Chapter 12: Muyeol Island (Continued)
Shit…
I completely forgot. Saturday was taken up by the Prestige visit, and Sunday... well, Sunday was spent indulging in carnal pleasures.
The artificial island had arrived in Incheon on Saturday evening, so it’s possible she’d been waiting for my call since then. It’s basic etiquette—when soone gives you a gift, it’s customary for the recipient to reach out first. But I hadn’t called or even sent a text.
“I’ve been so busy that I’m starting to forget basic courtesies.”
Before the call could go to voicemail, I quickly answered.
“Yes, Auntie! Have you been well?”
“Ah, Muyeol. Have you been doing fine?”
“Yes, of course! Oh, I’m actually on my way to see the island right now, Auntie.”
“Oh, are you?”
Her voice over the phone sounded as composed as ever.
“I hope you like it. I wasn’t very diligent about its upkeep, and I worried it might seem like a shabby gift for my dear nephew.”
“What do you an, ‘shabby’? This is far more than I deserve. And most importantly, every ti I see the island, I’ll think of you, Auntie. It’s a gift beyond value to .”
“…I’m glad to hear that. You know, every ti I look at the roses you gave , I think of you too.”
The conversation drifted into sweet, flirtatious territory.
We exchanged words laden with subtle longing and unspoken desires. Sotis, I would make an outright suggestive comnt, and she would respond in kind.
Before long, I felt a bit more at ease. I’d been bracing for a scolding over my lack of contact, but thankfully—
“But, Muyeol, I must say I feel a little hurt.”
Or so I thought.
Just as I let my guard down, she ca straight to the point.
“It’s not just . How could you go an entire week without so much as a single ssage or call?”
Ah… of course, there was no avoiding it.
I could feel sweat forming on my brow.
“Well, I… I’m sorry. There’s been so much on my plate lately…”
“Ah, yes. So much on your plate. And yet, you’ve managed to find ti to… keep yourself entertained, haven’t you?”
“….”
Shit. I’m screwed.
“I’m not blaming you. It’s only natural for a man to pursue a woman. That’s what a penis is for, isn’t it? To sow its seed in as many… fertile grounds as possible. Preferably new and unspoiled ones, of course.”
What… what the hell?
Her choice of words was unusually explicit. She’s been candid before, but this was on a whole new level.
“But Muyeol, sowing seeds isn’t enough. If you claim soone as your own, you need to tend to them. Regular visits, gentle touches, and frequent calls are part of that care. You wouldn’t want to be the kind of irresponsible boy who abandons his garden, would you?”
“Yes, ma’am… I’ll be more mindful from now on.”
Her words were unusual, but the aning was clear: don’t neglect her after claiming her.
“If I had the ti, I’d co see you myself. But you know how hard it is for to make room in my schedule. Last week, I had to drop everything because your grandfather suddenly summoned .”
“Ah…”
It must have been about my grandfather’s debut as a Go professional last week. Auntie had to cancel all her plans to attend, and it must have caused quite the ripple effect.
“Now that I think about it, the last ti we t, we parted with just a kiss. What a sha…”
The mory of Go Min-young’s body resurfaced—her sweet, passionate kiss, her skin that seed to lt against mine.
We had been burning with anticipation, only to part ways before taking it further. That lingering heat and longing must be present in her as well.
“And this will keep happening, won’t it?”
She’s not just the Vice Chairman of the group and head of Militaris, but also manages countless other ventures. She’s impossibly busy.
Even I, with far fewer responsibilities, am this swamped. How much worse must it be for her?
“Finding ti to actually… connect with her might be nearly impossible.”
Capturing Go Min-young with my body is one of my top priorities, yet finding the ti to be with her is proving to be the real challenge.
“Maybe I should gift her a replica of my—no, that’s too much…”
The absurdity of the idea made pause, but I couldn’t shake it entirely. A provocative thought, to be sure.
“Let’s make ti to talk like this more often.”
“Yes, next ti I’ll call you first.”
“Good.”
The call ended. It hadn’t lasted long, but I felt inexplicably drained.
“We’ve arrived, sir,” the driver announced.
“Ah, right. Thanks.”
From the air, the artificial island already looked dense with greenery, but up close, it was even more overwhelming.
The trees weren’t just tall; they were massive—20 to 30 ters high, with trunks so thick they seed almost impenetrable. This wasn’t an island; it was a jungle.
“So this is why Auntie was worried…”
It was clear this island had only ever been used as a private retreat. The dense forest was likely ant for occasional strolls or hunting expeditions.
“Why are these trees so enormous?”
Out of curiosity, I approached one of them.
“Wow…”
The height was comparable to a building, and the trunk’s circumference was so massive that even with my arms fully extended, I could barely wrap around a quarter of it.
Despite my considerable height and build, this tree made feel small. I’d never seen anything like it.
The problem? The island was filled with them, and I’d have to clear them all.
I tapped the tree lightly, and my knuckles stung from the impact.
Sigh. “Ji-hye.”
“Yes, sir?”
“How long do you think it’ll take to clear all this? We can’t make use of the island until it’s leveled.”
“Ah…”
Ji-hye, the Execution Team Leader, looked up at the towering trees with a conflicted expression. Clearly, this was no easy task. She hesitated before touching one of the trunks.
Ra Seung-hee, the Strategy Team Leader, stepped in to answer.
“Based on the provided data, the island spans approximately 106.2 square kiloters, or 10,620 hectares. The forest itself covers about 9,200 hectares. Under standard conditions, 100 heavy machines could clear roughly 200 hectares of forest per day.”
“That’s for an ordinary forest, right? Per day?”
“Yes. However, given the unusual nature of this forest, harsher conditions are expected. Being on an island presents additional challenges. A precise estimate would require a professional assessnt, but I’d say it could take four tis as long and cost significantly more.”
Four tis the effort? That would an 160 days—about five to six months—with 100 machines working daily.
“Auntie’s concern was valid…”
Mobilizing 100 heavy machines isn’t exactly easy. Transporting them to an island? Even harder.
“What about the cost?”
“Again, a precise estimate would require consultation, but…”
After a pause, Ra Seung-hee continued.
“…It could range between 2 to 4 trillion won.”
“What the fuck?”
My entire net worth is 16 trillion won, and this project alone could eat up 2 to 4 trillion?
“And that doesn’t include disposal and transportation costs for the debris. Handling and shipping the felled trees and roots would add several hundred billion won to the total. Of course, if we repurpose or sell the materials, we could offset so of the costs.”
“We haven’t even broken ground for the prison, and it’s already this expensive…”
“…”
Ra Seung-hee stepped back, bowing slightly. Just then, my phone buzzed again.
Another call? Auntie again?
Go Min-ji.
Nope, it was her daughter—the mischievous psychopath, Go Min-ji.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“What’s with the tone, brat? Didn’t even greet properly.”
“…Have you been well?”
“You know I haven’t. My Pacific trip got canceled.”
A trip? More like piracy, probably.
“I see… So, what’s this about?”
“What’s this about? Wow, this brat’s attitude. I call to help, and this is what I get?”
“You’re helping ?”
“You got that island from Mom, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I just landed.”
“Then you already know—it’s a pain to use, isn’t it?”
“…”
“You’re planning to build a prison there, right? Do you really think you can pull that off?”
Sigh. Why is she calling ?
“I’ll help you.”
“…You will?”
“Yeah, I will.”
Just then, a sharp, distant hum reached my ears. A cluster of dots appeared in the sky, rapidly growing larger.
chas.
At a glance, there were over ten of them flying toward the island.
“By now, they should’ve arrived. I sent 15 Knights. With chas included, it shouldn’t take more than a month.”
What the…?
She’s using weapons of national significance to clear a forest?
15 Knights, with chas?
“I’ve cleared my schedule for a month from now, so make sure you keep your promise.”
“Master…!”
The chas quickly descended, their massive fras lowering onto the island’s surface. And with that, Go Min-ji hung up.
Promise?
What promise? What the hell did I agree to with Go Min-ji?
As the chas landed and their pilots erged, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Whatever promise I’d made to her, I had a sinking feeling it was going to cost .
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