Swire's hospital room. Since Baekhyun left in the morning, the noise from this tiger-faced young lady had not stopped for a single moment.
"Why can't I go too!"
"Because that was Grandfather's order."
"Aren't you all my personal attendants?"
"Grandfather's order takes priority."
Siiigh... I want to go out too... It's not like I'm hurt or anything...
Wasn't today supposed to be the most lively day of the year for children, the day of dreams? Of all days, this should have been the happiest.
'...It's fine. It's fine.'
Her slender arms trembled violently. It wasn't because the VVIP hospital room's overpowered heater—about which Baekhyun knew absolutely nothing—had broken down despite the dead of winter.
'It's fine... He's already been caught. Cleanly, too.'
From what she had heard about his current situation, he had collapsed from the impact of falling from the 25th floor, been handed over immediately to the Guard Bureau, and was now all but certain to be executed.
In other words, there was no way he would break through this tight security, grind his filthy yellow teeth again, and come opening that door. And yet her arms still shook, little by little.
'.....I'm scared.'
The one thing in this world that cannot be lied to is, in the end, oneself. Swire denied the reason her arms were trembling and tried to deceive herself, but she had no choice but to admit it. She was afraid right now.
Afraid of when he might again deal with the guards outside and look her over with those greedy eyes. That crawling, nauseating sensation did not fade easily.
'I should've asked him to stay beside me...'
Baekhyun from Danguk. A Liberi swordsman about her age. A man with a little too little common sense, and yet the owner of the empty bed who was truly strong.
She had not felt like this when he was beside her, but now that he was gone, her body was trembling so badly she realized just how powerless she was, and how much comfort the person beside her had given to her subconscious. If he had left her behind like this, leaving only her helpless trembling self, she would rather not have known at all.
'Maybe I should've just paid five million Lungmen coins and kept him around?'
Come to think of it, he was only a little crude, but his face was handsome...
"...Let's get another examination. Is that possible?"
"Yes. I'll prepare it immediately."
As her thoughts dragged on, it made this Beatrix Swire look as if she were clinging to that bastard! Annoying. I don't need someone like you anyway!
"So this is the state you're in..."
"You came here to pick a fight?"
"I came all this way, and this is the thanks I get? Fine, I'm leaving."
After repeating meaningless treatment about three times, her friend Lin returned. She had rushed out again when she came in this morning, and now she was back?
"That Baekhyun guy you were with? He dropped his card, so I picked it up for him. That's all."
"He dropped his card? Then he can just make a new one."
"Haa... this is why rich people..."
"Is this it?"
"As if."
"More importantly, where's the cake?"
"None. It sold out like wildfire this morning. Besides, someone like you could get one easily."
In truth, she had enough wealth to slap any random passerby in Lungmen and steal their cake without anyone daring to say a word...
"What's the point of getting cake that way!"
"....What?"
It was a petty tantrum even she did not know why she had thrown. Lin looked dumbfounded, so she probably hadn't expected her to react like this.
"That's hilarious. So this is the eldest daughter of Lungmen's biggest tycoon."
"You're out. How's your body? Feel like you're dying?"
"Lungmen profanity, why are you here?"
"Chen... even so, cursing at an injured friend the moment you meet them is a bit..."
"It's fine. It's her!"
And then there was the annoying dragon, and unlike her, her polite older sister as well. The room quickly became crowded.
"What's that?"
"Snacks. I was going to eat them while watching you be sick."
"You're rotten through and through. Take after your sister's personality at least half as much."
"What did you say, you punk? You done talking?"
"Chen! Calm down!"
"Haa... how long am I supposed to watch this mess?"
"Don't watch it, stop it, idiot!"
"That's right!! Or at least help me tease her!"
"Lungmen profanity, why are you here!"
"Lungmen polite speech, I came to tease you."
"Ch-Chen, that's a little too harsh..."
"Ugh... why would I come all this way just to look at those things... huh? You were definitely the one from this morning..."
Then, in the middle of that chaos, the door opened.
Thud!
And closed again.
What? Why are they all over there? Fine, Chen and Lin can be counted as childhood friends, but why is Talulah there too?
She had clearly only meant to hand over the cake and leave, so what was with that absurd lineup of people?
'I... should go in, right..?'
But now that she'd already shown her face, she couldn't back out. She had to go in.
"Well, look at that. All familiar faces."
"What are you doing here? And what's that?"
"I got it as a freebie from a dumpling shop. Want some?"
"What kind of cake comes as a dumpling shop freebie?"
"It's true. I bought some dumplings with the dragon-head card, and they gave it to me."
"If it's Uncle's card... I guess that could happen."
"So are you eating it or not?"
""I'll eat it!""
"...Cake, huh. Nice."
"Me too."
It was a little small for five people, but still—better than nothing.
"More importantly, didn't you say you were going to buy a whetstone?"
"...They... didn't sell it."
"Is that what you call an excuse?"
"...Something like that."
"More importantly, Lin. How do you know her?"
"That is... we happened to meet this morning."
"It's true. We met while eating breakfast this morning."
"While eating breakfast?"
"More importantly, what about you two?"
"My uncle said we were moving in next door..."
"No, that's not it. He dragged you off because he mistook you for a pickpocket, didn't he?"
"Th-that... I do feel bad about that..."
"You hit him in the temple. If that had gone wrong, he'd have been back in the hospital the moment he was discharged."
"Small-minded bastard."
"What did you say, punk?! You want to try getting hit?"
"And stop eating another piece of cake! How many is that now!"
"....Isn't it four slices?"
"Ugh... one more noisy one has been added... I'll give you one of mine, so eat quietly."
"Really?! Lin, you're the best!"
"Hey? Don't just cling to me all of a sudden...?"
"Ack?!!"
"Kya-hahaha!! Damn tiger... your face...! The cake...!"
".....Baekhyun, stand at attention."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You, get over here, you bird-brained idiot!!"
"Aaaah, sorry! Spare me!!"
"Hey, if you run around in a hospital... he's already gone."
And so the tiger's Christmas, which should have been quiet, would be remembered for many reasons. Very many reasons.
"I said get over here!!"
"If it were you, would you go?!!!"
On the rooftop of a high-rise building in Lungmen, a woman watched the scene, filling and emptying her wine cup.
The weather should have been cold, but her fluttering clothes and hair flowing long like a blue river made her stand out. What completed her, however, were her eyes.
What was so interesting? She laughed as she chased the boy—who could barely be seen from the rooftop—as if she could see him perfectly, then looked at him with something like affection and refilled her cup.
"You, I had meant to see your face as a keepsake for coming to Lungmen, but you've already tangled yourself up with women."
Though they were still children, she was already speaking as if those girls were flowers about to bloom.
"It seems I'll have to come again next time."
"Hey, you there—!"
As a guard sensed movement and opened the rooftop door, what he saw was
one empty cup. And only falling snow.