Duyen felt utterly confused. She couldn't understand why this strange girl she had just met seemed so eager to translate for her. Luna appeared to be a resident of the village, and she looked just as friendly as everyone else. Still, there was something about her that made Duyen instinctively cautious, a quiet sense of unease lingering in her chest.
Yet… understanding what Haru and Shana had been talking about might be a good thing. Even if it didn't feel entirely right.
Duyen nodded, her expression turning serious as she spoke.
"Yes. Please help me. What exactly were the two of them talking about just now?"
Luna tilted her head slightly, a mysterious yet captivating smile forming on her lips. She took Duyen by the hand and gently led her inside the house.
A short while later, after Luna had relayed the entire conversation between Shana and Haru, Duyen's face shifted instantly—from anticipation to sheer shock, then into an unsettling, contemplative silence. The weight in her heart felt heavier than ever.
Meanwhile, Luna sat casually on the porch near the fireplace, swinging her legs like a carefree child.
"Well," Luna said lightly, "it's rare to see Shigonami Shana this serious. You know, normally she'd never say 'I'll kill her.' Usually, she's already done it."
She smirked. "I'm quite curious about this girl named Mina, too. Just who is she, to make a nine-tailed fox pay that much attention?"
Duyen lowered her head, remaining silent. Seizing the opportunity, Luna suddenly leaned in close, her mischievous grin making Duyen flinch.
"Hey, I'm asking you," Luna teased. "Who is Mina, really? Don't tell me she's… your ex?"
Duyen's face flushed bright red. She waved her hands frantically.
"N–No! Mina isn't my girlfriend! …But I don't really know anymore…"
Luna sighed and shrugged.
"If she's not your girlfriend, then she's a friend. If she's not a friend, then she's a lover. And if she were a stranger, you wouldn't be agonizing over her like this."
She smiled knowingly. "If someone makes you unable to even name what your relationship is, I'd say you're pretty damn doomed."
Duyen stared at her, stunned by the bluntness of Luna's words. But… she wasn't wrong. Their relationship was impossibly complicated. Or perhaps it was only complicated to Duyen. Mina, on the other hand, seemed perfectly decisive.
And yet, Mina's habit of acting without ever caring how Duyen felt only deepened Duyen's confusion about her true intentions.
In the end, Mina still called it love…
Duyen looked down at her own hands, lost in thought.
Was there anything she could do to help Mina?
Seeing how distressed Duyen had become, Luna finally realized just how much she was suffering. Even so, Luna spoke the words no one else would dare say to her face.
"Since we're here, I'll say this straight, Duyen. Right now, you look like a fragile princess being fought over by two powerful forces."
She continued casually, almost cruelly, "No matter whether you're with Shana or Mina, both of them see themselves as your protector. And you—up until now—you haven't even dared to stand up for yourself once."
Those words struck Duyen straight to the core, jolting her awake. Luna went on, idly fiddling with small objects around the house.
"The problem isn't that you have to choose one of them. You could choose both, or neither—it's your decision. But look at the bigger picture. It's not just the two of them out there. There are many other forces."
Her tone sharpened.
"And you? You're like an ant in their hands. Easily crushed with a flick of a finger. Even if Shana wants to protect you, she can't do everything. Can't you at least protect yourself?"
Duyen's guilt only grew heavier. Luna was right—every word of it. The only problem was that Duyen had no power like Shana, no authority like Mina.
Forget being caught between the two of them—she couldn't even save people like Nayeon or Valko.
Her voice dropped into a near whisper, tinged with despair.
"…I really want to protect everyone. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me… But I honestly don't know what I'm doing here…"
Her voice was faint, almost inaudible, yet Luna caught it through Duyen's posture alone. She moved back beside Duyen and leaned her head against Duyen's shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"…It's okay not to know," Luna murmured. "Those who don't know aren't at fault. But death and disaster are real."
She sighed softly.
"It's just unfortunate that even if you want to change things… fate doesn't bend so easily."
"Huh?"
Duyen blurted out instinctively. Before she could ask what Luna meant, Luna suddenly wrapped her arms around her. She leaned in close, lips brushing Duyen's ear in an intimate whisper that made her entire body freeze.
Luna's violet eyes gleamed, piercing straight into Duyen's soul, shrouded in an ethereal mist.
"Du Dinh Duyen," Luna whispered. "If you want to know more about Shigonami Shana… come to the windmill on the west side of the village tomorrow at noon."
"Huh—?"
Suddenly, Duyen heard Shana's voice calling from afar.
"Duyen? Duyen? Are you there?"
"Shana?" Duyen turned instinctively toward the sound.
From the distance, she saw Shana climbing the hill, Haru following behind with a lantern glowing blue.
Duyen turned back—but Luna was gone.
"Huh? Luna? Where did you go?"
She searched the house in confusion, but there was no trace of Luna at all. It was as if she had vanished into thin air—there weren't even any footprints left in the snow.
Just then, Shana reached the porch. Seeing Duyen sitting alone by the flickering fireplace made her frown with worry.
"Duyen? Why are you sitting out here by yourself? It's freezing—don't you know that?"
Duyen was startled by how suddenly Shana was beside her. Despite always warning Duyen about the cold, Shana herself wore nothing but a thin cloak, her bare, beautiful body exposed to the icy night air.
Oddly enough, Duyen had grown used to seeing Shana like this. Still, she felt more worried about Luna.
"Shana… did you see the girl from earlier—"
She quickly covered her mouth. They had just eavesdropped on Shana and Haru's conversation. It was probably best not to mention it.
But Shana caught on immediately. She sat beside Duyen and gently stroked her hair.
"A girl? What girl? Were you with someone just now?"
Duyen panicked, waving her hands.
"N–No! Nothing! I just came straight back after the bath!"
Shana frowned slightly. Duyen, you're terrible at lying, she thought.
Still… it only made her more adorable. Shana glanced at the snow. Indeed, there were only three sets of footprints leading up here.
Either Duyen had seen a ghost… or something stranger.
Shana draped a luxurious fur-lined cloak over Duyen and turned to Haru.
"Haru, heat two more columns of water. I don't want a single trace of cold in this house for my Duyen."
Haru smiled gently, nodded, and headed behind the house. Duyen felt guilty. She turned to Shana, her gaze firm.
"Shana, I'm not cold. Please don't make Haru work so hard."
Shana blinked in surprise at Duyen's concern for Haru. A flicker of jealousy passed through her, but she quickly laughed it off.
"You worry too much, Duyen. What 'hard work' means to them and to humans is very different. Haru—and all the women here—aren't as fragile as they look."
Duyen felt both shocked and awed. Then… they aren't human?
No wonder the women here were so strong—they could do all the heaviest work. In fact, they could do everything.
Still, being the only ordinary human here while everyone served her so devotedly made Duyen deeply uncomfortable. She wanted to help somehow—to not be so helpless.
She clenched her hands and looked at Shana.
"Shana… is there anything I can do to help the people in the village?"
Shana stared at her, astonished by Duyen's sudden boldness. Then she covered her mouth and laughed.
"Oh, Duyen, my dear. Do you realize that for some people, serving someone is a source of happiness?"
Duyen tilted her head in confusion, clearly not understanding. Shana shrugged. Duyen had always been that kind of person—she just never realized it herself.
"Well, if you insist," Shana said lightly, "I suppose you could help prepare the offerings tomorrow."
Duyen's eyes lit up.
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Then she hesitated. "Offerings…?"
Shana glanced away, hiding her unease.
"…It's just an annual festival. You don't need to worry about it."
Duyen nodded, even though she didn't fully understand. As long as she could help, she felt at ease.
As for what Luna had said…
Lost in thought, Duyen didn't notice when Shana suddenly lifted her into her arms.
She gasped—only to find Shana's face very close, wearing a mischievous smile as she carried Duyen straight toward the bedroom behind them…
---
At a famous five-star hotel—also a well-known ski resort for tourists seeking winter thrills—the atmosphere was lively despite the festival season not yet reaching its peak. While it wasn't as crowded as during the busiest time of year, streams of guests were constantly coming and going, filling the place with energy and motion.
After changing into warmer clothes inside the presidential suite, Dao stood by the window, her gaze drifting downward to the long lines of people waiting for the cable cars and skiing down the slopes. A sudden urge stirred within her—she wanted to go down there and join them. But reality didn't allow it. She let out a long, weary sigh.
The girl behind her, however, looked far more tense.
When Dao turned around, she saw that Mina had finished changing as well—wearing a bulletproof vest beneath her clothes. And the small black suitcase beside her made Dao freeze on the spot.
Inside were various kinds of handguns, boxes of 9mm ammunition, suppressors, and other equipment.
"Oh my God, Mina!" Dao blurted out in horror, instinctively glancing around to check if anyone might be eavesdropping.
"Are you out of your mind?! Why would you bring stuff like that out here?!"
Mina seemed completely unfazed. She calmly holstered a small handgun at her waist, then closed the suitcase on the rest as if it were nothing more than luggage for a trip.
"And what about you?" Mina replied coolly. "Didn't you bring a gun too?"
Dao shook her head, rubbing her temple.
"Maybe I really am crazy for bringing one. I took it from my father's room… but it's gone now. That's not the point, Mina. I'm talking about you. Aren't we supposed to be looking for Duyên? Why are you armed like you're going on a manhunt?"
"I'm just defending myself," Mina said, slipping on a pair of black gloves before draping a nude-colored trench coat over her shoulders, carefully concealing the holster beneath it.
"You have no idea how dangerous that woman Shana is. If she uses Duyen to threaten us—"
She's being overly cautious, Dao thought.
The things Mina and Yu had said still felt hard to believe. Why did it have to turn into something like this? she muttered unconsciously.
"But… I've interacted with her," Dao said hesitantly. "I don't think she's that kind of person."
Those words landed squarely in Mina's ears.
A chilling glare washed over Dao, sending a sudden shiver down her spine. Mina stared at her without bothering to hide her hostility.
"Don't tell me," Mina said coldly, "that you trust her more than your own best friend?"
Fear rose in Dao's chest, and she instinctively stepped back. She hurried to explain.
"That's not what I mean! I just don't agree with you going this far—confronting her, fighting her to take Duyen back. Everything you know came from that white-haired woman. How can you trust that?"
Mina let out a low, mocking snort.
"If you had been helpless—forced to watch the person you love get grabbed by another woman and disappear right in front of your eyes," she said, smiling bitterly,
"you'd understand. Because I've lived through that."
As she spoke, Mina pulled down the collar of her turtleneck. A brutal handprint was clearly visible on her skin, along with deep, severe bruising around her neck.
Dao gasped in shock and cried out. She rushed toward Mina, but Mina quickly pulled her collar back up.
"Oh my god, Mina! What the hell happened to you?! Let me see—!"
"Forget it," Mina said, turning her face away. "It's healing already. Just surface bruises."
Her hand clutched the collar tightly. She didn't want anyone to see that shameful wound again.
Dao's voice trembled. "Don't tell me… Shana did this."
Mina didn't answer. Only a cold, hatred-filled light burned in her eyes as she spoke through clenched teeth, her resolve terrifyingly firm.
"…That's why I'm telling you. One gun means nothing to her. But if I ever find a way to kill that woman… I will do it."
"Mina…"
Dao whispered anxiously, staring at her expression.
This wasn't the first time she had seen Mina like this. But this time, she was even more frightening than the last time—over a year ago at the hospital.
Once Mina made up her mind, no matter how cruel the act, not even God could stop her.
How could this situation possibly be salvaged?
Outside the room, Nayeon had overheard everything. She flinched when she noticed Yu timidly approaching. Yu stood there, looking apologetic and conflicted—even though her face was usually expressionless.
Nayeon placed a hand over her chest, nearly startled out of her skin by Yu's sudden presence. Acting on pure instinct, she grabbed Yu's hand and pulled her into a nearby room, leaving Yu completely stunned.
Once inside, Nayeon carefully locked the door and turned to look Yu up and down.
It was still the white-haired girl—but her expression was back to what it used to be: emotionless, with a strange hint of innocence.
Nayeon wasn't sure whether she should feel relieved or not.
"I don't even know if I can trust you anymore," she said quietly. "What if that other Yu comes back?"
Hearing the doubt in Nayeon's voice, Yu lowered her head slightly. It was impossible to tell what she was feeling behind that blank expression, but suddenly she whispered—
"…I'm sorry."
Those words softened something in Nayeon's heart. Her voice gentled.
"Isn't there any way for you to resist her?"
Yu only shook her head, still not daring to look up. Nayeon sighed. She had no idea how to handle this situation anymore.
"I don't know what to do either," she admitted. "But since I'm already here… I have to meet Shana and Duyen."
Anxiety twisted in her chest. She herself might become the very factor that harmed them both.
But she couldn't let Mina do whatever she wanted, either.
"Listen, Yu…" Nayeon's voice softened, making Yu lift her head.
"I don't know how long I'll be able to stay myself. But if I suddenly lose control… promise me you'll stop me."
Yu looked confused, but Nayeon grabbed her hand earnestly.
"You're the only person I can trust right now. I know she still has control over you—but I believe you can stop her."
"But… Nayeon… I—"
Yu didn't get to finish her sentence. Her eyes widened in shock. Because Nayeon was kissing her.
Nayeon squeezed her eyes shut, her face burning red as she awkwardly pressed her lips to Yu's—clumsy, uncertain, but sincere.
Then she pulled away.
Her face was flushed scarlet.
"Please… help me."
Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Nayeon turned and fled the room, leaving Yu standing there, frozen in disbelief.
Everything had happened too fast. Yu's face remained expressionless—but a faint blush crept across her pale cheeks, and her heart was pounding violently.
For the first time… Since the day she was born.