[Chapter 158]
[Beyond Those Eyes (5)]
At the Regulus Clan's dinner gathering.
The atmosphere became much livelier after Eun-ha arrived.
They're all fun people.
While ordering more meat and alcohol, the Regulus Clan members were trying to give Eun-ha drinks in any way possible.
Cha Eun-woo, who was watching that scene from afar, laughed softly.
Though they showed veteran-like appearances when on duty.
Their behavior at the dinner gathering was exactly the same as academy students.
"Seniors! Look over here! I'll take a picture for you!"
"You have to take a pretty picture of oppa!?" "What oppa... A person who's almost 40..."
Cha Eun-woo, for whom taking pictures had become a hobby at some point, took pictures to remember this moment.
Then she went around talking with seniors she hadn't conversed with before and had an enjoyable time.
During that─.
─Huh?
As Eun-woo was about to drink with Park Hye-rim.
Suddenly feeling a strange gaze, Cha Eun-woo quickly turned her head.
Noh Eun-ha was there.
Eun-ha?
Please save me....
She made eye contact with Eun-ha.
He, who was caught by Eun-ah and Ha-yang, sent her a pleading look.
His eyes looked very desperate.
Eun-ha!
To this, Eun-woo smiled brightly.
Eun-ha's face brightened in response.
Eun-woo betrayed his expectations and─.
─Stay like that, it's perfect right now!
Hey..., you....
Click.
She took a picture of Noh Eun-ha.
Unfortunately, she had no intention of saving Eun-ha at all.
That's what you get for coming late.
You reap what you sow.
Soon she smiled brightly and waved to the people at the same table as Eun-ha.
Then she checked the picture she had just taken.
"...Huh? Who's this person in the corner? They look just like a ghost.... Ah, it's Chang-jin oppa."
Checking the photo, she startled for a moment.
A man drinking alcohol desolately as if sitting alone at the table, though sharing the same table.
It was Han Chang-jin.
She laughed out loud, saying she had unintentionally taken a photo that looked like a spirit photo.
Afterwards, Cha Eun-woo showed the photo starting with Park Hye-rim─.
""""─I thought it was a ghost for a moment!!""""
They say the Regulus Clan members all burst into laughter seeing the photo.
Meanwhile, no one cared about Bebe, who didn't attend.
☆
Enemies were everywhere.
Even the person sitting across was a potential enemy.
Moreover, even people at other tables would occasionally peek over and give bomb shots as gifts.
""""Of course you know to drink without mana resistance!?""""
"Urp..."
Eun-ha wasn't drunk.
But even so, his stomach was aching from just drinking without proper rest.
The enemies didn't even have the generosity to let Eun-ha eat some food.
Rather, seeing Eun-ha not getting drunk no matter how much he drank, they admired him and made him drink even more.
"Seniors! Stop forcing him to drink now! No matter what, isn't this going too far!?"
But when an external enemy appears, internal unity forms.
Eun-ah, who had been tormenting Eun-ha from beside him until now, furrowed her brows and protested to the clan members.
"Hey, are you really okay? That's why I told you not to drink everything they give you!"
"N-noona..."
Giving the disease, then giving the medicine.
Eun-ha tried to say something to Eun-ah scolding him, but closed his mouth.
He thought it wouldn't be bad to receive Eun-ah's concern like this.
Then from the right─.
"─Try eating this. Are you having a hard time?"
"No... I'm fine, thanks."
Again, giving the disease, then giving the medicine.
Eun-ha chewed on the meat Ha-yang put in his mouth.
Meanwhile, from across─.
"─Drink some water. Are you okay?"
"I'll drink it well..."
With a clink.
Ryu Yeon-hwa poured water into a cup, used magic to float ice in it, and handed it to Eun-ha.
Eun-ha was able to soothe his aching stomach by drinking the cool water.
"Ah, refreshing. I feel alive now."
"...Want more?"
"Yeah, one more glass please."
Eun-ha was able to catch his breath from then on.
Noh Eun-ah, Ryu Yeon-hwa, Jung Ha-yang.
The three admirably blocked enemies approaching him from outside.
The enemies ended up giving Han Chang-jin a drink each, saying if not a pheasant then a chicken, before returning.
Anyway, Eun-ha was able to have an enjoyable time with the three.
"─What's this? What's in here?"
"Ah, that's..."
"Hm? Isn't it a phone?"
"No, unni. The size is different..."
When some time had passed.
Ha-yang, who was tipsy, rested her head on Eun-ha's shoulder.
Furthermore, she had her hand on Eun-ha's leg.
Then she grabbed something.
"What's this..."
Jung Ha-yang feels over the fabric.
Then Noh Eun-ah and Ryu Yeon-hwa's gazes focused on Eun-ha.
Unable to bear their gazes, Eun-ha soon took out the object from his pocket.
"It's a lipstick, a lipstick. The thing I said I left at the clan hall."
Very naturally.
Eun-ha showed the lipstick and tried to move past the situation.
But─.
"─Why do you have a lipstick? It's not like you use lipstick."
"..."
"Is it Ha-yang's?"
"No, unni. I don't use this color."
"..."
"Then why do you have it, Eun-ha?"
"Haha..."
"""..."'''
Eun-ah found it strange.
Soon her gaze changed.
Ha-yang, who seemed to have sobered up somehow, also detached herself from Eun-ha and looked at him.
The atmosphere turned awkward.
"Whose is this?"
"Haha..."
Ha-yang opened the lipstick cap.
After checking the color this way and that, she interrogated in a gentle voice.
It was scarier because it was gentle.
Eun-ha just laughed awkwardly.
...I'm doomed.
Eun-ha was troubled inside.
He pondered how to break through the situation.
Then a sudden idea came to mind and he opened his mouth.
"─I bought it to give to mom."
Of course─.
"─Mom doesn't use this color though?"
"R-really...?"
Eun-ha's quick thinking was thoroughly sunk by Eun-ah.
But Eun-ah and the others at the table seemed to have somewhat removed their suspicion.
"Ask me once before buying lipstick to give mom. Then you wouldn't have chosen the wrong color."
"I-I wanted to give it as a surprise gift..."
"You're trying to buy it for mom's birthday, right? It's not far away now."
"...T-that's right?"
Noh Eun-ha was an unfilial son.
Eun-ha, who had only been planning to backstab
"It won't suit mom's taste, so don't try to give this as a gift.... Let's go look together later. Right, or go with Ha-yang. Eun-ha, you don't know what color Ha-yang uses at all, do you?"
"My boyfriend doesn't know at all."
"Take this chance to learn from Ha-yang. Give one to Ha-yang as a gift too."
"S-should I?"
"Really!?"
Fortunately, Eun-ah skillfully changed the atmosphere.
Ha-yang's face brightened.
Eun-ha inwardly sighed in relief and avoided the situation.
"Hmm, the color is dark but pretty. Eun-ha, if you're not returning this, can I try using it?"
"...Sure."
Eun-ah turned the container this way and that, checking the lipstick's color.
Eun-ha was flustered when she said she would try using the artifact once, but nodded without showing it.
I'll have to check the effect once anyway.
Eun-ha hoped he could confirm the artifact's effect on this occasion.
But Noh Eun-ah suddenly handed the lipstick to Yeon-hwa.
"Yeon-hwa, try it on once."
"...Me?"
"Yeah! Your skin tone is fair, so I think it'll suit you better than me?"
"That's right. I think it'll suit unni well!"
Ryu Yeon-hwa blinked her eyes.
She turned her gaze to Eun-ha.
"...Is it okay if I try it?"
"Yeah, it's fine."
After getting Eun-ha's permission.
Ryu Yeon-hwa carefully opened the lipstick cap.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen Yeon-hwa noona wear makeup much.
As Eun-ah moved next to Yeon-hwa and held up a hand mirror for her.
Eun-ha quietly watched the two and only then realized that Ryu Yeon-hwa didn't pay much attention to makeup.
She had avoided makeup because she had to engage in intense battles.
No wonder her impression seemed softer.
A pure and faintly beautiful woman.
That was the image of Ryu Yeon-hwa that Eun-ha had been thinking of.
But she with lipstick on─.
"─How is it...?"
"""..."'''
A snow-white face like freshly fallen snow.
And because of that, a deep red lip color that inevitably catches the eye.
Just one lip color drastically changed a person's atmosphere.
Eun-ha couldn't help but be surprised.
"...Is it okay? P-pretty?"
Ryu Yeon-hwa fidgets with her lips.
Eun-ha's gaze couldn't leave Ryu Yeon-hwa's lips.
As if drawn to something.
At this time, Eun-ha, who was intentionally suppressing his mana resistance to drink alcohol, spoke following the drawn sensation.
"─Pretty."
"Ah..., I see. That's a relief."
"...!"
Like a flower blooming in the snow.
Ryu Yeon-hwa smiling shyly.
Eun-ha, who had lost his senses for a moment at her smile, quickly came to his senses.
...What just happened to me?
Though it was for a very brief moment.
Eun-ha was enveloped in a feeling as if he had been enchanted by something.
Then suddenly his heart started pounding and his mana resistance returned to normal.
...Is it a seduction-type artifact?
Eun-ha quickly checked Noh Eun-ah and Jung Ha-yang's conditions.
The two, who were also tipsy, seemed to be looking at Yeon-hwa with enchanted gazes.
"I thought it would be pretty, but it's sexier than I expected..."
"...Yeah."
Perhaps mistaking it for drunkenness.
The two didn't seem to realize they had fallen under magic for a moment.
It seemed the same for Ryu Yeon-hwa as well.
"Yeon-hwa, when we go to the store next time, let's buy one with a slightly brighter color than this. This suits you too, but..., no, let's buy something else."
"Okay, thanks. I used it well."
Ryu Yeon-hwa wipes her lips.
Eun-ha inwardly sighed in relief as he received the lipstick from her.
It was fortunate that Eun-ah spoke at an appropriate time.
The artifact imbued with seduction magic almost went to Yeon-hwa.
That could have caused an accident....
I'll have to carefully consider who should be the owner of this artifact.
A lipstick that even seduced himself.
Eun-ha put the lipstick in his pocket, deciding to call it the Demonic Lipstick from now on.
"Then let's finish eating the meat, guys!"
Eun-ah said cheerfully.
They decided to eat meat, drink alcohol, and chat happily again.
Just then, Noh Eun-ah naturally whispered in Eun-ha's ear─.
"─What were you going to do if I wasn't here? You troublemaker."
Noh Eun-ah seemed to have known everything.
Eun-ha, who was caught off guard, was startled to hear those words.
Soon she continued.
"─Just try not buying mine and mom's when you go on a date with Ha-yang."
"...Thanks."
They say she, who was whispering to Eun-ha with her hand up, secretly.
Bit her younger brother's ear.