The only difference seems to be in the eye color. The powerful wizard Yeon Minha has uniquely red irises tinted with particle colors, while the woman in the photo has ordinary-colored eyes.
“W-why are you staring at someone’s face like that…?”
Yeon Minha fidgeted, adjusting her outerwear, and glanced at me.
Below, I could catch a glimpse of the thin camisole adorned with white lace that I had seen last time in the South.
“Y-yeah, I appreciate your boldness, but… this blatant approach is a bit awkward…”
“I’m sorry. I just remembered seeing my senior aunt’s photo while walking in the hallway earlier. I thought she looked a lot like you…”
“…”
Yeon Minha shot me a look that seemed resentful and let out a deep sigh.
What could she possibly find unpleasant? Women’s emotions are totally unpredictable, now and always…
“…I’ve heard it quite a bit too. They say I look a lot like my aunt. But you know, that’s just because we’re both women. In a way, I look like my father too. My aunt was my father’s twin sister.”
“Does your aunt live in this mansion as well?”
“No, she doesn’t. My aunt passed away in an accident the year I was born.”
Yeon Minha shook her head.
“I heard she was very close to my father. He was incredibly heartbroken at the time. He was so upset that he only kept one photo of her and burned everything else…”
“Is that so…”
“Yeah. After that, my father’s mental state worsened, and he failed to properly deal with Paecheon’s attacks, so now our family is in a bit of a shaky situation… you know…”
“…”
“Maybe the reason my father avoids me is because it reminds him of his deceased beloved sister… I should try harder… Thanks to you, I’ve regained some strength…”
Yeon Minha looked at me with a weak smile.
It felt like she trusted me, but I couldn’t shake off that heavy feeling from hearing too much unnecessary backstory just to satisfy a small curiosity.
What if Yeon Minha asks other members of the Jeokhwa Family to use my powers? I briefly worried, but she didn’t spill a word about that.
She probably knows that it’s not an easy task. Controlling just one person like Yeon Minha is a whole different level from allowing others in.
I really had no intention of doing that, but the promise I made to the leader about keeping secrets is far more important.
For now, it felt like a story with no practical reality.
“L-let’s stop talking about this now. How long are you going to keep me standing here…? I’d like to take a break soon…”
“Ah, I apologize.”
As I made room for her, Yeon Minha headed straight for the chair next to the bed without hesitation.
But her long hair at the back wasn’t neat and was tangled, floating around messily.
This was something I’d never seen from Yeon Minha before. Did she not check properly while sneaking down?
It might be awkward to mention this, but it’d be better for me to bring it up than have the servants or that strict hostess find out later.
After some thought, I decided to tell her the truth.
“Uh, senior.”
“Yeah…?”
“The back of your hair isn’t styled properly. You should fix it up again.”
“W-what…? Uh…”
Yeon Minha, who was sitting in the chair and tilting her head, quickly started checking her hair with both hands. Soon, her face turned as red as a boiling kettle.
Seeing her reaction, it was definitely the best choice to let her know.
“Here, a comb…”
And when I turned to hand her the comb I found in the drawer, I squeezed my eyes shut.
Sitting in the chair, the already short camisole had hiked up to her thighs.
Her pure white, thin thighs were already over half exposed, and each time she raised her arms to fix her hair, the length was gradually getting shorter.
Surely this lady isn’t doing this on purpose.
Thinking it could lead to a disaster, I quickly grabbed my outerwear and wrapped it around her knees.
“W-what…”
Only then did Yeon Minha realize the situation and her face turned even redder. Then, she clasped her hands between her legs, glaring at me with tearful eyes as if she could murder me.
“P-pervert… Casanova…”
“…”
I was at a loss for words. I felt a bit wronged, though.
At least now I know that her reactions aren’t actually directed at me.
After a moment of bowing her head, Yeon Minha murmured something in a tiny voice.
“…Can you do it for me?”
“Pardon?”
“I-I meant if you could comb my hair… It’s hard to reach the back… and it’s dark…”
“…Understood.”
Alright then. If you opened your mouth, you should be responsible for it…
I approached her from behind, holding the comb I found earlier.
Yeon Minha flinched for a moment, then cleared her throat and straightened her back modestly.
I gently applied pressure with the hand holding the comb, starting to untangle her messy hair.
Soon, Yeon Minha was silent, and in the quiet guest room, only the rustling sound filled the air.
However, standing near her crown, the sweet scent that usually emanated from Yeon Minha wafted stronger, almost headache-inducing.
In my life, I’ve only encountered this type of scent three times. Once was the scent of forget-me-nots from my childhood, another was the fresh grass-like aroma from my principal. And now, the luxurious, sweet scent coming from Yeon Minha.
I learned that here in the cradle, these scents are scientifically referred to as particle scents. It’s said to be something that manifests only in a few exceptionally talented female wizards.
“Y-you seem pretty used to dealing with women. You seem more delicate and considerate than I expected… is that your weapon…? You know, double-edged sword tactics…”
Perhaps the awkward long pause prompted Yeon Minha to blurt out something completely nonsensical.
“…I don’t understand what you mean. But I often smell your scent. Is it the particle scent?”
“Oh? Yeah, that’s right. But why…?”
“It’s nothing much. It’s just that the scent is really nice. I feel like there’s sweetness to it, and it leaves a luxurious aftertaste… what kind of scent is it?”
“It’s j-just… sweet…”
Suddenly, Yeon Minha bowed her head so much that the hand holding the comb slashed through thin air.
“…How can you say such things so casually…”
After a moment, Yeon Minha lifted her head, cleared her throat a couple of times, and said.
“Isn’t it okay to ask about a scent? What is this scent?”
“…I didn’t know either, but I heard from the servants that it’s quite similar to daffodils…”
“Daffodils. It’s definitely not bad.”
Among the flowers my mother planted in the garden during my childhood, there were also daffodils. Their appearance and impression definitely seem to match Yeon Minha.
“I like this one too. You can’t just choose your particle scent. I read in a book that there are wizards who can only go outside with their scent covered in perfume because they smell like rotten fish… isn’t that horrific…”
Yeon Minha nodded her head slightly, then suddenly turned to look into my eyes as she was being combed.
“…And the reason my scent has become richer is because of you.”
“Pardon?”
“Originally, it was light and subtle… but ever since you prevented my mental contamination, it has become much stronger. So just accept it.”
“…I’m not particularly unhappy about that. And it’s not because, but thanks to me, right? That means my ability helped improve my health, and thus my magical abilities.”
“Ah, well…! I-I’m of course grateful for that…”
“Let’s leave it at that. It’s all done. Would you like to check it out?”
Try as she might to raise her voice like a shy person, Yeon Minha brought her hands to the back of her hair. Then, she seemed a bit surprised, her eyes widening as she mumbled.
“Wow, you really comb it well… just like before…”
I immediately grasped when that “before” was, but I made an effort to pretend like I didn’t know.
Truth be told, it’s something I can’t help but be good at.
Combing someone’s hair is something I’ve been doing for years without missing a beat.
“Hyun, I like it the most when you comb my hair… you’re better than sister Yeo-jin…!”
“Really? You promise to comb it every day? It’s a promise?”
Out of the blue, the whispers of the past crept in like shadows, but they were dispersed by the voice of someone who actually existed beside me.
“…Hey. Can I ask one thing…?”
Yeon Minha twisted her freshly combed hair again and asked. Judging by her tickled expression, it seems she has a newfound curiosity.
What in the world could it be that she’s hesitating about? I’m quite sure I’ve already dug up everything worth knowing during our time together.
“What is it?”
“Uh… could it be… who is Yena…?”
But at the very name that slipped from her lips, I shut my eyes tight.
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