ETHTKE chapter 11

“Knew it. I thought it was strange to be left alone for once.”

“Baek Yigang, you… you’re even more calculated than I thought. This is seriously unbelievable…”

I was sure he was alone, and indeed, he was alone… but in reality, he wasn’t alone at all.

I was still within Baek Yigang’s grasp, confined within the view he’d left behind.

“‘That person’ who ordered you to imprison an innocent man must have a very reclusive personality.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I thought so… What?”

I was sarcastically throwing a jab, so I didn’t expect a straightforward response.

Not only did he respond, but he even agreed, which caught me off guard and made me blurt out a dumb question.

Isn’t this guy one of Baek Yigang’s subordinates…?

Shouldn’t you be disagreeing with me if you are?

“Please return to your room.”

The man ignored my question and slowly turned his head as if nothing had happened.

Then, with his massive body, he firmly blocked the door.

It was as if the only exit was now completely sealed.

Of course, since the imperial palace is vast, there would surely be other paths if I searched.

But considering I’d have to take a long detour, and with this man watching me, it didn’t seem like a good option.

To make matters worse, it was difficult to use teleportation magic in this situation.

This magic generally requires you to have coordinate information of the destination or to have been there before, but the only places I’ve been in the empire are the Crown Prince’s palace and a corner of the imperial courtyard.

Even if I tried to escape, I wouldn’t get far.

“Is nothing going to go my way from the start…?”

Dragging my feet, I returned to my room and slid down against the door.

Even though I was someone who had taken over someone else’s body, I had no ability to figure out the detailed coordinates of various places in the empire without any resources or assistance.

When I moved Ken’s family, it was only possible because Baek Yigang helped…

Damn, I should have memorized Pendium’s coordinates if I knew this would happen.

“Well, at least I didn’t come away empty-handed.”

Now that I knew the person who had been watching me all this time was one of Baek Yigang’s subordinates, I felt somewhat relieved.

At least he’s not an assassin, right? That’s something to be grateful for, I suppose.

“…But that face looks so familiar. Who is he?”

Even though he’s not the protagonist, the fact that he looks familiar means he must be a fairly significant supporting character. The problem was, I couldn’t recall his name due to my vague memory.

Fantasy novels really have too many characters.

“Maybe I should just ask him directly.”

Creak—

Since the person in question was right outside, there was no reason to suffer alone. Deciding to ask directly, I cracked open the door slightly and peeked out.

The hallway was once again filled with silence. The man with the blue eyes had disappeared without a trace.

I was just about to ask his name, but he vanished so quickly.

“Hey, I know you’re around here, just come out for a second.”

…

There were no windows, but a chilly wind seemed to sweep eerily through the hallway. In the frigid silence that had settled heavily, there was no sign of anyone’s presence.

“If you don’t come out, I’ll escape again.”

“……”

“I’ll teleport out of here.”

Before I could even finish my second threat, the man reappeared, still with that bored expression.

But this time, he came out of the wall. And it wasn’t even magic…!

It was an incredibly natural stealth technique, so much so that I hadn’t noticed him even when I felt his gaze and looked back!

I don’t know who he is, but it’s clear he’s not an easy person to deal with. I should avoid confronting him if possible.

“Let’s introduce ourselves. As you know, I’m stuck here because your master locked me up, and I’m bored.”

I opened the door wide and began speaking in a coaxing tone.

“I’m Cheong Dowoon. The world’s strongest wizard.”

It took me quite a bit of time to become this shameless to introduce myself like that. Actually, not really, but let’s pretend it did.

Playing the role of the friendly and smooth talker, I extended my hand warmly.

Of course, there was no way this man wouldn’t know who I was. He’s been watching me all this time, so he must know.

Still, it was a great opportunity for me, even if not for him, to officially get acquainted.

If he’s been assigned to watch over me, it means he’s one of Baek Yigang’s closest aides. If I could win him over, I might be able to escape this place.

If it was possible, I was more than willing to put on this shameless act.

“…”

…But why do I feel like I’ve been ignored again? As expected of one of Baek Yigang’s men, his actions are just like his master’s.

Why do I feel more and more accustomed to being ignored? This is so depressing.

Withdrawing my lonely hand that had been extended into the air, I slowly approached the man.

“Did your master order you not to talk to me as well? Why are you so silent?”

Jokingly, I tapped him on the shoulder, and something unbelievable happened.

Nod—

Did he just nod? Did you just nod? You’re not supposed to be nodding at this timing!

“…Did he really give such an order?”

The absurdity of the situation left me murmuring to myself in disbelief. The man’s blue eyes just stared into the distance instead of answering.

Wow, is this for real… Baek Yigang, are you trying to drive me crazy?

How can a person go all day without speaking!

So that’s why he kept giving the same answer all this time? What an inflexible person.

“It’s an order.”

“Fine, I get it, so just stop already…”

Maybe because I heard it so often, I started to feel like I was hearing things.

Forget about coaxing him; in the end, I had to retreat to my room, pushed back by his firm “It’s an order.”

Moreover, it seemed like all trust was lost due to my recent behavior, as the man’s surveillance became more airtight.

I tried to sneak away through the terrace several times, but every time, he caught me before I could even start my escape.

Have I ever felt so acutely aware of my incompetence since I came into this world?!

At least, thanks to Baek Yigang, I was never bored…

No, wait, that makes it sound like I’m lonely without Baek Yigang?

Out of sheer frustration, I’ll memorize the escape coordinates for sure…!

“I thought I told you to behave.”

Baek Yigang’s hands, loosening the white cravat around his neck, were tinged with fatigue.

After finishing his schedule at sunset, he finally entered the bedroom and casually leaned against the wall, tossing out a flat remark.

Whether he was asleep or awake, with his back turned, it was hard to tell the state Cheong Dowoon was in. But seeing his shoulders begin to tremble irregularly, it was clear he had heard the words.

“Well, I didn’t really expect you to behave.”

As if it was expected, Baek Yigang’s words flowed lightly, causing Dowoon’s lips to pout.

It seemed the man outside had reported everything.

In fact, it wasn’t surprising.

Being confined to the room was so boring that I’d tried to leap down into the palace courtyard using the terrace as a stepping stone at least a dozen times, only to be caught every single time.

Dowoon, who had been lying motionless on the bed, felt all his senses sharpen as he heard the sound of clothes being taken off behind him.

He didn’t know what Baek Yigang had been doing all day, but to come back and immediately blame him for not behaving—it was so annoying that he didn’t want to respond.

“Cheong Dowoon.”

“…”

When there was still no answer from Dowoon, Baek Yigang’s short breath suddenly paused.

Then, in the silence, the sound of his footsteps began to draw closer.

“Hup.”

The sharp gasp that filled the void came from Dowoon, startled by the sudden touch.

The warmth from Baek Yigang’s hand on his waist was not just warm; it was burning.

Dowoon’s head instinctively turned toward the source of the touch.

When their eyes finally met, Baek Yigang’s violet pupils shimmered with a blue hue.

“So, you were awake after all.”

“…Ugh.”

Dowoon quickly averted his gaze and, with an annoyed gesture, shook off Baek Yigang’s hand.

This was a subtle revenge for leaving him behind and going somewhere alone after promising to always stay by his side.

“You could’ve at least told me you were going somewhere.”

“Dowoon.”

“…What?”

Dowoon felt a sudden shiver run down his spine as he turned to face Baek Yigang again.

It was the first time Baek had called him by name without the usual formality. When Dowoon, startled by the unexpected familiarity, met his gaze, Yigang’s eyes wavered slightly.

“Why are you so surprised? You call me that too.”

“Hey, that’s—”

Just as he was about to argue that it wasn’t the same, Baek Yigang’s lips parted first.

“You must have missed me a lot.”

Accompanied by a voice that Dowoon couldn’t tell if it was a joke or serious, Baek Yigang’s fingers softly brushed down Dowoon’s cheek.

“Who… who said anything about missing you…?”

Frozen in place by the touch, Dowoon didn’t even realize he was stammering as his dark blue eyes quivered faintly.

Baek Yigang, what’s with you all of a sudden? And what’s with those half-lidded eyes?!

Didn’t they say you should never associate with someone with dangerous eyes…?