Beast, Blue Blood - Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Si-woo thought of her as something small and cute, making Ha-yeon uncomfortable.

Ha-yeon thought grumpily. Si-woo often had that look when he saw her, and while she could understand that, from the perspective of someone who had lived for nearly six hundred years, she might seem insignificant, it still upset her. Even though he respectfully called her “miss” all the time and was annoyingly polite, his affectionate gaze was bothersome.

‘Because you treat me so politely, others act like I’m some sort of superior.’

This could be seen in the behavior of Jerome, who was older than Ha-yeon. This wasn’t the Joseon era, and Si-woo wasn’t a servant living in his master’s house, so there was no need for such behavior. Nonetheless, the atmosphere Si-woo had started and established didn’t change easily.

Bang.

When she opened the stiff iron door and entered, the space resembled a giant warehouse. A few iron office desks that seemed to have been picked up from somewhere were clustered together, and a large but worn-out sofa was placed to one side. A tapestry-like flag that decorated medieval castles hung on the wall in front of her.

A woman sitting at a desk beneath it turned her head.

“You’re here?”

It was Myung-jin. She noticed that Ha-yeon seemed upset and asked.

“Why do you look so swollen-faced?”

“I don’t know. Don’t ask.”

Ha-yeon threw her bag on the sofa and sat down. Just then, the door opened, and Hisha came in.

“What is it?”

Ha-yeon asked with a bewildered expression.

“Why are you here?”

She questioned.

Ignoring the question, Hisha clicked his tongue and said.

“You look like a band of thieves.”

He then placed the bag he brought on the large table. Recently, Ha-yeon discovered that her suspicious club activity was an internet vigilante group called Merry Men, named after the band of thieves who worked with Robin Hood.

Although they operated under the anonymous channel name “Merry Men,” they were quite well-known in certain circles and had a substantial number of subscribers. This was due to Ha-yeon’s physical abilities and Myung-jin’s hacking skills, which made their content uniquely deep.

“Why are you wandering around alone instead of looking after your kid?”

Ha-yeon asked, causing Hisha to laugh.

“That’s something that would make fathers around the world cry. I just stopped by on my way home.”

As Ha-yeon approached the bag to see what he brought, she suddenly looked at Hisha suspiciously and asked.

“You didn’t tell Eugene about us, did you?”

If Eugene found out, there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t reach Si-woo. Although Eugene was far from being a snitch, she frequently saw Si-woo, making it risky.

Hisha shrugged.

“I didn’t say anything. I’m not even a member here anyway.”

Hisha, who had almost lost Eugene due to the hospital terrorist attack orchestrated by Lancenum, held a grudge. Fortunately, thanks to his unborn daughter at that time—although Martha didn’t know what she did—Eugene survived, and Hisha lost his drive for revenge. Even if he wanted to take revenge, Eugene would stop him. However, having come back from the brink of hell due to Lancenum, it didn’t feel right to completely let it go, so he occasionally visited Merry Men’s hideout.

Ha-yeon waved her hand and spoke.

“Don’t loiter around. Do you know how sharp your wife’s intuition is?”

“……”

Hisha looked at Ha-yeon. He still hadn’t told her that Lancenum was the one who kidnapped them when they were children. If he did, Ha-yeon would undoubtedly want to dig into Lancenum, which would inevitably lead to danger.

“Don’t do anything too dangerous. And come home more often.”

When Hisha said this, Ha-yeon sighed.

“Selena’s nagging is enough for me.”

“I’m leaving.”

Then Hisha left. Watching his disappearing figure, Ha-yeon murmured incredulously.

“Why did he even come?”

By now, Myung-jin had come over, rummaged through the bread bag, and shrugged after finding bread to her liking.

“I really can’t understand you. If it were me, I’d enjoy what I have and live a ladylike life in a nice house. Why do you wander around these back alleys?”

Myung-jin, whom Ha-yeon met in college, was the only non-family member and human who knew her true identity. Through a particular incident, Ha-yeon and Myung-jin shared an experience they couldn’t tell anyone, including their families, making them more than just ordinary friends.

Ha-yeon sighed and bit into a piece of bread.

“If only I hadn’t drunk so much that night.”

She had drunkenly confessed everything, even the fact that she was born as Luax. Luckily, Myung-jin was just a normal human; if Si-woo found out, he would scold her for being careless.

Myung-jin smiled brightly.

“But thanks to that, we get to work together like this. Isn’t it great?”

After learning about Myung-jin’s hacking skills, Ha-yeon proposed working together, and Myung-jin agreed. As the breadwinner for her and her younger sibling, she needed the money.

Ha-yeon waved her hand.

“Stop talking. Do you have any stories we can use?”

“Nope.”

“No?”

Myung-jin shrugged.

“It’s been unusually quiet lately. But peace is good.”

She wiggled her fingers.

“Anyway, don’t be disappointed, Kate. We’re looking.”

Suddenly, Ha-yeon looked at Myung-jin as if she’d said something strange. Noticing this, Myung-jin asked.

“What?”

Ha-yeon murmured.

“Why Kate?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did they choose the name Kate as my alias?”

Myung-jin looked up, pondering the random question, then shifted her gaze back to Ha-yeon.

“Wasn’t it that cross-dressing brother, the head of ISLE, who decided on it? What meaning could it have? It’s just a common name.”

Myung-jin replied.

Ha-yeon didn’t answer and went to make coffee. Understanding Myung-jin wasn’t a new challenge for her, so she quickly started her work.

Ha-yeon poured the coffee beans into the grinder and thought. Si-woo had likely chosen the Western name “Kate” not only to hide her half-Korean identity but also because Western names were limited in variety, making it easier to stay anonymous. There were several Kates at her university alone. This made her wonder if “Selena” was also chosen for similar reasons—to hide behind anonymity.

Come to think of it, Ha-yeon realized she knew very little about Si-woo.

As she listened to the grinding beans, she stared at the ceiling.

‘All I know is that he was born in Joseon and became my father’s client through adoption.’

She had only heard that her father, Alex, met Si-woo while visiting Joseon for work, but she didn’t know how Si-woo ended up becoming Alex’s adopted client. She vaguely knew that her father had saved a dying Si-woo.

Si-woo had left Joseon with her father and returned after a long time when ISLE’s headquarters moved to Seoul. Whether he could truly say he “returned” to a place where both the name of the country and the land itself had drastically changed was uncertain.

Since becoming Alex’s client, Si-woo has served the Ivanov family with utmost dedication. Leading the ISLE Group, Si-woo was practically the financial pillar of the Ivanov clan.

Suddenly, she recalled Si-woo’s smiling face—a smooth smile that revealed nothing. It was like a home AI, catering to everyone’s convenience without anyone knowing where it came from, and not sharing its own story.

Ha-yeon looked at her wristband and spoke.

“Like, send a message.”

* * *

<Beef Bourguignon.>

The message was brief. It simply meant she wanted to eat it. Her mood had improved.

Si-woo, who was in Selena’s form, saw the message while walking down the hallway after finishing a meeting. Feeling relieved, he called Ana, his home AI.

“Ana, please buy ingredients for Beef Bourguignon.”

[Understood. Would you like to add any special ingredients?]

“No, that’s fine.”

[I’ll contact you if there are any additional needs.]

As he ended the call with Ana, Peter, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of ISLE Group walking beside him, asked knowingly.

“Miss Ha-yeon wants it, doesn’t she?”

Because his boss never ordered groceries urgently for his own sake.

“Yes.”

Although Beef Bourguignon was a rather elaborate dish, he could cook French cuisine without a problem.

“Why are you so devoted to Miss Ha-yeon?”

Peter asked, seizing the moment.

“Me?” 

Si-woo looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Peter nodded.

“Yes. There’s no particular reason for it. Even though she’s the Patrones’ daughter, it’s not like the old feudal lord-vassal relationship. I understand you feel a moral responsibility as a member of the clan, but you don’t have to cater to all her whims, do you?”

Peter seemed to be speaking out of concern, seeing his CEO already burdened with company matters. The underlying issue of whether Ha-yeon showed any whims to Si-woo was secondary. Ha-yeon was the esteemed daughter of the Patrones whom Si-woo deeply respected, and above all…

“She’s cute.”

Anyone who had seen a sensitive cat relax only around them would understand his sentiment. It was like feeling anxious to pet the soft fur but fearing it would run away if he did.

No matter what Si-woo said, Ha-yeon would always snort in disbelief. He was anxious that she might withdraw even the little closeness she allowed him.

Peter, hearing Si-woo’s words, gave a troubled smile.

“If Miss Ha-yeon knew, it would be a big deal.”

Having worked at ISLE for a long time, Peter understood her personality well enough.

“That’s why I don’t say it.”

Si-woo’s deliberate smile made Peter shrug.

“Not saying it doesn’t mean she won’t find out.”

“With that personality, do you think she’d stay still if she knew?”

“Who knows, women’s hearts are mysterious.”

Peter said meaningfully as he walked away. Si-woo chuckled behind him. Calling that small person a woman.

Although she no longer looked small outwardly, to him, Ha-yeon was always a little sunshine baby. From Teletubbies.