“And she knew I was there,” Somi continues, seemingly gathering herself. “I was about to see who she was, to jump out at her, but when I tried the handle, it was locked. ‘Meddlesome fox,’ she said, and managed to hurry off before I broke out. I went to the security room right after to pull footage, but Korain—and Chaeyeon—were gathered in there.” She glances warily in Seokga’s direction. “Apparently they’ve had no luck solving your boxers-or-briefs mystery. They’ll be attempting to solve it with renewed vigor today. From what I heard, they’ve managed to get a key to your room.”

“Fucking hells,” Seokga groans. Irritation glows orange down the thread. As worry swamps Kisa’s mind and she nervously turns to him, he shakes his head. “I hid everything related to this”—he looks at his brother, and Kisa knows she’s not imagining the flash of affection that crosses the god’s face before being replaced by an annoyance that looks distinctly fake to her—“little demon before we left. And although I hid my boxers…”

“Aha!” Somi exclaims before receiving a death glare from the god.

“…I left one pair out where they might be easily found. The sooner those two pathetic, nosy slugs leave the room, the better. I don’t want to risk them finding something else—like the box of diapers.”

Kisa is strangely touched. “A noble sacrifice,” she tells him sagely.

His cheeks are tinged pink. “Yes, well, I have elaborate plans to burn Godly Gossip to the ground within the month.” But Seokga’s smiling as he looks at her, and Kisa can’t help her own face from heating, too.

“Arson really is a terrible crime,” she informs him, pressing the backs of her hands to her blue-stained cheeks.

“Only if you get caught.” His expression is positively devil-may-care.

Kisa shakes her head in a mixture of exasperation and a strange, growing fondness. And if the red thread truly can’t influence attraction or emotion, as Seokga suggested…Well. She might find herself in a great deal of trouble soon enough. Yet staring up at his glittering eyes and crooked smile, Kisa finds herself thinking not of reincarnation but of the way he has a small dimple that she never noticed before. “Seokga—” Did Hani care about getting caught? The thought is almost intrusive, and her amusement falters. And there it is—that wondering if she’ll ever be who Seokga wants her to be. Yet a rule-abiding shaman can’t suddenly transform into a lawless gumiho.

“As cute as this moment is…” Somi clears her throat. “We have a murder to solve.”

Right. Right. Kisa shakes herself out of her reverie. She’s been getting distracted far too often these days. “Did you recognize the woman’s voice at all? Were there any indications of age?”

“High and snooty.”

“That’s half of the female guests on this ship,” Hajun says, sighing.