Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: But Why Does the Villain Keep Showing Up? (4)
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A week had already passed since my visit to the Cheonhwa Church.
The cafe was in a quiet lull, so I checked the recent news while recalling the events from that time.
[Cheonhwa Church Officially Launches. Interview with Leader Yang Ha-yoon]
The news was just a small article tucked away in a corner of the social and current affairs page.
But the important fact was that the Cheonhwa Church, which had been lurking in the shadows, had now stepped into the light.
[In the vast ocean of life, under the scorching sun, we want to be a small shade for the weary. The purpose of founding the Cheonhwa Church is for the happiness of people.]
Before, no matter how much they tried to put on a good religious front, their own shady desires had held them back from expanding. Fortunately, the hypnosis seemed to have worked well, and now she appeared to prioritize her role as leader over personal desires.
"She said that if she got a boyfriend, I'd check him out as a god, so her worries must be gone now."
The reason she founded the Cheonhwa Church was because she wanted a lover but couldn't know their true feelings.
A normal person might scoff and say, "You started a religion just for that?" But I understood her position.
"Well, I probably would've been suspicious too."
The idea that love is about the heart, not the face, only works on emotionally rich teenagers.
Reality is harsh, and the biggest criterion for judging someone you meet for the first time is their looks, and first impressions don't change easily.
"That's why a bad first impression is so hard to fix."
And Yang Ha-yoon, the leader of the Cheonhwa Church, fell severely short in that crucial area of appearance.
Her face wasn't ugly, but her body, which looked like extreme obesity, was a serious negative factor, you could say.
If it had just been her looks, she might have believed that a man who still met her truly loved her. But unfortunately, she had not only fat but also a lot of money.
"At the chaebol level, no less."
And she was smart too, so naturally, she'd suspect a man of approaching her for her money.
"Chaebol heirs don't marry other chaebols for no reason."
Huh? Why would a great guy like this go for someone like me?
Is he after my money?
What about love? Is he only greedy for wealth without love?
Doubts would endlessly bubble up, so could she ever have normal love?
Of course, that didn't justify what Yang Ha-yoon had tried to do to me.
But I wanted to give her one more chance.
'Because so many people have become happy because of her.'
If it had been my first time dealing with something like this, I might not have held back my anger and punished her somehow.
But after nearly getting kidnapped multiple times and almost dying, I'd become somewhat numb, so what she'd tried to do to me felt like no big deal now.
'It's not because she said my face alone fills her up or that she'd give me all her fortune without regret.'
It did influence me a tiny bit...
From now on, she'd use that enormous wealth to make others happy and live a good life.
"Well, it'll be a while before I see her again, so let's put this matter to rest."
Once she gets a boyfriend, he'll come to the cafe on his own, and it'll probably take a few years for that day to come.
Since I erased her memories of me, when that time comes, I'll just have to act like I don't know her.
'...But what should I do about that one?'
I turned my gaze outside the terrace, and there was Ji-young carving wood in the cafe's backyard.
We'd hired more staff, so her days off had increased, but here she was on her day off, focusing on something else.
[Ma'am, the backyard feels a bit empty. Can I make some decorations?]
And she bought the wood for carving with her own money!
I was shocked when wood bigger than a person arrived in the backyard for carving.
'That thing, it's that, right?'
I could tell what she was carving without asking.
The hind legs and lower body were already unmistakably those of a goral.
'Sigh, that damn Novellia...'
Even I thought the backyard felt empty, so I allowed it, but did I make a mistake?
If the finished product turns out well, I'll give her a bonus for materials and labor.
'By the way, I accidentally called it Novellia to Yang Ha-yoon too. That should be fine, right?'
If it were Ji-young, a regular cafe part-timer, no problem.
But if Yang Ha-yoon, leader of a religion, actually worshipped Novellia as a real god, that would be a huge issue.
I've hidden my identity well, so I won't be seen as a god, but if a name I threw out casually becomes a real deity that's revered, it'd be too embarrassing to show my face.
'Well, what could happen?'
Yang Ha-yoon can lead the Cheonhwa Church in her own way and live well.
And I can live well in my own way.
Anyway, it'll be years before we meet again...
"Leader, is this the place?"
"Hmm, she's really here. What do you think? Nice spot, right? And I told you, outside, call me sis, not Leader."
"Yes! Sis!"
...or so I thought it would be years.
"My cutie pie, what do you want to drink?"
Yang Ha-yoon had appeared at the cafe.
"Hmm, I'll have an iced Americano!"
And with a guy in tow.
＊＊＊
'Just one week, and already!?'
They say geniuses are good at everything.
The moment her worries about his true feelings vanished, she got a boyfriend.
With her money-making skills, smarts, and charisma, her only flaw was gone, so I started having needless suspicions.
'She didn't use her authority as leader to force him to date her, did she? Or maybe the guy is really approaching her superficially.'
No, this wasn't needless—it was reasonable suspicion.
I pretended to pass by and made eye contact with Yang Ha-yoon, but since her memories were properly erased, she didn't recognize me.
'No, but there's zero reaction.'
When was it she said just looking at my face filled her up?
The moment our eyes met, I quickly cast hypnosis to make her stomach hurt.
"Ugh... Hyun-seong, I need to use the restroom for a bit..."
"Sis, just go quietly."
"Ah, got it!"
I set the hypnosis duration to 10 minutes, so she wouldn't come back within that time.
After she left, I subtly approached the guy called Hyun-seong and struck up a conversation.
"The woman who was just here, she's your girlfriend, right?"
"Ah, yeah. She is, but..."
It's natural to be wary when a stranger suddenly brings up personal matters.
But I instantly hypnotized him to feel like I was an old friend, and his expression brightened.
"Yeah! Right. We've been dating for a week now!"
"I see. But this might sound rude, but she doesn't seem that pretty."
I asked in a small voice so the other staff wouldn't hear.
"What about her made you fall for her?"
While hypnotizing him to answer honestly.
If he said he fell for her money or her status as leader and wanted her power, I'd reveal his true colors as per my promise with Yang Ha-yoon and make them break up.
But...
"I like how she looks like a bear."
"Huh? You like that she looks like a bear?"
"You know bear plushies? I hug one every night when I sleep, and sis gives off that vibe. She seems super soft and warm to hug. Hehe, we haven't gotten that far yet since we've only been dating a week."
The world is wide, and tastes vary.
"Her hands are so big too. Just recently, we finally held hands, and her big hand gripping mine tight—I bet it'll feel amazing when she hugs me tight later!"
He was into big women.
Just to check, I asked more, but his answer was consistent.
"It's not because she has a lot of money or power as leader?"
"Hmm, seeing the Cheonhwa Church, she sure seems rich, but our family has plenty of money too. Power? Eh, not really interested."
So he's from a rich family.
Incomprehensible taste, but if they're happy together, OK.
I released the hypnosis, then used another to erase his memories before wandering near the women's restroom.
As the promised 10 minutes passed, Yang Ha-yoon came out with a pained expression.
"Ugh, did I eat something bad yesterday? My stomach hurts, but nothing's coming out..."
"Hello?"
She looked flustered, probably thinking she'd shown an embarrassing side to her boyfriend in front of the restroom.
"Ah, hello?"
But still no reaction to me.
She said my face was her type, but there's no lust in her eyes—she must be devoted to her boyfriend!
"You must be happy. Your boyfriend seems to love you so much."
"Huh? What do you..."
I secretly told her what her boyfriend had said.
As the story went on, her face lit up more and more, unable to hide her rising smile.
"Since we just happened to chat, keep it a secret that I told you."
"Of course!"
Her steps were energetic now. But could you walk a bit slower?
With your size, jumping around like that might crack the floor.
"Babe, you're back?"
"Yeah! Shall we head out?"
Yang Ha-yoon linked arms with the guy first.
He accepted without resistance, and the two left the cafe on good terms.
"Hmm, nice."
Since she found true love, I hope she continues as a good leader.
＊＊＊
'Hehe, Novellia, I deeply thank you for this inevitability disguised as coincidence.'
Yang Ha-yoon left the cafe floating on air with her lover.
She still didn't remember Yoo Jun-hyuk, but she remembered the promise engraved by hypnosis: when she got a lover, Novellia the god would personally check their true feelings.
'Gods are truly omniscient and omnipotent.'
That Yoo Jun-hyuk had casually chatted with her lover.
That he happened to run into her in front of the restroom and told her.
It must all be divine guidance.
"Huh? Sis, check out that carving over there."
Then, her boyfriend pointed to the cafe backyard.
Ji-young was diligently carving wood there.
"Yeah. Wonder what she's making."
She didn't have any skills helpful for sculpting.
Yet Ji-young's sculpting talent was innate; even though it was only half done, some aesthetically inclined customers were already showing deep interest.
'So delicate. It looks alive.'
A deer's lower body?
Or a roe deer?
Curious, Yang Ha-yoon approached closer to watch and asked.
"Excuse me, what are you sculpting?"
"A goral."
Yu Ji-young answered without turning her head, still absorbed in the carving.
"A goral?"
Who in Korea doesn't know a goral?
But regardless, she couldn't understand why a goral of all things.
A goral is just a road outlaw that smashes cars when bored, a beast with a ghostly cry, and a pest that ruins crops.
"Not a deer, then."
That was up to the sculptor, so she meant to let it go.
If not for her follow-up words.
"It's a sculpture dedicated to Novellia, so it has to be a goral, which symbolizes her."
"!?"
She released the arm linked with her boyfriend and rushed to Yu Ji-young, eyes gleaming.
"Could you tell me more about that story?"
"You seem interested in Novellia."
And a few weeks later.
"Everyone, let me introduce the new sacred object of our Cheonhwa Church!"
A golden goral statue appeared at the Cheonhwa Church headquarters.
"Weren't you all curious about the great one's name in the heavens? Recently, I received a revelation from that one. I meant to keep it in my heart alone, but it turned out that one had already appeared to another and saved her."
In a place Yoo Jun-hyuk didn't know.
"It seems that one hopes to help people, so to honor that will, I shall spread the name."
The god whose name he had only made up.
"That one's name is Novellia."
Was becoming a real god.
"A benevolent god who helps the needy."