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But mystique and ominousness are like two sides of a coin.

Just as you cannot tell whether what hides in the darkness is a jewel or a snake, it is natural for uncertainty to hold both fear and anticipation within. Thus, people move according to their intuition and wisdom, seeking to understand what it truly is.

What is hidden in that young man’s eyes, I cannot know.

But….

“Warning… Ra.”

I cannot tell which side it belongs to, but that action seems to stem from goodwill.

Agnes concluded so.

“It feels like he’s telling me not to know something…”

What exactly is a warning in the first place? It’s a kind gesture that tells you that this place is dangerous. Is it not a goodwill that wishes for one to avoid peril?

A warning is not given to enemies, nor is it essential to exert effort for those one wouldn’t care if they got hurt or killed.

If Jinseong did not feel any fondness for those two, if he had no goodwill, he would not have warned them. If something terrible awaited them in the future or if signs of a calamity were looming, he would have simply let it slip by.

That is human nature.

Especially when considering the aspect of Park Jinseong that she has seen… While he seems to have a broad concern for those around him, it is hard to see it as a genuine compassion.

It isn’t like the altruism displayed by those commonly called “good people.” He shows generosity to those who step into his enclosure but pays little attention to anything beyond it.

However, he doesn’t do evil deeds either….

It can be described as restrained goodwill, a selective kindness.

“That’s not bad.”

Of course, it isn’t bad. What’s wrong with prioritizing family, friends, and loved ones? Isn’t it a rather universal and relatable way of loving?

All things in this world start from the smallest beginnings.

Love is the same. It begins with family, friends, members of a group, a nation, and humanity itself.

And thus, it is normal for it to expand and broaden.

Thinking this way, it would be clear that the goodwill of Park Jinseong is directed towards those who have entered his enclosure.

It is not a fondness directed toward the masses; it is something more intense and explicit.

What that fondness truly is, I cannot discern.

Is it simply because he offered advice to soften a blow after injuring my younger sister’s friend, or is it that he speaks thus because they have become somewhat familiar? Or perhaps it’s not that at all…

“Hmm…”

Agnes looked at Ella.

Ella radiated vibrant life like a flower that just received water, brimming with vitality, unlike her subdued past self. Furthermore, her eyes sparkled intriguingly, a shine so distinctive it couldn’t merely be seen as belonging to a “friend’s older brother.”

“I can’t say I don’t understand.”

Certainly, that is as far as it goes.

It isn’t sticky or messy; it’s fresh yet not fully blooming emotion. It isn’t a passionate pink feeling with lustful vibes, nor a shining emotion of admiration or affection, let alone dark feelings like dependency or obsession.

One could say it is something not even resembling a flower bud… it’s fresh to the point of not having taken shape yet.

Having gone through a major incident in Russia, being rescued by Jinseong…

That emerging fondness must have transformed through that process.

However, it still seems insufficient to be called love.

The eyes of those she has seen who have fallen in love have not been like that.

Well, who knows how that emotion may change in the future.

“Is there any problem in Tanzania?”

Agnes asked Jinseong, tearing her eyes away from her precious student.

She was curious about the unnatural warning not to head to Tanzania.

Yet, Jinseong did not answer Agnes’s question.

He merely smiled gently.

In that moment, Agnes tilted her head in confusion.

Unlike earlier, when he had urged Asha and Ella to take caution, he was now staring blankly at her without uttering a single word, which she found puzzling.

Looking at each other while exchanging smiles, he didn’t seem to have hidden bad feelings or to be ignoring her… His expression bore no reluctance or hesitation to speak up…

Thus, she was utterly lost as to why Jinseong was gazing at her blankly.

“Hey, Nez! You can’t just stare like that!”

It was Odilia who cleared Agnes’s questions.

As Odilia interjected between Agnes and Jinseong, both of them engrossed in eye contact, she gently poked Agnes, instructing her to pay attention and to behave appropriately in such situations, then reached into her handbag.

And from a luxury wallet adorned with a brand logo, she pulled out a bunch of bills.

The bills consisted of 100 and 200 euros, and even a cursory count revealed there were more than ten of them….

“Master!”

Agnes exclaimed in shock, noticing the amount of cash Odilia had collected.

Suddenly, money came into play!

Not just any small change, but high denomination bills!

Not even one or two.

More than ten?

No…. Not just ten.

At least more than ten!

If she considered that 100 euros could be around 140,000 won at the current exchange rate, the amount she just grabbed…!

“Hey! What’s with this little amount?”

“It’s not about the amount, Master. If it was just allowance for Hair Park, I would say give him even more, but suddenly throwing that as payment for services….”

“Nez! This is how it’s done. You probably don’t know much since you don’t usually have your fortune told….”

But Odilia dismissed Agnes’s shock as she berated.

Moreover, she kindly explained that this is how it should be done for divination, and such procedures must be followed.

For Agnes, it was the kind of story she didn’t really want to hear.

She simply did not like having her fortune told by shamans in the first place.

Especially after her trip to Africa, her aversion had only escalated.

It was quite unavoidable.

Having suffered at the hands of self-styled shamans who insisted she hand over her baby, how could she not feel this way?

However, this didn’t mean Agnes hated or avoided shamans.

Considering how incomprehensible shamans can be, along with their strong individuality, it was hard to lump them into one category. The experiences she had in Africa were incredibly rare; they were situations one wouldn’t encounter unless they were exceedingly unlucky.

Moreover, the shamans she’d dealt with back then were so weak it was difficult to call them shamans at all—this helped her avoid having any biases.

Knowing what kind of power a proper shaman can wield from Odilia and through firsthand experience, Agnes could only think that the shamans she met in Africa were closer to outright frauds than anything else.

Well…. It’s not like she wasn’t aware of a few spells, so she couldn’t label them complete frauds…

Yet still, saying they were shamans seems quite ambiguous.

Just as knowing a few emergency treatment or surgery methods alone does not make one a doctor or a nurse, knowing a spell or two does not make one a shaman.

So Agnes didn’t develop any negative feelings towards shamans even after experiencing nightmarish events in Africa.

But that doesn’t mean the experience itself disappeared.

Every time she watched someone getting their fortune told, her subconscious would recall the revolting figures performing divination in Africa, and that discomfort accompanying the memory made her naturally shy away from getting a reading.

“What’s with this blind faith…”

No, to be precise, she didn’t shy away from divination itself.

She simply didn’t want to see the fanatical side of people bowing down to and throwing money at it…

In a way, it could even be termed trauma.

“No way…!”

Therefore, Agnes wasn’t very fond of Odilia’s obsession with the occult.

Seeing money being cast recklessly at frauds who weren’t even proper shamans could aggravate her.

If it were a genuine shaman she was paying, that would be a different matter….

A proper shaman….

Agnes halted in her tracks as a thought flashed through her mind.

‘A proper shaman….’

Not a scam artist, and certainly neither overpriced with no effect.

Isn’t there a genuine shaman right in front of her?

Even if he is young… a shaman so powerful that he saved Ella and could lend a body to Anastasia…

What’s more, he is neither obsessed with money nor power. He shows kindness by first giving a meaningful warning, and they share a friendly rapport. Not to mention, he manages even her difficult mentor, who has a nasty temperament, while being like a benefactor to his students.

“…Indeed.”

Agnes stopped her nagging and smiled.

Then swiftly snatched the bills from Odilia’s hand.

Swish!

“Huh?”

Having checked the amount after seizing the bills, Agnes pondered briefly and then took out a bundle of cash from her wallet and placed it on top. Then she naturally handed it to Jinseong and spoke.

“Here, this is for your services. Would you kindly accept it?”

“Gladly.”

And Jinseong accepted the money as though he had been expecting this from the beginning.

Thus, their transaction took place.

“Huh…?”

While leaving Odilia dumbfounded behind them.

 

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