52.
How wonderful it would be if a day came when he could return the affection he received from the twins. Since it seemed impossible for now, Yu Jin’s expression darkened.
He always received help from them, and the fact that he couldn’t repay it weighed heavily on his mind. As he was thinking this, suddenly Jinhyeon clung to Yu Jin from behind.
“Ugh!”
A groan involuntarily escaped Yu Jin’s mouth as Jinhyeon’s arm pressed heavily on his shoulder. Yu Jin was about to ask what he was doing but closed his mouth when he saw Jinhyeon’s expression. Though he was smiling playfully, the atmosphere felt ominous.
Jinhyeon, still in that position, asked Keith:
“So what’s the matter?”
This might lead to another fight between the two. Yu Jin, hoping Keith wouldn’t provoke Jinhyeon’s anger, couldn’t stay silent.
“Stop joking around. It’s hard because I’m scared.”
Only then did Jinhyeon release Yu Jin.
“You really need to build up your strength.”
Ignoring the grumbling Jinhyeon, Yu Jin asked Keith again:
“So what’s going on?”
Keith sighed softly and said:
“We got a message from Blando. More precisely, a letter and message were delivered to Sena, the mercenary captain staying there.”
“And?”
“Let’s move somewhere else first. This isn’t a conversation for the hallway.”
Yu Jin agreed with Keith’s words and moved to the office he had been using frequently lately.
“Alright, now tell me. What did they say?”
“They want to meet you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.”
Unlike others from the back alleys, Blando was originally a knight. Moreover, he was related by blood to Count Lumine, so Yu Jin thought it would take quite a while to arrange a meeting, but the request came faster than expected. Was he that perceptive, or was it because of Count Lumine’s involvement?
He pondered, but the answer didn’t come easily. In such situations, Yu Jin thought it was better to confront things head-on and made his decision.
“Alright. Shall we set a date for the meeting?”
“You’re going to meet him in person?”
Keith’s expression darkened.
“I’m against it. Although his reputation isn’t bad for someone who’s formed a power in the back alleys, that’s all there is to it. If he was a decent person, he wouldn’t have quit being a knight to go to the back alleys. Let’s send someone else instead.”
“Who do you want to send?”
“That guy over there.”
Keith jerked his chin towards Jinhyeon. Calling a normal person “that guy” – it was better than Yu Jin who called Jinhyeon a “son of a bitch,” but hearing Keith speak like that felt odd.
‘His language seems to be getting rougher lately.’
He wouldn’t be surprised if Keith started calling Jinhyeon a “son of a bitch” like Yu Jin did soon.
“Calling me ‘that guy’ makes me feel bad.”
Jinhyeon smiled lazily and clung to Yu Jin who was sitting on the sofa. If Keith’s language had become rougher, Jinhyeon’s frequency of clinging to Yu Jin had increased overwhelmingly. Yu Jin felt like going back to the wardrobe. He wanted to enjoy some peaceful time alone, hiding in a corner.
Yu Jin clapped his hands while watching the tension between Jinhyeon and Keith. Their attention turned to him.
“I’ll meet him myself.”
The reason why Blando wanted to meet Yu Jin was obvious. In the original story, he was someone Jinhyeon liked and later entrusted the entire back alley to. This meant Blando was that capable, and perhaps he had already noticed that Yu Jin was the one behind the forces intervening in the back alleys.
‘A good-for-nothing as the mastermind.’
It’s understandable to be anxious. In such situations, it’s better to meet once and make him understand. And while at it, let him meet Jinhyeon, who would become his future lord. That was the thought behind his words, but the opposition was strong.
“Yu Jin, I understand how you feel, but it’s too dangerous.”
“I agree with that.”
For once, Keith and Jinhyeon’s opinions aligned. Even though Yu Jin knew their words came from concern, he felt somewhat annoyed.
“The back alleys are dangerous. You never know what might happen.”
“I’ll protect you, but still, just in case.”
Yu Jin unconsciously narrowed his eyes. Surely they couldn’t have thought…
“You both didn’t think I was going to the back alleys to meet him directly, did you?”
At those words, Keith and Jinhyeon’s expressions changed. Realizing something belatedly, Yu Jin let out a deep sigh.
“Why should I go there? He should come here. And if you’re that worried, we can tell him to come alone. If we blindfold him and tie his hands, it won’t be easy for him to attack.”
“That’s right. We’re in the absolute superior position, aren’t we? There’s no need to go out of our way to meet him.”
Jinhyeon lowered his head and shrugged his shoulders. He seemed to find it funny that he hadn’t thought of something so obvious. Keith’s expression was different, but his mood seemed similar.
“Haruna would laugh so hard if she knew.”
Keith rubbed his forehead. And behind him, a familiar figure appeared.
“What would I?”
Haruna appeared, with an interesting expression. Her eyes were curved into round arcs, and her cheeks were puffed up as if holding back laughter. It seemed she had heard the entire conversation.
“When did you come into the room?”
“A while ago. I saw the three of you go in, so I followed.”
Haruna wasn’t talented in fighting, but she was confident in her ability to track and hide secretly. When she saw the three enter the room, she used her skills to the fullest and heard everything, including her twin Keith’s words.
“Keith, no matter how distracted you are, you should always be on guard. What if there was someone else like me?”
Haruna poked Keith’s cheek with her finger and sat next to him.
“Well, since it’s come to this, shall we finish making the plan?”
First, meeting Blando should be at a location outside the mansion.
“The mansion is the safest, but if we bring him here, there’s a chance someone might find out. It’s okay for rumors to circulate uncertainly, but we can’t let it become a confirmed truth.”
Yu Jin agreed on this point. There were still many people in Lucid who disliked him, so he couldn’t give them any excuse.
“And I think Yu Jin’s idea is good too. Let’s arrange to meet Blando at a different location and bring him in blindfolded. Though I’m not sure if he’ll want to meet us while being restrained like that. I’ll tell them to contact Sena first.”
Keith continued Haruna’s words.
“I’ll secure a meeting place.”
“What about guards?”
“We can bring some from the mansion.”
“Are they trustworthy?”
“Of course.”
“Good. So we’ve prepared the location and people to guard it, now we need someone to stay close to Yu Jin as a bodyguard. Keith and Jinhyeon can do that.”
Keith seemed very dissatisfied but didn’t voice it. He knew it was the only option considering Yu Jin’s current aversion to other people. Now all that remained was Yu Jin’s resolve.
“I’ll do my best too.”
The frequency of his seizures had decreased a lot, so he should be able to handle Blando for a short while. Yu Jin steeled his resolve.
‘As expected, Yu Jin is amazing.’
Haruna believed Yu Jin was strong. Some might say the Yu Jin who became a good-for-nothing and broke down was weak, but isn’t it also strength to be able to sacrifice oneself to that extent to protect someone? That’s what she thought.
‘So I must do well.’
Haruna intended to help Yu Jin get what he wanted without putting himself in danger. As she refined the plan in more detail, she glanced at Keith. His gaze towards Jinhyeon, who was clinging closely to Yu Jin, was filled with killing intent. But even that was quickly concealed.
Being able to read this much from Keith, who was skilled at hiding his emotions, was thanks to being twins born and raised together.
‘I wish he would just give up.’
From Haruna’s perspective, Yu Jin’s feelings for Keith were only familial affection. At first, she thought it might change later, but things changed when Jinhyeon appeared.
A mysterious suspicious slave. But Yu Jin seemed to know him, and the two quickly grew close. Watching him, Haruna realized:
If Yu Jin were to have only one lover, it would be Jinhyeon. Judging by Yu Jin’s attitude towards him, it seemed Keith had no chance. Haruna’s intuition had generally been accurate since childhood.
‘This is troublesome.’
Keith wouldn’t just sit still. He might be holding back for now, but someday his desire would lead to tragedy. It wasn’t hard to guess that he might kill Jinhyeon if given the chance.
Haruna would try her best to be careful, but she couldn’t beat Keith. At some point, Keith had started keeping secrets even from Haruna.
‘I felt that keenly this time.’
It was probably the power he had desperately wanted since Yu Jin started suffering. The problem was where that power came from.
‘Leviathan.’
It seemed to be from there. Haruna tapped the paper with her pen. How on earth did Keith get connected to that place? Searching her memories, there was a time when she could make a guess.
