He couldn't remember when, but something inside him had changed.

Ma Yuseong wasn't someone who would easily care about anyone. He had never felt interested in anyone for too long, and he never let trivial emotions shake his will. But recently, something inside him had changed. Slowly but persistently, like a wave silently invading every corner of his mind.

At first, he thought it was just curiosity. A worthy opponent was always worth his attention. Someone who could stand on par with him, who could confuse him with tactics and training, who could make him take each battle more seriously—of course, he would want to surpass that person. So, his attention towards Yuseol, to him, was completely normal

But then, that strange feeling didn't disappear like before

He started to realize that he was thinking about Yuseol too much

Not only during the confrontation but also when Yuseol wasn't there

Not only about how to defeat Yuseol but also about how to make Seol pay more attention to him

At first, he simply saw Yuseol as a strong opponent, someone worthy of his respect and wanted to surpass. But then, little by little, that feeling began to distort and deform in a way that he couldn't control

That respect was no longer limited to just an opponent

He wanted to see Seol look at him more

He wanted to know what was going on in Seol's mind

He wanted to understand why those golden eyes could be so calm, as if they had never wavered before anyone - including him

Every time Yuseol smiled, he felt something warm in his chest. Not anger or rivalry, but a soft, gentle feeling that was uncomfortable

Every time those golden eyes swept over him, he wanted to touch, to pull Seol a little closer

Since when did he start not only wanting to win over Yuseol, but also wanting to... protect?

That thought made him angry

He didn't need to protect anyone

He was Ma Yuseong

He had no responsibility to protect anyone except the person he loved

But every time Yuseol turned around and walked away, he felt like he had missed something important

At first, he reassured himself that it was just because the initial excitement hadn't completely dissipated. But the more he tried to deny it, the more obvious that feeling became

He wanted to keep Seol by his side

Not as a rival. Not as a companion

But as something more

Something he had never felt before

It wasn't just interest or respect anymore. It was something deeper, more insidious, and more terrifying

Possession

Desire

He wanted to see Yuseol only directing that gaze at him

Wanted to see Seol only smile at him, only think of him, only belong to him

He wanted Seol to be stuck in his world, unable to escape, unable to turn away

But he didn't understand his feelings

He didn't know since when Baek Yuseol could stir his mind to this extent

And what bothered him the most - was that he couldn't control it

Ma Yuseong still remembered that moment very clearly - the inheritance ceremony, where he first felt truly interested in Baek Yuseol

He wasn't someone who was easily attracted to others. But Seol's gaze that day... somehow made him remember it until now

He stood tall, his hand tightly gripping the high-level intermediate staff that he had just obtained. It was a glorious moment, the light reflecting off the surface of the staff enhanced his brilliant aura. He felt many gazes directed at him, admiration, jealousy, and even wariness from others. But among all those gazes, there was one gaze that stood out the most - Baek Yuseol

Yuseol did not look at him with jealousy or flattery like the others. Those amber eyes reflected a bit of admiration, a bit of evaluation, and most of all... understanding. It felt like Seol had known that he would get this staff, as if it was obvious. Those eyes were fixed on him, not hiding anything

Ma Yuseong had turned his head, facing that gaze and smirked mischievously. It was just a little teasing - he wanted to see how Yuseol would react.

And that reaction... was beyond his expectations

Baek Yuseol was slightly startled, clearly not expecting him to return that gaze. A hint of confusion flashed across Seol's face, the corners of his eyes wavering slightly, but then he calmed down again, retracting his gaze as if nothing had happened. It was a brief moment, but Ma Yuseong realized - that confusion was adorable

His mood improved greatly

But what really caught his attention was when Baek Yuseol resonated with his magic staff. Another high-level medium staff, but not an ordinary one - Terivon. The moment Yuseol grabbed Terivon, the power radiating from him was so obvious that it made the entire audience fall silent

He had always thought of himself as someone who stood at the top, someone who was hard to compare to. But Seol... was different. Not only was he strong, but he also had something that made others unable to take their eyes off him - an inexplicable charm, like a sharp blade hidden in its sheath, waiting for the right moment to shine

From that moment on, Ma Yuseong decided - Baek Yuseol was not just someone to behold. He was a worthy opponent

Since when did Ma Yuseong worry about someone? .....just met not long ago

Ma Yuseong stood with his arms crossed against the wall, his eyes fixed on the two figures standing not far away. Baek Yuseol and Aiselle were discussing something, seemingly in agreement. For some reason, Ma Yuseong felt a little uncomfortable

He originally intended to approach Yuseol and ask him to form a group, but before he could get close, he saw Seol quickly take the initiative to form a group with Aiselle. And how could he carelessly come between the two of them? So Ma just stood silently, observing Seol from afar. He told himself, it was just that he was not good at being alone. But why did his eyes keep following Seol unconsciously like that?

"Ma Yuseong, form a group with me" Hong Biyeon's voice rang out beside him, pulling Ma out of his thoughts

Ma turned around, raising his eyebrows at the haughty princess: "You want to form a group with me?"

"You see" Hong Biyeon jerked her chin toward Yuseol and Aiselle "He's teaming up with Aiselle"

She whispered "Besides... I don't like them"

Don't like them? Ma Yuseong accidentally heard it, he didn't even know what he was feeling. It was just that, when he saw Yuseol being intimate with someone else, he felt a little... uncomfortable, a feeling that even he didn't understand

"That sounds interesting" Ma Yuseong chuckled lightly, full of interest.

"I've wanted to confront Yuseol for a long time"

Hong Biyeon nodded, his face full of confidence "You and I will form a team. Let's defeat them together"

Ma Yuseong agreed. If Yuseol already had a team, then he didn't need to hesitate any longer. After all, he wanted to fight Seol, wanted to see how strong he was

The simulation battle began with the careful preparation of the participating teams. Ma Yuseong, along with Hong Biyeon, entered the arena. Their opponent was the highest level monster in the test

Ma Yuseong wasn't too worried. He had confidence in his own strength, and at the same time, he was also a bit interested in this test. Facing the monster, Ma quickly deployed his tactics, coordinating with Hong Biyeon to deal fatal damage. The powerful spells, combined with Ma's lightning-fast reaction speed, helped his group defeat the monster without much difficulty

When the final attack landed, the monster dissipated in a flash of light, signaling the end of the battle. Ma Yuseong smirked, somewhat triumphant as he looked at the updated scoreboard. By defeating the strongest monster on the list, his group's score was currently very high

Ma Yuseong left the competition area, leisurely walking up to the stands. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes unconsciously searching for a familiar figure. Soon after, Yuseol and Aiselle walked onto the field. Seol looked as calm as ever, his eyes shining with interest as he looked at the battlefield ahead. Ma Yuseong didn't know why, but just looking at that scene made him feel a bit restless. What was this feeling? It was as if he was afraid that Yuseol would get hurt. He had never cared about anyone in a simulated battle like this

The battle began

And then, five giant monsters appeared

The audience was in an uproar. Even though the five monsters weren't that high-level, it was very difficult to defeat five of them at once. He frowned slightly. Why was Yuseol so confident? Did he really think that he could fight all of them with just two people?

Ma Yuseong himself didn't understand why his chest felt heavy when he saw that scene. Yuseol had a plan, that was for sure. But what if it went wrong just a little bit? What if Seol got hurt? An uneasy feeling crept into his every thought, but he couldn't explain it

Then Yuseol took action

He charged at the monster, but not to destroy it, but to redirect it. Every move was intentional, every strike was strategic. He forced the monsters into attacking each other. Aiselle stood behind him, concentrating on chanting, and in the perfect moment - a brilliant magic exploded, ending the battle

The space was silent for a moment, then cheers rang out. Yuseol's group had scored higher

Ma Yuseong didn't look at the scoreboard. He only looked at Yuseol, at the relieved smile on his face, at the way Seol turned to encourage Aiselle. He should feel upset about losing, but strangely, he felt a strange sense of relief

He sighed, shook his head and laughed

"What an unpredictable opponent"

He told himself that this feeling was just recognition of a strong opponent. But deep inside, something was growing, he just wasn't ready to recognize it yet