As they were walking, Hyacinth's phone buzzed. She glanced at it and saw who was calling.
Her previously soft expression quickly disappeared, replaced by a frown.
Hyacinth told Aurora that she needed to answer the call for a moment. Worried that Aurora might get lost, Hyacinth pointed to a spot and asked her to wait there until she returned before leaving.
Aurora suspected that the person who called her was probably her alpha grandfather, the only remaining relative she had. Hyacinth's parents had died in a car accident when she was just nine years old. As the sole heir to her family's company, she was under the guidance of her alpha grandfather, who had been looking after her ever since.
Aurora, who followed Hyacinth's instructions, stood at the spot Hyacinth had pointed to. As she stood there leisurely, glancing around, her eyes were drawn to a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
The woman had sleek, long ponytails of white hair, with her right eye silver and the left side of her face partially covered by her hair. She was walking and talking to someone.
Aurora thought the woman looked familiar.
As Aurora thought about it, the woman stared back at her. They locked eyes for a few seconds before the woman smiled. Aurora, with an expressionless face, simply looked at her.
The woman's companion called out to her, and she nodded at Aurora before walking away.
Aurora, deep in thought, slipped away unnoticed, as if she had simply faded from sight.
Hyacinth returned, her previous demeanor disappearing in an instant, though she still forced a smile.
"Sorry for the wait," she said, her voice calm. "There was a problem, but it got fixed right away. Anyway, they texted me saying they're already there. We should go now."
Despite her close relationship with the original owner, Hyacinth maintained a polite and somewhat distant attitude, never fully letting her guard down.
Aurora nodded.
Even though she had no idea who she was about to meet, she maintained a calm facade. However, deep down, she was more nervous than when she first met the original owner's parents. At least then, she had remnants of their memories to rely on, giving her a sliver of confidence. But now, she was stepping into the unknown.
At this moment, all Aurora wanted was to go home immediately.
Regret weighed heavily on her, she wished she had never come.
As they arrived at the place, the tension in her chest tightened...
As Aurora and Hyacinth stepped inside, a blur of motion suddenly rushed toward them at full speed. Before Aurora could react, someone nearly crashed into them, breathlessly calling out Hyacinth's name.
With swift reflexes, Hyacinth effortlessly dodged, sidestepping just in time to avoid the impact.
The short girl pouted, dramatically clutching her chest as if her heart had just been shattered.
"You don't love me anymore? After I turned into an omega and everything... you treat me like—"
Before she could finish, a voice cut through her theatrics.
"Don't be childish now, Sora," the newcomer sighed, exuding an air of quiet authority.
She stood tall easily towering over Sora—with a lean yet powerful frame that made every movement seem both graceful and deliberate. Her deep auburn hair, almost copper under the light, fell in effortless waves just past her shoulders, with shorter strands framing her sharp features.
Her jade green eyes, cool and piercing, carried a gaze that was both mysterious and unwavering, like the depths of an untouched forest.
Light olive skin, dusted with faint freckles across her nose and cheekbones, hinted at years spent under the sun.
A faint scar above her left eyebrow added a touch of ruggedness to her otherwise composed appearance, while a delicate, abstract tattoo curled along her inner forearm—its meaning a secret only she knew.
She crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she regarded Sora with an exasperated yet familiar expression.
"Oh? You have a friend? Didn't expect that from you, Hyacinth."
"As if you have any either, Soran Halloway."
Soran and Hyacinth locked eyes, a familiar tension crackling between them. Soran's lips curled into a teasing smile. "Still as sharp tongued as ever, I see."
"Where are they?" Hyacinth asked, arms crossed, her tone clipped.
Aurora, who had unconsciously faded into the background, observed in silence.
Soren tilted her head slightly, gesturing with her lips.
Hyacinth followed her gaze toward a high end restaurant. The warm glow from its chandeliers reflected off polished glass, and through the grand windows, elegantly dressed figures mingled over lavish meals. The unmistakable air of wealth surrounded the place.
Her brows knitted together.
Aurora, still blending into the background, blinked in confusion.
What are they talking about? she wondered.
Sora, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. "You're still pest— no, pursuing her?" She tilted her head slightly, her expression deceptively innocent.
Hyacinth shot her a glare, but Sora only responded with a playful wink.
Aurora, finally piecing it together, recalled something from the earlier events of this story. Back then, Hyacinth had been actively pursuing the female lead, Rose Sallow, despite the fact that Rose was soon to be engaged in her current relationship.
But in this timeline, Rose already had a boyfriend.
Yet Hyacinth still refused to believe that there was anything real between them.
The idea that Rose—the person who had made her heart race for the first time was truly in a relationship didn't sit well with her.
It was her first experience with love, and she wasn't ready to let go just yet.
Besides, Rose herself had told her there was nothing between them. That's why Hyacinth firmly believed their so called relationship wasn't real—just a rumor, nothing more.
As the two stood in deep thought, Soren broke the silence.
Glancing at the pair in the distance, she turned to Hyacinth. She never really understood why Hyacinth insisted on pursuing someone who was already taken.
They had talked about it countless times, but Hyacinth never listened. So, in the end, Soren chose to stay quiet—after all, she wasn't the one who would end up hurt.
"What's the plan this time?" she asked, her tone laced with mild exasperation.
At her words, the two who had been blending into the background instinctively turned to Hyacinth in unison.
Hyacinth crossed her arms. "We're just going to watch them."
Soren let out a sigh. "Alright."
Sora, who had been watching Hyacinth with curiosity, finally spoke up. "I booked the upper floor. From there, you'll have the perfect vantage point to see them clearly!"
Hyacinth gave a small nod before handing Sora her black card without hesitation.
Grinning, Sora eagerly accepted it.
As they finally arrived at the room Sora had booked, they found themselves in a beautifully designed space with a traditional Japanese theme.
The soft glow of paper lanterns cast a warm ambiance, and the scent of freshly prepared dishes lingered in the air.
Aurora's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She had rarely visited places like this in her previous life—her focus had been solely on success, leaving little room for indulgence. A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she pushed away the memories.
She made a conscious effort not to glance around too much, keeping her curiosity in check to avoid drawing any suspicion.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group remained unfazed. For them, a place like this was nothing out of the ordinary.