IBP C2 Part 2

The sun was setting.

Judging by the season and the angle of the sun, it had been roughly five or six hours since the game began. The hunters, huddled together, clicked their tongues in exasperation.

“Huff, puff… Was that bastard a squirrel in a past life?!”

“Yeah, not just a squirrel, a flying squirrel for sure.”

“If you have time to joke around, hurry up and find him!”

“Why are you snapping at me?!”

It seemed they were a group, but now they were divided. A desirable outcome. Soon after, more hunters, still not giving up, arrived at the scene, noses practically glued to their devices.

“Damn it! He’s supposed to be around here somewhere, so why can’t I see him?!”

That’s because I’m above you.

I smirked and continued on my way. My first thought after escaping was, ‘How are they tracking me?’

I vaguely assumed it was through the biochip, but the card reflected in the window glass was red. I touched it and immediately understood. It was the same shape as the white one, but that was all. I hadn’t paid attention before, but the material was much higher quality.

“The weight seems the same, though.”

“There he is! Up there!”

That’s when a hunter, seemingly unbound by the constraints of common sense, appeared. He pointed excitedly at the exterior wall of the main building. I stopped mid-climb and grinned.

“…What a lunatic.”

“There!”

The man who yelled, his face devoid of any lustful intent, fired his gun repeatedly. The needles, launched into the air, fell harmlessly, nowhere near me.

It wasn’t even a real gun. For those weak projectiles to hit a person in the open air, they’d have to be within five meters.

Besides, the gun only held twenty shots. The man, clicking the trigger of his now empty gun, threw it on the ground in frustration. I felt a little better.

I reached the fifth floor and climbed over the terrace railing. I briefly considered giving him the finger, but decided that provocation wasn’t wise, considering my current status as a slave.

…Especially since the worry that I’d acted recklessly without considering the consequences was starting to creep in.

The sun hadn’t completely set yet. I wiped the sweat from my brow and stretched lightly.

“Those looking for me will definitely be inside the main building, too.”

I didn’t know how my location was being displayed, but if it was something like a radar screen, being inside the building was more advantageous than being in the garden. I had to consider the vertical space as well.

It was my first time on the fifth floor of the east wing of the main building. Inside was a medieval-style bedroom. …Seriously? I grimaced and peeked out the door. After confirming that the coast was clear, I started running down the hallway.

I was surprised. The fifth floor was normal. Meaning, there were no human sculptures or buttocks protruding from the walls. Paintings and tapestries hung on the walls, with an occasional vase here and there.

…Wow, I never thought normalcy could be so moving.

I sniffled and continued running. After a while, I heard sounds coming from the staircase, as if someone was relentlessly climbing up from the first floor. It sounded like they were on the fourth floor. Damn it.

Without a second thought, I darted towards the nearest door. I hesitated as I approached. The large, dark brown wooden door was carved with the image of a large tree and an owl perched on it. It clearly wasn’t an ordinary door.

“Didn’t see… anyone come down from above…”

“But this is…”

“There’s no way…”

My keen ears picked up the hunters’ voices. It was strange that they weren’t getting closer, but I pushed the thought aside, opened the door, and went inside. …I shouldn’t have.

“Hmm?”

“…..”

Yudhis, who was reading a book, looked up and saw me frozen in the doorway. His cold, indifferent expression softened.

“Haha. Is it my birthday today?”

I don’t know about your birthday, but it might be my death day.

 

***

 

Seeing Yudhis, the missing pieces of the conversation I’d overheard on the fourth floor clicked into place.

Didn’t see anyone come down from above. But this area is guarded by the King’s Knights. We can’t go up there. Is there really no way?

…It seemed a Knight was stationed on the fifth-floor landing. I rubbed my aching temples. Suppressing a sigh, I looked up to see Yudhis chuckle and close the book he was reading.

Beyond the door guarded by the tree and owl was a massive library. The kind of library the Beast in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ would have gifted Belle.

After quickly assessing my surroundings, I focused all my attention on Yudhis. He was a ticking time bomb. The kind that would go off with a 60-second countdown: 60, 2, 1, boom!

I won’t be fooled by that face again. …No sooner had I made that resolution than Yudhis moved.

“You’re sweating a lot. And your hands are shaking.”

The human jewel strode towards me and placed the back of his hand on my forehead. His head tilted slightly, coming so close that I felt momentarily dazed by his breathtaking beauty.

“You have a slight fever, and your eyes are unfocused.”

“It’s, hot, I’m hot, that’s all.”

I bit my tongue hard. Get a grip, Han Yunseo! You’re not just in the tiger’s den; you’re in its mouth!

His blue eyes, which had been on my face, moved lower. I followed his gaze and saw my trembling hands.

“It’s muscle spasms from fatigue.”

Yudhis shrugged.

“Did I say anything?”

He clearly didn’t believe me. I felt a surge of frustration because it was true. I hadn’t moved this much since my investigator training days.

I’d enjoyed rock climbing as a hobby ten years ago, and I exercised regularly, but scaling a five-story stone wall without any safety equipment had taken a toll on both my body and mind.

Yudhis, crossing his arms, voiced a reasonable question.

“They should have been guarding downstairs. How did you get up here?”

I didn’t want to tell the truth, but I remembered his sharp gaze when he caught me lying, and his warning about not getting a second chance. Damn it. I bit my lip. I had no choice.

“I… climbed the wall.”

His handsome face contorted in disbelief.

“Five floors?”

“Five floors that feel like seven because of the high ceilings? You climbed that?”

I wearily nodded. A brief silence followed.

“Haha! Hahahaha!”

He burst into laughter, doubling over. He laughed so hard that he started coughing. I stared at him with dead fish eyes.

He chuckled and said, “No wonder your muscles are spasming. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at first. It didn’t seem like a lie, but you were so obviously nervous… Anyway, I apologize.”

Still chuckling, he took my wrist and pulled me along. ‘No touching during the grace period!’ I thought, then remembered that the grace period had ended today.

I really wasn’t thinking straight.

Yudhis led me past the sofa he had been sitting on. We passed through a sunlit archway, and a domed space opened up before us.

It resembled a large semi-circular terrace enclosed in greenhouse glass, furnished like a cozy dining room. A mini fireplace was visible on one wall.

It would be the perfect place to curl up under a blanket on a snowy winter day. Albeit a part of a building where lewd and obscene acts were rampant.

Yudhis sat me down on a soft, plush sofa. The material was so luxurious that I felt a pang of guilt sitting on it with my bare bottom. He’ll probably sit next to me now and start sexually harassing me, I thought, bracing myself. Instead, he sat across from me, leaning back comfortably on the sofa, looking quite relaxed.

“What kind of tea do you like?”

I answered hesitantly.

“Sweet milk tea.”

“Hot or iced?”

I usually drank hot beverages even in the middle of summer, but not today.

“Iced.”

“Did you hear that? Bring some exceptionally delicious iced milk tea, coffee, and a blanket.”

The Knight, who had disappeared in a flash, returned with an ornate tray. In addition to the milk tea and coffee, the tray held small desserts like cake and macarons. He really was a staff member and escort all in one, his service impeccable.

The Knight placed the tray on a low table and draped the blanket he’d brought over my shoulders. Unsure of what was happening, I blinked, then hurriedly wrapped the slipping blanket around myself. A single piece of cloth brought me an unexpected sense of comfort. It felt like I had regained some of my lost dignity. …At this point, I’m starting to question what dignity even means. Out of respect for all the great philosophers and sociologists, I’ll just call it “my dignity”.

Yudhis, who had been watching me like I was a performing hamster, chuckled.

“Do you have a sweet tooth?”

“Yes.”

I answered quickly, and he shrugged, as if suppressing a laugh. He told me I could have the desserts. Although I’d been fed well at every meal (even lunch), I hadn’t had anything like this since arriving on the island. The moment I bit into a macaron, my chest swelled with emotion.

Yudhis burst out laughing. Why are you laughing? What’s so funny? Never mind. Laughter is good. Laugh all you want.