Three Extremely Ordinary Girls

Why was that? Liu Yen found this moment simply delightful.

"Then shall I call a private jet just for the building? You'll only have to pay the taxes. Isn't this a total freebie?"

"Miss Liu, even just the taxes would wipe out my entire fortune……."

She laughed genuinely, felt it deeply, and found the conversation itself immensely enjoyable. It was a wondrous feeling she had never experienced in conversations with anyone else. She hadn't known the reason at first, but now she did.

'It's because it's Namgung Min.'

The enjoyable conversation, accepting that absurd date invitation, even arranging a private jet and restaurant reservations to treat him—it was all because the other party was this fortune teller, because it was Namgung Min.

At first it had been suspicion, then doubt, then bewilderment, and once she got past that, only happiness remained. Every single reaction and word from Namgung Min was enjoyable, and time flew by without her noticing.

'I'm really too easy.'

She could have doubted him as much as she wanted. She could have distanced herself as much as she wanted. But it was her own will that chose not to do so and instead drew closer to Namgung Min.

She had wondered if her paranoia had lessened. There had been times when she entertained that doubt, but after dealing with Wang Pei, she realized she was still the same. It was simply that Namgung Min was special. Only Namgung Min was different.

Even when she suspected him, pushed him away, threatened him, intimidated him, or despised him, this fortune teller was the only one who kept smiling and approaching her. Liu Yen mocked herself for being an easy woman. Of course, if it meant she could feel this happy, she didn't mind being seen as an easy woman at all.

"Then shall I pay the taxes for you too? Shall I just change the name to yours?"

"Miss Liu………."

"Pfft, hehe."

Did this foolish fortune teller know? Even though she was the Great Wealthy who boasted the world's number one fortune, Liu Yen did not share her wealth with just anyone. Not even a single yuan. Would he understand what it meant for her to gift a three-story building and a private jet to one person?

'Foolish bastard.'

Usually he seemed perceptive, yet at times like this he displayed catastrophically poor awareness. But Liu knew this wasn't an act. She had already investigated everything about Namgung Min to the point where she could publish a book on him, and she memorized it several times a day.

'During elementary, middle, and high school, he had no friends, not even acquaintances. In his second year of middle school, he was bullied for three months and sixteen days before transferring schools, and in high school, he was tormented by four students for eight months and three days during his first and second years.'

She couldn't understand how he maintained such a bright personality despite that unfortunate school life. But the people who had ostracized or bullied Namgung Min had, for "unknown" reasons, ended up buried in debt, had their families destroyed, or had their companies go bankrupt. For "unknown" reasons.

Anyway, because he had lived a life without a single friend, he was bound to lack awareness in these subtle relationships.

'Rather, I like it. At least he won't be taken by some strange vixen.'

But Liu Yen was generous enough to overlook that level of flaw. If Namgung Min, the only person she could converse with comfortably, were to be taken by some strange woman, it would be very troublesome. In that case, she would have no choice but to make that woman "unknown" as well…… It was only natural behavior as a "friend."

"Fine, fine. Then just take the building. Okay?"

"……You'll let it go at that, right?"

"Of course. I won't even count this as debt!"

"Then…… thank you."

The debt Namgung Min currently owed her amounted to 12.1348976 billion Korean Empire won. Unfortunately, it was an amount he could repay with the money he currently possessed.

'I need to give him more, much more.'

In this capitalist era, anyone would desire great wealth. Namgung Min would be no different. If not, he wouldn't have accepted Lily White-Rose's request worth 30 billion, no matter how endlessly troublesome it was.

Of course, Liu didn't consider that a flaw.

'If I give him more, he'll want even more.'

Then she could just count it as debt. Enough that he could never repay it no matter what he did for the rest of his life. It was fine even if he didn't want money. Then she would continue giving him gifts in the form of presents so he would feel indebted to her. If she kept piling up either real debt or emotional debt on Namgung Min like that……

'He won't leave my side.'

Was this feeling love? Liu Yen shook her head. It was like…… the strange sensation she had felt several times before when she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠saw an artifact she desperately wanted…… and paid far more than its value despite the inefficiency, just to obtain it.

It was nice to surrender herself to this pleasant sensation, but there was work to be done. Liu, who had been smiling faintly, stood up from her seat.

"I'll be back in a moment."

"Are you going to pick flowers?"

"……If you know, don't ask! And stop flaunting the fact that you don't have a girlfriend."

"Haha, my apologies."

After scolding Namgung Min, she entered the restaurant restroom, where her attendants who had been waiting greeted her respectfully. Liu casually accepted the greetings as if accustomed to it and sat down on the prepared chair. If the meal with Namgung Min had been a break, now it was time to work.

"So, who exactly are they?"

"One is Lane Arthur, and the other is Princess Kim Eun-ha."

"……Of course it had to be those vixens."

She had known someone was following her and Namgung Min. Coming all the way to Italy could be dismissed as coincidence, but if they had followed her here, it was definitely tailing. Through her occupational skill Eyes That Chase Money, she had clearly seen the auras of two people. She had roughly expected it from the familiar light, but she hadn't thought it would actually be that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠vicious psychic and the fist princess.

"Have they made contact?"

"Not yet."

"No manners at all. Is it greedy to expect human manners from fox-like beasts?"

Liu frowned and spat out derogatory curses, but none of the gathered attendants showed any agitation. They knew her foul personality, and more than that, they were well-trained. They were also the long-term pieces she frequently used when giving "unknown" orders.

"Well, I'll have to endure it."

But Liu casually dismissed the two vixens as if she had never been angry in the first place. Because the 'real work' was something else.

"Preparations?"

"We have selected and purchased a secluded mountain and land in Sichuan Province and have begun construction."

"It is estimated that it will take approximately five years to complete at the scale Miss Liu desires."

"Five times the bonus pay."

"……We will reduce it to three years."

"Good."

By then, it would be right around the time they graduated from Romance Academy. Perfect timing.

"Number of actors."

"We have currently hired around two thousand people and begun their training. They will be ready for field deployment in one year, and we plan to gradually familiarize them with Namgung Min, focusing on key individuals."

"The most important thing to watch out for?"

"Absolutely, no matter what happens, Namgung Min must not discover the plan!"

"Remember. If you're caught, you're all screwed."

""""Yes!""""

It was a plan she had come up with after watching an old movie. Though it required more budget and time than expected, it wasn't a significant expense for Liu.

'……Should I call it the Namgung Min Show?'

She wouldn't broadcast it on TV like in the movie. But at the very least, it would become the largest display case in the world where she and Namgung Min would live together.

As Liu smiled while imagining that beautiful future three years from now, one of the attendants hurriedly approached her.

"Miss Liu."

"What is it?"

"Lane Arthur's side has…… made contact first."

"……Damn it, they're really going to interfere?"

Liu nervously checked her wristwatch. It had only been one minute since she used the restroom as an excuse. Since she was a girl who got embarrassed easily, if she didn't want to be misunderstood, she would have to return within nine minutes at the latest no matter what. After a brief moment of contemplation, Liu made a quick decision.

"……Location?"

"First floor of the building."

"Let's go."

With a chilling gaze, Liu descended accompanied by her attendants. Because she had cleared out the building's occupants in case the conversation with Namgung Min might be disturbed by noise, they were able to head straight to the first floor via elevator without any interference.

When they arrived on the first floor, a silver-haired girl supported by butlers and maids in suits, just like Liu, was waiting for her. With a smile that Liu found truly ugly and vicious.

"What a coincidence, Miss Liu."

"Bullshit."

The Great Wealthy and the Psychic stepped forward, leaving their attendants behind. They glared at each other as if they wanted to kill one another, leaving only about one step's distance between them.

"Why are you here?"

"This is Europe. Asking an Arthur why they're in Europe is something not even a goldfish would ask, don't you think?"

"Bullshit."

"As always, the only vocabulary you know is cheap insults."

"And the only things you know how to say are pointless formal speech and that 'strong to the weak, weak to the strong' crap, right?"

"…………."

"……………."

An ominous wind blew between the two female students. The attendants, who knew well that the relationship between Liu and Lane was the worst, didn't even think of stopping them and instead took out artifacts or positioned occupational skill holders at the front in accordance with the atmosphere. Furniture and objects throughout the building began to float ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with Lane's Psychic ability, while the artifacts covering Liu's entire body began to glow. It was a situation on the verge of immediate collision.

However, the situation was resolved more simply than expected.

"………No way?"

"Bullshit."

Thud!

The two girls, who had seemed ready to fight at any moment, urgently looked up at the ceiling and immediately headed toward the elevator. Leaving their dumbfounded attendants behind on the first floor, the two frantically pressed the elevator button. From the first floor to the top floor. Though it wasn't a long time, an atmosphere more uncomfortable than any other situation in the world filled the elevator.

"…………."

"……………."

They had both sensed the same thing. Lane through Psychic, Liu through Eyes That Chase Money. But knowing that talking would yield nothing, they aimed at each other with psychic powers and artifacts while avoiding eye contact.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the restaurant.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

"I'm sorry. I got dizzy……."

"…………."

"……………."

The moment they saw Namgung Min, the two who had been walking over with modest expressions and postures immediately distorted their faces. It was because they saw the princess being carried on his back, her entire body entrusted to Namgung Min.

"Ah, Miss Liu! Is there a hospital nearby by any chance?"

"……Hey, Princess…… why are you…… here?"

"I don't know either. She suddenly came through that emergency door over there saying she was dizzy……."

That emergency door? Wasn't that the door leading to the building's rooftop? If she had come by plane or helicopter to the rooftop, there was no way they wouldn't have known. ……No way? She climbed up the building?

'Monster bitch.'

Just as Liu's wariness toward Princess Kim Eun-ha rose several levels in her mind, Namgung Min hurriedly ran toward the elevator.

"I'll take Her Highness to a nearby hospital! Please wait a moment!"

"Hey, hey! Wait a second! You don't even know the way around here!?"

"Hospitals are obvious once you see them!"

"Hey!!"

Without giving Liu and Lane a chance to chase after him, Namgung Min left the restaurant in a somewhat unnatural manner. Had he already been bewitched by that insolent violent vixen? Liu sighed and muttered.

"As expected, I need to release him in the display case……."

"As expected, I need to put him in the birdcage……."

The moment Lane muttered the same thing with a sigh, Liu and Lane made irritated expressions as if even having their words overlap was unpleasant. But more than that, they couldn't help but pay attention to each other's words.

"……What's a birdcage?"

"And what exactly is a display case, if I may ask?"

The two growled at each other. Just like when they were young, and just like now.

"……This should be far enough, right?"

"Yes, thank you for playing along."

"Don't mention it."

After running for several minutes after leaving the building, and confirming that Liu and Lane weren't chasing after them, he set down the princess he had been carrying. Since the dizziness had been a lie, there was no need to actually go to a hospital. Anyway, since she said she had something urgent to discuss, he had just said whatever and come out.

"I'm sorry, but I need to go on a date with Liu. What exactly is this urgent matter……?"

"……Namgung Min, listen carefully."

"Ah, yes."

"Run away."

"………Excuse me?"

Kim Eun-ha, who had been muttering something incomprehensible about a birdcage and a display case, grabbed my hand with determined eyes.

"Run away with me, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Namgung Min."

"Um, Your Highness?"

"Quickly, away from those crazy bitches……!"

Well, this is extremely disrespectful to say, but her eyes are bloodshot and red—she really looks like she's gone mad. But why is the princess alone in Italy!? Aren't there any attendants nearby?

"Your Highness, but how did you get all the way here……."

"That's not what's important right now!"

"Uh, uh."

"We're going, so run!"

Wait, look at that insane strength. She's lightly grabbing both my hands with one hand and running? At the instinctive feeling that my wrist would be crushed if I resisted, I gave up trying to understand and ran after the princess.