Chapter 87. The Saint Holds a Grudge More Than You'd Think.
Chapter 87. The Saint Holds a Grudge More Than You'd Think.
On a weekend evening, she was sharing a rare family dinner.
"No stream today?"
"Yeah, since it's the weekend."
She came into her room only after emptying her entire bowl. The memory of being kidnapped by the Türkiye rebels still sent chills down her spine. And since she had been an attention-seeker from the start, she was dying to spill this story online.
"But it'd just be a nuisance to the foundation..."
So, naturally, she turned on her computer as always. On one wall of her room hung a self-made Laila poster, and beside it, a few fan art pieces were clipped up with tiny clothespins.
"I still haven't finished the whole commission..."
She was such a die-hard fan that she spent her own money to commission illustrations of Laila from an artist.
"Big sis, you're so pretty."
These days, she was utterly obsessed with one video. A clip of Laila holding a golden spear and sparring with the chairman.
"Ughhh...! Ah, drool...!"
She was so engrossed in the video that she didn't even notice the drool running down her chin as she stared blankly at it.
— Brrr...!
At that moment, her phone vibrated. Calls never came on the weekend. She checked the screen to see the saved name 'Department Head of the Foundation' displayed.
"Huk!"
Her heart hammered so hard her fingers trembled. Half nervous, half thrilled, she answered the phone.
"H-Hello...!"
"Is this Lee Chae-hyun? This is Laila, the department head~"
A clear, composed voice followed.
"You must have been quite shocked... in Türkiye."
"O-Oh, n-no!! Well... i-it was fine...! The chairman and you, department head, resolved everything so well...!"
Her heart raced as she began to ramble.
"The reason I called is, I'd like to meet everyone who went through that hardship one by one and treat you to a simple meal. Would that be inconvenient for you at all?"
"No!! Not at all!! I actually love that!!"
"Hehe... then would tomorrow, Sunday, work? Ah, am I being tactless asking on a weekend?"
"Not at all! See you tomorrow then!"
"Alright~ I'll text you once the location and time are set~"
The call ended, and she smacked her blanket repeatedly in delight at the flood of emotions.
"But... does the department head usually make these calls personally...?"
Still unfamiliar with office life, she didn't know any better.
---
"..."
"Laila, it's today, right?"
"Yes, she said she's coming."
I was lost in thought. I never imagined she was a woman. If she had been a man...
'I was planning to suggest sparring or working out together...'
"Hehe, you can't torment her too much, okay?"
"..."
"Hero, your face gives everything away!"
"I'll treat her well..."
To be fair, she did send malicious chats and donations. But she never crossed the line. Though she oddly knew how to needle a person...
"Let's go."
Laila and I headed to the reserved Korean restaurant. For a simple meal with an employee, it was quite an upscale establishment.
"Well, you have to fill their stomachs solidly before you work them to the bone..."
"What!?"
"Nothing."
I gave the reservation name, and the staff guided us to a room. We had arrived a little early and chatted inside while waiting.
"Hero, still, as a person, she seemed very gentle and kind."
"She did seem like a good person..."
"Heehee... Hero, your expression is completely spiteful right now!"
I was in a perfectly cold and objective state. I was definitely not a wicked chairman who mistreated employees while holding a grudge over past events.
— Knock, knock...
There was a knock at the door, and when the staff opened it, Lee Chae-hyun appeared.
"O-Oh, hello! Chairman, Department Head!"
"Oh my~ Chae-hyun, sit here and get comfortable!"
"Y-Yes!"
Having a meal at this kind of Korean restaurant with the company's number one and number two seemed intensely awkward for her. She had been stealing glances at Laila for a while now.
'Did she think I was the comfortable one...?'
I needed to make her uncomfortable...
'Hmm, but I was not that kind of boomer.'
At first, it just felt like looking at a cute younger sister. But... knowing that this woman was 'Saintess's Foot Wiper' makes me keep wanting to tease her.
"Chae-hyun, is company life manageable?"
"Yes! I love working here!"
"I'm really grateful to hear you say that."
Laila was consistently taking care of Lee Chae-hyun, serving her food and such. I was just sipping my drink alone, pondering how to make good use of this girl.
"So what do you do in your free time?"
"Just play games... or watch the Saintess's stream..."
At that moment, Laila clinked glasses with Lee Chae-hyun and grinned.
"What's your username?"
"Pfft...! Cough...!"
At Laila's sudden question, she coughed on her drink. Laila, not fazed at all, pulled out a few tissues and handed them to her.
"Fufu! Now I'm even more curious since you reacted like that, Chae-hyun?"
"Ugh... th-that is...!"
"Hmm... seeing that reaction, it's suspicious... aren't you a complete malicious viewer?"
"N-No..."
She hung her head low, watching Laila's reaction. Yet she also seemed to be hesitantly feeling us out(?).
"W-Well... what if... hypothetically, someone was a malicious viewer. Would you hate them?"
"Not at all? In the first place, our stream 'manager' is really good at cutting off anyone who crosses the line."
"Haha... you mean the 'Saintess's Foot Wiper' person, right."
"Yes, I'd really like to see their face just once..."
As the conversation continued, the drinks went down fast. Thanks to Laila's easygoing atmosphere, it felt nothing like a company dinner with superiors. It became as comfortable as a gathering of school seniors and juniors.
"Heueu... big sis..."
"Yes~?"
"Big sis, you're so pretty..."
"Hehe, thank you."
By now, this was no longer an official staff dinner—it was fully a college drinking session vibe. There was no talk at all about company life; we chattered on about the stream.
"Big sis, what would you do if you met the manager?"
"Hmm... I wonder? If it was a woman, we might go on trips together... go shopping...?"
"Heu... just thinking about it is so nice..."
"And that person posted verification last time that they joined our foundation too."
"Right... right..."
If anyone were sober, it was a suspicious conversation to witness. We were making it totally obvious we already knew who she was...
'Would this person be able to get home alright...?'
I wasn't too worried since I already knew the emergency contact info for foundation staff, but...
"Shall we start heading out now?"
I said that. But to look after her, I scooped Laila up just as she was moving to the seat beside Lee Chae-hyun.
"Nooo... let's go for a second round!"
"Alright."
"Huh?"
Laila, who I'd expected to calm her down and send her home, agreed. Then Laila leaned over and whispered into my ear.
"Hero... I contacted her older brother, so he'll be coming to pick her up..."
"I see..."
To be honest, I had planned to reveal her identity at this drinking session and give her a good scolding. But as we shared a glass or two, she had already gotten this drunk.
"Chae-hyun, shall we get up then?"
"Yesh..."
Laila supported her. For Laila, supporting an average-sized woman was no effort at all. As we walked outside the Korean restaurant, a car was waiting.
"Ah, Hunter... nice to meet you!"
"Who...?"
"I'm Chae-hyun's older brother..."
He said that and called the phone number Laila had contacted him with.
'Hmm, it's him, alright.'
These days, with the world being so unsafe...
"Ah, here's my business card."
He said, handing me a card. Looking at his title, he was a person of quite high standing.
'So the reason Saintess's Foot Wiper had so much money was because she was born with a silver spoon...'
"I don't have a card yet..."
"Haha, Unknown Hunter, your face is your business card."
I gently laid Lee Chae-hyun down in the back seat.
"What should we do with her? She seems to really like you... shall we just make her your secretary and work her to the bone?"
"No. I have a much better idea."
Laila's smile just now looked just a tiny... bit wicked.
"Did that kid... do something wrong to you?"
"Not at all~"
"Sss..."
"Ah, right!"
Laila opened the car's back door. She exchanged a few words with Lee Chae-hyun, who had sobered up slightly. Then she closed the door again and waved.
"What did you say to her?"
"Oh, nothing~ Just to take care of herself and I'll see her tomorrow~"
"...?"
---
Dawn of that same day. Lee Chae-hyun couldn't fall asleep. The alcohol buzz had long since flown far away.
"..."
As if her soul had left her body, she sat on the bed, resting her head silently against the wall.
— Thud, thud, thud...
She knocked her head against it in self-reproach.
"This is a disaster..."
The dinner atmosphere was fantastic. With the help of alcohol, she had physical contact with the department head and even called her 'big sis.' Laila, her light, her darkness, her life, her joy...
"How am I supposed to face her tomorrow?"
The cringy behavior from the drinking? That wasn't the problem.
The last thing the department head said when she got in the car. It pierced her ears and shot straight into her brain, obliterating all traces of intoxication.
— Hehe... take good care of yourself, 'Saintess's Foot Wiper'.
— ...!?
— Come straight to my office when you get to work tomorrow.
— !???!!??
She had no idea where she'd been caught. And then, at the very end...
— I still remember the cheer you gave me during that game last time~
"Saintess big sis... you held a grudge longer than I thought..."
— Also... if you don't come to work, I might just visit your home?
And she was told not to worry, that the hangover would be healed too, completely locking her in.
All workers hate going to work, but she absolutely dreaded it even more. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fall asleep somehow.
"Is this how a cow being led to the slaughterhouse feels...?"
She realized. The most dangerous person when you get caught was not the Hero. The true mastermind behind the scenes was someone else entirely.