The Snake, the Flower, and the Tiger - Chapter 18

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 18

Yet Je-eon held her fast at the waist, as though he’d anticipated her attempt to flee. His eyes, subtly creased at the corners, were arresting even now.
“If I were really Je-eon, would I have been gentler with you?”
“What?”
“Exactly.”
He’d struck home. Real Je-eon or not, Hui-seo was no mild creature, and she had no defense against someone this glib.
But she remembered what mattered most.
“If you hadn’t taken that body, we’d never have met in the first place. Stop talking nonsense.”
“Never have met, you say…….”
Hui-seo shot back with triumph, but Je-eon’s smile dimmed for a moment before deepening. Then he pulled her closer still.
The space between them shrank. Hui-seo gasped and tried to push him away by his shoulders, but instead of following her wish, they drew so near their lips nearly touched.
“What are you doing!”
“I’m glad you said that.”
What ghost-talk was this? Hui-seo lost any will to argue. A ghost delighted to meet an exorcist—how was she supposed to counter that?
“The fact that I’m in this body means I got to meet you. I’m truly grateful for it.”
Je-eon laughed warmly and took her wrist, then pressed his lips to a patch of skin concealed beneath her sleeve.
His laugh carried the sweet scent of flowers.

After that, Je-eon chose his clothes with meticulous care. Once he’d settled on an outfit, he picked jewelry and shoes.
Hui-seo had tea and refreshments again—twice over—before the shopping ended. Just when she wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed, Je-eon called for the driver.
“You’re done for the day.”
So am I, then. Even if exorcism is a hazardous profession, who treats a spirit like this?
Hui-seo pressed her lips shut before a groan could escape, then climbed into the car. From how he’d dismissed the driver first, it seemed he meant to drive himself home.
“How was today? You enjoyed it, didn’t you? Oh, those Sapphire Earrings keep catching my eye.”
“…Enjoyed it? Enjoyed what? Playing house?”
“Playing house—ha ha. Yes, I suppose we could call it that. Though Hui-seo doesn’t quite fit the part of mistress of the estate yet.”
While Hui-seo was worn thin, Je-eon looked spry. It made sense—the midnight hour was approaching, when spirits’ power grew strong. But had he really seemed so drained during the day?
Hui-seo narrowed her eyes at him with sudden suspicion.
“I can’t figure it out. You’re not an Earth-Bound Spirit, not a Vengeful Spirit. How can you pass for human like this? I’ve never seen a spirit carry itself the way you do.”
The story went that if possession lasted long enough and the soul-fusion deepened, a spirit might become more human than human itself. But that was mere rumor. By nature, a soul separated from its original flesh should fade with time.
Je-eon smiled with his eyes at her question—clearly aware of exactly how that smile looked.
It was the kind of eye-smile that could thaw a woman of ice. Hui-seo jerked her head away, whereupon Je-eon laughed and fastened her seatbelt for her.
“To be the first—that’s a pleasant thing to hear.”
“Don’t say things people could misunderstand.”
“But only the two of us are listening here. Do you really need to be careful? I sent the driver home early for your comfort.”
“Yes, I’m very grateful for the consideration.”
Hui-seo’s tone held no gratitude whatsoever. Now that the hunger plaguing her all day had faded, exhaustion settled in. It seemed her stamina had been steadily declining since she’d moved into the estate and neglected her training.
‘Tomorrow I have to do weights before that ghost wakes up and find something—anything.’
She forced her blurring eyes open, fighting to stay awake. Meanwhile, the car Je-eon drove accelerated down the empty road.
When the car stopped, it wasn’t at the estate as she’d expected—but somewhere Hui-seo recognized all the same.
“What? Why here?”
“I had work left over from playing with you today. Come along with me for a bit. It won’t take long.”
“Come where?”
“I don’t want to leave you alone in the car at night. Come on.”
Why not just drop her off at home, then? Hui-seo stared at him incredulously.
Beyond her fatigue, there was another reason she didn’t want to get out of the car.
“What work do you have at the Han River? Are you selling Han River ramen or something?”
“Han River ramen—not a bad idea. Once things settle down, should we open a noodle shop together? We can make future plans slowly. The longer you spend time with me, the better for you, doesn’t it?”
“How infuriating…….”
Hui-seo muttered despite herself and climbed out of the car.
As he said, the longer she stayed close to him, the greater her chance of learning the identity of the spirit clinging to him. She could bear temporary exhaustion and this unsettling location.
But when Je-eon headed along the riverbank toward the dock, things shifted. He moved with easy familiarity toward a luxurious yacht, boarded it with a light quip, and extended his hand to her.
“Get on. The night air is still warm enough for a pleasant drive.”
“What are you doing? You said you had work to finish.”
“You have to board to get where the work is. Of course, a drive with you is part of the purpose too.”
“No, stop joking. What are you really doing?”
“Why do you think I’m joking? Is this your first time on a boat?”
“It’s not the boat that’s the problem….”
Hui-seo’s lips parted as her eyes swept across their surroundings.
Despite the late hour, the Han River was crowded with joggers and countless cars crossing the bridges. But that was only true from an ordinary person’s perspective.
‘What does he think he’s doing, bringing me out here?’
Suspicion crystallized in her chest, and her gaze sharpened. The Han River was one of the most treacherous places for those who could sense spiritual energy. And past midnight, it was far worse.
‘I don’t feel anything particularly wrong at this moment, but there’s no telling what might appear.’
Wherever water gathered, negative energy pooled in its wake. That’s why spirits emerged so often from artificial dams and wetlands. Fortunately, the Han River’s waters were constantly flowing rather than stagnant, and the river’s own spiritual current ran strong enough to dissipate such malevolent forces. But that wasn’t the real problem.
Yet seeing the confused expression on Je-eon’s face, Hui-seo pressed her lips together firmly and boarded the yacht. She had no intention of showing weakness to him right now.
And before long, Hui-seo would have reason to regret that choice.

Je-eon handled the yacht with considerable ease. Rather than forcing speed or cutting a showy path, he moved smoothly against the current. And even as he did, he remembered to pass Hui-seo a thin blanket.
‘Utterly bewitching creature.’
With his hands on the helm, Je-eon grew more dangerously alluring as the night deepened. Each movement of his arms drew the shirt taut across his chest, while his forearms, bared by sleeves folded with deliberate precision, flaunted his masculine frame.
Even his usually immaculate hair, now falling loose strand by strand, carried an almost obscene beauty—like a siren meant to lure men to their doom.
“How far are we going?”
The yacht’s gentle pace required no raised voice.
When Hui-seo asked, Je-eon answered with a smile instead. Soon after, he brought the yacht to a stop near a great bridge spanning the Han River.
“We’re here.”
“…What exactly are you planning to do here?”
Does he mean to throw me overboard and be rid of me? Hui-seo fixed him with a look of open suspicion.
The doubt in her gaze was so nakedly apparent that Je-eon let out a low chuckle.
“Worried I might try something out here?”
“Worried? Go ahead and try.”
“When you carry yourself that boldly, petty men get ideas about taking you on.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————