Atlanta.
Northern city, Hamil Clan House.
“I’m heading out now.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
Kim Yuhyun, about to step out the door, turned back at Baek Jinha’s worried voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Even if it’s your younger sibling, going without any notice…”
“Well, I don’t think it matters. Suhyun even looks good when she’s angry.”
“Clan Lord, please.”
Kim Yuhyun’s teasing tone softened as he caught Baek Jinha’s expression and gave a light chuckle.
“I’m serious. I’m purposely not telling her.”
“…Purposely not telling her?”
“Yeah. There’s something I want to check.”
“Really…”
Baek Jinha sighed deeply and shook his head as if to say he didn’t understand. Kim Yuhyun tightened his robe and turned back toward the front.
“Oh, and about that…”
“Yes. I’ve taken care of all directions—east, west, south, and north. Now all that’s left is to make contact…”
“No. Don’t contact anyone yet.”
“Huh?”
“I told you. There’s one last thing I need to confirm.”
“…?”
Baek Jinha tilted his head again at the repeated words, but Kim Yuhyun said no more. With a slightly subdued gaze, he stared ahead and walked steadily out of the room, disappearing in an instant.
When I opened my eyes, the bright morning sunlight was pouring energetically into the room. Stretching my arms wide and sitting up, my shoulders felt refreshed. My body felt much lighter than usual.
Especially my lower body, which seemed to have shed the fatigue of the previous night, felt invigorated. Seeing the neatly made bed sheets brought a smile to my lips. Although we had shared passionate love without rest until dawn, it seemed Go Yeonju had already tidied up and left.
“Alright.”
I pushed off the bed and stripped off my clothes. Washing my face, I glanced beyond the terrace; the sun was slowly climbing toward its zenith. A clear, quiet, pleasant morning. Something good was bound to happen. Feeling refreshed, I stepped out of the office.
On my way down to the first floor dining hall, I noticed a commotion. The hallway was filled with lively chatter and the enticing aroma of food.
Hmm. The early risers among the clan members would have already eaten and left, so this time of day should be quiet.
Curious, I opened the door and stepped inside. Dozens of clan members were gathered in small groups around tables. Was there some kind of festival today?
“Oh, the Clan Lord’s here!”
Nono, the elder sister, noticed me and waved. A question popped into my mind. Why was the head of the dining hall here? And why was she sitting as if waiting for a meal? There were so many people waiting to eat.
“What’s going on?” I asked, receiving greetings from all directions. She smiled brightly.
“Oh? Ah~ I got kicked out.”
“Ha ha. Not kicked out exactly. Go Yeonju said she’d make breakfast this morning, so we’re just waiting.”
The big brother sitting beside her added, and heads nodded all around.
“Hmm. Wonder what sudden whim took her.”
“Hehe, anyway, I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a while since Yeonju unnie cooked for us.”
“Yeah, she looks really happy today. It’s the first time I’ve seen her smile so brightly in a while.”
“Right? She hasn’t stopped smiling. I wonder if something good happened.”
Murmurs floated around. Could it be because of the necklace I gave her yesterday? After all, she had experienced the best service imaginable at dawn, unlike before.
Recalling the exquisite technique that had brought me the ultimate pleasure—the carefully performed mammary intercourse—I weaved through the tables. Just then, I noticed Kim Hanbyul subtly nudging an empty chair with her foot, so I took the seat.
At that moment, two shadows appeared nearby. Turning my eyes, I saw Seon Yuwun with a calm expression and Cha Heeyoung hesitating beside her.
“Thank you.”
Before I could say anything, Seon Yuwun suddenly bowed deeply. Cha Heeyoung blinked wide-eyed like a startled rabbit and hurriedly followed suit.
The dining hall fell silent. As I wondered why they were acting this way, my eyes caught the container in Seon Yuwun’s right hand. Made of leather, it held neatly arranged dark red arrows. Cha Heeyoung was dressed in a voluminous, pure white shrine maiden outfit. Only then did I understand the situation.
“Do you like the arrows?”
“They’ll come in handy.”
“That’s good. But I didn’t buy them—Go Yeonju did.”
“The Shadow Queen said she was able to live thanks to the Clan Lord.”
Seon Yuwun’s voice was blunt, which I liked even more. It was far better than exaggerated flattery. I smiled lightly and looked at Cha Heeyoung, activating my third eye at the same time.
<Player Information (Player Status)>
[Strength 38] [Endurance 45] [Agility 52] [Stamina 58] [Magic Power 97] [Luck 11]
(Remaining Ability Points: 0)
<Achievements (0)>
<Special Abilities (1/1)>
<Potential Abilities (2/4)>
“Huh?”
I couldn’t help but exclaim. Was I seeing things? I closed my eyes and opened them again, but the numbers didn’t change. Cha Heeyoung’s magic power stat was displayed as 97 points.
I stared blankly for about three seconds, then understood after seeing the remaining ability points below. It seemed she had invested all six leftover points into magic power after inheriting the White Night Dancer class. No wonder her player info didn’t look like a rookie’s. Of course, she still had a long way to go in terms of experience.
“It suits you well.”
“Th-thank you…”
She smiled shyly, her face flushing deeply as she muttered under her breath.
“Heeyoung~ You can’t do that. At least say thank you properly.”
A warm voice scolded her from somewhere. It was Go Yeonju, who had just come out of the kitchen carrying a large pot, smiling in our direction.
The silence in the dining hall broke, returning to the earlier lively noise. The rich, savory aroma teased our appetites. Occasionally, the sound of pounding tables suggested there were more than a few hungry clan members.
Amid cheers of “Looks delicious!” and “Hurry up!”, Go Yeonju kept smiling as she brought out dish after dish. Each time she came out, her black diamond necklace shimmered, scattering light in all directions.
“Wow, unnie! What’s that necklace? It’s so beautiful!”
“Thanks~”
“Yeah, it’s really pretty. Where did you get it?”
“Not bought. It was a gift.”
“A gift? From who?”
“Hehe, well…”
Go Yeonju gave a vague smile, then busied herself with the piled-up dishes, walking toward me.
After a moment, she gently set a bowl in front of me.
Then, softly, she whispered, “Thank you for the necklace. Mwah.”
I felt a gentle touch on my cheek.
At that moment—
“…!”
My ears suddenly went numb. A tremendous cheer erupted. The dining hall filled with even louder, more raucous noise than before—shouts, pounding on tables. Go Yeonju winked one eye and turned back toward the kitchen.
As I gazed after her graceful figure, a cold wind swept over me. It wasn’t just one or two gusts—it came from all directions.
“Hah…”
Kim Hanbyul looked at the ring on her left ring finger with a baffled expression.
“Hehe…”
Im Hanna smiled gently but narrowed her eyes sharply.
Chills swept through the room from every corner, and I even heard Lee Yujeong’s voice calling out, “What about me? What about meee?” For some reason, I felt I had done something terribly wrong.
In the end, I bowed my head deeply and picked up my spoon.
Next time I buy gifts, I thought, I’ll make sure to get something for everyone.
After the uncomfortable breakfast, I hurried back to the office as if fleeing. I worried they might chase after me, but thankfully, that didn’t happen. It seemed everyone had their own duties, so I breathed a sigh of relief and summoned Vivian.
On the desk lay two mana potions I had prepared earlier, just sitting there. Lately, he seemed to be carrying a lot on his mind. I figured seeing these would probably make him pretty happy.
Since I’d already decided to give them, I pressed the summoning stone and waited patiently. He might be at Magia, so it could take a while for him to arrive.
Step, step, step…
Just as I thought that, my expectations were off. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from outside the door.
Could he really be here already? That’s strange. I don’t think I saw him earlier at the dining hall.
Knock, knock.
“Clan Lord. A visitor is here…”
“A visitor? Send them in.”
The door clicked open, and someone stepped inside. A tall man draped in a large, pitch-black robe. I recognized him immediately.
“Hyung?”
“Yeah, it’s been a while.”
He smiled faintly, then gave a slight bow to the attendant. I hadn’t received any notice—this was a completely unexpected visit.
After a moment, the door shut behind him, and he gestured toward a chair.
“Uh, have a seat.”
“Thanks. Jin-ha was pretty worried you might get turned away at the door.”
I chuckled softly but kept a close eye on him. If it were nothing serious, he’d probably be grinning and making small talk about how he just stopped by to check in. But his face held no smile—only a calm, subdued expression. I sensed right away this wasn’t a casual visit.
“So, what’s on your mind…?”
“You look good.”
“…?”
“I said you look good. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you looking so bright.”
At his words, I absentmindedly touched my face. Maybe he was referring to the kiss mark, but no—he shook his head calmly.
“Don’t read too much into it. It’s a compliment.”
“Why say that all of a sudden…?”
“Because it feels like you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Honestly, when I first saw you, I doubted you were really my little brother. Well, I understood later after hearing the story.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
This wasn’t something you brought up lightly. Sensing something was off, I cut to the chase. He shrugged and let out a deep breath.
“Just… I wanted to ask you something.”
“Hm?”
“Hmm… how should I put it? Regardless of how many times you’ve gone through this, I want to hear your honest opinion as you are now. I mean, the user named Kim Su-hyun sitting right in front of me. I want you to be completely straightforward.”
“So what is it?”
“Before that, promise me you won’t get mad.”
“I won’t. Go ahead.”
As soon as I promised, he fell silent for a moment, then looked at me intently.
And then, suddenly, his voice dropped.
“Su-hyun.”
He stared at me steadily and spoke in a low tone.
“I’m talking about you…”