Beast, Blue Blood - Chapter 70

Chapter 70

“I came from ISLE.”

Ha-yeon let out a deep sigh of relief. Turning around, she saw that the person standing at the entrance was a lawyer from ISLE’s legal team. And it was someone Ha-yeon knew.

It seemed that, in response to the seriousness of the intruder situation at the lab, they had sent a senior member from the legal team to confirm if this was someone to be blacklisted, or perhaps to make a show of it.

“This person entered our facility without permission….”

As the lawyer spoke, a passing police officer pointed at Ha-yeon. The lawyer glanced back with an indifferent and cold expression, then saw Ha-yeon sitting and his eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, it seemed he was doubting his own eyes, then he turned to the police officer and asked.

“That person… I mean, that individual?”

“Yes. Why?”

“No, never mind. Just a moment, I need to make a call…”

With that, the lawyer went outside, apparently to make a call. Unable to run out and stop him, Ha-yeon was left feeling frustrated and ruffled her hair. A passing detective looked at her as if to ask, ‘What’s going on?’

The lawyer, who had said he would make a quick call, did not return even after some time.

Suddenly, Ha-yeon looked up. From outside came the sound of someone running breathlessly. Among the many footsteps, this one was particularly striking, and soon a familiar figure appeared at the door.

“Miss.”

In an unfamiliar appearance.

Si-woo, dressed in a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, with his hair damp as if he had just showered, was now there.

Ha-yeon was shocked.

His eyes were also black, and he looked like an ordinary human man.

At that moment, the detective, with a face that said, ‘Finally, he’s here,’ stood up and approached Si-woo, who was still at the entrance, and asked.

“Are you the young lady’s guardian?”

Si-woo looked at the detective and answered.

“Yes, I am the guardian.”

* * *

While Si-woo sat beside Ha-yeon as her guardian, the ISLE lawyer explained the potential issues that could arise in the future. He occasionally stole glances at Si-woo, unable to hide his awkwardness, but Si-woo played the ‘guardian’ role with a naturalness that was almost disarming.

The lawyer, who didn’t seem to have any malicious intent, said that he wouldn’t file a complaint, but warned that he wouldn’t be able to cover for them in the future if something similar happened again.

Leaving the police station together, Si-woo and Ha-yeon didn’t exchange a word. Just then, a shiny black car pulled up beside them.

As the car door opened, Si-woo spoke.

“Please get in.”

Ha-yeon got into the car without protest. After Si-woo got in, the car started moving, and his demeanor suddenly changed, as if shedding a mask.

Though he was dressed like an ordinary college student, the aura he exuded made it clear that he was far from a simple student.

“Miss, what on earth have you been doing?”

His voice, lower and more resonant than usual, indicated his anger.

With no words to say, Ha-yeon kept her mouth firmly shut. Si-woo, observing her, finally spoke.

“I decided not to watch over you on the condition that you would live a normal life. If you don’t tell me…”

“I just wanted to see the research facility.”

Ha-yeon said reluctantly. Si-woo looked puzzled.

“If that’s the case, you could have just told me. Why did you have to go over the wall?”

Si-woo’s expression grew serious as if he remembered something.

“Could it be because of that article?”

Ha-yeon had no choice but to admit it.

“I know it wasn’t that. I just wanted to see it with my own eyes.”

Si-woo looked at Ha-yeon for a while before speaking.

“Flos was a heartfelt wish. A wish not to become a monster no matter what. You understand that a clumsy substitute would never have sufficed, right?”

Since his tone wasn’t accusatory, Ha-yeon could only acknowledge her mistake further.

“…I understand.”

“We founded ISLE because we wanted to live among humans while doing things just like humans. Of course, you know that.”

Ha-yeon was well aware of this. Moreover, even when her uncle Ivan was briefly lost and the clan and company almost collapsed, Si-woo kept his place and continued the initial resolve to establish ISLE. It could be said that he preserved ISLE’s current state.

“Our long-standing wish was to coexist with humans. You understand that we would never do anything to jeopardize that, right?”

“I’m sorry.”

Ha-yeon mumbled, looking at the floor.

“Clearly… this time, it was my paranoia.”

Si-woo had anticipated that Ha-yeon, who was both human and Luax, would experience confusion. To put it kindly, the bold and indifferent nature of Hisha seemed to embrace his differences as something unique, but Ha-yeon, despite her tough exterior, was introspective, resembling her father, who was once a monk. After their reunion, she had shown only her fearless side, which had been momentarily forgotten.

“But if there is something I don’t know, I thought I needed to find out by any means necessary.”

Ha-yeon said calmly, looking out the window.

“While it might be comfortable to remain ignorant, it’s already too late when something happens. In that case, it’s my surroundings that would suffer more than I would. I don’t want that anymore.”

Her light brown hair, tinged with light, seemed to glow like gold. Beneath it, her face showed not just a desire to become stronger, but a resolute determination to protect what was precious to her.

The incident of being kidnapped when she was young seemed to have changed a lot about Ha-yeon. While it must have been difficult, it seemed she had already been contemplating what she needed to do since returning from that makeshift building. Si-woo found it both sad and admirable.

Suddenly, Ha-yeon turned to him and asked.

“By the way, how did you get here? You could have sent Secretary Jerome or someone else. Why did you come in this form?”

Of course, she understood why he appeared as a man. It was because no one would recognize him, as it didn’t match his appearance as Selena at all.

Si-woo glanced at himself and said.

“I’m sorry. I hurriedly got ready and looked a bit disheveled.”

Although Ha-yeon thought, ‘That’s not what I meant,’ she decided not to say it and simply responded.

“Pull over.”

The car stopped.

“Come here.”

Ha-yeon got out of the car, and although Si-woo was puzzled, he followed her out. They had arrived at a place with an entrance to a park, where various people were walking around.

At that moment, two children ran past them, laughing and playfully tumbling. Behind them, a couple, presumably their parents, followed while chatting.

As Si-woo watched this with a somewhat novel expression, Ha-yeon asked.

“How long has it been since you went out alone like this?”

“I don’t remember.”

It was a distant memory of just standing on the street aimlessly. Since returning to Seoul, he hadn’t walked around without any particular purpose.

The sunset glow visible between the buildings was dazzling. It felt like he had forgotten such a world existed.

“Do we need to go in?”

Ha-yeon asked.

“I do have some time. Why?”

Though he should have gone in right away, Si-woo answered more casually than he intended because Ha-yeon’s hesitant expression, unusual for him, was unexpectedly endearing.

“Since we’re out, let’s go have a meal.”

“But with this appearance…”

“If I were in Selena’s form, everyone would recognize me. This is better.”

Moreover, his appearance as Selena, with his height, glamorous makeup, and an alpha-like aura, made him look distinctly Luax, while his natural form, with its black eyes, simply resembled a human and looked youthful.

Si-woo glanced at the sky. Having a meal should be fine.

“Where should we go? The closest place here is Latty…”

“That’s the restaurant at the five-star hotel. We’re just going for dinner. Do you think we’re going to see a performance or something?”

Saying this, Ha-yeon gestured.

“Come on. I know a good place.”

* * *

“This place…”

Si-woo couldn’t hide his astonishment as he looked at the shop in front of them. The sign, illuminated by the newly lit streetlights, looked as if a rat had chewed it.

“Don’t judge by the exterior. It’s delicious.”

Ha-yeon said as she passed him.

“And since you’re Korean, you should be familiar with Seolleongtang.”

She went into the restaurant first, and Si-woo followed, sitting across from Ha-yeon.

“There wasn’t Seolleongtang where I used to live.”

“Really? I imagined it being something a tavern lady would serve. That’s surprising.”

As Ha-yeon poured water, Si-woo looked around the place. It was so shabby that he wondered if such places still existed nowadays. It seemed like it had been operating since the late Joseon Dynasty, if not longer.

“Do you come to places like this?”

He was again concerned about what kind of life she was leading outside. But Ha-yeon responded casually.

“It’s cheap and tasty.”

“Isn’t the allowance…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Ha-yeon raised one eyebrow.

“It’s not insufficient.”

She then added.

“I don’t even take it.”

“You don’t?”

Surprised, Si-woo asked again.

Ha-yeon swallowed a slight sigh.

“Living in the most expensive house in Seoul, going to a high-end restaurant where I could have a thousand bowls of Seolleongtang in one meal, and receiving allowance at my age—what could I possibly do later on?”

“What you need to do is…”

Si-woo was about to say “nothing,” but given the atmosphere, as if he might get hit by the Seolleongtang brought by the serving robot, he kept quiet.

As the Seolleongtang was placed in front of her, Ha-yeon said.

“You’ll need to eat a thousand bowls of this to understand.”

Then, she ate as if she were someone who came here every evening for dinner. Si-woo looked at her with a renewed sense of surprise.