Chapter 64: An Intimate Business Partner

“This… is it really alright?”

“It’s fine. I’m an irreplaceable asset in Grisha.”

Calling himself an ‘asset’ felt somewhat distasteful, but I refrained from mentioning it. Instead, I brought up the task that needed doing.

“I’ll handle the Black Mist, as per our agreement.”

“No.”

I was utterly speechless.

Hadn’t Sagyeol been the one who’d persistently clung to me precisely because I was a returnee? What was he saying now, after we had even signed a contract?

Yeowon stared at Sagyeol with cold, impassive eyes.

“That’s… because I didn’t know you were F-rank.”

Sagyeol offered his excuse.

“Rank means nothing to me.”

Yeowon stated the fact.

Ranks were merely a classification system devised by humans based on mana. For him, who used demonic energy rather than mana and possessed a robust body forged through molting, they were utterly meaningless.

“Even so, no.”

“……”

Their squabble continued even after their training session concluded. Just then, Lee Hyun-su, whom they encountered at the guild headquarters, joined them, slightly tipping the scales.

“They say you fought the President and won. So what’s there to worry about?”

“It wasn’t a fight, it was training….”

“It’s all the same, isn’t it?”

When Sagyeol glared fiercely, Lee Hyun-su pretended not to notice. Yeowon, who lacked eloquence but possessed sharp instincts, seized the moment to speak.

“I was once a Demon Realm Legion Commander. I’m not a demon, and I’m merely facing monsters; there’s no way I’ll get hurt.”

“Is that truly so?”

Lee Hyun-su’s eyes gleamed with interest. He hadn’t had the chance to speak up until now, often blocked by Sagyeol. The unknown world of the Demon Realm, however, was an incomprehensible domain everyone yearned to understand.

Yeowon recounted a few anecdotes from his days ruling a small territory in a remote corner of the Demon Realm.

“How intriguing.”

Lee Hyun-su listened to every story, his eyes shining. Sagyeol, who also found the tales amusing, suddenly had an epiphany.

Even though he and Lee Hyun-su appeared to be thinkers, their work primarily involved physical labor on the front lines. If even they were so captivated, how would returnees appear in the eyes of scholars who deeply delved into demonology?

Those who had previously begged Hestia for an interview, only to be rejected, now frantically rushed forward again. When their attempts to make appointments were rebuffed, they swarmed the guild’s main hall en masse. Naturally, Sagyeol issued forceful commands. He furiously ordered that if anyone crossed the line, they should be chased out, even if it meant being a bit aggressive.

They were even more relentless than Hestia, not less. Despite Yeowon being publicly declared F-rank, the scholars treated him as if he were a lump of gold. Initially, I found it pathetic, but now, I suppose, I understood their feelings a little better.

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll let them meet him.’

There were hunters among the scholars. Most were low-ranked, at best mid-ranked, but still sufficiently threatening to an F-rank. I worried that if they tried to use force, Yeowon might simply succumb… or so I thought.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Yeowon had defeated me. In terms of pure physical ability, he was likely on par with an A-rank.

“Because my lover seems too exceptional.”

“……?”

It was difficult to discern any emotion from his usually expressionless face, no matter what transpired before him, but this was undeniably a look of bewilderment. Yeowon repeated the question.

“Lover?”

The smile vanished from Sagyeol’s face.

“Wait, what kind of reaction is that?”

“Are we… dating?”

Both of them were speechless. A long, chilling silence descended.

“I-I have something to do now.”

Lee Hyun-su, sensing trouble, fled the scene. Only the two of them remained in Sagyeol’s office. The ambient temperature plummeted. Yeowon’s expression, too, grew chillingly cold in response.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“That.”

Sagyeol, narrowing his eyes, fell silent for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. In an instant, the air returned to its normal temperature. Yeowon’s expression, however, remained rigid.

Who was supposed to be angry right now? I suppressed the urge to jump up in frustration.

The man before me was a denizen of the Demon Realm, having spent twenty years there. Since he came from another dimension, calling him an alien wouldn’t be entirely inaccurate. Even just living in different cities could lead to cultural and linguistic differences; how much more so when different dimensions were involved?

Sagyeol approached Yeowon with a languid smile, a habitual expression. As he subtly pressed forward, Yeowon yielded compliantly. Soon, Yeowon’s hips touched the desk, and his upper body tilted slightly backward.

He had only intended to set the mood, but seeing the sullen expression on the man directly in front of him, Sagyeol felt confident enough to take another step. He covered Yeowon’s tightly sealed lips with his own. There was no reaction. Yeowon’s lips remained firmly shut, refusing to part.

Driven by a sudden surge of mischief, he slid a hand beneath Yeowon’s shirt.

At once, Yeowon’s eyes widened in alarm, and his lips parted slightly. Sagyeol savored the sight.

As if he had been waiting for this, he pushed his tongue inside. His hand moved past the taut, tensed abs, exploring Yeowon’s chest.

Yeowon squeezed his eyes shut.

‘How cute.’

The fact that even this seemed adorable solidified the conviction that he was utterly doomed.

“Why aren’t you telling me to stop this?”

“Stop.”

“Really?”

“……”

Sagyeol squeezed Yeowon’s thick chest. Yeowon swallowed a moan between his teeth.

Slow fingertips toyed with his nipple. Sagyeol deliberately avoided reaching for his left chest.

There, a story lay hidden that Yeowon had not yet permitted him to touch.

He vividly remembered Yeowon’s reaction in Baekdam’s movie theater.

‘What could it be?’

Moving lower, he nipped and sucked at Yeowon’s neck.

‘What it is you hold here.’

Yeowon, his breath growing ragged, pushed Sagyeol away for the first time. It seemed he had decided they shouldn’t go any further. Sagyeol complied, pulling away.

The man, still wearing an impassive expression, slowly rubbed his chin and cheek with his palm. It was a nonchalant gesture. Yet, it couldn’t conceal the subtly quickened breaths escaping him.

Chuckling softly, Sagyeol slowly coiled his tail around the ‘muscle hamster’ before him.

“First, let me ask, what kind of relationship did you think we had? Strictly contractual? Or business partners who felt a sense of camaraderie?”

“I, too.”

Yeowon lowered his gaze. It was evident he was carefully choosing his words.

“I don’t really know either.”

It was Yeowon’s best attempt at an answer. Yet, it only fanned the flames of Sagyeol’s anger.

‘No. Calm down.’

Sagyeol forcefully suppressed his rising temper, reminding himself of Yeowon’s circumstances. He had fallen into the Demon Realm at a very young age and remained there for a full twenty years. It had only been two years since his return to the Middle Realm. Though he had improved since his time in Baekdam, his common sense was still woefully lacking.

This implied a complete lack of understanding or knowledge regarding such matters. He was so oblivious he didn’t even grasp that human relationships couldn’t be as precisely defined as clauses in a contract.

“We made a contract. Once our objective is achieved, you agreed not to interfere with my life, and I have no intention of doing so either. Therefore, we certainly can’t be called lovers.”

That’s why he was so earnestly spouting such nonsense. The fact that he was speaking at such length, uncharacteristically for him, indicated his agitation.

Even knowing that, feeling bad was still feeling bad. Sagyeol twisted his lips into a smile. Yeowon flinched, glancing around nervously as he mumbled.

“Right. You’re correct.”

Sagyeol nodded, his demeanor having shifted 180 degrees. Yeowon flinched, becoming wary. What was this human up to now? Though lacking common sense, the ‘muscle hamster,’ who had experience with Sagyeol, narrowed his eyes.

“Now that I think about it, our relationship isn’t something that can be summed up in a single word. I was careless.”

Yeowon’s wariness intensified. Sagyeol, however, didn’t care in the slightest. He lightly patted Yeowon’s stony shoulder.

“Considering how entangled we are, it feels wrong to say we’re nothing at all. For now, shall we temporarily consider ourselves ‘intimate business partners’?”

Could it really be defined like that? If he had the ability to discern the subtle cunning beneath Sagyeol’s words, this situation wouldn’t have arisen in the first place.

Sagyeol smiled like a snake. Slowly. He would devour him without Yeowon even realizing his body was being constricted. It would require some patience, but that didn’t matter. Unless the prey was completely outside his bounds, he could afford to be as leisurely as he pleased.

“Understood.”

‘Intimate, but still a public relationship for mutual goals?’ If that was the case… The muscle hamster nodded with that expression. The snake found such naiveté endearing.

“Anyway, I’ll handle the Black Mist.”

…It was a bit irritating how, once one thing was resolved, he immediately reverted to the original issue without forgetting it. Sagyeol barely managed to suppress clicking his tongue. When there was no immediate answer, Yeowon spoke again.

“My wish. I haven’t stated it yet, have I?”

That was right. Yeowon, who had won the training match, had yet to declare his wish. Sagyeol had nowhere left to retreat.

“Are you going to wish that I let you handle the Black Mist?”

His words carried a slight edge. Yeowon calmly shook his head.

“No. I will wish that you trust me.”

Sagyeol seriously considered this. ‘Could I swallow this in one bite? It’s a bit big and hard, but if I could just get it in my mouth…’

“Sagyeol?”

“Haaah.”

The greedy man let out a deep sigh that seemed to make the earth crack.

“Just don’t get hurt. That’s the condition.”

“I’ll try my best.”

It was an answer utterly characteristic of Yeowon.

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