A bright smile spread across his lips, and the face that had looked like a stranger’s instantly became the face of an old friend.
“Uh…?”
Seo Jaewon was left speechless by the sudden change in attitude and the cool body temperature.
Something soft touched his hand, which had been pulled up by force.
Joo Youngha leaned down all the way to his waist to meet Seo Jaewon’s eyes.
“You keep pretending not to know me, and you only take care of other people… Jaewon, is that how you treat someone you care about?”
The boy whispered while leaning his cheek against Seo Jaewon’s hand.
“Even I would get hurt by that.”
‘Hurt? You?’
Ignoring his stunned listener, Joo Youngha kept babbling on about whatever he wanted to say.
“So hurry up and show me some love. I did well just now, didn’t I?”
He lowered his head further and placed Seo Jaewon’s hand on top of it.
Under his palm, Jaewon felt hair as smooth as silk.
Without a single tangle, it slid easily wherever Joo Youngha moved.
Even though Jaewon had never seen him brush it properly, his hair was always fluffy and shiny.
“Are you…”
Seo Jaewon muttered blankly.
“Yeah?”
“Are you a dog…?”
Joo Youngha looked puzzled for a moment, then laughed as if it were funny.
“You did this for me last time.”
Then, he pulled Seo Jaewon’s hand and lightly pressed his lips into the hollow of his palm.
“I didn’t really know back then, but I think I like it when you touch me.”
With every word he spoke, his breath tickled the gaps between Jaewon’s fingers.
Seo Jaewon flinched and tried to pull his hand away without realizing it.
However, Joo Youngha’s strength was too great.
“Mo… Move it…”
Being an Esper was already a job where he had to be tense all the time, but Joo Youngha was going to make his heart give out.
“Why? Does this make you more conscious of me?”
Joo Youngha burst into a small laugh.
Jaewon could feel the ends of those soft lips curling up against his palm.
It felt like his whole body was tickling, not just his hand.
“Let goooo…!”
It would be weirder to feel nothing after having someone do this!
As expected, this guy’s sense of personal space was strange. He was making things so confusing!
“You were asking so many questions before. Now you aren’t curious about what I want to do?”
‘I’m not curious at all!’
Seo Jaewon kicked Joo Youngha’s shin with all his might.
It felt like kicking a stone statue—only his foot hurt, while Joo Youngha didn’t even flinch.
Seo Jaewon shouted desperately.
“The raid! We have to clear the dungeon!”
“Can’t we do it a bit later?”
“Joo Youngha, you’re really going to d— get in trouble!”
“Ahaha.”
Joo Youngha laughed casually as if he had heard something funny and let go of Seo Jaewon.
Seo Jaewon panted and distanced himself.
Seriously, because of this guy, he couldn’t let his guard down for even a second.
“How did you find me?”
Joo Youngha answered with sparkling, joyful eyes.
“I can always tell where you are.”
“Stop joking around.”
The boy tilted his head.
“Is there a specific answer you want? You’re hard to please…”
‘That’s my line! You incredibly picky bastard…!’
Seo Jaewon clenched his fists and held back his anger.
He was going to hit him if he said one more word, but Joo Youngha answered surprisingly honestly.
“I just know. Because I’m paying attention to you.”
“Paying attention? You?”
“I always know where Jaewon is.”
“Don’t do that, it’s creepy.”
Seo Jaewon looked disgusted.
They barely spent any time apart anyway, so why go that far?
Of course, on the flip side, he would welcome it if he could always know Joo Youngha’s location.
Joo Youngha was always the one causing trouble.
Still, having Joo Youngha by his side made him feel a little relieved.
Setting his own safety aside, he felt anxious when the guy was out of sight because he never knew what he might do.
“What about the other team members?”
Joo Youngha didn’t even answer and just shook his head.
“…You don’t even care, do you?”
“Nope.”
Jaewon hadn’t expected much. Instead of meaningless nagging, he decided to move on to the next question.
“What happened? You’re a prince.”
“I don’t know. When I came in, they started calling me that. There didn’t seem to be a problem, so I just went along with it.”
“With your personality?”
“Mmm, I was lazy.”
“This is work, you know!”
‘An Esper shouldn’t be too lazy to clear a dungeon!’
Besides, he seemed to have wandered around boldly without even knowing the situation.
It was absurd.
Was everyone who was excessively strong like this?
He had no fear at all.
Anyway, it seemed Joo Youngha’s situation was similar to Seo Jaewon’s, just with different roles.
The others were probably going through something similar.
“Let’s find the others first.”
If they had any sense, they were probably safe, but he thought it would be better to regroup quickly.
They had to clear the dungeon, after all.
Joo Youngha openly made a face of disapproval.
“Do we have to?”
“Then are you not going to clear it?”
Seo Jaewon replied softly, trying his best not to lose his temper.
‘Would I get arrested if I hit a prince on the back?’
“But… the servants said the weather is nice, so we should have tea in the garden. Let’s go together.”
‘This guy is fully playing house as a prince…’
“We didn’t come here to play. Is the leader’s word a joke to you?”
When Jaewon glared at him with his arms crossed, Joo Youngha let out a light sigh.
Then he picked up a bell on the desk and rang it.
“What?”
“Jaewon, you’re so impatient.”
In less than ten seconds, a shadow servant entered and bowed deeply.
Without blinking an eye, Joo Youngha commanded the servant.
“Tell Hwi Sara to come here.”
Seo Jaewon stared at Joo Youngha with his mouth open.
“……?”
“It’s unfair. Why is he a prince and I’m a maid?”
Those were the first words Hwi Sara said as soon as she arrived.
Like the other shadow maids he had seen in passing, she was wearing a long light-blue skirt.
She was neatly dressed, even wearing a wide headband, but her dark eye makeup was the same as usual.
Moreover, her arm muscles looked like they were about to burst through her shirt.
With her legs spread wide and her arms crossed, she had an air of majesty that suggested she should be served rather than serving others…
“Let me be a knight too!”
Seo Jaewon shouted in shock.
“Noona… why are you coming out from there?!”
“I don’t know. I woke up and I was like this.”
Hwi Sara strode over and sat on the sofa by the window.
Her pose was completely like a thug.
“Youngha, did you know where Sa-ra noona was?”
“Mhm.”
It was vague whether that meant yes or no.
Instead of Joo Youngha, Hwi Sara answered angrily.
“That brat ran into me in the hallway and ignored me! I almost died because I tried to act like I knew him.”
“What? Why did you do that, Joo Youngha!”
Joo Youngha replied with a dull face.
“Do I have to care?”
“Yes! Care a little! Care! What are you going to use your brain for if not that!”
In the end, Seo Jaewon slapped Joo Youngha on the back.
Joo Youngha laughed as if it were fun.
“It’s amazing how it doesn’t hurt at all, Jaewon.”
‘Just you wait…! I’m going to work out hard and make it hurt!’
Watching them with fed-up eyes, Hwi Sara spoke.
“This dungeon is really weird. I almost got thrown in jail just for talking to Joo Youngha.”
Come to think of it…
“How did you get out?”
“I beat up everyone there and just walked out.”
Well, if you get rid of the witnesses, it’s like it never happened.
It was a typical thought process for a normal Esper.
An Esper with enough durability and attack power to pull it off would definitely do it.
It was easy to overlook because of his pretty face, but Joo Youngha’s fundamental way of solving problems was similar to Hwi Sara’s.
Acting like a prince according to the dungeon’s rules was actually the behavior that didn’t suit him.
Although it suited him well enough to be annoying.
“It seems like that happens when you act outside of your role… This is troublesome. We can’t just kill small mobs until a Dungeon Break happens, and we can’t just play palace.”
Roles, roles…
Seo Jaewon fell into thought for a moment.
Right now, Seo Jaewon’s role was a knight.
Basically, it seemed his job was just to stand in the hallway.
Seeing as suspicious things were permitted if it was the prince’s order, it seemed they could act somewhat flexibly within the framework.
If so, to act more freely…
Seo Jaewon suddenly looked at Joo Youngha.
When their eyes met, life returned to the pretty face that had become bored.
“Why?”
“Joo Youngha, you’re a prince.”
“Right?”
“A prince… should have a knight and a servant following him, right?”
“Right! The two of us can just go with you.”
Hwi Sara clapped her hands as if she realized something.
“Hmm.”
Joo Youngha tilted his head again.
Seeing him look like he was actually considering it made Seo Jaewon feel a bit frustrated.
‘Hey, is this something to worry about?’
Joo Youngha looked back and forth between Seo Jaewon and Hwi Sara, then muttered indifferently.
“A knight is fine. A servant is not really…”
“Hey, kid!”
He really wasn’t cooperating!
It was obvious he was thinking of leaving Hwi Sara behind.
He was acting just like someone who found his comrades to be a burden.
Just as Jaewon was about to nag him, Hwi Sara suddenly grabbed Seo Jaewon’s shoulder.
“I like that. Phew, finally returning to my rightful place.”
Hwi Sara patted Seo Jaewon’s shoulder with a very satisfied face.
“Why?”
“A knight is hard for a fragile Guide, right? Let’s switch with me.”
“No…”
Seo Jaewon was so dumbfounded he couldn’t speak. But Hwi Sara was confident.
“Got a problem?”
“Anyway, he doesn’t need anyone to protect him. I’d just be standing next to him.”
“Isn’t the sword heavy?”
It was heavy. But!
“Wait, do I have to wear a skirt then?”
“Hey! I don’t want to wear this either!”
Nothing would change even if Seo Jaewon became a servant.
But for some reason, he didn’t want to give it up.
Was there a law saying a Guide couldn’t be a knight?
And he thought being a knight would be better for staying close and watching over the prince…
No, would it be the same even as a servant?
At that moment, a dazed voice cut in from behind.
“If Jaewon is a servant…”
Joo Youngha rested his chin on Seo Jaewon’s shoulder.
His shoulder suddenly felt heavy.
A voice mixed with laughter landed in his ear.
“Can I make him do anything?”
