ETHTKE chapter 17

Baek Yigang, with eyes I couldn’t quite read, gently caressed my cheek before suddenly getting up.

His demeanor was oddly bold, as if he was about to do something.

Wait a minute, this situation feels familiar…

Didn’t he do the same thing that day at the records office?

“Where are you going?”

“To the archive.”

When I cautiously asked where he was headed, Baek Yigang replied nonchalantly, as if it was nothing.

But seriously, this guy seems to have no sense of time. Sure, he can’t sleep, but isn’t this too much?

It’s almost midnight, after all.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Shaking my head firmly, I quietly stepped in front of him.

He asked me to help cure his insomnia, but he wasn’t cooperating at all.

Actually, I don’t think he intends to cooperate.

Otherwise, why does he always choose to work at the dead of night, when everyone else is asleep?

“Why not?”

His eyes were asking why I was stopping him.

No matter how much someone loves their work, it’s rare to pull all-nighters like this.

Even I, a notorious overtime pro at work, never went this far.

“Well, if you asked me to help cure your insomnia, you should cooperate. It’s not something I can fix alone. So you need to sleep when everyone else does. Even if you just pretend, like last time.”

I raised my voice intentionally and quickly blocked the door to his office to keep him from slipping away.

“…Pretend to sleep?”

“It’s just a figure of speech. Now, follow me quietly.”

I grabbed his hand and reached for the doorknob, but for some reason, no matter how much I pulled, Baek Yigang wouldn’t budge.

I’ve felt this before, but he’s stronger than he looks.

“Where to?”

“Where else? To bed. No matter how much work you have today, I’m not letting it slide. So just come quietly.”

As I spoke firmly, Baek Yigang looked down at me, his gaze suddenly darkening.

In his sharp purple eyes, I could see a clear reflection of myself, looking troubled.

No matter how fiercely he glares, it’s not scary at all.

…Probably.

“Hm…”

Soon, Baek Yigang let out a short, indiscernible sigh and slowly placed his hand on my shoulder.

Just as he was caressing my neck, he suddenly pulled me towards him.

“Ah! Hey, if you pull me like that—!”

Caught off guard by his sudden strength, I lost my balance for a moment, and Baek Yigang wasted no time leaning in close to my ear.

“You’re clumsy at seduction, but I’ll let it slide.”

Baek Yigang finished his somewhat playful remark with a relaxed smile and walked past me, leaving me stunned in disbelief.

“…Seduction? Who said anything about that?!”

And what was that?

Clumsy?!

That’s a scratch on Cheong Dowoon’s pride, who’s made countless lovers cry!

This means, no matter what, I’ll make sure Baek Yigang gets to bed today.

Besides, his lack of sleep must be rubbing off on me because I haven’t been able to sleep well lately!

At this rate, I’ll develop insomnia too!

Why is the person asking for a cure so uninterested in sleep?

“I’ll make sure you sleep! So let’s just call it a night.”

“Next time. I’m busy today.”

I hurried after Baek Yigang as he walked away and grabbed his arm, but he responded with the same calm face and refused.

What is this, a scene from a third-rate drama?

Why am I the one clinging on?!

The one who should be desperate about not being cured is Baek Yigang, so why am I the one begging…?

“What? Hey, didn’t you just say you’d let the seduction slide?!”

“…Oh?”

Wait, what did I just say?

Please, think before you speak… no, think before you speak…

Ah, I’m doomed.

“Well, what I mean is—”

“So it really was seduction.”

“There’s some misunderstanding…”

“I’ll really let it slide tomorrow.”

Baek Yigang smiled faintly at my flustered state before turning his back again.

Come to think of it, Baek Yigang always slips through my fingers like this.

Until now, I’ve always been the one in control, never the one being controlled.

So why does it feel so strange now?

I can’t just let him take the lead so easily.

Feeling a surge of stubbornness, I grabbed Baek Yigang once more.

This time, I’ll speak with more conviction.

“No way. You know we’ve been putting off treatment because you’ve been busy. If you keep this up and die from overwork, I’ll…!”

Baek Yigang… dying?

The words I blurted out in anger suddenly sent a chill down my spine.

Honestly, since he’s the mastermind, it wouldn’t be that strange for the ending to be death.

In fact, it would be the perfect revenge for all the torment he’s caused the protagonist.

But why does the thought of Baek Yigang dying make me feel so unsettled?

“Why did you stop mid-sentence?”

“…I don’t know. You can go to the archive or whatever tomorrow. Just follow me now.”

I firmly gripped Baek Yigang’s wrist and led him towards the bedroom.

For some reason, he didn’t resist and obediently followed.

“Then have Philip bring the documents to the bedroom.”

“Oh, Baek Yigang, you really want to hear me say no, don’t you? I can say it as many times as you want. Absolutely not.”

I sternly cut him off and, after some struggle, finally managed to get Baek Yigang into his bedroom.

The warm-toned lights softly illuminated the room, just as usual.

“Go take off that uncomfortable uniform. You can’t sleep like that.”

“…I’m not going to actually sleep anyway, so why bother?”

“You said you wanted to cure your illness, right? Then do as I say.”

I pushed the unmotivated Baek Yigang into the bathroom and quickly closed the door.

Actually… when I said I’d make him sleep, it was half a lie and half the truth.

I can make someone sleep, but it’s more like forcing them into unconsciousness with magic, so it’s far from what you’d call ‘restful sleep.’

If I had to describe it, it’s more like ‘passing out.’

Regardless of my intentions, I have an obligation to cure Baek Yigang’s incurable disease, so I’m not going to be picky about the methods, even if they’re a bit unconventional.

And well, I didn’t mention it, but I’ve already got a pretty good idea of why his insomnia is acting up again.

The cause is closer than you might think—it’s the dark magic Baek Yigang uses.

The dark magic consumes his life force, causing side effects, which is why it’s called an ‘incurable disease.’

Moreover, since his life force diminishes with each use, stopping the magic won’t cure him.

That’s why this disease can’t be cured. Not by any ‘human’ means.

Luckily, there’s one way to cure it, and that’s through the ‘divine power’ often found in fantasy worlds.

But it has to be the purest form of divine power—so powerful and singular that no evil force can resist it.

And the only person in this world with such a blessing is…

“…The Third Prince.”

None other than the Third Prince, the main protagonist of ‘The Catastrophe of Initia’. Like the protagonist he is, he has all the good stuff.

On the other hand, Baek Yigang, the mastermind, has all the bad stuff. Ugh, how did I end up with the mastermind…?

The Third Prince is supposed to make an appearance at the upcoming Founding Day festival.

As the main protagonist, he has a grand return after studying abroad, unlike Baek Yigang, the Crown Prince, or the Second Prince, Piel.

What I can do for Baek Yigang is to get close to the Third Prince on that day and sneak some of his divine power.

…I’m not stealing it, just borrowing it. Yeah, just borrowing.

“What are you doing over there?”

Before I knew it, Baek Yigang had come out of the bathroom, dressed in plain black sleepwear.

Despite the simplicity of his clothes, his face was so striking that it didn’t look out of place.

“Come here, Igang.”

I patted the spot next to me on the bed, inviting him to join me.

But instead of moving toward me, Baek Yigang stopped in his tracks as he exited the bathroom, leaning casually against the wall.

His gaze narrowed, and he shot me a questioning look.

“Why are you in my bed?”

“What do you mean ‘why’? You said I could stay here.”

What’s with him? He’s the one who wished to sleep.

Confused by his attitude, I tilted my head, but Baek Yigang continued to stare at me with a complex expression, still leaning against the wall.

I grew impatient with his hesitation and patted the bed repeatedly until he finally started moving, albeit slowly.

“Yigang, hurry up.”

“…If you called me that outside, you’d be executed. Using the Crown Prince’s name without permission…”

“Alright, Igang. Just come here.”

Again with the empty threats. I don’t fall for them anymore.

It hadn’t been long since I realized all of Baek Yigang’s threats were just bluffs, so I wasn’t scared at all.

When he finally reached the bed, Baek Yigang stared intensely at the spot next to me, as if deep in thought.

What is he doing? If he keeps staring like that, he’ll burn a hole in the blanket. Or… could he actually be embarrassed?

Is the great Baek Yigang really shy?

…But I’m a guy. And I’m bigger than him, too. So, that can’t be it.

“What are you doing? Lie down.”

“Can you really put me to sleep?”

“I can, but only temporarily. To fully cure your condition, it’ll take more time.”

The Foundation Day isn’t far off… I need to find a way to extract divine power from the Third Prince.

That’s the only way.