Episode 111

“I want to have Yvonne.”

“I’m the prize?”

“No.”

Yvonne tugged at her lips as if she found Yurian’s words audacious. Even with his lower lip pulled, he still retained his striking beauty.

“Then what am I?”

“My future partner.”

“You dream big.”

“Dreams exist to be realized.”

“Yes, you have to dream big to achieve at least something close to it.”

“I have never failed to achieve what I once considered a dream, Yvonne.”

Yvonne released his lips and grabbed the bottle before sitting beside him again, just like earlier. Yurian didn’t open the cork for her. No matter how much he wanted things to progress further between them, taking advantage of her in a drunken state was out of the question.

But another part of him wondered—what if he let her drink more and she ended up kissing him?

“That’s too selfish.”

“What?”

“Nothing. I guess I’m a bit selfish.”

Yurian quickly tried to cover up the words that had escaped his mouth without thinking.

“What do you mean?”

“If I open that bottle for you, you’ll drink more. That worries me. But at the same time, I want you to make a mistake.”

“You’ve been going around in circles telling me not to drink.”

Yurian was relieved that she interpreted his words differently than he intended. Even if he had spoken the truth, it wasn’t his fault if she understood it differently.

He was starting to understand how to be honest with her.

“Open it.”

“…”

“If you don’t, I’ll just go back.”

“If you say it like that…”

“What?”

“There’s no way I can refuse.”

“Never mind. I’ll open it mys— Ugh…!”

Yvonne tugged at the cork with all her strength. No matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge.

“Pfft…”

“Why are you laughing?”

“You have to twist it.”

“Oh…”

A wave of embarrassment washed over her, but she firmly turned the cork. Yet, it still wouldn’t open.

“…I can’t do it.”

“Yes, it requires quite a bit of strength. Usually, the attendants use a specialized tool to open it.”

“And you’re telling me this now?”

“Because you’re adorable.”

“Ha…”

Yvonne wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol making her cheeks burn or if it was his words confusing her.

“Yvonne.”

“Hurry up and open it.”

“Yes.”

He gazed at her for a moment before taking the bottle and easily uncorking it. For someone with enhanced physical abilities like him, this was nothing.

Yvonne took the bottle and began drinking slowly.

“Ugh… After drinking that earlier, this one tastes bland.”

“You’re saying some dangerous things.”

“What kind of danger?”

“Most of my inappropriate thoughts are because of you, Yvonne.”

Yurian muttered in a tone of grievance, and Yvonne chuckled.

“What have I done?”

“Do you really not know?”

“Yes.”

Yvonne stared right back at Yurian, who was watching her intently. Though his body was incapable of getting drunk, he felt as if he was. His cheeks burned, his ears grew hot, and his heart pounded loudly.

From the nearby docks, the soft crashing of rippling waves could be heard. The sun was setting quickly, and the stars had already begun to appear.

“Yvonne.”

With the hand that wasn’t holding the bottle, he gently cupped her cheek and pulled her toward him. As Yurian’s face drew closer, Yvonne clutched the bottle tightly, her body stiffening. Somehow, his powerful heartbeat seemed to blend with the sound of the waves in her ears.

“I’m not going to do anything.”

“….”

“You don’t have to be so tense.”

“T-Then why are you touching me?”

“There was a strand of hair stuck to your face.”

Afraid that he might notice her anticipation, she swatted his hand away and removed the floral crown from her head. Then, she placed it on his.

“Punishment. Wear two flower crowns.”

“Haha.”

Yurian could hear the racing of her heart. He lowered his hand from her cheek and gazed at her quietly, but Yvonne, as if upset, avoided his eyes.

“When is the fireworks display again?”

“Soon.”

Yurian set both floral crowns aside and took a swig from his bottle. Yet, rather than the sound of his own swallowing, he could hear the way she forced down her drink beside him.

“Yurian, how can a person be so…”

“Yes?”

“I wasn’t finished.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll listen. As long as it’s Yvonne saying it.”

“I told you not to confess.”

“Was that a confession? I was just saying I like what you do.”

“Ah…”

Yvonne felt tricked once again. Yet, she was finding it harder and harder to pretend she disliked it.

“Are you sure you’re not a mind-affecting ability user?”

“No. If anything, I’m the type of ability user that mind-affecting ones hate the most.”

Psychic ability users despised those with physical enhancement abilities. Physical enhancement was the most common type, but those who experienced a secondary awakening became immune to mental manipulation. And while there were few high-ranking enhancement users like Yurian, the sheer number of mid and low-level ones made them formidable.

“I cannot do the things you fear.”

“And what am I afraid of?”

“Being forced into something against your will.”

“….”

“Being made to do something you cannot take responsibility for.”

Yvonne felt strange, as if he understood her better than she did herself. Had he really been watching her that closely?

“Aren’t you assuming too much?”

“If so, I apologize. I must have made a hasty judgment while trying to be careful.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because when I see that look on your face, I know I’ve done something wrong.”

“Ah…”

Yurian instinctively reached out, but then hesitated, lowering his hand. However, Yvonne caught it and placed it against her cheek. She must have been more drunk than she thought.

“I’m the one who drank, but your body is much warmer.”

“You can use me like a heater.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Take it as an affectionate joke.”

Somehow, his words made it impossible for her to stay angry. Slowly, she released the hand she had been holding. Yet, he continued to stroke her cheek.

“Can we stay like this for a little while?”

“Do as you please.”

Yvonne turned her gaze elsewhere. Yurian felt a sense of satisfaction, as if she had opened her heart to him just a little more.

“Drinking games make things even more fun.”

“Did you often play games with the knights?”

“Yes.”

“Are you a gambling addict?”

“Pfft—!”

“Why are you laughing?”

It amused Yurian that her drunken thoughts had led the conversation in such an odd direction. He ran his hand through her hair, still chuckling.

“If you keep talking like that, I might actually die.”

“Nonsense.”

“I’m not thinking rationally at all right now.”

But Yvonne didn’t feel threatened by his lack of rationality. Compared to Hildebrandt, who was cruel even in his most lucid moments, Yurian didn’t seem capable of harming her.

She didn’t have to worry about how he would react, whether he would be angry. She didn’t have to live in fear.

“I’m rational. Being with you makes me feel comfortable.”

“I make you comfortable?”

“Yes.”

“That’s a relief. I hope you’ll feel even more at ease.”

“I’m already treating you carelessly. If I get any more comfortable, it’ll be bad.”

“You can treat me however you like. I know you won’t cross the line.”

He understood that her guarded, dismissive attitude wasn’t meant to mock or degrade him. She did it because she feared he would abandon her if she didn’t.

Yurian had already invested all of his attention in her, so predicting her thoughts and actions wasn’t difficult. He envied psychic ability users—if he had been born with one of their gifts instead of physical enhancement, he would have been able to understand her thoughts even more easily.

But if that were the case, she wouldn’t feel safe around him.

And so, he decided to be grateful for his abilities.

“Yvonne, I used to hate my abilities.”

“Why?”

“You forgot about my ability’s side effects, didn’t you?”

“Ah…”

For a moment, Yvonne felt an instinctive urge to put some distance between them. His ability’s drawback was bloodlust. The more he used it, the stronger his urge to kill became. But when he was near her, that urge vanished entirely—something only he knew.

“I was hidden away as a child.”

“….”

“I kept growing, even after my ability awakened.”

“What do you mean?”

Yurian met her eyes, remembering the vow he had made to her with his power. Yvonne’s gaze remained steady, as if she already knew everything.

And so, he spoke plainly.

“My ability first manifested alongside its side effects.”

“….”

“When I regained consciousness after my first episode, I was locked inside an iron cage.”

Even though he no longer suffered from his ability’s drawbacks, he still reached for her hand as if seeking reassurance. Yvonne, on the other hand, remained composed—because she already knew what he was about to say.

 

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