Demon King, Chaebol Heiress Baek Ga-eun (5)
"...What if I refuse?"
She furrowed her brow slightly as she spoke to me. Something must have rubbed Baek Ga-eun the wrong way.
"...Then I'll desperately try to convince you."
She relaxed her expression, apparently satisfied with my answer.
"You don't look all that desperate, though."
"I want to put Ga-eun-ssi on stage."
"...Stage? I'm a dancer."
"Of course, Ga-eun-ssi stands on stage as a dancer, but the moment I first saw you perform, I thought..."
"...Ga-eun-ssi suits the role of the protagonist."
"..."
She crossed her arms, her gaze urging me to continue.
"Truth be told, I was shocked the first time I saw Ga-eun-ssi on stage."
"Your thick makeup and white decorations hid your hair color, so at a glance, you didn't stand out from the other dancers."
"But to my eyes, you shone brighter than the prima donna playing the princess."
"As the performance went on, I could see your skills improving more than anyone else's."
"...I could see Ga-eun-ssi radiating as the protagonist on that stage."
"..."
She seemed a little surprised, judging by her expression.
"Hearing it was your last performance made it sound like there might never be another."
"If you haven't given up on the stage, I want to put you there myself—as the protagonist."
"..."
She lowered her arms and slowly sipped her tea, as if choosing her words carefully. After a moment's thought, she crossed her arms again and spoke.
"...You saw more than I expected."
"...Yes."
"...In the stage Kim Cho-in-ssi saw, what kind of protagonist was I?"
"..."
I pondered her question carefully. What kind of stage would suit her as the lead? A fashion show? Movies? Dramas? Concerts? The answer was...
"Ga-eun-ssi was everywhere."
"..."
"Strutting Paris as a model, standing tall at Cannes as an actress, touring the world as a singer."
By the time I finished, she let out a disbelieving chuckle.
"...You really think that makes sense?"
"I believe Ga-eun-ssi can absolutely make it happen."
My firm words made her fiddle with her teacup, lost in thought.
"...I'm rich."
"..."
Her sudden declaration caught me off guard, but I stayed quiet to hear her out.
"...No matter where I go in the world, there's Baekil Group products everywhere."
"Even right now, as I'm sitting here drinking tea, money's flowing into my account."
...What was this? Bragging?
She kept her eyes on the teacup, head bowed as she continued.
"But I haven't accomplished a single thing myself..."
"I know it sounds like the complaint of a spoiled rich girl, but... I've gotten everything I wanted without lifting a finger."
"When I was little, I watched Swan Lake and thought the Odette getting applause from everyone looked so cool."
"But..."
Yet she never became Odette.
"...Still, I'm really proud that I worked hard enough to claim even a small spot on stage."
"I've done what I could. I don't want to stand on stage anymore."
"..."
"...I'm sorry."
Baek Ga-eun turned down my proposal. Gazing at me while toying with her teacup, she looked so small and vulnerable.
...Now it was time to desperately convince her.
"May I say just one more thing?"
"..."
"My family isn't wealthy, and I haven't found any real talent in myself so far."
"...Do you know the actress Lee Ji-yeon? She's my childhood friend."
"Getting her to audition at CG Entertainment and turning her into a top actress—that's my one achievement."
She seemed startled that I mentioned Lee Ji-yeon.
"But that popularity doesn't come from my hands alone."
"I want to prove my eye for talent one more time."
"...I want to tell Ga-eun-ssi that everything you've accomplished so far is truly fortunate."
"If you join me, even if you couldn't reach the pinnacle of ballet with your honed skills, it could be the foundation to stand even higher."
"Trust me and give it just one year..."
"One year..."
"Yes, one year. After that, I'll make the world see Baek Ga-eun not as the Baekil Group chairman's granddaughter, but as the entertainer the world anticipates."
"..."
"I'll make a world where everyone envies and dyes their hair to match your white locks, where Baek Ga-eun outshines Baekil Group."
Her gaze wavered at my impassioned plea, but she soon steadied herself and spoke cautiously.
"...What if one year isn't enough?"
"...Then I'll take responsibility. Please believe in me."
"..."
She stared into her reflection in the teacup, deep in thought.
...How much time passed? She finally set down her cold teacup and spoke.
"...Can I think about it a bit more and give you my answer later?"
"Of course! My personal number's on the business card—please contact me whenever."
She fiddled with her bag containing the card, then stood as if to leave.
"...I'll get in touch."
"Yes... I'll be waiting, believing in you."
I tacked on those pathetic words before seeing her off.
*
A few days passed. After helping with Hyeon Ha-yeon's schedule, I grabbed a can of beer and headed home. Not wanting the loneliness, I turned on the TV and sat on the bed, lost in thought. The cold beer sharpened my hazy mind.
If Baek Ga-eun refused, there was no way to force it. I'd only given her my card—no contact info on my end. But the fact that she was even considering it meant I'd gotten halfway there.
At first, hoping for her call, I'd cranked up my phone volume while working, but only unrelated calls came in. Nearly a week had passed, and it felt bleak.
Baek Ga-eun was chaebol third-gen. Granddaughter of the Baekil Group chairman, one of the world's giants. Even I couldn't see why she'd become an entertainer.
She'd said she wanted to be Odette. That was a whole different genre from showbiz.
I'd piqued her interest by name-dropping Lee Ji-yeon again, but no contact meant it was just that—interest.
Hyeon Ha-yeon came to mind by contrast. She'd easily joined me and was already rumored in the industry as a bright, polite, fresh-faced girl. With her natural talent, a model debut was a given.
Fortunately, the goddess's power had returned, and things were flowing positively, but... missing out on the definite Demon King, Baek Ga-eun, gnawed at me.
If I couldn't gather them and make them top stars...
'If you miss them... the Hero already by your side will regain her memories.'
'...You've already made contact with the Demon King, so she'll eventually reclaim her memories and power too.'
...World destruction.
They grew differently each reincarnation, shaped by environment and events. Past memories merely influenced their personalities.
Watching Hyeon Ha-yeon smile brightly clashed with the records from my dreams. When she went blank-faced sometimes, she overlapped with the past Hero, startling me.
Thinking of those records brought back recent brutal scenes. Cannibalism, murder, torture, rape... Imagining it happening to me sent chills down my spine.
...Maybe this is all a dream? Missing Baek Ga-eun stings, but supporting Hyeon Ha-yeon well could mean a comfy retirement. And Lee Ji-yeon?
...Huh? Picturing success with Hyeon Ha-yeon, earning money for a happy family—Lee Ji-yeon was naturally by my side. We'd been together so long she knew me inside out, but I didn't fully know her.
Lee Ji-yeon might not wield a sword, but her actions aligned with the madwomen in the records. During a past film shoot, she'd genuinely slapped a rookie actress—not acting—after bringing her coffee out of pity. The stunned rookie got a sincere apology that shocked the set. Hilariously, that actress still idolizes her.
Lee Ji-yeon was that cunning. Lately, spending most time with Hyeon Ha-yeon had sharpened Lee Ji-yeon's mood. Her "leash" on me kept her tethered in return.
She'd earned enough to live off forever and could quit anytime. Bringing in Baek Ga-eun in this mess...
My palms sweated from the tension.
...Still, Lee Ji-yeon wouldn't end the world.
*
The call came. Or rather, a text from an unknown number.
Unknown sender, no reply function. Still, convinced it was from Baek Ga-eun, I headed to the meeting spot.
It was a station near the highway in Seoul, sparsely populated. What if they harvest my organs? ...At least no torture! A positive spin.
The day arrived. Soon after reaching the spot, a sleek black Rolls-Royce pulled up.
The tinted passenger window rolled down with a whir, checking if I was the one.
'Whirr—'
A somewhat older woman in the passenger seat addressed me.
"Kim Cho-in-ssi, the young miss is waiting."
"..."
She knew my name and called her "young miss"—definitely Baek Ga-eun's car. Safe.
*
We drove past the highway for ages to reach her waiting spot. Mountains meant early sunset; it was already dark.
A sprawling house in a valley... her villa, probably. The older woman led me to the second-floor study.
'Knock knock'
"Young miss, I've brought Kim Cho-in-ssi."
'Come in.'
She opened the door, bowing deeply to usher me in.
"Welcome."
"...Glad to see you again."
'Thud.'
"Have a seat."
"..."
Unlike before, she felt more distant, making me tense up unconsciously.
The study took up half the floor—vast. She wore a black off-shoulder blouse; her loose white hair and slightly droopy eyes lent a seductive allure to her cute face.
As I sat on the facing sofa, she offered tea. Already prepared, nicely warm—it eased my nerves a bit.
Gazing at me as I sipped, she said,
"I called you here... to give you my answer from that day."
"...Yes."
"Of course, there was no need to summon you all this way just for that... but I wanted to return the favor."
"...Return the favor?"
Her words puzzled me.
"...Yes. You've given me flowers and come to my performance, so I wanted to reciprocate."
"..."
Refusing here might seem ungrateful for her effort to bring me this far, so I accepted.
"...Parties after performances are common, right? But I haven't gone out since then."
"You're the only one who celebrated my show... so this was the only place I could think of. You understand, right?"
She meant the day we parted.
I felt anew that Baek Ga-eun was Baekil Group's daughter. Dining alone with an outsider man could be burdensome.
"...Yes, I completely understand."
"Good. Dinner's prepared—let's eat slowly and talk."
"...Booze okay?"
"...Sounds good."
*
She didn't move elsewhere; servants brought food and set the table. Lavish for two—almost overwhelming.
"Château Margaux, 2009 vintage."
The servant poured; the aroma alone screamed expensive.
"The year I started ballet."
"2009... so..."
"I went to a school assignment in elementary... Anyway, shall we clink?"
"...Yes."
'Clink.'
...She was 24, so upper elementary. The sides held up cold, perfect for leisurely eating.
Booze loosened us up; stories flowed as glasses refilled endlessly, sharing pasts.
"...I started managing pretty young."
"How young?"
"This grade in high school. Nine years excluding military—quite a stint."
"...How'd you get into it?"
She refilled my glass; I hers. Wetting my lips with wine, I began.
"It was summer."
"Childhood friend Lee Ji-yeon came with a stack of business cards, asking if I knew anyone."
"I wasn't into showbiz, but CG Entertainment was the only name I knew."
"We auditioned together; they took her on condition I manage—boom, industry debut."
"...You've worked together a long time."
"...Now handling Shining Boys too, so I'm bouncing around."
"Hmm... yeah... Here, another glass."
She handled her liquor well. I sipped hers, eyeing the emptied bottles on the floor.
A few from the study corner's wine cellar; she still looked fresh. The high-alcohol wines had me tipsy, but not blackout.
This bottle empty too—she stood.
"One more? Okay?"
Her eyes seemed a touch glazed—not fully sober.
"...I'll get it."
"No, I'll pick my favorite."
She headed to the cellar slowly.
'Bzzz—bzzz—'
My phone on the table vibrated. Glancing at Baek Ga-eun, she was still choosing.
No contract talk yet, but vibe was good—better silence the call.
"Phone's ringing."
She'd selected, approaching with two bottles, uncorking as she glanced at me.
I reached, flipped it—familiar name.