Beast, Blue Blood - Chapter 108

Chapter 108

“Emily raised you.”  

Ha-yeon said roughly, but Hisha frowned.  

“This isn’t about choosing one side.”  

Just then, Si-woo stepped in.  

“Miss, I understand you feel guilty towards Emily, but she is only taking responsibility for her own actions.”  

Ha-yeon stood silently for a moment before turning away, speaking dismissively.  

“Emily sacrificed for me. I’ve killed those people that day in my mind countless times. In every way I could imagine, as brutally as I could. The punishment Emily received might be the punishment I should have received.”  

Only then did Si-woo realize the source of the shadow that loomed over Ha-yeon’s heart.  

“That was the punishment those people deserved.”  

At that moment, Hisha suddenly embraced Ha-yeon tightly, catching Si-woo off guard.  

“What…!”  

Ha-yeon gasped in surprise, struggling to break free, but Hisha held on fiercely, his muscles tensing.  

“Si-woo! Get this guy off me…!”  

As Ha-yeon reached out to Si-woo for help, Hisha said softly. 

“I’m sorry for leaving you behind.”  

Ha-yeon paused at Hisha’s words.  

It seemed Hisha had his own burden since that day. Though Hisha had been rescued first, it was unfair to blame him; he had done his best to protect Ha-yeon while they were captured, even if it meant getting hurt himself.  

Ha-yeon looked out at the view beyond the window.

“Let go. It’s creepy.”  

As Hisha released her, he ruffled Ha-yeon’s hair.  

“What’s so good about someone like this? Is Selena a masochist or something?”  

Si-woo chuckled.  

“If it’s her, that could be appealing.”  

At that, Hisha made a shocked expression and muttered.

“Wow, it feels like looking into an abyss.”  

* * *  

Ah-eun sat by the window, overlooking the city.  

She was in Si-woo’s upper house, the one Ha-yeon had briefly lived in before. It was furnished enough for someone to move in immediately, but it felt desolate since it wasn’t a home.  

While there was always something happening at Ivan and Yeon-ha’s place, there was nothing to do here alone.  

[You have a visitor.]  

The AI announced. Ah-eun looked up, puzzled.  

“A visitor?”  

The AI replied.

[Colonel Tauga is here.]  

It was completely unexpected.  

“Colonel Tauga? Alone?”  

[Yes. Shall I ask the purpose of the visit?]  

“No, just open the door.”  

She figured he must have a reason for coming, but Ah-eun couldn’t imagine why Tauga would seek her out.  

She was somewhat close to Alex’s other clients, but Tauga was difficult to read, showing little emotion, which made him hard to understand. She had initially kept her distance from him.  

Lost in thought, she walked to the front door, which opened to reveal Tauga in his military uniform.  

“Colonel.”

Seeing Ah-eun, Tauga slightly bowed his head.  

“I stopped by on my way back to the base. I heard you were here.”  

“Oh… I see. Would you like some tea?”  

“No, I need to leave soon.”  

Then Tauga took Ah-eun’s hand, surprising her with the unexpected gesture.  

“Colonel…?”  

“You are truly a Keshik.”  

At that moment, Tauga suddenly said.  

“Imagine if Miss Ha-yeon were a king or truly a princess. Your actions to protect her, even if it meant annihilating enemies, would be worthy of praise.”  

“…”  

As Ah-eun struggled to find the right words, Tauga continued.  

“Ideals change over time. So don’t confine yourself too much within them.”  

“I didn’t expect you to say something like this, Colonel.”  

Ah-eun slightly lowered her gaze and muttered. Tauga spoke calmly, yet his face held a distinctly kind light.  

“Though we may seem like eternal beings, we must adapt to the changes of the times just as much as anyone else. You’re simply unlucky. The number of people I’ve killed is far beyond what you could compare to.”  

He added as if remembering something. 

“I didn’t engage in pillaging, though.”  

“No, that’s….”  

While she couldn’t say it was okay, Ah-eun believed that if anyone could avoid committing terrible acts, it would be Tauga. His eyes didn’t resemble those of someone who had committed horrific deeds—like those of Changwon-gun Lee Seong.

With those eyes, Tauga looked directly at Ah-eun.  

“You are the one who pulled Si-woo from the ground, who brought him back from the pit of anger and vengeance. Have a little more confidence.”  

When Ah-eun remained silent, Tauga held her hand more firmly. She flinched, trying to pull away, but he stubbornly didn’t let go. Ah-eun felt heat rising within her.  

Eventually, Tauga released her hand.  

“Well, I’ll be on my way.”  

Did he come all this way just to say that?  

As Tauga turned to leave, Ah-eun spoke impulsively.  

“Thank you.”  

Tauga nodded slightly in response and left the house. Once the door closed behind him, Ah-eun murmured, feeling almost entranced.  

“But why did he hold my hand…?”  

The firm feeling of his palm lingered in her hand, and heat crept up to her ears.  

“Could it be…?”  

She shook her head, thinking it was probably just a gesture of comfort.  

At thirty-three, in an era with significantly lowered life expectancy, she had already been infected and the struggles she faced made her look older than her actual age. Though she had been living more comfortably now and could pass for someone in her mid-thirties—perhaps due to good management from Luax—Tauga looked to be only in his early thirties. His military demeanor added to his charm, making him quite popular.

The very idea of putting herself in front of such a Tauga could be offensive to him.

Shaking off those thoughts, Ah-eun sighed and opened the pantry. She hadn’t shopped for groceries since arriving, so the shelves were empty.  

‘I even forgot to offer him tea.’

If Tauga had said he wanted some, it would have made for an awkward situation.  

Thinking she might need to borrow some things from Si-woo’s place, Ah-eun headed downstairs.  

The house was empty, indicating Si-woo hadn’t returned yet.  

As she went to the kitchen to gather what she needed, she heard the sound of the door opening.  

‘He’s back.’

Ah-eun turned her head. Just as she was about to call out, a thud against the wall caught her attention, followed by a soft groan.  

“Ugh…”  

Through the glass at the entrance, Ah-eun saw Ha-yeon and Si-woo leaning against the wall, kissing. She gasped and swallowed her voice.  

Frozen in place, she watched as they continued to kiss and made their way into the living room. Ha-yeon pushed Si-woo’s suit jacket off his shoulder, and Si-woo slid off her jacket in return. Unintentionally, Ah-eun took a step back toward the kitchen.  

Once in the living room, Ha-yeon shoved Si-woo onto the sofa. Thankfully, they were now out of view, but Ah-eun could still see their arms and backs rising and falling over the sofa’s backrest as they roughly undressed each other.  

Fearing they might see her, Ah-eun unconsciously stepped back and bumped into a glass sitting on the table. Normally, she would have caught it, but in her flustered state, the glass fell to the floor and shattered.  

Crash!

Both of them paused.  

Ah-eun closed her eyes at the sight of the broken glass and spoke.  

“I’m so, so sorry.”  

“Who…? Who’s there?”  

Ha-yeon asked, her voice languid in a way Ah-eun had never heard before.  

“It’s me…!”  

Ah-eun hesitantly stepped out. Over the back of the sofa, Ha-yeon was sitting up, wearing only a bra, looking toward the kitchen. Si-woo was below her, gripping the backrest.  

“I’m sorry! I just—”  

Ah-eun quickly apologized and tried to run out without looking at the sofa.  

“Emily!”  

Ha-yeon called out as she hurried down, approaching Ah-eun with a smile.  

“Why are you running away? Did you see something you shouldn’t have?”  

As Ha-yeon grabbed her wrist, dressed only in jeans and a bra, Ah-eun felt more embarrassed than ever.  

Meanwhile, Si-woo sat up and started buttoning his partially undone shirt, showing no particular reaction.  

“Don’t go. Come here.”  

Ha-yeon said, pulling Ah-eun closer, then picked up her T-shirt from the floor to put it on. During that time, Si-woo finished adjusting his clothes and asked.

“Have you eaten dinner?”  

“No, not yet.”  

Ah-eun replied almost reflexively, and this time Ha-yeon asked.  

“Then let’s eat together. Would you like a glass of wine before dinner?”  

“Ah, sure.”

As Si-woo turned toward the kitchen, Ha-yeon asked.  

“Si-woo, can I have whiskey?”  

“Just one glass.”  

“Do you even know how much I can drink?”  

“That’s why I said it. You tend to drink a lot, you know.”  

Ha-yeon pouted in annoyance.  

“More lecturing.”  

Ah-eun watched the two of them talk, still feeling dazed. But as she observed their natural interaction, tears suddenly streamed down her face.  

“I’m sorry. Why am I…?”  

Startled, she tried to wipe her tears, but instead, she found herself crying uncontrollably.  

She couldn’t understand why she was crying at that moment, but it felt as if the ice that had frozen atop a mountain melted and flowed all at once.  

Seeing Ah-eun, Ha-yeon approached and sat beside her, resting her head on Ah-eun’s shoulder.  

“Don’t cry. You big baby.”  

But Ah-eun couldn’t stop her sobbing. Ha-yeon remained resting on her shoulder and spoke.

“Maybe I was Emily’s daughter in a past life.”  

“If Ms. Kang hears that, she’ll be hurt.”  

Ha-yeon retorted to Si-woo’s comment.  

“No, even my mom said that. She wished it were true.”  

Could that be? Had Ha-yeon truly been her daughter?  

Ah-eun thought, hoping for a miracle that would allow Ha-yeon to be reborn, feeling sorry for the child who had died young. If Ha-yeon was loved like this, even without being her daughter anymore, Ah-eun felt she could forget all her pain.  

Wiping her tears, Ah-eun stood up more determinedly.  

“Is there anything else you two want? I’ll make it for you.”  

“Ah-eun.”  

“Yes?”  

At Si-woo’s call, Ah-eun reflexively turned to him. Then she realized a beat too late that he had used her real name.  

“Young master, did you just call me…?”  

Surprised, she touched her lips, having said “young master” without thinking. Si-woo looked at her with warmth in his eyes and said,  

“No patroness has ever protected a client like you do.”  

All the things she had done—putting him in the coffin to sleep, following him around as he searched for Changwon-gun Lee Seong, caring for him without even needing a glance—had all been acts of kindness from Si-woo toward Ah-eun.  

Without her, he might have fallen into madness forever or died long ago in a fight. No matter how strong his regeneration abilities were, there were limits.  

“Then…”  

Her eyes glimmered with emotion at his recognition of her as a patroness.  

She had never thought of herself as Si-woo’s patroness, nor had she dared to hope he would view her that way.  

Unable to hold back her tears again, Si-woo embraced her.  

“Come here, you weepy patroness.”  

At that moment, Ha-yeon approached.

“What’s this? Am I supposed to be jealous?”  

But there was laughter in her voice.