To handle Gop-hwa, mental training to control emotional impulses is essential.

For Hong Yeon-hwa, whose output of Gop-hwa was unprecedented, the importance of mental training was particularly emphasized.

Therefore, despite her actions, Hong Yeon-hwa had considerable patience.

However, despite that, she had caused many incidents.

Even thinking back, she couldn’t say she had behaved quietly.

Most of those incidents were because there was no need to waste precious mental energy to endure them.

Was it when she was 14?

There was a girl, pretending not to pick a fight, who was still provoking her during a party.

At that time, Hong Yeon-hwa was angry. Not to the point of seething rage, but enough to consider dealing with that girl.

She was angry. Gop-hwa flared up. Her emotions were stirred, and as Hong Yeon-hwa struggled to suppress them, a sudden question arose in her mind.

Did she really need to suppress it?

She did the calculations.

Family? Comparing her family to the Gop-hwa clan was an insult.

Power? Even at a time when she hadn’t fully grown, she could handle that girl with one hand.

Other factors? The only thing the girl had over her was age.

There was no significant damage to Hong Yeon-hwa if she dealt with her.

So, pretending it wasn’t intentional, pretending it was a mistake, she subtly punched the girl in the face.

What was smeared all over that ugly face that made her fist so sticky…

‘……’

It was similar now.

The moment she witnessed Lee Hayul clinging to someone other than herself, her belly twisted in jealousy.

A woman holding Lee Hayul as if he were her own.

Her golden hair and eyes, more dazzling than any light, caught her attention. Her features were well-defined, with no flaws in her appearance.

More than that, the overwhelming aura she exuded was palpable.

Hong Yeon-hwa knew her. Not because she had heard her name as a professor at Shio-ram, but she had heard of her even before that.

‘Atra Clyde.’

A notorious woman known for wandering the African wilderness.

Her fame was for being a genuine powerhouse who had made remarkable achievements in subjugating third-tier monsters and for her contributions in preventing monsters from advancing.

Her notoriety was for her irritable and nasty personality, and for beating up heroes who picked fights with her to the point of permanent disability.

Despite her fearsome reputation, it was astonishing to see her now holding Lee Hayul gently as if he were a precious artifact.

Their eyes met.

Red eyes and golden eyes stared at each other.

A moment of silence passed. Hong Yeon-hwa was the first to speak.

“Hello. I’m Hong Yeon-hwa, who mentioned coming for a hospital visit.”

“Hello, I’m Baek Ahrin! Professor Atra, it’s been a while since our last meeting!”

“…Yes, welcome.”

As Hong Yeon-hwa spoke, Baek Ahrin, who had been contemplating whether to run away, hurriedly joined in to greet Atra.

Lee Hayul still seemed to be asleep.

Baek Ahrin didn’t understand why he was asleep in Atra’s arms, but she planned to greet him once he woke up.

“Isn’t it hard taking care of him? You don’t have to do it yourself…”

“It’s not that difficult. For a superhuman, such tasks aren’t physically taxing. Besides, the magical arrangements are excellent.”

“Indeed, the pace of advancement in magical engineering these days is fast. I’m taking a course on it, and the difficulty is…”

After that, they engaged in the usual small talk.

Baek Ahrin mainly led the conversation.

Initially, she was taken aback by Hong Yeon-hwa’s sudden change in attitude, but once she adjusted, she began to speak.

Just as Hong Yeon-hwa observed Atra, Atra also observed Hong Yeon-hwa.

A hospital visit isn’t just about showing up.

The two had asked if they could visit Lee Hayul after his intensive care period ended, and Lee Hayul had agreed, which is why they were here.

Others would come to visit him later as well.

‘Hong Yeon-hwa of the Gop-hwa clan and Baek Ahrin of the Changhae clan.’

Atra knew who they were. In fact, even ordinary people, not just superhumans, would be familiar with them.

They were heirs to three major families. Their names were unavoidable.

After observing Hong Yeon-hwa for a moment, Atra moved her hand.

It wasn’t a deliberate movement. It wasn’t intended as a provocation. It was just something she had done reflexively over the past few days.

She placed her hand on Lee Hayul’s head and pressed down.

Lee Hayul’s head was buried deep in her ample chest.

He squirmed for a moment but then calmed down, seemingly finding more comfort in his current position.

Hong Yeon-hwa’s lips twitched.

Baek Ahrin, standing beside her, noticed and subtly moved away.

Baek Ahrin had the confidence to suppress fiercely blazing Gop-hwa, but she had no idea how to handle the cold, seeping Gop-hwa emanating from underneath.

Lee Hayul wriggled. It was a familiar sight for Hong Yeon-hwa.

She had seen it many times.

Lee Hayul, nestled in someone’s embrace, burying his face in their chest, feeling shy yet deeply relaxed…

The perspective was different.

In her memories, she always saw Lee Hayul’s crown and face.

The sensation was always within her embrace, with his heartbeat and sweet scent always surrounding her.

There had never been a third-party perspective like now. She hadn’t anticipated it.

Seeing Lee Hayul being held… She endured. Hong Yeon-hwa knew what state Lee Hayul was in.

It was an injury that brushed the threshold of death. Moreover, his first real battle had been such a disaster, so it was natural for him to be mentally affected.

Thus, she understood that he needed human warmth and that his teacher, who had been tough yet caring, was providing it.

However, seeing Atra pressing Lee Hayul’s head into her chest even now twisted her insides further.

– Whoosh…

An impulse rose. Her emotions surged violently, and Gop-hwa responded.

But it was different this time.

Gop-hwa didn’t erupt violently. It didn’t grow ravenously or threaten everything around it.

It burned quietly, more cold than hot, sharpening its edge.

Even Gop-hwa understood that there was nothing to be gained from raging wildly now.

If she lost control now, she could even lose Lee Hayul’s trust.

Hong Yeon-hwa shared the same thought.

So she adjusted her expression.

She straightened her raised eyebrows and calmed her twitching lips. She relaxed her tensed facial muscles.

And then she composed her expression again.

Though intentional, it was an expression that came from her emotions, intended to appear gentle and soft.

She also cleared her throat. While she didn’t think her voice was bad, she wanted to use her sweetest voice.

“Hayul?”

– Flinch

Lee Hayul flinched. The familiar and welcoming voice that pierced his drowsy mind was filled with warmth.

‘Oh.’

That’s right. Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek Ahrin were supposed to visit.

With the authority of Observation turned off and his senses dulled, he hadn’t noticed.

His mind cleared. The drowsiness that had been enveloping him gradually lifted.

Just before he nearly died, he had longed to see Hong Yeon-hwa’s face.

She was someone he wanted to meet.

A sense of joy welled up.

He wriggled. With his arm wrapped around Atra’s waist, he tapped her, signaling to be let go.

Though he couldn’t see, he still wanted to show his face.

Atra assisted him. She held his waist and turned him around.

He ended up resting his head on her chest and leaning against her.

‘…This is…’

It was a peculiar position.

Recently, he had received dedicated care from Atra.

Thanks to her, his severely damaged mental state was recovering.

Along with that, the reason buried deep in his consciousness was slowly resurfacing.

Attached to that reason were feelings of shame and embarrassment.

Not all of it resurfaced. For now, the warmth and comfort of being held surpassed the feelings of shame and embarrassment.

However, doing so in front of those two felt… peculiar.

“Hayul?”

The warm voice approached again.

“Come here?”

Come here.

It was an odd thing to say, but Lee Hayul seemed to understand what it meant.

For some reason, he imagined Hong Yeon-hwa with her arms wide open.

“……”

Though his reason was slowly recovering, it wasn’t fully restored.

Lee Hayul brought out a simple mental scale.

On one side, reason and shame?

On the other side, the softness and warmth of being held. The comforting pats and strokes…

The scale tipped.

Lee Hayul moved his body.

His physical condition had improved considerably. Although he still needed a wheelchair or Atra’s help to move around outside, he could walk a bit.

– Hug…

He couldn’t move. A hand wrapped around his waist prevented him. It came from behind.

Lee Hayul curiously tilted his head.

Atra, with a somewhat perplexed expression, had wrapped her arms around his waist.

Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes had turned icy cold.

* * *

[Player Adjustment System: Affection Level]

Lee Hayul → Atra Clyde

●●●●●●●○○○ (73▷79/100)

[Guardian] [Protector] [Reliance] [Security] [Affection]

…

Lee Hayul → Hong Yeon-hwa

●●●●●●●●○○ (84/100)

[?] [Sense of Debt] [Guilt] [Gratitude] [Concern]

…

Lee Hayul → Baek Ahrin

●●●●●○○○○○ (50▷51/100)

[Affection] [Curiosity] [Confusion]

[Conditions for breaking the “Curse of Silence” have not been met]

[Conditions for breaking the “Curse of Solitude” have not been met]

…

…

End of Chapter