Death and the Young Lady's Rat-Catching Operation
……Right now, the maid comrades surrounding me and Sia. The way they glide across the floor without a sound, their posture, breathing rhythm, center of gravity—everything screams it. Even at a glance, it's obvious. They're all pretty damn strong.
Roughly—A-rank awakener level! At the very least! The fierce-eyed thought clenched her fist in excitement.
A-rank awakeners. A far cry from the agency's top forces, sure—but those guys are built to handle Tera-level threats or foreign superpowers. Meanwhile, these are just privately hired maids. By that metric, they're ridiculously strong. And that's not even the most surprising part.
Those outfits that look like plain, prim maid uniforms—at least, they make everyone look voluptuous somehow—are actually special-coated fabric like Will Bates' bodyguards wear. Hidden around the waistline and shoulders are micro-actuator assists disguised as decorations. And down in the lower abdomen below the navel, inside the skirt hem? A succubus-heart-shaped energy shield generator. The garter belt? Just for show, I guess.
[……The designer's tastes snuck in there, huh. Still, top-tier performance.]
Tell me about it. Way beyond the power suits the agency grunts wore. Hired by the top-tier conglomerate, figures.
"……Tch." Sia, back-to-back with me, clicked her tongue.
If I weren't here, could she break through this encirclement alone? Against this maid legion? Absolutely! The fierce-eyed thought sketched a tactical map on the chalkboard.
[They're strong, sure, but Sia's a whole league above. Speed-wise, she could toy with them.]
But her expression darkened. The problem's outside this staircase. These maids can't be the building's only guards, right?
Yeah. Mirae Group HQ is a colossal skyscraper that makes Cheolung Group's look like a toy. Whether we punch down to the first floor or leap from the roof to another tower, we'd face way more—and stronger—guards than this maid squad.
Sia glanced back at me. Her face screamed she'd piggyback me out if needed. But I could tell she was calculating fast too. Winnable fight? Cost if we win?
In the end, she slumped her shoulders. "Tch, no choice."
As resistance crumbled, the maids tightened their net. The lead maid bowed slightly and guided us. Very politely encircled, we headed off to meet their "young lady."
…………
The young lady awaited us in a reception room atop the HQ tower. The mahogany door swung open, and as Sia and I entered—yep, pretty much what I expected.
Ornate wallpaper, pricey Persian rugs. Crystal chandelier from the high ceiling. Standard chaebol parlor stuff. But one thing dominated my view: a twelve-tier dessert tower as tall as me.
Crispy scones with fruit jam. Colorful macarons. Cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon, foie gras tarts. Chocolate fountain, marshmallows, jellies. And countless more stacked by layer.
……Whoa. This lady really loves desserts. And now we're getting served? Outer God Girl affinity +3 already.
Beyond the tower sat the lady in question. Age? Adult, probably. Radiant skin, orange hair in drill twintails. Top-shelf hanbok like Lee Se-hee's—worth a Seoul apartment, they say. And a body to rival Yeom Hana's. Those thighs especially look no joke. Bet she crushes squats daily.
Mirae Group's chairwoman, Jeong Ah-reum. The bespectacled thought whispered the intel.
Jeong Ah-reum. Lee Se-hee's rival, Mirae Group's head. Figured she'd be a cool-headed ice queen type like Se-hee. Nope—total opposite.
"Oh my! At last we meet!" Spotting us, Jeong Ah-reum snapped her fan shut and rose. "Do sit, pray! I've waited ever so long!"
"You were waiting for us?"
"Guests bold enough to infiltrate our HQ? Surely worthy of tea and treats, you see?"
She pulled out chairs herself, then grabbed our hands and seated us. Escorting dragged-in guests personally—and she's the conglomerate queen. We settled in, me and Sia each at our spots.
My eyes locked straight onto the twelve-tier dessert tower, naturally.
[Whoa whoa whoa!]
[So many sweets! Unreal!]
[Eat now!]
[Macarons for me!]
[Raspberry first!]
The little thoughts in my mind-world were on riot's edge. A twelve-tier tower? Unbelievable. Feels bad for the kiddos back with Karen. Alright—dig in.
Salted caramel macaron, popped in mouth. Crunch. Shell shatters, rich caramel filling oozes, chased by a salty-sweet tang wrapping my tongue.
[This is insane!]
[Beats Three Run Ball or Magic Kingdom!]
[Best macaron ever!]
One more. Pistachio. Crunch. Nutty savoriness unfolds slow. Not too sweet, lingering afterglow. Delicious. So good. Haven't had desserts this killer since America's real-deal chocolate ice cream.
But Sia beside me? No touching the treats. Not even the teacup. Face stuck between pissed and queasy. Probably tense, waiting for the vibe to turn knife-fight any second. Poor attachment human. These rare snacks demand enjoyment.
As we took our stances, Jeong Ah-reum's chatter poured like rain. Cheongdam-dong dessert shops, the patissiers' pedigrees, cultivating red tea discernment. No gaps between words.
Crunch, munch. I listened, scones in cheek. Chatty charm makes it fun—but when's the real talk?
Topics flowed: desserts to wine, wine to interiors, interiors to weather. As Sia's fist twitched, Ah-reum's eyes sparkled.
"Oh yes—and I've a fair guess at your identities, you see."
Here we go.
"An android maid moonlighting as fixer—" Her gaze shifted from Sia to me. "And per agency intel, a transcendent entity, estimated threat level Exa or above. The Outer God Girl."
Huh? When'd my threat rating bump? But spot-on otherwise. Sia's shoulder jerked; Ah-reum's lip curled.
"Surprised? No need—our intel web's tight enough. Especially in Korea."
She sipped tea leisurely amid the prattle. Bubbly surface, deep thinker inside. This chaebol lady's intriguing, different from Se-hee.
After more beating around, she leaned in suddenly. "Be my bait, pray."
Bait. Sia's brow furrowed. "……Bait?"
"Yes—a most tantalizing bait." Ah-reum clasped hands, wiggling like a fish-kid. But her eyes? All business.
"Simply put: Mirae has hundreds of collateral kin."
She ticked fingers. "Grandpa had five concubines, Father three, Uncle two. Cousins by dozens, their kids too—"
Her smile deepened with numbers. "Faction wars rage fierce. Heads clash hourly."
Sip of tea. "That Vice Camo mess you stirred? Side faction rats. My people don't stoop low. But collaterals? Out of reach."
Ah, got it. Infighting in the mega-group. If she's truthful.
Just to check—sense emotions. Whoa, ironclad self-assurance. No lies, far as I can tell.
"My direct forces could snag 'em easy. But they'd cut tails."
Fan to chin, eyes sharpened. "Sacrifice pawns, torch evidence, offshore funds. No proof, no play."
Frustrated pout meets peppy tone—oddly charming. "But outsiders crashing loud? Threatening, yet not my line?"
Sia's pupils shifted. Dawn breaking.
"Side rats panic, expose heads and hearts they'd never show."
"Wait—no. Then the clues we chased…"
"Yes." Ah-reum beamed. "I leaked a few. To guide you nicely. Can't have our fixer lost too soon, right?"
"You little…!" Sia's lips twitched, swallowing curses.
Ah, crystal. She wants us smashing her bad apples.
[No clue here…] The bespectacled thought facepalmed.
[Summary: Your 'leads' on Mirae perps, HQ infiltration? All Ah-reum's bait traps to recruit you.]
Exactly.
[……]
Silent specs beside cheering kiddos. Whoa, this lady's a Go master!Didn't peg her smart!
Last bit harsh. Drill-hair bias, huh.
Ah-reum played her final card. "Help catch the rats. In return, I'll seize their assets—full refund to victims."