Chapter 340: The Seven Deadly Sins (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 340: The Seven Deadly Sins (7)
Okay, one thing was for sure.
Han Ju-yeon was angry.
So angry, in fact, that she was making an expression I had never seen in all the years I’d known her.
What was the reason?
I had no idea.
No, to be precise, I had a rough guess, but I doubted it was correct.
She was mad because I acted like I was giving up on her? Does that even make any sense?
Might as well poke the bear a little more.
“Uh… it’s not giving up, it’s more like resignation, right?”
“Don’t play with words. I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.”
I could tell just by looking at her face.
The Han Ju-yeon before me was in no state to tolerate any wisecracks.
But I wasn’t joking either.
“You can’t just recruit someone who’s been offered 200 billion won for a signing bonus out of mere affection.”
Even with family, you have to be strict when it comes to money.
Of course, I wouldn’t mind spending a few hundred million on family.
But this wasn’t one or two hundred million. It was a staggering 200 billion.
And was that all?
When I thought about the profits that would flow into Ju-yeon’s account each year, excluding the signing bonus… wow.
Money isn’t everything, but it’s also true that having money lets you be happy in most situations you encounter in life.
This was a choice for Ju-yeon’s sake, not mine.
And yet… why did she look even angrier now than when I first brought it up?
Did I misspeak again?
“Mere… affection?”
“……?”
“Do-jin, was your relationship with me so trivial that you can just call it ‘mere’?”
“No, that’s not what I….”
“Forget it.”
“……”
Seriously.
How long have we even known each other for you to be acting like this….
“Fine. Since it’s just some trivial affection, I guess you don’t need a discount.”
Her eyes were wide, glaring at me with a constant stream of resentment.
I was sure I hadn’t done anything wrong, so why did I feel like a criminal who deserved to be beheaded on the spot?
“Hey, Ju….”
Scrape!
Just as I was about to say something, Ju-yeon stood up and strode away.
I wondered where she was going, but she headed straight for the master bedroom, opened the door, and went inside.
“……”
What was that about?
Did she not even want to see my face?
So what am I supposed to do now?
Stand in front of the bedroom door and knock, apologizing?
Or should I wait until she cools down?
As my thoughts spiraled, one leading to another…
Ju-yeon, who had gone into the bedroom, reappeared.
The only difference was that she was holding something in her hand.
I looked closer and saw it was a blank sheet of paper and a fountain pen.
What was she planning to do with that?
Just then.
Thump!
Ju-yeon slammed the paper and pen down in front of me.
Quite forcefully, at that.
I looked up, wondering what was going on, and she gestured toward the paper with her chin.
“Pick up the pen.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When she says jump, you jump.
As soon as I had the pen in my hand, the next order came.
“From now on, write down every word I say. Got it?”
I said I got it.
It’s not like writing on a piece of paper is hard.
“Write this at the very top. ‘Contract’.”
“…Excuse me?”
Wait a minute.
“Sigh…! Are you going to write or not?”
“……”
Ju-yeon, who had always been such a good listener, had become completely unreasonable.
I had no idea what she was trying to do, but for now, I’d just write.
She’d probably explain what was going on after I was done.
I wrote the word ‘Contract’ in large letters at the top of the paper.
“Next… write this below. Guild Leader Kim Do-jin.”
Guild Leader Kim Do-jin….
“As a condition for recruiting Han Ju-yeon as a guild member.”
As a condition….
“Shall pay 200 billion won.”
Shall pay 200 billion… wait, hold on.
“…What did you say?”
You said you’d give Kim Do-jin a discount, making it 100 billion.
Ah.
Right, when she stood up earlier, she said she wouldn’t.
As I stood there looking bewildered, Ju-yeon continued.
“However, the signing bonus is to be paid within five years.”
Thump!
My heart began to pound.
Don’t tell me you’re postponing the payment by five years for my sake, Ju-yeon…?
“Aren’t you going to write?”
“…I’m writing, Ju-yeon!”
I forced back the tears that threatened to spill and wrote out the contract.
200 billion won within five years.
It wouldn’t be easy, but it wasn’t entirely impossible either.
If I could grow the guild quickly, investment funds would pour in.
“I’ve written it all down.”
Should I make a signature line now?
Just as my mind raced with happy possibilities…
“I’m not done talking yet.”
“Ah.”
So that wasn’t the end of it.
Right.
These terms were a little too generous.
There had to be a few other conditions.
I readjusted my grip on the pen, and Ju-yeon opened her mouth.
“In the event that the contract payment is not made properly.”
A condition for a worst-case scenario, I guess.
Not bad.
Like I said, the closer you are as family, the clearer you have to be with money.
“Guild Leader Kim Do-jin will transfer everything he owns to Han Ju-yeon.”
Oh… that’s a pretty strong penalty.
She must have been really angry about what I said earlier.
Just as I finished writing down her words on the paper…
The final line followed.
“Everything, from head to toe.”
Wait a second.
Something about that sounds strange.
“You mean everything he’s wearing from head to toe… right?”
“Nope.”
Ju-yeon answered coyly, reaching out to snatch the contract I had mindlessly finished writing.
Then, she added her name and a stylish signature at the bottom of the page.
“There. Now you sign, quickly.”
“…What about your answer to my question just now?”
“I told you, didn’t I? The answer is no.”
Hmm.
I see.
So “from head to toe” really means she’s going to take me?
“Ju-yeon, I don’t think this is right….”
I mustered the courage to voice my opinion, but Ju-yeon just smiled coolly and provoked me.
“Why? You don’t think you can do it?”
“No… I mean, I think I could probably manage it if I tried.”
It wasn’t impossible.
But it was by no means easy enough to say it was guaranteed.
As I always say, life never goes according to plan.
I couldn’t just look at the future with blind optimism, so I was about to say I couldn’t sign such a contract.
But then, she provoked me with an expression that made her intentions painfully obvious.
“Do-jin, don’t tell me… are you chickening out?”
At that sudden, taunting challenge…
Scritch, scritch.
I couldn’t hold back and signed it right away.
I’m certain of it.
Not even Buddha could have resisted that. For real.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ah.
Why did I do that?
I, who had maintained my composure in the face of every villain’s provocation, why couldn’t I resist hers?
I regretted it a moment too late.
“I’ll keep the original, okay?”
The original contract, bearing my furious signature, was passed right into Ju-yeon’s hands.
All I’d get later would be a mere copy.
As I sat there, dazed and with a look of utter defeat…
“Don’t worry too much, Do-jin.”
Ju-yeon placed her hand over mine, which was resting on the dining table.
A soft, warm touch spread across the back of my hand.
She continued, as if to soothe me.
“I’ll help you make that 200 billion in five years… okay?”
“……”
Could I trust those words?
Wouldn’t it be better for my peace of mind to just be grateful if she didn’t get in the way?
Just then.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
“Ah, dinner must be here.”
It seemed our long-awaited dinner had finally arrived.
As I started to get up, Ju-yeon reached out, gently pressed my shoulder, and made me sit back down.
“You just wait, Do-jin. I’ll set the table for you!”
The moment she finished speaking, Han Ju-yeon scampered toward the front door.
Every time she bounced, the movement of her chest was… oof.
Suddenly, I found myself rethinking the contract.
“…Maybe it’s not so bad after all?”
Perhaps this contract, either way it turned out, wasn’t such a bad choice for me.
“No, I can’t think like this.”
I lightly tapped my blushing cheeks and steeled my resolve.
“It’s already spilt milk.”
Right.
What can you do when the milk is already spilt?
It’s too late to clean it up, so I have no choice but to work hard.
Anyway, as long as I pay the 200 billion within five years, nothing will happen, right?
There’s nothing more foolish than cowering from a future that hasn’t even arrived.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll grind like crazy.”
Even if I can’t build a mountain by gathering dust, I can at least make a small hill.
As I was making this resolution, Ju-yeon entered the kitchen, pulling a tray laden with what were clearly freshly made dishes.
This… is definitely not a portion for two people.
“Hee… did I order too much?”
The plates were moved from the tray to the dining table.
By the time everything was transferred, there was barely any empty space left on the table.
Just how much did she order….
“Here, eat as much as you want! I’m actually a terrible cook, so I couldn’t make it myself, but my heart went into it, you know?”
Right.
What does it matter if she made it herself or not?
Just bringing me to her home and treating me to all this expensive food is amazing enough.
“Thank you for the meal, Ju-yeon.”
After a bit of discord and the signing of a contract where it was unclear who got the better deal, dinner began.
Just as Ju-yeon had boasted, the food was delicious.
It was good enough to rival most high-end restaurants.
Then again, for a restaurant attached to a 35-billion-won apartment, it would be a huge problem if the food wasn’t good.
“Ah, should we have some wine?”
Wine, huh.
“Do you have any good wine?”
“Yup! Wait just a second.”
Ju-yeon immediately stood up and headed to the side of the refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen.
I’d been too distracted to notice before, but there was a rather large wine cellar there.
And it was completely full, whether she bought it all or received it as gifts.
“Hmm… this one should be good!”
After some thought, she picked a bottle, grabbed two wine glasses, and sat back down.
“Ta-da, this is it.”
I shifted my gaze to the wine bottle she presented so proudly.
But wait a minute.
The shape of this bottle looks awfully familiar…?
“Actually, this is….”
As if sensing my confusion, Ju-yeon leaned in and whispered, careful not to be overheard.
“I stole it from my sister’s house.”
“……”
So it is mine.
It was one from the collection I had been saving to drink with my family someday.
Of course, I never got to open any of them.
It was hard enough for the family to even have one dinner together, let alone drink.
Anyway, this felt incredibly strange.
I thought I’d never see it again after my body was swapped, but to think I’d encounter it again like this.
“Here you go….”
Ju-yeon handed me a transparent glass shimmering with red wine.
Stealing someone else’s wine is a bit cheeky, but what does it matter?
It’s not mine anymore.
“Alright, cheers!”
“Cheers.”
Clink!
With the pleasant sound of the glasses meeting, I took a sip of the wine.
“Wow… this is so delicious!”
Ju-yeon’s eyes went wide with admiration the moment she drank it.
It was certainly good.
I’m more of a soju guy, so I don’t know how to describe the taste, but… it was special, anyway.
Paired with the delicious food, the wine disappeared quickly.
When less than half a bottle remained…
“Haa… I’m so glad you’re here, Do-jin.”
Ju-yeon exhaled a sweet breath, her face flushed.
“To be honest, I was a little lonely. Maybe because it’s my first time living alone….”
Hmm.
Living alone is definitely a bit lonely.
I was the same way back in the day.
The semi-basement studio I got after leaving the orphanage felt so alien.
I was even lonely despite living with my trusty friend, the cockroach.
A question suddenly popped into my head.
“Why did you suddenly decide to move out?”
Why did Ju-yeon suddenly leave home?
It couldn’t have been because it was uncomfortable living together.
She was close with her sister, of course, but she was just as close with Seo-yeon and me.
Could it be that Son Si-woo, that idiotic fake, made her uncomfortable?
Knowing how clueless that guy is, it wasn’t impossible.
But the reason Ju-yeon gave was completely different from what I had expected.
“Because if I live alone… I can invite you over without worrying about what others think?”
“Uh, um.”
I wanted to dismiss it as a joke, but her expression looked too serious.
To buy a 35-billion-won apartment for a reason like that… is this for real?
“So, can’t you come over often so I won’t be bored…?”
My heart began to beat a little faster at her earnest question, which held no trace of humor.
No matter how hard I tried to think, ‘Ju-yeon is my sister-in-law,’ or ‘She’s my family,’ is it just a man’s instinct to crumble helplessly when hearing something like this?
I didn’t sense the playful seductiveness she’d been throwing around earlier.
It felt like she genuinely wanted me to visit because she was lonely.
“…I’ll come by often when I have time.”
“You could just live here with me, you know.”
“That’s a bit much.”
“Tch… so firm.”
Visiting and moving in are two completely different things, Ju-yeon.
We talked cheerfully, constantly refilling and emptying our wine glasses.
By the time we had finished the first bottle and moved on to the second, and then the third…
A wave of drunkenness washed over me, and my eyelids grew heavy.
“Ah… I think I drank too much.”
Sigh, this is a little dangerous.
At this rate, just getting home will be a challenge.
I have no choice.
It’s a waste, but I’ll have to use some mana to sober up a little.
Just as I was about to draw on the mana sleeping in my core…
A hand shot out from under the table and grabbed my leg firmly.
“Caught you…!”
I looked down to see Ju-yeon.
“…Huh?”
She was sitting across from me just a moment ago. When did she get under the table?
Was I so drunk that I didn’t even notice?
“What are you doing down there?”
“Hmm~ I wonder…?”
Still holding my leg, Ju-yeon squirmed and rose from under the table.
Her voluptuous body brushed against my leg, my thigh, and finally came into view right before my eyes.
“Ah.”
My blood suddenly started to circulate faster.
An erection… wasn’t the issue. It was more that the slight arousal was making me feel even more intoxicated.
“Could you… please get off me?”
I need to sober up with mana, quickly.
“N~o.”
Ju-yeon flatly rejected my request and settled herself right onto my lap.
Her ample body pressed against my chest.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, lowered her head, and buried her face in the crook of my neck, sniffing me.
“Snnniff… haaah, you smell so good.”
“Excuse me, Ju-yeon? If you could just get off for a second….”
“No.”
My blood was pumping faster and faster.
Proportionally, the drunkenness was also rapidly consuming my body.
It was then.
I sensed something was wrong.
“…What is this?”
My eyelids were too heavy.
It was getting difficult to even keep my eyes open.
No matter how drunk I was, I shouldn’t be this sleepy… what’s happening?
“Ju-yeon, wait…!”
Something was strange.
I tried to push Ju-yeon off me, but…
“Mmm… I’m not letting go.”
The drunk Ju-yeon wouldn’t budge.
Even if she was a Healer, an S-rank was still an S-rank.
If she was determined to cling to me, it was nearly impossible for me to shake her off at my current level.
“Ah… Ju-yeon….”
My eyelids slowly began to droop.
The strength in the arms I’d raised to push her away was fading.
“Mhm… Do-jin, you’re sleepy, aren’t you? It’s okay, just get some rest. When you wake up….”
Ju-yeon’s voice, whispering in my ear, sounded like a lullaby.
My vision was obscured by my heavy eyelids.
“It’ll all be over♥”
The last thing I saw was Ju-yeon’s face, smiling brightly at me.