96.
While suffering from high fever, Yu Jin had a dream. The dream was so realistic that it gnawed at Yu Jin’s heart. It showed what would have happened if he hadn’t bought Jinhyeon.
In the dream, Jinhyeon spent nights kissing and holding hands with someone else. At first, Yu Jin writhed in agony watching this. The person who should be there was him. All of that should have been his.
‘Then I should just take him back.’
Although he knew that he and Jinhyeon weren’t destined, he couldn’t stand it anymore. Destiny or not, he wanted to embrace Jinhyeon again and hear his mischievous words.
With that thought, Yu Jin opened his eyes for the first time in a while. As he looked around trying to assess the situation with his groggy mind, he saw Haruna sleeping face down right next to him. It seemed she had fallen asleep while nursing Yu Jin. She must have been quite tired, as she didn’t wake up for a long time despite being sensitive to movements.
‘At least sleep comfortably.’
Yu Jin tried to pull Haruna onto the bed so she could sleep more comfortably, but she didn’t budge. His body, already weak, seemed to have lost even more strength during his illness.
“Huh? Mmm?”
In the process, Haruna woke up.
“Lord Yu Jin! Are you awake? Are you alright? You must be hungry? I’ll prepare a meal right away!”
Yu Jin held back Haruna, who looked ready to dash out immediately.
“The meal’s fine. I’d rather know about the current situation.”
“The situation?”
“Yes. About Jinhyeon.”
Haruna, who had been flustered, instantly became serious and sat back down on the chair beside the bed. After hesitating for a while, she opened her mouth while watching Yu Jin’s reaction.
“Jinhyeon is doing well. I hear he’s been appearing wherever Lady Lyunne goes recently.”
Haruna didn’t tell everything she knew. It was taken for granted that they were lovers, and the Duke was displeased about it. It seemed there was friction with the Duke because of this, but Lyunne didn’t budge.
“I see.”
Yu Jin gripped the blanket tightly, suppressing his emotions.
“What about the back alleys?”
Since that was the area Jinhyeon was in charge of, some might try to change allegiances seeing this opportunity.
“They’re not moving. It seems they also find the situation strange.”
Additionally, Blando said,
“I believe there’s a conspiracy behind this incident. Otherwise, there’s no way Jinhyeon would suddenly act like this. Moreover, even if he received a lot of help from you, wasn’t it you, Lord Yu Jin, who started it all? We won’t move until you say so. Gee and San agreed with this.”
Thanks to this, things didn’t get more complicated. As soon as it was known that Jinhyeon had withdrawn his hand, Count Lumine started to make moves, but it wasn’t an immediate problem. Blando wasn’t the type to fall for such tactics.
“What about the business?”
“There’s no problem there either. Lord Tulin has been helping.”
“Is that so? I should visit to express my gratitude.”
Yu Jin nodded and staggered as he got out of bed. Haruna, surprised, hurriedly supported him as he spoke.
“I want to wash up.”
“But you just woke up?”
“Still, I want to wash.”
“Then I’ll help you.”
Haruna supported Yu Jin and took him to the bathroom. Although they were of different genders, she had raised Yu Jin like a younger sibling since childhood. It wasn’t difficult for Haruna to wash him.
“It feels good to wash after so long. But I’m hungry.”
Having starved for several days, he couldn’t immediately eat bread or meat. Instead, he ate two bowls of soup that was close to rice porridge. After washing and filling his stomach, his mind seemed to clear up.
‘Now, what should I do?’
The thought of giving up had disappeared, replaced by stubbornness. Who cares about the destiny in the novel? He had already twisted the story once, so there’s no reason he couldn’t do it again. Yu Jin decided to believe in himself for the first time.
‘They say it’s always hard to win over a beauty.’
So let’s try anything. Yu Jin made up his mind firmly.
Jinhyeon looked at the woman standing right in front of him, smiling lovingly. When he saw her, he thought: I could do anything for this person. She was that precious and absolute to him.
‘But that’s all.’
When he saw her, Lyunne, he felt he must follow her absolutely, but when she disappeared from sight, his heart sank. He knew he had to move as Lyunne wanted, but he didn’t feel the motivation to do so actively. And at such times, Yu Jin came to mind. The person with whom he once intertwined bodies and whispered love. Even though his heart had changed, he just couldn’t shake off the lingering image of Yu Jin.
At that point, Lyunne made a request to Jinhyeon.
“Give me the back alleys.”
Behind Lyunne saying this stood Grey.
“You were in charge of the back alleys originally, right? Then it should be easier to persuade them. Offer what you’ve gained to Lady Lyunne.”
Grey was somehow an unpleasant person, but if Lyunne wanted it, he had to move. The next day, Jinhyeon visited the back alleys of the capital. Originally a dirty place where broken lives gathered, now it had a different atmosphere. There was less visible trash on the streets, and the people, regardless of their attire, seemed more lively. There was hope there. It was all the result of Yu Jin and Jinhyeon’s efforts and creation.
Jinhyeon moved his steps slowly, as if appreciating all of this. And before long, he encountered familiar faces.
“Oh!”
A small kid pointed at Jinhyeon but quickly withdrew his finger when their eyes met.
“Lord Jinhyeon?”
“San.”
Next to him was a large man, whose name Jinhyeon also knew.
“Gee.”
“…It’s been a while.”
Gee quietly picked up San and tucked him under his arm, tensing his thighs. He looked ready to run away if necessary.
“What brings you here?”
San’s tone also became stiffer than usual, as if infected by Gee’s tension.
“I have something to do.”
“What is it?”
“It’s not something to discuss here. Shall we move somewhere else?”
“…Let’s do that.”
Gee, still carrying San under his arm, moved first. Following them led to a small tavern with an old sign. He ordered milk for San and sat at a table in a corner.
“Would you like anything?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“I see.”
They occupied the table with just one glass of milk, but the tavern owner showed no complaint. After all, this place was a hidden branch of an information organization. The owner glanced around, closed the shop door, and disappeared. This created an environment where they could talk quietly.
Gee took a deep breath and said,
“What brings you here?”
“I need the back alleys.”
“What for?”
“My person wants this place.”
“Who is that person? Is it Lord Yu Jin?”
Jinhyeon tapped the table with his finger and answered.
“No. It’s Lady Lyunne.”
“Do you love her?”
“If only seeing her counts as love, then yes, I love her.”
“And you’re abandoning Lord Yu Jin?”
Gee scratched his head with his hand.
“To be honest, I’m not a smart guy. But I believe we should keep our loyalty. Did you properly tell Lord Yu Jin that you wanted to break up?”
It was a somewhat irrelevant question, but Gee looked serious.
“No, do I have to say that directly?”
“You should. Speak to him directly and end it. After that, you should talk about the back alleys. If you don’t do that, we won’t move. We originally swore loyalty to Lord Yu Jin. It doesn’t matter how you act.”
“Even if I kill you?”
“Even if you kill us, nothing will change. The back alleys won’t follow you, who betrayed Lord Yu Jin.”
Gee answered, gritting his teeth. Jinhyeon looked at San, who was glaring at the milk.
“Do you think the same?”
“What? Yes!”
“My friend Blando will be the same.”
Jinhyeon stopped tapping the table. He could kill them all here and take over the back alleys, but would that be meaningful? Blando, Gee, and San were the core of the back alleys. Even if he took over after removing them all, there wouldn’t be much benefit. That’s probably not what Lyunne wants.
So should he meet Yu Jin again? Yu Jin always acted weak towards Jinhyeon. He had promised to give him anything he wanted.
Then it would be right to talk to him first. Jinhyeon stood up.
“I’ll see you later then.”
Leaving those words, Jinhyeon left the shop. As soon as he left, Gee sighed and sprawled on the table.
“Did I speak well? I don’t even know what I said.”
“You did well. You did well.”
San also took the same posture as Gee and shivered slightly.
“But why did it really turn out like this?”
“I don’t know. But we did as Lord Yu Jin asked, allowing them to talk directly, so I guess that’s enough.”
“I hope so.”
Gee and San sighed together.
