Lilim and the Beast ☆2
Smelling it, it was just paper. Pressing his tongue lightly against the surface revealed no taste at all. Even tasting it confirmed it was nothing more than paper. Should I try burning it? The thought briefly crossed his mind, but nothing would come of it anyway.
"Are you serious? Witch?"
With the wind cutting past, Seohyun's fingertip shot forward and stopped right in front of Kim Seonghee's eyes. Had he pushed any further, this beauty's head would have been split above and below the eyebrows.
Yet Kim Seonghee didn't even blink.
"...."
She wasn't surprised. Perhaps she had anticipated that Seohyun would explode at this point. Otherwise, a person would flinch reflexively at a strike coming that close.
Even if she were pretending calm, it would be revealed through her scent. To Seohyun, a lycanthrope, her scent was intensely palpable, as if he were pressing his nose directly against her skin. But she was only slightly surprised—her composure remained intact.
A remarkable woman.
While Seohyun admired her inwardly, she looked at him with a gentle smile.
"Hmm."
Seohyun withdrew his arm. Kim Seonghee's gaze clearly conveyed that she wasn't treating this as a trivial game. That's right. At this moment, if Seohyun wanted, he could kill her. He could satisfy his desires by violating her and consuming her alive.
Conversely, she must be well aware of that. If Seohyun intended to use his hands, her life would vanish in an instant. Yet, despite this, she faced him with confidence. A woman like that deserves respect. Even if they parted ways in the end, at this moment, she was certainly someone worthy of respect.
Seohyun apologized politely.
"I'm sorry. I've been rude. But I still don't understand. Why exactly are you doing this right now?"
"That's precisely why."
"Huh?"
"Seohyun, you were probably born with the strongest bloodline in the world of Moonlight. Your given talent is so powerful that everyone will target your body. Right?"
"Yes."
"But what about your mind?"
"...."
Strong.
That was the answer he wanted to give.
Unlike others, he had lived his childhood under the constant threat of death. Surviving that required extraordinary mental strength. No matter how powerful one's abilities, without the support of a strong mind, destruction is inevitable.
But is that strength everything? In reality, Seohyun had indulged in alcohol and lived recklessly, almost like an alcoholic. Could someone who had done that be considered truly mentally strong? Honestly?
Even Seohyun couldn't give himself high marks.
"This action now is the same. I pride myself on being a decent magician… but separate from that, if you had just reached out properly a moment ago, I would have been dead. But if you kill me here, what will you become? Have you thought about the consequences? Do you want to return to a world of savagery and live as a mindless beast?"
Kim Seonghee said this with a smile. The charm in her smile, questioning him, hurt more than anger would have.
"...."
"What Serin wants from you is not mere physical strength. If it were, you could launch nuclear missiles. Even if your status as a Tetra Anax wavered, your position is so powerful. The trials ahead won't be overcome with mere muscle and force, Seohyun."
"Then… what exactly…?"
"I will teach you how to live as a human. Only those who love their own lives can survive to the very end. I didn't know that before either."
A bitter smile flashed across Kim Seonghee's lips as she spoke.
"Now, to live like a human, what do you need? Money, right? If you need money, what must you do? Work, of course."
She said this and handed Seohyun a labor contract placed on the table.
"So sign it. It's the first step to living as a human."
Seohyun shivered at the strange persuasiveness.
He didn't know what trials awaited him, but she was right. The Seohyun needed by Serin wasn't just the Lycanthrope prince with high combat skills, strength, and overwhelming powers. She needed human Seohyun.
In the end, Seohyun signed the labor contract.
☆ ☆ ☆
Vampire blood contained healing powers for humans, and the potion made by refining it, called Psychedelic Moon, reinforced the mind and enhanced intelligence. With powerful magical effects and addictive qualities, anyone who tried Psychedelic Moon even once would inevitably fall under its charm.
As vampire blood became valuable, hunters naturally appeared. They were the vampire hunters. In the past, hunters threatened the existence of vampires, but with the protection of Tetra Anax and the invention of electric lights, they had fallen to the level of hyenas.
Like hyenas preying on the weak stragglers of herbivores, they hunted only vampires left behind, unprotected by Tetra Anax. Café Arjuna's true role was to provide magical tools, information, and to buy and refine blood for these vampire hunters.
"But during the day, we operate as a normal café."
Kim Seonghee said this while guiding Seohyun to his lodging.
"Is that your philosophy? That one must live normally to truly experience life?"
"Just a hobby… but I won't deny it. It's basically the same thing in the grand scheme. Let's leave it at that."
Kim Seonghee walked confidently, casually showing her back to Seohyun. Seeing her like that made him feel unexpectedly intimidated. He had always been pursued by assassins. Walking unarmed among people felt empty, even though he was capable of facing tanks with his bare body.
Moreover, people kept glancing at Seohyun and Kim Seonghee. Their exotic and beautiful appearances drew attention, which made Seohyun's assassin-trained instincts shiver.
He disliked having to push through the dense crowd even after a short walk. While it was novel, his protective instincts from childhood haunted him.
"Don't be so conscious of the people around you. This place is safe. Shouldn't you get used to this by now?"
"It's not that. I'm just maintaining the necessary caution."
"That's overdoing it. Here's your lodging."
Kim Seonghee pointed to a large officetel in the commercial district. It looked expensive… she was giving this to a café part-timer?
"This doesn't seem like a place to live. A hotel?"
"Something like that."
Kim Seonghee led Seohyun to the top floor. The massive penthouse contained various artworks and countless human limbs preserved in formalin.
"This is…."
Seohyun frowned.
"Isn't this Sylvester, the true monster hunter's residence?"
"Sylvester won't be in Korea for a while, so you can use it. There are a lot of odd things here, so it's better not to leave them to someone else."
Using the building was practical, but Seohyun wasn't exactly keen on sharing a space with a vampire hunter like Sylvester. Kim Seonghee shrugged and spoke.
"If you don't like it, you can save up your wages and rent a separate place. But then, I won't help with the deposit or rent. Even with minimum wage, a studio deposit will be tight. Ah, a goshiwon would work, though."
"Goshiwon? What's that?"
"You're not familiar with Korean."
Seohyun could instantly learn languages through the Akashic Records like a Tetra Anax. But reckless use of the Akashic Records would lead to self-destruction. Without it, language skills gradually faded, so study was necessary.
"To learn the language and understand the world, watch TV. You need to get used to the world as soon as possible. Hmm. You'll need a computer too, but you'll have to buy that yourself."
"Ah, really?"
"This is just to teach you the value of labor. Don't think it's cruel. Earning money yourself and buying things one by one can be fun."
"Yes. Of course. Both my sibling and you see me as some social misfit, don't you?"
"I worry that much. Adapting to society isn't easy. This time, I can't let it happen like Segeon."
Kim Seonghee gave a bitter smile.
"Segeon? You mean Han Segeon?"
Hearing Han Segeon's name reminded Seohyun that Serin had asked him to help Segeon. But how…?
"Where is he now?"
"He's acting independently, out of my hands. That story can wait. For now, rest. Tomorrow you'll start experiencing the world properly."
Kim Seonghee left after saying this.
☆ ☆ ☆
Until now, Seohyun had never experienced hardship. Despite running across battlefields, he had never known true want.
"Hey, part-timer."
He had stolen what he wanted from shops. Money was optional. If he wanted something, he took it. Having never felt the toil or reward of labor, he could only have vague expectations about normal life. It was natural he couldn't adapt to freedom.
"I told you not to put on whipped cream, right? Huh? Go change it immediately."
A plastic straw flew into Seohyun's face, hitting him. It wasn't ticklish, just unpleasant. Learning the value of labor and how to experience life… he, Serin, and even Arjuna's master all agreed—but he hadn't expected it to unfold like this.