Chapter 69

"Uh... so, you're saying your father is on his way here right now?"

"Well, about that... that's what ended up happening."

I buried my face in my hands.

"It'll be fine! He might not look it, but my dad's actually pretty open-minded!"

No matter how open-minded a parent is, seeing their child's friend try to hire that child as a maid would not leave a good impression. If anything, wouldn't being open-minded make it worse? The more progressive someone is, the harsher they tend to judge wealthy people. Especially if a parent hears that their child's peer, someone who should be their equal, is being paid to act as a servant, even a parent who isn't particularly progressive would struggle to see that relationship as equal.

And besides, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠when I said "permission," I meant she should go home, get it, and come back. Not call them up and announce, "I'm working here now!" Getting parental consent isn't something you handle over the phone in the first place.

.......

I quietly sorted through my thoughts.

...Still, I wouldn't say things are completely ruined. I wasn't expecting much from So-hee's father giving his permission, but if by some miracle he did agree, having So-hee take on the work might not be a bad thing.

Of course... expecting her to handle things at Yang Hye-in's level would be too much. But if she falls short, we can just hire more people. The Chairwoman will be sending someone to replace Yang Hye-in anyway, so So-hee could just stay as my personal maid without any issue.

She's still a teenager, but in the original game, So-hee was a heroine with staggering initiative. She even had that protagonist's luck on her side, managing to rescue Ha-neul from a truly hopeless situation. Having her help wouldn't be a bad thing.

Because if the real Ye Sa-ra ever comes back, So-hee would be a huge help then.

That thought suddenly reminded me I was still in my pajamas.

I got up from the bed and said,

"...First, let's get changed. I can't meet your father dressed like this."

"Oh, sure! Leave it to me!"

So-hee rolled up her sleeves.

Wait, no. I meant I was going to change my own clothes.

And you don't actually work here yet. You're still in a tracksuit.

*

In the end, there was only one thing I could wear.

The only outdoor clothes I had were the single outfit I'd bought during that shopping trip with Ha-neul. Everything else was either the kind of dresses that make anyone looking at them intensely uncomfortable, or thin things only meant for wearing indoors.

The problem was that the casual set I did own was missing its top. The jeans and jacket were there, but the black t-shirt was gone. Thinking back, Ha-neul had worn it when she visited the mansion last time. Apparently, her promise to wash it and return it wasn't just about the underwear.

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure she took one of my school uniforms too.

"Hm? What's wrong? You want to say something?"

When I glanced up at her, So-hee tilted her head.

"It's nothing."

I shook my head. Well, she said she'd wash it and bring it back, so she probably will eventually. Back in college, a friend who visited my studio apartment got cold and left wearing my padded jacket, completely forgot about it, and didn't return it for almost a week. So-hee's case is probably like that.

So in the end, my only wearable option was my school uniform. The design isn't bad, honestly, but the fact that all I have to wear on the weekend is a uniform is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a little depressing. So-hee, rummaging through my closet, said something similar. "Master, when you have time, you should really go shopping for clothes." She meant it as a joke, but honestly, it made me cringe a bit. I didn't let it show on my face.

When Yang Hye-in called me "Young Lady," it never bothered me. People's usual image really does matter. Although, part of it was that Yang Hye-in radiated this professional aura in even the smallest movement, so it never felt awkward.

And on that note, if she's going to work as a maid... who's supposed to do her hand-off training? Even if I'm the one hiring her, the likelihood of the other servants being friendly to So-hee is low.

The staff were hired for my needs, so they'll provide meals and heating without me having to ask... but whether they'll extend those things to So-hee, who's only "extra," is a separate issue.

...Should I call Yang Hye-in back in?

Well, I'll think about that later.

So-hee hasn't been officially hired yet anyway.

I was still turning things over in my head when So-hee's phone buzzed. She must've had it on vibrate, because it gave off a low hum.

"Ah, it's Dad."

So-hee answered immediately.

"Hey, Dad. Yeah. You said you're already here?"

.......

I watched So-hee on the phone.

Thinking about it, in the game, So-hee's family was portrayed as pretty harmonious. I can't claim to have seen every character's route, but the characters in If You Wish generally came from families where less money meant more happiness. Whether that was the creator's intent, a bias, or just a cliché, I couldn't say.

Yoon Da-ho's family was hardly harmonious, and experiencing it firsthand, Ye Sa-ra's family was no picture of warmth either. On the other hand, So-hee's family and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ha-neul's family fit the "poor but happy" cliché almost perfectly.

Though I guess without setups like that, the game wouldn't have any crisis points.

"Uh... You're saying you can't get past the gate?"

.......

I let out a small breath and stood up.

So-hee must have caught the movement, because she immediately said,

"Ah, I'll be right out!"

and hurriedly hung up.

Once the call ended, So-hee's eyes flitted around, not quite landing anywhere.

"...What's wrong?"

"Ah, well, my dad seems a little mad."

When I looked up and asked, So-hee pointedly avoided my gaze.

Of course he is. Setting aside the fact his daughter wants to become someone else's maid, the attitude of the security guards at the front gate was infuriating for anyone outside this household. How to describe it, like they were looking down on people. As if working for a rich family makes you rich yourself, people who work under the wealthy always seem to strut around.

Wait, actually, now that I think about it, Yang Hye-in said her annual salary was 500 million won... so maybe other positions are similar.

If they're strutting around on nine-figure salaries, that's at least a little more believable.

Didn't make it any less irritating, though.

I looked up at So-hee again.

Come to think of it, wasn't the only reason she got inside because those people were neglecting their jobs? They seemed to only guard the front gate, no patrols or anything.

...Don't tell me the ladder is still leaning against the wall, completely ignored.

Unbelievable. Ye Sa-ra stays quiet, and even the people working here get lazy.

Thanks to that, So-hee was able to get inside safely, but...

Now that I've caught them, tearing them a new one wouldn't be a bad idea.

*

Whether it counts as fortunate or not, So-hee's father wasn't in a screaming match with the guards.

Of course, his face was bright red with rage, and if we'd been a little later, he'd have definitely been yelling at them.

"Dad!"

The moment So-hee called out, everyone at the gate turned sharply toward us. The two guards who'd been facing off against So-hee's father were the ones looking most surprised. After all, a person they had no memory of letting in was walking out alongside me, bold as anything.

I looked each of them in the face, one after the other. Both avoided my eyes. Even at a glance, the bewilderment was plain on their faces.

"Work must be getting pretty comfortable for you lately. A guest arrives, and you don't even bother to inform me. Was reporting in too much trouble?"

Now that I think about it, that checks out. When Ha-neul came, if it hadn't been for Yang Hye-in, I never would've known she was waiting at the gate.

At my words, the guards' pupils trembled.

"W-we were..."

"Did I ever say, 'don't let anyone in'? Not that I recall."

Of course I didn't. Ye Sa-ra barely ever spoke to the staff in this house. When she did, it was probably only with Yang Hye-in.

"We were acting on the Chairwoman's—"

"But this mansion belongs to 'me,' doesn't it."

When another guard tried to use Choi Na-kyung as an excuse, I cut him off again.

"The only reason you're able to be here is because I'm tolerating your presence. If I told you to leave, you'd be fired on the spot. Are you sure ignoring me like this is a good idea?"

That's the truth. Choi Na-kyung may have done the hiring.

But this house belongs to Ye Sa-ra. Staff are only here because Ye Sa-ra tacitly allows it. The moment I utter the word "no," they're out. It would literally count as trespassing.

Choi Na-kyung might have business here she needs to see me about, so I don't stop her from coming, but what happens to the staff is none of my concern. We were never close enough for me to feel any attachment.

"And right now, go check the back wall of the mansion. You'll find a ladder brazenly propped against it. It's lucky for you the person who climbed over is someone I know. What would you have done if it was someone with bad intentions?"

And they'd managed to walk right up to my bedroom door.

The thought is genuinely chilling. If it had been an actual burglar, I would've practically opened the door for them.

Choi Na-kyung may have ordered them to disregard me, but she never told them to threaten my safety. In the first place, if someone Choi Na-kyung views with that kind of horrific obsession came to harm, she'd lose her mind in the worst possible way.

Trapping Ye Sa-ra here probably felt, to Choi Na-kyung, like a perfect plan. But it had far too many holes. Buying silence with high ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pay was plausible. Stationing a decent number of people, fair enough.

But inside this closed-off world, where the owner has given up on everything and has no intention of directing anything, and where the workers get hundreds of millions of won for nothing but monotonous daily repetition; there's simply no reason to do the job properly.

Of course, a place like this would be hard to burglarize... but in the end, didn't it come to this anyway?

"If you're going to invoke the Chairwoman's name, shouldn't you be reporting 'everything' that happened today to her?"

When I said that with a bright smile, both guards went pale.

Yeah, now that I've thought about it more, this might be a good approach.

Don't just placate them with money—get something on them, one by one. Create a situation where they can't quit but also can't cross me... then things would clearly get a lot easier going forward.

With that plan taking shape in my mind, I took my time savoring the sight of two grown security guards fumbling under the gaze of a girl much smaller than they were.