Taeseong’s expression changed in an instant.
The sudden shift in his demeanor was so menacing that Go Yeonghui instinctively felt fear.
However, due to her curse, which reversed emotional expressions, she wore an extremely triumphant look.
“…Is that true?”
“Huh? What?”
“I asked if it’s true.”
Gi-jun, quick to catch on, intervened to calm Taeseong down.
“Uh… Captain? Maybe relax a little?”
Only then did Taeseong realize that he had been radiating killing intent.
He slowly withdrew it.
Go Yeonghui had an expression of mockery for some reason, but Taeseong belatedly recognized that it was actually a sign of fear.
Taeseong ran a hand through his hair in frustration and spoke in a low voice.
“Sorry. I lose control whenever it comes to my sister…”
“N-no, I completely understand.”
“So Sooah really said she had no siblings?”
Go Yeonghui hesitated before cautiously answering.
“Yes… I ran into her a few times due to entity management work, and we ended up talking about various things, including family. But Sooah personally told me that she had no family at all.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Um… She said her parents passed away in an accident when she was young. And that she was an only child. That she never had any siblings to begin with.”
“An only child…?”
A stunned Taeseong clutched his forehead.
The others also sensed the cold shift in the atmosphere and offered words of comfort.
“Captain, I’m sure Sooah didn’t mean it. I know well how close you two were! Even when you were deployed overseas, you always carried a picture of Sooah. She adored you just as much.”
“That’s right, Taeseong! Sooah must have said that because it was a painful memory for her. It was probably just temporary!”
But to Taeseong, their words barely registered.
“Never had any siblings? Did she erase me from her memory entirely because of everything that happened?”
Lost in thought, he realized that no matter how much he pondered, he wouldn’t find the answer alone.
In the end, there was only one solution.
He had to meet her and ask directly.
“Assistant Manager Lee Eunha, I’ll be going now. It’ll probably take a few days for orders from the higher-ups to arrive. Until then, just wait for further instructions. I’ll update you if there are any changes.”
Go Yeonghui quickly left the lounge.
Lee Eunha retrieved a file from inside and handed it to Taeseong.
“What’s this?”
“A file on Go Yeonghui. She’s a team member, after all. You should at least have a rough idea of what abilities she has and what she’s been through, don’t you think?”
Nodding, Taeseong opened the file.
[D-Class Entity Management Report]
No. 0960
Entity Name: Go Yeonghui
Rank: Delta (Δ)
Threat Level: 3
- Orange-tier hazardous entity
Information:
A possessor who transmigrated into the novel “The Witch and the Cat.”
Returned to reality while afflicted by the witch’s curse, which reverses emotional expressions.
The witch’s estimated rank is Gamma (Γ) to Beta (Β).
Has a timid personality, but overall evaluation scores are exceptionally high.
Potential indicates significant future growth…
—[Edited]—
[Observation Log #029]
Confirmed ability to materialize weapons based on emotions.
“What is this…? I don’t know, it’s scary…”
She appeared unaware of her ability’s existence.
[Observation Log #042]
Confirmed that the strength of the materialized weapon increases in proportion to the intensity of the emotion.
With a loud thud, Ito burst into the room and shouted.
“Captain! She’s finally back! I’ve booked a separate room, so you can head there right now!”
Taeseong, who had been sitting on the sofa, jumped to his feet and left with Ito.
Behind them, their colleagues sent words of encouragement.
“Captain! Have a good reunion! Best of luck!”
“Taeseong! It’s been a long time since you’ve seen family—talk properly with her!”
“Taeseong, fighting! Fighting!”
Even during entity management missions, Taeseong had never felt nervous.
Yet now, his mouth was dry.
Despite his usual cold, ruthless nature, he was just like anyone else when it came to family.
She might not remember, but one thing was certain—No matter how much he suffered in that unknown world, he never gave up.
Because he wanted to return to Earth and reunite with his family.
And today, he was finally going to see her.
For the first time since his return.
Of course, he was nervous.
As they walked down the corridor, Ito asked,
“Captain, are you nervous?”
“…Honestly, yes. I don’t know what to say when I first see her.”
“Don’t overthink it! Just say whatever comes naturally! That’s how family works, isn’t it? No matter how many years pass, you’re still happy, still miss them, still feel close—that’s family! Blood is thicker than water, isn’t it? My sister even sold off all her organs just to keep me alive.”
For once, instead of his usual nonsense, Ito said something sensible.
Surprised, Taeseong glanced at him, then eventually smiled.
Like an older brother messing with a younger sibling, he ruffled Ito’s hair.
“You lost to a Delta-rank and still call me ‘Captain’ all the time. Doesn’t that hurt your pride?”
“What’s there to be ashamed of? Rank doesn’t matter—whoever’s stronger calls the shots.”
“You’re surprisingly smart.”
“Heh heh.”
As they chatted, they finally arrived in front of the room where Lee Sooah was staying.
Ito bowed politely and said,
“Take your time and talk, Captain.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Taking a deep breath, Taeseong steadied himself and opened the door with a tense expression.
Finally… I’ll see my sister.
Inside, a girl with red hair sat on the sofa, staring at him.
Her face, devoid of any emotion, was cold—almost like a wax figure.
As Taeseong struggled with what to say first, he finally opened his mouth.
“Sorry for being la—”
“Are you the one who asked to see me?”
“……”
“The administrator dispatched from Korea—what business do you have with me that you wanted to meet?”
The unexpected response left him speechless.
The young girl in Taeseong’s memories had grown so much that he could no longer recognize her youthful face.
“Sooah, It’s me. It’s your brother.”
“Brother? You’re saying you’re my brother?”
“Yes… I’m your one and only brother, Lee Taeseong. Don’t you remember me?”
Hearing those words, Sooah frowned and spoke.
“Hah… That bastard Ito dragged me here out of nowhere, saying that an important matter needed to be discussed with an administrator from Korea, and now you’re telling me you’re my brother? This is ridiculous. Look here, Mr. Lee Taeseong. I have no brothers, no sisters, no parents, no family at all. Do you understand?”
Taeseong stared at her intently, trying to read the truth in her eyes.
No matter how closely he examined her, she truly seemed to have no recollection of him.
What was going on?
Was she just pretending not to know him? Or had she really erased him from her memory?
“Mother’s name was Kim Young-ja. Father’s name was Lee Wang-bok. The eldest son, Lee Taeseong. The youngest daughter, Lee Sooah.”
At that moment—
A crimson haze began to rise from Sooah’s entire body, and the temperature in the room shot up in an instant.
“…Who are you? What kind of person investigates my background like this?”
Panicked, Taeseong hastily shouted.
“You’ve got it all wrong, Sooah! I think you’re misunderstanding something— I didn’t investigate you! I really—”
“Shut up! Don’t call my name so casually!”
Fwoosh!
Columns of fire erupted around her.
“I already told you. I have no family. My only blood relatives, my parents, died in an accident when I was a child. I have no family named Lee Taeseong!”
Looking into Sooah’s murderous gaze, Taeseong felt an indescribable emotion well up inside him.
Regret, sorrow, confusion, rage, doubt.
A tangled mess of emotions, compressed into something unrecognizable.
“Sooah… Please, just listen to me—”
Taking slow, deliberate breaths as if to control her anger, Sooah spoke in a resolute tone.
“Administrator Lee Taeseong. This will be my final warning. This is neither a request nor a suggestion—it is a warning. Do not ever bring up the topic of family in front of me again. If you dare to spout that nonsense about being my brother even one more time, I will not let it slide.”
Realizing that further conversation would only make things worse, Taeseong silently nodded.
Provoking her now would only escalate the situation.
For now, he would step back and wait for another opportunity—one where he could prove that he was truly her brother.
If there was an issue with her memory, he would fix it.
If there were any obstacles in the way, he would crush them all.
She was his family—his one and only little sister.
He could never accept an ending like this.
Retracting her flames, Sooah walked past him and muttered.
“To be honest, I hope I never have to see you again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have entity management work to attend to.”
Thud—
The door closed behind her.
Thirty minutes passed.
Then an hour.
But Taeseong remained in the same spot.
Alone, he blankly stared at the space where Sooah had been.
The once-fuzzy image of his little sister was now crystal clear.
But now… she wasn’t smiling.
Even if his memories of the past had been hazy, he was certain that she had always smiled brightly at him.
Yet the sister in his clear memory now only looked at him with eyes full of contempt.
Leaning against the wall, Taeseong slowly whispered her name.
“Sooah…”
Rage bubbled inside him.
They threw him into another world at random.
Now, his one and only family didn’t even recognize him.
He had endured everything just to return and see his sister again, yet—
As the fury reached its boiling point, Taeseong found himself thinking:
Could all of this really just be coincidence?
Getting swept up in an interdimensional transfer.
Becoming the Apostle of a mysterious wolf and devouring humans.
His parents dying in an accident.
Returning to Earth only to become a manager in the organization called ‘Tree.’
And now, his only family not remembering him at all.
Grinding his teeth, Taeseong muttered as if swallowing his words.
“Bullshit. You expect me to believe this is all just a coincidence?”
Don’t make me laugh.
There’s no way.
To whatever wretched bastard is watching this pathetic scene from the shadows—
If some transcendent being out there is responsible for this sick joke…
Whether they be a god or a demon, I will find them.
And I will tear them apart.
Shred them to pieces—
That was when—
WEEEOOOO! WEEEOOOO! WEEEOOOO! WEEEOOOO!
A piercing siren exploded in his ears.
Immediately after, the PA system blared throughout the building.
[CODE GREEN! CODE GREEN!]
[Delta-ranked administrator ‘Lee Sooah’ has been confirmed to be rampaging. Effective immediately, administrator ‘Lee Sooah’ will be reclassified as a Red-level dangerous entity, ‘Pure Flame,’ and her management level will increase to Beta.]
[All administrators within the facility are ordered to cease their current tasks and proceed to D-1 Sector, Isolation Room #4. The immediate priority is the elimination of the dangerous entity. I repeat—]
