Chapter 43: The Cold-Blooded Gorgon
The interior of the boutique was breathtaking.
Bolts of enchanted silk floated lazily through the air like living ribbons, folding themselves into intricate patterns before unfolding again. Polished crystal mannequins stood in elegant poses, showcasing armor that looked more like high fashion than battle gear—sleek, shimmering pieces of magic that hugged every curve while promising absolute protection.
Soft, colorful lights danced across the walls, and the faint, relaxing scent of lavender and fresh linen hung in the air.
A silver bell chimed sweetly as the group stepped inside.
From behind a shimmering velvet curtain, a tall, impossibly glamorous elf woman emerged.
She had long, pointed ears adorned with a dozen delicate gold piercings and striking eyes the color of crushed amethysts. Her movements were graceful and confident, like she owned every inch of the shop. Well, she did own every inch of the shop.
"Medusa, darling!" the elf sang out, strutting forward with her arms wide open. She pulled Medusa into a tight, familiar hug.
Medusa hugged her back with a big, genuine smile—the kind of warm, unguarded expression Hyun-woo rarely saw on the eldest Gorgon.
"Oh, shut up, you," Medusa laughed, pulling back. "I was just here yesterday. Your ass was simply too busy to notice me then."
"Medusa, darling, that’s very sassy of you," the elf tailor replied with a playful wink, clearly enjoying the banter like old friends catching up.
Hyun-woo, on the other hand, blinked in genuine shock. He looked from the cheerful elf to Medusa and blurted out, "You have friends? Like, actual, non-hostage friends?"
Medusa’s emerald snake-hair flared up instantly, hissing in unison as if personally offended as she shot him a cold glare. "I will have you know, mister, that I am perfectly capable of maintaining relationships. I have several female friends, thank you very much."
"Right, right, my mistake," Hyun-woo chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. Damn, she got defensive fast.
Still, he felt genuinely happy seeing her like this. At least she wasn't the same tragic, isolated Gorgon that people wrote horror stories about. She had a real life here. She had friends, a city, and moments where she smiled just like anyone else. Seeing her smile like that made a warm feeling bloom in his chest.
The shop owner suddenly paused. Her amethyst eyes snapped directly to Hyun-woo. She leaned in closer, studying his casual clothes and unassuming face. A spark of recognition lit up her expression.
"Hold on a moment," she gasped, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at his chest. "The black hair, that ridiculously cute face… Aren’t you the human who was on a date with that brat Stheno the other day?"
Hyun-woo rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Yeah… you’re talking about Stheno?"
Word travels fast around here, he thought. Still, hearing someone call the terrifying middle sister a "brat" out loud made him grin. This elf clearly knew the Gorgons very well.
"Yep. Stheno, that brat. The one and only," the elf said matter-of-factly. She looked him up and down, nodding to herself and mumbling something under her breath.
But before she could grill him further, her gaze shifted to his left.
Vespera was still clinging tightly to his arm, half-hiding behind him. The dragoness’s oversized black robes were slipping dangerously far off her shoulders, revealing a deep, mesmerizing valley of pale cleavage from her massive breasts.
The shopkeeper’s eyes went wide. She literally sparkled with excitement. "Oh. My. Tree of Yggdrasil."
Vespera stiffened like a statue, her six golden eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "Do not look at me with such insolence, peasant…"
But the elf tailor was completely unfazed. Her amethyst eyes shined with pure, professional fervor. "The proportions! The sheer volume! That regal, commanding aura! You, my dear, are an absolute masterpiece!"
Before Vespera could even finish her protest, the tailor produced a glowing measuring tape out of thin air and lunged forward.
She grabbed the dragoness by the wrist with surprising, manic strength. "Come with me this instant! We’re going straight to the VIP fitting room upstairs. I have fabrics that were literally made for a body like yours!"
"What?! Unhand me this instant!" Vespera shrieked, trying to dig her heels into the polished marble floor. "Consort! Save me from this madwoman! Consort! CONSORT…!"
Unfortunately for her, the elf had the terrifying, single-minded focus of a true fashion obsessive. No amount of ancient draconic authority worked. In seconds, the tall dragoness was yanked up the floating crystal staircase, her loud, indignant protests echoing through the boutique before fading into the upper floor.
Silence finally settled over the ground level.
Hyun-woo let out a long breath, a wary but amused smile tugging at his lips. "Well… she’s in good hands, I guess."
"Seraphina is the best weaver and tailor in the entire realm," Medusa said smoothly, turning her full attention back to him.
The cold, regal mask she usually wore for the rest of the world had melted away completely. What remained was just Medusa—strikingly beautiful, with sharp emerald eyes and a softer, unguarded expression reserved only for moments like this.
"Don’t worry. She won’t do anything strange," Medusa added. She took a deep, relaxing breath. "And we finally have a moment of peace."
With an elegant wave of her hand, Medusa summoned the dark green gift box he had given her earlier back at the treehouse. She held it delicately, her long fingers tracing the velvet ribbon.
"May I?" she asked softly, her voice quieter than usual.
"Of course," Hyun-woo nodded, suddenly feeling a little nervous.
Medusa pulled the ribbon, watching it dissolve into sparkling particles of light, and lifted the lid.
Inside rested an elegant, thin silver necklace with a mesmerizing green crystal pendant shaped perfectly like a slitted Gorgon eye. Beside it lay a set of tiny, intricately carved silver hair clips, designed specifically not to pinch or harm living hair.
Medusa’s breath caught in her throat. Her slit pupils dilated, and every single snake on her head went completely still, mesmerized by the shining silver ornaments.
"Hyun-woo..." she murmured. Her usual commanding tone was entirely gone, replaced by something soft and genuinely vulnerable. "This is… exquisite. The crystal… it perfectly matches…"
"Your eyes," Hyun-woo finished quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. When I saw it back in Pearland, it just reminded me of you."
A heavy, electric tension filled the air between them. Medusa looked up at him through her thick lashes, a rare, faint blush dusting her pale cheeks. She held the open box out toward him.
"Put them on me," she whispered. It sounded like a request, but also a command.
Hyun-woo didn’t overthink it. He stepped closer, taking the box from her hands. The faint, intoxicating scent of dark lotus and fresh rain wrapped around him as he moved into her personal space.
Medusa turned gracefully, sweeping aside the heavy mass of her silk robes to expose the elegant curve of her bare neck and smooth shoulders. Her living emerald snake-hair shifted slightly, separating as if waiting for him.
His fingers trembled just a little as he picked up the delicate silver hair clips. But when his hands brushed against her snakes, they didn’t hiss or bite.
Instead, they leaned into his touch, practically purring with soft, contented vibrations.
One by one, he gently fastened the beautiful silver ornaments near the base of her hair, the metal catching the boutique’s soft light and making her look like an ethereal queen.
Then, he picked up the necklace.
He stepped even closer until his chest brushed lightly against Medusa’s back. Reaching his arms around her neck to fasten the clasp, his forearms accidentally pressed gently against the soft, heavy sides of her breasts. He could feel her heartbeat suddenly spike under his touch.
He wasn’t the only one feeling nervous. Medusa was, too. But strangely, she really liked this fluttering feeling in her chest.
Medusa let out a soft, breathy gasp. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned back into his solid warmth, tilting her head slightly to give him better access to her neck.
"Your hands are so warm, Hyun-woo," she murmured, her voice husky and low, the words vibrating against his chest.
No matter what people said about her and her sisters, and the weird, cursed biology they were forced into, Medusa was truly the only one among them who was entirely cold-blooded.
That’s why every time Hyun-woo touched her, the radiating warmth from his skin felt incredibly comforting. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t feel the usual chill. She didn’t know why or how, but right now, she didn’t care. She just wanted more of it.
That’s why she leaned into him even more. Luckily, the boutique was almost empty at this time of day. No customers, no staff watching. No one saw the same boy who had been on a date with Mistress Stheno now standing intimately close with Mistress Medusa.
He finally secured the clasp. His fingertips lingered for a moment on the sensitive skin of her collarbone. The glowing green crystal pendant settled perfectly in the deep plunge of her robes, drawing the eye straight to her gorgeous cleavage.
"It looks perfect on you," he whispered, his voice dropping lower as he kept his arms loosely around her, almost caging her in a gentle embrace.
Medusa turned slowly within his arms, her hands coming up to rest flat against his chest. Her striking emerald eyes were dark with desire as she looked up at him. The snakes in her hair gently nuzzled against his jawline, showing her affection in their own quiet way.
"You really are a dangerous man, Hyun-woo," she breathed, leaning in so close that her lips nearly brushed his. "Making a Gorgon feel so… pampered."
Making me feel so pampered, she thought, though she didn't say the last words out loud.
The air between them was thick with a spicy, heavy tension. Hyun-woo’s gaze dropped to her lips. For a moment, the rest of the world completely disappeared.
But then…
“HEY, PEASANT! NOT THERE, THAT’S MY CHEST…!”
Vespera’s loud, indignant shout echoed from the upper floor, followed closely by the sound of frantic footsteps and Seraphina’s manic laughter.
The thick, romantic tension between them shattered instantly.
But neither of them let go.
"Guess that Seraphina woman really knows how to work," Hyun-woo said awkwardly, trying to fill the sudden silence. His introverted ass simply didn’t know what else to say.
Medusa, however, wasn’t done. She looked at him with a spark of frustration in her eyes. She really hated getting interrupted.
Without warning, she grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him into a deep, hungry kiss.
Hyun-woo’s eyes widened in complete shock.
(AN: I am back. Also what do you think of the chapter.}