Chapter 24.2

Chapter 24.2

When you put it like that… it really had nothing to do with her. Whether the goblin king swapped women every day, married or didn’t marry, or had impossibly high standards for a wife—none of that had any relevance to a mere human like her.

She was just curious, that was all. He kept teasing her, using his good looks as a weapon. Playing games, pushing her away only to pull her back in. It had confused her, so she asked…

“…I’m sorry.” Ara’s mood deflated, and she dropped her gaze to the floor, her lips clamping shut once more.

Had she overstepped? Was she poking into matters that were none of her business? She hadn’t meant to be presumptuous. It wasn’t like their relationship was deep. They were just passing acquaintances, and maybe she had crossed a line by thinking there was more between them.

Ara was on the verge of sinking deeper into her own thoughts of self-reproach when—

Whack!

A pure white paw suddenly shot up and smacked Seol-do’s knee sharply.

“Hey, Nam Seol-do. Why are you talking like such a jerk?”

Baekseol continued smacking and lightly biting Seol-do’s leg in rapid succession.

“Seriously, there’s gotta be some sense in what you say. This is why sword-wielders are the worst,” Baekseol grumbled, her jet-black eyes urging Seol-do to clean up the situation quickly.

“No, what I meant… I wasn’t criticizing you,” Seol-do stammered, scratching her forehead. “I’m really asking because I want to know—why are you so curious about this?”

For once, Seol-do sounded uncharacteristically apologetic. After a brief sigh, she abruptly grabbed Ara’s wrist, pulling her close until they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. Ara, caught off guard, turned her head to meet Seol-do’s gaze.

In that fleeting moment, Ara found herself face-to-face with Seol-do’s eyes—pale silver around the edges, beautiful and captivating.

Despite the chaos, Ara couldn’t help but think how beautiful Seol-do’s eyes were, like the gleam of snowflakes reflecting off a blade. Her sharp yet warm gaze reminded her of someone else… someone whose eyes were deep, gem-like, and fringed with a mystical glow.

“You like him, don’t you? Our king.”

“Yeah, his eyes are really pr—wait, what?”

Ara, responding absentmindedly, suddenly stumbled over her words, caught off guard.

“M-Me? Like who?”

“Didn’t you hear me the first time? Want me to say it again?” Seol-do asked nonchalantly. Ara, her mind swirling in confusion, scrambled to recall Seol-do’s exact words.

‘You like him, don’t you? Our king.’

The king. Their king. There was no mistaking who Seol-do was referring to.

“…Are you talking about Kim Seok-kyung?”

“Of course. So, you like him, huh?”

“Like him? No way! Absolutely not!” Ara vehemently shook her head, her entire body practically radiating her innocence. She didn’t even realize her usually pale cheeks had turned a bright shade of red.

Seol-do, clearly amused, pulled Ara’s arm even closer and smiled slyly.

“Don’t try to deny it. You just said ‘yes’ earlier. You said his eyes were beautiful. You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?”

“No! I was talking about your eyes, Seol-do! Your eyes are beautiful!”

“Liar. Just a minute ago, you said you saw his face up close. I admit, our king’s eyes are pretty nice—golden and sparkling.”

“It’s not like that at all!”

“Really? You’re sure?”

Seol-do tilted her head, feigning confusion.

Up close, Ara couldn’t help but think that Seol-do’s eyes—though she hated to admit it—reminded her too much of someone else. Eyes that glimmered with golden light beyond deep shadows, the delicate, beautiful eyes of the king of this world.

Struggling with the guilt of lying, Ara clenched her fists and tried to justify her thoughts.

Is it my fault for being honest? If a guy has such undeniably beautiful eyes, how could I say otherwise, even at knifepoint?

“…I mean, I’m not saying he’s not good-looking. Sure, he’s handsome, but what I meant was that your eyes are beautiful…”

“Uh-huh. But you know, Baekmok once said, ‘Strong denial usually means hidden affirmation.’”

“Baekmok? Who’s that… Wait, never mind! It’s seriously not like that! It really isn’t! Hey, Seol-do! Are you even listening to me? Seol-do!”

Seol-do paid no attention to Ara’s frantic denial, brushing it off like the wind. Instead, she glanced down at Baekseol, who was sitting at her feet, and smiled mischievously.

“Looks like you’re in luck, Nam Baekseol. You’ll be getting fed well for a long time because Ara likes our king.”

“I’m Kim Baekseol, not Nam Baekseol, you moron!”

“Yeah, right. I found you, so you should take my family name.”

“No one found me! I felt sorry for you begging and came to you on my own!”

“Look at this tiny brat acting up. Who cleaned your poop, took you on walks, and fed you with loving care?”

“Hey! No one raised me! I grew up just fine on my own!”

Seol-do and Baekseol’s bickering quickly overwhelmed Ara. Just as Ara sighed in resignation, preparing to give up her defense and rise from her seat—

Suddenly, the front door swung open with a bang.