Chapter 1: Unwanted Guests

Han Seolbin was convinced the Cruise System was playing a cruel, twisted joke on her.

Because the guest invited to the cruise was none other than the leader of the Baeksang Guild, her former guild.

Granted, Guild Leader Owen had always treated her well. In fact, his treatment of her had bordered on favoritism.

Back when she was feared as the 'Ice Witch' and struggled to control her magic, he had spared her from active combat, allowing her time to adjust.

In a hunter guild where operational costs were astronomical, being granted an indefinite leave of absence was nothing short of a massive privilege.

Except for the day when open Rifts erupted simultaneously and the Hunter Association forced her onto the battlefield, she had enjoyed Owen's special treatment.

Yet, despite his favoritism, she had never held a high opinion of him.

A superficial smile that masked his true intentions.

Actions that always felt like calculated moves in a game of chess.

Just as Seolbin suspected, Owen's public reputation was far from pristine.

He was simply highly regarded for his competence—a powerful, pragmatic leader who had propelled the Baeksang Guild to the very top.

But beneath the guild's glittering reputation, a bizarre, unsettling atmosphere had always lingered within its walls.

It was this very atmosphere that kept Seolbin on her guard around Owen.

Even for someone as indifferent to her surroundings as Seolbin, strange things kept catching her eye.

The female hunters who kept their distance from Owen—yet their behavior felt ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like a performance, a desperate attempt to scream, 'I have absolutely nothing to do with the Guild Leader.'

And the male hunters who watched those women with slimy, knowing grins.

Seolbin had always suspected that the rot in the guild's atmosphere stemmed directly from Owen.

That was why she had distanced herself from guild affairs entirely—until she met Lee Siwoo.

Owen had recruited Siwoo after witnessing his extraordinary, rule-breaking performance.

But Siwoo, much like Seolbin, couldn't stomach the guild's internal culture and chose to walk his own path.

They had already shared a unique bond, and his defiance resonated deeply with her.

The two grew closer, eventually announcing their relationship publicly before leaving the guild together.

Naturally, Seolbin found Owen just as uncomfortable to deal with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as Siwoo did.

And now, Owen had appeared on this very cruise ship where she was supposed to be enjoying a vacation with Siwoo.

She thought they would never cross paths again.

It seemed their ill fate was not so easily severed.

Seolbin forced a smile, greeting him in her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tight crew uniform.

"It has been a while, Guild Leader."

She tried to sound polite, but the professional, courteous tone she had practiced so hard to memorize during her preparation failed to materialize.

Her instincts were likely screaming in rejection.

Owen looked at Seolbin and flashed his signature smile—a mask-like grin that hadn't changed in the slightest.

"You haven't changed a bit, Miss Seolbin. Have you been well?"

"Yes..."

His eyes slowly traced her body.

The skin-tight uniform only amplified her discomfort.

Under his gaze, Seolbin felt a sickening sensation, as if a slimy insect were crawling over her skin.

Goosebumps erupted across her flesh.

For a split second, her mask slipped.

Yet, the message that popped up on her status window was:

Owen was pleased with her uniform.

Though disgusted by the realization,

she couldn't help but calculate the silver lining.

At this rate, reaching 5 points will be a breeze.

A glimmer of hope had appeared.

If she could secure the points simply by serving as a bit of eye candy for the VIP, there was no easier way.

It seemed the absolute worst-case scenario might not happen after all.

Soon, Owen's status window materialized before her eyes as well.

However, what she saw differed from what Siwoo could see.

Owen's specific preferences were hidden from her.

I was currently dining at the same table as Owen, with Seolbin seated right next to me.

Owen took a leisurely bite of the steak on his plate. A hint of blood seeped from the tenderly grilled meat.

Savoring the juices spreading in his mouth, he swept his gaze across the restaurant.

He looked around as if he owned the entire place.

I had never seen him wear such an expression, not even back when he was running the Baeksang Guild.

Had he been more cautious back then because he was the public face of the guild?

Or was he putting on a bravado out of some victim mentality from being bested by me in the past?

Or perhaps... had he realized I was under some kind of system constraint?

He was a sharp bastard. I couldn't rule out the possibility that he had already deduced Seolbin and I were being coerced by some unseen force.

After all, there was absolutely no logical reason for me to invite him here otherwise.

Before long, Owen spoke up.

"Captain Siwoo. Why did you invite me here?"

A direct question. There was no need for him to beat around the bush; our relationship had soured long ago.

But things were different now. In the past, my sheer strength had placed me in a superior position within the guild.

Now, I was undeniably the underdog.

Whether he realized it or not, that was the reality.

And if the underdog didn't play their part, their head would roll.

I lowered my gaze, fixing it on the space between his nose and upper lip before speaking.

"I felt things ended on a bad note between us, Guild Leader. Looking back after leaving the guild, I regretted my childish behavior."

"Are you asking for a reconciliation?"

"Yes, Guild Leader. Please take this opportunity to forgive my past insolence. I only hope you thoroughly enjoy this vacation."

"Hmm. Well, regardless of what happened in the past, I appreciate you reaching out first. I accept."

"Thank you, Guild Leader."

"By the way, Captain Siwoo. Who is that little girl serving our food?"

Owen asked, casting a sidelong glance at Sodam as she prepared to serve.

His eyes practically oozed slimy, vulgar lust.

Seeing that look, I wanted nothing more than to gouge his eyes out right then and there.

I could, by some stretch of the imagination, tolerate him looking at Seolbin that way.

No man could look at a beauty like Seolbin without feeling a stir of desire.

Especially considering the skin-tight uniform she was wearing.

But looking at Sodam with those same filthy eyes was unforgivable.

She might technically be an adult, but she was still a young girl who hadn't even graduated from the Academy yet.

Perhaps Seolbin felt the same revulsion toward Owen's gaze.

She answered his question.

"She is my younger sister."

Her voice was ice-cold.

Seolbin replied with her signature sharp, defensive edge.

Immediately after:

Owen's satisfaction level reacted instantly.

Seolbin's pupils dilated; she had clearly seen the same message.

The system was far more sensitive than I had anticipated.

It was as if the system was analyzing the VIP's emotions down to the finest detail.

I didn't know yet, but I had to figure out the exact criteria the system used to evaluate satisfaction.

In any game, victory belonged to the one who mastered the mechanics first.

I had a long way to go, and I was learning on the fly.

My throat went dry with tension as I forced myself to keep eating.

The crew uniform constricted my waist. The sheer discomfort kept making my body freeze up.

No matter how luxurious the meals we prepared or how politely we served him, Owen's satisfaction showed no signs of rising.

To make matters worse, even the single point I had earned was stripped away because of my slip of the tongue.

Or rather, it wasn't just the words, but my tone and expression that were the problem...

I just couldn't bear the way he looked at my only sister, Sodam...

That sharp tone must have slipped out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠instinctively.

I didn't mind the menial labor, regardless of my reputation as the revered 'Ice Empress.'

The real issue was that I had simply never served anyone like this before...

The only people I had ever shown warmth to were Siwoo and Sodam.

This role of a cruise crew member felt as foreign and suffocating as the tight uniform clinging to my skin.

It was overwhelming and exhausting.

But I had to do it.

If we failed this mission, I might never see Siwoo again.

The four days allotted to us were incredibly short.

Subtracting the hours spent sleeping from the four-day, three-night itinerary, I would only have two or three days at most to interact with Owen.

There was absolutely no time to hesitate.

So...

I had to try something. Anything.

First, let's take off this uniform jacket.

Then, focusing my mind...

Fzzzt—

A fist-sized blade forged of ice materialized in my hand. A makeshift tailoring knife.

I intended to use this to boldly crop the bottom of the uniform top.

This would definitely boost Owen's satisfaction.

He had been so incredibly pleased just seeing me in this crew uniform...

I was sure of it.

In the distance, Owen was strolling along the cruise ship's deck.

He was leisurely taking in the ocean breeze.

I had offered to act as his guide to curry favor, but he had declined.

Thus, I was reduced to watching him from afar.

At this rate... raising his satisfaction would remain a distant dream.

Fortunately, I still had a few cards left up my sleeve.

The Bar Lounge I had newly installed before his arrival.

I planned to share a drink with him there and talk about old times.

There was no better way for men to open up to one another than over alcohol.

I didn't know if he was a heavy drinker, but surely he wouldn't refuse a glass or two if offered.

The key was to get some alcohol into his system; getting those first couple of drinks down was all that mattered.

And if he refused even that?

It was a sickening thought, but I would have to use Seolbin to coax him.

I desperately wanted to avoid resorting to that, though.

Perhaps Seolbin had noticed my struggle, because she suddenly appeared in the distance.

She was walking toward Owen, who stood on the deck.

But...

her uniform looked different.

The uniform she wore now...

had been altered into a crop top, exposing her bare midriff and belly button.

Had she modified the uniform herself just to please Owen?

Owen soon noticed Seolbin approaching and turned his gaze toward her.

At that exact moment, a status window popped up.

His satisfaction shot up in an instant.

While I felt a wave of relief at the progress, a hot surge of anger flared within me as I watched Owen stare lustfully at Seolbin's exposed waist.

My face burned.

Seolbin soon spoke to Owen.

"Guild Leader. Are you enjoying the ocean view?"

Her voice carried a soft, nasal sweetness.

Even though I knew that cute, affectionate tone was normally reserved only for me, a bizarre cocktail of emotions surged through me.

A twisted mix of anger and arousal...