Peaceful Saturday morning.
With the contract complete and Pixie Powder obtained, every day felt like a weekend for Eunha, where there was nothing more to do.
Eunha approached the refrigerator and took out a cold can of beer. It was, of course, a day for drinking alone. By the way, “honsul” was a term recently learned by Eunha, meaning drinking alone.
Seating herself comfortably on the cool sofa, she turned on the TV. Coincidentally, a rerun of the special summer episode of “Knowing This” was being broadcast.
“The Princess of Dark Flame. Is the woman in the black dress truly an imaginary being confined to urban legends?”
Pause.
Eunha, who was about to open the can, stopped and turned her gaze toward the TV screen.
“In May 2031, a Concept Hunter from the largest guild in Korea will emerge.”
“Her name is the ‘Princess of Dark Flame.’ We probably all associate the same existence with that unique name.”
“In the early 2000s, this story circulated among hunters like a ghost story. A woman in a black dress with a black umbrella. An all-black lady. You could find quite a few eyewitness accounts on the internet.”
With an eerie background music, the TV screen displayed various internet eyewitness accounts.
“As you can see, there are countless eyewitness accounts of the Princess of Dark Flame. Are these eyewitness accounts related to the hunter of the wolves? The production team with doubts visited the Wolf Headquarters to request an interview with the Princess of Dark Flame.”
“But here’s the thing.”
“We heard that the contract between the Princess of Dark Flame and the wolves has already ended. Typically, contracts between free hunters and guilds last from a minimum of one year to more than five years.”
“Here, we have questions.”
“We heard that the Princess of Dark Flame hastily terminated the contract in less than a year. What could be the reason for such a hurried termination?”
“The questions don’t end here.”
“Unable to confirm the whereabouts of the Princess of Dark Flame, the production team visited Mr. Park of S Management, who was said to be her manager.”
…Mr. Park? Could it be Manager Park Je-hwi?
Eunha, who was about to bring the can to her lips, shifted her position and focused on the TV screen.
“(Voice distortion in progress) Oh, I don’t know! Stop bothering me! Really, if you keep doing this, I’ll call the police. What? Are you really calling?!”
“……. ”
Although mosaic and voice distortion were applied, it seemed like it was indeed Je-hwi.
Eunha stared at the TV with a dry expression, sipping her beer. The broadcast continued.
“Mr. Park strongly expressed his refusal for an interview. Could he be hiding something?”
“At that time, we received an anonymous tip from a wolf guild member, and the content of the tip is as follows.”
“(Voice distortion in progress) Some colleagues, including myself, have heard that the Princess of Dark Flame entered into a contract with the wolves for several months, but none of us have ever seen that woman. Even among the colleagues stationed at the headquarters, there are no witnesses. ”
Eunha looked at the interview awkwardly. Well, she hadn’t been to the headquarters, so that makes sense….
“Was she really a ‘hunter’ after all?”
“Perhaps she is still somewhere in this city, holding a black umbrella, watching over you.”
“‘Knowing This’ is waiting for reports from those who know or have witnessed the Princess of Dark Flame. │ 02[Dash]XXXX[Dash]XXXX”
While Eunha was fully focused on watching TV.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang. When she raised her head, the intercom was blinking. It seemed to be the lobby on the first floor.
Who could it be at this hour? She was supposed to go grocery shopping with Je-hwi in the afternoon, but he wouldn’t come so early.
Eunha turned off the TV and got up to check the visitor.
“Hello, this is Bae Jun-hwan.”
Beyond the intercom monitor, Jun-hwan’s face appeared. Eunha confirmed his face and opened the door obediently, and soon after, the bell rang again.
When she opened the front door, Jun-hwan, with a strange look, stood silently. He took off his beret and bowed deeply.
“Sorry for coming without notice.”
“No, it’s okay. What brings you here?”
Eunha asked cautiously. For some reason, she felt uneasy, maybe because she had just watched a strange broadcast. Perhaps he had heard some strange rumors too. No, maybe something bad had happened to Minju.
“……. ”
Jun-hwan didn’t open his mouth readily, wearing a complicated expression. Eunha stared at him for a while and then gestured toward the inside.
“Come in for now.”
Only then did Jun-hwan enter the apartment hesitantly.
The two sat facing each other at the dining table. Jun-hwan still couldn’t open his mouth easily and kept his gaze lowered.
“Is there a problem with Minju?”
“Oh, no… nothing like that.”
“Really? Did Pixie Powder not work?”
“……. ”
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
