Chapter 55.2

Chapter 55.2

“Give it here. I’ll carry it.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“I said it’s not fine. Hand it over.”

Neither of them knew Seok-kyung stood right beside them as they bickered over the bags.

“Thank you, senior.”

Of course Ara lost that fight.

“You thank people too easily. That’s your problem, you’re too soft.”

Suho took the bags from her, and in the handover their fingers brushed lightly before pulling away again.

Seok-kyung glared so hard at Suho’s wrist it looked like he might burn a hole straight through it. With a sigh heavy enough to sink the ground beneath him, he finally turned his eyes toward Ara.

‘At least he’s much kinder than Kim Seok-kyung, and he doesn’t make people feel miserable like this.’

Had she really mistaken such a cheap trick for generosity and been moved by it?

“Open your eyes, Na Ara.”

Seok-kyung leaned in close beside her, jerking his chin at Suho’s back.

“That’s not kindness. That’s a con.”

The growl in his voice was no different from a predator warning its prey.

“You were here first?”

“Yeah. Clinic wrapped up early today.”

“So you came out here just to carry my bags?”

“I was sitting by the window. Then I saw you struggling with all that stuff. What else could I do? Of course I had to come get you.”

Ara, oblivious to Seok-kyung’s words, kept chattering happily with Suho as they walked on.

Unhappy but with no choice, Seok-kyung followed. His eyes were sharper now, dissecting Suho as though he were laid out on a table.

On the surface, the man was just an ordinary human. The type who probably spent his whole life buried in books, soft from too much desk work.

The petty tricks were irritating, sure, but he wasn’t like the low-grade spirit Ara had faced before. There was no trace of killing intent or resentment on him.

Only one thing stood out.

Seok-kyung drew a deep breath, the city’s cluttered smells filling his lungs. Just then, faint and fleeting, a damp, muggy heat stabbed at his nose.

A touch thicker, wetter than what he’d caught on Ara’s breath before. Barely there, too subtle for most spirits to notice, yet carrying that unmistakable stench of rot.

The smell of misfortune.

Seok-kyung narrowed his eyes, a crease deepening on his brow.

When an aura was this faint, it usually meant one of two things.

Either an ordinary human had crossed paths with something unclean and still carried a trace of it.

Or it was a high-level demon, skilled enough to hide its true form so well it could be mistaken for that.

Which meant Suho was one of the two.

A victim, like Ara, carrying the taint of misfortune.

Or the very one who had breathed that corrupt air into her.

Hands clasped behind his back, Seok-kyung flicked his fingers. A ring of ornate design shimmered into existence around his right index finger. He was ready to use Kangmun, just to be sure.

“Damn it.”

But he bit back the curse and let out a long sigh.

Of all times, he’d forgotten he was still wearing the goblin’s cap. With his presence erased, the king’s Kangmun wouldn’t respond.

“The innermost window seat. You know it?”

By then, Suho had already stepped into a nearby café with Ara following right behind.

Seok-kyung hesitated at the door, then clicked his tongue and went in. Better to make sure than walk away uneasy.

He slipped into the restroom first and pulled off the cap. The mirror above the sink, empty just a second ago, filled with his tall frame coming into focus.

He was still in the sharp red suit he’d worn straight from the palace. The jet-black shirt underneath only heightened the look, giving off a sleek, almost sensual edge.

Seok-kyung fixed himself up in the mirror. He swept his hair back into place, rolled his neck once, then twice.

He’d stand out, but that didn’t matter. Being stared at was nothing new for someone with his looks. And for what he had in mind, it was better to seem extraordinary than ordinary.

Sure enough, the moment he stepped out, eyes from every corner of the café flicked toward him.

Seok-kyung brushed off the stares as if they were nothing and made his way forward. Suho and Ara were tucked into the innermost window seat.

“That hairpin looks really good on you.”

Suho couldn’t even last a minute without laying it on thick again.

‘Figures. A conman to the core.’

Cursing him inwardly, Seok-kyung came to a stop in front of their table. The sudden presence drew both their gazes up at once.

“Baby.”

The word rolled out in a low voice, strange on his tongue.

“You could’ve told me you’d be here. I’ve been looking everywhere.”

He looked straight down at Ara, flashing her a smile so dazzling it hurt to look at.