Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Netizens reacted to this shocking fact with comments like, “Why is it that every good-looking guy either already has someone or isn’t interested in that direction?”, “Is he still dating his partner even after awakening?”, and “Why are those Hunter Daily bastards so obsessed with other people’s private lives?”

“Why are those Hunter Daily bastards so obsessed with other people’s private lives?!”

I muttered something very similar to the netizen comment written at the very bottom of the article, then carefully shoved my smartphone into my pocket as if throwing it away.

In my heart, I wanted to hurl it to the ground like the chaebol^[1] male leads in dramas, but I was a sensible person who knew exactly how much a phone cost.

“Boss, how about watching where you’re walking? Even if this is the garden right in front of the house, there’s no harm in being careful.”

“Thanks for the concern, I’ll be careful. But, still….”

In my twenty-seven years of life, I’d naturally done most things normal people do… well, not most, but a fair amount. What I mean is, I’d even had something you could call a relationship.

Of course, calling it a proper relationship would be a stretch—it ended after holding hands and a few kisses. I got dumped with the line, ‘You’re special to me, but I don’t think I’m special to you,’ though…!!

Anyway, even for someone like me, having a relationship I’d never even had exposed through the media was absolutely not a pleasant experience.

I wanted to grind my teeth in seething anger… but I couldn’t, so I just bit my poor lower lip instead. In my heart, I wanted to gnash my teeth, but I was a commoner who knew exactly how expensive dental treatment was.

“Anyway, I need to do something about those Hunter Daily folks. What is this, the old media digging up celebrities’ private lives? Why are they so obsessed with hunters’ personal affairs?!”

“Shall I go smash down Hunter Daily’s headquarters right now?”

“Stop with that crazy talk.”

Seriously, this guy casually says things that cross the line.

I broke out in a cold sweat at Hunter Yoon Juyeong’s words, which doused my anger in an instant like cold water.

It was true I was angry about Hunter Daily’s excessive invasion of privacy, but that definitely didn’t mean I wanted to destroy their entire building.

‘Honestly, the fact that an S-Rank hunter could easily demolish a building in just a few hours makes it even scarier….’

From what I could tell, Hunter Yoon Juyeong didn’t seem to have a combat style focused on firepower or destruction, but still, considering the basic specs of an S-Rank hunter, bringing down a building with enough time wouldn’t be a big deal.

…Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered hearing that some foreign country had mobilized an S-Rank hunter for building demolition.

“Ugh… enough. Anyway, Mr. Yoon Juyeong. When are you going to clarify this? If you drag your feet on something like this, all sorts of rumors will spread.”

“Looks like he has no intention of doing that, doesn’t it? If the media stamps it as a done deal between him and his master, Yoon Juyeong would probably be thrilled.”

“Don’t misinterpret my loyalty to my master. My devotion is pure, without any of those private and sordid feelings.”

Honestly, if I had to talk about personal feelings, that so-called ‘pure loyalty’ is scarier to me than having ‘private and sordid’ feelings toward me.

If it were simple liking or goodwill, I could just brush it off or refuse, and that would be the end of it. But Hunter Yoon Juyeong’s loyalty… well.

After recalling all the things Hunter Yoon Juyeong had done for me in the past, I shook my head with a grim expression.

“Anyway, please clarify it as soon as possible. I’ve been trying to keep a low profile lately, but… I don’t know why things never seem to go my way.”

I let out a sigh I couldn’t hold back and walked toward the gate at the end of the well-maintained garden. Honestly, I had plenty to say to both Hunter Yoon Juyeong and Jeong Seojin, but right now, getting some rest was the priority.

Joining Heewon Guild, Jeong Seojin’s sudden ‘Boss’ declaration, and now this ongoing dating rumor with Hunter Yoon Juyeong. At this point, it was a miracle I hadn’t clutched the back of my neck and collapsed halfway through.

“If you wish, Master, I will schedule a clarification as soon as possible. Since I’m now a member of Heewon Guild, they will also provide assistance.”

“The guild master will, sure. But be careful with Joo Minjeong. That woman loves this kind of troublesome mess.”

Ignoring the two men chattering behind me, I grabbed the handle of the gate leading to Hunter Yoon Juyeong’s house and yanked it open.

Hunter Yoon Juyeong’s house was not, as is typical for a house with the lights off, swallowed in a dark atmosphere.

“Huh?”

For some reason, Hunter Yoon Juyeong’s house was brightly lit. Not only that. For some reason, sounds of something boiling, frying, and sizzling were coming from the kitchen.

…What’s this? Did he hire a live-in housekeeper without me knowing?

“Hey, Hunter Yoon Juyeong. Did you happen to hire a live-in housekeeper?”

“…No. Aside from Master, I fundamentally dislike other people entering my space, so…”

Then what in the world was that sound coming from the kitchen?

I narrowed my eyes and cautiously stepped into the house. …And then, Yoon Juyeong and Jeong Seojin grabbed me.

“I’ll go in first. Master, since it’s dangerous, please follow behind me.”

“Yoon Juyeong is right about this. Just in case, stick close to me.”

“…There’s no need to stick to that guy; you can just stay behind my back.”

“Why do something so risky? It’s better to stick close to the nation’s top hunter.”

Unable to stand their bickering, I ignored the two men and stepped straight into the house. Only then did Yoon Juyeong and Jeong Seojin stop their verbal sparring and immediately follow me.

I walked toward the kitchen, letting the nonsense of the two men beside me — one insisting I stand behind him, the other insisting I stick with him — go in one ear and out the other.

“Huh?”

Standing in the kitchen when I arrived was a man. I blinked blankly, staring at the back of the man who was boiling something on the induction stove.

‘…Something about him seems familiar…?’

Long black hair trailing down his back, and long ears faintly visible between the strands. And the black suit he was wearing, reminiscent of a butler…

After scanning all of that from top to bottom once, I immediately voiced the name I suspected was his identity.

“Avan?”

As if my guess was correct, the man, who had been focused on the pot on the stove, slowly turned around. The moment our eyes met head-on, I was certain of his identity.

The little house-elf-like creature who had suddenly appeared in Yoon Juyeong’s kitchen was definitely Avan. The ragged doll I had met in my dream… the ‘Garden.’

“Master!”

“No, why are you here…? And more importantly, why are you cooking in the kitchen…?”

No, seriously, how could things get this bizarre?

Avan, who had clearly told me that the Garden was a dream or a mental space, was now standing solidly in reality. And that reality just happened to be Yoon Juyeong’s kitchen.

…On top of that, what Avan was doing in Yoon Juyeong’s kitchen was boiling, frying, and sizzling something.

‘What is this? Am I seeing things?’

I immediately looked at the two men standing on either side of me. Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the Avan in front of me didn’t seem to be an illusion.

That made sense, because both Yoon Juyeong and Jeong Seojin were staring at Avan as if they couldn’t understand it either. No, Jeong Seojin was…

‘His eyes… are glowing red.’

What the hell.

His black pupils, which had been their usual gold just a moment ago, suddenly flared bright red, then returned to their original color shortly after.

I stared blankly at Jeong Seojin’s now-normal eyes, then suddenly remembered what he had told me before.

‘Did he use that skill? The name was… ‘Eyes of Tamine,’ I think.’

Given that an unidentified entity was right in front of him, it wasn’t strange for him to use a skill to see through the opponent’s identity.

I nodded to myself, understanding Jeong Seojin’s actions, and looked back at Avan.

Now that I was sure the Avan in front of me wasn’t an illusion, I had both the duty and the right to ask him ‘why’ and ‘how’ he had come here.

“Avan, how exactly did you—”

Grrrrgle.

Suddenly, a very familiar sound echoed through the silent kitchen. I stared at Avan with wide eyes for a moment, then realized the sound had come from my own stomach.

“……”

“…Well, I understand you have things you want to ask. But wouldn’t it be better to eat first, Master? I happened to have ingredients, so I made something considering your taste.”

“……”

Even though I hadn’t eaten anything since visiting Heewon Guild in the morning until now, when evening was approaching, I never thought my own body parts would be this tactless…

In the end, unable to bear the surging embarrassment, I slowly nodded, my ears turning bright red. Damn it…

It was a truly embarrassing fact, but the dinner Avan had prepared was really… delicious. I had no idea how they figured out my taste, though.

“What Mr. Yoon Juyeong makes is really tasty too, but… how should I put it. Since it’s health food, it did feel a little bland…”