NoveLight ™
The moonlight, brighter than before, gently slipped through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room.
At the center of the room stood a massive bed, upon which two people lay entwined in each other’s embrace.
“…An Origin Egg? So, from that egg you kept joking about frying up from the Tower of Growth… a fairy hatched from it?”
Hong Yeonhwa gathered her thoughts, trying to piece together what she had just heard.
[Yes.]
Lee Hayul confirmed, continuing his explanation.
“And this fairy sees you as, ah, as ‘father’… and you named him Seoryul, or ‘Lee Seoryul’?”
[Yes.]
“Lee Seoryul… not Shin Seoryul?”
[Huh? Why would it be Shin Seoryul…]
Hong Yeonhwa’s mouth fell open as she took in what she had just learned.
A sense of emptiness filled her.
It felt like the ground beneath her had split open, plunging her into a bottomless abyss.
It was as if the world was mocking her for having made a terrible choice.
Just moments ago, Hayul, still dazed from the effects of alcohol and the surge of Guhwa Fire, had uttered the name “Seoryul” while in her arms.
And he had done so without any title or formality, simply calling him “Seoryul” in a way that felt intimate.
As far as Hong Yeonhwa knew, the only “Seoryul” that Hayul might have met was Shin Seoryul.
At that moment, her reasoning snapped. Her mind felt like it was on fire, ready to explode, and she had allowed a bit of her long-suppressed desire to slip out.
And now she was bitterly regretting it. She wanted to go back and pummel her past self.
‘No…’
It was ridiculous.
Who in their right mind would imagine that he was talking about someone other than Shin Seoryul in that situation?
Who could have guessed that a fairy would hatch from the egg he was joking about frying, start seeing him as a parent, and be given the name Seoryul, after one of his close friends?
She felt an overwhelming sense of injustice.
Hong Yeonhwa clutched her head, which was still buzzing.
Her hair gathered in her hands, perhaps a bit overdue for a trim. The urge to tear it out surged within her.
Guilt flared up alongside this frustration, leaving her chest tight and constricted.
Hayul hadn’t done anything wrong, yet she had acted impulsively, letting her misunderstanding drive her to be overly forceful with him.
“Hayul, I… I’m sorry. I acted on my own assumptions and did something terrible─”
Sniff, sniff…
“─to you…”
A small sound came from near her chest, and Hong Yeonhwa’s body trembled. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling his breath against her chest.
A surge of desire crept up again.
It was milder this time, having been released a bit before.
Suppressing the urge in an instant, Hong Yeonhwa let out a long sigh, then glanced down.
Nestled against her chest was Lee Hayul.
Lying beside him in bed, she had wrapped him in her arms, and now, with a complicated expression, she patted his back.
Hayul lifted his head, his face emerging from her chest.
“......”
Hayul usually kept his eyes closed.
It wasn’t a secret that only Hong Yeonhwa knew; by now, most people who knew Lee Hayul were aware.
His habit of moving around with his eyes closed—even wielding weapons and fighting in that state—was something that naturally attracted attention.
One day, he’d carefully explained to her that he didn’t need to rely on his sight, so there was no need to keep his eyes open.
Keeping them open caused irritation and pain, so it was simply easier to keep them closed.
“......”
Hong Yeonhwa blinked.
Her eyelids opened and closed, a natural reflex, as it was for any creature with eyes.
But now, Hayul… blinked.
The eyelids that had always stayed closed lifted, revealing the hidden eyes beneath.
Their gazes met.
Gray eyes looked back at her.
Hong Yeonhwa held her breath.
Gray eyes…
It wasn’t an exceptionally rare color; if you looked around, you could find people with gray eyes.
But there was a difference. Hayul’s eyes had no life in them.
Already a muted color, his eyes lacked any light, making them look like the eyes of a corpse long gone.
Yet they were beautiful. Eyes devoid of any vitality, paradoxically, were stunningly and hauntingly beautiful.
And unlike a corpse, Lee Hayul was very much alive.
His unfocused gaze trembled slightly as he scanned his surroundings, but his eyes never quite focused.
Then his gaze shifted to Hong Yeonhwa.
His focus fixed on her.
It was as if his eyes were seeing only her.
At that moment, Hayul’s expression tensed, his brow furrowing as if something wasn’t right.
Hong Yeonhwa’s heart pounded.
Just moments ago, there had been something uncanny about him, but now he looked endearingly innocent.
‘Cute… No, wait.’
Her lips trembled slightly as she reached out a hand.
When her hand approached, Hayul squeezed his eyes shut. Her slender fingers gently brushed over his eyelids.
“If it hurts, don’t force them open. Just keep them closed.”
Why had he opened his eyes?
Innate disabilities, even with extraordinary abilities or with the help of others, were challenging to overcome.
In some cases, even the finest elixirs and top-tier healing heroes couldn’t fully resolve them.
Hayul was one such case, and yet here he was, eyes open.
When she asked why, Hayul stammered, unable to answer easily.
“You don’t have to answer. If you feel like it later, you can tell me, and if not, it’s okay if you never do.”
[Yeah…]
She didn’t press him further. Hayul undoubtedly had his reasons, and seeing him hesitate to answer suggested it was a sensitive matter.
Besides, she still felt guilt from earlier.
Given that she had, just moments before, acted so domineeringly toward him… it would be shameless of her to pry into his private matters.
Suddenly, Hayul tilted his head forward, closing the distance between them.
Their faces were close enough that she could see every detail of his expression.
Hayul, with his slightly open eyes, took in the sight of her face, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.
It looked awkward.
His open eyes and moving lips gave him an unpracticed, tentative look.
After a while, as if testing his speech, his lips parted slowly.
And then—
“...Kiss.”
“Gasp…”
Hong Yeonhwa swallowed a sharp breath.
A soft, delicate voice brushed against her eardrums.
Though she’d heard countless sounds, she had never encountered a voice like this.
“Give… me… a kiss…”
Her body trembled as though hit by a shockwave. A thrill coursed through her body, starting from her ears and spreading.
Even his voice had emerged.
This child, who had lived as a mute his entire life, now, at this moment… had somehow gained both sight and voice.
But she couldn’t dwell on this question.
Inside her, the Guhwa Fire stirred, its turbulent impulses boiling once again.
“Guh…”
She bit down hard, fighting against the surge of emotion.
She couldn’t afford to lose herself to desire, not after what she had just done out of misunderstanding.
Gently, Hong Yeonhwa lowered her face, and Hayul closed his eyes.
A soft, warm sensation spread across her lips, and Hong Yeonhwa squeezed her eyes shut, the dizzying sensation dulling her mind, as desire tugged at her, her breaths growing ragged.
Hayul, seemingly unsatisfied, gently pressed his lips to hers several times.
The gesture was clumsy, or perhaps endearing. Like a baby bird pecking softly with its beak.
“Smack… smooch…”
Their lips brushed as their breaths mingled. A subtle, honey-like sweetness wafted to her nose. Hong Yeonhwa’s lashes quivered.
“Smack… ah…”
Their lips, which had been rubbing and pressing, finally parted.
Warm, soft sensations drifted away, leaving her with a faint sigh of longing.
Breathing gently, Hayul nestled back into her chest.
Sniff, sniff…
“Guh…”
He didn’t just lay his face there.
Although he’d done this before, this time he burrowed deep, pushing past the collar of her clothes to breathe in the scent from her exposed chest.
It was natural for a person to breathe, but here there was a distinct intent beyond that, a deliberate savoring of her scent.
“Th-this… smells…”
Her face flushed in embarrassment.
Letting someone catch your scent was more mortifying than expected.
And it wasn’t just anywhere; it was right at the cleft of her chest, a place where her scent was stronger.
Her face felt like it was going to explode.
It wasn’t quite the same as when she had buried her nose in Hayul’s hair.
Even though the areas were different… was this what they called poetic justice?
Hong Yeonhwa, unable to push him away, quietly allowed him to bury himself in her chest.
Sniff, sniff…
“...Do you like it?”
[I like it.]
[It smells nice.]
“...It doesn’t smell?”
Hong Yeonhwa’s lips twitched as she asked. She was suddenly self-conscious, realizing she hadn’t washed before lying in bed. She had even sweated a bit earlier…
[Smells like milk.]
[So rich.]
[Sweet.]
“Oh…”
His response, more embarrassing than expected, left her at a loss. Her chest smelled like milk. What was she supposed to make of that? Better than smelling of sweat, perhaps...
Her face, already as red as a ripe persimmon, grew even redder.
“Well, uh… sorry. I’m not actually producing milk… but one day, I’ll make sure you can have some…”
With a slightly awkward gesture, she reached down and stroked Hayul’s head as he continued to nuzzle her chest.
[I like it.]
[I feel happy.]
[Milk?]
“Yes…”
“Guh…”
Hong Yeonhwa tensed slightly.
Hayul nestled even deeper into her chest.
Her shirt loosened further, exposing her chest as he buried his face between her collarbones.
His hair brushed against her skin. Within her cleavage, she felt his breath, warm and soft.
Occasionally, his closed lips would part, pressing softly in a gesture of innocent affection.
Meanwhile, the Confession Necklace at his neck clicked, conveying his words in a steady, vulnerable cadence.
“......”
Sanity felt like it was slipping away, little by little. It seemed like her rational mind was on the verge of shattering, leaving her impulse to smother Hayul overwhelming.
But she couldn’t allow herself to give in.
Hong Yeonhwa, the offender in this situation, could not yield to desire.
If she lost control and crushed Hayul under the weight of her own urges again, she wouldn’t be able to face herself.
Clenching her teeth without making a sound, Hong Yeonhwa shut her eyes tightly.
As she did so, she gently adjusted her posture to make sure he was comfortable against her chest.
She had to endure.
This was her penance.
She reminded herself that this was the consequence of her own actions.
With these thoughts in mind, she held him quietly in her arms until the morning sun began to rise, suppressing her impulses while allowing him to rest against her chest.
‘...Come to think of it, it’s not just my fault—it’s also that woman’s fault.’
Shin Seoryul.
Why did their names have to be the same?
Hong Yeonhwa silently cursed Shin Seoryul.
The question of logic didn’t matter. She just needed someone to blame for part of her frustration.
Those who manifest Guhwa Fire know it’s essential to have someone to lay the blame on for mental stability.
[Contact: Guhwa Family’s Miss Hong]
▶Miss Guhwa: You wretched girl.
“What’s her problem?”
Shin Seoryul, who had barely taken a break during the vacation and had been routinely heading to the dungeon, frowned.
On her way to the dungeon, a short and rather choice message had come through from her friend.
Suddenly, she gasped, a chill running down her spine.
Goosebumps prickled her arms.
On a gut level, her instincts warned her that something ominous would befall her, a sense of punishment for something she hadn’t done wrong.
‘...Should I take the day off?’
Something didn’t feel right. Today didn’t seem like her day.
If she kept going, she might end up with the dungeon as her eternal resting place before reaching twenty.
Swiftly, Shin Seoryul turned and headed back.