Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Freedom!
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Her stomach must have been really churning, because Elizabeth ordered some spicy soup via room service. Honestly, since I was the one suffering from a hangover, I figured she'd scarf it down.
But what do you know?
With her back held perfectly straight, she elegantly took a full thirty minutes to finish one bowl of soup. That rigid spine never bent once, and she didn't cross her legs. She didn't even check her phone while eating!
Ah, right—I'd tossed her phone.
Anyway, Elizabeth focused solely on the soup, maintaining impeccable posture without the slightest disruption as she emptied the bowl over those thirty minutes.
She really was an incredible woman.
The spicy soup must have done the trick, because her pallid complexion had brightened up considerably.
Honey water or bean sprout soup are the usual hangover remedies, but if the hungover one herself wanted spicy soup, what could I do? I had to order it.
"But where are we, exactly?"
With her face much more relaxed, Elizabeth rinsed her mouth with water and turned to me.
"A hotel."
"A hotel? Not the Francesco, I hope?"
"Of course not. If it were, Duran would've kicked the door down by now."
"True enough."
In principle, we can't disclose personal information about hotel guests to anyone. But Duran owned the place. Principles don't exist in front of the hotel owner.
"Um..."
"Hm? Yeah. Go ahead."
"What should I do now?"
"What do you want to do?"
"Huh? Well..."
"Besides breaking off the engagement. Things a twenty-year-old Elizabeth wants to do. Dreams you've always had."
"Things I've... always dreamed of..."
No matter how long I waited, Elizabeth didn't answer. She just kept repeating the words.
They say kids these days have no dreams, but to draw a complete blank... I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"Think it over carefully. It doesn't have to be anything grand. Eating ice cream or hitting up karaoke. Even little things like that are fine. Whenever something pops into your head that you want to try, write it down. That's called a bucket list. Jot those down."
I set the card on the vanity. An unlimited black card.
"Oh, and try to avoid going out if possible. You know why better than anyone."
"Yes."
"Order delivery if you need anything, or if you get too cooped up, disguise yourself and head out. Use this for payments."
"Where are you going?"
"Me? Home, obviously."
"Leaving me... here alone?"
"Yep."
Her face was expressionless, but her upturned eyes glistened with unshed tears. Those puppy-dog eyes created such a killer gap moe that it drove me crazy.
Is she seriously signaling she wants ramen with me right now?
"I have to go home first and show my face. Elizabeth might think I pulled an all-nighter helping you out. I've never stayed out before."
Of course, it was a lie.
"Ah... I'm sorry."
But Elizabeth apologized to me right away.
What? It was just a joke? Didn't it sound like one? Honestly, if a thirty-year-old says he's never stayed out overnight, anyone would call bullshit, right?
"No need to apologize. I was just teasing because you seemed too tense. Anyway, it'll be a bit stifling until I secure a safer spot, but stick around here. Won't take long."
"Got it. Thank you for helping me."
"No big deal. Oh, here."
"What's this?"
I handed her a burner phone.
"Bought this while you were sleeping. Calls on this won't be traceable. I've saved my number as 1, so contact me anytime you need something. Or even if you don't."
"Really... thank you."
"Don't thank me too much. You'll have to pay me back later."
'With your body, of course.'
"Yes. I will. With interest."
'Ooh yeah. Body plus interest?'
"Alright, I'm off. I can't make it tonight... got some business, but I'll swing by tomorrow. No bawling your eyes out missing me, okay?"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, sorry. Heading out for real now. See you tomorrow."
"Yes, thank you, Bal Jeong-nam."
"..."
Ugh, it's my name, but it just doesn't sit right. Should I really change it? Is name-changing easy here? Hope the system doesn't block it.
With Elizabeth seeing me off, I left the hotel and headed home.
After seeing Bal Jeong-nam off, Elizabeth perched on the edge of the bed.
Her back was straight as a board, her feet placed precisely together to form a perfect eleven. Her hands rested lightly on her thighs.
"..."
Ten minutes, twenty, thirty... Time passed, but her posture didn't waver in the slightest.
'Things I want to do. Do I even have any?'
She'd simply followed her mother's words, acting and thinking only as instructed. This engagement was the first time she'd ever resisted her mother's commands.
'It doesn't have to be grand. Eating ice cream or going to karaoke. Little things like that are fine. Write down anything you want to try. That's a bucket list. Give that a shot.'
Bal Jeong-nam's words echoed in Elizabeth's mind.
Bucket list.
It was hugely helpful advice for someone who'd lived such a passive life.
'Eating ice cream, going to karaoke.'
She'd never had ice cream. She wanted to try it once, see what it tasted like.
She'd never been to karaoke. She wanted to see what it looked like inside, if you could really sing there.
"I want to try it. Huh?!"
As her thoughts flowed, she unwittingly voiced her inner desire. Shocked—it had never happened before—Elizabeth clapped a hand over her mouth.
The hand over her mouth trembled faintly. Her shoulders twitched. The corners of her mouth began to lift.
"I won't get in trouble."
Her eyes scanned the empty room. Her right leg slowly rose, draping over her left thigh.
Elizabeth crossed her legs!
"I won't get in trouble."
Her back, rigid for thirty minutes, tilted forward just a bit.
Elizabeth slouched!
"Hee hee hee. No trouble. Even like this, no trouble!"
At twenty years old, finally grasping what freedom meant, Elizabeth flopped onto the bed and shouted.
Freedom!
-Master?!
"Huh... Were you staring at your phone? It hasn't rung once, but you picked up right away?"
-I've been glued to my phone! Waiting for Master to call, watching only for your number!
"You naughty thing. You're done for today. Gonna torment you with full-power dick all night."
-Eek! I love you, Master!
Yuna's joyful squeals came through the phone. Slave No. 1 was adorable.
"Anyway, where are you right now?"
-At home! Been masturbating non-stop since yesterday, thinking of you!
"..."
Isn't that a bit much?
"Aren't you going to work? You're a hero."
-But... you're a villain, Master. How can I be a hero if you are? From now on, I'll become a villain too and serve you faithfully by your side!
"No. You need to keep doing hero work."
-What?! Why?! How come?!
"Because it's more beneficial for me."
My parents had jammed tons of straws into the Hero Association using their vast wealth. Through those straws, they extracted info from the Association and smoothed the way for Thief Villain operations.
The top brass passed on info only they knew, while the grunts and field agents relayed what they could access from their positions.
In essence, despite their power, the Hero Association danced in my parents' palm. Any secret whispered there reached my parents' ears in ten minutes flat.
Sure, other companies had their straws too, but my parents had the most.
To keep villaining without much risk, I needed those straws myself.
My money was basically my parents' money right now, so handing it to Association staff as bribes would loop straight back to them.
That wasn't what I wanted.
I didn't want my family knowing I was a villain.
A mysterious, silent villain shrouded in veils, unknown to all—that was my ideal.
So I needed to plant my own straws in the Association somehow... and luckily, I had the perfect candidate.
My cute Slave No. 1, Yuna Reyes, a C-rank hero with the Hero Association.
She'd have friends in the Association, and they could pass info to her, which she'd relay to me.
It'd take time to match my parents' network, but my endless superpowers and expendables would buy that time.
-If me heroing... helps you more, Master... I'll obey.
"Obey? You dare 'obey' a command from your sky-high Master? You're so done. I'll punish you all night."
-Eek! Nooo!
"..."
Not a reward—punishment! Spanking your ass! Why are you happy?!
-Oh! Master, I have something to tell you... I'll say it when we meet!
"Daring to play hard-to-get with Master? Punishment extended one hour."
-Eek! Nooo!
"..."
Her personality's flipped too much. Must be the weak-willed C-rank hero thing.
After a long chat with Yuna, I'd arrived home before I knew it.
Hm? Something up? Black-suited guys were swarming the front gate.
"Anyway, head to the Hero Association now and casually dig up info on me. How much they know about my abilities or organization, who they think I am, if they plan to hit me—focus on that stuff. Got it?"
-Yes, Master! Heading there now!
"Good girl. See you tonight."
"Yes! Haaah~! M-Master! I'm off~!
Click!
"...She masturbated while on the phone with me?"
I shook my head in disbelief. Surely she didn't use it all up? She gushes so much that sex with Yuna feels like doing it at a water park—it's fun. Gotta save her fluids for later.
We live in a water-scarce nation! Conserve water!
Anyway, time to check out whatever idiots are gathered at our house.
"Contact immediately if you spot the Young Master! Last confirmed at Francesco Hotel! Search every inch around there! Got it?"
"Yes!"
"Move out!"
"What's going on...? Huh?"
Before I could ask, the black-suited men piled into cars and drove off one by one. Leaving me standing there alone.
"What the hell was that?"
The world is wide, and there are plenty of weirdos in it.
I shook my head and headed inside. Man, the house is huge. Takes thirty minutes to walk from the gate?
"Uncle Chris, I'm home."
"Welcome back, Young Master."
Uncle Chris greeted me as warmly as ever.
"But earlier, some crazy bastards were out front."
"Crazy bastards? What kind? Did they come inside and mess up the garden?"
"..."
At 'crazy bastards,' Uncle Chris's vibe shifted. He'd been all warmth a second ago; now he was pure menace, ready to kill.
Never touch the garden, no matter what.
"Nah, they didn't. Just hyping each other up at the gate, then hopped in their cars and left."
"I see. What crazy bastards. Hope they weren't our crazy bastards."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. I'll handle those crazy bastards. Be careful out there yourself, Young Master. They might pick a fight with you for no reason."
Uncle Chris switched back to warm mode.
"Oh, Young Master. And..."
"You're back? Pulled an all-nighter, huh?"
"Hm?"
From behind Uncle Chris, who was about to say something, came a woman in a crop top and hot pants, pizza slice in hand, approaching me.
O? Sexy. Shorter and smaller-chested than Elizabeth, but still average. Her eyes had that haughty cat-like sharpness. Right up my alley.
Worth a shot?
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"Huh? Huuuh? Whaaat? Who is this guy? Hey, you crazy? Why switch to polite speech all creepy-like? Uncle Chris, is she sick or something?"
"Heh heh heh. From watching these past few days, Young Master has no issues, Miss Ji-na."
"..."
Miss Ji-na? Ji-na? If it's Ji-na... Bal Ji-na, my little sister?
Digging through Bal Jeong-nam's memories, it matched the girl in front of me. Yep, Bal Ji-na.
'Whoa, almost hit on my sister.'
"Heh heh heh. Anyway, Miss, you're not being honest. You were so worried when Young Master wasn't here..."
"Uwak! Uwaaaah! Uncle! You must be starving! Eat this! My favorite—pineapple pizza with mint sauce!"
"Heh heh heh. You're crossing the line, Miss. Get that away."
Uncle Chris chuckled and refused the pizza.