Ruby’s hot, ragged breath against my ear felt like the breath of a beast just before it devoured its prey.
"...Understood?"
She whispered the words in a sweet voice that somehow carried a murderous edge, then released me completely with a soft hum.
"How was it, Manager? Was the consultation helpful, I wonder?"
"...I’m not sure."
"Hmm, really? I guess I’m just not cut out to be a counselor."
Her usual smile returned as though nothing had happened. She picked up the eyepatch she had removed earlier, put it back over her eye, then leaned comfortably against the back of her chair.
"Wake me when Madness’s consultation is over."
With that, Ruby propped her legs up on the desk and promptly fell asleep.
I remained there for a moment, quietly watching her.
I steadied my breathing before finally getting to my feet and slipping out into the waiting room.
"Phew..."
The moment I sat down, a heavy sigh escaped me.
I felt slightly dizzy.
And despite myself, I trembled faintly at the lingering sensation on my lips, where her breath had brushed against them during that intense kiss.
...How should I put it?
It felt as though I had briefly caught a glimpse of Ruby’s true face.
Those red eyes, gleaming with a fragment of something inherently mad...
That wasn’t the Ruby I had thought I could easily handle until now.
The reason I hadn’t felt even a trace of ecstasy while being kissed by such a beautiful woman wasn’t because there was anything wrong with me.
It was because that hadn’t really been a kiss.
It had been a warning.
Her fangs at my nape.
A glimpse of what lay beneath that playful mask she wore so effortlessly.
"’If you want to know about me, you must first cross the line I’ve drawn.’"
That was what she had told me.
I wondered if that was even possible.
It had only been two days since I’d met her.
And I understood the importance of getting to know one another if we were going to work together effectively.
But even knowing that...
I was starting to doubt whether I could actually reach her.
It wasn’t simply because she was a criminal.
It was because Ruby was...
Seriously broken somewhere inside.
"No. Thinking about it, that’s not so different from me."
There was nothing on my palms.
Nothing at all.
Yet I could see it anyway.
Red blood coating them.
Blood that would never wash away.
...My noona’s blood.
"Manager."
A familiar voice suddenly broke through my thoughts.
"I understand Ruby gave you a hard time, but I would appreciate it if you spared a little thought for me, who has been waiting."
"Audrey?"
I lifted my head.
Audrey had already entered the waiting room and was leaning against the wall, watching me.
But for some reason, the look in her eyes seemed to have changed.
There had been sympathy in them before.
Now...
There was something else.
"Hey, I’m sorry I was a little delayed, but the thing is, actually..."
"There’s no need to explain."
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"It seems you were late because you were thoroughly enjoying yourself with Ruby in there."
"...Huh?"
"I will wait inside first. I would appreciate it if the Manager could at least visit the restroom and do something about that aesthetically displeasing face of yours."
She gestured toward my face with her eyes before turning around and walking toward the consultation room.
I stared after her, utterly confused.
What the hell was she talking about?
Then I instinctively raised a hand to the spot she had been looking at.
"Ah."
I brought my fingers in front of my eyes.
Ruby’s red lipstick was smeared clearly across them.
...Fuck.
"Sorry. Did you wait long?"
"It’s fine, Manager."
Audrey was sitting elegantly in the counselor’s chair, though the expression on her face was anything but elegant.
She sounded genuinely displeased.
Considering she had apparently figured out that Ruby had kissed me, I couldn’t exactly blame her.
My hair was completely disheveled.
My collar was wrinkled.
And there was a very obvious smear of red lipstick near my mouth.
Honestly...
Even I looked like I’d just finished having sex with Ruby.
The problem was that wasn’t remotely what had happened.
"Audrey, look, that was..."
"I told you clearly not to become excessively distracted by Ruby. And yet, Manager, you..."
"I said it wasn’t like that!"
I hurriedly interrupted her.
"I-I was the one who got ambushed by her!"
"Yes, I’m sure you were."
As expected...
She didn’t believe me at all.
Well, I couldn’t exactly blame her.
I took a seat in the counselor’s chair and cleared my throat.
"Ahem..."
I picked up the chart on the desk and forced myself to focus.
"Let’s just start the consultation."
Audrey gave me a suspicious look but didn’t object.
"Your hunter name and real name are both Audrey Winter. Correct?"
"Yes, that’s correct."
"You weren’t born here, so... what brought you to Han?"
"...My mother was from Han."
There was a slight pause before she continued.
"Thanks to her, I can speak the language fluently."
No wonder her Han was so natural despite her appearance.
There was only a faintly exotic intonation to her speech, but otherwise, she spoke it better than many natives I’d met.
"Both of your parents have passed away now."
I glanced down at the information on the chart.
"Your father, Aiden Winter... Was he the S-rank Hunter known as ’Hero’? I’ve heard stories about his accomplishments in the past."
Audrey’s expression changed ever so slightly.
And for the first time since the consultation began, the atmosphere in the room grew noticeably heavier.