Chapter 54. The Saint's Love Consulting(?)
Chapter 54. The Saint's Love Consulting(?)
Pandora's box, which must never be opened.
It contained countless disasters.
'Still...'
Its contents stirred a man's desires.
Even if that desire might drain his essence, his very life force...
'The fact that Laila showed me this now of all times...'
She was a truly wicked Saintess.
The unspoken question—'Aren't you going to do it, even after seeing this?'—was thickly implied.
Inside the giant box, countless smaller boxes were neatly stacked.
Every single one had a post-it note describing the outfit inside.
'Game characters... anime characters... wait, she even had this kind of thing(?)...?'
Setting aside where she got all this, how did she even find out about my tastes?
'My precious collection had been discovered...'
Even after I went missing, my parents had kept all my belongings without throwing anything away.
They must have referenced the countless books and figurines they found, right?
"Hero, have your thoughts grown complicated?"
Laila, draped lightly in a blanket, raised a hand and beckoned with a sultry gesture.
I knew exactly what it meant, yet I approached.
Like a moth fluttering into a flame...
---
Our plan for independence was proceeding smoothly.
We were shopping to fill up the new house.
"So, you're saying this kind is good?"
[dumbass, just go for the most expensive and biggest appliance, no questions]
[why are you choosing so seriously lol just use it and buy a new one if it breaks]
[woah, it's my first time seeing a department store completely empty]
We came when the department store was closed, in case turning on the camera in a crowded place might bother people.
I heard it was a service available to VIPs who reached Trinity Grade.
'Man, I just bought watches I never even wear to get this perk...'
It wasn't entirely fruitless, of course.
The bracelet and earrings Laila wore suited their owner perfectly—absolutely beautiful.
"Money really is good, I guess."
[true, yeah]
[wow, first time seeing a guy pad the total with a watch just for this lololol]
[sometimes I order fried dumplings just to meet a min order too]
[bro comparing dumplings to a Patek;;]
We just pointed a finger at what we wanted, and the staff took care of everything.
We didn't even need to pay at each store; it could all be processed in one go at the end.
Delivery, installation, and arrangement were all included.
[ Saintess's Foot Wiper has donated 50,000 Watts! ]
- By the way, when are you guys going on that trip?
"Ah, we'll go after moving in."
[when is the move?]
[can you move in right away?]
[I mean, if you finish shopping today, you just need to take yourself there, right?]
I had already moved the computer from the old place to the new house.
We just needed to pack our clothes and head over.
"The move-in cleaning is done, so we'll probably go in the day after tomorrow at the earliest, or maybe tomorrow."
We'd finished buying most of the major appliances and furniture.
The last thing we spent a lot of time on was choosing a bed.
Laila picked it out with extreme meticulousness.
Glancing at me all the while...
'A bed was definitely important. Especially the frame—it had to be sturdy.'
---
"So, we're starting with the U.S. first, right?"
"Yes! Ms. Emilia said she'll prepare the rest, so I only booked the plane tickets!"
I was acquainted with Max in my own way, but I wasn't particularly close with Emilia.
Yet, Laila and Emilia seemed surprisingly friendly.
Maybe because they're both women?
"So, there's nothing left to sort out here?"
"I think we're pretty much done."
New appliances and furniture poured into the new house ceaselessly all day.
The essentials like a refrigerator and washing machine came, along with various other items like speakers and a TV.
And in one corner, the studio construction for installing soundproof walls was finished.
'No matter how thorough the soundproofing was... you never know with a broadcast.'
[the house is nice, real nice]
[I've seen celeb houses on TV, but this is something else]
[first time seeing every nook and cranny in such detail lol]
And my gaze kept drifting to the wardrobe set off to one side.
Because that was where Laila had stored her collection of outfits(?).
"Anyway, we'll be heading to the airport soon."
Laila and I got in the car and started it up.
We chatted with the viewers on the way, and after about an hour and a half, we arrived at the airport in no time.
"There are a lot of people inside, so I'll just stream through the camera."
[ok]
[yeah, it's dangerous to have that kind of thing out in public]
[if a drone flew around in a crowded place like that, it'd be annoying as hell lololol]
We parked in a suitable spot and entered Incheon International Airport.
We headed to the dedicated check-in counter for first class, and proceeded quickly through security screening and departure inspection.
"Is this why people spend money? For this taste of ease?"
[says the guy who's ridden a private jet and is now amazed by first class]
[you have plenty of money, just buy your own private jet lol]
"Ah, I'm not going to buy a private jet."
Actually, flying directly was much faster than taking a plane.
But since we're traveling, there was no reason to just fly there ourselves, so we took the plane.
"Oh..."
Before boarding, beautiful flight attendants greeted us.
They casually glanced over at Laila.
'It would be nice if Laila wore that kind of uniform too...'
Laila, catching my eye, seemed to read my thoughts. She smirked and whispered in my ear.
"I happen to have a flight attendant uniform as well?"
"..."
After boarding and waiting a short while, the captain's announcement for takeoff came through.
"See you all in America~"
[bye bye]
[give Max-ham our regards]
---
After roughly 12 hours, the in-flight announcement informed us we had arrived in America.
Just like when we departed, we used an exclusive passage for a swift entry screening.
Our baggage came out first as well.
"Hero, they say we should go this way?"
Following the airport staff's guidance, we headed for a dedicated fast track.
Unlike the bustling airport, it was very sparse.
Once we passed through the gate and stepped outside, familiar faces were waiting for us.
"Hoon! It's been a long time!"
"Man, how long has it really been?"
I shook hands with Max and exchanged greetings with Emilia standing beside him.
'I knew it sounds a bit odd to say, but... why did Ms. Emilia look like a puppy that needed to poop...'
She kept glancing at Laila, clearly showing signs she wanted to talk.
"Ms. Emilia, it's been a long time!"
"I-it's good to see you. We spoke on the phone, but are you really dating Hunter?"
Hm... was the idea of me and Laila dating that strange?
She'd been the same on the phone—why was she so curious about it?
"Seeing the time, you wouldn't have eaten yet... Since you've come all the way to America, let me treat you."
As an S-rank Hunter who ruled like a king in America, I became curious what this man ate to sustain himself.
"...?"
The place we arrived at under his guidance was...
Max's house.
"Keuheuhe!!! Emilia said she wanted to cook and serve our guests personally for the first meal!"
I thought he'd be living in a mansion-like penthouse at the top of a skyscraper.
But surprisingly, it was a modest two-story detached house.
'Or was it not...? Was this actually a mansion?'
The yard was enormous compared to the house itself.
Max seemed tickled pink by my minor astonishment, laughing heartily and talking incessantly.
"Now that I think about it, you live quite frugally compared to the amounts you earn."
"You think so?"
I didn't consider myself particularly frugal.
Wasn't it enough of a luxury to buy an incredibly expensive house, drive a foreign car, and fly first class?
"Puhuhu... I'll show you firsthand how the upper class plays before we head to Cancun."
"Oh..."
"Shall we visit the casino together tomorrow?"
I nodded.
In movies, the protagonist sips whiskey in a sharp suit, pushes all his chips in, and shouts, 'All in.'
"I'm curious."
---
Max and Song Hoon were in the living room, laughing loudly enough to bring the house down as they talked.
More precisely, Max's voice held the larger share.
"Um... could you tell me how you two started dating?"
Emilia, who was skillfully trimming meat and preparing roast chicken with herb stuffing, spoke up.
"Well, when we went to Japan..."
Laila, assisting Emilia by making a side dish, casually brought up what happened in Japan.
"Heok...! Then, if Hunter hadn't confessed...?"
At Emilia's words, Laila's hands, which were mashing potatoes, stopped.
And with a somewhat chilling glint in her eyes, she spoke.
"Probably... I wouldn't have been able to hold back and would have eaten him alive?"
Emilia's hand, in the middle of applying sauce, stopped as well.
Then, a flush crept from her neck all the way to her face.
"E-eaten him alive...!"
Emilia instantly understood what Laila meant by 'I would've eaten him alive.'
"Ms. Emilia, you can't do anything if you just stay still. Have you ever tried using your sex appeal on Max?"
"Ugh... how could I..."
Laila, who had known Westerners to be bold and direct, tilted her head.
But Emilia just shook her head in embarrassment.
"I've... never even held a man's hand, let alone dated..."
"..."
Laila stared intently at Emilia.
More precisely, at Emilia's chastity pouch.
She couldn't understand why Emilia had the weapon but refused to use it.
"If you're that lukewarm about it, someone might just snatch him away, you know?"
Because she herself had nearly been stolen from(?).
But with a chastity power(?) pouch fuller than anyone else's, she had protected Song Hoon.
"There are many women who target charming men."
"...!?"
The fear that the man she loved could be taken away was slowly beginning to change Emilia.
'Fufu, we'll be hearing good news from this side before long.'
With the cooking finished before she knew it, Laila walked out to the living room and called the men who were still chatting away.
"Everyone, time to eat~"