Chapter 151:
“Why do I trust him? I have no choice but to trust him. He saved me when I was dying. What could be more trustworthy than that?”
Kim Yoo-sung’s eyes widened.
He had suspected Baek Joo-won’s true nature, that he was a monster from this forest dungeon, or perhaps the dungeon master Seo Jae-yi had claimed to have killed.
But he hadn’t known that she owed him her life. He had simply thought of it as a fortunate coincidence.
“And you’re worried that he might harm humans. Yes, I understand your concern. You’re the Guild Leader of Haeil, Korea’s top Guild. You’re worried that even though he saved me, he might kill others.”
Seo Jae-yi continued, seeing his shock,
“But Guild Leader, if Baek Joo-won was truly dangerous, I would have already killed him.”
“…”
“Regardless of whether he saved me or not, even if I would die along with him, I would have killed him without hesitation.”
Kim Yoo-sung bit his lip, hearing her speak so casually about her own death.
Yes, that was Seo Jae-yi. She would save the world, even if it meant endangering herself, even if it meant sacrificing her own life.
She was a kind soul, who loved humanity despite the immense suffering she had endured.
That was why Kim Yoo-sung felt a pang of pain whenever he saw her. He wished she would be more selfish.
“I won’t ask you to trust Baek Joo-won. I know how difficult that is.”
“…Seo Jae-yi.”
“But you can trust me, right? Trust me. Baek Joo-won won’t harm innocent people as long as I’m alive.”
“Not just anyone, but… innocent people?”
“Ah, that’s because Baek Joo-won loves me so much. I don’t think he’ll let anyone who tries to harm me get away with it.”
Seo Jae-yi smiled, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Kim Yoo-sung chuckled dryly at her absurdly confident words.
“…Yes, I suppose that’s unavoidable.”
But he couldn’t help but agree, as he too cared deeply about Seo Jae-yi.
It was only natural to eliminate those who threatened her.
“…I understand that he’s not a threat, for now. But Seo Jae-yi, as you know, having a monster by your side, a monster who can communicate and even provide Guiding, could be problematic. If this becomes public, people will try to raise monsters themselves.”
“Huh? I never thought about that.”
“Yes, that’s understandable. So keep it a secret. Don’t let anyone find out.”
Seo Jae-yi’s eyes widened in surprise at his warning.
“I thought you would tell me to keep Baek Joo-won in the forest dungeon because he’s a monster.”
“Baek Joo-won has to be by your side to Guide you. I wouldn’t want that.”
Right. Kim Yoo-sung’s biggest concern was Seo Jae-yi’s safety.
He wouldn’t confine Baek Joo-won, the only one who could heal her, to the dungeon.
“Don’t let anyone find out. Understand?”
“I understand. I’ll be more careful.”
Kim Yoo-sung finally nodded, his grim expression softening slightly, as she promised.
“And one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“I need to talk to Baek Joo-won directly, so call him.”
“…”
Seo Jae-yi, for the first time, didn’t answer immediately. She would have called him without hesitation, but she didn’t know what Kim Yoo-sung was going to say, and it made her nervous. She had never been this wary of him before.
“Seo Jae-yi.”
“Y-yes?”
“Call him.”
But she had no choice but to comply when he repeated his request.
“B-Baek Joo-won… Come out.”
The nearby dungeon plants rustled at her hesitant call. Baek Joo-won emerged from between them.
Kim Yoo-sung, who hadn’t expected him to be so close, chuckled.
“You were here all along?”
“Yes.”
Baek Joo-won walked towards them and stood beside Seo Jae-yi.
He had such a strong presence when he was visible, yet she hadn’t sensed him at all when he was hidden. Kim Yoo-sung felt a pang of unease, realizing that he was much stronger than Airok.
“Then you heard our conversation.”
“I did.”
“…I won’t question your identity, as I trust Seo Jae-yi. However…”
Kim Yoo-sung looked directly at Baek Joo-won, his single, visible eye sharp and intense.
“If you ever harm Seo Jae-yi, I’ll kill you, no matter what. So protect her.”
He would have scoffed and ignored such an impertinent remark if it had come from anyone else.
But it was coming from Kim Yoo-sung, and he knew how much he cared for Seo Jae-yi, so Baek Joo-won simply nodded.
“I will.”
“That’s all I wanted to say. And please don’t use your powers in public, as your identity mustn’t be revealed. Airok too. Hah, I’m so glad I was the only one there when Seo Jae-yi overloaded before.”
Kim Yoo-sung sighed, rubbing his face.
It was fortunate that he had trusted Baek Joo-won and ordered his Guild members to retreat. He shuddered, thinking about what might have happened otherwise.
“That was an unavoidable situation. And I did it knowing you might discover my true identity.”
“…What?”
“I thought it would be alright if you knew. Because your concern for Seo Jae-yi is genuine.”
Kim Yoo-sung’s eyes widened at his words.
Unlike him, who had been conflicted after learning about his identity, Baek Joo-won had trusted him.
He bit his lip.
“It’s fine if you continue to be wary of me. As long as you allow me to stay by Seo Jae-yi’s side. I don’t care about other humans anyway.”
It was a very monster-like statement. But strangely, Kim Yoo-sung felt reassured.
Right, Seo Jae-yi was the only one who mattered. It was better if Baek Joo-won only cared about her.
“…I understand. And thank you again for saving Seo Jae-yi.”
Having resolved his inner conflict, Kim Yoo-sung bowed deeply to Baek Joo-won, his gratitude sincere.
Baek Joo-won’s words, that Seo Jae-yi would have died long ago if it weren’t for him, resonated deeply within him.
Baek Joo-won’s identity didn’t matter anymore. Only Seo Jae-yi’s survival mattered.
“So, Seo Jae-yi, what are you going to do now? Are you going to stay here?”
Kim Yoo-sung looked up and asked Seo Jae-yi.
“Yes. I’m even thinking about selling my apartment in Seoul. I can always stay at Won-yeong’s place if needed.”
“Another person living in a dungeon, after Joo Seon-min.”
“It’s surprisingly comfortable. It’s quite nicely decorated.”
“I’m curious. Show me around sometime.”
Seo Jae-yi readily agreed. She could show him around.
“I’ll visit often. There’s a clause prohibiting Haeil Guild from being involved in the dungeon plant sales, but there’s no clause against me visiting and hanging out with you.”
“Bring delicious food when you come.”
Kim Yoo-sung smiled, bowed to Baek Joo-won again, and left the dungeon.
Seo Jae-yi’s legs felt weak, and she collapsed onto the ground.
“Wow, I didn’t expect him to confront me like that.”
“I feel like he just asked your parents for permission to marry you.”
Baek Joo-won chuckled, lifting her up and pulling her into an embrace.
“And I’m a little jealous. Because it means you’re that close to him.”
Oh my… Airok, who had been listening, narrowed his eyes. He didn’t want to witness any more of this, so he fluttered away.
Seo Jae-yi, oblivious to Airok’s departure, stared at Baek Joo-won, wide-eyed.
“You get jealous?”
“Are monsters not allowed to be jealous? We’re even more possessive, so our jealousy is also stronger.”
“Ah, really?”
A smile slowly spread across her lips.
She had heard that it felt good to hear your boyfriend being jealous, and it was true. It felt quite nice.
It meant he liked her that much.
“Hae-wi, do you like me that much?”
“Yes, very much. So much that I’m smiling, hearing you say you’ll sell your apartment and stay in my dungeon.”
Seo Jae-yi burst out laughing and showered him with kisses.
“I have to repay you for decorating the cave for me. And you seem to like it here more than outside. I also like it here more than before, perhaps because of your power. It’s not just good; it’s like paradise.”
“Really?”
Baek Joo-won’s eyes narrowed as he enjoyed her kisses.
Seo Jae-yi, oblivious to the meaning behind his look, caressed his cheek.
“I can’t help it if even the Guild Leader is jealous. I’ll just have to dote on you even more, enough to make others look insignificant.”
She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him passionately, nibbling and sucking on his lips.
Baek Joo-won’s human form started to shift, his hair lengthening, his clothes changing, as he lost himself in the kiss.
Seo Jae-yi clung to him even tighter, pleased by his transformation.
His hand caressed her skin.
Her smooth skin, toned and sculpted, felt incredibly good beneath his touch. He could feel the marks he had left on her the night before, just beneath the surface, and it pleased him.
He traced the marks with his fingers, and then, still holding her, he started walking towards the cave.
‘Should I prepare another place nearby?’
It was a short walk for him, but it felt too far when he was this aroused.
He should prepare several suitable places. They didn’t have to be large; just big enough for him and Seo Jae-yi.
The thought of being intimate with Seo Jae-yi in a small, secluded space was so arousing that he could feel his body heating up.
Unable to contain his desire, Baek Joo-won stopped before they even reached the cave. He sprouted soft grass on the ground, laid his robe down, and gently placed Seo Jae-yi on top of it.