NOVPUBAfter escorting Yishin to the noble clan’s car, Seong Guk-eon also left the Dragon Palace.
His destination was the Huangmyeong Light Hospital.
At the hospital, Seong Guk-eon was to receive a formal check-up and then wear an eye patch enhanced by Huang Ho’s barrier techniques.
Afterward, Seong Guk-eon planned to carry out all his duties without using his injured eye.
Although he was busy thinking about the tasks ahead, Seong Guk-eon kept recalling the face of someone he had briefly seen.
"I think I saw the details of the student who had been waiting inside in the report."
"That’s correct. The student is Cheon Eun-ha, the younger sibling of Cheon Dong-ha."
Jeon Mu-yeong answered Seong Guk-eon’s words.
After meeting Cheon Dong-ha through Yishin, Seong Guk-eon had briefly investigated him.
The investigation naturally included information about Cheon Dong-ha’s family. It was also through this that Seong Guk-eon learned about Cheon Eun-ha, Cheon Dong-ha’s half-sibling, who was currently the top student of the first year at Eungwang High.
"There's something strange about the reactions from the noble clan and Yishin regarding Cheon Eun-ha."
Even though they were allies, it seemed odd that they came all the way to the Dragon Palace to greet him.
In a brief moment, Seong Guk-eon had observed the noble clan’s attitude, and it seemed as though they were treating him as an equal.
Furthermore, Yishin had been stiff, as if caught in some kind of stone-like state, a look akin to a model student who had been caught by a surprise inspection for not completing their homework, despite being younger than the others.
"It seems Cheon Eun-ha owes a debt to the noble clan... I must have misjudged things."
Cheon Eun-ha, who had been completely immobile, was reportedly recovered at Huangmyeong Research Institute. Cheon Dong-ha’s devotion in caring for his sibling likely played a part, but Huangmyeong Group’s support had also been a major factor.
Considering these circumstances, many questions arose.
Seong Guk-eon organized his thoughts and asked Jeokho.
"I didn’t know Cheon Eun-ha was in a cooperative relationship with the noble clan. I heard he was recovering from Stockholm syndrome at Huangmyeong Research Institute, but does he have ties to the noble clan?"
Although Seong Guk-eon and the noble clan were cooperating, not all information was shared between them, so he tactfully set boundaries as he asked.
It was a question that could be answered in a variety of ways: either providing as much information as possible or simply skirting around it.
Jeokho answered directly without hesitation.
"Cheon Eun-ha? While I can’t disclose his full background or circumstances, I was told I could talk about his identity. The person using the name Cheon Eun-ha is from our generation, but has the audacity to still present himself as a student. He’s a member of the noble clan."
One of those audacious members of the dragon clan was the current leader of the noble clan, wasn’t he?
I couldn’t even imagine how the noble clan ended up with a TC Group bastard among their ranks, but I figured there must be some deep backstory.
If Seong Guk-eon still held prejudices about the dragon clan, he might have suspected the noble clan was orchestrating a plot to replace this person with someone from their own ranks, but that no longer seemed likely.
I didn’t think Kim Shin-rok and Yishin would allow such an action, and the noble clan likely had no need to resort to such measures.
"I see. I’ll keep that in mind."
It was a shocking revelation, but Seong Guk-eon answered calmly.
This contrasted with Jeon Mu-yeong, who was staring wide-eyed in surprise.
Jeokho, unfazed, casually unfolded a hologram and shifted the conversation.
"There’s something important we need to be aware of to avoid future contradictions. This is the report and recorded conversation of Yishin’s recent movements. Memorize it."
"I’ll review it right away."
Jeokho immediately handed over what seemed to be documents written and recorded by Huang Ho.
Despite the detailed nature of the report, Seong Guk-eon reviewed and memorized everything without a word, committing every detail to memory with remarkable focus.
He had an exceptional memory, having once perfectly recalled every statement and time from a national audit, pointing out contradictions with ease.
Seong Guk-eon quickly finished reviewing the final portion of the document.
"Looks like you’ve had a conversation with Team Leader Hong Gyu-bin as well."
As Seong Guk-eon had been focusing on memorizing, he spoke when he saw Hong Gyu-bin’s name.
Jeokho added an explanation when Hong Gyu-bin’s name came up.
"He must have figured out the identity of the fake Seong Guk-eon. Keep that in mind and handle it accordingly. But what’s the issue with him?"
"Haha, an issue? No, it’s just that I share a mutual understanding with Team Leader Hong Gyu-bin."
Before Jeokho could ask what that meant, Seong Guk-eon replied.
"It’s because I owe so much to a good teacher. It reminds me of Teacher’s Day."
Seong Guk-eon smoothly steered the conversation towards Kim Shin-rok.
Jeokho, who immediately recognized that the "good teacher" referred to Kim Shin-rok, proudly began bragging about his son.
Seong Guk-eon and Jeon Mu-yeong listened attentively, and Jeokho, excited to talk about his son, happily continued.
Meanwhile, in the air limousine, heading towards the tiger mansion.
I couldn’t remember how I had sat down, but I was seated at the farthest end of the limousine.
Eunho sat beside me with a warm smile, and Huang Ji-ho was sitting across from me, looking my way.
I felt surrounded by tigers.
"Today, Eunho looks like Cheon Eun-ha, but somehow he doesn’t quite feel like Cheon Eun-ha."
Usually, when Eunho disguised himself as Cheon Eun-ha, he felt more like a human than a dragon, likely because his disguise was flawless, undetectable even to Yishin.
But today, without his usual disguise, he just felt like a tiger.
"Do you think someone is scolding me? Relax."
Though they weren’t scolding me now, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something irreversible might happen if I relaxed.
As I tensed up, I became even more alert.
"We’re making this choice to save Yunsa. How could we scold you? Right, Huang-ho?"
"Just as Eunho said."
"Rather, we should be apologizing. We are the ones who are sorry. Everything that happened to Yishin-hyung is our fault."
Eunho, with a sorrowful expression, apologized repeatedly.
It was hard to know how to respond when Eunho, who hadn’t done anything wrong, apologized like that.
I almost felt like it would be easier to just be scolded.
"I’m sorry, Yishin."
Huang Ji-ho suddenly apologized as well.
Seeing him apologize after Eunho made me feel like I was just going to be piled on top of.
I wanted to say something but couldn’t get the words out because their expressions seemed so grim.
Still, I couldn’t just let the tigers keep apologizing, so I forced myself to speak.
Even though I was hurt, it was my responsibility, and my eye would heal with time, so there was no need for them to apologize.
Although I explained the situation, it didn’t quite resonate.
"We should repay you in a different way. Please show me your eye. Not the other one."
Before I knew it, Eunho had moved closer and was looking into my left eye.
I felt like the reflection of my eye in Eunho’s pupils was glowing in the same color.
When I blinked, Eunho gently stopped me.
"Don’t close your eyes."
How long should I keep them open?
Just as I thought that, Eunho’s eyes shimmered with silver light.
Not only his eyes but his hair also began turning silver.
Fwoosh!
Eunho continued to look into my left eye and moved his hand.
I wasn’t sure when he had pulled them out, but Eunho’s hands were holding several item cards.
Maybe he took them out when I was dazed from the apology attacks?
I couldn’t confirm the names of the items, but judging by the borders of the cards, they were definitely SSR-level or higher rare items.
As I was thinking that, Eunho quickly manifested the item cards.
The moment he did, my vision in one eye grew blurry.
‘It feels like my eye is covered in silver mist.’
Eunho’s power flowed across the surface of my left eye.
It was like he was confirming the exact shape of my cornea.
Swish!
Eunho continued to focus his gaze on my left eye as he used his power.
The items he had materialized in his hands were melting, transforming, and restructuring.
What looked like gemstones broke apart and reshaped, and rare medicinal herbs melted into the gemstone crystals.
The delicate process was unfolding within the silver-colored energy, almost like a small silver snowstorm swirling in Eunho’s hands.
Finally, when the storm subsided, the result appeared.
It was a tiny glass bead, smaller than a fingernail.
‘No, that’s not a glass bead, it looks like a lens...’
It seemed like Eunho had exerted a great deal of effort, and he was now breathing heavily.
Once he caught his breath, Eunho spoke to Huang Ji-ho.
"Huang-ho, please."
"I understand."
Fwoosh!
Huang Ji-ho’s eyes and hair turned golden.
In that state, he condensed a vast amount of energy into fine strands and engraved something onto the lens.
Even though he had already exerted a lot of effort today, he was still able to manifest such power, which made me wonder if he had drawn on his intellect as well.
After Huang Ji-ho had inscribed a barrier on the lens, the immense power of the lens seemed to fade, as though the barrier had hidden its true strength.
Eunho, who had completed the lens, spoke.
"Until your treatment is finished, please use this lens to protect and cover your left eye. I’m sorry that this is all I can do."
Even though it was an item of immense value, crafted with great effort by the former and current heads of the noble clan, I couldn’t refuse.
I had considered a few options to hide my eye, but when Eunho apologized like that, I couldn’t turn it down.
After some thought, I finally said, “...Thank you.”
"You don’t have to thank me. It’s our fault. I’ll put it in for you. If there’s any discomfort, let me know right away."
Eunho politely extended his hand and placed the lens into my eye.
When the lens touched my cornea, there was no discomfort whatsoever.
In fact, my left eye felt even more comfortable than before.
After putting on the lens, Eunho asked me more questions.
He asked how it felt when I blinked, when I looked at light, and when I used energy.
The more positive responses I gave, the brighter Eunho’s and Huang Ji-ho’s expressions became, which made me feel reassured as well.
"Well then, let’s go home and rest."
"Yishin, you don’t need to stop by the main house today. Rest in the annex."
Before I could even mention going back to the dormitory, I was already told not to.
I had just received a gift from the tigers, so I couldn’t just leave.
"I have good news."
When we arrived at the tiger mansion, Huang Ji-ho spoke with a bright expression.
It seemed he had obtained some information from his clone.
"It seems Yunsa will recover with time, unlike Fengbaek and Usa."
I thought Yunsa might end up sleeping for a long time like Fengbaek and Usa, but unlike them, Yunsa would wake up soon.
