Beast, Blue Blood - Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Ha-yeon momentarily doubted her eyes.

This was because Si-woo was dressed as a man. Of course, he had recently appeared in his original form at home, and even on the day they went to the police station, he was in his male form, so it wasn’t unfamiliar. But it was different because he was dressed in a suit to the extent that it needed to be emphasized as a ‘man.’

Ha-yeon had seen such clothes in the dressing room before, but it was the first time seeing them worn. At a loss for words, Ha-yeon automatically looked Si-woo up and down and asked.

“Where are you going?”

“Yes. I have an appointment. I sent a text saying I wouldn’t be home today.”

Although she had received the text, it felt like a lie, so she had just come over.

“Really? I didn’t see it.”

Ha-yeon said nonchalantly.

“There’s nothing I can do about it.”

Since there was an appointment, she couldn’t stop him. Si-woo asked.

“Would you like to come with me?”

“I need to stay until 6 if it’s okay because the plumbing in our building is being cleaned.”

“Are there still houses where plumbing needs to be cleaned?”

Si-woo said this, and then turned around as if she expected to hear a scolding to live in a better house.

“Please stay comfortably. Then I’ll be going now.”

“Have a good time.”

Si-woo then left without looking back even once. Leaning against the island, Ha-yeon muttered while looking in the direction Si-woo had disappeared.

“Is he doing this on purpose?”

It felt like a pointless thing to do, but since she unexpectedly had some free time, Ha-yeon began to look around the house. Bored, she even peeked into Si-woo’s room and entered the dressing room.

Seeing the clothes neatly hung, she stepped back and tapped the wardrobe. The semi-automatic door opened, and she unconsciously looked back to see a box lying on the bottom of the wardrobe.

The reason it stood out was that it looked like an old wooden box from the Joseon Dynasty, which didn’t fit in with this modern house.

It was black, lacked any patterns, and looked old and out of place. Moreover, it was quite large, long like a file box, but not very tall. It had a lock, but it was not locked, so it could be opened.

‘If it’s left like this, it probably isn’t that important, right?’

Thinking this, Ha-yeon opened the box. And for a moment, she was at a loss for words.

“This is……”

* * *

The plan seemed to have failed. Si-woo looked at Ha-yeon, who was sleeping on the living room sofa with the stand lamp on. There was a tablet next to her, possibly from working on an assignment.

Looking at her, Si-woo sat down on the coffee table.

Come to think of it, Ha-yeon’s strength was being able to eat well and sleep well anywhere. It seemed that he had been worrying too much all this time despite her being fine.

As he looked at her, the scent emanating from Ha-yeon swirled and tightened around his throat.

“Miss.”

When he called, Ha-yeon stirred and mumbled.

“Si-woo……?”

“Yes. Please go back to sleep.”

Ha-yeon opened her eyes, saw him, and smiled languidly as if she were still drowsy.

“You’re here?”

For some reason, Si-woo felt as if a fiery sword had pierced his heart.

For some reason, Si-woo’s presence felt heavy, and Ha-yeon turned her head properly to look at him. With the subtle lighting from behind making his shirt slightly transparent, he appeared as neatly sculpted as a glasswork.

His almost violet eyes were deeply sunken, giving him a perpetually sad look, not just now but always.

Ha-yeon asked quietly.

“Why are you cross-dressing?”

Si-woo lifted his gaze.

“Why are you asking that suddenly?”

“Just… I don’t think I’ve ever asked before.”

Ha-yeon then muttered to herself.

“It feels like it would be impolite to question someone about what they’re doing.”

Sometimes, she could be blunt and sharp-tongued, but in moments like this, she showed the manners of a well-bred lady.

Si-woo smiled slightly.

“Do you think it’s not impolite now?”

Ha-yeon stared at him.

“Don’t avoid the question. Don’t you want to answer?”

“Is there another reason for cross-dressing?”

Since Si-woo’s smile didn’t falter, it became clear that he was hiding something. He wasn’t addressing the reason directly but was deflecting.

Earlier, Ha-yeon had found an old wooden box in the wardrobe, and inside it lay an old sword. It was so old that it seemed frightening to touch. After searching online, she discovered it was a Hwando, a sword from the Joseon Dynasty.

Seeing an item that should have been in a museum, Ha-yeon realized it was something from the era when Si-woo was human. Instinctively, she felt everything was connected: Si-woo’s silence about his past, the cross-dressing, the old Hwando, all of it.

At that moment, Ha-yeon got up and approached Si-woo, placing one knee on the table he was sitting at.

“Miss?”

Startled by the sudden movement, Si-woo tried to get up. But Ha-yeon wrapped her arms around his neck, preventing him from moving, and, with her eyes slightly lowered and a husky voice, asked.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Miss.”

Si-woo grabbed her forearms to stop her. Ha-yeon whispered.

“You kissed me once without asking, so it’s only fair that I get to do it too.”

“That’s……”

Si-woo instinctively tried to refute but then fell silent. Of course, since Ha-yeon had stated that she wanted it herself, the notion of Si-woo being the one who kissed unilaterally did not hold. Yet, Ha-yeon knew that Si-woo was weak against her, while she was shrewd enough to exploit that.

Ha-yeon lowered her gaze.

“Don’t say no.”

Si-woo’s body tensed at her pleading whisper. He hadn’t expected her to use such a tone. Before he could even think of pushing her away, their lips met.

Ha-yeon tightened her embrace around him, pushing her tongue into his mouth, causing friction. Though his movements were awkward and unfamiliar, Ha-yeon seemed to instinctively know how to stimulate him.

Si-woo, still holding onto Ha-yeon’s forearms, didn’t move but it was obvious he was struggling to restrain himself. Ha-yeon was almost on his lap, her body pressing against his, and each brush of fabric caused his breaths to come in ragged bursts.

When Ha-yeon slightly bit his tongue inside her mouth, Si-woo frowned and tried to hold back his impatience. He wanted to tear off this liar’s mask, but at this point, he didn’t care anymore. Ha-yeon exhaled softly over Si-woo’s lips.

At that moment, Si-woo pushed Ha-yeon’s arms away.

“Miss.”

His voice was as cold as ice.

“I’m not someone you should be close to.”

By saying “I am,” he implied that the problem was with himself, not Ha-yeon. Not because she was the daughter of the patroness, nor because of their age difference.

Ha-yeon furrowed her brow.

“That’s not for you to decide.”

But under the light, Si-woo appeared cold and rigid. Annoyed by his refusal to explain and his constant pushing away, Ha-yeon pushed him and stood up.

“Don’t be so peculiar about a kiss. What’s so serious about it? I didn’t even propose marriage.”

In a fit of anger, she said this and then grabbed her backpack, leaving the house.

* * *

Knock, knock, knock.

Ha-yeon knocked on the door with her fist. After a while, the door opened, and Myung-jin appeared.

“What brings you to my place?”

As Ha-yeon followed Myung-jin inside, she asked.

“Where’s Isaac?”

Isaac was Myung-jin’s younger brother.

“He went to sleep over at a friend’s house. Is something wrong?”

“I need you to find something out.”

“What’s with the serious tone?”

Myung-jin, who was sitting in a chair, looked puzzled, and Ha-yeon looked down at her and spoke.

“Find out about Si-woo. Who he was when he was human, how he got infected, and who his friends and enemies are. Everything, even the brand of toilet paper he uses in the bathroom.”

* * *

[‘Artemis’ has safely entered the nest.]

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Si-woo hung up the phone and took a cigarette from the pack, lighting it.

His sense of humor seemed completely absent when it came to matters related to Ha-yeon. Smoke swirled around, and his reflection appeared in the window, where the city lights flickered.

Why was he cross-dressing? Seeing him dressed like this made Si-woo wonder anew what she would say.

“Master.”

He recalled the face that used to smile so brightly as if he was the whole world. She was light, a flower, and… his love.

Trampled and destroyed.

Si-woo could never be free until he found and put an end to that bastard who had trampled on her. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this man had been behind every event, starting from the Brotherhood incident 20 years ago.

“That guy looked like someone who’d work at the IRS, with a bunch of armed people in tow.”

Hisha described the man he saw when he made contact with Lancenum. Since the IRS operates its special forces, the description wasn’t off. But the physical appearance of the man Hisha described wasn’t someone Si-woo knew. However, Lancenum, formerly known as Mr. Lee of Royal Star, was famous for never revealing his true face and always using a double.

The man Hisha referred to as from the IRS was likely that double.

“He spoke politely, but there was an odd sense of looking down on me.”

According to Hisha’s description, it sounded just like someone Si-woo knew. Royal Star…….

It was a name as common as dirt. And for someone who had been hiding his identity for six hundred years, it seemed odd that he would use such a conspicuous name. But, given his arrogance and pride, he probably couldn’t help but flaunt it.

Lee Seong. Bright Seong of the Joseon Lee family. Royal Star.