Beast, Blue Blood - Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Eugene, who was lazily sprawled out in a half-asleep state, looked incredibly beautiful. The sunlight sparkled between her disheveled hair on the bed.  

“Not in the morning.”  

Eugene whispered in a languid tone with a hint of laughter. It sounded more like a seductive invitation.  

Eventually, after quite some time, Hisha and Eugene were able to get out of bed. But even as they moved to the shower and the dressing room to get ready for work, they still seemed to be enjoying themselves, unable to separate.  

“We’re going to be late.”  

Even after finishing their preparations and reaching the door, Hisha was still fussing behind her, prompting Eugene to speak with a voice full of laughter.  

At that moment, the door opened, and Ha-yeon’s voice was heard.  

“Hisha, breakfast is…”  

Ha-yeon’s eyes widened when she saw them.  

Looking as if she didn’t know how to react, she stared for a moment before suddenly twisting her face in disgust and leaving.  

Eugene, who had never experienced anyone looking at her as if they were about to vomit, looked at Hisha with a bewildered expression.  

“What’s going on?”  

But Hisha could only respond with an awkward smile.  

* * *

“Why was Ha-yeon acting like that?”  

Eugene asked as they rode the elevator.  

“Why did she leave with that look after seeing us?”  

Standing next to her, Hisha let out a small ‘ah’ sound, glanced briefly at the ceiling, and then spoke.  

“She’s always been a bit peculiar.”  

Eugene wondered how he could have thought to come into her mansion, hiding his identity when he couldn’t lie like this.

“Was something happening back then?”  

Hisha sighed quietly in response.  

“You knew, didn’t you?”  

Eugene shrugged.  

“Even though ISLE blocked the reports, it’s amazing how few people know about the incident, given the number of casualties. But then, all the dead were the kidnappers.”  

A long time ago, Hisha had said they were ‘kidnapped’ when they were young. ISLE treated Hisha and Ha-yeon’s existence like state secrets, but rumors about unique beings like the Luax mixed-blood inevitably leaked out. Naturally, those in the darker circles moved first, and young Hisha and Ha-yeon, who were living ordinary lives, were kidnapped on their way home from school. At that time, Hisha was only ten years old, and Ha-yeon was nine.  

As a result, Hisha returned to his parents’ arms after two days, while Ha-yeon took three days.  

The kidnappers had split up, taking one of them each. The team that had Hisha, who was left on the coast, was captured by an ambush of the MCTC and special operations unit, and Hisha was rescued first. However, the team with Ha-yeon, which had gone inland into the mountains, took longer to capture due to the rugged terrain.  

When the combined forces of the alliance team entered the kidnappers’ camp, it was already a sea of blood. Internal conflicts among the kidnappers led to a brutal massacre where they fought and killed each other, leaving Ha-yeon behind.  

Fortunately, the kidnappers who had fled during the chaos were detected by the alliance team’s radar, allowing them to locate their hiding place.  

Although Hisha had previously told Eugene that they returned safely shortly after being kidnapped, it had been quite a significant incident.

However, this was all that was known. The incident did not appear in any media, and because the existence of Hisha and Ha-yeon had to be kept a secret, few in the military or police knew about it.

“Was it because of that incident that she went to Africa?”  

Eugene asked, which was both a question and a certainty. Hisha replied cautiously.  

“Ha-yeon… was very ill after that. Since then.”  

When they were young, Hisha had been so innocent that he didn’t know how to hold back his words, but after the kidnapping incident, he couldn’t casually talk to Ha-yeon for a while.  

Originally, Ha-yeon was more sensitive than Hisha by nature, and her sensitivity to her surroundings was quite high. However, Ha-yeon, who returned a day later, was different in a way that was hard to describe.  

Physically, Hisha was more injured, but if one had to describe it, Ha-yeon seemed like someone who had peered into an abyss.  

Recalling Ha-yeon’s eyes from that time, which seemed to have seen something they should not have, Hisha said.

“I don’t know what happened during the day Ha-yeon was alone with the kidnappers.”  

It was an unspoken taboo within their clan to mention that time.  

“I only heard that the kidnappers fought each other over who would take Ha-yeon, leading to a massacre. What Ha-yeon saw at that time… when she returned, her condition was not good.”  

Hisha swallowed a sigh and looked at Eugene.  

“She was especially afraid of Luax.”  

It seemed that most of the kidnappers were Luax. Ironically, thinking of Ha-yeon’s parents, who were Luax, Luax would have been a source of overwhelming fear and helplessness for a kidnapped child.  

“They were the worst kind of scum, those kidnappers.”  

Hisha, being straightforward, forgot the pain and injuries once his physical wounds healed, but he still occasionally thought about it.  

The kidnappers had beaten him with genuine enjoyment, like a cruel circus trainer handling wild beasts. Even now, when he heard their laughter echoing in his ears, it still sent chills down his spine.  

“I think they deserved to die.”  

Hisha spoke with an unusually cold tone, then immediately gave a bitter smile.  

“My mother told me not to think like this, though.”  

Her mother, Yeon-ha, probably said that not because of the kidnappers, but to prevent Hisha from becoming consumed by dark thoughts.  

Eugene gently patted Hisha’s head, which was higher up. Hisha smiled a little and continued.

“Anyway, it didn’t seem like Ha-yeon’s condition would improve unless she went somewhere with a new environment.”  

Especially somewhere without Luax.  

So, Ha-yeon’s parents took her to Africa. Ha-yeon’s mother, Kyu-hwa, had started a project to establish a school in Africa, and her father, Alex, who was a soldier, had also been transferred there, making it a natural course of events.

Although Ha-yeon occasionally attended school there, she mostly completed her compulsory education through homeschooling. And three years ago, at the age of nineteen, she moved to Seoul to attend university. Unlike when she left, she now looked like she could chew up the railway tracks.

“The kidnapping incident happened thirteen years ago.”  

Hisha said to lighten the mood.  

“Ha-yeon has mostly forgotten about it. Look, now she’s so full of energy that she’d seem ready to beat anyone who came her way with a club. Honestly, even if that incident hadn’t happened, with her personality, she would have liked nothing less.”  

Eugene shrugged one shoulder.  

“She used to boast about herself, but it turns out she was afraid of something after all.”  

“…Don’t say that to Ha-yeon.”  

Hisha was already nervous about the strained relationship between Eugene and Ha-yeon. If this were a matriarchal society, it seemed like both would be the dominant personalities in their respective groups.  

At least Eugene, being an adult, generally avoided provoking Ha-yeon openly. Ha-yeon wouldn’t stay silent if challenged.  

Eugene gave a small laugh.  

“Don’t worry. I won’t lose.”  

Then she got off the elevator. Hisha gave a puzzled smile. It was difficult because even her awkwardness seemed sexy.

* * *

Ha-yeon almost collided with someone when she turned a corner in the hallway, not realizing the presence in front of her. The other person reflexively grabbed her shoulder.  

“Miss.”  

Ha-yeon looked at the person she had bumped into.  

“Selena.”  

Selena, who was impeccably made up and looked more like a beautiful woman than a human due to his tall stature and well-defined build, inquired as he looked toward where Ha-yeon had come from.  

“Is something wrong?”  

“Nothing at all.”  

“Your expression doesn’t look good.”  

In response, Ha-yeon waved her hand as if to dismiss the matter.  

“I just witnessed the affectionate display of two cockroaches that don’t care about the place.”  

Selena seemed to have been puzzled for a moment but then understood and removed his hand from Ha-yeon’s shoulder.  

“Please understand. They’re newlyweds.”  

Ha-yeon sighed.  

“I should have gone home yesterday. Why did I stay here to see something so unpleasant? Anyway, just go your way.”  

“Please head to the dining room first.”  

As if he was going to the restroom, Selena turned the corner, and Ha-yeon headed towards the kitchen.  

A little later, Selena, coming out of the restroom, ran into Eugene, who was passing by alone.  

“It’s always strange to see you here.”  

Without any formal greeting, Selena spoke, and Eugene smiled.  

“I guess I’ll never get used to the fact that the CEO is my boss.”  

They went to the dining room together. The dining room already had Ivan, Ha-yeon, and Hisha who had arrived first, and Martha, whom Hisha had brought, was sitting in a high chair. The housekeeper, Emily, and other employees were still setting the table.  

The large table was set with a variety of foods as if for a festival. It was an ordinary breakfast time, but the number of attendees, excluding Yeon-ha, who had left for work early, was quite large.  

Emily, holding a coffee pot, asked Ha-yeon.

“Miss, would you like some coffee?”  

“No, I’m fine.”

When Ha-yeon shook her head, Emily turned to Selena and asked.

“Are you okay too, CEO?”  

“I’ll have one”  

Selena replied, extending his cup.  

“Ugh!”  

At that moment, Martha, stirring her plastic spoon, babbled. Ha-yeon looked at Martha and asked.

“Still not speaking?”  

“She just turned one. What words would she know?”  

Hisha said with a hint of disbelief, and Ha-yeon shrugged her shoulders.  

“At this point, shouldn’t she be able to say something?”  

“Well, what would a young lady who isn’t even married know?”  

Ha-yeon snorted in response.  

“It’s quite annoying how Hisha Ivanov pretends to be an adult.”  

“I am an adult. Didn’t you know that back in the day, people were treated as adults once they were married and had children?”  

Although they bickered, the members of the Ivanov family, who were used to such sibling squabbles since birth, continued their meal as if they didn’t hear anything.  

“If you like being treated as an adult so much, why don’t you just lie down in a coffin?”  

The moment Ha-yeon said that, Martha threw her plastic spoon in a manner almost like a missile.  

“Ouch!”  

Ha-yeon skillfully caught the spoon mid-air. Meanwhile, Emily picked up Martha and gently rocked her while asking,  

“Our little lady is so energetic, isn’t she?”  

Martha burst into laughter. Ha-yeon pointed at them with a nod and said.

“In your case, since Emily is mostly taking care of Martha, shouldn’t you also receive only half of the adult treatment?”