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Korea, Seoul: Hotel De Luna
Areum was already seated on the couch, her gaze fixed on Lee Yeon, who was struggling to stand up as she grins.
His legs were still shaky from the encounter with her.
Jang Man Wol was sitting opposite her, was absorbed in the photos she'd taken, a sly smirk playing on her lips. 'How much will that guy Lee Rang buy these photos?' she thought of scheming to make him indebted to her.
"Come in." Jang Man Wol said, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she looked at Lee Yeon. 'What an unlucky guy,' she thought, but her face softened into a gentle smile.
"Come here, sit down." she added, tapping the space beside her on the couch.
Lee Yeon narrowed his eyes, knowing Jang Man Wol's true intentions.
He knew her kind of courtesy was a facade, hiding a hidden agenda.
"Don't think I've forgotten you taking pictures." he said, struggling to get up, almost crawling towards the couch.
Noh Joon Suk entered the office, Seeing Lee Yeon's struggle. He glanced at Areum, who was smirking, knowing this was not the right time to report to Jang Man Wol.
"I'll make some tea." he said, bowing courteously as he walked towards the tea cart in the corner.
Jang Man Wol looked at Lee Yeon with a gentle smile.
"What pictures?" she asked innocently, feigning ignorance.
Lee Yeon glared at her as he sat down on the couch, pushing her slightly away.
When he raised his head, he caught Areum looking at him with a mischievous grin. He quickly lowered his head.
Areum shook her head, a smirk playing on her lips. She surveyed the two of them with satisfaction. 'They've both gotten stronger. They won't die if the war breaks out.' she thought nodding.
"So, what are you going to do with my son?" she asked, her voice laced with amusement.
Lee Yeon fell silent closing his eyes as he thought about Lucian, the cold-blooded boy who had massacred the Lycans and vampires.
"Why is he even like that?" he asked, looking into Areum's eyes. The fear he'd felt earlier was gone replaced by a simmering curiosity.
"Training and experience." Areum said, her eyes following Noh Joon Suk as he brought the tea and bowed to them.
"But I didn't even kill anyone at that kind of age." Lee Yeon said, comparing himself to Lucian.
He knew how demanding Areum was during training, but she wasn't cruel enough to raise a child like that.
Jang Man Wol picked up her tea, blowing on it gently, her mind elsewhere. 'Yeah, she won't stop, even if you tell her,' she thought, knowing from past experience that Areum was relentless.
Areum picked up her tea, her gaze meeting Lee Yeon's.
"Because he is my son. He is special." she said, emphasizing the difference between them.
Lee Yeon was quiet, contemplating her words. 'Looks like she's more cruel to her son than to us.' he thought, sighing.
"What a good mother you are, then." he whispered sarcastically.
"Ahem." Jang Man Wol coughed, reminding Lee Yeon to stop talking. She continued to blow on her tea, her head shaking in disbelief. 'This guy really doesn't know how to speak at the right time.' she thought. 'And he's wondering why he always suffers.'
Lee Yeon stopped slowly looking at Areum, who stared back at him with an unreadable expression. He hurriedly continued talking.
"Just don't let him kill anyone like that on the streets. It's troublesome and he makes too much noise." he said, trying to finish the topic.
Areum nodded, as if it were a simple request.
"Did you find her?" she asked Lee Yeon, knowing he was always searching for his lost love's reincarnation.
Lee Yeon smiled, pulling out his phone. He showed them a picture of a woman, her beauty captivating.
"Isn't Ah-Eum pretty?" he asked, pride can be heard in his voice.
Jang Man Wol rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her tea.
Areum closed her eyes for a moment, using her Seishin Kitsune abilities to sense Ah-Eum's location.
Lee Yeon watched her intently, aware of Areum's abilities as a Seishin Kitsune, a kitsune capable of sensing reincarnated souls, and Guardian Seishin Kitsune was the strongest of them all.
As Areum sensed Ah-Eum, she saw that Ah-Eum's soul was special.
It held within it Lee Yeon's Kitsune bead, a powerful artifact that bestowed protection and imbued its owner with a fragment of the Kitsune's essence and power.
Areum frowned and sighed.
"Your Kitsune bead will be enough to protect her for now, but she's still weak. If the war starts, she'll die."
Lee Yeon sighed, his heart sinking. He already knew what she was planning, having been informed by Jang Man Wol. As he was a member of the Yggdrasil faction, aware that he couldn't do anything to stop it.
"I know. I'm finding a way. I won't let her die again." he said, determined to make Ah-Eum stronger even if it meant training her himself.
He stood up his pain already healed, preparing to leave.
"I can make her stronger." Areum said, taking a sip of her tea.
She watched Lee Yeon, who frowned at her words.
"Are you serious?" He asked, knowing she often made things difficult for him, but she was his mentor and teacher, someone he could trust.
"Yes but you need to wait." Areum said, nodding in confirmation. Her eyes sparkled, as if she already had a plan in mind.
Lee Yeon's frown eased. "Okay," he said, walking towards the balcony.
Before leaving, he paused and asked, "How is he?" His tone was laced with concern.
"He's gotten stronger for a half-gumiho, half-human. Just waiting for an opportunity to beat you." Areum said, knowing he was asking about his brother.
Lee Yeon breathed a sigh of relief, as he smiled playfully.
"He's still too young to beat me," he said, continuing to walk.
But as he heard Areum's next words, making his heart skip a beat.
"Since you know that your brother was with me, why didn't you visit me all these years?" Areum asked, her voice flat devoid of emotion.
But that plain voice made Lee Yeon's body hair stand on end. He didn't answer, his footsteps quickening as he reached the balcony and vanished.
Areum scoffed at her student's retreat. She looked at Jang Man Wol who was watching her innocently.
"Are you still leaving?" Jang Man Wol asked, hoping Areum was just here for her son and would leave again. 'Please say yes. I haven't enjoyed my peace yet.' she thought hopefully.
Areum, knowing Jang Man Wol's thoughts, slowly sipped her tea. "Yes." she said, focusing on the warmth in her hands.
"Is that so? Then be careful." Jang Man Wol said trying to hold back her smile.
As she was already mentally celebrating in her head. 'What kind of wine should I drink to celebrate?' she thought happily.
But then she heard Areum speak again, dashing her hopes.
"But much later. And you're coming with us too." Areum said, her gaze fixed on the tea.
"What?" Jang Man Wol asked, her expression shifting from surprise to annoyance. Areum was not leaving now, and she was being asked to go with them.
They both knew that she would become weaker when she was out of the hotel vicinity. As she was bound to the Hotel.
"Do you think you will get hurt when you are with me?" Areum asked plainly, her voice a gentle yet chilling reassurance.
She was stating a fact, a truth borne out by her overwhelming power.
No one could touch Jang Man Wol while she was with them.
"Where?" Jang Man Wol asked, her expression serious, knowing she can't refuse.
Areum looked up from her tea, a wide grin spreading across her face.
"To witness history." she said, her grin widening.
Jang Man Wol was silent as she looked at Areum. Seeing her mischievous grin and growing excitement Jang Man Wol knew something big was about to happen.
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Next Chapter 32: Home
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