Paris, France. Grand Duchess Ah Hae-In’s residence.Unlike the gloomy Prestige, the outside world’s sky was clear and blue.
“…Thank you once again. We will do our best not to disappoint you in your partnership with Essence of the Strait.”
Yoo Yeonha was successfully completing her contract with Ah Hae-In, the female progenitor of the Ah family and an 8-star magician who was on the verge of becoming 9-star.Ah Hae-In, sitting in front of Yoo Yeonha, gave a faint smile.
“I could say the same to you. I heard a rumor that my nephew is also in Essence of the Strait.”
Yoo Yeonha smiled in satisfaction at Ah Hae-In’s remark.
“Yes. Baire Moren-ssi is taking an active part in the Guild.”
More than four years ago, ‘Baire Moren’ participated in the same archery competition as Kim Hajin at the Cube Festival. At the time, he had lost to Kim Hajin even with the help of Ah Hae-In. Now he was a member of Essence of the Strait.The only reason for his recruitment was to win the favor of Ah Hae-In
“Then, will my nephew enter the Tower of Wish this time?”
Yoo Yeonha couldn’t give an affirmative answer to that question.
“We are… not so sure about that yet. The will of the individual is the most important thing when deciding to enter a Tower… But if Moren-ssi wants to, then I don’t see why not.”
“Haha. You don’t have to try so hard. I know my nephew’s strength well. If he goes into the Tower now, he will only become prey to others. I want to see my nephew around for a long time. It’s not like I expect him to become a great hero.”
Ah Hae-In gave a meaningful smile.
“But still, wouldn’t my nephew’s looks guarantee him success in the entertainment industry?”
That was what Yoo Yeonha wanted as well. She replied with an assuring smile.
“…Of course.”
“Good then. I look forward to working with you.”
Her meeting with Ah Hae-In was a success from beginning to end.Yoo Yeonha clenched her fists with joy.The news of Ah Hae-In joining hands with Essence of the Strait would surprise their foes and encourage their friends.How would the public and their rivals react to the partnership?Yoo Yeonha couldn’t help but look forward to it.
“Oh, by the way, what is that guy Fenrir up to nowadays?”
Then suddenly, Ah Hae-In asked a rather strange question.Yoo Yeonha widened her eyes in surprise at the sudden appearance of an unexpected name.
“Were you interested in mercenaries as well?”
“It’s not that, he just left a deep impression on me. It’s already been four years, yet I still remember him.”
“Ah… You mean the archery competition, right?”
Yoo Yeonha recalled what happened four years ago.During Cube’s Class Competitions, Kim Hajin had showed off a mystical curve shot against Baire Moren.With just one arrow, Kim Hajin had gained a number of admirers and brought several guilds’ attention to himself.
“Yes. To an old fellow like me, it seems like a waste for a master archer like himself to be using guns.”
“…Still, he has broadened our horizons as the one and only ‘Gunner’. He’s already considered a god-like figure in the field.”
Ah Hae-In smiled with her eyes. The smile was absent from wrinkles despite her age.
“Is that so? Anyhow, I heard that Fenrir is on good terms with Essence of the Strait. Does that mean I’ll get to meet him sooner or later?”
“Currently he’s inside the Tower, so I can’t be absolutely certain. But surely he won’t hesitate to meet Grand Duchess Ah Hae-In.”
“Hahaha. Really?”
Friendly exchange of words continued to take place between them.Yoo Yeonha laughed and talked, being careful not to act frivolous or behave in a bad manner as she closed the conversation.
“…Then I’ll take my leave now.”“Mm. Would you look at the time. Farewell. Spending time with a young beauty has made me feel young as well.”
Ah Hae-In didn’t stand up and simply stretched out her hand in her seat. Yoo Yeonha grabbed her hand while smiling brightly.Ah Hae-In was self-conscious about her height.She hated getting up in case she was shorter than the other party even with heels on. For that reason, Yoo Yeonha wore flat shoes today.
“However, seeing that it’s already late, you may stay the night if you’d like. The guest rooms are better than most five-star hotels.”
Ah Hae-In offered kindly. She found today’s meeting to be quite satisfactory.
“…I appreciate the offer, but how can I bear to stay here for just one night? This place is so beautiful, I’ll be filled with regrets when I have to leave.”
Yoo Yeonha gracefully declined the offer.
“Is that so? Well, you must be busy.”
Ah Hae-In understood what she meant.…But in truth, this meeting was the last thing on Yoo Yeonha’s schedule for today. Furthermore, tomorrow was a ‘rest day’, which was a special day Yoo Yeonha set aside for herself once every six months.
“Then, rest well. I apologize for taking up so much of your time.”
“No, no. It’s nothing.”
Yoo Yeonha was planning to return home right away.It wasn’t that she didn’t like Ah Hae-In or her mansion.Ah Hae-In was a hospitable French lady who had learned Korean from historical K-dramas, and her mansion was much more impressive and cozier than Yoo Yeonha’s place.
The problem was sleeping.To be exact, it was the bed.Yoo Yeonha had no reason to sleep elsewhere when she had a such a lovely and efficient bed at home.No, at this point, it was more like she couldn’t sleep anywhere else.Before she realized, the bed Kim Hajin gave her had become her most precious treasure.
‘I’ll go home and sleep for the rest of the day~’
Yoo Yeonha left Ah Hae-In’s mansion and skipped happily towards her limousine.The limousine started smoothly and headed towards the portal station.
“…?”
Yoo Yeonha was looking out the car window in delight when she suddenly encountered a scene that she could not possibly pass by.
“Hold on, Driver. Slow down a bit.”
The limousine slowed down, and Yoo Yeonha could see the two people walking down the street with clarity.A tall woman and a child were holding hands.Both stood out from afar.The tall woman had sunglasses on… but anyone could tell that she was Yun Seung-Ah.
—Evandel, isn’t traveling abroad fun?
—Yeah~ It’s fun~
—I don’t know why Haeyeon doesn’t like it~
Yun Seung-Ah must be in France for a vacation, but it was the child next to her that stood out.The child had blonde hair and an adorable eye-smile that was easily noticeable even from afar.Yoo Yeonha stared at the child with a serious look on her face.
“I… I’ve seen her before….”
She had seen the child somewhere in the past.It must have been 3 or 4 years ago. She couldn’t remember the exact date, but she was certain that she had seen the child. She was quite confident in her memory.That girl was definitely with Kim Hajin. Back then, the two seemed to be heading somewhere hand in hand, just like Yun Seung-Ah and the blonde child right now….
“But why…?”
Why is that girl with Yun Seung-Ah?More than that, just who was she?
“…Could it be?”
When her thought reached this point, her mind turned blank.Ding— The sound of a bell rang inside her head.Ding— All the thoughts in her head were cleared out.Ding— Strange speculations filled the empty space.If that really was the case…Did that child dye her hair blonde just so that their ‘relationship’ won’t be exposed?
“Uh….”
Yoo Yeonha leaned back against the seat.No, no.Such a natural color couldn’t be made from a dye. Then, it must surely be a coincidence…
“Wait a minute.”
Suddenly, a certain thought crossed her mind.Resenting herself for being so smart, Yoo Yeonha quickly turned on her smart watch and looked up a conversation log.
[I’m a little short on money. Lend me some so I can buy a house. Selling my stocks seems like a waste.][Huh? What house?][Here.