“Ansol! Why are you acting like this again all of a sudden?”
Anhyun shouted as he burst into the room and disappeared from sight.
Jin Suhyun, who had been muttering quietly, followed inside with a reluctant expression, caught off guard by the sudden commotion.
Kim Hanbyul did the same.
Anhyun’s use of the word “again” had caught Hanbyul’s attention, but for now, checking on Ansol’s condition was the priority.
As Hanbyul stepped into the room, she let out a soft groan.
The place was a complete mess.
The table and chairs were overturned as if they’d been smashed, and the custom robe Ansol usually wore, along with her staff, lay carelessly scattered on the floor.
But that wasn’t all.
The wallpaper was scratched all over, as if clawed at with hooks, and the bed sheets were torn to shreds.
And there, curled up in a corner, was Ansol herself, trembling and groaning in pain.
It wasn’t a horrific scene, but seeing the usually gentle Ansol like this was shocking.
“Sol! Sol!”
“Eek!”
As Anhyun kept calling her name and shook her shoulders, Ansol flinched in terror, her face full of fear.
She pressed herself further into the corner, tears welling up, and stretched out her hands, begging desperately, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
She must have been unconscious but still aware.
Putting aside the baffling reaction, Anhyun seemed to have been through this before; he calmly tried to soothe his younger sister.
“It’s okay. It’s me, your brother,” he whispered softly into her ear for several minutes.
Gradually, the trembling that had made her shake like a leaf began to subside.
When she finally lifted her face, swollen eyes and tear stains were clearly visible.
Seeing her look around in confusion, Anhyun’s tense shoulders sagged.
He sighed deeply, set the chair upright, and plopped down.
“You really scared me.”
His voice was full of concern, and Ansol lowered her head.
The pale skin on the back of her neck slowly reddened, as if she was beginning to realize what she’d done.
“Why did you do this? Did something happen?”
“I’m sorry…”
Her voice was barely audible.
Watching his sister still bowed in shame, Anhyun pressed his lips together.
Thankfully, she was calming down, but he had no intention of backing off now.
“You’ve never acted like this before, not even once in the past few years. So there has to be a reason why it’s happening again.”
His gentle, coaxing tone caught Hanbyul’s attention.
Now she understood the meaning behind Anhyun’s earlier words: “Why are you acting like this again all of a sudden?”
Ansol remained silent, but Anhyun’s face showed a mix of frustration and sadness as he spoke.
“It’s okay, just tell me. Anything is fine. You know I’m always on your side, right?”
That wasn’t untrue, and Ansol slowly nodded.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll take responsibility and help you fix it. Or is it that you can’t even tell me? That can’t be it, right?”
At the word “can’t be,” Ansol flinched.
But maybe she was grasping at straws.
Or perhaps the strong trust Anhyun showed pushed her forward, because her tightly sealed lips began to move, struggling to form words.
“……”
After a moment, Anhyun’s expression stiffened as he listened to her faint explanation.
It was no ordinary matter.
If it had been a typical teenage crush—“I like my brother, what should I do?”—he might have laughed it off.
But the sincerity Ansol felt for Kim Suhyun, the feelings she had for those around her, and the resulting sense of loss made it impossible to treat lightly.
More than anything, Anhyun had no immediate solution, and that was the biggest problem.
“Wow, this is tough. I don’t think there’s any easy fix.”
At that moment, Jin Suhyun, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, casually remarked.
Anhyun turned sharply, bristling.
“What? What’s wrong with my sister? This is serious enough…!”
Jin Suhyun knew he was trying to comfort Ansol, but his timing was off, and Anhyun gave him a bitter look.
“Of course, I can say things like ‘cheer up’ or ‘stay strong’ all day long. But what happens after that is none of my business… But this isn’t a joke, is it?”
Jin Suhyun pointed directly at Ansol.
Though he spoke indirectly, his meaning was clear: face the seriousness of the situation.
Anhyun, not completely oblivious, stopped himself from boasting about his sister.
Jin Suhyun continued.
“I get what you’re trying to say. Ansol is definitely cute. She’s charming. Her figure isn’t perfect, but not bad. Her personality and vibe might be divisive, but there’s definitely demand for that kind of character. She’s got unique abilities, too. And being the little sister is a plus. She’s the kind of character who could easily be the main heroine in any dating sim. I admit that.”
Jin Suhyun’s tone was serious as he laid out a string of compliments, then suddenly shifted.
“Yeah, I admit all that… but first, even if she’s cute, is her face really competitive enough?”
“What?”
“Don’t get mad, just look objectively. Among the sisters-in-law, is there anyone less attractive than Ansol?”
“……”
Anhyun immediately shut his mouth.
Even blinded by affection, that wasn’t the case.
“And second, the little sister role is a double-edged sword. It definitely works well. There’s always one in the games I play… But it’s not all advantages. As time goes on, the perception of her as ‘the little sister’ gets stronger… You’ve felt that too, right?”
It was a smooth, well-spoken point.
By now, anyone would realize Jin Suhyun was speaking from his experience with games.
But that didn’t mean he was wrong.
Ansol’s silence was proof of that.
“Before we go any further—Kim Hanbyul?”
Suddenly turning his attention, Jin Suhyun caught Hanbyul off guard.
“Given the situation, just tell me this: among you or the sisters-in-law, has anyone ever been approached intentionally by the older brother?”
Hanbyul thought for a moment.
Had Kim Suhyun made the first move to date someone?
“No. No one.”
“Not even one?”
“I don’t know everything, but probably not.”
“Then this is your own doing.”
He wasn’t talking to Hanbyul, but to Ansol.
“If no one comes to you, you have to make the first move. You’re not the only girl in the world. Waiting around hoping someone will come to you is why this happened.”
“……”
“I hate to say it, but I don’t get it. Like I said, your conditions are perfect. Really. If I were you, and I wanted to, I’d have done it already…”
“Stop it.”
Hanbyul cut him off at a reasonable point.
Though she thought his words were mostly right, they felt a bit harsh.
Hanbyul gave a subtle look, and Jin Suhyun sighed and shrugged.
“Fine, fine… I’ll leave.”
With that, Jin Suhyun grabbed the dazed Anhyun and turned him around.
“Huh? Hey?”
“What’s with the ‘huh’? Let’s go.”
“Wait a minute…”
“You’re no help here anyway. It’s better if those two talk it out.”
They say women understand women best.
Anhyun kept looking at Ansol until the end, but in the end, he was dragged out the way he came.
Left alone in the room, an awkward silence settled.
After a while, Hanbyul, carefully choosing her words, finally spoke.
“Sol.”
Sitting lightly on the edge of the bed, she called out, and Ansol looked up, sulking.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you much… You must have hated me a lot, right?”
“Oh, no, not at all…”
Ansol shook her head vigorously, as if to say that wasn’t true.
“I’m curious. Why did you hide your feelings all this time?”
“I was afraid I’d get rejected if I said anything…”
“You could have talked to us.”
“But you’re already close to the older brother… I was afraid it would make things awkward between us…”
Hanbyul looked at the clear tear stains still on Ansol’s cheeks with a pained expression.
“How much pain must you have been carrying?”
And what must she have thought when everyone worked together to help Seraph get back on her feet?
Jin Suhyun’s criticism was logical, but the human heart doesn’t always follow logic.
The feats Ansol had accomplished so far were enough to make Hanbyul marvel.
The important thing was that it wasn’t hard to guess the fierce determination behind the fragile girl’s incredible efforts.
All for her older brother.
So even if she felt used and discarded, it was hardly surprising.
“Um… you know.”
Hanbyul’s words caught in her throat.
In truth, Jin Suhyun had already said everything that needed to be said.
And Hanbyul wasn’t used to comforting others.
Even if she understood perfectly, she couldn’t think of anything to say.
Above all, Hanbyul was the type who wouldn’t say anything she couldn’t take responsibility for.
Suddenly, Ko Yeonju and Im Hanna came to mind.
If it had been those two, experienced and skilled, things might have been different.
But despite the sudden conflict, Hanbyul quickly gave up.
She couldn’t call on someone so busy with the festival.
‘There’s no helping it.’
Finally, having made up her mind, Hanbyul slipped her hand into her pocket.
A small, thin envelope brushed against her palm.
The next morning dawned.
Ansol woke up, blinking her eyes with an unusually clear mind for someone who had just gotten out of bed.
She hadn’t joined the festival last night and had gone to sleep early, yet she felt inexplicably energized.
As she absentmindedly clenched and unclenched her hand, a faint rustling sensation caught her attention.
In her palm lay a slightly crumpled little packet.
Inside the transparent bag was a pink powder, filled a little over halfway.
It was what Kim Hanbyul had given her yesterday.
“Take it. But don’t ever say I gave it to you.”
“It’s a powder made from an herb called Aphrodisia.”
“It’s an incredibly potent poison. Even a speck the size of a fingernail—if left untreated—can kill you within five minutes.”
“Why do I have it? Well, that’s not really important, is it?”
At first, Ansol had been suspicious of Kim Hanbyul.
No matter how desperate, suggesting she use poison was unthinkable.
Even if it was given with good intentions, she didn’t want to stoop to such an outrageous act.
But Kim Hanbyul had seemed to anticipate her doubts and added:
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not giving it to you to use. I doubt you’d even dare.”
“So… think of it as a talisman.”
“Yeah. A talisman. Honestly, I don’t think Jin Suhyun was wrong.”
“You feel the same, don’t you?”
Though it stung, Ansol had to admit she felt the same way.
One thing was clear: Kim Suhyun had treated Ansol specially.
When the ranking system was introduced and she was the only one selected as EX grade alongside Kim Suhyun, she had been overjoyed.
Thinking that her older brother cherished her made her shoulders naturally rise with pride.
But that was special treatment as a user—not as a woman.
She realized that far too late.
“Don’t worry, sisters. I’ll handle this somehow.”
“But that’s as far as I’ll go with help.”
“The rest… I can’t do anything about it. Understand?”
“Try at least once. So you won’t have regrets. Are you really going to stay in this relationship with oppa for a thousand years?”
Kim Hanbyul’s last words ignited a fire in Ansol’s chest.
No regrets.
Do her best.
If she succeeded, great.
If she failed, it would be tough for now.
But there’s also the saying that time heals all wounds.
Even if it took years, there was a chance she could escape Kim Suhyun’s shadow and meet a better man.
And then, Kim Suhyun would surely congratulate her.
Anyway, the bottom line was she was tired of dragging things out.
At least she had to see it through to the end.
Thinking she had nothing to lose gave her a courage she hadn’t felt until yesterday.
That was when—
“!”
Just as Ansol was steeling her resolve, she suddenly sat bolt upright, eyes wide with shock.
She fumbled over her body, disbelief written all over her face.
She felt too refreshed—almost overwhelmingly so.
Something indescribable was bubbling up inside her.
Confidence surged, but even she thought it was excessive.
She felt like she could achieve anything she wanted.
“Ah!”
At that moment, Ansol trembled as if struck by lightning.
Thinking back, this wasn’t her first time experiencing this phenomenon.
Not often, but it had happened before.
Five times in total over five years.
Once every year, on a specific day.
Yes, today was that day.
With that thought, Ansol dashed out of her room like a wild colt.
—Hmm?
The first to notice something unusual was none other than Zero Code.
To an ordinary person, the world looked the same as always, but Zero Code was a being of ten thousand—able to sense things more keenly than anyone.
The energy currents enveloping the world, centered on the Mercenary Castle, began to shift rapidly.
—Ho…!
Watching the process unfold, Zero Code let out a breath of awe.
Around the woman crossing the castle’s hallway, a massive influx of auspicious energy was converging.
It was a common occurrence.
Across the entire universe, countless lives experience this at least once.
In other words, a lucky day.
Luck tends to be strange like that.
On good days, it soars endlessly; on bad days, it plummets just as far.
Ansol was probably one of those cases.
The only difference was the scale.
Not only was all the energy flowing through the whole plane gathering, but it was also being reborn anew around Ansol.
Like a mythical serpent shedding its skin, finally evolving into a dragon and ascending to the heavens.
—This… is no joke.
It was serious enough that Zero Code considered intervening.
A score of 100 was the set limit for a user’s abilities.
101 meant surpassing human limits.
From 102 onward, it was undefined but could be seen as a level capable of fully harnessing the power of a god like Hwajeong.
Ansol’s luck ability was at 105 points.
—And with Blue Dahlia and Barado as well…? What kind of person is she?
Zero Code didn’t deliberate long.
The decision was to observe.
The reason was simple.
—Humans are fascinating…!
Curiosity was piqued.
What kind of wish could she have to radiate such immense energy?
—Could it be connected to Kim Suhyun?
Judging by their relationship, Zero Code thought it quite likely and quickly turned to observe Kim Suhyun.
But then immediately lost interest.
Because Kim Suhyun was boldly making love with a woman on the stairs of the fourth floor hallway.
He was trembling as if reaching climax.
Thanks to the festival that had gone on until dawn, most people were fast asleep, making this possible.
But Zero Code had zero interest in such reproductive acts.
Attention shifted back to Ansol.
Either way, she was worth watching.
More than worth it.
At this level, exaggerating only slightly, she could easily sway the rise and fall of a nation.
Whatever her wish was, it was definitely no trivial matter.
Suddenly, the energy that had been converging into a single point began to surge violently.
—Oh…!
Rarely excited, Zero Code focused intently.
From now on, every gesture, every action, even the events around Ansol had to be observed carefully.
Any small incident would do.
Wherever it happened, it would surely be imbued with the strength of her wish.
That would allow Zero Code to infer what kind of wish she held.
Then, just as Zero Code expected, an unexpected event occurred.
After Kim Suhyun finished, Jung Hayeon knelt and removed the condom from his member.
But perhaps because she was just reaching orgasm, her trembling hand barely managed to remove it—and then dropped it.
The thin rubber pouch, filled with freshly ejaculated semen, fell vertically.
By sheer coincidence, it landed squarely on the crown of Ansol’s head as she passed the first floor.
“Ow!”
Finally, the first incident she had been waiting for happened.
“What… what is this?”
The only fortunate thing was that innocent Ansol didn’t even know what a condom was.
She just tilted her head in confusion, decided it was trash, and kindly tossed it into the bin.
Then she hurried away.
Meanwhile, Zero Code, who had been watching intently all this time—
—?
Was utterly baffled.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
The part I wrote just for fun in the latter half of chapter 420 actually came in handy here.
Haha.
I want to finish this quickly and move on to the Kim Suhyun omnibus. :)