Chapter 64: Because Elves Love Money Too Much
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 64: Because Elves Love Money Too Much
I am currently heading to the Baekhyun Hotel in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan with Jang Ji-hye.
My younger brother, acting as my bodyguard, is sitting in the passenger seat.
"Yu-jin, your fans are making a huge fuss, saying they’re starving to death because you’re keeping yourself so hidden and not showing them anything."
"What am I supposed to do then? Should I do a vlog or a livestream? It’s embarrassing, but if it’s for the sake of the Envidium stock the fans buy for me...!"
"No, I think it’s better to maintain your mystique for now. It’s not like we’re desperate for money anyway."
True, it’s not like I’m hurting for cash.
But Jang Ji-hye, that expression you just made...
‘You looked exactly like your father just now, the one who used to chuckle about holding the viewers' hearts in the palm of his hand.’
If I say that out loud, she’ll get pouty, so I’ll just keep it to myself.
Today, I’m decked out in a full Hermès unisex outfit—comfortable, effortless, yet elegant daily wear.
On my wrist, I wore a men’s Skeleton Automatic just for myself. This sophisticated watch grants my wrist joint infinite freedom.
My shoes are also unisex casual leather sneakers.
‘Since there’s an Hermès store in the Baekhyun Hotel anyway, I should go mine some incentives before I leave.’
The Cullinan pulled up in front of the hotel, and my brother, who got out first, opened the back door for me.
Ahem. Conscious of the eyes on me, I stepped out of the car as calmly as possible.
A few visitors pointed their phone cameras at me, but I simply offered a small smile with my eyes and a slight wave.
‘This is the result of Jang Ji-hye’s rigorous hard training. It’s surprising that I’m doing this instinctively now.’
Lately, when I have nothing to do at home, I receive various lessons from Jang Ji-hye.
As an actress, she teaches me how to handle fans when I encounter them in public—gestures, footwork, eye contact, facial expressions, vocal tone, and all that sort of thing.
I, too, practiced diligently out of gratitude to the fans who provide the "anointing" of Envidium, and I feel the reward of that effort at times like this.
"Kyaaaah! Yu-jin! You’re so pretty!"
"Noona! You’re gorgeous! I’m losing it!"
"Please film something! Please!"
"Visit the fan cafe once in a while, please!"
"When are you filming a phone commercial? It’s been ages since I was due for an upgrade, but I’m still holding out for you!"
Fortunately, these are guests at a luxury hotel, and since my brother is with me, they don’t approach too recklessly.
I haven’t been to places like Hongdae yet, so I’m not sure what would happen there.
*
"Has our Timpani, who shines brighter than any jewel, finally arrived?"
"Curator, you always come at me so suddenly without warning..."
After exchanging greetings, I went on a hunt for Hermès products—or rather, incentives.
Curator Han Ji-woo, who knew the whole situation, watched me with a gentle smile.
"Lee Yu-jin, shall I buy this one for you?"
"I will buy it! Please, let me buy it!"
"Pfft, how cute."
‘If you buy it, Curator, only your money goes out and my incentives disappear. So please, let me use my Ambassador membership card.’
This time, I mostly picked out watches.
It felt a bit odd to only wear men’s watches, so I mixed in a few designs from the women’s line that would still look good on a man.
‘I mined 50 million won in just 20 minutes. Is it okay for life to be this easy?’
The thought crossed my mind, but I decided to consider it compensation for my past life as an infinitely conscripted soldier who died over and over while my body was torn apart.
‘If only my chromosomes were XY, it would have been perfect.’
Sometimes I dream of being the world’s most handsome actor, enjoying even greater fame than I do now, and every time I wake up, I feel a profound sense of emptiness.
After shopping, we went to the restaurant on the top floor for a meal, as usual.
Today was traditional Korean course dining.
The guests at the other tables recognized us and looked surprised, though I wasn't sure if it was because of me or Curator Han Ji-woo.
Still, they didn't approach and only watched from a distance, which was comfortable.
We talked while we ate.
"Lee Yu-jin, you’re going to be busy starting tomorrow. Filming begins."
"Yes, I’ll have to run around busily again."
Since the set replication is finished, filming for my part in Game of Sins begins.
This shoot must be kept under extreme security.
It will likely be the most difficult and tricky shoot of my life.
‘Is that why they’re giving me 13 billion won even though I exit in the first episode?’
"We’ve decided to renegotiate the appearance fee for Hwan's Torch Season 2 from a blank slate. We need to get paid according to your Hollywood-level caliber now."
"Then won't the fact that I'm appearing in Game of Sins leak out?"
"We can just make an excuse that we turned it down because the fee didn't match. We’ll pressure them by saying, 'You offered less than what Chris got? Should we really sign this?'"
"Oh..."
"I’ll take care of the negotiations, so you just need to shine brilliantly, Lee Yu-jin."
Cough, cough...
While I was excited about the prospect of earning lots of Envidium, a surprise attack of praise dealt me some internal damage.
"The regular concert was very impressive. Out of all those students, I could only see your face, Yu-jin."
"That's right, Curator! Seriously, I could only see Yu-jin, and only Yu-jin!"
"I saw it clearly too. Even the parents weren't looking at their own sons and daughters; they were staring at my sister like they were possessed. I saw it with my own two eyes."
"I feel so bad for the other students. Their parents probably thought they were watching them while they worked so hard, but everyone was just looking at Yu-jin..."
"It might have been the last time we see Lee Yu-jin as an orchestral timpanist, so why would they look at their own children whom they'll see for the rest of their lives until they're sick of it?"
Whew, whew. It’s okay, it’s okay...
My mental state has been sufficiently tempered, so I can withstand this level of greasy worship attack.
‘How on earth does God endure such insane worship attacks? Could He possibly be at a level where He enjoys it?’
"I heard that the concert donations made in Lee Yu-jin's name reached 280 billion won."
"Yes, I guess many wealthy fans came to watch. No wonder there were so many hypercars in the parking lot."
"They weren't just wealthy people. If a disaster had occurred in that concert hall that day, a global Great Depression might have followed."
"...Pardon?"
"That’s why there were so many bodyguards that day. They were thoroughly prepared."
Han Ji-woo looked at me with a strange smile and a slanted gaze.
It was that look again—the one that made my face feel hot—and it was burdensome, but I endured it because she’d be disappointed if I looked away.
"How could you think of donating all of it to the school without wavering in front of such a massive sum?"
"Huh? Well, obviously, it was donated to the school."
"It was a scholarship fund donated in Lee Yu-jin's name. Even if you couldn't withdraw it, you could have used it however you wanted. If you had just told me."
"..."
"I heard from the school that you immediately suggested building a concert hall without a single flicker in your eyes. That was so admirable and elegant. Just how much more brilliant are you planning to become, Lee Yu-jin?"
"...Actually, I’m currently turning very, very black on the inside."
Aaaagh! Does Han Ji-woo want me to turn to the dark side? Does she want to see me fallen and pitch black?
"I was surprised too! Seriously, without even blinking, she said, 'Build a concert hall, buy rental instruments, use it for operating costs, it'll all get used eventually.' The teachers were all shocked at how Yu-jin has absolutely no greed for money."
"What are you talking about? I love money. A whole, whole lot."
The incentives I squeezed out of Hermès today alone were a whopping 50 million won.
I am absolutely crazy about money.
Curator Han Ji-woo laughed.
"They say people who claim to have no interest in money are actually obsessed with money itself, while people who openly say they love money love the infinite, beautiful possibilities that money can unfold."
"Cu... Curator... Please..."
"Our baby elf must have been very uncomfortable in that old concert hall while playing the timpani, right? So, wasn't it your heart—as beautiful as your face—that wanted to open up a future where your juniors could practice and perform in a great concert hall for years to come?"
"I-I need to go to the restroom!"
Aaaagh! Aaaaaagh!
I swallowed a scream and bolted from the table.
I was so dizzy that I almost walked into the men's room for the first time in a long while.
I turned on the tap and washed my face roughly with cold water.
It was fine since I hadn't applied anything to my face except for darkening my eyebrows.
I finally calmed down and returned, and fortunately, Han Ji-woo didn't tease me any further.
"I wasn't teasing; I was just expressing my sincerity. I was worried my sincerity might give you indigestion today."
"Th-thank you."
While I was at it, I asked Han Ji-woo to oversee the audit of the concert hall.
"I understand. Since it's the Lee Yu-jin Concert Hall, it gives the agency a good reason to actively participate and ensure it's running well. I won't hesitate to nag them so that not a single won is embezzled and every bit goes into the concert hall."
"Thank you."
I tend to have a meal with Curator Han Ji-woo two or three times a week.
Sometimes we eat at the Baekhyun Hotel, and sometimes near my house.
It was embarrassing that she spent the whole time staring at my face as if she were appreciating a work of art, but when I thought about how it was the only reward she was satisfied with, I felt even more apologetic.
I should show her my face more often...
*
Today is the first day of filming for Game of Sins.
Under strict secrecy, I departed for the filming site.
I couldn't take the Cullinan. Not even the Carnival.
Both vehicles headed down to the countryside empty. They said it was to deceive the fans' eyes.
"But it's not like the fans are watching my Cullinan 24 hours a day, right?"
"They probably are watching it 24 hours a day. We have to move under that assumption."
So, I headed to the set in my dad's car, which had never been exposed to the media.
‘If someone saw this, they’d think it was an apartment construction site, not a film set.’
High construction fences were wrapped around the area, and cranes could be seen poking out here and there.
From the outside, it looked exactly like a construction site.
However, the moment the winding passage ended...
A brilliant medieval fantasy set unfolded before my eyes.
‘Wow, they made this well.’
It was so well-made that I, who had actually lived through the Middle Ages, felt an instinctive urge to run away.
‘The nightmares are coming back fresh.’
Trauma from those primitive and barbaric days briefly resurfaced.
But it was just like the feeling men get when they flinch at the sound of a military wake-up call.
Everything was prepared well enough to start filming immediately.
How could they have built a set like this in the short time since I signed the contract?
If I hadn't known better, I would have misunderstood and thought they had been building it in advance.
As expected, Koreans are really fast at making things like this.
‘An uncompromising Heretic Inquisitor who only speaks Classical Latin from the start...’
Ah, my precious mentor whose name I cannot recall.
No matter how the world remembers you, you are my one and only Lord Cardinal.
Wait, was it "His Eminence"? Well, if it's my mentor who deserves respect, he'd look at the big picture... actually, no, he was the type to obsess over even the smallest errors.
I saw a giant cross.
According to the script, it was a very symbolic structure.
I stood before it.
I conveyed my gratitude to my mentor, who had arranged this significant Envidium mining opportunity for me hundreds of years in advance.
The words he would always recite to me like a prayer at the end of every nightly Latin lesson:
"Doctrina finem non habet;
(Education has no end;)
quae didici aliquando lucebunt.
(What has been learned will one day shine.)
Itaque hic magister, per discipulum,
(Thus this teacher, through the student,)
semina longae patientiae spargendo,
(By sowing the seeds of long patience,)
extremum munus suum perfecit.
(Completes his final mission.)"
‘My great and noble Lord Cardinal—or Excellency? Your Holiness? Your Highness? Anyway, whoever you are that no one else knows—I will take over that mission and diligently collect my appearance fees. I’ll also donate to the people you felt sorry for!’
When I opened my eyes and turned around, I froze.
A middle-aged priest with a neat impression, wearing black clerical clothing with purple accents, was looking at me, his eyebrows trembling.
"Illam sententiam··· unde didicisti?"
(That expression... where did you learn it?)
I was so startled to hear the authentic pronunciation for the first time in centuries that...
"E schola linguarum externarum. lingua secunda."
(Foreign language class. As a second language.)
In my panic, I accidentally made a slip of the tongue.
Wait, this isn't right...