Chapter 143.1

Chapter 143.1

“I’ll give it all back.”

Red flames flickered in her eyes. In the blink of an eye, fire spread around, and the ceiling wallpaper began to blacken and burn.

Even as the flames devoured the kitchen furniture, Seoryeong remained motionless. With an expressionless face, she slowly poured water into the pan.

“Ugh!”

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a step back.

Pouring water onto the burning frying oil caused hot steam to explosively burst forth. The fire blazed even more fiercely, and the kitchen quickly filled with thick smoke.

Seoryeong covered her mouth and nose, staring up at the flames spreading along the ceiling as if entranced. Her vision blurred, reminiscent of her old eyes.

“――”

The soybean paste stew was boiling, the blankets always seemed alive, and the scent of fabric softener dried in the sunlight filled the house. It was only after coming here that she learned how warm a home could smell.

‘The coziest place in the world, our home. The space I loved the most.’

Yet, the expression on Seoryeong’s face as she looked at that newlywed home was chillingly cold.

“It would be better not to leave anything behind.”

Debris from the ceiling fell to the floor as the flames spread rapidly. The crackling fire quickly jumped to other furniture, and before long, it had spread to the living room.

Seoryeong was trapped in it, silently smiling.

She destroyed it.

Just like Kim Hyun had done.

Boom―! A loud explosion sounded behind her.

But before that….

“Han Seoryeong!”

Wooshin woke up to the sharp ringing of his cellphone.

For some reason, he was sweating coldly as he jolted awake, his face hardening at the sight of the empty space beside him.

As he hurriedly tried to sit up, he let out an annoyed groan. His underwear was damp.

“How old am I now?”

Still, he hadn’t been able to let go of her completely. Even during their intimate moments, he had bitten his tongue so hard that it still throbbed.

It was also his first time without a c*ndom, but when her soft flesh enveloped his, he found himself losing strength.

Yet, it was a comforting kind of s*x.

Having just dealt with Kim Hyun, she seemed unstable, but unlike before, she didn’t undress in search of a substitute. Instead, her concern for his feet and her interference, along with her shouts, were satisfying.

“Ha….”

He searched the bathroom, the living room, and the closet thoroughly.

“Where on earth did she go at this hour?”

But not a single strand of her hair was visible anywhere. Meanwhile, the ringtone continued to ring incessantly.

It was definitely an unknown number, but as he looked at the screen glowing alone in the darkness, a heavy steel tip seemed to scrape across his chest. The awkward timing felt unsettling, and he finally picked up the phone.

—Instructor, it’s me.

As expected, the voice that immediately reached his ear made him press his forehead tightly.

“Han Seoryeong, where are you right now? What is this number—!” Without realizing it, a sharp voice escaped me. I had pulled her into my arms to keep her from going anywhere.

The anxiety rose like nausea as I couldn’t see her, who should have been right in front of me.

Even though he was no longer affiliated with the NIS, he had an obligation and reason to protect her more than ever. Wooshin brushed his trembling hair out of his face.

“I’m sorry for shouting. But where are you, huh? Where is it, Seoryeong?”

— “I’ve left my phone in Equatorial Guinea.”

“Whose is this? Hand it over to the guy next to you.”

— “Could you come here for a moment? It’s our house.”

“…”

— “They said I need someone to be with me.”

A loud siren blared from all directions on the other end of the line. He quickly began putting on the clothes he had thrown on the floor. There was no time to question where she had gone at this hour. His back felt cold.

“I’m on my way, so don’t move and wait there.”

This felt similar to the instincts he had experienced at countless scenes. The sense of crisis that had brushed against the nape of his neck at every turn.

His heart raced uncomfortably. Whatever was happening to her, he was on edge. His stiff expression wouldn’t soften.

In a hurry, he took a taxi and entered the neighborhood, which was noisy and chaotic from the entrance.

A strong stream of water shooting from a hose seemed to be demolishing the villa engulfed in flames.

Flickering flames and uncontrollable black smoke rose high. The stifling heat pressed against his skin, making his eyes sting. The red flashing lights illuminated Woo-shin’s pale face.

“Ah…”

For a moment, he felt breathless.

The familiar smell made his stomach churn. The winter castle that had crumbled to ashes and their burning newlywed home overlapped in his mind. It felt as if the two scenes were chaotically mixed, like noise in his vision.

He had seen countless accident scenes worse than this due to my profession, but the fear that someone precious might be trapped inside, that helplessness, was pulling at him as if to punish him once again.

‘Where is Seoryeong… where is she?’