Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Saintess for One Person Alone (2)
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It was early morning.
Bzzz! Bzzz!
My phone buzzed like it was on fire, and Kang Eun-seol snapped in irritation.
"Oppa! Answer the damn phone! It's ringing again!"
Her voice echoed from the living room, and I replied indifferently.
"It's on vibrate. Just leave it."
"It's been going off nonstop, so it's annoying! Ugh, seriously!"
Maybe all that stress from her internet streaming had built up.
She finally barged into my room and flung the phone at me.
"Nice catch."
I was busy packing my bags right from the crack of dawn, so I snatched the phone without even glancing at her.
"Catch this! Are you some celebrity or what, oppa?! You've been staying out a lot lately, and now this chaos first thing in the morning!"
Kang Eun-seol pouted, leaning against the doorframe as she vented her complaints.
"I left texts every time. Told you not to worry. Anyway, don't get worked up first thing in the morning."
"Tch. You promised to brainstorm ideas with me, but promises to me don't count, huh?"
"Oh, so that's what was really bugging you. I'll do it tomorrow for sure. Don't waste your energy—go back to bed."
"I'm not sleepy. Plus, we're off-streaming until today anyway."
"Yeah?"
"And didn't that Yeon-hee woman say she's coming up today? Haven't you heard from her?"
I turned to her at her follow-up question, blinking in surprise.
"Noona's coming up today?"
"What? You didn't know? Oh, right. She really hates you—or should I say, oppa."
She nodded to herself, arms crossed, figuring it made sense that there'd been no contact.
In short, that was the vibe in our family these days.
Kang Eun-seol disliked me, and Lee Yeon-hee disliked me too.
No, Lee Yeon-hee straight-up loathed me.
Said I took after our philandering dad's sleazy side or whatever.
And as her earlier term of address showed, she and Lee Yeon-hee weren't on great terms either.
Lee Yeon-hee treated the sister-in-name-only Kang Eun-seol like a cute little sis despite barely meeting, but it was one-sided.
Put simply, we were a total mess of a family.
I stood at the center of it all, slinging a huge bag over my back, and said to Kang Eun-seol,
"If you hear from Yeon-hee noona, tell her to come here quietly."
"I heard she's not just visiting briefly. You want her to live here? We have one spare room, but isn't it too cramped?"
"Or the old house we used to live in would work. My friend's crashing there—he'll show her around nicely."
"...Fine, got it. Like you said, I'll tell her to decide for herself."
"Good."
My stepsister, who had come up to Seoul right after her promotion.
"I'm heading out, Eun-seol. Guard the house well."
With her accommodations sorted, I leisurely stepped out of the officetel.
Lee Yeon-hee, 24 years old.
A working woman attending night college too—she valued efficiency, so she'd accept my offer without much thought.
No need to overcomplicate it.
I'd never planned to drag her into this mess anyway.
In the original story, she was set to become the second saintess of the Dawon Truth Church alongside Han Ye-eun.
But right now, she was just an ordinary follower.
In other words, it would be much later before Lee Yeon-hee rose to Han Ye-eun's level.
The two women were appointed as saintesses at different times.
And I had no intention of sitting idle until my stepsister became the Dawon Truth Church's grand saintess.
No, I straight-up couldn't afford to wait.
By then, Ye-eun would have already fallen completely as everyone's saintess.
Training Lee Yeon-hee and getting petty revenge on her and the guys around her could come after sorting out Han Ye-eun's situation.
For now, Han Ye-eun was the priority.
Ring ring!
With my thoughts sorted, I called the guy who'd left me a string of missed calls.
[...You finally picked up.]
Lee Dong-hyun, head of surveillance at the Hunter Management Bureau, let out a deep sigh.
[Ah, yes, Section Chief. Hope you've been well.]
Since the call had connected after some effort, I cut straight to the chase.
[It's about that mana surge we detected recently, right?]
I already knew why he'd called.
[That's my mana. Like I told you before.]
[Come on, Mr. Kang Woojin, at least make your lies convincing. The mana wavelength is totally different.]
Lee Dong-hyun sighed again through the phone at my obvious fib.
[Just hear me out this one time, Section Chief.]
[Feels like this isn't the first time I've indulged you, Mr. Kang. Am I wrong?]
[Haha, truth is, the one who emitted that mana is my friend. A super close one, at that.]
[Hmm...]
[So, just turn a blind eye for a bit—no, just a few days.]
He replied in a reluctant tone to my earnest(?) plea.
[...Sigh. Fine, just this once.]
[Thanks, Section Chief.]
[Of course, this isn't free. You'll owe me one later.]
[A deal, then. Makes it easier—lightens the load, even.]
After hanging up with Lee Dong-hyun, I was stuck glued to my phone a while longer.
As Eun-seol had said, my smartphone was ablaze with missed calls from early morning.
I had more than one or two people to get back to.
[Hello? Ah, yes, hyung.]
I kept walking toward my destination, lost in a phone-call trance.
[Yeah. It's me, Harin-ah. Did you check the data I sent?]
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The headquarters of the Dawon Truth Church.
Han Ye-eun hesitated at the entrance to the massive mansion, dozens of times larger than the church Kang Woojin had established.
"Hoo..."
Her heart wouldn't calm down, but after a few deep breaths, she forced her feet forward.
She'd come all the way to Incheon, after all.
No backing out now.
Step.
Entering the headquarters, she drew stares from several people as she headed straight for the leader's office.
Step.
Why did this short distance feel so endless?
She'd always feared her father, and now her steps grew even heavier as she entered the office.
"It's me, Father..."
Han Ye-eun hesitantly spoke, gazing at Han Jong-hoe's back.
"You really came right on time."
Han Jong-hoe replied as the leader of the Truth Church.
"Did you enjoy your trip?"
For asking about his daughter's well-being, it was awfully cold.
Like addressing a subordinate.
His low voice carried a palpable distance.
"...It was, fun."
Han Ye-eun stammered in response.
"That's a relief."
Han Jong-hoe turned in his chair to face her.
"I was even thinking of sending people to drag you back."
A sneer curled his lips as he scolded her.
"You're twenty now, an adult, as you said. How can you act so immature?"
"That's..."
"Running away from home at twenty? Is that even acceptable? After how I raised you, how dare you break my heart like this."
At his use of "father," Han Ye-eun bit her lower lip hard.
Her hands clenched into fists on her thighs.
"I was wrong... Father..."
She trembled faintly, spitting out each word.
"Haa."
Han Jong-hoe sighed pointedly for her benefit.
"Who was it that lured you away, Ye-eun? Tell me his name. As your father, I need a word with him."
He began interrogating her about her friend.
"N-no, Father. It's not like that at all..."
"Not like what? You've lived as a good daughter your whole life, and suddenly this rebellious phase. Who fanned the flames? Speak!"
"F-Father..."
"Now! Or should I send the followers to investigate myself?!"
His harsh words finally brought tears like chicken droppings to her eyes.
"Hah! Crying now? What do you have to cry about?!"
His face twisted as he bore down on her even harder.
This was her first real act of defiance.
He thought it best to nip it in the bud right away.
"It was Sia..."
"Sia?"
"Cynthia... from middle school..."
She wiped her tears and added an explanation.
"A girl. Sniff. The guy thing was a lie..."
Deceiving Han Jong-hoe so smoothly, she shed another tear laced with faint guilt.
Swish.
He quietly extended his hand to her.
"Father...?"
"Your phone."
"..."
"Hand over your phone. Confiscated for now. I'll look into your friend myself too."
At his low but forceful command, Han Ye-eun hesitantly pulled out her smartphone.
"Here..."
Han Jong-hoe took it and nodded curtly.
A satisfied smile crossed his face at her return to obedient daughter mode.
His daughter, now phoneless, wept silently with a mournful expression.
But.
'As expected... this man...'
Han Ye-eun felt a deep sorrow for entirely different reasons from what he imagined.
She'd hoped against hope.
His one and only daughter had run away(?) and come back, yet after twenty years, Han Jong-hoe hadn't changed a bit.
Unyieldingly patriarchal, stricter than anyone.
She'd thought deep down he loved his daughter and worried for his child.
Just clumsy at expressing it, being old-school.
'That's not it at all...'
Han Ye-eun gazed at him now with resentful eyes.
'I'm not his real daughter after all...'
She realized she'd always been just a tool to him.
His control-freak ways had serious issues.
Even for blood kin, it bordered on emotional abuse.
For a total stranger, no question.
For Han Ye-eun, raised in that stifling environment, not being his real daughter hit harder than expected.
The church leader who fulfilled his duties, ultimately sacrificing his own daughter after inner turmoil.
Admirable faith in the original story—but not if she wasn't his real daughter.
The Han Jong-hoe in her mind shifted from devout father to a man sacrificing strangers for his desires.
"Tch, all grown up and crying over a little scolding."
Oblivious to her inner shift, he furrowed his brow deeper.
"Pathetic. Can't even look at you."
He clicked his tongue openly and issued his dismissal.
"Get out. Confined to the house until the ritual begins."
As told, Han Ye-eun slowly turned.
Click.
Gripping the doorknob, she asked with lingering attachment,
"Dad. Don't you have anything else... to say to me...?"
Even now, she hoped he'd confess everything, apologize.
Beg forgiveness.
But Han Jong-hoe felt no paternal bond toward her, nor much attachment from raising her.
"Hm? Oh, right. Don't go home—stay confined at the local branch. You need to prepare for the ritual too."
To the end, it was all about the ritual as he ordered her to dress properly.
"...Yes, understood."
Han Ye-eun left the leader's office with a dazed expression.
She moved to the local branch with Han Jong-hoe's two secretaries flanking her.
And at last.
On the night of the ritual, a full moon rose high.