did not mean we must necessarily end his life. There are plenty of methods to crush his stubborn determination without resorting to murder.”

Evan curled his lips into a faint, sneering smirk.

He held no genuine grudge over the fact that she had formerly breathed as a mortal.

He harbored no personal contempt toward her past, and possessing no prior experience with reincarnated souls, he actually found the phenomenon somewhat intriguing.

Even so, having assumed the majestic form of a dragon, she was expected to discard her former shell and embrace existence as a true drake. What drove her to cling so desperately to the petty habits of humanity?

Furthermore, how could a mere human like Minjun possess the audacity to fawn over an exalted drake even after comprehending her terrifying reality?

Wyrms seldom meddled in the private concerns of their peers.

Nevertheless, Evan firmly believed that this particular catastrophe demanded outside intervention.

A considerable faction among the gathered dragons evidently shared his viewpoint.

‘Provided we refrain from taking his breath.’

He had spoken in utter earnest regarding breaking Minjun’s spirit.

Whether by dangling an alluring temptation before his eyes or subjecting him to agony so unbearable that he would plead for the void, they would compel him to abandon the preposterous notion of affection between a mortal and a supreme drake.

And what nonsense was this regarding the human ascending to dragonhood?

Evan understood full well that such a transformation was an impossibility, but should any remote inkling of that madness manifest into reality, would they not be forced to intervene definitively?

The solidarity that had traditionally bound their assembly was visibly beginning to fray at the seams.

*

Following the conclusion of that brief assembly—an ordeal that had been pure torment for Sia—Rokan lingered within his granddaughter’s cavern out of deep apprehension for her fragile emotional state.

Sia wept uncontrollably, utterly stripped of her composure.

“Hic… Uuugh…”

“Shasha.”

What possible words could he offer? How could he mend such devastating pain?

At this hour, the kindest solace he could extend was to remain silent, wrapping her in a warm embrace and merely listening to her sorrow.

Rokan secured Sia firmly against him until her violent weeping gradually softened, and she surrendered completely into his steady hold.

As if she had reverted to a helpless infant, she shed an endless torrent of tears against Rokan’s chest, mirroring the breakdown that had overtaken her when she had initially confessed her reincarnation to her kin in this life.

A lengthy stretch of time slipped by before her weeping subsided into quiet sniffles.

Only after gathering a modest degree of composure did she retrieve her mobile device with shivering fingers to dispatch a message to Minjun.

[Oppa.]

She craved the soothing cadence of Minjun’s voice through the receiver more than anything, yet an overwhelming hesitation seized her, making her feel wholly incapable of speaking to him while in such a shattered state.

She possessed zero faith in her ability to keep her composure from completely unraveling the second she heard him.

Her original intention had been to exchange only a few brief typed lines, but the moment her text departed, an incoming video call from Minjun lit up the screen.

Refusing to let him witness her swollen eyes and disheveled sorrow, Sia declined the video feed.

After a fleeting hesitation, however, she summoned her resolve, dialed back via a standard voice connection, and initiated the call herself.

“…Oppa.”

[What took place? Are you alright? Speak to me gently, step by step.]

The very second Minjun’s comforting tone echoed against her ear, she crumbled so violently that her effort to avoid the video call seemed entirely pointless.

“What… what course is left for us now…?”

A suffocating frustration pressed down on her chest, bound by the terrible reality that she could divulge nothing regarding the morning’s confrontation.

Without offering a single clue about the trial she had just endured, she dissolved back into helpless weeping.

Minjun simply remained on the line in gentle silence until she eventually severed the connection, silently shouldering the sorrow that gripped her without demanding any explanation.

When morning arrived, Minjun dialed Sia’s number the second his eyes opened, filled with lingering anxiety.

He yearned to discover what had shattered her peace the previous day and ask if there was any task he could undertake to bring her relief, but oddly enough, the ringing continued without an answer.

‘Does she require solitude to organize her thoughts?’

Never before had Minjun witnessed her weeping with such desperate sorrow.

He had not the slightest inkling of what had transpired, yet she had kept everything buried, doing nothing but crying incessantly.

The thought of reaching out to Rokan to uncover the cause crossed his mind.

Ultimately, Minjun elected to hold back.

He concluded that the greatest gift he could offer Sia at this moment was patience.

Dispatching a gentle message assuring her to reach out whenever her heart felt lighter, Minjun commenced his routine burdened by an unsettled conscience.

Chewing on a modest morning meal, he turned his thoughts toward structuring his daily tasks.

Having attained the status of a B-rank Hunter, he was eligible to seek out a suitable expedition team targeting a B-rank gate. Once the labyrinth was cleared, he could purchase a thoughtful token to lift Sia’s spirits and have Rokan deliver it into her hands.

Alternatively, emptying his itinerary completely so that he remained ready to answer whenever she might dial felt like the more sensible approach.

While Minjun remained locked in contemplation, a sudden series of knocks sounded at his entryway.

Rap, rap, rap.

‘Who could that be?’

Startled by an unexpected caller, Minjun unlatched the entrance.

“Good morning!”

Standing before him with a radiant grin, entirely oblivious to the heavy turmoil weighing on his mind, was Go Yuna.

Minjun had already been wrestling with intense agitation since the prior day on account of Sia, and discovering Yuna on his threshold left his thoughts spinning into absolute chaos.

While he had indeed shared his contact digits with her, he had never once disclosed his residential coordinates.

By what means had this older woman uncovered his personal living quarters, and what reason brought her to his doorstep?

Observing her pleasant expression, Minjun felt a throbbing ache pulsing behind his brow.

He possessed neither the energy nor the desire to entertain company, and the prospect of hosting Go Yuna was the absolute last interaction he desired.

Yet turning her away aggressively by demanding an explanation for tracking down his domicile presented an awkward dilemma.

He possessed no justifiable grounds to display outright hostility toward her.

Suppressing the heavy exhalation swelling in his chest, Minjun composed his tone and inquired evenly, “…By what means did you discover where I live?”

“I contacted your mother! She kindly gifted me a batch of homemade kimchi not long ago, so I felt compelled to return the gesture. I prepared several dishes and intended to travel out to her residence, but she mentioned residing in Yangpyeong and insisted I avoid the lengthy journey. Because of that, I proposed conveying the containers through you instead.”

Yuna displayed the generous parcel of prepared fare cradled in her grasp.

“So, Minjun, would you be so kind as to hand these over to your mother when you see her?”

“…”

Had her sole motive truly been expressing appreciation to his mother through home-cooked delicacies, countless convenient alternatives existed, such as utilizing a delivery parcel service.

What necessity compelled her to burden him as a courier?

Moreover, it was impossible to predict how Sia might interpret such an arrangement if word reached her ears.

Minjun shifted his bewildered gaze between Yuna’s smiling face and the hefty package in her hands.

“Furthermore! I packed an abundance of servings specifically for your own table. See? That settles everything, doesn’t it?”

“For the time being… you have my thanks. I shall enjoy it.”

The moment he took hold of the bundle and prepared to bid her a polite farewell, Yuna spoke once more.

“Oh, Minjun. Forgive the imposition, but could I borrow your washroom? It’s somewhat urgent.”

Before a single syllable of refusal could cross his lips, Go Yuna stepped smoothly across the threshold into his personal living area.

Minjun instinctively moved to halt her advance, yet found himself struck mute, swallowing his objection.

If she genuinely faced an immediate personal necessity, on what grounds could he rudely push her out the door?

Left with no recourse, Minjun could only cast a defeated glance toward the washroom door that had just clicked shut.

A brief moment later, Yuna emerged and remarked, “Minjun, pardon me once again, but might I trouble you for a cup of water before I take my leave?”

“…Of course.”

Under ordinary circumstances, permitting Yuna to step foot into his bachelor studio was an exceedingly poor decision.

Yet every tiny development appeared to unfold in such an inconvenient manner that he was backed into granting her entry.

A sharp throbbing began to hammer at his temples.

He was far from dense. To claim he remained completely blind to the subtle schemes behind Yuna’s behavior would be an outright untruth.

Yet the flow of events kept leading to this exact scenario.

A relentless string of petty predicaments where reacting with hostility or forcibly expelling her felt entirely uncalled for.

As Minjun filled a tumbler with cold water, Yuna swept her eyes across the modest confines of his residence.

Her attention soon settled upon several garments drying on the indoor rack—items that Sia had previously left behind.

“Are you cohabiting with your partner? I don’t recall you bringing that up during our prior conversation.”

“Indeed. She happens to be away attending to matters elsewhere at present.”

Naturally, the statement was a fabrication.

Even had they possessed the desire to share a roof, their conflicting circumstances and those suffocating restrictions made any such arrangement completely out of the question.

Nonetheless, he calculated that offering such a response would heighten Yuna’s awkwardness and expedite her departure.

Go Yuna, however, saw through his pretense from the very beginning.

Within the washroom, she had noted merely a single toothbrush paired with a lone rinsing cup, alongside an utter absence of skincare products, hygiene necessities, or any hallmark indicating a feminine presence.

To Yuna’s sharp eye, the articles resting on the laundry frame were merely stray items Sia had happened to leave behind on some random occasion.

‘A complete fabrication.’

She easily perceived the tension and discomfort radiating from Minjun in her presence.

Internally, however, a quiet ripple of amusement danced through her mind.

She had merely brought over a selection of delicacies intended for the parent of an endearing junior associate, yet here he was, weaving grand misunderstandings out of thin air.

Clearly, the young man concealed an unexpectedly charming disposition beneath that serious exterior.

“Your water is ready.”

“Much appreciated. I will enjoy it thoroughly.”

Settling herself comfortably as though she had been an expected guest all along, Yuna took leisurely swallows from the glass.

Having emptied the vessel, she untied the bundle and began narrating the contents of every dish she had prepared for Minjun.

“This metallic dish holds black bean paste sauce. I prepared it following the precise culinary method utilized in our dining establishment, so the flavor is guaranteed. This kimchi is also sourced from the restaurant. It isn’t commercially processed—the seasoned staff at the shop cure every cabbage by hand.”

“I am hardly a child. Anyone eavesdropping would assume you were my mother rather than an older acquaintance.”

There was hardly any justification for explaining every single component in such meticulous fashion.

“Simply indicate which containers belong to me and which are meant for my mother.”

Whether his palate would actually touch a single bite remained an entirely separate matter.

“What a pity. Our Minjun used to display such an endearing charm in days past.”

Feigning a sorrowful sigh, she resumed cataloging the contents of the food containers.

Once Yuna finally concluded her culinary lecture, Minjun inquired, “On another note, noona, aren’t you pressed for time? Shouldn’t you be heading out shortly?”

You have quenched your thirst, and the culinary parcel has been transferred. It is time to depart.

Such was the unspoken meaning masked beneath his polite phrasing.

Whether Yuna genuinely overlooked his subtle hint or deliberately chose to brush past it, she offered a casual response, “Oh, today marks my scheduled respite. While I generally maintain a rather demanding schedule, that hardly implies I am a mindless workaholic devoid of personal time. The coming days should remain considerably tranquil.”

Beaming brightly, she intentionally emphasized to Minjun that her agenda was completely clear of obligations.

“Ah, seeing as how I am free of duties today, why don’t we conduct a training session together? Although I have stepped away from active service, I once operated as an A-rank Hunter, meaning my guidance could provide substantial value.”

“I recognize your kind intentions, but I must decline.”

Her underlying motive centered on stretching out her hours beside Minjun by whatever means possible, but he naturally lacked any incentive to entertain the proposal.

“Come now, I assure you it would yield great benefits for your progress. You need not view it as a burden.”

“I truly am content as I am, noona. There is no requirement for you to exert yourself on my behalf. Thank you once again for the provisions.”

Under normal conditions, any sensible individual would have registered the underlying boundary and taken their leave, yet Yuna stubbornly persisted with her probing.

“In that case, what of your partner?”

“Sia would likewise express that she has no need for such instruction.”

“A pity, then.”

Evidently loath to surrender her ground just yet, Yuna rested a light palm against Minjun’s shoulder and suggested, “Seeing as how the noon hour approaches, would you care to share a meal? Dining in company surely surpasses eating in isolation.”

“My apologies, but I have prior engagements.”

That excuse, naturally, was another blatant fabrication.

“Then I suppose it cannot be helped. We must arrange a meal together in the near future.”

A visible pout of regret lingered across Yuna’s features right until the final second.

Witnessing that lingering reluctance, a firm realization settled within Minjun’s mind.

Yuna would undoubtedly continue concocting endless pretexts to show up at his residence as time progressed, and should this pattern persist unchecked, matters would rapidly deteriorate beyond redemption.

He was entirely unwilling to allow this persistent friction surrounding Yuna to inflict further distress upon both his own peace of mind and Sia’s delicate heart.

“Noona.”

On this very day, Minjun resolved that the boundary had to be established once and for all.