Beast, Blue Blood - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

“What did Selena call about?”

Hisha asked Eugene as he came out of the shower. Eugene, wearing a bathrobe and sitting on the sofa, casually replied.

“Baumann-Kraus disease.”

Hisha, who was heading to the kitchen, turned around.

“Isn’t that what Mirsi has…?”

Eugene looked at Hisha with curiosity.

“How do you know Mirsi?”

“I visited the hospital once. But Eugene…”

Hisha asked, finding it odd that Eugene referred to Mirsi so familiarly.

“Have you met Mirsi?”

Eugene did not answer. Hisha sat down beside her and asked directly.

“Tell me honestly.”

“No.”

Eugene stood up and replied.

“But here’s what I know. The one who suffers the most because of adult problems is that child. It’s only because my mother died so suddenly and left no inheritance that he’s been able to keep a low profile, or else my brothers wouldn’t have left him alone.”

It sounded as if she was talking about someone else. At times like this, Eugene became unusually cold, which even Hisha, who loved her, had to admit.

“Then why is Selena asking to see you because of that disease?”

Hisha asked.

“Who knows…”

Eugene seemed genuinely puzzled this time.

* * *

When they entered the restaurant they had agreed to meet at, the usher led them to a room. Selena stood up to greet her in a room almost like a reception room.

“Welcome.”

After exchanging greetings and sitting on the sofa, Eugene didn’t waste any time asking.

“What is the purpose of this meeting?”

Selena nodded as if to indicate he wouldn’t delay either.

“I’ll get straight to the point. ISLE holds a patent for technology that allows for the cryopreservation of human bodies.”

Understanding the implication of his words, Eugene couldn’t help but laugh.

“So, are you suggesting we freeze Mirsi? Instead of developing a virus?”

It was clear that Selena knew about Mirsi since he mentioned Baumann-Kraus disease over the phone. He seemed to believe that the reason Eugene was developing the Luax virus was to cure Mirsi’s illness and was proposing an alternative solution.

Whether he was being cautious or not, Selena spoke instead of nodding hastily.

“Interest in human cryopreservation waned with the discovery of Luax, causing the technology to stagnate. We can still only thaw people frozen for up to ten years. But there’s a good chance that a cure for Baumann-Kraus can be developed within the next ten years, as you, who have developed a drug before, well know.”

“But what if a cure isn’t developed by then?”

“Then we could develop the virus at that time.”

Eugene looked intently at Selena. She wondered if he knew that the virus didn’t exist. It felt like he was probing to find out if the virus was real. Since she couldn’t reveal the current operation, she said instead.

“You know how this all sounds, right? Even a small rural store wouldn’t operate like that.”

Selena nodded as if in agreement.

“But the Luax virus could become a weapon. Not in the sense of killing the enemy like weapons developed so far, but as a new paradigm weapon whose impact is unpredictable.”

He extended his hand as if to show something.

“This might be something that needs to be created someday. As long as human curiosity and desire exist, all scientific results have been like that. But it hasn’t been thoroughly discussed yet, and there are no safety measures. Thinking about the destructive power of something that comes out prematurely scares me a little.”

Selena looked straight at Eugene.

“We will develop a cure for Baumann-Kraus disease, even if it means covering the costs with profits from elsewhere.”

“If I give up on developing the virus…?”

Eugene asked.

“Yes.”

Eugene remained silent. Selena added.

“You will also get permission to marry Young Master Hisha.”

Eugene raised an eyebrow, and Selena raised a hand to show he meant no harm.

“I was just mentioning it as a point of reference.”

Eugene stayed silent for a while. She wasn’t sure how much Selena knew, but the virus development project was going to be halted around this time anyway. Officially, it was due to ‘insurmountable technical limitations,’ but the CIA expected that stopping the project would provoke the enemy to attempt stealing the research data.

“Fine.”

Eugene finally said.

“But…”

She added before Selena could relax.

“…promise me one thing. No matter what happens, you will develop the cure for Baumann-Kraus disease.”

Looking directly at Selena, she awaited his response. He nodded.

“I will.”

For Eugene, this was insurance. Even if something happened to her, Mirsi could live without worries. She had already made arrangements for Mirsi to receive treatment for life, but ISLE’s support would significantly increase the chances of developing a cure. This alleviated some of her concerns about Mirsi.

Since the virus never existed, her promise to stop its development might be null, but she sensed that Selena knew that and still made the promise.

Eugene stood up.

“Let’s discuss the details later. I will contact you.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Selena said, standing up to see her off. As Eugene was about to leave, she turned back with a sudden thought.

“You were born in Joseon, so you must know Korean folktales well.”

Selena realized that Eugene knew about his background, though maybe not everything. He nodded.

“As much as others know. Why do you ask?”

“Baridegi… Did she succeed in finding the elixir of life for her father?”

Eugene asked, surprising Selena with the mention of the name.

“Generally, that’s said to be the case, but it’s not certain. The ending varies depending on the version of the tale.”

It wasn’t the answer Eugene was expecting, but she showed no reaction.

“I see.”

Since the topic had come up, Selena asked.

“May I ask you something as well? When you were developing the virus, was your father also a consideration?”

Eugene slowly closed and opened her eyes.

“He was. You might not believe it.”

Selena nodded.

“I believe you. He’s your father, after all.”

Eugene turned and left the room. As she exited the restaurant, Hisha was waiting by the pillar at the entrance. Sunlight shone down on his black hair, creating a prism-like effect around it.

Seeing Eugene, Hisha approached and asked.

“Did the conversation go well?”

Before answering, Eugene noticed the single rose Hisha was holding.

“What’s that?”

“Oh.”

Hisha said, offering the rose to Eugene.

“I bought it from that guy over there.”

A Black street vendor holding a bunch of roses gave Hisha a thumbs-up. Hisha returned the gesture, seeming to have made a friend again. Eugene took the rose and examined it.

Hisha probably knew that Baridegi’s ending was uncertain, implying that the outcome was up to them. Eugene raised her head and extended her hand, which Hisha instinctively grasped. Smiling, Eugene asked.

“Shall we go on a date?”

“Now? Don’t we have to go back to the office?”

“It’s fine.”

Hisha smiled.

“Alright.”

Eugene pointed to a park across the street.

“Shall we go over there?”

“Sounds good.”

As they walked hand in hand, Eugene reflected on how much she had come to love this man.

‘Hisha, if it were possible, I’d want to develop the virus. I want to live with you forever.’

But she knew that wasn’t possible.

It was ironic. The nonexistent virus had brought them together, yet it couldn’t grant Eugene eternal life with Hisha. This made her cherish these moments even more.

Eugene turned her head just as Hisha looked at her. His gaze was serious as if he was contemplating something he shouldn’t.

* * *

Tap-tap. Click-click.

In the darkness, a silhouette sat. Dressed entirely in black, Hisha seemed to be deliberately making himself look suspicious. He sat in front of the only light source in the room, a glowing monitor, intently watching something. He glanced back briefly. The closed-door remained silent. Feeling reassured, he turned back to the monitor.

Accessing Selena’s computer wasn’t difficult. Compared to accessing Eugene’s computer at Knox Genomics headquarters, it was as easy as opening a door and pressing the power button.

“Only I have access to the Genotix files.”

Selena had once mentioned this to his father after dinner, a conversation Hisha had overheard. At the time, he hadn’t given it much thought, but Genotix was the pharmaceutical company that had attempted to develop the Luax virus during the Brotherhood incident twenty years ago. If Selena had secret files related to Genotix that only he could access, they were likely connected to the Luax virus.

Even if they weren’t, it was worth checking. If these files existed, Eugene might be able to develop the Luax virus. Though Hisha believed the Luax virus, which artificially turned humans into vampires, was a weapon that should never be unleashed, he understood the desire to save a loved one.

He didn’t plan to act on it immediately; he simply wanted to see if the ‘possibility’ existed.

Then he heard the sound of the elevator rising. Hisha quickly shut down the computer and pressed himself against the wall beside the elevator.

Ding.

The elevator arrived, and the doors opened. Fortunately, it wasn’t Selena who stepped out, but Jerome, who walked away without noticing Hisha’s presence. As a human, Jerome was oblivious to someone hiding nearby.

Before the elevator doors closed, Hisha slipped inside.

“Huh?”

Jerome turned around just as the doors were closing, but by then, Hisha was already gone.