“W-What do you mean loose?!”
Clearly offended, Song Ha-Eun glared at Isabella and looked at her chest. Even though Isabella wore a loose-fitting dress, one area stood out boldly. Her breasts could justify the comment about things being loose on Song Ha-Eun. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝓷𝓮𝓽
What the fuck? Was there a glitch in the physics engine? How are those boobs attached to that waist?
Song Ha-Eun took pride in her figure, but Isabella’s was so out of the ordinary that even she couldn’t hope to compete.
Is this why guys always rave about Western women?
A sobering realization struck her. She finally understood the deep, ingrained differences and disparities that had plagued humanity since the dawn of civilization.
Song Ha-Eun sank into a sense of crushing defeat.
“Oh, turns out they have the same design in a different size.”
Isabella finished a phone call to someone and smiled in relief. On the outside, it looked like she was being sweet and considerate.
“Good thing we managed to find a smaller size for you, Miss Ha-Eun.”
With an innocent smile and exaggerated emphasis, Isabella's comment caused another vein to bulge on Song Ha-Eun's forehead.
This bitch is totally messing with me, right?
What could she do? This was the Colgrande Family’s villa. In other words, it was Isabella’s territory.
Ugh, only if it weren’t for Oh-Jin’s treatment, damn it.
Song Ha-Eun sharply glared at Isabella.
She couldn’t just flip the table in a rage-filled fit since Kwon Oh-Jin’s internal injuries were still an issue.
“If you don’t like it, would you prefer to change into a different one?”
Isabella's smile only deepened as Song Ha-Eun snatched the swimsuit out of her hands.
“Mr. Oh-Jin, have you picked out your swimsuit?”
"Yeah, I just grabbed a random one.”
He had chosen a standard pair of swim trunks. Men’s swimsuits weren’t complicated, so there was nothing to fuss about.
The real problem is...
Kwon Oh-Jin looked at Vega and Riarc. Riarc obviously didn’t need a swimsuit.
Vega can’t return to her true form in front of Isabella...
He had told Isabella that Vega was a guardian spirit, so revealing her true identity was out of the question.
As he wrestled with how to handle the situation, Vega raised one hand and spun in mid-air.
“You do not need to worry about my attire.”
Blue lightning surrounded her as her silver dress shimmered with a radiant light.
Spinning like a dancer, her dress flared out into ribbons of light that transformed into a swimsuit.
“I have transformed!”
Now in a one-piece swimsuit, Vega placed a hand on her hip and proudly shrugged.
What is she, some kind of wizard?
Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled at Vega. She flew over in her swimsuit and sat on top of his head.
Isabella’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Vega.
“Hmm. You’re Mr. Oh-Jin’s guardian spirit, right?”
"I’ve seen a few spirits before, but never one with such a clear sense of self."
“I am no ordinary spirit.”
"Hehe. I figured as much. Do you have a name? With a presence like yours, I’d assume you do.”
Vega hesitated and looked back at Kwon Oh-Jin.
He stepped forward and answered for her. “I named her Vega.”
“That’s right. She was a gift from my Celestial, so I named her after her.”
“Ah. I did think she felt different from most guardian spirits. It makes sense if the Celestial of Lyra directly summoned her,” Isabella exclaimed and nodded.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to suspect that Vega was the Celestial herself and not a guardian spirit.
I mean, it makes sense. Who would believe that a Celestial would shrink down to the size of a doll and follow her apostle around everywhere?
Besides, unless one was a high-ranking Celestial like Vega, manifesting like that was impossible anyway.
“Alright then, I’ll get changed too. Mr. Oh-Jin, please wait for us outside.”
With a playful wink, Isabella entered the changing room with Song Ha-Eun.
Around ten minutes passed before they came back out in their swimsuits.
The air was knocked out of his lungs as Song Ha-Eun and Isabella walked out of the dressing room. It felt as if time had slowed or he had activated the Stigma of Hourglass.
“You’re gonna burn a hole in me, you punk.”
Wearing the black bikini with red rose patterns, Song Ha-Eun smirked and poked the dazed Kwon Oh-Jin in the ribs.
“Hehe. I’m glad you seem to like it. I was worried it’d look bad since I’ve put on some weight recently."
In contrast to Song Ha-Eun, Isabella wore a white bikini. She gently tugged at the strap on her shoulder and looked down at her chest with feigned concern. That wickedly suggestive movement revealed her devastatingly powerful bust.
Kwon Oh-Jin felt his throat go dry.
Song Ha-Eun in a swimsuit was already a sight to behold, but Isabella was on another level.
“Shall we get going now that we’ve all changed into swimsuits?”
Feeling his piercing gaze, Isabella smiled brightly and gently pulled him by the arm.
Song Ha-Eun bit her lip and glared at Isabella, dragging Kwon Oh-Jin away.
She wanted to lash out about how Isabella dared to flirt with her man, but recalled what Kwon Oh-Jin once told her. She couldn’t reveal their relationship in front of Isabella and Vega, so she was stuck. All she could do was deeply sigh and follow them.
Following Isabella, the group boarded a large van and headed for the beach.
Around ten minutes later, they went down a cliffside road and finally arrived at the beach. Other tourists there for a getaway lounged under parasols and enjoyed the water.
As soon as Kwon Oh-Jin’s group arrived, the crowd’s attention gathered toward them.
“Isn’t that Lady Isabella?”
“No way. The Saintess of Rome is really here?”
“Holy crap! I never thought I’d get to see Lady Isabella in person!”
“Who's the girl next to her? She’s gorgeous too...”
Most focused on Isabella. Some also showed interest in Song Ha-Eun, but it was nothing compared to the Saintess of Rome from the powerful Colgrande Family.
Isabella stood at the pinnacle of both beauty and power since most people here were wealthy elites with influence. Naturally, all eyes were drawn to her.
“L-Lady Isabella! If you have a moment, may I treat you to a meal?”
“No, have a meal with me instead!”
A few bold ones even approached to ask her out, but Isabella skillfully turned them down and walked down the beach with a composed elegance.
“I’m sorry, but I’ve just eaten.”
Song Ha-Eun frowned as she watched men swarm around Isabella. “You’re quite popular, huh?”
Even if someone gave Song Ha-Eun a truckload of those losers, she wouldn’t trade them for a speck of Kwon Oh-Jin’s attention.
Still, a wave of humiliation and defeat washed over her.
Isabella smiled sweetly and patted Song Ha-Eun’s shoulder as if to comfort her. “They’re probably just not used to seeing Asians around.”
“Used to it or not, I don’t give a crap about these losers.” Song Ha-Eun scoffed.
She grabbed Kwon Oh-Jin’s arm and stormed across the beach. They approached the emerald waters so clear that one could see the ocean floor.
“This is the sea, right?”
Kwon Oh-Jin frowned as he felt a wave of heat like opening a car door parked outside in the middle of summer. It felt like being at a hot spring and not a beach.
He dipped his toes in and found the water to be warm like an actual hot spring.
“Due to the influence of mana, the seawater around this area is warm,” Isabella explained.
“This isn’t just warm. It’s borderline hot.”
He couldn’t even begin to imagine how much mana it took to turn winter into summer and make this sea feel like a giant hot spring.
“Just how hot is it?” Song Ha-Eun followed him and dipped her pale toes into the water. “Whoa, seriously. It’s like a cozy hot spring.”
Song Ha-Eun splashed around in fascination and waded in deeper.
“Hehe, Oh-Jin! Come in deeper!”
Vega, with a donut-sized floatie somehow around her waist, lit up excitedly. “Hmph! I shall enter as well!”
After being in a desolate temple all the time, even she seemed excited to be at the beach.
Seeing her really makes me question if she actually is a Celestial.
Still, seeing this side of her always made him feel like he was glimpsing her true self under the mighty mask of the North Star. He didn’t mind at all.
Since we’re here, I might as well have some fun too.
He cracked a smile and stretched a bit. It was his first time at the beach , so he could barely contain his excitement too.
“Hey! You little dog! Don’t just stand there and get in here!”
“Silence, lizard woman! I’m not used to water!”
Riarc stood hesitantly at the shoreline and flinched.
“Oh ho? Is that so~?”
Song Ha-Eun’s eyes gleamed mischievously as her lips curled up. “Oh-Jin! Grab him!”
“Gah! W-What are you doing, kid!” Riarc shouted.
Song Ha-Eun and Kwon Oh-Jin grabbed Riarch, who was stalling, by the legs and flung him into the water.
Riarc went under and flailed. “T-The water is salty!”
”It’s the sea. Of course, it’s salty,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.
“Urgh! I’m getting out! Water doesn’t suit a warrior!”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Floating in her little tube, Vega seemed amused by Riarc’s reaction and paddled over to him. She tugged playfully at his fur.
They all laughed and played like a scene straight out of a drama. Kwon Oh-Jin noticed Isabella staring blankly at nothing and not getting into the water.
“Isabella, aren’t you going to come in?”
He noticed her momentarily wince. It wasn’t anger, jealousy, or hatred. She clutched her chest and gasped for air.
She looked like she was trying to suppress some kind of pain.
Kwon Oh-Jin came out of the water and approached her.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just felt a bit dizzy all of a sudden.”
Isabella smiled brightly, as if she hadn’t been in pain a moment ago, and stepped closer to him.
“Hmm, I don’t think I’ll be able to play in the water today.”
She gestured toward a long sunbed beneath a parasol planted in the sand.
“I think I’ll just rest over there for a bit.”
“There’s something I’d like to ask you... Would you mind?”
She gently tugged him by the arm, leading him toward the parasol. Lying face-down on the long sunbed, she handed him a bottle of oil.
“Would you mind applying it for me?”
She undid the strap of her bikini top and flashed him an alluring smile.