08. Bad Friend
08. Bad Friend
"...What?"
Her brain froze due to the unimaginable situation, so all she could manage was a dazed retort like that.
In the world.
The Committee had told her not to approach, but this guy ignored it and forced his way through?
On top of that, she was in the middle of official duties right now. Interfering with that would mean obstruction of official business, warranting due punishment—which was why even the granddaughter of the Ha family was sitting there with a shit-eating face.
To make matters worse, this bastard had even resorted to violence, so special assault charges were piling on.
After pulling off such a shocking stunt, what the hell was this nonchalant man?
"You—,"
"Save it. Let's do the contract first. And hand over the money right away while we're at it. I've got land to check out and slaves to train, you know? Lots to do."
She was about to say something, but Sihwan cleanly ignored her.
Right now, the important thing wasn't chit-chatting with some woman he'd just met—it was squeezing money out of Yeonseo.
"How dare you...!"
At that moment, the woman who'd been flung aside by Bari's breakthrough, along with the remaining five suited women, all drew their blades in unison.
They charged like mad dogs, aiming to take out the arrogant Sihwan.
But their wishes weren't granted.
"Stay put."
Bari had subdued them.
She hadn't used any special tricks.
Having mastered magic, she'd simply whipped up a continental-unknown formula in that split second to knock them out mentally.
From Bari's perspective, it was easier than breathing.
But to the onlookers, it wasn't something they could accept so easily.
The attendants weren't Noblesse, but at minimum, they were Advanced Races. And she'd subdued them just like that?
"What's this? You kill 'em? That'd be kinda awkward."
"Just knocked them out."
"I see. Good job."
Amid everyone's shock, Bari approached as naturally as ever and sat next to Sihwan.
Plop! The sofa sank down heavily.
The commissioner, snapping to her senses, shot up.
"You, you! What the hell!! Who the hell are you!!!?"
Her shrill voice echoed through the room, drawing all eyes.
"Ah, shut up. Be quiet, you bitch."
"B-Bitch??"
"So you're the one who was blocking my way? Know your place. Who the hell do you think you're blocking?"
"Ha...."
Absurdity rising to the top of her head.
And rage.
With a blank face, she turned her head toward Yeonseo.
To grill her on what the fuck this dog bastard was.
But....
"Kh...uh-huh...!"
"..."
Yeonseo was holding back laughter hard.
Bursting in by blowing off the door was annoying as hell, but seeing that annoying bitch's dumbstruck face made those feelings sink right away.
"Ahahaha! Look at her face!"
She finally burst out laughing, even wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
"These...fucking things...!"
"Ahh, sorry. Sorry. It's just too funny to hold in."
Yeonseo said that while still bursting into sporadic laughs.
For some reason, it reminded her of her old self.
When she first consulted with Sihwan, she'd probably had a face like that too.
It'd been so irritating and tough back then, but watching this woman now? It was pure catharsis.
Of course, she was a bit worried on one side.
No matter what, this was a commissioner—if he treated her like this, shit could hit the fan.
Plus, wasn't Sihwan human? The backlash would probably be even worse.
'...But somehow, it feels like it'll be fine.'
Her gaze shifted to Bari.
These were attendants selected from the selected—warriors low-floor folks couldn't handle.
But Bari had taken them down so cleanly.
'She's getting stronger and stronger, huh.'
"Sihwan-ssi, this is Phone Eun-jeong, 3rd Rank Commissioner dispatched from the Noblesse Committee."
"Phone Eun-jeong?"
"Commissioner-nim? This is Ryu Si-hwan, representative of the Academy's 827th Trainee Batch. First time meeting, right? Get along well."
"...Trainee representative...? Human???"
Both of them froze for their own reasons, but Yeonseo glanced behind Sihwan.
"And those folks?"
"Ah, Annoying Person No. 1 and No. 2."
"...By the Clan Head-nim's orders, we've been assigned to escort the young master. I'm Yoo Eun-hye."
"Ah. The Yu Family... Please, sit over here."
Maybe because they bore the Yu name, which even Yeonseo couldn't treat lightly, she offered seats, but Eun-hye declined.
"It's fine. I'm just the guard, after all."
She was military through and through.
"Hoo...hoo.... You there, human?"
Eun-jeong, who'd been toyed with for a while(?), regained her composure and called out to Sihwan.
She was forcing a smile, but her lips twitching made her look just like Yeonseo when she was pissed.
"What."
"What? Short speech?"
"So? Go cry to your mom if it bugs you."
"This fucker...!"
The enraged her raised her hand like she'd slap him, but glanced at Eun-hye and Bari and lowered it slyly.
Probably more wary of Eun-hye than Bari.
With the Yu Family openly assigning guards, that clan was a top military force even the Supreme Committee hesitated to touch—not just the Noblesse Committee.
"Ah, what? Spit it out quick if you've got something to say. You think I've got all day like you?"
"Me...? Me, idle?! Says the rootless human scum!"
"The rootless one's your mindset."
"You...!"
"Anyway, I'm curious—your name's really Phone Eun-jeong?"
Sihwan put on a serious face, making her tense up too.
"...So what?"
"No, like, is your actual name Phone Eun-jeong?"
"Yeah, so what? What're you getting at? Why the hell am I even talking to human trash like this?"
"Wow...your name's Phone Eun-jeong? Wow...."
Sihwan marveled.
"Wow...how's a person's name Phone Eun-jeong...."
"This is insane!"
"Hey, hey, you savages? Let's talk like civilized people. Don't embarrass yourselves."
"..."
Yeonseo grinned and clapped her hands.
"Let's move spots. Too messy here."
"I said hold up, didn't I?"
"You did. But nah."
"What?"
"Wanna boost your record? Follow me. Or fuck off. Steward? You greet the other guests here."
"Yes."
Yeonseo sneered like that and headed for the door.
"Hey, come on! You gotta pay me."
"My money, you mean."
Sihwan stood up too.
"Th-These fuckers...!"
Eun-jeong trembled with humiliation.
Amid it all, Sihwan's guard—and pretty much the only normal one—Eun-hye let out a small sigh and gave her a slight bow.
"Pardon us."
"..."
She reflexively bowed back.
Then bit her lip and kicked the sprawled attendants lightly.
"Hey. Wake up. Get up, you bitches!!!"
.
.
A newly prepared spot.
Another mansion inside the Academy—Yeonseo's house.
It was Sihwan's first time visiting her place directly, so he curiously checked out the lavish garden and such, but soon lost interest.
"Arrogant for a mere human. Must be from overstepping with that marriage, huh?"
Eun-jeong sneered at him.
A puny human—she itched to snap his neck right then, but he was the Yu Family's granddaughter-in-law. Touch him carelessly, and it'd be a headache.
Of course, the Committee was griping about taking in a human as son-in-law too.
But that was a whole other issue she couldn't touch right now.
"Spinster who can't even get married talking about marriage."
"Spinster my fucking ass!!"
She flipped out at Sihwan's jab.
They clicked weirdly well, in a toxic way.
"...Stop pulling aggro."
The woman walking beside Sihwan chimed in.
Given the occasion, Sihwan's wife Yu Ina had come along too.
"Not aggro. Bitches like her thrive on it—you gotta squash 'em hard. Or they keep crawling up."
"...You saying that?"
"Who's crawling? You wanna die for real? Huh?? If you hadn't married into the Yu Family, you'd be dead by my hand already. Begging wouldn't save you—I'd chop you up. Got it?!"
"Argh! Why're you yelling like an uncultured swine? Always knew you had no roots, but today's worse."
"Shut your trap too...it's annoying...!"
"You're the most annoying. What's with the racket in someone else's house."
"These fuckers... I'm a commissioner... Act right. I'll flip this whole place?! Can you handle it??"
Was this really the same woman who'd smiled brightly at first?
Sure, she'd met the ultimate cancer Ryu Si-hwan, but her demon-distorted face even creeped out Yeonseo.
"Hey, Eun-jeong."
Yeonseo, who'd been leading the way, stopped and turned back toward Eun-jeong.
Icy smile.
The surroundings shivered involuntarily.
"What? Eun-jeong? You—,"
"Cut the crap. Before I bury you."
"W-What?"
"Playing nice 'cause you're a commissioner? Thinks we're equals now."
Yeonseo's bombshell stopped everyone in their tracks.
"Rootless bitch keeps crawling up why?"
Trash-talk switch on.
She channeled straight-up chaebol third-gen vibes from TV.
"Argh!"
Grabbing Eun-jeong's hair and swinging her around, flashing a Night Queen smile.
"You think I treat you nice 'cause I'm scared? Nah, I just hate hassle. Don't wanna make it worse."
Swinging violently, but her tone soft like advising a close dongsaeng.
"Don't keep trying to rival me. Know your place, yeah?"