Chapter 114
“…Six nights?”
Nights, not days?
I chewed over the child’s words, and my eyes met Yugyeom’s. He seemed to be thinking the same thing as I was, a shadow of doubt crossing his face.
Could it be…?
Surely it didn’t mean she disappeared six days ago and hasn’t been seen since?
Yugyeom, who had been watching me with a slightly stiff expression, quickly put on a smile again and turned back to the child.
“She told me the teacher said not to go outside without an adult, but she said it was okay because the moon was there,” the child explained, pointing to the sky with her little finger. I could only hope what this kid was saying was untrue.
She went out alone? At night?
What places could such a young girl possibly go to on her own in this massive city? And if it’s already been six days, the situation was even more dire.
“Do you know where Ivy went for her trip?” Yugyeom asked.
The girl was about to answer when another voice called out from behind us.
“There you are.”
Turning around, we saw a woman, who looked at most in her early thirties.
She had ginger-brown hair and striking features. Although clearly Western, her slightly East Asian facial structure blended with her tanned skin, creating an exotic and captivating appearance.
The child, who had been beaming up at Yugyeom moments ago, ran over to the woman with a startled expression.
“Your friends are waiting for you,” the woman said, smoothing down the child’s tousled hair. Her sharp features softened instantly as she smiled warmly, transforming her entire demeanor.
The child, who had been nervously anticipating a scolding, relaxed and smiled back at the woman.
“I helped the big brother and sister!”
“Good job. Now go back to your friends, okay?”
“Okay!”
The girl answered cheerfully and dashed down the hallway. Once she disappeared from view, the woman’s face returned to its colder expression.
She brushed her straight hair, which fell neatly to her waist, over one shoulder as her sharp gaze landed on me.
“What brings you here?”
Her Mandarin was fluent enough to pass for a local. But she seemed oddly out of place in this orphanage.
“I’m looking for a child. Her name is Ivy. She hasn’t been here long. Do you know her?”
The woman’s face showed no emotion. She seemed indifferent or mildly annoyed at best.
“Did you call ahead? I’m sorry, but we only admit external visitors who have made prior appointments and provided identification,” she said, her tone formal and clipped.
Her response made it clear that she had no intention of accommodating us further.
“Oh…”
Appointments and identification? There was no way I could have known about that. Judging by Yugyeom’s expression, he hadn’t either.
That rat, Doshiyu. He should have told us about this kind of rule.
I wasn’t sure if it was safe to reveal our identities. The woman looked too much like someone connected to…well, something.
She didn’t strike me as an ordinary orphanage employee.
She probably wouldn’t recognize my face unless she had been one of the operatives from Baekcheon Island. But she might know my name, and my position was too sensitive to risk revealing it here.
Yugyeom’s identity was even more complicated. The son of Utopia’s boss and the man who killed him. Neither Baekcheon nor Utopia would welcome him; if anything, it was a miracle he wasn’t being shot at already.
“We just want to talk. I have a few questions. It’ll only take a moment. Ivy will probably remember me. Could you at least let her know I’m here?”
I spoke in a calm, harmless tone, even adding a soft smile for good measure.
“The rules are in place to protect the children. I’m sorry,” the woman replied without hesitation.
She rejected me outright and turned to leave, giving no room for argument. Her resolute demeanor left me with no choice but to play my final card.
“Is it true the child’s missing?”
The woman froze in her tracks.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied coolly, without turning around.
I lowered my voice and pressed on.
“Should we check?”
“…”
“Whether it’s Ivy or a missing person report, I’m sure one of those will turn up.”
Finally, the woman turned back to face me.
Got her.
I locked eyes with her and smirked.
“I’m here as a representative of someone,” I said.
I waved a rectangular piece of paper at the frowning woman.
“I think this should get your attention.”
From far away, it was unmistakable—a bright red business card.
On it, the name “Doshiyu” was boldly written.
“Doshiyu, borrowing your name for this.”
“Since you weren’t here, I’ll let this slide.”
I hadn’t expected to use the card I had kept with me for just this occasion in this way. This morning, in place of Doshiyu, I had taken his card as a means to gain access. Now, it seemed like a smart move.
It seemed the orphanage was managed by a faction connected to Doshiyu. That woman was clearly one of his subordinates.
“Please, come in.”
The woman’s demeanor shifted drastically as she spoke, guiding us further into the hallway.
—
“Where could she have gone?”
By the time we left the orphanage, the sun had set, casting a dull orange glow over the city.
I muttered to myself, reflecting on the lack of helpful information we had received from the woman.
The only thing she confirmed was that Ivy had disappeared six nights ago and hadn’t been found since. She couldn’t file a missing person’s report since Ivy had been brought in by Doshiyu himself, and instead, they were deploying their operatives to search. She apologized in advance for not being able to provide further assistance.
Throughout her stay, Ivy had been terrified and silent, running away from any conversation.
Why?
“When we first met at the gallery, it seemed like she wanted help. But why is she acting so differently now?”
I remembered her bright, determined blue eyes from that first meeting. They weren’t the eyes of someone afraid—at least not in the way they were now.
“She said she was looking for her father?”
“Yes, when we first met, she said her father had disappeared.”
The circumstances pointed towards Ivy leaving on her own, but with every passing day, the likelihood of a positive outcome for a missing child diminished.
I decided I needed to contact Doshiyu or Baek Haewon about this matter. The clock was ticking, and every moment without any leads made the situation worse.
“I didn’t expect Ivy to be here,” I thought, my unease growing with each passing second.
“Where do you want to go now?”
Yugyeom opened the car door for me, but instead of getting in, I turned to face him.
As soon as the sun set, the moment I had been waiting for would arrive—the trade between Black Lotus and Utopia.
This was my only chance to witness it firsthand.
I had debated whether to leave Yugyeom behind and go alone to the meeting or whether we should go together.
The truth was, I didn’t know if I could shake him off without him figuring it out, and going alone would be dangerous.
Yet, I couldn’t simply ask him along—especially if someone questioned how I knew about the trade. I’d have no explanation to give.
So, I hesitated, unable to reach a decision.
The trade was scheduled for 10 PM, and considering the distance to the location, time was tight.
My lips felt dry. I tried to think of the best plan, but suddenly, the car door slammed shut.
The sudden sound interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to see Yugyeom closing the door behind me.
He tilted his head slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto mine. The crimson sunset illuminated his face, making his features more intense, more captivating.
“This look… it’s the expression of someone looking for an escape,” Yugyeom said softly.
I blinked in surprise, startled that he seemed to read my mind.
“I’ve had to escape a few times,” I admitted with a dry laugh, feigning light-heartedness.
But Yugyeom added in a gentle, almost sinister tone,
“One would hope so.”
His voice was like a slow-acting trap, closing around me piece by piece.
The coldness of his touch was undeniable as he gently held my hand, locking it in place.
I let out a tired smile, pretending it was all in jest.
“Then, would you come with me?”
Half teasing, half earnest, I spoke.
It hit me—maybe I had secretly been hoping for this.
Someone to be with. A world not meant to be faced alone.
The emotions, like ripples, spread through me uncontrollably.
Yugyeom, without hesitation, responded.
“Yes. Don’t leave me behind.”
His eyes sparkled with a smile that seemed to bloom like a flower, enchanting in its intensity. He knew exactly how to look the most captivating.
Under his gaze, I felt myself drawn in, as if under a spell.
With a sigh, I said softly,
“Wherever it is.”
Instead of a verbal reply, Yugyeom tightened his grip further, locking our hands together firmly. The warmth of his skin against mine was almost suffocating, yet reassuring.
From a mere inch away, I could see his delicate lashes casting a shadow over his hand, its motion graceful and deliberate.
And then, his lips touched my hand.
Unlike the cold restraint of his fingers, his lips were warm, searing into my skin.
“Even if it’s hell, I’ll go with you.”
The crescent shape of his eyes, shimmering with sunset hues, curved into a soft, affectionate threat.
A promise: not to let go.
