* * *
“…What is this.”
To his surprise, what awaited him was a cramped space barely the size of half a pyeong (about 1.65 square meters).
No—calling it a “room” was being generous.
It was so suffocatingly enclosed that it was hard to breathe just by looking at it.
Forget any interior design—the cement had been slapped haphazardly onto the walls, and the only piece of furniture was a lone metal desk sitting awkwardly in the middle.
The atmosphere was completely different from the outside, almost jarring in its contrast.
It was such a barren and lifeless space for something supposedly hidden that it was impossible to guess what it was used for.
“These photos…”
In contrast, the desk—spotless and free of even a speck of dust—was scattered with countless photographs.
A quick glance revealed unfamiliar, scruffy-looking people, their faces captured on film.
The ethnicities varied, though most appeared to be men in their early twenties.
But one child, in particular, caught the eye.
He couldn’t have been more than ten years old.
With his youthful, innocent face, the boy stared wide-eyed into the camera, his golden irises shining with curiosity.
Staring down at that innocent expression, the main character furrowed his brow slightly.
All the people in the photos were smiling brightly, looking cheerful, but something about it left a bad taste in his mouth.
“…Something feels off.”
If he had found these photos anywhere else, he probably would have brushed them off without a second thought.
He’d have assumed they were just acquaintances or friends, nothing suspicious.
But given the location, his mind kept jumping to darker conclusions.
Knowing Igor’s track record, these people were likely individuals he had been “sponsoring.”
Financially supporting them, perhaps.
Judging from their expressions and appearances, that explanation made a lot of sense.
Logic told him that was the most likely scenario.
But his instincts said otherwise.
It was just a hunch—nothing worth trusting—but the uneasy feeling just wouldn’t go away.
“Am I just overreacting…?”
He studied the photographs again, one by one, before eventually lifting his head.
There was no point staying here any longer.
He returned the photos exactly as he’d found them and exited the secret room.
If someone saw him here, it would cause a major misunderstanding.
He quickly pressed the button on the fireplace and rushed out of the study.
But then it happened.
Thud!
He slammed shoulders with someone.
Even if his mind was elsewhere, if he hadn’t instinctively relaxed his body, it could’ve ended in disaster.
“Ah, my apologies.”
Especially since the other person was a non-Awakened civilian.
Yet, the man he collided with—Igor—was the one to worry about him, eyebrows lowered apologetically.
Even though the impact must’ve hurt, he didn’t show any signs of pain.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve been watching where I was going. Are you okay?”
“Ah… yes. Are you alright, Mr. Igor?”
“I’m perfectly fine. As you can see, I’m pretty sturdy.”
Igor chuckled softly and lightly thumped his arm as if to prove his point.
His forearm was so thick that, even through his clothes, the muscle visibly rippled.
But that was only surface-level.
Underneath, he was just a regular civilian—someone whose body could be seriously injured by even mild impact.
Whether suspicious or not, if the main character hurt a non-Awakened person, the guilt would haunt him for life.
Still, had he been caught in the act?
Luckily, the fireplace had shut completely behind him. If the timing had been even a little off, he would’ve been caught red-handed.
“By the way…”
Igor tilted his head slightly and examined the main character’s face more closely.
For a moment, he worried Igor had grown suspicious—but thankfully, that wasn’t it.
“You’re Hunter Seo Inho, aren’t you?”
“You know me?”
“Of course. We met earlier, didn’t we? Besides, who wouldn’t recognize such a renowned Supporter? It’s an honor to have you here in my home.”
With his hand over his chest, Igor gave a respectful bow, sincerity in every word.
Honestly, no one would dislike being treated so courteously, and the genuine compliments were slowly shaking the scales of doubt in his mind.
After all, all he’d seen were a few hidden photographs.
Maybe he was just reading too much into everything.
“It’s not that big a deal…”
“Oh no, not at all. But—oh dear, you’re soaked.”
Igor set his now-empty cocktail glass on a nearby cabinet, then pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket.
When the main character looked down, he noticed his chest area was soaked.
He had been so startled earlier that he hadn’t even realized.
It wasn’t too bad—just slightly damp—and since it was a clear liquid, it didn’t look terrible.
“It’s only a bit wet… Was that a cocktail?”
“Yes, thankfully not red wine.”
Igor smiled apologetically as he gently dabbed at the damp spot on his chest.
Even if it had been red wine, there was no need for Igor to apologize this much.
If anything, it was the main character’s fault for not paying attention—especially being an S-rank Hunter.
“Have you ever tried cocktails, Hunter?”
“Ah… I haven’t had the chance. Some circumstances, you know.”
He didn’t dare try one with Cha Rui watching him like a hawk.
Maybe he’d get to sip one before heading back to Korea.
“Oh no, what a shame. This is actually a new cocktail we’re debuting. You won’t find it anywhere else but here.”
As he finished wiping, Igor picked up the empty cocktail glass again with a more relaxed expression.
His tone was casual, but something about the way he spoke—like someone deeply involved in the creation process rather than just recommending a drink—caught the main character’s attention.
Like a stakeholder or investor, perhaps.
When he looked at Igor with a bit more curiosity, the man blinked his pale, sky-blue eyes.
“Ah, you didn’t know? This cocktail—and the Celeste Wine too—I personally participated in developing them. Even the name ‘Celeste’ is something I came up with after much deliberation. Haha.”
He scratched his cheek awkwardly, smiling sheepishly as if embarrassed about bragging. He couldn’t even meet the main character’s eyes.
The main character just stared, a bit dumbfounded.
He’d assumed Igor was just an investor—but to think he was directly involved in the development?
Especially when it came to Celeste Wine, which held a special meaning for him.
It was a surprising revelation.
“Ah.”
Just then, Igor let out a soft exclamation, as if he’d remembered something, his eyes lighting up with excitement like a child showing off a new toy.
“Actually, I’ve just developed a new red wine. Would you be interested in trying it?”
“Red wine?”
“Yes. Less hangover, even better flavor. Took quite a bit of fine-tuning, haha.”
When it came to red wine here, there was only Celeste.
It was already a fantastic wine as it was—how could it be improved even further?
Besides reducing hangovers, was there even anything left to refine?
He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anticipation, but it was quickly followed by worry.
He was already having a hard time shaking off his thoughts—if the wine tasted even better now, he might completely lose control.
Pathetic. Might as well call it what it is: a full-blown alcohol addiction.
Recently, one thing had become painfully clear—
Seo Inho had lived like a full-blown addict.
As if addicted to wine or drugs, he had also been deeply consumed by sexual pleasure.
I had never once thought about things like that, let alone experienced them.
So I was confused about why I’d had that kind of dream with Do Soohyuk.
But it was probably because of the original owner of this body.
I couldn’t be sure whether “Seo Inho” had actually slept with a man, but memories or information related to it had clearly entered my head.
In short, I was being affected because of this damned body of his.
At least the silver lining was that I hadn’t touched any drugs yet.
No matter what happened, I refused to accept the life of a junkie.
“Unfortunately, the supply is quite limited,” Igor said.
“I plan to auction it off once the party wraps up, but… since I’ve been a bit rude, I’d like to offer you the chance to try it first. Just between us, of course.”
As he finished, Igor gave me a subtle wink.
He was offering me an exclusive opportunity to buy the wine before the auction even started.
Considering the S-Ranks gathered here were all obscenely wealthy, the price of a single bottle was bound to skyrocket.
So being given the chance to buy it quietly, without competition?
That was tempting.
Red wine with no hangover, and even better taste.
It had been a few weeks since I stopped drinking Celeste, so naturally, I wavered.
“If you’re unsure, would you at least like a taste?” he offered.
“Come with me—just a quick trip.”
“To where?”
“Ah, the wine is kept in another estate. It’s not far from here, so no need to worry. I’ll have a change of clothes prepared, something similar to what you’re wearing.”
* * *
