106 – Queen of Seoul (3)

A cup of coffee sat before me.

The coffee Seo-yeon had mentioned, prepared by her personal barista.

“………”

A reception room.

It felt like viewing a reception room reserved solely for me.

Darko had vanished somewhere. Before me, the masked woman smiled serenely.

“He’s just in temporary isolation. His life isn’t in danger, so there’s no need to worry.”

“No need to worry,” she said.

I stared at the tall woman before me. Her expression was obscured by the mask, but…

Hundred Eyes. The fact that she’d so casually subdued the second-in-command of a massive organization was hitting me anew.

The Queen of Quantum, the ruler of this Mapo district…

Was she really standing right here?

“Sugar?”

“…Just two, please.”

But being face-to-face with her like this, it was…

Like talking to a friendly older sister. Truly.

I watched the sugar cubes plunge into my coffee. The Queen chuckled.

“As you get older, you know, you tend to avoid sugar. Did you know? Sugar accelerates aging.”

“…….? You don’t seem to need to worry about something like that.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I instantly regretted it.

I was told to avoid mentioning her age if I could, and I had to avoid saying she looked young.

The Queen flinched. I couldn’t see her expression behind the mask, but…

The next moment, she patted my shoulder a few times, bursting into laughter.

“Not bad, eh? Your character passes. Yes. I feel much better. Here. Drink up. That fussy barista over there, well, he’s got a knack for brewing coffee, at least. While we’re aging together, unlike me, his coffee-making skills keep improving. I just can’t seem to get any better, why is that?”

“Because the Boss doesn’t particularly enjoy brewing coffee herself.”

“Oh my. You shouldn’t say such things in front of a guest! Quickly, get out of here. Don’t spoil the mood.”

“Yes, Boss.”

The old butler bowed deeply, backing out of the room. Once the Queen and I were alone, she stirred her coffee in a slow circle.

“Excuse me.”

Her hand went to her mask. I found myself quietly watching the sensual gesture.

-Click.

The mask was removed. Revealing the face beneath.

I tensed, half expecting to see an unexpectedly aged face. One wrong reaction, and I might just get pulverized right here.

But, surprisingly, what was revealed beneath the mask was a face that was almost excessively young.

“…….?”

A mature beauty. That was the feeling it gave off.

A face overflowing with allure. A mass of youthful energy, seldom seen anywhere.

Not a trace of decay. Instead, she was a queen, demanding attention, impossible to look away from.

Our eyes met, hers red as she swept back a long, black cascade of hair. The Queen of Quantum smiled with her eyes.

“Don’t stare so intently, darling. It’s impolite to tease an old woman.”

“…Old?”

“Old indeed. Can’t you see the fine lines? I am aged. Everyone knows it.”

What utter nonsense.

I scrunched my face, dumbfounded.

No, this was… Baek Soyeon’s warnings were utterly useless, weren’t they?

Who could call such a sensual beauty old?

Unconsciously, I exhaled in relief. The Queen of Quantum tilted her head.

“What is it?”

“…I was nervous… But it seems I didn’t need to be.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t look old at all. If anything… aren’t you about my age?”

The Queen of Quantum erupted in a bright, tinkling laugh.

She playfully slapped my shoulder.

“Child. I like you. Yes. You’re quite charming. Seo-jun, was it? Why don’t you come over to our side?”

“I’m afraid that’s… impossible.”

“Why? We treat our people very well, you know. And the diversions! If you’re here, you can indulge in every pleasure the world has to offer. You’ll never be looked down upon. A master artisan of Quantum is respected by everyone, everywhere. Quantum’s influence isn’t just domestic, it stretches across the globe.”

“………”

“A single nod of your head, and power, practically limitless, can be yours.”

It felt like the devil whispering sweet temptations.

But I shook my head.

“Power. I’m quite fond of it. Who isn’t?”

“Then why?”

“If I didn’t build it myself, it doesn’t mean much to me.”

“…Hmm.”

The Queen of Quantum closed the distance between us even further.

She reached out a hand and gently caressed my jaw.

“A delightful child. Truly delightful.”

An unusually close distance. The sweet scent made me subtly avert my gaze.

“But… why me?”

“Well, you’re said to be the reason Seo-yeon has taken a new post. Naturally, I became curious.”

“… Did Lee Seo-yeon speak of me?”

“Oh, no? I investigated personally. That girl is tight-lipped. Doesn’t speak much. Doesn’t utter unnecessary words. It’s far easier to find out things myself than to try and pry anything from her, you see?”

The Queen of Quantum stroked my hair.

A natural caress, as if to a younger sibling.

“So, after looking into various things separately… Turns out there’s quite the backstory to this child you’re with, wouldn’t you say? They even crafted specialized equipment for a Bad Sector?”

“… It just sort of happened.”

“The surprising thing for me is this. There have been a few times before where specialized equipment for a Bad Sector has been made. Do you know what happened to the people who made them?”

“What… happened?”

The Queen of Quantum smiled brightly.

“They all died, you see.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s no lie. The Bad Sector caught them all and killed them. Had their heads chopped off and thrown into the sea for making equipment they didn’t like. But lo and behold. You made that woman’s specialized equipment and not only did you survive… you even received a public confession? Isn’t it natural to be curious?”

“… Shouldn’t you have sought me out sooner, then?”

“I despise being involved with that woman. Utterly despise it. She is a mass of brokenness. Chaos itself. Have you ever seen a child who breaks everything they touch? She is a madwoman trapped in infancy. The maddest of madwomen, incapable of learning to move forward from pain.”

The Queen of Quantum sighed.

“Once you’re entangled with her, the story becomes complicated, you see. You’re like prey to that woman, so avoiding contact was the best course of action. But since our adorable Seo-yeon has become involved with you, I can’t help but intervene, can I?”

“… Does that mean you’re going to help us…?”

“That’s a different matter entirely. Seo-joon, darling. Try not to subtly drag me into things, won’t you? Greed will hurt you. Deeply.”

The Queen of Quantum giggled.

“Instead of that, let’s talk about other things. What do you think of Seo-yeon? Is it fun being with her? What’s your ideal family dynamic? Are you interested in romance? How many ex-girlfriends? Do you exercise regularly? How’s your health?”

The torrent of questions was far removed from what I had imagined.

All of them, solely about ‘me’.

“Tell me everything. I’m curious.”

There were no deeply personal questions I couldn’t answer, so I nodded.

Judging by the words she had spoken, it didn’t seem like she was my enemy.

If I could build a friendship…

“There must be some use for him, surely.”

. . .

“Ah, this is fun. It’s always fun to play with the young ones.”

The Queen of Quantum, having listened to my story for a good while, dabbed at the tears welling at the corners of her eyes.

“You speak so articulately…and yet, you have less experience with love than I thought? To think you’ve never had any at all. Perhaps there’s something…amiss?”

“I’m fine. Just…never had the time.”

“Hmph. I understand. I’d probably be the same. When life is full of hardship, romance is often beyond imagining. I was like that too. My memories of infancy and adolescence are filled with the memories of being locked inside that facility.”

“…Facility?”

“I am old, Seo-jun. Very old. I experienced the nights of Seoul before Seoul became what it is now. And my comrade is none other than the infamous Bad Sector. We are the only pair to escape Seoul’s night, and the only ones to have aged beyond all reason.”

The Queen of Quantum sighed.

“But unlike her…yes. I’m closer to being a failure. And that’s why I’m growing old. Isn’t it funny? The woman who wishes to die doesn’t die, nor does she age…while the one who wants to live slowly wastes away. Ah, I hate it. I’m more afraid of growing old than dying. I want to stay young forever, even until the day I die…but as time passes, my skin wrinkles, and my entire body shrivels. You know, right? That even Inherent Abilities age. Even those who possess Abilities lose their power as they near death. It’s all connected to the condition of the body.”

The Queen of Quantum extended her hand.

“I can feel it. My Ability is gradually weakening. As this power fades…my aging will also accelerate rapidly. I will probably grow old with terrible, breathtaking speed in my twilight years. Quantum, which I thought would be eternal, will also decline. This, my kingdom, is maintained solely by the symbolic presence of me.”

“……. “

“But there’s no god in reality, and who would stop my aging? The time I have left is, at best…about 10 years. I’ll probably wither away within 5.”

“…How can you be so sure?”

“Seo-jun, I’m a failure. And failures have a set lifespan. Life expectancy. I saw it back then, when I escaped the night of Seoul, from that facility. My Inherent Ability, you see, was artificially enhanced. And in return, my lifespan was drastically shortened, unlike most Ability holders who live to be around 150 years old. Right now, I am 89 years old. My life expectancy is only around 100 years old.”

A story too deep to share with someone you just met.

The Queen of Quantum waved her hand lightly.

“Knowing when you will die isn’t a good feeling. Rather, it’s sad. Enough to bring tears to my eyes. I wanted to taste all the pleasures of the world. It’s a reward…for the pain I’ve endured. Since I received unwanted pain, shouldn’t I live doing what I want, even after escaping it? But since I don’t have much time left…I have no choice but to try to paint a pretty picture for after I’m gone.”

“……. “

“That’s why I was curious. Seo-yeon is like a daughter to me. The two initial founders of Eternal Workshop. Both of them are like daughters to me. I took them in myself, and raised them myself. I want them to live well wherever they are, even if they aren’t within my fence. So I’m telling you. Won’t you take good care of that child? I want her to live well even after I’m gone. Although I am unable to have a daughter…”

The Queen of Quantum smiled faintly.

It was then that I saw it. Wrinkles that had never been visible before were gathered around her eyes.

“Those children are, in my eyes, the same as my own daughters. Everyone wants their loved ones to live well. Even the Queen of Quantum is the same.”

“……. “

A mother…like feeling?

I saw in her the parental figure that I never had. This must be why Lee Seo-yeon was so confidently familiar with her.

The relationship between Lee Seo-yeon and the Queen before my eyes is perhaps, a relationship deeper than family. The fact that she is revealing her vulnerable story to me must be because she is worried about what will happen after she dies.

What I had wanted but never had…perhaps the ideal parent-child relationship.

And so, it seems this all threatens to crumble now, does it?

“Ugh…”

I’m weak when it comes to stories like this. Really, I’m such a problem.

I scratched the back of my head roughly. A fleeting glance at my watch.

“…When is the opening ceremony?”

“Huh? Well… about three hours from now, isn’t it?”

There wasn’t any profound reason.

It’s just… well, I wanted to.

“If there’s time to spare, I’d like to see it directly.”

“See what?”

I stood up.

“Show me the Atypical Factor, please? Perhaps there’s something I can do.”