It seemed like Isabelle was quite eager to know all this, with a straight face but Elias closed his eyes.
"Sorry to disappoint you but I am a half gumiho and my powers have been unstable since birth. While I do possess healing abilities, enhanced strength, and speed, it is nothing compared to the power of a full gumiho." He said. "And... I also have the power to create illusions."
"Illusions?"
Although he said all this was nothing compared to a full gumiho's power, it was still impressive compared to the limitations of humans.
"Yes, illusions." He answered and she closed her eyes, pondering softly.
That meant he could make someone hallucinate, right?
"Please don't try that on me." She suddenly said as she opened her eyes, giving him a sharp warning gaze and he responded, as if he knew she was going to say that.
"I won't... unless you want me to."
And why would she want him to make her hallucinate?
She sighed.
It was as if she were filming a K-drama. All this was a lot to process.
"Anyway, you said you were born with three tails," she said and he nodded, "But if I remember correctly, you had only one tail. Or do they not show when you're in human form?"
"Ah." He softly exclaimed. "That's because I had two of my tails cut off when I was younger and still unable to transform into a human form." He said and her eyes widened in horror.
He... Had two of his tails cut off?
She covered her mouth, finding it repulsive. Who would've done such a thing?
Even if he wasn't a half-human, half-beast and was a normal animal, cutting off the tail of an animal was considered abuse and was a horrible act. So how could they do that despite knowing he was half human, half beast?
He... Was he abused when he was younger?
She couldn't even begin to imagine it.
For the first time, Isabelle felt something completely different from the aggressive emotions that had been building up in her heart since the first day she met him.
She felt pity.
"That was all in the past though." He said. "I barely remember the pain."
It was as if he was saying this to her to make her feel remorse on his behalf but that wasn't it. He wanted to know if she remembered something... anything at all.
But her reaction made him realize that she remembered nothing.
"In time, I was able to transform into a human, though not perfect, as you saw earlier. That's the extent I can go with my current cultivation."
Isabelle went silent.
This sort of information was too much to process in one go. He didn't say a lot, but the bit he said made her world thrill.
She always thought the world was a normal place, and things like werewolves and fox spirits didn't exist but she was wrong.
The world was more bizarre than she thought.
Of course, none of that would've had anything to do with her because she was only concerned with earning a lot, getting to a high position, and rebuilding her father's business from scratch once again.
But now that she was involved with Elias, she finally understood what clause number three was for. Her life might be in danger.
'Ah, I should've really taken my time to think this through.' she thought, feeling regretful.
This was more than she bargained for.
It was no wonder she felt like there was a trap somewhere since the benefits were just too good to be true.
"Do you regret it?" Elias asked and she glanced up at him.
If she said she did, would he decide to rip the contract? She didn't need to ask him to know the answer.
She sighed.
"Forget about it, Mister Yoon." She said.
There was no use crying over spilled milk now.
"Instead," she composed herself, her eyes landing on his brooch. "Tell me about that brooch." She pointed at it. "It's special, right? That's the only conclusion I can come up with."
"You're not wrong, but..." He took off the brooch but nothing happened. "It's a sort of backup."
"Then... Did you revert to your half-beast form because of that... That kiss?" She swallowed hard.
"Yes." He answered honestly. "Rather, it was because I was flustered."
"You? Flustered?" She couldn't even imagine it with his current composed self.
But if it was that personality he revealed after transforming then it was worth noting.
"I don't have absolute control over my fox essence." He said. "And so, I often lose control. That is why I need this brooch on at all times. It was created with my mother's fox bead, her very essence, and that is why I am allowed to come out in the open and even work." He said but then paused. "I said too much."
Isabelle looked at the brooch as he placed it back in its position.
She wasn't very versed in fantasy or mythical tales but it was a known fact that a fox bead, the essence of a fox spirit, was similar to their life line.
If her fox bead was taken out and used then... Didn't that mean that his mother was no more?
She gripped her skirt.
It was no wonder he said he said too much.
This was more than what she bargained for.
"This brooch absorbs and stabilizes the unstable energy that causes my transformation, but at a price where I'm constantly mentally strained or I experience emotional numbness." He said and then she realized it.
That was why he always seemed cold and indifferent on the surface.
"I don't wish to be this way." He said. "I didn't grow up as an indifferent and insensitive person but..."
Isabelle wondered.
It felt like he was trying to explain to her, hoping she would understand him.
It was clear, even when he had his calm and composed expression staring right at her as he said those words.
Emotional numbness, indeed.
But, that doesn't explain everything.
"Was that the reason you acted like you hated me by sending back my work time and time again?" She asked and his eyes faltered for half a second.
"No," he said. "I was just working."
"Then, are you saying you weren't just nitpicking?" She asked and he nodded.
She found it hard to believe.
Really... It felt like he had hated on her and was doing all he could to send her to hell. And he did all that with a cold face, which made her even more convinced that he didn't care—
She paused.
With a straight face, huh?
He might've genuinely been pointing out her errors but the way he made her redo everything with a straight face that made it seem like he did not care, sure looked like he was nitpicking.
Phew.
This was a lot to take in.
"Then, you don't hate me?" She asked and he shook his head. "But what do I do?" She folded her arms, glaring sharply at him. "I think I already hate you for all you did to me."