Chapter 188: The Acting Genius Excels at Roleplaying!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 188: The Acting Genius Excels at Roleplaying!
When I arrived at the lounge holding Yuseoha’s hand, the older sisters were already there, cackling and laughing over some amusing story.
None of them seemed to notice us yet. At a time like this, an impactful entrance was necessary.
“Is this the place, sow?”
“…!”
Yuseoha nodded several times, and at the word 'sow,' the women all turned their heads toward us.
“Welcome, Mimi-nim~! And should I call you 'Master' as well?”
A woman with a gentle impression, who seemed to be the leader, greeted us. Her pale purple eyes scanned me up and down as if she were inspecting me, which felt incredibly unpleasant.
“Is this the son who’s so famous on the internet?”
Yuseoha nodded. The way the woman kept eyeing me from head to toe was strange. I was used to receiving sexually charged gazes, but this felt different somehow.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Shinohara Kaori.”
“…Nice to meet you.”
The way she reached out first to request a handshake felt off. No, I shouldn't let it get to me. I was so immersed in the role of Yuseoha’s 'Master’s Son' that I was starting to view 'Mom’s friends' as 'sows of the same level.'
Kaori-san crouched down to meet my eyes and extended her hand.
As I cautiously shook it, the pale purple eyes of the woman who introduced herself as Kaori widened.
“Are you learning the sword? It feels like you play an instrument, too…”
“That’s quite rude, Kaori-san.”
It wasn't surprising that someone could figure out what I did for a living just by looking at my calluses—there were plenty of people like that around me—but I shook her hand off with a look of displeasure.
“Sorry, sorry. It’s a bit of an occupational hazard. Anyway… wow, really…”
The woman named Kaori took a step back, her long, straight black hair swaying down her back as she examined me.
Sow, Mom. No, were they synonyms? Anyway, I glared at Kaori, imagining the time Ame Cal Degrain stood before me while pretending to be drunk.
Seeing her swallow hard and avert her gaze, it seemed I had won the opening skirmish.
“Seeing Kaori get pushed back is quite a sight. Hello. I’m Margarete Brown. Nice to meet you, friend of Mimi-nim?”
A woman who had approached Kaori’s side beamed and leaned down to match my eye level.
Her eyes were narrowed so thin you couldn't see her pupils. I couldn't tell if it was because of her smile or if she was trying to play the 'suspicious squinty-eyed character' trope, but she gave off a bizarre vibe.
Actually, she gave off a scent.
A god-awful scent.
“A soldier…?”
She reeked of the military. The stench was overwhelming.
“You recognized me at a glance?”
Margarete Brown opened her eyes. A spark of interest seemed to flicker in her dark brown pupils.
“Kaori-san, who exactly is this kid? He’s interesting.”
“…You reek of the barracks, so back off a bit.”
“Oho….”
Ms. Brown shook her short, flesh-colored hair as she scrutinized me.
“He seems like the real deal… What does the Nine Dragons Association’s Action Leader think?”
She spoke as if seeking agreement from the person behind her. The Nine Dragons Association—I felt like I’d heard that name somewhere before, but I couldn't quite remember.
“Why is the Action Leader staying silent?”
Margarete Brown tilted her head at her friend, who showed no intention of getting up from the sofa, her large chest swaying as she looked back.
Following her gaze, I saw a familiar face.
“….”
“Amber?”
Ambersteel was there. She was staring at the scenery outside, avoiding my gaze as much as possible.
“….”
It seemed even she knew the meaning of shame, as she sat there with a flushed face, unable to say a word. I hadn't expected this.
To think an acquaintance would be at such a lewd and filthy gathering.
I would have preferred it if it were Whitey, Darkie, or even Goldie—someone I’d already slept with. Then I could have brushed it off more easily…
I had no choice but to double down on my role. Before Ambersteel could say anything stupid!
I let go of Yuseoha’s hand, walked past the well-dressed sisters who spent their time writing loser-tier delusions, and stood in front of Ambersteel.
“It’s been a while, Ambersteel Noona?”
“…Hello.”
Seeing her accept the greeting with her head bowed low, it seemed she was on the verge of dying from embarrassment, yet her brain was still functioning enough to play along.
“So the naughty cat who ran away during training was here all along. I’ve been looking for you.”
“Huh…?”
Ambersteel’s golden eyes began to blink blankly. I grabbed her chin and lifted her head. Having grown up in a brothel, she surely had the wits to read the room.
“You ran away because you hated being trained by a brat, yet here you are writing delusions about wanting to be trained by a son? Amber? That’s cute.”
Amber’s golden eyes widened in shock. It seemed she understood the situation immediately, proving that her stories of being sold around and treated like a dog in the Murim world weren't lies.
“It… it has nothing to do with you… anymore….”
Good, it was going well.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m not bored enough to drag back a bitch who says she hates it just to train her again. So, I guess you’ve been doing well?”
“…Don’t touch me.”
Ambersteel brushed off my hand as I toyed with her chin.
She seemed quite focused on the acting, as the glare she directed at me was genuinely threatening. I felt a slight chill of bloodlust, making me want to just go home.
“You can come back whenever you want. I have a fun toy now, so we can all play together.”
I said, glancing at Yuseoha as if making a suggestion to Amber. I could see Margarete Brown and Shinohara Kaori, the ones leading this party, standing speechless as they tried to process the situation.
“Since it’s been a while, shall we do that?”
“D-Don’t….”
When I winked, Ambersteel’s pupils trembled violently. She didn't seem to know what I was about to do, but she looked ready to follow my lead.
“Get down, Amber.”
“Ugh… d-don’t….”
Though she made a pained sound, Amber got down on all fours.
“As expected, you have a great ass, Amber. Don’t worry, I won’t dote on you so much that you piss yourself in front of your friends.”
Trusting in our friendship, I gave her a light spanking.
—Slap!
“Ngh…!”
“Good girl. Well done, Amber. Come find me if you start missing it, okay?”
I patted Amber’s head and stood up.
Fortunately, thanks to my 'assistant,' I was able to take complete control of the atmosphere.
“How long are you all going to stand there? Sit down.”
“Oh, r-right….”
“Yeah….”
At my suggestion, Margarete and Shinohara sat on the sofa.
“Ah, get me something to drink. Brown Noona?”
“W-Would water be okay?”
“Whatever.”
I answered coolly and patted the seat next to me. Yuseoha scurried over and sat down.
At this rate, I felt like I could earn another bank account as a bonus.
I sent a message to Amber on my phone.
—Thanks!!! I’ll explain everything later!!! Just play along!!!!
Amber’s phone buzzed, and she checked it. Since the woman named Shinohara Kaori was watching us suspiciously from the sofa, I added a comment.
“You haven't changed your number, Amber. And you haven't blocked me either.”
“…I’m going to block you.”
I felt like I’d have to plow through Aoi or Lisar’s holes a bunch of times just to get Ambersteel a promotion.
“So, everyone gathered here because you were curious about me?”
Ambersteel kept her head turned away, looking elsewhere, while Margarete Brown, who had brought the drinks, and Shinohara Kaori could only steal glances at me.
“You said this was a fun gathering, but the atmosphere seems a bit dull. Don't you think?”
I pulled Yuseoha’s hair, prompting her to lie down on my lap. I stroked her hair and chin, treating her like a pet to loosen the tension, but perhaps because they were just 'loser sisters' who wrote delusions, they couldn't say a word in this situation.
“What do you do for a living, Kaori Noona?”
“M-Me? I… well…. I’m a designer….”
Looking closely, she had the vibe of a stubborn, traditional Japanese lady, but her profession didn't seem to match her at all.
“Hair? Clothes? Shoes?”
“General fashion… but my main focus is clothing, I suppose.”
Thinking about how she just wrote gloomy delusions, I figured she wouldn't be able to name any representative works, so I looked at the kind sister who had brought the drinks.
“Margarete Brown? That’s a pretty name. You’re a soldier, right, Brown Noona?”
“Yes….”
I could see her wavering, and it wasn't hard to see through her attempt to act unfazed.
“Sow, you had a soldier among your friends, didn't you? In the Northern Army. Are you friends with her?”
Yuseoha shook her head. Comparing a member of a social cancer cartel who even held a noble title to a pseudo-soldier who wrote gloomy loser delusions was probably crossing a line.
“Well, does no one here know who I am? I was even in a movie.”
It wasn't something to brag about, but the movie I filmed with the A-Rank hopeful Elf, Luinal Sil, had been a huge hit. Occasionally, people would recognize me on the street.
Though I had grown taller and my face was starting to resemble the sow—I mean, Mom—more as I aged, making me a bit harder to recognize.
“Sow, don't your friends watch movies?”
“….”
I grabbed a handful of Yuseoha’s hair, gave it a slight tug, and then let go. Yuseoha curled up like a pet, her face flushed as she bowed her head low.
“Still, acting that way toward Mimi-nim is….”
“Kaori-san.”
I had loosened the atmosphere to give them a chance to admire Yuseoha’s proud, depraved son and have a conversation, not to give her the chance to arrogantly interfere in my actions.
“Ugh….”
“You’re interested in this kind of thing, aren't you?”
I smiled softly while kneading Yuseoha’s cheek. The designer (self-proclaimed) with the long black hair gave a small cough.
“Want to try? You can stop if you don't like it, just like cute little Amber over there.”
“…I have a schedule, so I’ll be going.”
Amber stood up. Her ability to read the room and act accordingly was truly top-tier. She was such a mood-maker that I felt like giving her 10% of the money I got from Yuseoha.
“Amber, if you block my number, I won't let it slide.”
“Shut up…! I already blocked you!”
As Amber shouted in anger with a red face, I placed a call.
—Ring~
The ringtone went off immediately.
“Oh, so you 'blocked' me. I’ll make some time tonight. Keep your schedule clear.”
“I have plans. Don't think I’ll ever associate with the likes of you again.”
Amber hurriedly stood up and stomped out.
“It’s for dinner!”
I shouted loudly at Amber’s retreating back. Amber left without saying a word.
The atmosphere was completely ruined, but it was exactly the vibe I wanted.
“Sow, you said this would be fun? It’s not fun at all.”
I said very affectionately while ruffling Yuseoha’s hair. The two sisters who had been suspicious of Yuseoha’s lies were now completely overwhelmed by my simple acting.
However, I couldn't give them too much of an opening. I always had to keep in mind that if I slipped up, I could end up being ganged up on.
If that ever happened, Yuseoha—a powerhouse recognized by Mom and Hindel—would protect me, but her salty, foul, nauseating, pathetic, and trivial world of internet delusions would surely meet its end!