Side Story 2:
“Hmm, that’s strange.”
The next day, finally out of bed.
Seo Jae-yi paused while buttoning her shirt and looked in the mirror.
Two distinct red marks were visible on her left shoulder, above the collar of her shirt.
Baek Joo-won’s bite marks from last night, left by his fangs.
“Why haven’t they disappeared?”
All the other marks had faded, but these two remained, as vivid as if they were fresh wounds, showing no signs of healing.
Even deeper wounds usually disappeared overnight; it was strange that these small bite marks were still there.
“Why? Do they bother you?”
Baek Joo-won, wearing only his pants, came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
“I like them.”
He stared intently at the marks on her pale skin.
Thanks to his Guiding, Seo Jae-yi’s body was now flawless, not a single scar marring her skin.
And the only marks that remained were his bite marks.
The two red marks on her white shoulder looked strangely… erotic, and he was incredibly pleased.
“How can I dislike the marks you left on me, a sign of your affection?”
Seo Jae-yi chuckled, amused by his possessive gaze, tracing the marks with his eyes.
“I like them… I was just wondering why they haven’t faded… I’d be sad if they suddenly disappeared.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
Baek Joo-won kissed her shoulder, right on the marks.
“These aren’t just ordinary bite marks; they’re the mark of a Mireu claiming its mate. They won’t disappear as long as our hearts are connected.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
The marks would fade if their feelings for each other did, but that wouldn’t happen, not until one of them died. They would remain, a permanent reminder of their bond.
“I like that.”
Seo Jae-yi smiled, finally satisfied.
Baek Joo-won, relieved, kissed her cheek and then finished buttoning her shirt.
“I want to leave a mark on you too, but I can’t, not being a Mireu.”
“You can’t leave the same kind of mark, but you already have, haven’t you?”
“What?”
Baek Joo-won tapped his neck, seeing her puzzled expression in the mirror.
More precisely, the red line encircling his neck.
The scar from when Seo Jae-yi had cut off his head in the Rank 1 dragon dungeon to conceal his true identity.
“They might be different, but they’re still marks we left on each other. I’m… content.”
“Honestly…”
How could a simple bite mark compare to a decapitation scar?
But Baek Joo-won seemed genuinely content, so Seo Jae-yi simply nodded.
“It’s still… unsettling to see it…”
She turned to face him and traced the scar on his otherwise flawless neck with her fingertip.
He had told her, when she had been agonizing over the scar, that it was a mark of her possession, a shackle binding her to him, and he was pleased.
His possessive words had eased her guilt somewhat, but it hadn’t completely vanished.
It was a scar she had inflicted on her lover, after all.
But…
“Thinking of it as… a shared scar… makes it a bit easier to bear.”
It was a mark only they could leave on each other, a symbol of their bond, and perhaps, one day, she would even cherish it.
Seo Jae-yi stood on her tiptoes and kissed the red line on his neck.
“It’s… nice.”
Their eyes met.
Baek Joo-won blinked, surprised by her gesture, and then wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands hot against her skin through her shirt.
Seo Jae-yi chuckled, amused by his reaction.
“You’re reacting to this?”
“How can I not? Your lips… against my skin…”
“We’ve been tangled together for over a day! Control yourself! We have to go!”
Seo Jae-yi slapped his hands and pushed him away. Baek Joo-won, unable to resist her, reluctantly let go, a soft whine escaping his lips.
“He finally appeared.”
They left the room and headed to the Guild Leader’s office on the top floor.
Kim Yoo-sung, who had been meticulously tending to his plants, greeted them.
“I thought it would take at least another day. You’re back sooner than expected.”
“We almost… didn’t make it.”
Kim Yoo-sung shook his head at Seo Jae-yi’s words, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“Are you aware of the chaos outside after the impeachment ruling?”
“No idea! I haven’t even looked at my phone.”
“Everyone’s looking for you, and yet, you’re completely oblivious. They’ll be upset if they knew.”
“You didn’t try to contact me either, even though you knew.”
“Of course not. Their feelings are irrelevant.”
Kim Yoo-sung nodded firmly. Seo Jae-yi was his priority, not the frustrated reporters and their insatiable curiosity.
“The trial will begin soon after the impeachment, and you’ll be summoned as a key witness. You’re aware of that, right?”
Impeached President Kim Joon-pil and former Prime Minister Jang Woo-seok.
Seo Jae-yi was the primary victim of their crimes, so she would naturally be called to testify.
Her testimony would be crucial, even with the overwhelming evidence they already had.
“Don’t worry. I’ll attend every single session. I can’t wait to see their faces, those bastards, as they’re sentenced.”
Seo Jae-yi clenched her fists, relishing the thought.
Kim Yoo-sung hoped she wouldn’t punch them in court, no matter how tempting it might be.
She should save that for when there were no cameras.
“The trial shouldn’t take too long, as the evidence is clear, and we have you as a witness, but it’ll still take a few months. Don’t go on any dungeon subjugations until it’s over.”
Seo Jae-yi’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You don’t have to go that far.”
“I’ll call you if I need your help. But otherwise, just rest. You have your dungeon plant business to manage.”
“That’s true…”
“I’ll call you again after the trials are over, so just focus on that for now. And you deserve some rest after that Rank 1 dungeon and the US trip; you were injured.”
‘My overload level doesn’t increase anymore, and my wounds are all healed, thanks to the Yeouiju, though.’
She didn’t need more rest. She had already relaxed and recharged during their US tour.
Kim Yoo-sung knew this, or at least about the trip, so why was he insisting? But she knew he wouldn’t budge, so she agreed.
“If that’s what you want, Guild Leader.”
“You’re the one who’s supposed to be resting, but Baek Joo-won seems even happier about it.”
Kim Yoo-sung chuckled, looking at Baek Joo-won, whose face had lit up the moment she agreed.
“We’ve been flooded with interview requests since the impeachment ruling, but you’re not planning on accepting any, are you?”
“Nope. The reporters will be swarming the courthouse during the trials; I can talk to them then. Not that I have anything to say.”
“Good. That’s all I wanted to discuss. Go see Seo Won-yeong later. She’s almost finished with the equipment.”
“Oh, already? As expected of my sister. She’s fast.”
Seo Won-yeong, now working out of the former Bulkkotgil flower shop greenhouse, had been working tirelessly on the equipment, barely taking breaks to eat or sleep.
She seemed to be enjoying herself, working with such rare and valuable materials.
Seo Jae-yi couldn’t wait to see the finished products.
They left the Guild Leader’s office and headed downstairs.
The Guild members, who had been planning a celebratory party after the impeachment ruling, booed and jeered, seeing them leave so quickly, having refused their invitation and gone straight to bed instead.
But Seo Jae-yi and Baek Joo-won, unfazed, ignored them completely.
The Guild members were exasperated by the couple’s impenetrable wall of indifference.
“Won-yeong!”
Seo Won-yeong greeted them as they entered the greenhouse, which had been transformed into her workshop. Someone else was there with her.
Her mother, Seo Hye-ryeong.
“Jae-yi! And welcome, Baek Joo-won.”
“Aunt!”
“Congratulations, Jae-yi. You must be happy.”
Seo Jae-yi smiled proudly at her aunt’s congratulatory words regarding the president’s impeachment.
“I knew it would happen, but it’s still… gratifying to see it with my own eyes. I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.”
“The former presidents will also be dragged into this mess once the trials begin. That should be interesting to watch.”
Seo Hye-ryeong chuckled.
Impeached President Kim Joon-pil wasn’t the only one involved in the Esper experiments. The previous president, also from the ruling party, was also implicated.
He must be sweating bullets right now.
“I hope everything comes to light.”
“It will, don’t worry. So, you came to see the equipment Won-yeong made, right? Take a look. I’ve already seen it; it’s amazing.”
Seo Won-yeong, who had been fidgeting beside her, puffed up with pride at her mother’s words.
“I’ve created a masterpiece. I won’t be able to make anything better than this unless you bring me more Rank 1 dungeon monsters.”
“I’m even more curious now. Show us.”
Seo Won-yeong, at Seo Jae-yi’s urging, pulled the cloth off the mannequins.
Their new equipment was finally revealed.