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Chapter 270
Ryu Hyerin did not believe or accept everything Bae Jaemin had said, but, some of his words lingered in her mind. Those words whirled around in her head even after she returned to her home and laid in bed.
‘He’s going to get married to a woman with strong family background…’
So, that woman had a respectable pedigree.
Ryu Hyerin recalled the woman’s face; come to think of it, she wasn’t very good-looking. The girlfriend could be called cute, but that was it. That shabby woman couldn’t be compared to someone like herself who often received offers to model for photoshoots daily.
However, that woman was supported by a family of legal powerhouses. It was an insurmountable gap for her; her parents sold their daughter for less than 1 billion won.
‘So unfair…’
The world was too harsh if she couldn’t attain the one thing Seo Dawon considered important.
Now, Ryu Hyerin even thought she acted like an idiot. She recalled how, not long ago, she proudly stated, in front of him, how she had finally paid back her parent’s sale price with the money she earned.
‘He must have found me so ridiculous.’
It was no different from boasting about her status as a woman with no family, no proper background…nothing.
She wanted to die; she told him about those matters because she wanted attention from the Mage. She was ignorant; she just wanted to hear his compliments. Instead, she just confirmed that she was a ‘woman not worth dating.’
Days later, she even began to think that Seo Dawon ignored her feelings because of her impoverished background. From then on, she developed severe insomnia.
* * *
“Are you alright?”
After two weeks of being unable to sleep, Ryu Hyerin eventually faced her physical limit during a critical point in a raid. She kept exposing herself to monster attacks because, even though she was wide awake, her body couldn’t move at all.
She couldn’t even loudly exclaim and express her shock due to the sudden threat of imminent pain; she closed her eyes tightly. However, the pain she expected didn’t arrive even after a few seconds passed; someone had supported her falling body. That person was…Seo Dawon. The mage rushed to the rear to save her.
“Ah……” Unable to endure the sudden deluge of exhaustion, her head drooped into his arms, and she fell asleep as if she had fallen unconscious. For a few moments, just before her eyes fluttered shut, she locked gazes with Bae Jaemin, whose brows were furrowed. However, she was unable to think further.
After two days of continuous sleep, Ryu Hyerin was able to open her eyes. As soon as her eyes slit open, she saw Kim Olim standing beside her bed. The Paladin stroked her forehead with rough palms. “Hyerin-ah.”
“…I’m sorry. My body just wouldn’t listen to me, suddenly.”
“Don’t apologize. What’s wrong? You didn’t look so good.”
“It’s just… I haven’t been able to sleep much lately.” After giving a nonchalant answer, Ryu Hyerin bit her lips; perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything.
But, Kim Olim patted her awkwardly without questioning her further. “I’m sorry. I should have immediately noticed.”
“……”
Her voice sounded deeply guilty, but Ryu Hyerin felt only annoyance. In fact, as soon as the Priest opened her eyes, she only wanted Seo Dawon to be by her side, so nothing the paladin said really penetrated her ears. Her brain was full of curiosity about the Mage’s activities and whereabouts.
‘He’s probably worried for me, right?’
Physically, her condition was still dreadful because her fatigue had not been completely alleviated, but her mouth kept smiling. She thought about asking Kim Olim about the Mage but swallowed her question as she remembered Bae Jaemin’s words. Then, she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
As expected, Kim Olim left after carefully patting her head a few more times, leaving her some space to rest. Only then could Ryu Hyerin relax. While clapping her feet against each other, she repeatedly savored the memory of what happened just before she collapsed.
‘He came to save me…’
The feeling of his strong arms wrapping around her waist was still vividly clear. His downcast eyes, his faint frown, the monsters that rushed closer… even the dust that rose into the air from the fight…
‘I can’t give up…’
Ryu Hyerin kept tossing and turning and biting her lips. What did she need to do to possess the Mage wholly? However, unless she could reincarnate, she was far from the woman of his dreams.
At this rate, she’ll lose him forever. Anxiety and frustration enveloped her.
At that moment, the hospital room door opened quietly, and someone slipped inside. Ryu Hyerin awkwardly rose to a sitting position; her eyes narrowed when she saw that it was Bae Jaemin who was silently approaching her.
“You should have at least knocked,” she said.
“So you’re awake… Olim-noona said you were sleeping…” Bae Jaemin locked the door behind him. Though Ryu Hyerin didn’t trust the man, she lied back down again without showing outward distrust.
Even though the other perceived her reluctance, he sat beside her without hesitation. Ryu Hyerin had grown to dislike Bae Jaemin, who acted arbitrarily now that she showed him her true colors. Therefore, she thought she would ignore whatever he was going to say.
“You’re not going to ask what our guildmaster-nim is currently doing?”
However, Bae Jaemin was already aware of her inner thoughts. Ryu Hyerin, who laid with her back turned to him, fixed her posture, and stared up blatantly. Bae Jaemin swept a sticky gaze from her face down to the base of her neck before slowly continuing, “He’s with that woman.”
Almost automatically, Ryu Hyerin clenched her fists–the ones holding the blanket–tightly. “…Right now?”
“I heard it’s his girlfriend’s birthday.”
“……”
“If you developed any expectations because he saved you from the dungeons…Stop now. You already know you shouldn’t.”
“……”
“My heart aches just watching you like that…” Bae Jaemin said before reaching out to her; Ryu Hyerin bitterly pushed him away.
Slap–!
“Are you doing this on purpose? I’m not interested in you, so you’re trying to make me give up…?” She shouted.
“……”
“Did I ever tell you I wanted to know all that?”
Bae Jaemin took back his hand, completely unfazed. However, he didn’t back down.
In the end, Ryu Hyerin shed her long-held tears. Although she didn’t want to show her crying face to him, his sympathetic face made her feel so unbearably wretched.
Wiping tears off her sallow cheeks, she angrily screamed, “Just leave. I don’t need anything or anyone, so get out!”
However, Bae Jaemin did not exit the room. He looked at her with a creepy gaze, as if he were looking at an almost-caught prey. She had only seen that gleam for an instant, but it sent shivers down her spine.
Soon, though, Bae Jaemin erased the expression, grabbed her pushing hand, and pulled her towards him. While she stood awkwardly, he leaned in close and whispered into her ear, “Should I block his engagement?”
“…What?” Ryu Hyerin tried to laugh at the audacity–could he really do something like that? She froze, though, when she saw his eyes. They shined with a cruel but confident gleam, as if he knew something. She swallowed dry saliva.
“It wouldn’t be all that difficult. I’ve already figured out Seo Dawon’s personality.”
“……”
“Honestly, I believe it’s easier to fool a genius than to fool ten idiots. What do you want me to do?”
She chewed her lips, conflicted, at his whispered question.
As if he already knew the cause for her hesitation, Bae Jaemin added gently, “Well, even if it doesn’t work, Hyerin-ssi won’t be implicated.”
“……”
“After all, I’m the only one doing anything.”
“…What do you want?” Ryu Hyerin knew Bae Jaemin liked her, so she felt disgusted by this conversation and the narrowing distance between them. Despite his interest, Bae Jaemin definitely wasn’t the type of person to help her out of the pure goodness of his heart.
In lieu of answering, Bae Jaemin slowly brushed back her hair past her thin, trembling neck. When her pale, fine skin was revealed, he bowed his head to her, as if to kiss her there.
Ryu Hyerin couldn’t stand the sudden surge of disgust and tried to push Bae Jaemin away. But, before her hand could touch his shoulder, he coolly rose from his seat.
Bae Jaemin’s shoulders shook with laughter–he surely knew what she had imagined. She looked up at him blankly; he stared back and giggled, “What I want is for Hyerin-ssi to…develop an eye for good men. That’s it.”
When she realized he was teasing her, she raged, “…Don’t make me laugh. You’re absolutely worse than Seo Dawon.”
“Correct. But, I wouldn’t make Hyerin-ssi ill.”
As soon as her hands paused, Bae Jaemin had already turned around. The door to her room had opened quietly–as quiet as it was when the Priest entered her room. Just before the door closed, she heard a small voice telling her to ‘Rest.’
Ryu Hyerin didn’t answer.
After that night, seven days later, Seo Dawon broke up with his girlfriend…the very same girlfriend that had been embroiled in the engagement rumors.
TL: I definitely think the novel takes care to show Ryu Hyerin’s sympathetic past and abhorrent nature to avert the trope of “Sad background absolves all” but to also show how entering User society as a child can warp you. Like, dang, how does one think like this about love? To think that someone doesn’t love you just because of your financial background…and that’s the only reason. Like, man, when the world is “might makes right,” social morals get wonky. Also the way she described the ex-girlfriend/fiance reminds me of the way that people describe Lee-kyung: not “good-looking” but perhaps cute.
Total aside, but a lot of comments have been talking about being sad about Seo Dawon’s previous body count. That’s never been something that I’ve been bothered by since I also have a previous dating life as well. (Instead, I find literally everything else about Dawon objectionable haha) I found it super interesting to know that people do care, and it’s been great to read a lot of dissenting and concurring opinions. (I just think I love reading people’s hot takes and opinions tbh)