“Thank goodness I learned subspace magic.”
After changing into clothes she had stored in her subspace, Saria stepped into the living room.
Fresh out of the shower, she began applying skincare products she had brought along while glancing at Si-woo, who was sitting calmly on the sofa.
His expression was utterly composed, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
But Saria was the complete opposite, struggling desperately to keep her emotions in check.
It was 8 PM—not too late by normal standards. However, the night sky outside was pitch black, illuminated only by the soft glow of the moonlight.
That’s right.
A man and a woman were alone together at night.
And not just in any ordinary location—this was the room of the man she loved!
“There’s no way I can stay calm in this situation!!”
Completely unaccustomed to this kind of tension, Saria rubbed her face with lotion-covered hands in an attempt to focus on something else.
“It’s late, but should we eat dinner?”
Si-woo, still absorbed in his phone, checked the time and stood up.
Even though it was later than usual, the delay was understandable—Saria had taken a long time to finish engraving the curses.
He hadn’t wanted to interrupt her while she was concentrating, so he’d patiently waited until she was done.
Now, the hours had simply slipped away.
“Besides, if I skip dinner, I’ll probably die tomorrow.”
Tomorrow, Jung Se-ah’s lecture awaited.
Skipping meals meant a lack of energy, which would lead to collapse.
But eating a heavy breakfast before her training would only end in disaster, as it’d likely come back up before the digestion process even began.
Even a Hunter’s body, as durable as it was, had its limits when pushed too far.
Growl!
Saria’s stomach spoke on her behalf.
Having expended so much mana on the curses, her body was running on empty.
Embarrassed, she clutched her abdomen as her face turned a deep shade of red.
Seeing her reaction, Si-woo chuckled softly and walked over to the kitchen.
“Wait, we can just order delivery if it’s easier.”
“Don’t worry. My cooking’s not terrible, at least.”
He flashed her a reassuring smile before opening the fridge.
It wasn’t about the cooking itself—Saria was worried about Si-woo.
He might not have used mana like she did, but there had been an intruder in his room.
Even someone with strong mental fortitude would find such a situation mentally draining.
But her concerns were quickly put to rest.
Si-woo, wearing his usual calm expression, started looking through the fridge without a trace of fatigue.
“Is there anything specific you’d like to eat?”
“Uh…”
Nothing came to mind. But since he asked, she felt obligated to give an answer.
“T-then, how about… omurice?”
“Hmm, not bad.”
Conveniently, he had all the necessary ingredients.
He grabbed an apron hanging on the side and tied it over his clothes.
With a flick of his hand, he turned on the gas stove and began moving around the kitchen with practiced ease.
As Si-woo got to work, the kitchen came alive with activity, and Saria watched in awe.
From preparing the sauce to the fried rice and the omelet that would go on top, every movement was deliberate and skillful.
Saria couldn’t help but let out a small exclamation of admiration.
“Wow… this is way more serious than I expected.”
“It’s a hobby I picked up while living alone. You get tired of eating the same takeout all the time, so I started making my own food. Turns out, it’s a lot better that way.”
His heightened senses as a Hunter had played a role, too.
The stronger he got, the more sensitive his senses became.
Things that used to taste great when his senses were dull now tasted bland or even unpleasant.
‘At first, I made a ton of mistakes, though.’
He lightly coated the preheated frying pan with olive oil, adding minced garlic and some diced tomatoes from a can he had just opened.
‘The tomatoes are a bit too acidic… I’ll add more sugar than usual.’
He seasoned the mixture with salt, pepper, and chicken stock, then finished it off with a knob of butter to enhance the flavor.
“Wow… it smells amazing,” Saria murmured, leaning closer to take in the rich aroma.
“The people I cooked for were ridiculously picky.”
He had served people with senses far sharper than his own.
Remembering that time sent a shiver down Si-woo’s spine.
What started as casual meals quickly turned into something akin to a world-class cooking competition.
Even simple dishes like omurice had been rejected hundreds of times back then.
The memory made Si-woo ask, almost reflexively:
“Chicken or beef? Which do you prefer?”
“Chicken. Beef feels too heavy—it’s not really my thing.”
“Got it.”
He sliced chicken thighs from the fridge into bite-sized pieces.
Saria, sitting nearby, quietly watched him work.
The ridiculous thoughts that had filled her mind earlier were now nothing more than an afterthought.
Compared to the sight unfolding before her eyes, those fantasies seemed utterly trivial.
She recalled something Kitsunezawa had once told her:
“There’s a happiness far beyond mere physical satisfaction.”
Watching Si-woo move around the kitchen with his sleeves casually rolled up, focusing on the food he was preparing, filled her with an overwhelming sense of calm.
It felt like her chaotic thoughts were being washed away, her mind and spirit cleansed.
It was a sensation she had never experienced before, but it was one she wished would last forever.
“The fried rice is ketchup-based, just so you know. I’m still working on improving other sauces to meet Hunter-level taste preferences, so they’re not quite there yet.”
“I think anything you make will taste amazing.”
“Thanks. That’s nice to hear.”
As the moments passed, Saria’s nerves began to ease.
Her voice softened, and the stiffness in her expression faded away.
“Should I help a bit? I’ve never really cooked before, but I can handle basic prep work.”
“Hmm… could you toast some bread for me?”
“Sure, I’ll take care of it.”
With careful steps, she entered the kitchen.
Every time she moved according to Si-woo’s instructions, she felt an indescribable warmth flow through her.
It wasn’t the sudden, explosive pleasure of lust but something gentler—happiness and satisfaction spreading through her entire body.
Every small action, every moment of harmony as they worked together, filled her with a profound, almost overwhelming sense of joy.
It wasn’t the explosive kind of pleasure that came from satisfying lust.
Instead, it was a subtle, quiet joy that flowed steadily, like a gentle stream.
“Does this look okay?”
“Yeah, it looks perfect.”
With the toast complete, Si-woo placed two omelets over the fried rice, completing the dish.
“Let’s eat.”
“Let’s eat.”
They began their meal together.
As they ate, they chatted casually, enjoying the food and each other’s company.
This time, Saria didn’t feel her body heat up uncontrollably, nor did her thoughts spiral into incoherent chaos.
She wasn’t overwhelmed by her emotions or rendered speechless by her own embarrassment.
But despite the lack of those intense sensations, she was happier than she had ever been before.
“Ah, so this is what it’s about…”
Simply controlling someone’s body could never bring true satisfaction.
Once you experienced something like this—this deep, emotional connection—you’d realize that having just one piece of someone wouldn’t be enough.
She wanted all of him.
Not just his body, but his thoughts, his will, and every part of his being—completely directed toward her.
If she only claimed his body, the satisfaction would be fleeting.
But this—this feeling—was something that could last forever.
She was certain of it.
Taking a bite of her omurice, Saria’s gaze naturally fell on Si-woo.
“Today… I’ll stop right here.”
She now understood why Baek Eun-seol and Kitsunezawa Wakamo weren’t as aggressive in pursuing him.
They weren’t hesitating out of fear of breaking the current dynamic—they were preserving it.
It wasn’t about being afraid to ruin things.
“If I push too far… it’ll all truly collapse.”
At a glance, it seemed harmless enough to take a step closer to him.
But with her newfound clarity, Saria could sense the boundary Si-woo had unconsciously drawn—the line of a friend.
If she recklessly crossed that line without his consent, she wouldn’t just face rejection; she’d lose everything.
She knew she couldn’t risk it.
Not now.
‘Come to think of it, those two as well…’
Baek Eun-seol and Kitsunezawa Wakamo expressed their affection for Si-woo but never demanded his love in return.
Not once had they asked him to say the words “I love you.”
‘I didn’t expect to learn from them like this.’
Saria withdrew the metaphorical hand that her desires had stretched out, pulling herself back from the brink.
After finishing their meal, she joined Si-woo in doing the dishes, savoring the small, everyday joy of simply being with him.
Even though there were boundaries she couldn’t yet cross, she wanted to enjoy the moments she could.
‘Besides, that wasn’t today’s goal in the first place.’
She reminded herself of her purpose—to stay within the lines and focus on what needed to be done.
That thought alone made her feel content.
“See you tomorrow morning.”
With that, Saria walked to the room Si-woo had shown her earlier, her steps lighter than they had been hours ago.
In the deep silence of the night, it began its activity.
As always, it refrained from revealing its presence.
It wasn’t that it had the ability to detect the curse Saria had cast on the room.
Rather, it knew about the curse because it had been watching from the very beginning.
It had seen everything.
From the moment Saria began engraving the curse,
To the two of them happily sharing a meal,
It had witnessed it all—right by their side.
Because of this, it confirmed once again, revealing its presence was not an option.
Even the slightest slip, the smallest hint of its existence, would undoubtedly leave a trace.
And that was something it couldn’t allow.
For a year now, it had hidden itself from Si-woo.
It couldn’t reveal itself now—not after everything.
It believed it had no right to stand beside him.
With that thought weighing heavily, it silently surveyed the room.
Tonight, it had nothing left to do.
Saria and Si-woo had taken care of everything together—from the dishes to cleaning up the rest of the room.
And so, just like before Si-woo entered the Academy, it found contentment in watching from afar, silently keeping an eye on the one it loved.
…Or so it would like to believe.
Let’s be honest—there was one exception.
“Hmm…”
The sight before it stirred something ugly inside.
It was jealousy.
Raw and petty jealousy.
It knew how pathetic its feelings were and understood just how cowardly its actions seemed.
But if it didn’t let out this petty frustration, even in the smallest ways, it wouldn’t be able to endure.
Satisfied with the little mischief it had done, it nodded to itself in self-approval and quietly returned to its usual spot.
Right next to Si-woo’s bed.
Not too close, not too far—just the perfect distance to watch over him.
And so, it stared at him.
Endlessly.
