11. A Man Who Doesn't Get Screwed Over
11. A Man Who Doesn't Get Screwed Over
Curses flew without hesitation right after the liquor bottle.
And these weren't just the occasional casual swears that might slip out by accident—they were straight-up laced with double profanity.
Eun-jeong felt like the world she knew up until now was flipping upside down.
A sensation like something was twisted all out of shape.
Was what was unfolding right in front of her eyes really reality?
She'd thought the Noblesse Committee and Supreme Committee were the pinnacle of power in this world, but Ha So-ri was hurling unfiltered curses and violence at one of their core figures.
It was the kind of behavior you could only pull off from a seriously top-dog position.
At the very least, her power had to be enough to crush some Supreme Committee member without breaking a sweat for her to get away with this shit, but for Eun-jeong—who groveled even in front of Ju Ye-ji—it was impossible to even gauge the scale of that power and influence.
"How the fuck did you handle things that a dismissal request dares to fly my way? Aren't you here to block that crap?"
"I'm sorry, Clan Head-nim."
Ye-ji bowed even deeper.
Ha So-ri's voice was rising higher and higher, liquor dripping steadily, making it hard to focus, but if she couldn't endure this, something even worse was coming, so there was no choice.
"You fucking bitch, you think I called you here to hear 'I'm sorry'? Do your damn job right."
It was already done and over with—what the hell was she supposed to do now?
The words rose to her throat, but she swallowed them down with effort.
"I raised you as a plaything and made you a Supreme Committee member, and you think you can strut around without doing shit properly."
"Calm down first, please."
At that moment, Tae-hee, who had been quietly watching, chimed in.
As one of the few people who knew the continent's great hero So-ri was a total personality wreck, she was used to scenes like this, but that didn't make it a pleasant sight.
"Council Member-nim, have a seat too."
"...Excuse me."
Ye-ji hesitated over whether to sit by So-ri or by Tae-hee, then finally moved toward So-ri's side.
Eun-jeong, shrinking back awkwardly, naturally tried to head toward Tae-hee's side...
"Hey, you reek of booze. Go sit in that corner over there."
"...Yes."
"But she's still a Supreme Committee member—corner's a bit much. Come over here."
"...Thank you."
Ye-ji paused and circled back to Tae-hee's side, leaving Eun-jeong frozen in an awkward half-step pose.
"This the kid?"
"Yes. That's right."
"I-I'm Pho-Phone Eun-jeong."
"You, come here."
"...Y-Yes... Clan Head-nim."
She hadn't even properly greeted yet.
Overwhelmed by So-ri's violent demeanor, Eun-jeong sat mutely beside her without a peep.
It was like sitting on a bed of nails.
She couldn't even register the food or drinks laid out on the table.
So-ri pressed the bell on the table to call a server.
"You called?"
"Clear that shit away and bring more booze. With snacks."
"Yes."
No words were exchanged while they cleared the broken liquor bottle and spilled booze, and brought out fresh trays.
Neither Ye-ju nor Eun-jeong could open their mouths in their uneasy seats, while Tae-hee and So-ri just drank.
Once things were somewhat sorted, So-ri—whether her anger had subsided or she was just putting on an act—rested her chin on the table with a smile and eyed Eun-jeong.
"Cute in her own way."
"Y-Yes?"
"Cute, I said."
"...Thank you?"
What the hell was this all of a sudden.
"Seeing a young one brings back the old days~."
"When was that?"
"You know, back when I was in my prime. Shit was wild as hell. So many clueless punks strutting around without knowing their place."
As she said that, she subtly glanced at Ye-ji.
Ye-ji, who had been delicately picking at some green onion pancakes, lowered her head under that gaze.
"That's over 800 years ago, isn't it? This is why drinking with old folks is exhausting."
"What'd you say?"
"You keep repeating the same damn stories over and over."
"Oh ho? Got no filter with adults, huh."
"Act like an adult, and you'll get treated like one."
"Wow... our Tae-hee's grown up so much."
She glared while chomping on the green onion pancakes like they were squid tentacles, but it wasn't particularly threatening.
Totally different from how she'd been glaring at Ju Ye-ji like she wanted to devour her.
Having dragged in two committee members, and all they were doing was chit-chatting.
Eun-jeong felt like a pathetic tag-along, along with a simultaneous sense of ominous dread.
The committee letter requesting her granddaughter (Ha Yeon-seo)'s dismissal from Chief Instructor.
That's why she'd called in Supreme Committee member Ju Ye-ji and chucked a liquor bottle while spewing abuse—was Eun-jeong gonna get out unscathed?
'Fuck... she's gonna flip out on me too... what do I do.'
Enduring wasn't the issue.
She was cowed as hell here, but Ju Ye-ji was no slouch in the asshole department either.
She'd stuck to that bitch like glue, flattering her ass off and taking all kinds of power trips—what was a few hits and some yelling compared to that?
What she feared was something else.
Recently, for some bullshit reason, she'd gotten hit with a six-month pay dock and full staff replacement as major discipline, and since So-ri had said 'This the kid?', it seemed like she was involved.
Thinking about it, this wasn't just power-tripping—it could wreck her whole damn life.
If she were a Supreme Committee bigshot like Ju Ye-ji, they'd probably let it slide, but as a lowly 3rd Rank Commissioner, they could ditch her at the drop of a hat.
At least, that's how it felt after witnessing So-ri's top-dog bullshit today.
-Tone it down. Before I bury you.
Suddenly, the abuse she'd heard from Yeonseo popped into her head.
She'd definitely said that creepy shit about 'burying' a 3rd Rank Commissioner like her.
Back then, drunk on committee power, she'd dismissed it as nonsense.
But seeing So-ri and Ju Ye-ji today, it didn't seem so far-fetched.
'That... can't happen!'
How she'd clawed her way onto the committee.
She couldn't go back to square one.
'Might as well... turn this into an opportunity?'
The Ha Family thing was a hang-up, but she could bury her personal grudge against Yeonseo.
Survival and climbing the ladder came first, right?
For that—
Grope.
"Oh. This kid's got some nice tits, huh?"
A situation that ripped her train of thought to shreds.
Something unfolded that her brain couldn't process.
So-ri, who had been eating with her chin propped up, suddenly yanked Eun-jeong into a hug and started groping her chest.
"Ye-ji, looks like hers are bigger than yours."
"Y-Yes.... Doesn't show much on the outside, but they're surprisingly big."
"Fucking massive..."
What fresh level of asshole behavior was this? Like a total perv, she mauled Eun-jeong's tits, then straight-up stripped off her suit jacket and shoved her hand inside the blouse.
"Cl-Clan Head-nim...?"
Only now did Eun-jeong snap out of it.
She'd been toughened by tons of power trips from Ju Ye-ji, but getting sexually harassed like this—by another woman, no less—was beyond imagination.
"Hold still."
Ignoring her feeble resistance, she groped away relentlessly.
Tae-hee, watching, shook her head side to side.
"What the hell are you doing, you gross bitch."
"Oh? Gross? You talk some funny shit."
"Quit doing creepy stuff like that. No shame?"
"Nah, not ashamed. What's there to be ashamed of?"
"Ha..."
A contemptuous glare, and So-ri brazenly firing back while squishing the tit-flesh.
Eun-jeong had no clue what to do as her body got manhandled.
Deep down, she wanted to slap away those filthy hands, but she couldn't muster the guts.
"You try it once, and you won't say that shit."
"With a woman? What the..."
"Just try it and you'll see, I said. Might as well learn now."
"No thanks."
"Take Ye-ji and have some fun. She's useless, but tasty."
"You're so trashy, seriously..."
"Hey, and guys are all scrawny wimps who can't even perform. Sex is meant for women—that's how bodies are built."
"Why the fuck are you saying that nonsense so seriously??"
At this point, was her head okay?
"Whatever. What was your name again?"
"E-Eun-jeong... that's me..."
"Right. Eun-jeong. Know why I called you here?"
"..."
Thump-thump.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Probably the most tense moment since she was born.
Even the groped chest felt no sensation right now.
"Our little Eun-jeong's been up to some cute mischief, huh?"
"I-I'm... s-sorry... I'm sorry... hic!"
She was so tense.
Even hiccuping now.
"Back when I was committee chair, there was this clueless bitch strutting around. Named Ju Ye-ji."
"..."
"Puffed up as a 2nd Rank Commissioner, talking all kinds of shit—really got on my nerves."
Whispering threateningly, she ripped open the blouse entirely, exposing pale skin.
"Got pissed, wiped out her family, and fucked her good—shut her up real quick."
"I... I was wrong..."
"Yeonseo got dismissed from Chief Instructor, right? Good riddance. Thinking of grooming her into a committee member this time? Can't trust these incompetents."
"...Groom Yeonseo-ssi into a committee member?"
Tae-hee, who had been sighing and watching, cut in.
She'd figured it'd be tossing some business to her, not making her a committee member?
"Yeah. Guess since I ignored this side, they think I'm some relic. What a circus..."
"Hmm... won't there be a ton of pushback? The Ha Family directly producing a committee member..."
"That's why I called you too. Let's do it together."
"Huh??"
"Yu Ina, right? That kid's quitting instructor too. Perfect. Let's team up. Leave the aides to these two."
"No, what the..."
"You'll do well, right? Our Eun-jeong-ssi?"