Chapter 102: A Strange Man "Mmm… suck deeper… mmm…"
Veronica looked down at the sleep-talking Yeon-woo with cold eyes.
How could a human be this defenseless after letting someone they call a demon into their home?
As soon as they finished eating, Yeon-woo had gone straight to his bedroom to sleep, and Veronica was now stealthily scouting his house.
Was this confidence, or just plain stupidity?
No matter how weakened she had become, he was far too unguarded.
She had wondered if he possessed some extraordinary detection ability, but even when she intruded into his bedroom, he just babbled in his sleep, completely unbothered.
'Is he acting…?'
That couldn't be it.
There was a reason Veronica was certain.
A prominent bulge was visible in Yeon-woo's pants.
Whether he was having a good dream or not, his erect cock was clearly outlined through the fabric.
Veronica, who had never heard of anyone faking an erection as an act, frowned as she stared at his crotch.
Secretly observing a sleeping opponent was one thing, but staring intently at their genitals?
She felt like a pervert.
However, she couldn't easily look away.
Demons—or more accurately, the race that called themselves the Zboni—possessed physical capabilities far superior to humans.
Beyond their sturdy bodies, everything from their strength to their senses surpassed that of an average human.
Those heightened senses, specifically her sensitive sense of smell, tickled Veronica's nose.
A strange scent was wafting from Yeon-woo's groin.
She didn't think it was a "good" smell, yet she found herself constantly sniffing it, as if she were becoming addicted.
The irresistible, raw scent of a male…
Yeon-woo's body odor, enhanced by items worth 400 million G—nearly 4 billion won—was enough to arouse even a Zboni.
Gulp.
Veronica swallowed hard without realizing it, then startled herself and looked at Yeon-woo's sleeping face.
Though the sound of her swallowing felt deafeningly loud to her, he just kept grinning and muttering in his sleep. Veronica quickly retreated from the room.
Without noticing her slightly flushed cheeks, Veronica continued her search of the house.
'…Obsessive-compulsive disorder?'
Opening a door in the corner, Veronica could only blink at the sight of a room packed to the brim with identical pieces of furniture.
They were stat-boosting furniture, but to Veronica's eyes, it just looked bizarre.
There was no point in searching this room further; there wasn't even space to step inside, as furniture was crammed on top of furniture. She moved on to investigate another room.
This time, it was the study.
Seeing a normal-looking room for once, Veronica began examining the books and documents.
'Moai Technology… The company that recently shocked the market by developing a secret medicine, a field they weren't even involved in…'
Veronica had no way of knowing that Yeon-woo had provided the recipe for the secret medicine, but she was shocked to discover he was a major shareholder of Moai.
Beyond Moai Technology, he was linked to several other major corporations and even owned rehabilitation centers and research institutes. He held undeniable influence in the human world.
This only deepened her confusion.
How could someone with this much influence be unknown to her?
The Zboni had been spying on the human world for a long time.
Whether they were brilliant mages, politicians, entrepreneurs, or popular public figures, anyone who achieved success in any field was on their list.
A man of this stature should definitely have been listed.
Assets, skill, fame… these things aren't built overnight.
While some might flash briefly and fade, Yeon-woo's case was different.
Confused, Veronica looked at a pile of auction house documents tossed carelessly in a corner.
They were records of various magical tools he had sold, though there were few recent entries.
'The One Who Spews Gold.'
A figure who had suddenly appeared and disrupted the market by flooding it with high-quality magical tools.
Since the greatest threat to the Zboni was skilled mages who could kill them, they hadn't dug too deeply into the commercial side, but even Veronica had heard the name.
'He's The One Who Spews Gold? That explains the wealth. But where did he get the magical tools? Developed them in a lab? But he didn't own the lab until after that.'
Questions led to more questions, leaving Veronica's head spinning.
Grappling with the same dilemmas as Randall's 4th Division, she eventually gave up when no more useful information surfaced.
Finally, she headed to the underground training ground.
The room, filled with reinforced materials that could double as a bunker, bore the marks of Yeon-woo's hard work.
Since the ceiling, floor, and walls were all reinforced, there were few scratches, but the lingering scent of sweat and the wear from frequent use remained.
Sniff—
Veronica took a deep breath of Yeon-woo's sweat, then flinched and shook her head violently.
Regaining her composure, she examined the traces and made her own assessment.
'Contrary to his outward appearance, he's a hard worker. Looking at the marks, this training ground was remodeled less than a year ago, yet he's trained so intensely that he's left indelible traces. The identical furniture, the obsession. He's confident and full of self-love, yet he possesses a frugality and a lack of self-awareness rarely seen in that type…'
To Veronica, this "lack of self-awareness" was the most jarring part.
Any intelligent creature forms an ego based on their environment and the reactions of those around them throughout their life.
While she couldn't grasp everything from a brief observation, many things about Yeon-woo didn't add up.
Specifically, his tendency to have high self-esteem while simultaneously failing to value his own worth properly.
'Did he grow up surrounded by people far superior to himself…? Is he a stranger to himself? Is he unaccustomed? I don't understand. How can there be zero information on such impossible achievements? It's as if he just dropped out of the sky.'
Veronica had come close to the truth, but she was held back by common sense.
Unable to find an answer no matter how much she thought, she gave up and returned to the living room, lying down on the bedding Yeon-woo had prepared.
He had offered her a separate guest room, but the wary Veronica refused to stay in a room with only one exit, so Yeon-woo had simply told her to do as she pleased and gave her the blankets.
Her body ached, and her mind was a mess.
But this was enemy territory. Nowhere was safe. Even with her eyes closed, sleep did not come.
… …
Veronica, who had been resting with her eyes closed, bolted upright when she felt a gaze on her.
"… …"
"… …"
"Hi, big sis. I'm Haruna."
She had only closed her eyes for a moment, yet it was already morning.
She could hear signs of someone cooking in the kitchen, and a young girl she had never seen before was looking up at her.
To fall into such a deep sleep in the middle of enemy territory that she didn't even sense someone approaching—she was a failure as a warrior.
When no answer came, Haruna tilted her head and stared, prompting a flustered Veronica to introduce herself.
"I-I am Veronica."
"Okay, Veronica-unni. Nice to meet you, I'm Haruna."
Haruna introduced herself again with a bright smile.
Zboni who infiltrated the human world usually had small horns that were easy to hide under hats or hoods, but this girl currently had nothing on her head.
However, Haruna couldn't see her horns.
On Veronica's finger was a ring that looked like a cheap plastic toy.
It was the exact same ring Yeon-woo had given to Lilia—the Ring of Deceit, which hid her horns.
Since it only made them invisible to the eye, they could still be felt if touched, but touching someone's head was an act reserved for intimate relationships in both the human and Zboni worlds.
Veronica hadn't possessed the Ring of Deceit from the start.
The Ring of Deceit was a rare magical tool whose crafting method had been lost to time.
'Wear this. A guest is coming tomorrow.'
At first, she had questioned the toy-like ring Yeon-woo handed her, but she was stunned when he told her it was a Ring of Deceit.
He had casually handed over a precious magical tool, of which there were fewer than ten in the entire Zboni world.
Thanks to that, Veronica hadn't been outed to Haruna. As she sat there dazed, Yukina approached.
"Didn't I tell you not to wake the guest?"
"Huh? No, I didn't wake her. Veronica-unni woke up on her own. Right, unni?"
When Haruna sought her agreement, Veronica could only stare blankly at Yukina.
'What is with this mage…?'
Unlike Yeon-woo, who seemed weak because he had nothing going for him besides his mana barrier, Yukina was a fully realized mage.
Having grown rapidly through Yeon-woo's support and Yggdrasil's Source, Yukina's mana was formidable. Furthermore, due to her long-standing habit in the underworld where one must act strong even when weak, she didn't bother hiding her aura.
Veronica, who had found the girls she met yesterday overwhelming, judged Yukina to be even stronger.
"Get ready to eat. You too, Haruna."
"Okay!"
Yukina spoke to the dazed Veronica and headed toward the kitchen.
Haruna, who had been glancing at her sister, turned back to Veronica as soon as she disappeared.
"Do you go to Yggdrasil too, unni?"
"No…"
"Then, what's your relationship with Oppa? Are you his girlfriend?"
"A-ah, no. I'm just indebted to him by chance."
"Hee-hee~ So you're not a rival. Come on, unni, let's go."
Having confirmed her relationship with Yeon-woo, Haruna grabbed Veronica's hand and led her to the kitchen.
"You're up? I'll actually cook for you this time."
"Yeon-woo's food is delicious, after all."
Following Yeon-woo's remark, Somi introduced herself to Veronica as Haruna's nanny.
Though she called herself a nanny, it felt more like a family bond than a professional one.
Haruna skipped around the kitchen energetically, chatting away, while Yeon-woo and Somi looked after her warmly.
Yukina, who couldn't cook, helped out with small tasks like moving the dishes.
Feeling as though she had been invited to an intimate family meal, Veronica sat down awkwardly.
Just as Yeon-woo had promised, the food was delicious. Despite having spied on the human world for a long time, this was Veronica's first experience sitting down and sharing a meal with humans.
She hadn't intended to mingle, but the sociable Haruna kept looking after her, forcing her to participate.
Though she found it bothersome, the time spent with them brought a sense of warmth to Veronica.
As the sun began to set, the three prepared to leave. Yukina stroked the head of Haruna, who had fallen asleep in Somi's arms, then approached Veronica and whispered softly before heading out.
"I don't care who you are. But if you harbor ill will despite Yeon-woo's kindness, I will not forgive you."
Yukina's eyes were fixed on the forehead where her horns would be.
Veronica couldn't tell if Yeon-woo had told her or if she had figured it out herself, but Yukina definitely knew her true identity.
"You're leaving me be, even though you know what I am?"
"Like I said, I don't care. Yeon-woo decided to help you, and that's enough."
Veronica knew well how much humans hated them, calling them demons.
Yet, this woman followed Yeon-woo's decision without a single complaint, simply because he had made it.
'Trust… it goes beyond trust, it's closer to loyalty… and since it's mixed with affection, words like blind faith or fanaticism would be more appropriate.'
Assessing Yukina, Veronica nodded silently.
She had no intention of doing anything to Yeon-woo anyway.
He had helped her when she was injured and provided a safe haven.
In human society, his actions were nothing short of treason, and he was helping her at great personal risk.
She had no intention of harming her benefactor.
After Yukina left, Veronica focused on her recovery.
A few days later, once she had returned to normal, Veronica put on the clothes and hat Yeon-woo had bought for her and placed the Ring of Deceit in front of him.
"Thank you. It was a valuable experience learning that humans are similar to us Zboni."
"Yeah, humans and Zboni are pretty much the same. That's why you shouldn't trust humans blindly."
"… …"
Where there are good people, there are bad people.
At Yeon-woo's warning—a human telling her to be careful of humans—Veronica let out a small chuckle, nodded, and departed.
Returning through the designated sector, Veronica reported to her superior.
"Seo Yeon-woo… was it?"
"Yes. He seemed to know a great deal about us."
"… …"
The superior pondered in silence for a moment before pulling a document from a drawer and placing it in front of her.
"This is the individual Randall warned us to watch out for."
"… …How…?"
"The timing is too perfect. Perhaps he knows everything."
Veronica read the document with a shocked expression.
The data on Yeon-woo investigated by Randall's 4th Division contained many unbelievable details.
But what was even more terrifying was the realization that everything that had seemed like a coincidence was actually planned.
'Don't trust humans.'
As Veronica stood there dazed, recalling Yeon-woo's parting words while reading the file, her superior spoke.
"According to Randall, he is a formidable strategist."
"Then, his meeting with me was…"
"Not a coincidence. He might even know that Randall is colluding with us."
"… …"
"The more important issue is his intent. What is he after? Is he flaunting that he knows everything? A warning? Or is he creating an excuse for contact? Based on your judgment, what kind of person does he seem to be?"
At the superior's question, Veronica remained silent, lost in thought, before finally speaking with difficulty.
"This is my personal judgment… but I believe he is neutral. He can be trusted, but we must be cautious of his capabilities."
"A dangerous enemy, a reliable ally, or perhaps a mediator…? It's possible that even our current agonizing is part of his design."
The superior let out a small sigh.
"I'll have to meet him myself."
"That is too dangerous—"
"Didn't you say he can be trusted? I trust your judgment."
At her superior's show of faith, Veronica fell silent and averted her eyes, feeling a lack of confidence.
While he might have remained just one of Randall's many reports, because of his connection with Veronica, the Zboni began to turn their attention toward Yeon-woo.
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