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Chapter 62
In the end, I gave up on my escape and ate some food, ignoring the taunts of my two servants.
When I didn’t respond to them, their impish jokes quickly died down…Strangely, the two didn’t speak to each other if I didn’t stoke the fires of conversation. Awkwardly, silence would reign between us all.
What on earth is wrong with them both? When I recalled the ‘memory playback’ from these two souls, neither seemed to be the shy type.
Before I had summoned Jung Garam, I was worried that the two would begin to alienate me…However, contrary to my expectations, I was more ashamed of the two rankers and the strange distance between them.
“Um…I’m off to do some grocery shopping with Lackey,” I said.
[Clack clack!]
Were they perhaps not talking because of my presence? After finishing up my food, I tried to excuse myself so that the two of them could be alone for some time.
However, as soon as I approached the front door, Seo Dawon and Jung Garam followed close behind. I threw up my hands at them, abandoning my efforts to lace up my shoes. “No! I’m just going with Lackey. You guys..can stay at home.”
“Why?” Seo Dawon asked.
“Am I some guard dog?” Jung Garam’s forehead crumpled.
At the two’s protests, I had no choice but to offer another excuse.”I-it’s not like that…I’m afraid that I’ll be bothering you.”
“Why would I be bothered by Lee-kyung-ie?”
“Haah. Then don’t leave and just stay at home then.”
Seo Dawon just continued to smile genially at me. Jung Garam, though he complained the most, was the first to stand by the front door with his arms crossed, ready to exit. Eventually, unable to find a better excuse, I was forced to lead these three burdens out of my lodgings.
Ah, this wasn’t what I wanted…
But, this was not the end of my woes. As soon as we walked out the door, I saw a bear-like red head loitering outside my compound.
As soon as he heard the door open, he looked back and approached me with a clumsy smile. “Lee-kyung-nim…”
“Sangyoon-ssi?”
What on earth is he doing here?
I paused, flustered. Kim Sangyoon somehow looked a little hurt but bowed his head without any other show of emotions. Then, with a honey-laced voice, “Well…I received a call from Bae Jaemin. He wanted me to deliver this…”
My eyes grew wide at the unexpected news. “From Bae Jaemin?”
“What’s that?” Jung Garam leaped to my side in the blink of an eye and inserted himself in between the Warrior and me…I was a bit embarrassed at the instinctual protection from someone younger than me.
He was probably wary of Kim Sangyoon’s rough appearance. Besides, it’s his first time seeing the Warrior…I hesitated–at a loss to explain our tenuous relationship…
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“It’s alright, Garam-ah. That’s Lee-kyung-ie’s slave,” Seo Dawon said casually.
“Huh? Slave?”
“Yeah, but it hasn’t been long since he’s been enslaved. He’s in training right now.”
“Oh……Wow. Choi Lee-kyung, I didn’t expect something like this from you……You’re really something?”
In my hesitation, Seo Dawon intervened and introduced the Warrior to Jung Garam.
The problem was, he only chose highly misleading words, and Jung Garam’s eyes began to sparkle strangely.
Damn it, Seo Dawon! I just signed whatever contract you placed in front of me in the first place! This pervert is blaming me for everything he’s done!
However, since Kim Sangyoon could not see Seo Dawon’s or Jung Garam’s ghostly apparition, I could not afford to slap Seo Dawon in the back or shout at him to shut up. I could barely hold back my rising frustration and clenched my fist. “What did Bae Jaemin say?” I asked. First things first, I should check if Sangyoon had anything important to report.
Kim Sangyoon looked around at his surroundings and then came a little closer to me. He answered with a low voice, “He asked…if I had any desires to enter ‘HaHae.’ He mentioned specifics such as down payment and contract period as well…”
What?! Didn’t the gold spoon–what’s his name again…that greasy guy–originally mandate Kim Sangyoon’s exclusion due to jealousy?
Kim Sangyoon must have read my unspoken question from my raised eyebrows. He immediately added, “Of course, I felt uncomfortable at how drastically he changed his mind…So, then, he mentioned Lee-kyung-nim out of the blue, asking if I’ve been partying with a Necromancer these days…He asked if I had any thoughts of joining his guild with you.”
“Bae Jaemin said that?”
Bae Jaemin talked about me to Kim Sangyoon?
Of course, since Kim Sangyoon is such a famous streamer, there were bound to be many rumors of our recent party formation. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear anyone ask lightly about our relationship…
However, he didn’t stop there and instead continued to offer us a spot in his guild? That’s really strange. Is he planning on ensnaring all the people around me?
A shiver ran up my spine; I couldn’t figure out what exactly Bae Jaemin knew about me…Don’t tell me–did he figure out the link between us and the ?
Kim Sangyoon continued, leaving me to my silent contemplation. “So, for now, I said I’d ask Lee-kyung-nim and I put off giving a clear answer. What should we do…”
Kim Sangyoon looked down at me, who hadn’t said anything for quite some time, and then, in a strange hurry, he added. “Oh! Of course, it’s not as if I’m tempted to enter HaHae right now. It’s just that undue rejection would make Bae Jaemin suspicious…So, I pretended to be happy and said I’d talk to Lee-kyung-nim.”
With that, he looked at me with tears in his eyes…I nodded, giving him the benefit of the doubt. “I know. You did well,” I replied.
Then, Kim Sangyoon suddenly closed his eyes, as if he were preparing himself for something.
I looked at him with a puzzled expression. After a few seconds, Kim Sangyoon’s eyes opened again; the tips of his ears turned bright red. He quickly stepped back and tried to explain himself, “No, It’s just…I thought you’d t-touch…I’m sorry.”
“Here? Outside?” Jung Garam looked between us, alternating between our faces as if he was watching something intriguing.
I barely managed to calm my twitching mouth and replied, “I…won’t touch you. You said you didn’t like it.”
I regretted what I said immediately afterward.
Promising not to touch him…Argh! Seriously! Why do I have to even say something like this?
“I think Bae Jaemin is planning something.” Seo Dawon’s soft voice grounded me back in reality and helped me concentrate on the problem again.
Jung Garam, all traces of laughter now gone from his face, also asked, “Right? Why is he flirting like that with Choi Lee-kyung?”
I approached Kim Sangyoon who was cautiously watching my reactions. “Do you think…Bae Jaemin noticed something?”
“Who knows. First things first, this conversation was held over the phone…I wouldn’t know about his expression or any other cues like that. But…”
“But?”
“He asked me for Lee-kyung-nim’s number. When I couldn’t readily give him what he wanted, he asked me about you. If you’ve ever talked about him…”
“Mmm…So, what did you say?”
“I just said you haven’t said much about him at all. He just laughed and asked if you’ve ‘cursed’ him a bit…”
Though it seems as if Bae Jaemin had retained no hard feelings and was simply joking with Kim Sangyoon, I could glean he dug for a lot of information through the hapless Warrior.
First of all, wouldn’t he have gotten a rough idea of the nature of the relationship between Kim Sangyoon and me? Though he may not have caught onto our contract, there were plenty of other clues–Kim Sangyoon’s careful way of addressing me and the formality he used when calling my name. This would only support Bae Jaemin’s suspicion that ‘Choi Lee-kyung is more than he presents to the world.’
“He said he was going to set up a chance to speak soon…he spoke very amicably.” Kim Sangyoon continued.
“That’s suspicious.”
“Yes……I’ve known Bae Jaemin for a long time…It’s the first time I’ve seen him try so hard to be intimate with someone else. I was pretty shocked.”
TL: He’s just like an ex that won’t quit…