Yee Eun-chae's Fury
The banquet at the Yee family estate was as lavish as I had expected. "Oh." Yee Eun-chae's soft exclamation made it clear that such extravagant spreads weren't a regular occurrence. While mana awakeners were known to be hearty eaters—especially those like her who specialized in physical enhancement—this kind of opulent feast wasn't something they indulged in daily. Usually, they settled for high-end Korean set menus worth a few hundred thousand won, eaten in balanced portions.
'These dishes are made from ingredients most people have never even heard of.' The chefs were clearly on par with those at top-tier Korean restaurants. The cooks employed by Yucheon Group's hotels were generally excellent, but their skill levels varied depending on the hotel's prestige. Naturally, the most talented chefs were assigned to the higher-end properties and paid accordingly.
'Not just the meat—the way they've balanced seafood and vegetables shows real skill.' It wasn't surprising that the Yee family's main house could employ chefs of this caliber. In this world, those in the upper echelons of mana awakeners tended to be voracious eaters regardless of their attribute, so skilled chefs were a lucrative profession. Even ordinary people without mana could make a good living in the field.
'Each person has their own table.' The dining area was arranged in a traditional seated style, with wide tables laden with food placed before each guest. It created a noticeable distance between everyone, but aside from not being able to sit right next to Yee Eun-chae, I had no complaints. This meal was purely for show—to make the world believe the relationship between Yucheon Group and the Yee family had grown closer.
"Well then, let's eat. I doubt either of us cares much for formalities and seating orders, right?" Yee Woo-jin said, speaking like a true mana awakener who had little patience for empty rituals. For once, I agreed with him.
"No, I don't, honestly."
"Haha, good. Straight to the point. Enjoy yourself. Eun-chae, you eat plenty too."
"Yes, Father." Yee Eun-chae answered politely. Even in her simple attire, she sat with her knees neatly folded in a graceful posture, radiating both quiet dignity and the refined air of a young lady. She might not have followed every rigid etiquette rule, but her conduct was never crude.
'Not insisting on strict formality doesn't mean being rude.' With that thought, I glanced at her occasionally while eating. Throughout the meal, everyone focused quietly on savoring the food. I already knew from the original story that this was how the Yee family operated.
'When eating high-quality cuisine, it's proper to appreciate the chef's effort by eating with full attention.' It was a family tradition meant to honor their chefs. The cooks would feel their creations were being treated with special respect, which was a wise way to boost morale even among non-combatant staff.
'The taste is quite good.' Just as it had looked, the food lived up to its presentation. Beside me, Yee Eun-chae was clearly enjoying her meal. The entire Yee family—led by the head, Yee Woo-jin, and his wife, Kim Hyo-sun—ate in focused silence, which actually made it easier to appreciate the flavors. If there had been constant chatter, the meal would have felt far less pleasant. Thanks to this custom, even Yee Eun-chae could eat comfortably. It was turning out to be a rather nice lunch.
However, as the meal neared its end, trouble finally arrived.
"My lord, there's a man outside causing a scene and demanding to be let in."
The disturbance was happening right at the main gate.
"I can sense him. But we can't let lunch be interrupted. Tell him to wait until we're finished." Yee Woo-jin spoke coldly. As head of the family, he was hosting guests at a banquet; he had no intention of letting some troublemaker ruin it.
"Ah, understood."
The Yee family explained to Seo Moon-hyun that they were still dining and asked him to wait, but he wasn't the type to listen. He was trapped in his own delusions, convinced that every second was critical. He would probably see the refusal to serve him lunch as an insult.
'He actually followed us all the way here. Persistent, isn't he?' Fortunately, we'd started lunch a little early, so he arrived just as the meal was winding down. Both Yee Eun-chae and I had nearly finished eating.
* * *
"You cannot enter."
The guards from the Yee family blocked his path with cold expressions.
"Why not? I'm Eun-chae's friend! Seo Moon-hyun of the Seo family—her friend!" Seo Moon-hyun was on the verge of losing his mind from frustration. Why was the Yee family refusing to let him in?
'Could the Yee family also be fooled by Seo Moon-jin's lies?' He suspected that Seo Moon-jin, who had already tricked Yee Eun-chae into betraying her "friend," had pulled the same scheme on the entire Yee household.
'Seo Moon-jin…!' The man who had turned his only sister, Seo Moon-min-hye, against him. The man who had made Arian Liberin, Yee Eun-chae, and Yoo Eun-chae betray their friend. Even his childhood friend Lee Se-na was showing signs of betrayal. On top of that, Seo Moon-jin had clearly stolen first place through some underhanded method, and the villain organization's attack might have been his own staged performance. No—it had to be. Otherwise, the world simply wouldn't make sense.
'I'll definitely tear off that mask of his.' And once the Yee family saw Seo Moon-jin's true face, they would help punish him too.
* * *
Seo Moon-hyun, consumed by inferiority, jealousy, arrogance, and a twisted self-love, had hidden his hypocritical hero facade in the original story while riding high on success. As the top-ranked student, heir to the Seo family, and a handsome, accomplished figure, even the Yee family had welcomed the idea of him growing close to Yee Eun-chae. They saw him as a suitable match. They never imagined their daughter would be discarded, and the original story never explored how the Yee family felt about that outcome.
'But here, the Yee family will never view Seo Moon-hyun favorably.' While he was undeniably the Seo heir with striking looks and impressive skill, his unstable and narrow-minded nature was impossible to hide now. The Yee family would keep their distance.
And how would Seo Moon-hyun react to that?
"Jin, Seo Moon-hyun really is persistent." Yee Eun-chae spoke without hiding her displeasure. She found it repulsive and contemptible that he had followed her all the way to her home.
After all, a man who had never even been her friend was claiming to be one, treating her like a trophy, and now shouting at her family's gate. Disgust was only natural.
"Yeah. He's a real tenacious stalker. I never imagined he'd stoop this low." I meant it. Losing the top spot and seeing me get closer to her had driven him to this pathetic display—far beyond what I'd predicted. Even though I already understood his true nature and despised him, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd underestimated just how far he would fall. And now he was making a scene right at the Yee family's front gate.
"I see. By the way, Jin… how big do you think the gap is between my strength and Seo Moon-hyun's right now?" Yee Eun-chae asked, looking at me. She wanted confirmation that she could beat him.
I gave her a gentle nod.
"I believe you'll win. As long as you don't let your guard down, you can beat him."
"Ah! Thank you! If even you think I'm strong enough to win, it's all thanks to you!" Her confidence soared after receiving my assessment, and she expressed her gratitude. I smiled and replied,
"Eun-chae, it's also because you believed in me."
The moment I said that, a thunderous voice erupted from beyond the gate.
"How dare you! Do you take the Yee family for fools? No matter if you're the Seo heir, this is beyond rude!"
It was Yee Woo-jin, the family head, who had finished his meal, grabbed his sword, and gone outside. He was unleashing genuine fury at Seo Moon-hyun for causing such a disturbance.
'Seo Moon-hyun, you brought this on yourself today. Even if I told you not to blame me… you'd definitely pin everything on me anyway.' And my prediction proved correct.
"This is unfair, my lord! I don't know what lies Seo Moon-jin has been spreading, but please believe me! I'm Eun-chae's friend, and right now she's being deceived by that man into betraying me—her true friend!"
At those words, Yee Eun-chae ground her teeth.
"Jin. I've decided. I'll formally challenge that man who insulted you to a duel and punish him. Then I'll lodge an official protest with the Seo family."
Yee Eun-chae was genuinely enraged—not just by the insult to herself, but even more so by the slight against me. She had no intention of forgiving Seo Moon-hyun.