CH 302

How surprising.

To be honest, I had always thought that Choi Kyung-sik didn’t trust me. As a result, I always felt awkward around him since I wanted to respect his choice to not become closer.

Who knows, though; perhaps my perspective was colored by my inferiority complex. Now a bit more relaxed, I said, “I thought… I thought you considered me stupid.”

“I see you’re not completely oblivious.”

A straightforward, blunt reply–yet his tone held no heat. I no longer felt thorns hidden in his words. So, slowly, I began to approach him.

“What…” Choi Kyung-sik tried to step backwards instinctively, but he couldn’t resist once I grabbed his arm.

At that moment, I reached out to Choi Kyung-sik’s face. Then I covered his lips with my palm. This was the first time I had seen him so flustered.

Even for me, the way I had acted took quite a bit of courage. My heart beat like crazy. But, as I conversed with the young Alchemist, I felt that there was only one way to bring Choi Kyung-sik to his knees.

Choi Kyung-sik wasn’t the type of person to bow his head to someone unless the other could overpower him. I imagined that when he was alive, Choi Kyung-sik would have been a smart and perhaps arrogant individual that refused to acquiesce to anyone not named Seo Dawon or Kim Olim.

‘He was apparently sued by his former guild?’

I wonder what it took to enter a guild that could sue an outstanding Alchemist like Choi Kyung-sik? The lawsuit must not have originated from a lack of ability on his end; rather, it must have started as a communication problem. After all, in a company one does not work alone.

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Eventually, Choi Kyung-sik joined the [Red Lotus] after burning bridges with [Virtuoso]. Fortunately, he met a leader he could respect in Seo Dawon at [Red Lotus] and adapted to guild life.

‘There’s no way such a person would give in to me.’

The only reason he kept this distance from me wasn’t just because he was afraid of losing his own ego…

‘Perhaps his pride couldn’t handle bending to someone like me?’

I felt like I could now understand a small percentage of Choi Kyung-sik’s mind. If I were him, I wouldn’t be able to leave my future in the hands of a guy like me.

However, as I grew to understand the relationship between the Necromancer and Servant, I realized that it was painful for a Servant to maintain that distance.

That’s why I shut his mouth; I’m not so confident about beating Choi Kyung-sik in a verbal war. However, since Choi Kyung-sik was being weirdly stubborn like Seo Dawon, I decided that it would be best to block his main specialty: his speech skills.

As expected, Choi Kyung-sik faltered and couldn’t react to my unexpected behavior. He’s a very intelligent man, but he couldn’t do anything if his opponent engaged with him physically.

Once I overpowered him in such a manner, I observed Choi Kyung-sik for a short while. As I had predicted, once the young Alchemist had pushed past his discomfort at our direct contact, his emotions stabilized and he found an unwilling sense of safety. I looked calmly into his half-dazed eyes and whispered quietly, “From now on…don’t speak so discourteously, Choi Kyung-sik-ssi.”

“……”

“You’re better off keeping your mouth shut.”

Choi Kyung-sik looked at me with a stunned expression. When he tried to say something, I brushed his lips with my fingertips. He flinched and stopped in his tracks.

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“I said, don’t speak. That’s right… Stay still.” I continued.

“……”

“If you don’t want to feel too sensitive about my blood, then it’s better to have skinship with me often. Seo Dawon and Kim Olim adapted and overcame their thirst in that manner.”

“……”

“You won’t become more greedy if you drink my blood or touch me directly. I reached this conclusion after observing Seo Dawon.”

Though Choi Kyung-sik’s lips trembled, he didn’t try to contradict me anymore.

Now that I had sealed off his mouthy, cheeky maw, I slowly pulled my hand away. The young Alchemist unwittingly chewed on his lips.

I knew why he was so nervous.

Therefore, I asked him calmly, “It felt good when we touched, right?”

“……”

When I saw Choi Kyung-sik’s expression–something vague flickered over his face for a moment–I became a little scared, but, since I had come this far, I shouldn’t be discouraged.

As I stood there, fists clenched, Choi Kyung-sik eventually closed his eyes tightly. “…What is it? What do you want me to do?”

“Don’t try to force yourself to push me away.”

“……”

“It’s not only Seo Dawon; Kim Olim sometimes pats my head or holds my hands for no reason. Garam-ie always wants my hugs.”

“……”

“I know this feels all instinctual, and I know you want to keep your dignity. Therefore, if you just speak with me, I can help you.”

“……”

“At this rate, if I get hurt in battle…The scent of my blood will drive you crazy, like a slobbering dog… Wouldn’t that make you look more ridiculous?”

Choi Kyung-sik merely looked at the ground with a deeply agonized expression. However, he soon strode close to my side. Though his face was pale and looked irritated, I wasn’t as repulsed compared to his usual mask-like smile.

After furrowing his brows, the young Alchemist hugged me tightly.  He stuck his nose onto the back of my neck, and I could vividly feel every time he took a deep breath.

After hugging me like that for a few minutes, Choi Kyung-sik asked me in a tearful voice, “Choi Lee-kyung-ssi.”

“….Yes?”

“Are you truly not weirded out by this? That I want to touch you like this?”

“Yes. Choi Kyung-sik has been stubborn for a long time; that’s why it’s all burst out like this.”

“……”

“I’m more worried about Woo Ragi.”

When he heard me, the Alchemist smiled bitterly before dragging me into an even stronger embrace. “Haah… I feel awful.”

“Can you not breathe on my neck?”

“Please bear with me. I’m trying to hold myself back from sucking on your neck.”

I flinched a little at those words, but Choi Kyung-sik simply closed his eyes and stayed in that position for a short while. I stroked his head a few times, hoping to calm him down.

In a weak voice, he said, “I feel like I’m sinning.”

“Because of Dawon-ie?”

“Of course. Actually, is it even okay to act upon my impulses in the first place? Haah… I know we have no other methods available, but still…”

As he spoke, he gently tugged me even tighter, close to his body. He went on, mumbling one-sidedly into the air, “Haah… You know, you’re truly not my type 1 .”

“……”

“What kind of pervert bastard made this condition?”

I held back my laughter and stayed still–his grumbling was similar to mine when I had complained to the Mage.

And, when Choi Kyung-sik felt calm enough, I pushed him away slightly. He obediently retreated a few steps.

“Now, try to hold and be near my blood again. See how it is.”

“……” With a nervous expression, Choi Kyung-sik took out his alchemical toolbox according to my wishes. Then, he opened its closed lid. He put the open lid up to his nose and inhaled.

“How is it?”

“I’m salivating.”

“……”

“But, it seems you’re correct. It’s much more bearable than before.” With that said, Choi Kyung-sik closed the lid of the box. His body now felt much more relaxed.

[Servant, ‘Choi Kyung-sik’s’ friendship level has risen by +100]

A congratulatory message from the system–invisible to the Alchemist–had popped up.

I was almost certain by this point, but the message was another confirmation that my theory held water. So, I let all the tension in my shoulders go and sighed.

Choi Kyung-sik closed the box, looked at me quietly, and asked, “About Woo Ragi-ssi…. What will you do about him?”

“I’m contemplating putting him to sleep with a skill and swooping down on him.”

“……”

“But, I don’t know if that’ll work.”

“You talk about doing something so frightening as if it’s nothing,” he said.

I smiled bitterly. At that moment, Choi Kyung-sik suddenly opened his inventory and handed me a potion in a heart-shaped rounded bottle.

“What is that?”

“It’s a miracle drug that raises affection. It lasts for…about 20 hours.”

“What?”

“It works by external application. Ah, it’s not something strange, understood? As I’ve said, this simply raises someone’s affection for you.”

Stunned, I stared at him with bugged-out eyes. “You want me… to use this on Woo Ragi?”

“I don’t know if it’ll work on him, but, it’s better to try it than to not, yes?”