Girl's Revenge (3)
"Then I'll go. Call
anyti when you're ready."
"Sure. Thanks, Scarlett."
Poof
Scarlett vanished into the ceiling, as always. Initially, her spider-like movents were unsettling, but I've grown to find them sowhat charming.
Through our conversation, I clearly grasped Nam Daeun's intentions. With her strong resolve for revenge, all I need to do is set the stage. After Scarlett's departure, I reviewed the contacts of journalists I'd t at the social gathering.
"No, not this one."
Reaching out to journalists is a good move.
I've been hospitalized since the attack, and the dia has been relatively quiet about , as I've been focused on pursuing the heroine. It wouldn't hurt to reignite that interest now. However, there's sothing else to address first.
I sent ssages to the heroines. They wouldn't appreciate learning about my discharge through an interview.
[: Professor, I'll be discharged soon. Have you cleared your schedule for the magic fair?]
[: Alice, my treatnt is nearly complete. You can prepare for the massage.]
[: Soorin Noona, I'll be discharged soon! What have you been up to lately?]
[: I'm getting discharged soon. Wanna hang out with Lumi?]
[: Once I'm out, should we go out with Lucy?]
"Quite a lot…"
So many won. Considering I haven't contacted Liliana, Nam Daeun, and Baek Ahyeong, it's already a lot. Of course, I can't abandon any of them.
Anyway, now that I've reached out to everyone, I left a ssage for the journalist.
[: Hello, it's Lee Hoyeon. I'm considering the interview you ntioned last ti.]
The journalist I contacted is Hayoung, well-known by the na Hayoung Noona. She wrote an article about
after I rescued Baek Ahyeong in the dungeon.
I was already grateful, but she approached
at the party and called herself a fan, leaving a lasting impression. It's ti to return the favor.
[Kim Hayoung: Yes, of course, Hoyeon! Where should we et? I'll co right away!]
[: Co to Iron Blood Hospital and ask for Lee Hoyeon. I'll let them know in advance.]
[Kim Hayoung: I'll get there as soon as possible. I'll contact you before I arrive.]
Preparations complete. Now, I await Reporter Hayoung, contemplating how I'll elevate Park Mingyu during the interview.
***
Ping—
"Ugh… Hmm?"
Startled by the unfamiliar ringtone from her smartwatch, Alice, deep in ditation, snapped her eyes open. She'd set the tone specifically to alert her to ssages from Lee Hoyeon.
Glancing at her smartwatch, she read:
[Lee Hoyeon: Alice, my treatnt is nearly complete. You can prepare for the massage.]
"He's finally being discharged…"
Letting out a sigh of relief, Alice cast a cleansing spell to evaporate the sweat from her body. While she would have relished the opportunity to revisit Lee Hoyeon's sex videos in celebration of his impending release, there were other matters at hand.
"Sebastian."
"Yes, Miss."
Sebastian stood attentively by her side, ready for any unforeseen circumstances that might disrupt her ditation.
Gathering herself, Alice announced, "I've found a mana masseur."
"A mana massage, Miss? Didn't you abandon that idea?"
"I've reconsidered. I've found soone reliable and even finalized the contract."
"Miss, if only you'd inford
sooner, I could have arranged guild support."
"I had my reasons, Sebastian. The masseur is a young man."
Sebastian paused, a montary silence hanging between them.
While everyone in the Iris Guild ardently hoped for Alice to overco her congenital mana disorder, the guildmaster might not share the sa perspective. The notion of a young man providing a mana massage to Alice would undoubtedly stir controversy.
"Do you believe the guildmaster will sanction this?"
"Do you think I'd proceed without assessing the implications? I acted only after verifying its effectiveness."
"Of course, I don't doubt your judgnt, Miss."
Alice had been a prodigy since childhood. Sebastian, who had witnessed her growth, naturally trusted her. The guildmaster likely harbored the sa trust in his daughter.
However, the male masseur posed a potential concern. When it ca to matters involving Alice, the guildmaster often lost his typical composure.
"I'll report this first. What's the masseur like?"
"Um…" Alice hesitated, about to ntion Lee Hoyeon's na. Bringing up his na in this context would be suspicious.
"Miss?"
"It's Lee Hoyeon. He's the new masseur I've hired."
"…?" Sebastian's expression turned doubtful at the familiar na.
Lee Hoyeon was a student Sebastian had personally investigated. Alice herself had requested that investigation, and there was no record of him being trained in massage. So how had he suddenly beco a masseur?
"I understand it's unsettling, but trust . I have my reasons, and there's no ulterior motive."
Click—
Alice's assurance about having no ulterior motive pricked at Sebastian's conscience.
It's treatnt. Absolutely necessary treatnt. Alice reassured herself.
"Understood. I'll relay this to the guildmaster."
Fortunately, Sebastian didn't doubt her. Even if Lee Hoyeon seed suspicious, he had to believe Alice if she trusted him. That was his role.
"Yes, and please tell him to remain calm."
"I'll do my best."
"If he starts causing a scene, like insisting on seeing Lee Hoyeon directly or coming to the Victoria Academy, I won't forgive him."
"Understood." Sebastian sighed inwardly.
Sebastian, you have to draw the line sowhere when it cos to Alice getting close to a man, right? That's why you were sent there.
The guildmaster's nagging already began to resonate in his mind. He didn't want to make this report. If it were rely dating soone her age, Sebastian could overlook it. But since it involved treating a congenital mana disorder, he had no choice but to report it.
With a somber expression, Sebastian awaited the guildmaster's active hours.
***
Guild Leader's office in the Buyers Guild. With the guild's sudden expansion, the leader's workload had significantly increased.
Park Mingyu, after pushing so docunts away, sank into his chair. "Ah, not now."
Everything was running smoothly, but there was still no word on Nam Daeun and Nam Dahee, the siblings.
Could they really be missing?
Without even a single eyewitness account, the grim possibility of their deaths existed. Such an outco would an the collapse of the tower he had spent over a decade constructing.
As Park Mingyu knitted his brows, the office door burst open, and an enthusiastic officer entered.
"Guild Leader! You've got to see this. It's incredible news!"
"Keep it down. Rember, we're trying to reform here. Be professional. And knock next ti. What if I had a woman here?"
"Ah, my apologies!" The tattooed officer scratched his head, looking sheepish.
"Sigh… Just go."
"Understood!"
The officer extended a holographic monitor and left, closing the door behind him.
For the Buyers Guild to handle its more dubious tasks, power was essential. They also required idiots unafraid of diving into such unsavory deeds. Hence, those who were ambitious yet easily manipulated found themselves in leadership roles.
The current state of affairs reflected this: growth in size but far from an ideal structure.
"As we expand, I'll have to replace these incompetents."
Currently, managing the rapidly growing guild left no room for other considerations. With another sigh, Park Mingyu turned his attention to the monitor the officer had brought. It displayed a man who looked rather parasitic.
[Yes, if you had to na one hunter you respect the most, who would it be?]
[Oh, there are many hunters I admire. Professor Im Sol and Saint Baek Ahyeong co to mind. I also hold Min Yeji, the team leader of the Iron Blood Guild, in high regard. But right now, soone else has caught my attention.]
[Soone else? Could it be soone that prodigy mage Lee Hoyeon respects?]
[Indeed, it's Hunter Park Mingyu from the Buyers Guild. He exposed the wrongdoings of the Shin Young Guild. Making such a courageous decision must have been difficult; it's truly comndable.]
[Ah, Hunter Park Mingyu, yes. He's been quite the talk of the hunter community lately.]
"Hmm?"
Park Mingyu's lips curled into a smile. He sensed his rising influence. Furthermore, he'd spoken with Lee Hoyeon before.
This could indeed be a recruitnt opportunity.
Knock, knock, knock.
At that mont, a knocking sound reverberated through the room.
"Co in."
The director was the only one who would enter the Guild Leader's office with such composure.
"Guild Leader, we've received eyewitness accounts about Nam Daeun and Nam Dahee."
"What did you say?!" Park Mingyu sprang up, seizing the docunts the director presented.
"The informant is anonymous… They claim to have seen Lee Hoyeon with Nam Daeun… Can we trust this?"
"Yes, but the informant is well-known in the circle."
"Hmm… Interesting." Park Mingyu paused, a cunning smile creeping onto his face.
Actually, this works in my favor. Everything's coming together.
He only relied on trustworthy informants. Plus, Lee Hoyeon had been favoring him lately.
"Director, arrange interviews with journalists."
"Which ones?"
"Any of them. Just get them here!"
"Yes, understood!" The Director, taken aback, hurried out, leaving Park Mingyu to sit back, legs crossed.
"If I can win over Lee Hoyeon… everything falls into place."
Bringing up won last ti had been a misstep, but the forthcoming official interview suggested Hoyeon's interest in won, likely including Nam Daeun.
Though irritated that his significant investnt in Nam Daeun could be jeopardized, it was a minor concern. With Hoyeon's signature on a contract—induced by alcohol or won—he could manage them as he pleased.
"This is a golden opportunity." Park Mingyu retrieved a ticulously fabricated fake contract from his drawer, binding several officers within the Buyers Guild.
Things were aligning perfectly.
"Whether it's Nam Daeun or Nam Dahee… I can always reclaim them. It's fine."
The thrill of controlling a woman already claid by another man was enticing.
As Park Mingyu geared up for the interviews, he began scouting locations to et Lee Hoyeon.
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