Memorize Chapter 113

The dim sunlight streaming through the window taps against my face. I slowly open my eyes. As I reflexively lift my head, I see Ha-Yeong, sleeping peacefully with a calm expression. The reason I lifted my head was because she was holding me. She had her arms wrapped tightly around me, like she was cradling a baby, making it seem nearly impossible to slip out.

I quietly reach out and stroke her hair. Perhaps sensing my movement, she stirs a couple of times before pulling me even closer into her embrace. The soft sensation brushing against my face makes me take a shallow breath. Last night, she and I had fallen asleep naked, clinging to each other, sharing warmth.

After finally managing to slip out of her arms, I look at her lying on the bed. After we had been together like that, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep without even cleaning up. Because of that, the bed was marked with red bloodstains from the initial flow that had come from her lower body. Scattered here and there were also patches of hardened, whitish solids. I had finished inside her last night, but it seemed some of it had mixed with the blood and flowed out.

As I looked around at the lingering traces of last night’s passion, a wry smile naturally formed on my lips. It wasn’t necessarily a problem to leave things as they were, but one could never be too sure. Carefully, I cleaned up the area as much as possible without disturbing her. The rest could be left for Ha-Yeong to handle later with Go Yeon-Joo’s help. After gently pulling the blanket over Ha-Yeong as she breathed softly in her sleep, I picked up my sword and left the room.

As I descended the stairs to the first floor, I tilted my head at a strange sensation in my body. Just yesterday, I could feel the accumulated fatigue deep within me, but today, I felt inexplicably refreshed.

That wasn’t all. The Hwajung was pulsing stronger than usual, and I could feel energy coursing through my entire body. While I had high Resistance and decent Vitality (side note: in Hall Plain, a stat of 72 is by no means a low number), this level of recovery still seemed unusual.

“Could it be… was I just feeling pent up lately?”

A brief image of last night with Ha-Yeong flashed through my mind, but I quickly shook my head to clear my thoughts.

As I reached the first floor, I spotted Go Yeon-Joo moving busily with an empty plate in hand. Strangely, there wasn’t a single player around. It seemed odd for her to be so active when no one was here, but it wasn’t really my concern.

Step. Step.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the lobby as I descended the stairs. Noticing someone coming down, Go Yeon-Joo immediately turned her head to greet me—or at least, she tried to.

“You’re waking up later than usual toda—oh? What’s with that expression?”

“Huh?”

I blinked at her sudden shift in conversation. Before I could ask what she meant, she narrowed her eyes and spoke in a lazy, knowing tone.

“You’re thinking, ‘There’s no one here, so why is she moving around so busily?’ It’s written all over your face.”

This woman had a sixth sense for reading people.

Still, I denied her claim.

“It’s probably a misunderstanding.”

“Probably? Not ‘It is’?”

“Most likely.”

With a cryptic expression, I simply shrugged my shoulders and pulled out a chair at the nearest table. As I plopped down, I caught sight of Go Yeon-Joo’s sharp eyes still studying me closely. I ignored her gaze and spoke in a calm voice.

“A Course.”

“…Are you serious right now?”

“The others will be coming down soon. Add six more servings.”

“Sigh.”

She bit her lip slightly at my request and then spun the plate in her hand with a sharp flick. Effortlessly catching the spinning plate with her fingertips, she twirled it again, showing off her skill. Then, in a slightly higher tone than usual, she finally spoke.

“Hmph. I was going to share some valuable information since you're a regular customer.”

“Not sure about being a regular… but what’s the info?”

“Too late. You missed your chance. I’m deeply offended right now.”

“……”

So that's how she wanted to play it. With an indifferent expression, I pulled out two cigarettes from my pocket. She moved as if to stop me, but before she could say anything, I tossed one her way. That shut her up.

Without missing a beat, Go Yeon-Joo caught the cigarette with her lips—without even using her hands—while still spinning the plate on her fingertips. A stunt fitting of the Shadow Queen. Impressed, I decided to respond in kind.

Snap.

A flick of my fingers sent a faint spark to the tips of both our cigarettes, igniting them briefly before the flame instantly faded. It only lasted a moment, but I caught a glimmer of interest flickering in Go Yeon-Joo’s eyes.

“Thanks. But honestly, a single cigarette isn’t enough to make me feel better.”

“Okay.”

She furrowed her brows at my blunt response but soon let out a lazy chuckle.

“This info is huge, you know… I don’t just share it with anyone…”

She left her words hanging, waiting for a reaction. But instead of taking the bait, I took a deep drag from my cigarette, completely unfazed.

Still, Go Yeon-Joo didn’t stop talking.

“Well, since you’re a customer I like… If you ask me nicely—like, ‘Noona, please tell me~’ in a cute voice—I might consider it.”

“…Sigh.”

If I let her go on like this, forget food—she’d just keep chattering endlessly. Exhaling a sharp breath of smoke through my nose, I clicked my tongue and spoke in a low, indifferent voice. By now, my eyes were probably cold and sunken.

“Halo.”

“…What?”

The moment the word left my mouth, Go Yeon-Joo’s face twisted in shock. She blinked, as if trying to process what she just heard. Letting out another quiet sigh, I repeated myself.

“SSUN. Vagrant Extermination.”

The second I finished speaking, her fingers slipped.

The plate she had been spinning so effortlessly fell from her grasp, shattering into countless pieces with a loud crash.

Watching the fragments scatter across the floor, I let a slow smile creep onto my lips.