Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Weekend? (6)
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Sunday lunch.
In the languid lunchtime crowd, there were a few beauties drawing everyone's eyes as they wandered about.
Inside a café in Victoria Academy, Baek A-young, Min Ye-ji, and Im Sol were sitting together.
Passersby kept stealing glances, wondering why these three were together.
Among the trio, the most lively one, Min Ye-ji, spoke up to Baek A-young.
"Why the long face, A-young? Hm?"
"Just... not feeling great overall."
Baek A-young sucked on her iced Americano through the straw, offering a faint smile.
She had come out because Min Ye-ji suggested they meet up over the weekend, but Baek A-young's condition still hadn't recovered.
"Did you maybe find someone you like?"
"N-No, it's not like that!"
"What? It totally sounds like it though? Is spring finally coming for A-young too? Spring's hitting Sol and A-young at the same time~?"
"Shut it. It's not A-young. And I said to keep it quiet here."
Im Sol set down her latte and glared at Min Ye-ji.
She couldn't speak up because the café patrons were secretly eyeing their table.
"Sorry, sorry. I was just trying to cheer up our listless A-young. What's wrong, A-young? Spill your worries—we'll listen."
"Ugh..."
Baek A-young hesitated over whether to share, but eventually opened up.
"Honestly... I don't know. I think I might like someone..."
"Oh my god, no way. Sol, our saintess has a crush!"
"Really?"
Im Sol perked up her ears too—it seemed like quite the entertaining topic.
"A-young, why do you think that? Does your heart race when you're together?"
"...Yeah. My heart races when we're together, I want to hold their hand, hug them tight, give them everything I have, it hurts when they think negatively of me, I want to lie in the same bed and sleep together..."
"Hold on, hold on. A-young, calm down."
"She's got it bad."
Slurp.
Im Sol shook her head while sipping her coffee.
"No, Sol, this isn't something to brush off as 'bad.' Which bastard charmed our pure A-young like this?!"
Even Min Ye-ji couldn't hide her shock at Baek A-young, who had always been so innocent, speaking this way.
"A-young, if your heart races around him and you want to hug him, you definitely like the guy. If you like him that much, why not just confess?"
Im Sol suggested a practical approach.
There wouldn't be a man alive who'd turn down a confession from the saintess—not with the image she'd built up.
"Right! No guy in the world would reject a confession from the saintess! Don't overthink it—go straight for it!"
"...There's an age gap between us, and we've got all these complicated circumstances tying us together. Sigh..."
As expected, no easy solution.
Baek A-young smacked her lips and took another sip of her drink.
Still, talking it out with friends made her feel a bit lighter.
Better than stewing alone—the stuffiness had eased some.
"Age gap... Don't tell me... Is that why you rushed into the academy job...?"
"...!"
Baek A-young flinched at Min Ye-ji's words.
'Did she figure it out?'
Regretting how carelessly she'd spilled, Min Ye-ji spoke up.
"Academy Chairman Moon Jae-cheol?"
"You're insane! How could I even look at that old geezer!"
Baek A-young felt embarrassed for even worrying she might have caught on.
Thwack! Thwack!
"Sorry, A-young! It was a joke—stop hitting! Hold on!"
Min Ye-ji dodged Baek A-young's flying fists every which way while apologizing profusely.
Watching their childish antics, Im Sol chuckled softly and checked her smartwatch.
Lee Ho-yeon: Professor. [Link] Check this out... Weird rumors are spreading—what should I do? It was a message from Lee Ho-yeon.
The link led to an article maliciously stirring things up against him.
The cleverly edited and fabricated evidence screamed professional work—not amateur stuff.
"Hmm... Min Ye-ji, wanna take a quick look at this?"
"Huh? What is it?"
A moment later, Min Ye-ji's brows furrowed too.
"This is... ridiculously low-level crap. They're blatantly manipulating public opinion. Who even runs this op? No workshop would be this obvious..."
"What're you talking about?"
Baek A-young finally read the article Im Sol handed over.
"Ho-yeon asked for help, so... Girls, can you lend me a hand?"
"Of course! Chance to score points with Cadet Lee Ho-yeon."
"Ugh..."
"What about you, A-young?"
Ignoring Im Sol, Baek A-young suddenly tapped away at her smartwatch.
"I-I work at the academy too... I could help... Why didn't he message me...!"
Im Sol and Min Ye-ji exchanged glances as Baek A-young trembled and muttered under her breath.
"Sol... Is the one A-young likes also Cadet Lee Ho-yeon, like you?"
Min Ye-ji whispered into Im Sol's ear.
"...Who knows. And I never said I liked him?"
"Really? How many years older are we than Cadet Lee Ho-yeon? Eight?"
"...Dunno."
Im Sol needlessly chewed on her straw.
Today, she craved something even sweeter.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Ding-
"I'm back."
Returning to the dorm, I found Scarlett waiting on the living room bed.
"Hah... Haah... Lady Lilia, Ho-yeon is back... Please stop now..."
Lilia was teasing Scarlett, fondling her breasts from the side.
"You're here? Scout said she had something to tell you, so I was keeping her company."
"...Good job."
I hung my outer coat on the rack and approached Scarlett.
"Scarlett, have a seat here."
"Yes..."
Scarlett straightened her clothes and sat politely.
"You know what this is about without me saying, right? Explain from the beginning."
"Um... I don't know the full details either. The young lady personally ordered me to film that video when you came over. That's all I know."
"Hmm... 'Personally' means Ellis's secretary wouldn't know?"
"Probably. The young lady wouldn't want Sebastian catching her bringing a man home. If the guild master found out, she might storm over here tonight."
"...That does sound scary."
No telling what the Night Emperor might do if provoked.
"Anyway, that's what I came to relay. I need to report back to the young lady now."
"Perfect timing. I snuck my smartwatch under Ellis's desk chair. Pretend to report and 'find' it."
"Your smartwatch?"
"Yeah. It has the video with Lilia on it. Watch Ellis's reaction for me."
"Ah... Understood."
This was the method I'd devised after puzzling over how to get the video to Ellis.
In hindsight, now that the massage was done, passing it via Scarlett might've been fine.
Ellis didn't seem to have ulterior motives.
But at the time, I wanted to read Ellis's status window directly and act accordingly.
I'd left a fake smartwatch there, disguised as the one I'd taken off during the massage—now it was up to Scarlett.
"Hey, why're you using my video without permission?"
Lilia, who'd been listening in, cut in.
"Just borrow it a bit. Hm? You can't even get legal protection anyway."
As if a succubus could claim human law protection.
"Do you know how expensive I am?"
"Let's grab lunch. Gotta eat and head right out."
"Fine, I'll order from that quick chicken place."
"You're having chicken for dinner too. How about something light for lunch?"
Lilia always pulled this routine when I rejected chicken.
"It's my money—why do you care! You're not even helping around the house!"
"Knew you'd say that. Prepared for it."
I handed Lilia the contract she'd signed with Ellis.
"Huh? What's this... Whoa."
"Heeek... She pays more than me...? Is this for real?"
"More than the top earner in your industry. Obviously."
Income reversal achieved.
I'm the breadwinner now!
"Anyway, Lilia, lunch is on me—sandwiches. You wouldn't order chicken on your own, right?"
"...Do whatever."
Chicken dominance era over at last.
Lilia grumbled the whole time, protesting that she could get two full chicken meals for the price and would eat extravagantly, but it was pointless.
I finished lunch, rested a bit, then messaged Nam Da-eun.
Me: When do you wanna meet at our training ground? We'd agreed to spar today but hadn't set a time.
Nam Da-eun: 2 hours okay? Me: Yeah. See you then. It was 2 p.m. now.
Two hours until 4.
"Two hours should be plenty."
The massage with Ellis had used up more mana than expected.
I needed meditation to recharge before sparring Nam Da-eun.
I sat right there in the living room, closed my eyes, and began absorbing mana from the air.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "I'm heading out. Guard the house, Lilia. Scarlett, do your task diligently."
"Yes, sir!"
"Have a safe trip~."
After Lee Ho-yeon left the dorm, Scarlett prepared to head to Ellis.
"Lady Lilia, I'll be going too."
"...Scout, big trouble. Sit here."
"Pardon?"
Lilia grabbed Scarlett, who was about to head out, and forced her back into her seat with a serious expression.
"They took the financial reins from me... The signing bonus alone tops my monthly income. And every visit adds even more..."
Lilia was stunned by the massive sum she'd never seen before.
It had more zeros than all her past earnings combined.
"They might toss aside a useless me now..."
Lilia was gripped by anxiety that her days of hard work for Lee Ho-yeon might become obsolete.
"I... don't think Ho-yeon would think that way. Even if you couldn't earn at all, he wouldn't abandon you."
"No, you never know. Gotta prepare for every scenario."
With the growing number of women lately, even Lilia felt a twinge of unease.
Her pride as the household's center was gone now.
To drag him to hell later, she needed a solid wedge.
"Come here. Let's plan our strategy."
"We don't have to... Hah... Yes."
Lilia huddled with Scarlett to devise a plan to win over Lee Ho-yeon.