Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: One Task Left
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Hiring a housekeeper comes with a bit of risk.
It's not that big of a deal, really.
The point is, with all that money in the bank from who-knows-where, you have to be careful about bringing someone into your home.
"Hmm..."
Even so, I went ahead and posted the ad.
The reason was simple.
"Way too many chores."
Unlike living in a studio, housework here is on a whole different level.
It's not like the tasks themselves have changed much—wiping down floors, doing dishes, laundry.
What changed is the scale of the house and the cleaning.
Dust builds up on the furniture, and I have to vacuum this massive floor.
If only this tin can worked properly...
I shook my head slightly, watching the robot vacuum diligently crawling across the floor.
It does a decent job, but every time it takes a break, it gets stuck somewhere or flips over and starts screaming for help. That's become my daily routine—righting the damn thing.
Either way, thinking ahead, it's better to have a housekeeper.
If I wait until I desperately need one, it'll be too late to find a good fit.
And the sooner they get used to the place, the easier it'll be for cleaning later on.
I nodded to myself, gazing out at the empty living room.
Yeah, definitely too big to handle alone.
You can't buy time with money.
But you can pay someone else to handle your tasks.
With 500 billion in the bank, the annual interest comes out to about 12.5 billion.
It's not quite that much now, but still plenty deposited—probably around 10 billion a year.
With that kind of cash flow, it's pretty ridiculous for me to do all the housework myself.
Plus, I've been bored out of my mind.
Truth be told, I'd been feeling a little lonely too.
I couldn't even remember the last time I had a real, extended conversation with someone.
Excluding polite service chit-chat, my longest talk lately was with the guy downstairs.
Guess familiarity breeds contempt... or fondness.
I chuckled and stomped my feet a few times for good measure.
Ignoring the faint complaints from below, I settled at the island counter.
I brewed a cup of coffee and pulled up the housekeeper app on my phone.
It syncs nicely with the website—easy to navigate.
I sipped the steaming brew and checked the ad I'd posted.
The service I selected covered every option on the app.
Cleaning, dishes, laundry, of course.
Even grocery shopping and meal prep—the full brutal package.
Everything except childcare, basically.
"...Someone's gotta bite, right?"
Staring at the ad with nearly every box checked, that thought crossed my mind.
No matter how much you pay, some jobs people just avoid.
Of course, in that case...
Check if the pay's too low.
20,000 won per hour.
6 to 8 hours, twice a week.
About 9,000 won higher than average.
"This has to be generous, yeah?"
Someone might look at my 500-billion fortune and call me cheap.
But in work relationships, overpaying isn't smart. Pay fair for the labor.
Too much can make people uncomfortable, or worse, tempt them to take advantage.
Money doesn't get thrown around just because you have it.
I've learned that the hard way these past few weeks.
So, just right.
Not over the top.
Though I could toss in bonuses now and then.
And with that, I posted the ad.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hello."
Na-yeon finished her greeting at the door.
Her first thought upon seeing the woman in front of her?
Chaebol heiress...?
She looked like one.
Way younger than Na-yeon, yet living in Allstate.
And it didn't seem like she lived with family.
A young woman alone in this massive branded apartment.
Na-yeon felt envious, and a touch of mystery about her.
"Hello. This way, please..."
Na-yeon followed cautiously, noting how awkward the host seemed—like she rarely had guests.
Stepping out of the entryway, the vast living room came into view at once.
Huge windows offering a panoramic cityscape.
And furniture tastefully filling the space.
Her interior style's kinda... old-man vibes.
It didn't match the woman she'd just glimpsed at all. Na-yeon stifled a small laugh.
"Uh... Coffee?"
"Oh, sure."
The host popped a capsule into the machine.
One of those trendy pod coffee makers from a while back.
Na-yeon pictured the rich grinding beans fresh. This surprised her a bit.
After an awkward pause, the warm cup was set before her.
Na-yeon thanked her politely and took a sip.
Nice and hot.
As she savored it, the host was sipping her own.
The moment turned into impromptu tea time.
Though tea time usually involves talk, neither spoke, leaving it awkwardly silent.
Na-yeon slowed her sips, waiting for the host to break the ice.
Another stretch of silence, then the woman stood decisively.
"Like I mentioned beforehand, no actual work today. Just called you to explain what you'll be doing later. So, if you could listen for a bit..."
"Yes, got it."
Na-yeon finished her coffee quickly and followed.
"Main tasks are cleaning and cooking. Feel free to use the vacuum, washer, all the appliances however you like."
"...Okay."
Na-yeon pulled out her phone to take notes.
Trailing her through the house, she noted locations of cleaning supplies and checked every appliance.
All brand new, same brand too. Someone in the family work there?
Washer, dryer, dishwasher, food waste processor—all from the same company.
And the latest models, fresh off the line.
These must cost a fortune...
Na-yeon was impressed by her wealth.
First time seeing a home stuffed with ad-only gadgets. It even looked like a model home.
What does she do...?
Looked younger, maybe early 20s.
Probably a college kid like herself.
That thought made her own leave-of-absence grind feel a tad pitiful. Just a little.
But that faded fast.
"Work hard and I'll give bonuses. Do your best."
"Yes! Looking forward to working with you!"
The promise of chaebol bonuses wiped it away instantly.
And the next day, her first shift.
"Miss!! Are you seriously gonna keep stomping like that?!"
[I wasn't jumping. If you keep coming up here to complain, that's a problem.]
"I'm not holding back anymore!!"
[Sure, go right ahead~]
"...?"
Na-yeon blinked in confusion at the yelling man in front of 1003.
This job's fine... right...?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ —Whirrrrr
—Commencing cleaning.
—Dryer starting.
A bit noisy, but these sounds made the place feel lived-in. I lounged in the egg chair, sipping coffee leisurely.
My new housekeeper, Na-yeon.
Family name Na, given name Yeon.
Pretty name. Made me wonder why mine had to be Yeon-bi.
Kinda lame.
Should I change it?
Nah, too much hassle.
I shook my head and watched Na-yeon humming happily as she ran the vacuum.
Mid-20s, on leave from a local university.
Grinding part-time housekeeper gigs during break, plus weekend jobs for cash.
Reminded me of my old self—my gaze lingered.
Can't just shower her with gifts.
The old me, fresh off 500 billion and buzzing with excitement, probably would've bought her stuff left and right.
But now I know better.
That could've created major issues between us.
Better to bump the hourly a bit and add bonuses.
I nodded to myself, watching her work with a smile.
Alright, that wraps up everything I planned.
All my to-dos, done.
Choi Min-hoo's old house and stuff? Gone.
Car for Choi Yeon-bi and new place to live? Secured.
Even hired someone to handle the housework.
Everything from the start, finished.
Except one thing.
Foreign sports car.
Why do people crave imported luxury rides?
Performance, sure—but Korea barely has roads where they can shine.
Sports cars especially? Forget it.
So why?
Simple.
They look cool.
That's it.
With that thought, I grabbed my laptop and hit up the Ford Korea official site.
The car I'd been dying to drive.
Time to go snag a Mustang.