Chapter 198. A Girl's Revenge (6)
"Then I'll get going. Call me whenever you're ready."
"Yeah. Thanks, Scarlett."
Swish—
Scarlett disappeared up the ceiling as usual.
At first, it was gross, like a spider, but the more I saw it, the more it grew on me.
Through that conversation, I clearly understood Nam Daeun's will.
She was set on revenge—so all I had to do was set the stage.
After Scarlett left, I dug through the journalist contacts I got at the social party.
"No, no."
Calling a reporter was a good move.
Since the terror incident and focusing on heroine routes, the media had quieted down about me.
It wouldn't be bad to stir up some attention again.
But before that, I had something to take care of.
I sent messages to the heroines first.
If they found out I was discharged through an interview, they wouldn't take it well.
- Me: Professor. I'm getting discharged soon. You've cleared your schedule for the Magic Expo, right?
- Me: Elise. I'm almost done with treatment. It's okay to prepare the massage now.
- Me: Surin noona. I'm getting discharged soon! What have you been up to lately?
- Me: I'm getting discharged—wanna hang out with Lumi?
- Me: When I'm out, should we go out together, Lucy?
"...That's a lot."
Why do I have so many girls?
And this is without messaging Liliana, Nam Daeun, or Baek A-Young.
Of course I can't give any of them up, so I have to take care of all of them.
Anyway, after messaging them, I also texted the reporter.
- Me: Hello, Hayoung. It's Lee Hoyeon. I was thinking we could do that interview you mentioned.
The person I contacted was a reporter famous by the name 'Hayoung noona.'
She wrote an article about me back when I saved Baek A-Young from a dungeon, and I was grateful.
On top of that, she came up to me at the party and said she was a fan—that stuck with me.
I should return the favor this time.
- Kim Hayoung: Of course! Hoyeon! Where shall we do it? I'll rush over anytime!
- Me: Just come to Ironblood Hospital and ask for Lee Hoyeon. I'll give them a heads-up.
- Kim Hayoung: I'll come as soon as I can. I'll call before I arrive.
All set.
I waited for Hayoung to arrive while thinking about how I could boost Park Mingyu in the interview.
*
Ding—
"Hmm...?"
Elise, who was meditating, widened her eyes at the alert from her smartwatch.
It wasn't a normal alert—it was the special sound set for messages from Lee Hoyeon.
Elise quickly checked her smartwatch.
- Lee Hoyeon: Elise. I'm almost done with treatment. I think it's okay to prep the massage now.
"...So he's getting discharged."
Hoo.
Exhaling deeply, Elise evaporated the sweat from her body with a Clean spell.
Part of her wanted to rewatch Lee Hoyeon's sex video as a discharge celebration, but...
"Sebas Chan."
"Yes, milady."
Sebas Chan stood nearby, prepared for any accident during meditation.
Elise calmed herself and spoke slowly.
"Mana masseur. I've found one."
"...What? Weren't you giving up on mana massage?"
"I found someone good, so I'm trying again. I already signed the contract."
"If you'd told me, the guild would have supported you."
"There's a reason. The masseur is a man. A young man."
"...."
Sebas Chan fell silent.
Everyone in the Iris Guild wanted Elise to overcome her congenital mana disorder by any means.
Even if it meant getting mana massages from a young man, Sebas didn't mind.
But the guild leader might think differently.
The word "massage" mixed with young man and woman was bound to raise eyebrows.
"Do you think the guild leader will approve?"
"You think I'd sign a contract for nothing? I did it because I saw the results."
"Of course, I don't doubt your judgment."
Elise was a genius since childhood.
Having seen her grow up, Sebas naturally trusted her.
The guild leader probably wouldn't doubt Elise either.
But the masseur might be in danger.
The guild leader lost his usual cool whenever it involved Elise.
"I'll report it. What kind of person is the masseur?"
"...Hmm."
Elise opened her mouth, ready to say Lee Hoyeon's name—but felt nervous.
Even she knew it would sound suspicious to drop his name here.
"Milady?"
"Lee Hoyeon. He's the new masseur."
"...?"
Sebas Chan was understandably puzzled by the familiar name.
He had investigated Lee Hoyeon himself.
Elise had ordered the background check, and there was no mention of massage training.
And now he's suddenly a masseur?
"It's hard to believe... but just trust me. I have my reasons. It's not anything weird."
Poke poke
Elise's conscience stung a little as she insisted there were no ulterior motives.
'This is treatment. Treatment. Essential treatment.'
Elise kept brainwashing herself as she continued the conversation.
"Understood. I'll inform the guild leader."
Thankfully, Sebas didn't question it further.
Even if Lee Hoyeon was suspicious, if Elise trusted him, Sebas had to as well.
That was his role.
"Yeah. Also, make sure to tell him to stay calm. Don't overreact."
"I'll try my best."
"If he starts ranting about visiting Victoria Academy to see Lee Hoyeon in person, tell him it's over between us."
"Understood."
Sebas sighed internally.
'Sebas. You're supposed to stop any guy from getting close to Elise. That's why you're there.'
He was already hearing the guild leader's nagging as a hallucination.
Honestly, he didn't want to report it.
If it were just a casual date with a boy her age, Sebas could overlook it. But treating her mana disorder was serious business.
With a gloomy face, Sebas waited for the guild leader's active hours.
*
Buyer Guild Master's office.
As the guild expanded, the guild master's workload increased.
Tossing the papers aside, Park Mingyu slumped into his chair.
"Haa. This isn't the time for this."
Work was going well.
But he still hadn't heard anything about Nam Daeun or Nam Dahee.
'How could there be nothing?'
If there weren't even sightings, maybe they were dead.
That would mean the tower he spent over ten years building would collapse.
As Park Mingyu frowned, someone burst into the office.
"Guild Master! You need to see this! This is huge!"
"Don't be so damn loud, you punk. We need to fix our old habits. Be professional. Knock, will you? What if I had a girl here?"
"Ah, sorry!"
The tattoo-covered executive scratched his head awkwardly.
"Tsk. Get out."
"Yes, sir!"
He handed over a hologram monitor and left.
When the Buyer Guild handled dirty jobs, they needed muscle.
And guys shameless enough to do those jobs.
So they filled exec roles with strong, dumb, greedy guys who were easy to control.
This was the result.
The guild had grown, but its internal state was a mess.
"Once we get bigger, I'm replacing all those punks."
For now, managing the rapidly growing guild left no room for that.
Park Mingyu clicked his tongue and looked at the monitor.
A pretty-boy guy appeared on screen.
- Yes, this is an interview with Cadet Lee Hoyeon. Lastly, if you could name one Hunter you respect?
- Ah, there are so many I admire. Professor Im Sol, Saintess Baek A-Young, Ironblood Guild's Team Leader Min Yeji... But lately, someone who's been hot in the scene.
- Someone hot? Who does the genius mage Lee Hoyeon admire?
- Park Mingyu of Buyer Guild. He's the whistleblower for Shinyoung Guild, right? That kind of decision isn't easy—I really respect him.
- Ah! Park Mingyu! Yes, he's been making waves in the Hunter world....
"Hoooh...?"
Park Mingyu curled his lips into a smile.
He could feel his status rising.
He had spoken with Lee Hoyeon before.
'Might be a recruitment opportunity.'
Knock knock.
Just then, a knock.
"Come in."
Only the Chief visits the guild master's office that calmly.
"Guild Master. We got a tip about Nam Daeun and Nam Dahee."
"What?!"
Park Mingyu shot up and snatched the document from the Chief.
"Anonymous source... says they saw Hoyeon with Nam Daeun...? Is this reliable?"
Most anonymous tips were sketchy.
"Yes. Despite being anonymous, they're a known figure in that circle."
"Hmm... One of the exceptions, huh?"
Park Mingyu thought briefly, then gave a sinister grin.
'Even better. Caught them together.'
He'd only entrusted reliable info brokers, so it wasn't fake.
They weren't some random amateurs.
Plus, Lee Hoyeon had shown him goodwill.
"Chief. Call in reporters for an interview."
"Huh? About what?"
"Anything. Just shut up and make it happen!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The Chief ran off in a panic as Park Mingyu crossed his legs.
"If I can win over Lee Hoyeon... everything's solved."
He thought mentioning girls before was a mistake—but that interview proved Hoyeon was interested.
So he must be keeping Nam Daeun with him.
It was annoying that someone else took his prize, but whatever.
Just get him drunk or throw some girls at him, then get that signature.
Then he could turn Hoyeon into another Nam Daeun.
"This is it. A gift from the heavens...."
Park Mingyu took out a fake contract laced with mana.
Several of Buyer Guild's executives were bound by this very document.
Everything was falling into place for him.
"Nam Daeun, Nam Dahee... I'll take them back. It's fine."
There's a special pleasure in training a girl who lost her virginity to someone else.
Park Mingyu began preparing the interview location to meet Lee Hoyeon.