I kept flicking my eyes between Cheongyu and Hwa-eun without realizing it.

Hwa-eun tilted her head, puzzled by the expression on my face.

“So-ryong? Is Cheongyu... really that sick?”

“Ah—no, not really. I don’t think it’s anything serious...”

“Then that’s a relief. But... why do you keep looking at me like that? Like you did something wrong?”

A chill ran straight down my spine.

I swear, sometimes I really think Hwa-eun has telepathy or some supernatural sixth sense. She’s like a shaman about to go into a trance—just hits the mark dead-on.

She did it before I entered the inner realm too... And look, just because the clan is called Tang doesn’t mean she’s some kind of fortune-telling priestess.

But her instincts? Freakishly accurate.

“Cheongyu might be the literal ghost here, but Hwa-eun’s the one creeping me out...”

Anyway.

Given how upset Hwa-eun had been last time—about how I got out of the inner realm—I wasn’t sure how to explain the current situation.

It wasn’t fair, but... she clearly saw Cheongyu as some kind of rival. Even though I absolutely didn’t feel that way.

“I only care about Cheongyu because she’s a beautiful venom beast. That’s it. Wait... didn’t Hwa-eun once say she’d feel less worried if Cheongyu were human?”

Yeah. She had said that.

That she wouldn’t be concerned if Cheongyu were a person—because I had no interest in people.

So maybe... the human Cheongyu that lives inside the Golden Crown Death Centipede would be fine, right?

By Hwa-eun’s own logic, Cheongyu the person should be in the clear.

“Wait no, she did get mad when she found out Cheongyu kissed me in the inner realm—on the cheek, but still...”

Right. She said people were fine, but then blew up over a kiss.

That brought me right back to square one—and my head started throbbing.

She says she doesn’t mind if it’s a person, but then her actions say otherwise.

“So what am I supposed to do!?”

Caught between Hwa-eun’s contradictory words and behavior, I had no idea how to get out of this mess.

She was still staring at me, waiting for an answer.

“So-ryong?”

『“Ah, screw it. If I try to hide it and she finds out, it’ll be even worse. I didn’t even do anything wrong! That’s right—I didn’t do anything wrong! The one I love most is Hwa-eun. Period.”』

Sure, she got upset over how I left the inner realm, but come on—a kiss on the cheek? That’s basically a handshake in the West.

And I didn’t even initiate it!

It was just the only way to escape the inner realm at the time. No hidden feelings. No intent. Nothing romantic.

I was clean. So instead of tying myself in mental knots, I decided to face it head-on.

『“I’m innocent. Damn right. And if she misunderstands, I’ll make it clear: I don’t love Cheongyu. I treat her like a damn rock. The one I love is Hwa-eun. No question. I’ll just say it loud and clear.”』

And then—

A voice echoed in my mind.

『—“Shiaa? (So-ryong... that kinda hurt, hearing it so bluntly like that...)”

—“HUUUUHH!?”』

I jolted in place and looked down.

Cheongyu was still nestled in my arms... smiling.

“Wait—what the hell?! That was a private thought!”

Turns out, I’d switched channels without noticing. I’d started off on a one-on-one mental link with Cheongyu, but somewhere along the way, I’d slipped into the group chat.

“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant—!”

I had literally just called her a lifeless object and declared my love for someone else—right in her face. Not cool.

Now I felt guilty and embarrassed.

I quickly checked the mental connection. Thank god—none of the kids were online.

“Whew... Okay. Crisis averted. If the kids had heard, they would’ve exploded: ‘Why do you love Mom the most?!’”

I wiped the sweat from my brow—only to suddenly feel a familiar presence in the group chat.

Hwa-eun.

“GYYYAAAAH!”

I’d thought no one was connected, but apparently, Hwa-eun had been listening in the entire time.

She must’ve called me while I was thinking and her channel auto-connected.

“It’s over. I’m done for.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Just then, I felt a soft pulse of embarrassment through the mental link.

『—“Shiii... (So-ryong, it’s okay. You can let go now. I think I just got a little dizzy earlier. Being held like this is... kind of embarrassing.)”

—“Oh noooooo...”』

Right.

I was still holding Cheongyu.

I freaked out and immediately let go—springing back like a startled cat.

Thud.

Cheongyu fell right onto the wooden deck, landing on her butt. She rubbed the back of her head and sat up.

『—“Shiaa? (That probably would’ve hurt if I were human... but I guess being in the Golden Crown Death Centipede’s body has its perks. Still, you surprised me, So-ryong.)”』

She pouted slightly, placing her hands on her hips—like a scolded girl sulking at her boyfriend.

And then—

A gentle voice broke through the air.

“Cheongyu Young Lady? It’s been a while. Good to see you again.”

I turned.

Hwa-eun, her cheeks faintly flushed, was smiling softly as she greeted Cheongyu.

“Huh!?”

For a second, I thought she was mad—her face looked a bit flushed, and I assumed it was from anger.

I instinctively braced myself for verbal punishment.

But... her voice was calm. Almost kind.

“W-Wait... what’s going on?”

***

I’d been worried sick...

But in the end, things turned out surprisingly well.

After all, that slip I made—saying in front of both Cheongyu and Hwa-eun that the one I love most is Hwa-eun—had apparently made her incredibly forgiving.

Throughout the conversation, I’d catch Hwa-eun glancing my way, and each time, her expression said one thing:

Satisfied.

She looked like someone who’d forgive any crime short of fraud right now.

“Seriously, it’s like there’s a glowing neon sign on her face saying: ‘I am benevolent.’”

『“Ah, I see. Let’s get along from now on, Miss Cheongyu.”

—Shia... (Thank you for saying that. I feel like I did a lot of terrible things...)

“Those were just the Five Venoms’ brainwashing, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ weren’t they? Don’t worry about it.”』

“Man... I really got lucky.”

Or was it unlucky? I couldn’t tell anymore.

Either way, my little broadcast accident had led to a surprisingly pleasant outcome.

『“But Miss Cheongyu, how exactly did you come out? You were still inside the Golden Crown Death Centipede, right?

Not trying to imply anything weird—I just need to know if it means the beast is about to re-emerge, or if it’ll be you for a while.”』

Once the warm greetings ended, Hwa-eun asked how the human Cheongyu had managed to come forth.

Cheongyu gently stroked her chin and answered:

『—Shia. Shiii... (Could it be because of the full moon? Yin energy is at its peak then. Maybe my soul was drawn out by that energy.)

“Ah, that makes sense. So you might stay for a day or two, then go back once the full moon wanes?”

—Shiaa... (That’s what I think. We’ll have to see, though.)

“Sounds about right.”』

Cheongyu’s guess—moon influence—actually sounded pretty convincing.

After all, full moons are special for animals.

For example, certain crabs and corals only lay eggs during a full moon. Most insects (except mosquitoes) go completely inactive during full moons.

Mosquitoes, by the way? Bite five hundred times more during full moons.

But if you’re into insect collecting? Full moons are a nightmare.

You might not find a single bug out there.

No one really knows why—it hasn’t been scientifically explained yet—but insect activity drops like a rock, and even fishing yields plummet in tropical areas.

So if something unusual happened thanks to moonlight? Honestly, not even surprising.

And in this world, full moons rise twice a month, not once. Meaning Miss Cheongyu might show up twice a month.

As I nodded along, Hwa-eun turned to me with a thoughtful look.

『“Oh, and So-ryong. I meant to ask you something, too.”』

The moment she said that, I flinched and glanced at Cheongyu.

Even if she was in a good mood, clearly she had something she wanted to clarify.

Cheongyu also looked at me, flustered, unsure what was coming.

She must have thought the whole thing was smoothed over—clearly didn’t expect Hwa-eun to come right out with it.

『—Shii... (Uh, I... I just... I’m grateful, that’s all! There’s really nothing to misunderstand... and in the inner realm it was just... it had to be...)

“Oh, don’t worry about that. That was just me being jealous and wanting So-ryong to pay more attention to me.”

“That’s not what I’m asking about, anyway.”

“What I want to ask... is about the Five Poisons Returning to the Origin Art.

So-ryong didn’t say anything, but I heard from the Dragon Fangs that he went to ask them for help.

He’s been struggling lately—trying to handle all our conversations—and it looks like he’s trying to learn a mind-splitting technique.

I wanted to ask if that’s really okay. You’d know best, Miss Cheongyu.”』

『—Shii... (So that’s what So-ryong’s been struggling with...)

“Yes.”』

Cheongyu tapped her temple gently, as if recalling something.

Then she gathered her thoughts and spoke.

『—*Shiaaaa. Shii... (To be honest, even in the Five Venoms Sect, no one has ever reached the “Five-Poison Realm” with all five of the top-tier poison beasts at once.

But the founder of the Five Venoms did leave behind some theories—expectations about what kind of state one might reach.

And based on that...

So-ryong is progressing wonderfully.

So I’d suggest focusing on perfecting the Five-Poison Realm rather than splitting your mind.

You’ve already formed a contract with the Ice-Lizard Triplets, haven’t you?

Once your body stabilizes, I recommend you move straight into full Five-Poison integration.)*』

When you accept a venom beast’s poison and your cultivation level rises, it takes time to adapt to the new state.

It’s kind of like wearing clothes that are way too tight or too loose.

Your brain tells your body to move, but your bones and flesh lag behind a bit.

So your body needs time to catch up to its own evolution.

That adaptation process usually takes a couple of months.

Cheongyu was saying—once that process with the Ice Lizards (a.k.a. Seol, Bing, and Dong) was complete, I should dive straight into Five-Poison cultivation.

No need to distract myself with new techniques.

“And in two months, we should be arriving at Hyung’s place anyway...”

I figured I’d decide then—whether to stick with Cheongyu’s advice or take up the Ak Clan’s offer.

I was just about to ask her what kind of abilities you gained once you fully reached the Five-Poison Realm when—

『“But Miss Cheongyu, once someone does reach the Five-Poison Realm, what—”

—Shii... (Ah, looks like that’s it for now.)

“...Huh?”』

Cheongyu suddenly staggered again, just like before.

I turned toward the horizon—and saw it.

The sun was starting to peek above the sea.

The full moon still hung in the sky, but its light was slowly being overwhelmed.

Just like that, the human Cheongyu began to retreat back into the Golden Crown Death Centipede’s body.

She and Hwa-eun had both hoped the form would last a few days—but it seemed like Cheongyu could only emerge when the full moon was at its peak.

“Are you alright?”

I asked carefully, worried something might be off.

Cheongyu placed a hand on her temple, still a bit dizzy—but then I felt one last message, on a private line.

『—*Shiaaa... (So-ryong, remember when you said you liked the Golden Crown Death Centipede?

I don’t think you realized this, but even though we appear separately... Cheongyu and I share the same body.

So when you say you like her—half of that... belongs to me.)*』

Her voice carried a tinge of shyness—but the message hit me like a brick.

“Oh no. She just joined the list...”

Another one added to the growing harem.

“Gyaaaaaah!”

Maybe Hwa-eun’s concerns weren’t as exaggerated as I thought.