Chapter 489 – Chapter 489. Love and War

24 hours a day. 1440 minutes. 86400 seconds.

The time given to humans is fair to everyone, but the flow of time that each person feels is different.
I’m not talking about something complicated like the theory of relativity.
People who spend the weekend and people who have Monday morning feel different.
Hours go by in an instant when you’re doing what you want to do, but when you’re studying or working, you look at the clock every five minutes.

Shushuk. Squeeze-.

Bored.
Lying on her bed, Im Sol stuck out her lips as she watched the cube spin in front of her.
Even though her colorless magic cube was out of Im Sol’s reach, she floated in the air and she returned automatically.

An academy’s class textbook that uses magic to reverse the patterns engraved on cubes.
It wasn’t bad for a pastime, but it was a level of difficulty that a wizard like Im Sol could guess with his eyes closed.

‘… The hospital room is too quiet.’

The quiet is the same as in the lab where I spend every day, but I felt my body ache from lying down doing nothing.
Besides, there was a worry that was filling Im Sol’s head right now.

It is Lee Ho-yeon, her disciple.

The man was the problem.

‘Even if Ayeong didn’t notice… No, why is he recovering so quickly?’

After the sparring, Im Sol organized her thoughts in her own way.
Even dragging her to the roof was enough for her. She had to breathe the outside air just before serious thought and conversation.
However, even the genius magician Im Sol could not calculate that the evening air was colder than he thought.
Im Sol, who moved excessively, had to lie motionless in bed even after Lee Ho-yeon was discharged from the hospital.

‘Now… It’s just a matter of progress.’

The act of sharing affection with a man shouldn’t be that difficult.
Although it wasn’t on the show, she had sex with Lee Ho-yeon several times until now.
It’s just one step away from there….

“…”

Gulp.

Imsol swallowed her saliva.
Although she tried to be as confident as possible, she couldn’t help being nervous as a woman.
Her first experience is just as important.
She hadn’t thought about it at all since Im Sol wasn’t an idle person to care about anything other than magic, but when the time came, she shuddered.

After all, she wondered if she was a woman herself.
When I thought of Lee Ho-yeon’s face, her heart kept pounding.

‘At times like this, I have to eat something sweet… Ayeong told me to only eat sick food for the time being.’

When she thought about it, it seemed that it had been a while since she hadn’t eaten her pupil’s sweet semen.
Maybe the reason for the deterioration of the condition may be a lack of sugar.

Imsol nodded her head.
Lee Ho-yeon was also a problem.
She herself is still in the hospital, but she was discharged right away because Baek A-young told her to leave the hospital.

No, even that is good.
Shouldn’t she at least keep a seat next to her own?
She only had Lee Ho-yeon, but Lee Ho-yeon did not seem to be like that.

‘… Is it too ugly jealousy?’

It’s funny to be jealous of the latecomer subject, but what can I do with her unfairness.
She should pay more attention.
Imsol unknowingly trembled her hand.
And…

Shuuk-

The magic power entering her magic cube was disturbed.

“You’re out of concentration. Sol is you. You’re thinking about something else.”

Baek Ah-young powerlessly picked up her magic cube that had fallen onto the blanket.
Im Sol was not alone in the hospital room.

What I’m doing right now is rehabilitation training.
Although she healed her broken magic circuits, restoring the feeling of moving her magical powers was Im Sol’s task.
Since Im Sol was a VVIP among the patients, Baek A-young, her saintess, was attached to her for a lot of time.

“The Magic Cube isn’t easy. No matter how genius a wizard you are, Sol, you have to listen to me when you’re rehabilitating.”
“…Ahyeongah. You know that I have a world record for solving cubes, right? You broke the world record in a competition that was just for fun. Since then, no one has been able to break it.”
“That’s it, and now you’re in rehab. Don’t say anything weird and focus.”

Imsol pursed her lips.
She honestly couldn’t understand what a magic cube like this would do for her.
She’s not in the best shape she feels, but that doesn’t mean she has to lie in bed either.
I wanted to run out of the hospital room right away and go see a student or continue my magic research in the lab.

“Ahyoung. But I’m really better. There won’t be any problem if I leave the hospital right now? I know my body best.”
“You don’t remember starving all week and collapsing in the lab?”
“Even monkeys sometimes fall from trees… Kheub.”

Imsol squinted his eyes at the sudden pain.
This is the reason Baek A-yeong waits next to Im Sol.
Since her magical circuits were shaken, it was only natural that she felt pain without warning.
Baek Ah-yeong used her magical powers.

Jiying.

Her bright healing power permeates Im Sol’s body, and Im Sol’s crumpled face gradually brightens.
Baek A-yeong put her pain to rest in an instant, befitting her name as a saint.

“… Thank you.”
“You see? Then start over.”

Imsol blushed at her while receiving her magic cube, which Baek Ah-young handed over.
She claims to be healthy, but she shows her ugliness right away. Will there be another embarrassing situation like this?
The timing was enough to make her doubt that Baek Ah-yeong had deliberately given her pain to bully her.

Shushuk- Shurruk-

Of course, knowing she couldn’t do that, Im Sol quietly picked up her cube.
The quiet hospital room was filled with only the sound of the magic cube moving.
Im Sol showed her concentration.
Soon, all sides of her cube were neatly organized, and Im Sol turned her head.

“Ahyoung, I got it all right. Can I rest now?”
“No. I have to start over again.”
“That’s real torture…”
“I’m not a kid, really. If you keep doing that, I’ll ban you from visiting.”
“… Sorry.”

Im Sol, who was about to put down her magic cube, started shuffling the cubes she had put together.

Ha.

Baek Ah-yeong, seeing Im Sol with a sad expression on her face, sighed at her.
She wants to be discharged from the hospital, but she can’t let her go even though her body can see abnormalities.

“I’ll keep watching, so until you can move perfectly, you can’t do anything else.”
“No. I have a visit today.”
“Is it Hoyeon?”
“… Yes.”
“I can’t help it if it’s Hoyeon… But until then, I’m just putting the cube together.”

Baek A-young and Im Sol were allies.
It wasn’t that I was doing anything special just because it was an alliance, but I didn’t want to get in the way.

“Then why did you fight so much? It’s not even an important sparring, so what’s your pride? Knowing how hard it is to be hospitalized.”
“It wasn’t because of pride.”
“What does that mean?”

Baek Ah-young tilted her head.
If it’s not pride, what’s the point of fighting to the point of destroying the arena?

“It’s just… There were a lot of emotions.”
“Hmm. Yeah. I hope Sol-yi didn’t do anything stupid.”
“…”

Im Sol thought.
What is the criterion for stupid behavior?
Efforts were made to achieve victory against the only one in the world who was destined to win.
Ordinary people wouldn’t call it stupid. Rather, you should be proud.

Mum.
Imsol nodded her head and focused on her cube.

*

“I’ll give you a cup of tea.”
“…Thank you, Miss Scarlett.”

Sniffling.

Quiet living room.
Irene entered the living room without the landlord knowing and drank the coffee Scarlett gave her.

“Ohhh… That sure sounds strange. I knew the baby’s father was interested in the black pillar, but I couldn’t believe he heard it every day.”
“Rebecca. Is that black pillar important? What does it have to do with Hoenn?”
“We are still at the stage of finding connections.”

The women living in Lee Ho-yeon’s house were talking while looking at the data Irene brought.
I’ve been here several times, but I still had a hard time adjusting to the atmosphere of this house.
Irene turned her head with a swipe of her.

“Yum. Scout. Any more coffee?”
“I haven’t had a bite yet. Would you like some of mine? The sugar is on the table.”
“Yeah. It’s okay to eat.”

The powerful man in this family who eats and eats sweets.
A woman named Liliana.

Seeing that even though she behaves as she pleases whenever she sees her, people don’t point out that she is the woman Lee Ho-yeon loves the most.
By the way, Rebecca and Scarlett seemed to be in charge of practical work.

Irene accumulated data on women in her own way.
Maybe one day I’ll have to compete with these girls… He had to prepare for Alice.

“Miss Irene. You said you saw the baby’s father today, didn’t you see where she went?”
“Yes. He’s more capable than I am… If he had followed me, he’d have noticed right away.”
“Isn’t that right? Ah, it’s okay to speak casually. The first time I saw her, she spoke plainly, but then suddenly, Miss Irene.”
“Ah… I see. Rebecca.”
“Do the same for me as well. Irene-sama.”
“… Yes, Scarlett.”
“Miss Scarlett. It’s definitely suspicious that the baby’s father stopped by today. The magic circle must have already been completed… I don’t think you need any more information.”
“Yes. It would be good to check this next time.”

Scarlett was writing down something about her based on the information Irene said, and Irene drank her coffee again with a shaken expression.
When I first met her, I was embarrassed and spat out words, but Irene was originally a more cultured person.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Irene. If her first meeting had been a little better, it would have put her at ease.”
“Oh, no. Nam Da-eun. Thank you.”

Then, a true voice was heard. A voice like salvation to Irene.
Nam Da-eun was the only conscience among these women.
Why is such a nice woman living with Lee Ho-yeon?
Irene watched Nam Da-eun lower her head and shook her hand.

“No. There’s no need to apologize to Miss Da-eun. It’s all because of Ho-yeon Lee.”
“……What did you just say?”
“… It’s all my fault. I’m sorry.”
“Aha. No. Mr. Irene. Oh, if you come next time, you can visit our house…”

Irene broke into a cold sweat as she saw Nam Da-eun smiling brightly.

What was it
She turned her words around with a sharp sense, but she definitely felt alive…. Is it an illusion?

“By the way, Mr. Irene, do you have any information about Lucifer who attacked us?”
“Ah, yes. Even though we dispatched a separate investigation team, there is no information. The timing is also bad. Investigations are not smooth because the terrorism of the pandemic is rapidly increasing around the world.”
“Hmm… That’s right, Miss Irene. Is there a connection between the black pillar and the pandemic?”
“The academic world is announcing that it might be a new dungeon… But since such structures have been created all over the world at the same time, it is an established theory that it is the work of a pandemic. They must be saying that to avoid confusion.”
“Certainly… Pandemic is like a religious group. Even when I was there, they did anything for the goal of summoning the Demon King.”

Rebecca nodded her head.
If you think of the pandemic of those days, you don’t know what you’re doing now.

“Right. I think it’s some kind of religious structure… Eh? Wait. When you’re there?”
“Come to think of it, Irene-sama doesn’t know. Rebecca-sama was a member of Pandemic for a while.”
“Well, if it’s Irene, you can talk.”
“Eh? Eh?”

Irene dropped her coffee cup she was holding onto the floor without realizing it.
Nam Da-eun, who reacted quickly, put her coffee cup back on the table before the coffee spilled, and Irene was surprised to see it again.

“Uh, how… No, you did the operation together with me… Huh?”
“Don’t get confused. I did bad things back then, but it wasn’t my will.”
“…I see. Whoa. Um. It could be.”

Irene calmed her pounding heart.
She herself is the 1st team leader of the Iris Guild.
You shouldn’t be so flustered.

“The guild where the Scout was expelled is not getting good information.”
“… Liliana. Being kicked out? Scarlett personally submitted her resignation, and the Iris Guild repaired it according to the procedure.”
“No. Scout admitted he was kicked out with his own mouth.”
“…?”

Irene tilted her head at Liliana, who had interrupted her conversation while eating her cookie.
Her firm expression that she was right.
In the midst of the gap, Scarlett’s voice was heard.

“… Mr. Irene.”
“Huh? Ah…”

Scarlett, who was standing behind Liliana, shook her head, holding her index finger to her mouth.
Liliana isn’t accommodating unless it’s something she’s naturally interested in.
In particular, her erratic parts are worse than Nam Da-hee’s, so she knows from her experience that it’s better to skip it.
She’s been teased a few times, and now she’s used to it.

‘… It’s scary too.’

As soon as Irene saw Scarlett’s face, she shut her mouth.
Scarlett isn’t a stubborn woman either, but she just ignores her pride-damaging words about being kicked out.
As expected, Liliana is number one in the hierarchy.

Irene shook her body and brought her coffee to her mouth.