Chapter 144 : Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Jang ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Incheol wore an expression of utter disbelief.

It ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was understandable.

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍conditions he had offered were perfect, without a single flaw.

Given ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍that I could use Jang Incheol’s equipment for free until the day he died—the setting’s greatest human blacksmith—there was no way the terms could be insufficient.

I ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍quickly added,

“In ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍truth, I am already receiving equipment support from Hyeonseong. Unofficially.”

“What?”

Jang Incheol turned to look at Cha Yeri.

She gave an awkward smile and shrugged.

“Hyeonseong gave me Brichalcon weapons without demanding anything in return. Would it not be shameless of me to sign a contract with you while hoping for even better equipment?”

“…”

“As you said, if this contract is meant as repayment for saving your life, then I will accept only the sentiment. I merely did what I had to do.”

“If that is your stance, then it cannot be helped… I am simply a bit surprised. This is the first time anyone has ever refused a sponsorship contract from me—let alone from Ironflame.”

Jang Incheol looked, at the very least, faintly dazed.

With that reaction, it felt as though I had done something cruel.

So I began piling on excuses.

“Setting everything else aside, it is not good for an investigator from the Special Affairs Division to be tied to any particular group. I am still a probationary investigator, so I could be dismissed at any time, but as long as I wear this badge, I do not have the freedom to choose.”

“I see… That makes sense. This is unfortunate. I have pushed it on you without considering your position.”

“There is no need to apologize.”

“Ah! Then how about this? I will tell the guild so that you can purchase Ironflame’s equipment cheaply. And we will not publicize this relationship either. Since this sponsorship was not for publicity in the first place, it should be acceptable to grant you preferential treatment as a personal acquaintance.”

“If it is like that, then it would be acceptable…”

Was he determined to repay me no matter what?

He truly had the temperament of a pine tree.

“Since I meant to give it to you for free anyway, let us call it a ninety percent discount. You will accept terms like that, will you not?”

I nodded.

As long as no official relationship was established, I welcomed anything.

Being able to buy Ironflame equipment—something even A-Rank Hunters could not easily acquire—at a bargain price one might see only at the end of the year was not an offer I could refuse.

“Good. I feel much more at ease.”

Looking at his satisfied smile, I said,

“Then does that condition include custom orders as well?”

“There is no reason it cannot. What do you need? I understand you mainly use a sword.”

“It is smaller than that. I need an accessory effective against status abnormalities. If possible, with lightning attribute.”

“Hm. Of all things, you chose a troublesome attribute.”

Items effective against lightning resistance were rare.

Typically, attribute resistance was made using the remains of monsters with the corresponding attribute.

For example, fire-attribute Lizardmen or water-attribute Coral Turtles.

Lightning-attribute monsters did exist, but most of them were individuals with high hunting difficulty.

With monster appearances already scarce, obtaining lightning-attribute materials was not merely rare—it was nearly impossible.

Yet Jang Incheol did not refuse. He simply kept nodding.

“As it happens, I do have suitable materials in my workshop. I do not know if it will meet your expectations, but I will begin production. Do you have a deadline? Crafting an accessory does not take long, but whether the result satisfies me is another matter.”

“There is no deadline, but I would like to receive it as soon as possible.”

“As soon as possible?”

“Yes. With Special Affairs Division work, you never know when you will be entangled in something. Like the incident a few days ago.”

“Hm… You are not wrong. Very well! In that case, I will return to my workshop immediately!”

With that decisive declaration, Jang Incheol stood up.

Then, leaving behind the words, “I will contact you soon!” he vanished from the room in an instant.

“He is… quite a forceful man.”

With that, I had succeeded in making Jang Incheol miss the banquet.

By good fortune, I had also secured Ironflame’s support.

Now the problem was…

I studied Cha Yeri’s expression.

As expected, her brows were openly drawn together.

She soon threw a question at me.

“What in the world are you thinking?”

“About what?”

“Why you sent someone who came to attend the banquet back to his workshop.”

“He said he wanted to go. Why stop him? Or did you have another reason for bringing him here? If it was only to make him meet me, it did not have to be at a Hyeonseong estate.”

“See? You pretend not to know, but you know everything. You knew I brought him here on purpose, and you still sent him away. Why?”

“Because you used me as bait, and I did not like it.”

“What if I did? It is not as though it harmed you. In the first place, did you not say you would listen to me today?”

“How am I supposed to listen when you did not even warn me? And he came to meet me, not to pledge support to Hyeonseong.”

Cha Yeri pressed her fingers to her temples and sank deeper into the sofa.

“I am sorry. You are right—I acted alone. I assumed you would not care much even if I told you first. But I want you to understand this.”

“What?”

“I did not intend to invite him to the banquet only for Hyeonseong’s benefit.”

What?

“You may not know, even as someone in the Special Affairs Division, but lately, the Production Guildmaster—along with several guilds in District 7—has been isolating Ironflame. Not only that, every guild that does not align itself with the Guildmaster’s faction has become a target.”

Isolating opposing guilds by making them targets…

I narrowed my eyes.

“For example, how?”

“Production guilds are inevitably forced to cling to resource procurement. No matter how much money you have, it is useless if there are no monsters. That is why the Production Guild places requests with the Hunter Association to secure a minimum supply of materials. They put those materials on the District 7 market to help small and mid-sized guilds.”

“And?”

“The problem is that lately, the materials are being distributed unevenly. Wealthy guilds can procure resources on their own, but for small and mid-sized guilds, the guild’s support is nearly essential. In practice, if you fall out of the Guildmaster’s favor, small and mid-sized guilds decline to the point of closure.”

“So they have no choice but to join the Guildmaster’s faction. But Ironflame is not a small guild.”

“Correct. The problem is that Ironflame serves as a pillar for the smaller guilds.”

Ironflame always maintained neutrality and focused solely on the craft of production.

Its guild master, Jang Incheol, was respected by production-type awakened individuals and was mentioned at every election as a leading candidate for Production Guildmaster.

To the Guildmaster, he could only be a thorn in the side.

“To maintain power, he crushes opposing forces… But Ironflame is neutral by nature.”

“We think it is strange, too. From what we are seeing, it is not mere restraint. It is closer to starving them out.”

“…”

Strange.

Had the original novel ever described such a trend in the production industry?

It was difficult to grasp the inner workings, but it was not an incomprehensible development.

After all, the Production Guildmaster had maintained a fairly friendly relationship with Director-General Baek Dojin.

This, too, was likely another butterfly effect caused by Lee Eunho and Gen.

“So we have been supporting guilds that are struggling to secure production resources, unofficially.”

“We? Hyeonseong? Was this Chairman Cha Myeonghan’s decision?”

“Yes. He ignored every internal objection.”

“…”

“Until now, bringing other guilds under us was not an issue, but Ironflame is too much of an isolated island, so it has been difficult to approach. And then, at that timing, a good opportunity came.”

“To create a point of contact between Ironflame and Hyeonseong… But would that not make Hyeonseong a target?”

“We will be fine. Eighty percent of our customers are non-awakened. Selling one weapon to a Hunter is less profitable than selling one hundred smartphones.”

Hyeonseong…

For a moment, I felt a fear that I had created a monstrous thing.

“Of course, we still obtain leather and mana stones from monsters, so there is some risk, but once the outpost is completed, those issues will be resolved.”

No. It seemed I truly had created a monster.

Only after carefully turning over her explanation did I nod.

“I understand. The situation gives you a valid reason to move like this. But.”

“But?”

“No matter how much this is business, is it not too much to cut off an aware person’s nose? Jang Incheol would not have known.”

“We sent multiple official notices to Ironflame.”

“And?”

“They ignored every one. Their posture of maintaining neutrality is firm. So we had no choice but to use this method. If my grandfather did not favor Ironflame, I would not have bothered scheming like this.”

The reason her grandfather, Cha Myeonghan, kept an eye on Ironflame was simple.

He and Jang Incheol were contemporaries who had sweated side by side in District 7 for a long time.

Their personalities differed, so they were not intimate friends, but they were business partners in District 7 who respected each other.

The age gap between Jang Incheol, still in his fifties, and Cha Myeonghan, who was called “grandfather,” was not that large.

Just as Cha Yeri was called a fourth-generation chaebol heir, the Hyeonseong family had simply married far too early.

“In any case!”

Cha Yeri, who had been sunk deep into the sofa, straightened her posture.

“I will apologize again. I should not have done something that would sour your feelings.”

For once, she was unusually compliant.

When I waved it off vaguely, she stood up from the sofa and bent at the waist, peering closely into my face.

“What is it now?”

“It is nothing. I was just thinking, why did you only show up like this now?”

“Pardon?”

“It would have been nice if you dressed this neatly sooner. …No, actually, if you had, you would only have increased the number of pointless rivals.”

What was she talking about?

“When you entered earlier, I thought a different person had come.”

“I am sorry it is not a different person.”

“This is my personal request. At Hero Prep, do not walk around with your hair up like this.”

“Why?”

“Because it makes you feel unnecessarily masculine.”

“…Good grief.”

So that was what she wanted to say.

Those mannerisms that came with an unnecessary burden.

Even now, it still felt strange that Cha Yeri showed romantic interest in me.

Even in this moment, I hoped it was nothing more than a passing wind of youth.

As long as I still held hope that I could return to my previous world, her feelings would inevitably dry up into regret.

“Stop saying strange things. Just tell me what I am supposed to do at the banquet today.”

“There is nothing to tell. Nod at meaningless words and laugh at pathetic jokes, and that is all. If you find it hard to adapt to the atmosphere, you can follow behind me like a little duckling. Heh.”

“How about I just fill my stomach and leave the banquet hall?”

“I will kill you. Did you forget that you have to stay by my side for the entire day?”

Her voice nearly sounded venomous.

Then, as though something suddenly occurred to her, her tone changed at once.

“Ah! There is one thing you should be careful about.”

“What is it?”

“My grandfather. He is truly vicious, so do not get tangled up with him. Even I avoid him when my parents are not here.”

“…”

Cha Myeonghan, the only son of the Phantom Thief Cha Jaehee.

By “vicious,” Cha Yeri meant his eccentric temperament.

That personality inherited from his father sometimes had a way of bothering those around him.

Ah, but did Cha Myeonghan know that Cha Jaehee had been a Phantom Thief?

According to the original setting, the answer was “no,” but it would not have been strange if he had vaguely suspected it.

“More importantly, will you leave soon? I have to change as well. Unlike you, I have a great deal to dress up with. …Well, if you want, you can stay.”

“I am leaving.”

I hurried to the door.

Just as I pulled it open, several female staff of Hyeonseong entered, carrying piles of clothing.

“Excuse us, young lady.”

It looked as though they were transporting an entire boutique.

And Cha Yeri watched it as though it were perfectly natural.

Once again, I was reminded that she was a modern noble.

As the door closed behind me, I spotted Kim Songi approaching with a teacup.

I walked up to her and asked,

“Do you happen to have carbonated coffee?”

“We do not have anything like that.”