Chapter 53: The Dinner
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 53: The Dinner
This morning was incomparably busier than usual.
I put on a suit, stopped by the department store for a gift, and finally, got my hair styled at the same salon I’d visited before my blind date.
Considering my appointment was at noon and the department store opened at 10 a.m., no one could deny it was a tight schedule.
I was so busy I didn't have a moment to catch my breath, but it was something I had to endure for the reward that awaited.
When I arrived at the address I’d received via text, a massive gate and a nameplate greeted me.
[城北崔家]
The Hanja characters for "The Choi Family of Seongbuk" were carved into the plaque.
“...This is insane.”
A mansion like this in the middle of Seoul? I’d heard it was over 10,000 pyeong [approx. 8 acres], and while I wondered if that was even possible, I figured that for the Choi Family of Seongbuk, it would be even grander, not less.
Still, I couldn't help but feel nervous.
“Please stop for a moment.”
Just as I was adjusting my tie and heading toward the gate, bodyguards stopped me.
“May I ask the purpose of your visit?”
“My name is Kang Hyun-woo. I was invited by Madam Choi Young-ok.”
Only after I mentioned Choi Young-ok's name did the intimidating bodyguards bow politely and step back.
Simultaneously, the massive gate swung open automatically, revealing the magnificent interior of the estate.
The garden was so vast it was impossible to take in at a single glance.
Along the path, paved with a pristine material that could have been marble or some other stone, ran small streams on either side. Fish that looked expensive even from a distance swam within them.
My surprise at the garden's landscaping was brief, as the colossal mansion in the distance once again captured my attention.
“...People actually live in a place like that?”
The mansion was so large I couldn't see it all at once.
Its exterior, a blend of a traditional Korean hanok and a Western mansion, was so stunning it wouldn't have looked out of place in a movie.
However, I didn't think I'd want to live in a mansion like that, no matter how much money I made.
Was it because I'd lived my whole life as a commoner?
Just as I was thinking I'd rather live in a penthouse, I heard a familiar voice.
“You're going to dislocate your jaw.”
Choi Hyena appeared, her wavy red hair fluttering in the wind, dressed in an ornate gown. She looked completely different from her usual self.
“You dress like that at home?”
Isn't the standard uniform at home a t-shirt and shorts?
“I'm not dressed up. Stop talking nonsense and just follow me.”
She whipped her head around and strode off. I walked behind her.
I never said she looked dressed up, though.
Of course, I kept my mouth shut, knowing one more word might earn me a jab from her pointy high heels.
Still, seeing her in a dress instead of her mage robes, she definitely gave off the vibe of a rich young lady.
If she just toned down her personality, she'd be perfect.
Is it just me, or is the atmosphere strangely cold?
I wasn't entirely sure, but as the mansion grew closer, I pushed the stray thoughts aside.
“Isn't it inconvenient living in a place like this?”
“...It's not.”
The question had slipped out, but Choi Hyena's attitude was decidedly frosty.
I thought we'd gotten closer after facing life and death together in the gate. Was I mistaken?
“How did a girl who lives in a mansion like this manage in that tiny tent—?!!”
Thwack!
“I-I told you to forget what happened back then, didn't I?!”
This was so unfair.
I was just trying to break the awkward silence. Was it really something worth a punch in the gut?
Is it really that time of the month?
Her attitude had been strangely different from the start.
“Welcome.”
Ignoring our squabble, Choi Hyena touched something, and the mansion's main doors opened automatically. Maids lined up in two rows greeted us.
They all looked to be around my age, and every single one of them was stunningly beautiful.
Maybe living in a mansion wouldn't be so bad.
I'd heard that European nobles staffed their homes with maids who suited their tastes and lived in luxury.
Once I became an archmage, there was no reason I couldn't live like that too.
“Hey.”
“Huh?”
“Enjoying the view?”
“...?”
“I asked if you're enjoying the view.”
Her expression soured as she suddenly started poking me hard in the chest.
This time, I hadn't said a word; I was just following her. What on earth could have upset this young lady?
The answer was obvious with a little thought.
“Are you jealous right now?”
“...Die.”
After that short mutter, Choi Hyena walked on in silence, refusing to even look at me, let alone speak.
*
Choi Hyena had woken up at the crack of dawn.
Before the sun had even risen, she had summoned her maids and soaked in a bath infused with a luxurious, limited-edition perfumed oil created by an Italian alchemist, letting the subtle fragrance enhance her presence.
She had a team from the most famous salon in Cheongdam come to the mansion to do her hair and makeup. Then, she put on a one-of-a-kind dress, custom-made by a renowned designer she had commissioned a few days prior, tailored perfectly to her measurements and style.
Finally, she added accessories she usually avoided for being too flashy.
In a way, her morning routine was similar to Kang Hyun-woo's, but the time and money invested were on a completely different scale.
The maids all showered her with compliments, telling her how beautiful she looked, but her own expression as she gazed in the mirror was one of utter reluctance.
Had she ever put this much effort into her appearance before?
Absolutely not. Never.
For all the parties and events she'd attended, she had only ever dressed up enough to fit in. This was the first time she had been this busy getting ready, running around since dawn.
If all this had been simply to lift her spirits, she wouldn't have felt so hesitant.
...Kang Hyun-woo.
But while bathing, while getting her makeup done, while putting on her dress, she found herself thinking of him, stealing glances in the mirror. The sight of herself acting like a teenage girl in love wounded her pride.
How did things end up like this?
Did she really need to get all dressed up?
What was she to Kang Hyun-woo, anyway?
The questions, for which no one could provide a clear answer, spun in her head like a broken record.
“How frustrating. So, so frustrating.”
“...I told you to shut up.”
The normally quiet Wendigo always seemed to pop out and annoy her whenever she thought of Kang Hyun-woo.
“Tsk, tsk. At this rate, when do you ever plan on paying the price for our contract?”
“I'll handle it myself.”
“You? How?”
Wendigo flew through the air, letting out an irritating laugh.
“You blush and fidget just thinking about a man who isn't even here. How do you expect to receive his 'essence'?”
“...”
“Sigh, you young human child.”
Wendigo descended from the air, meeting the gaze of the crestfallen Choi Hyena.
“Be honest with your feelings. Remember that hiding and ignoring your emotions is a completely useless endeavor. If you don't, even things that should work out, won't.”
This advice wasn't born from any affection for her contractor, Choi Hyena.
As a condition for their spirit contract, Wendigo had made a deal with her to receive Kang Hyun-woo's essence.
'Ah... Hyun-woo-nim...'
Although she couldn't form a contract with Kang Hyun-woo herself due to possessing Choi Hyena's body, and she couldn't help him escape the gate because she had fallen into a deep sleep for certain reasons, Wendigo still cherished the memory of that day.
Her advice to Choi Hyena was merely a means to reconnect with Kang Hyun-woo as soon as possible.
Choi Hyena, oblivious to this fact, had no intention of taking Wendigo's advice to heart.
Why?
'I'm crazy, I'm crazy, I'm crazy, I'm crazy, I'm crazy!!'
She was already hiding her feelings from herself, and now she was supposed to convey them to him, unfiltered?
Fat chance.
In the first place, Choi Hyena was still in the denial phase of falling for him.
Giving her heart to a man was absurd enough, but being told to confess was as ridiculous as the idea of her reaching the 7th Circle by tomorrow.
Nevertheless, the maids smiled warmly at the sight of Choi Hyena's back as she constantly snuck glances in the mirror, fixing her hair and straightening her dress.
Ah, our young lady finally has a man she likes!
The maids' whispers reached the head maid, and eventually, the mistress of the mansion, Choi Young-ok.
Her granddaughter had fallen in love with the man who saved her life! The fact that this man was Kang Hyun-woo, whom she had her eye on from the beginning, made her all the more pleased.
A smile naturally spread across Choi Young-ok's lips.
And so, time passed. When Kang Hyun-woo arrived at the dining hall with Choi Hyena, he was a dapper young man, dressed to the nines and looking worlds apart from how he had at the Magic Tower or in the hospital.
He bowed with disciplined grace.
“It's been a while.”
“Welcome.”
Watching him with a pleased expression, Choi Young-ok gestured for him to sit.
Today, she was meeting him not as Choi Hyena's grandmother, but as the mistress of the Choi Family of Seongbuk, so she didn't forget to use formal language.
Watching Kang Hyun-woo take his seat, Choi Hyena seemed to hesitate for a moment before ultimately sitting down next to him.
At that sight, Choi Young-ok had to suppress the urge to hug her adorable granddaughter with superhuman patience.
“I was worried that I might have scheduled this on rather short notice, but I'm grateful you came looking so well.”
“Not at all. I'm just a jobless guy who hasn't even enrolled in the Magic Tower yet. Time is all I have.”
As they caught up and chatted about this and that, the table was soon filled with a grand dinner.
“You must be hungry, coming all this way since morning. Please, eat a lot. If you need anything more, just say the word.”
“Thank you.”
Choi Young-ok pretended to eat while sneaking glances at Kang Hyun-woo and Choi Hyena.
Just like her, Choi Hyena was barely touching her food, too busy stealing glances at Kang Hyun-woo.
How could she be so cute?
Choi Hyena was usually sensitive to the gazes of others, but right now, she didn't seem to notice her grandmother watching her.
'...He's cute.'
Choi Hyena didn't spare a single glance for the food made from expensive ingredients.
All her attention was fixed on Kang Hyun-woo.
He seemed awkward in this setting, eating his soup with a dessert spoon. Even the way he clumsily cut his steak was so endearing she couldn't take her eyes off him for a second.
If her past self could see this, she would have torn her hair out, screaming that she'd gone mad, but that couldn't stop the Choi Hyena of the present.
Of course, she was disappointed that he hadn't complimented her on how much effort she'd put in, but she was too focused on Kang Hyun-woo to have the luxury of showing it.
And so, the meal, meant for only one person's eyes, continued.
*
After the dinner concluded, Choi Young-ok suggested I take a short break and dismissed the gathering.
Thanks to that, I was left with time to kill, aimlessly wandering the unfamiliar corridors of the mansion.
I definitely wasn't lost.
“...Fucking huge.”
I should have just said yes when the maid offered to guide me.
I'd refused because Choi Hyena's expression was so fierce, but I never imagined this would be the result.
With no other choice, I kept walking wherever my feet took me.
If I ran into a servant, I could just ask for directions.
But as if fate were playing a trick on me, there wasn't a soul in sight wherever I went.
Just as I was wondering if I should actually call Choi Hyena and ask her to come rescue me, I heard a welcome voice from behind.
“Ha, I knew it.”
“I knew a guest who went off to 'look around the house' would get lost.”
“I wasn't exactly lost.”
“Shut up.”
Though she seemed to be scolding me, Choi Hyena's voice was strangely cheerful.
“Just follow me.”
Once again, I followed behind Choi Hyena as she took the lead.
Before long, we arrived at a door that had a slightly different atmosphere from the others.
“...Come in.”
“Where are we?”
“My room.”
Before I could even be surprised by the fact that it was her room, the door opened.
'Whoa...'
The room's interior was filled from top to bottom with furniture and decor that were better described as luxurious than flashy.
Besides, it was so spacious it felt more like a house than a room.
My studio apartment could probably fit in here more than twenty times.
It was a stark reminder of just how small a place I lived in.
“Stop looking around and take this.”
While I was admiring the room, Choi Hyena handed me a luxurious-looking box.
Inside were the wand and ring I had lent her in the gate.
“Thanks, I put them to good use. If you hadn't lent me your equipment, there would have been many more times I would've been attacked by monsters before I could even cast a spell. I wouldn't be alive and in one piece like this.”
“If you know that, you should've treated me better.”
“...Have you completely lost your mind?”
She took a step forward as if to punch me in the gut again. The moment I raised my guard to protect myself...
Grip—
“...Huh?”
Choi Hyena suddenly grabbed me by the collar.
Then, she shoved her deeply flushed face toward mine and spoke in a trembling voice.
“...What happened in the gate.”
Her hand gripping my collar was shaking so much that I felt like I was starting to tremble along with her.
“Did you really forget everything?”