NoveLight ™
Feeling dazed is equivalent to exposing oneself to danger.
With muddled senses, one cannot make swift or correct judgments.
If a dangerous situation arises, it would be impossible to take proper action.
A situation one could normally escape from might trap them solely due to a clouded mind.
That’s why I always tried to keep my focus.
No matter how comfortable I felt, I maintained a minimum level of alertness.
I kept myself prepared for any possible emergencies.
Although, as a human, there were times I couldn't suppress my emotions or desires, I generally kept my guard up.
But not just now.
My mind felt hazy as if blanketed by fog, making quick, accurate judgment difficult.
My body lay sluggish, ill-suited to respond to sudden disturbances.
Even my emotions felt soft, like mush, far from calm.
“Hic…!”
That blow snapped me out of it.
An electric jolt ran up my spine, piercing through my head.
The dizzying sensation didn’t stop there; it spread evenly throughout my body as if flowing along capillaries.
My back straightened on its own.
My body trembled like a fish flung onto dry land.
“...!”
Instinctively, I held back my breath. It was a habit formed from being tormented by the Curse of Silence.
Thanks to that habit, I avoided the pain that tore at my neck, though I couldn't stop my body from trembling uncontrollably.
“Hey.”
Suddenly, a familiar voice called from above me.
It was Hong Yeonhwa, the very person who had caused me to let my guard down.
...Familiar yet different.
Her voice remained unchanged.
But something about the tone felt altered. It wasn't just her voice; the entire aura had shifted.
The usual warmth and calm, like smoldering embers... now felt like bubbling lava on the verge of eruption.
I couldn’t grasp what had caused this.
My mind was barely awake. The previous events weren’t clear.
The last thing I recalled was summoning Guhwa Fire into the Bonghwa Sword.
“Ah.”
I realized why it had come to this.
The backlash of Guhwa Fire was an emotional surge.
There was alcohol around, and Hong Yeonhwa, whom I trusted, was by my side.
On top of that, I had poured a massive amount of Guhwa Fire into the Bonghwa Sword.
That must have caused my mind to snap.
I remembered up to that point.
But I couldn’t recall how I ended up in this position.
As I struggled to piece it together, I blinked in confusion.
And then—
“Who is Seoryul?”
Hearing the name from Hong Yeonhwa’s lips made my heart drop.
My body jolted, my mouth opened, and then shut tight.
I thought back but knew I hadn’t misheard.
‘How…?’
Lee Seoryul.
Why did his name come from Hong Yeonhwa’s mouth?
Seoryul’s existence was still a secret from the outside world.
I had established his identity, but he wasn’t connected to me publicly.
So far, only Professor Liana and Elia knew about him.
It was for safety.
With my limited understanding, I knew exposing my link to Seoryul would bring no benefit.
I recalled the threats that arose after briefly drawing attention with my special admission during my seventh life cycle.
Furthermore, Seoryul wasn’t human but a fairy. He was from a rare species seldom seen, so keeping his identity hidden seemed best.
That’s why I kept him concealed.
Instead of haphazardly handling his identity, I entrusted it to Maxwell, a reliable figure in the original story. Even he wasn’t told Seoryul’s true nature.
I didn’t intend to hide it from Hong Yeonhwa.
Given our close relationship, I didn’t want to create secrets, and I knew she wouldn’t harm Seoryul.
But at that time, there was neither opportunity nor clarity to tell her.
And yet…
Before I could inform her, Hong Yeonhwa was the one to mention Seoryul’s name.
A wave of shock hit me, leaving my head ringing. Did information leak somewhere? Why was she asking me about Seoryul’s identity? Did she know about his connection to me?
My heart pounded. My mind, still foggy, strained to make sense of it all.
“...So, you’re not going to answer?”
[Huh?]
Then it happened.
Just as I was trying to collect my jumbled thoughts, Hong Yeonhwa gritted her teeth and abruptly stood up.
Naturally, I rose with her, clinging tighter to her in shock at her sudden movement.
Hong Yeonhwa glanced down at me with a peculiar gaze, then, still holding me, she began to walk.
The bustling banquet hall quickly faded as she moved, her pace swift, leaving the noise behind almost instantly.
The night wind blew rather briskly.
Yet, with the cloak draped over me and the warmth from Hong Yeonhwa, I wasn’t cold.
Before I knew it, we had approached the family mansion.
The guards standing by the front gate recognized Hong Yeonhwa and bowed respectfully, though they flinched upon noticing me in her arms.
Hong Yeonhwa gave a brief nod.
That alone seemed to communicate something to them, and they bowed low, opening the gate.
Hong Yeonhwa bypassed the elevator, swiftly climbing the stairs toward the upper floors.
I raised a questioning eyebrow. The floor we arrived at held a room I had recently become familiar with... the one assigned to me.
‘Why here…?’
But instead of stopping at my room, we passed it.
It wasn’t my room. The one beside it… as Ariel had mentioned, was Hong Yeonhwa’s room.
Hong Yeonhwa opened the door and entered without hesitation.
After closing it firmly behind her, she strode to the bed and plopped down heavily on its edge.
“Sigh…”
Hong Yeonhwa twisted her neck and let out a long sigh, filled with a mix of frustration and complexity.
“Hayul.”
[Yes…]
Sensing the strange tension in her tone, I shrank slightly as I responded.
“I’m going to ask you again.”
Slowly… Hong Yeonhwa shrugged off her outer cloak.
The luxurious red cloak slipped off her shoulders. She caught it mid-fall and carelessly tossed it onto a nearby hanger.
“Answer properly.”
But even that didn’t seem to relieve her frustration. Hong Yeonhwa loosened her collar, shaking the front of her garment with her hands.
Her fair skin and a deep neckline became blatantly visible.
Her skin, flushed as if filled with heat, was beaded with sweat, with steam subtly rising.
It was a rather disconcerting sight, but the intense atmosphere kept me silent.
“Who is Seoryul?”
Hong Yeonhwa’s red eyes looked down at me.
Usually, I would think of them as beautiful, like rubies or warm flames.
But now, they seemed different. Less beautiful, more unsettling. Less warm, filled with an inexplicable heaviness.
With those eyes staring down at me, she repeated her question from earlier.
Who is Lee Seoryul?
I didn’t answer impulsively.
Though I thought about it briefly on the way here, I couldn’t organize my thoughts.
Seoryul’s situation was rather complex at the moment.
Where should I even start? Perhaps I should begin by explaining that he was born from an egg acquired in the Tower of Growth…
Or maybe I should start with an apology for not telling her sooner.
Even if there were reasons, Hong Yeonhwa might feel hurt upon finding out so late.
I organized my thoughts briefly. I wanted to avoid getting tangled up in my words or conveying things awkwardly.
A brief pause.
Normally, it would be a short enough time to wait.
“Why are you not talking again?”
But for some reason, Hong Yeonhwa’s patience seemed to have run out.
“Why?”
“...!”
Suddenly, fireworks seemed to explode before my eyes. Even in the darkened room, flashes of light lingered in my vision.
It was similar to earlier. A tingling sensation spread up my spine, and my body trembled uncontrollably, like a vibrating machine.
A rush of air escaped from my mouth, barely swallowed back.
"Why can’t you speak?"
A warm hand landed on my tingling lower back—Hong Yeonhwa’s hand. She began to rub the area gently, as if to soothe the sting.
The feeling was hard to describe.
It stung slightly, yet something felt off.
It wasn’t painful. There was warmth, but it wasn’t exactly distressing.
I couldn’t respond, only quivering in place like a fool, as Hong Yeonhwa pressed down again.
“Is there a reason you can’t speak? Hmm?”
Wait─
“─I… I can’t…”
“Look, I’m giving you the chance. Answer me quickly.”
A shock pulsed through me, radiating from my lower back and shaking through my body. The intensity of it was overwhelming.
“Nngh…”
I flailed instinctively, a reaction beyond my control.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been holding back? Putting up with those who wagged their tails at you, preaching moral restraint…!”
“...!”
Hong Yeonhwa seemed displeased by my reaction, and her hand moved again.
The sensation hadn’t faded entirely before another jolt struck.
The new impact intertwined with the lingering sting.
My vision swirled with colorful spots. It wasn’t real. My mind was a chaotic mess, mingling sensations and thoughts.
“Urgh…”
Normally, I’d be able to shake it off quickly, but my current state was far from normal.
A faint buzz from the alcohol, the warmth radiating from Hong Yeonhwa, my lowered guard… and the surge of emotions from using the Guhwa Fire…
All of these layers intertwined, causing my suppressed senses to flare back to life.
Hong Yeonhwa must have been feeling something similar.
She’d spent the entire banquet surrounded by the scent of alcohol, and she too had poured a tremendous amount of Guhwa Fire into the Bonghwa Sword.
Resisting was difficult.
My eyelids fluttered uncontrollably.
My face felt like it was melting. I buried my face into her chest to hide my expression.
The sensation was different than usual.
Instead of the fabric of her clothes, I felt her warm skin and damp body heat.
“Trying to run away again?”
The feeling didn’t last long. Her hand grabbed my cheek, pulling my face away from her chest.
“I don’t care anymore.”
Hong Yeonhwa’s voice was deep, almost predatory, like a beast ready to pounce on its prey.
Her eyes, tinged red, had a daunting, almost terrifying glint.
“I’ll do as I please.”
Through my Observation Power, I sensed Hong Yeonhwa’s energy blazing like fire. Her emotions swelled, overtaking all others in her.
She seemed to be convincing herself as she muttered, then moved her hands.
One arm wrapped tightly around my waist, while the other gripped the back of my head, tilting it back.
Hong Yeonhwa’s gaze trembled briefly. Her eyes fell to my lips, and, closing her eyes tightly, she leaned down slowly.
“Ah.”
An instinct, a gut feeling, struck me.
I understood exactly what Hong Yeonhwa was about to do.
An intense urgency surged through me.
I struggled to pull away.
Her arm around my waist tightened, restraining me. I tried to turn my head, but her hand gripped my hair, holding me in place.
I was stuck. Moving like this wouldn’t work. I’d have to exert more force.
I gathered strength from my entire body, even channeling mana…
“…If I do that…”
…then Hong Yeonhwa could get hurt.
Even if it wouldn’t cause serious injury, it might still harm her.
All other options carried the same risk. There was no way to break free without hurting her. Escaping with spatial magic was no different.
As the thought crossed my mind, my body lost its strength, and I slumped. Her face drew closer.
Wait
No…
Just a moment…
Unable to resist physically, I tried my last resort—the Confession Necklace clicked, emitting a faint, desperate resistance.
Hong Yeonhwa, overtaken by the Guhwa Fire’s heightened emotions… stopped.
“…Do you dislike me?”
She paused just short of touching, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
“Have you… come to dislike me? Are you afraid of me now…?”
With a harsh, metallic sound, the Confession Necklace trembled.
[I like you.]
It was an involuntary response, bypassing any filter.
Her expression softened into a smile, as though she’d heard exactly what she needed.
Her head tilted, and Hong Yeonhwa’s face… her lips came closer.
Smack
They met.
Soft warmth brushed over my lips.
Emotion flowed through.
“Ah.”
There are many forms of affection.
Romantic love between two people, the love between friends, the love of a parent for their child.
The ways of expressing love are just as varied, shown through countless actions and words.
Having grown up deprived of love, I often struggled to understand it.
When someone showed me consideration, I often wondered… Is this right? Are they really caring for me? Am I misunderstanding this?
Indirect, unclear expressions of love were hard for me to interpret.
So I found it easier to understand direct, primal expressions.
A gentle touch, a pat on the back, an embrace…
Offering one’s most vulnerable side, sharing the beat of one’s heart, connecting warmth by skin.
These expressions left no room for doubt. I could understand emotions transmitted through a touch.
For someone like me, the most straightforward, direct expression of affection was…
A kiss.
An expression of love.
“…Huh?”
Hong Yeonhwa’s face turned as red as an apple, a dazed sound escaping her lips.
An unexpected alert that I hadn’t heard in a while echoed in my ears.
A soft sensation pressed against me.
A pleasant fragrance tickled my nose.
A sweet, syrupy taste seeped into my mouth.
Through my blurred vision, I caught a glimpse of wide, red eyes staring back at me.
Player Adjustment System: Favorability
Lee Hayul → Hong Yeonhwa
●●●●●●●●○○ (86/100)
「?」 「Sense of Debt」 「Gratitude」 「Warmth」 「Comfort」
▼Dramatic Change▼
Lee Hayul → Hong Yeonhwa
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡ (86▷90/100)
「Affection」 「Sense of Debt」 「Gratitude」 「Warmth」 「Comfort」
Player Adjustment System: Development
[Quest 「Affection」 achieved]
[Quest 「Hong Yeonhwa」 achieved]
[A significant amount of points have been accumulated]
[「Curse of Silence」's release conditions partially met]
[「Curse of Silence」 has been conditionally weakened (Hong Yeonhwa)]
[「Curse of Solitude」's release conditions partially met]
[「Curse of Solitude」 has been conditionally weakened (Hong Yeonhwa)]
Tq