Chapter 23

Kim Iyeong of the Downtown Workshop froze in horror.

She couldn’t understand what had just happened before her eyes.

After Yu Pado rejected their scouting offer, they’d clung to him until they finally managed to arrange today’s meeting. He had barely replied to their messages, but meeting him in person was different from watching him from afar.

Sometimes he seemed indifferent. Other times, cautious.

But at the very least, he had never seemed displeased by their presence.

He was the type who believed people who sincerely liked him deserved a polite rejection. Even when the members of the Downtown Workshop crossed the line a little, he never raised his voice.

According to the information they’d gathered, he was nothing like a tyrant or a vicious thug. He wasn’t the sort of man who would grab a woman by the hair just because she followed him around or threaten people for no reason. In fact, people even said he was almost too reasonable to qualify as a proper underground Hunter.

And yet…

“W-Why all of a sudden…?”

Without warning, Yu Pado had blown apart the café.

They had poked at his pride a little…

But this had come completely out of nowhere.

He had gathered water at his fingertips, then casually thrown it at the wall like pitching a ball, blasting through the reinforced concrete.

The sudden attack was shocking enough, but she couldn’t even guess which words had offended him or why.

“I just… didn’t want to hear it.”

“Why?”

“Do I really have to explain every little reason to you?”

Yu Pado answered with open sarcasm.

Kim Iyeong was dumbfounded.

After all, if someone suddenly blew a hole through a wall without any warning, the least they could do was explain why. Breaking it was one thing, but basic courtesy dictated telling people what had provoked them.

Unfortunately…

No one here was in any position to lecture Yu Pado about manners.

The five women exchanged uneasy glances.

The girls of the Downtown Workshop weren’t particularly powerful.

A couple of them might be strong, but the organization wasn’t built around combat.

The five women here genuinely liked Yu Pado, but none of them possessed the courage to confront someone overwhelmingly stronger than themselves.

Nor were they like those under government protection, believing the law or the Hunter Association would keep them safe.

So they quietly held their breath, waiting for Yu Pado’s anger to fade.

“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

When no one from the Downtown Workshop spoke, Yu Pado gave a curt nod.

It wasn’t a particularly sincere apology, but it came more readily than expected.

Although he’d casually destroyed the wall, he didn’t actually look all that angry.

Come to think of it…

Maybe the wall had simply broken because he was too strong.

Looking around at the destruction, Kim Iyeong cautiously spoke.

“What exactly…?”

“I got angry for a moment without realizing it. I only meant to intimidate you enough to stop you from talking, but I misjudged my strength. This keeps happening lately.”

But that wasn’t what she wanted to know.

She wanted to know why.

What exactly had they said that deserved that kind of reaction?

The others were just as confused.

Even the teammates who usually picked up on subtle cues could only exchange bewildered looks.

Apparently, he’d had some personal trigger that no one else could understand.

Perhaps trying to provoke his pride had crossed a line.

“…”

“…”

People outside had grown noisy because of the destruction.

Ironically, the women of the Downtown Workshop had become much quieter.

It wasn’t simply because they were frightened, despite the obvious disadvantage.

All five women had come here because they were sexually attracted to Yu Pado.

This was supposed to be a private opportunity to get closer to him.

Conversely…

If that attraction disappeared, everything was over.

No matter how boldly they’d approached him, none of them had fallen into eternal love after talking with him for only a single day.

They simply liked what they saw—or wanted to beat the other women and win him over.

Feelings like that could fade at any time.

Now they found themselves wondering whether it was worth continuing to pursue a man who had ignored all their blatant flirting, only to suddenly respond with aggression.

But this was the world of underground Hunters, where schemes and deception were everywhere.

Taking things at face value was the quickest way to get hurt.

What if this was simply a trick to drive away women who refused to leave him alone?

Or…

What if that rough, prickly side of him would only ever be shown to one special person?

He was still an incredibly desirable man.

The woman in their group who liked rough men reached her conclusion first and started extending a hand toward him.

Before she could act cute, Yu Pado casually flicked a finger toward the broken wall.

The enormous mass of water that had destroyed it gathered together, swirling into a sphere before dragging someone inside it.

“It’s cold!”

The woman cried out as the water bound her wrists and ankles, pulling her into the room.

No one needed to hear her name.

Anyone from a notable organization in White City would recognize her immediately.

The daughter of White City’s rulers.

A woman with more influence here than most celebrities outside.

Eun Morae grumbled as she landed beside Yu Pado.

Without hesitation, Yu Pado draped an arm over Morae’s shoulders.

His hand rested near her chest.

If he moved it back just a little, he’d be able to grab one of her breasts.

“I should probably get going. There’s someone terrifying watching me with eagle eyes to make sure I don’t start looking at other women.”

A droplet of water floated up from near his feet.

Inside it was a small robot.

It looked like a tiny sphere, but as the water shifted, part of its mechanical body became visible, sparking faintly underwater.

When had something like that rolled in here?

Kim Iyeong shrank back, her gaze darting between Morae and the surveillance robot.

“You all know what our princess’s temper is like, don’t you? Seems like everyone around here does.”

“You’re bad-mouthing me right in front of me? I don’t lose my temper at just anyone without a reason.”

Snorting, Morae leaned back against the sofa.

Fortunately, the infamous Eun Morae didn’t seem particularly upset.

She elegantly crossed her legs while smoothing out the hair that had been messed up when the wall collapsed.

Kim Iyeong quietly undid another button on her blouse.

The opening widened, revealing the upper curve of her carefully pushed-together breasts.

Yu Pado’s expression barely changed.

Morae’s did.

Her sharp gaze immediately shot toward Kim Iyeong.

It wasn’t hard to guess why she’d come.

“What brings Lady Eun Morae here?”

“I came because it looked like you were trying to put your mark on my subordinate. Nobody likes someone else claiming what’s theirs.”

“You mean scouting? That was just a harmless attempt. We just want to spend some casual time with Pado. Don’t worry—we’re not planning to pillow-talk him into doing anything troublesome.”

“It’s already troublesome. No matter how politely he turns you down, you people just won’t leave him alone. It’s fine to be bold, but there’s a limit. You’re annoying Pado.”

“I don’t think he’s that annoyed.”

He hadn’t welcomed them…

But he hadn’t coldly chased them away, either.

He’d never told them to get lost or cursed at them.

He didn’t seem eager to date them right now, but neither did he seem bothered by their interest or popularity.

He had no girlfriend.

No fiancée.

No other complications.

Standing before Kim Iyeong, who judged that they still had a chance as long as they kept pursuing him steadily, Morae raised an eyebrow.

She took a slow breath…

Then let out a scoffing laugh as she leaned against Yu Pado’s shoulder.

“He is annoyed. Because I’m already satisfying him completely.”

“…Huh?”

‘They’re… that kind of relationship?’

The thought flashed through Kim Iyeong’s mind.

Yu Pado was certainly an attractive man, but… really?

The conversation suddenly took a sharp turn.

At this point, it was less Yu Pado’s scandal and more Eun Morae’s.

To the women, news of someone like Morae—a woman whose status was comparable to the daughter of a prime minister or the heir to a conglomerate family—being involved in a romantic scandal was far more shocking. They covered their mouths and erupted into excited chatter.

“So you two…? You actually did it?”

“So that’s why he was so indifferent to us? I mean, I heard you were the one who brought him in, Eun Morae… but I never imagined you’d gobble him up first. I thought someone from your side would be completely different from open-minded people like us. Looks like the quiet cat got on the kitchen stove first. Are you really satisfying Pado oppa that well?”

“That’s right. So Pado has no reason to be interested in other women—”

“So you’re saying you’re the kind of couple where giving him oral under his desk while he’s working is normal, putting on a live show for him, trying every kind of adult toy, doing it outdoors, humiliation play, even letting him spank you…”

“What are you even talking about?! Who does that?! Who?!”

Mortified, Morae shot to her feet, even shrugging off Yu Pado’s arm.

Her face was so red that she looked like someone who had just spent hours crying after being pinned beneath someone much larger.

She stomped her foot.

She was so red it was hard to believe a person’s face could flush that much.

Hearing the commotion, a crowd had begun gathering, but Morae drove them away with a fierce glare.

Even then, the heat hadn’t left her face.

“I don’t! Who would ever do something like that?! Absolutely not!”

No matter how unfairly accused she felt, Morae kept shouting without giving her burning face a chance to cool down.

Yu Pado, who had quietly stepped a little to the side, also found his cheeks turning faintly red.

Whether he was embarrassed because there was some truth to it…

Or simply because imagining it was embarrassing…

No one could tell.

“If you don’t even do that, how are you satisfying him?”

Kim Iyeong tilted her head.

The other women immediately nodded in agreement.

“You’re telling us he’s satisfied with nothing more than regular missionary and doggy style? There aren’t many women like that. What kind of man would settle for only that?”

“W-Wh-What… you vulgar…! Where do you even come up with such perverted nonsense…?!”

Morae was stammering now, trembling so hard she looked moments away from bursting into tears.

Her expression was pitiful enough to make anyone feel sorry for her.

Which was exactly why the women decided not to ease up.

Instead, they poked at her even more.

Eun Morae of the West Sea Legion wasn’t exactly their enemy.

But neither was she someone they needed to defend.

Seeing a capable Hunter like Morae trembling like this was simply too entertaining.

They pointed at Yu Pado with their fingers.

“Pado probably thinks so.”

Taking a step forward, Morae turned toward him.

He deliberately looked away.

Resting one elbow on the armrest, he covered the lower half of his face with his hand.

It was the classic attempt to hide the corners of his mouth—and his slightly reddened cheeks.

Morae’s gaze naturally drifted downward…

Right between his legs.

The woman sitting directly across from Yu Pado noticed immediately.

“That’s the first place you looked.”

A tiny burst popped beside the woman’s head.

Morae had flicked a small pellet at her.

Grinding her teeth, she looked around, unable to decide who she wanted to glare at first.

Yu Pado had hidden it well enough…

But it was obvious he’d reacted.

He tugged the front of his jacket closed, covering himself, before narrowing his eyes.

Receiving a look that demanded an explanation, he cleared his throat.

Then he faced the accusation head-on.

“They’re not wrong. At least that much, I’d hope for.”

“You’re disgusting! Who would ever do those things for you? Your head is completely filled with dirty thoughts—”

“Watch your words, Eun Morae. You’ll be the one regretting them later.”

Openly insulted, Yu Pado bared his teeth.

The hand that had been covering his face now gestured up and down at Morae.

Clicking her tongue in disbelief, Morae kicked a loose stone as hard as she could.

“Why would I?”

“You’re the one trying to keep me on a leash and stop me from seeing anyone else, yet you’re pretending otherwise? In the end, you’ll be the one satisfying me. You should be more careful about saying things you’ll be embarrassed by later.”

Cheers immediately broke out among the members of the Downtown Workshop.

Women who embraced open relationships weren’t bothered in the slightest by a man they liked talking openly about sex.

One of them happily bounced on her feet.

“I thought he was just a blockhead, but he can even talk dirty!”

In this room, Morae was at a disadvantage.

Yu Pado remained perfectly calm.

The members of the Downtown Workshop laughed and delighted in the increasingly explicit conversation.

The only one who felt like she was being mercilessly teased…

The only one whose lower abdomen throbbed with embarrassment…

…was Morae.

Feeling as though she’d been stripped naked in front of everyone, Morae tightly gripped her own arm.