The Devil of Daejeon Hyeon-go
EP 5 The Devil of Daejeon Hyeon-go's In-Seoul Retake Academy Class. Third-year group combat training instruction period. Lee Ah-rang sat in her seat, staring blankly at her phone.
[Yoo Ji-tae]: [We can't spend the whole day together?]
"Wow."
Lee Ah-rang clutched her phone, typing out replies only to delete them again. During class, no less.
"Lee Ah-rang!"
The combat instructor's sharp reprimand cut through the air.
"What do you think you're doing in the middle of class? If you keep ignoring the lesson like this, you won't get into university. Listen carefully to instructions and train as you're told—that's how you get good exam scores and a good university."
All eyes turned toward her. The majority of those gazes were negative. In truth, the general opinion of Lee Ah-rang had never been favorable. A chaebol heiress a year older than everyone else had used underhanded methods to get into Hyeon-go High. And now she was even ignoring school lessons? It was only natural that the other students, who were diligently following the class, would feel repulsed.
Of course, everyone knew she was engaged to her boyfriend, Yoo Ji-tae. But an wife was supposed to constantly strive to earn her husband's recognition, wasn't she? If she was this lazy, she wouldn't have any right to complain even if she got dumped on the spot. At a time when such perceptions were already widespread, Lee Ah-rang's distraction during class only poured more fuel onto the negative image.
"I'm skipping school tomorrow. My boyfriend wants to meet."
"What?!"
In that instant, Lee Ah-rang operated her phone and broadcast her message across every screen and personal device in the school. It was a privilege she had obtained by overpaying the facility usage fees for Daejeon Hyeon-go.
[Yoo Ji-tae]: [We can't spend the whole day together?]
"!!!"
The combat instructor's eyes widened in disbelief. The screams of every female student in the school echoed like an orchestra. The girls who had been taking the combat class together felt even more despair. They had never imagined that their classmate, who was a full year older than them, could be this close to Yoo Ji-tae.
"Good heavens."
The instructor's despair deepened further. Even the teachers at Hyeon-go watched the news. They already knew full well that the boyfriend she mentioned was Yoo Ji-tae. They understood that chaebols could make men handsome by throwing money around. But what shocked the instructor wasn't the fact that the two of them were meeting. It was the fact that the invitation had come from the man's side.
'Men usually find spending time with women burdensome, so it's standard for the woman to be the one suggesting meetings.'
'That's why women have to pay just to have a conversation with a man. Even then, if your number is far back in line, you might have to wait months.'
'But this Lee Ah-rang has her boyfriend Yoo Ji-tae actively wanting to meet her.'
'Just how much money did she throw at him, Lee Ah-rang?'
Lee Ah-rang smiled.
"Tomorrow will be our first night together. My family has been Christian for generations, so I wanted to preserve premarital chastity, but a husband is heaven to a woman, so there's nothing I can do about it."
Watching this, the combat instructor recalled the Yoo Ji-tae she had seen on broadcasts. That cute, lovable face and delicate-looking body. Imagining all of that being ravished tomorrow by the silver-haired student before her made the instructor's lower abdomen grow warm.
'...I've never even been with a man myself.'
And that feeling was shared by everyone in the class.
Feeling the gazes around her, Lee Ah-rang recalled her grandmother's advice.
—"If there are those who covet your husband, flaunt it right in front of them and make the difference in status clear."
—"Cat fights? Checking each other? Those are things you do with opponents of equal standing. Wasting time fighting one by one with bottom-feeders is pointless. In front of the lower classes, you display your superiority so they can't even lift their heads. That's the first method of fighting as the legitimate wife."
"Ah, unni!"
A girl with a short haircut approached and offered her a towel and water.
"P-please use these!"
Lee Ah-rang recalled Lee Seon-hee's second piece of advice.
—"The second method is the art of employing people. Use those with high loyalty or useful talents as subordinates. And later, show them off in front of your husband. Selecting a harem is also part of being the legitimate wife."
Lee Ah-rang accepted the towel and water.
"I'll make good use of them."
"Thank you! Unni!"
EP 5 The Devil of Daejeon Hyeon-go's In-Seoul Retake Academy Class. Chirnix Dormitory.
While eating breakfast with Lee Se-rin, I mentioned Lee Ah-rang's proposal.
"She said ten million won per hour. So I'm thinking of staying overnight today and coming back tomorrow."
"...Huh? Ten million won per hour? What kind of work is it? Cooking? Crafting?"
"Ah. That's s..."
My mouth closed mid-sentence. There was a problem.
Lee Se-rin began making various guesses when I stopped talking.
"S? Hmm. So? Sa?"
The reason I had closed my mouth was for Lee Se-rin's pride. I was meeting Lee Ah-rang to serve as her training partner. She probably thought that since our levels were similar, I'd make a suitable opponent. But Lee Se-rin had been helping with my training until now. If I suddenly went off to train with someone else while leaving her behind, wouldn't that hurt her feelings?
'Should I phrase it more vaguely?'
Becoming a sparring partner. It also felt like handing over the rights to my body for twenty-four hours straight, letting her do whatever she wanted with it.
"Hmm. Feels like I'm going to sell my body to Lee Ah-rang. Well, it's not a common offer, and she's paying a lot."
Lee Se-rin covered her mouth.
"I-if that's what you want, I-I'm here! If it's money, I-I have some too.... Of course, I don't mean I want to force something like that, but...."
Lee Se-rin stammered at the end of her sentence.
'What? She figured it out in one go.'
Even after phrasing it indirectly, she still realized it was about being a sparring partner. As expected, Lee Se-rin was quite perceptive.
"Ah. No, that's not it...! You can't do that! Ji-tae-nim! Ji-tae-nim, you need to... to... understand how precious your body is!!! You don't need to do something like that!!! Reject it right now!!! Okay?! Please!!!"
"Hmm. But if someone is willing to spend money on this worthless body of mine, isn't that something to be grateful for?"
"No. Who the hell said something like that!!!"
My total stats in stamina, strength, and mana were under 10. Opportunities like this—ten million won per hour—didn't come easily.
"No!!! No!!! Absolutely not!!!"
"But I've already signed the contract, so there's nothing I can do. And earning over two hundred million won for one night of hardship is a profit."
"I-I don't like it... Ah, no.... I-I'll earn more money! So...."
"Sorry. People are already coming to pick me up."
"...Huh."
Knock knock.
The sound of someone knocking on the dormitory door could be heard. It was the maid I had seen last time.
"Yoo Ji-tae-ssi. I've come to escort you. The young lady is really looking forward to it. She seems to have prepared all sorts of medicines and tools, so you should be able to enjoy yourself quite a bit as well, Yoo Ji-tae-ssi."
"Got it."
I patted Lee Se-rin's head. She was a worrier. Women were scary, but that was separate from the fact that I didn't dislike Lee Se-rin. I was glad she was worried about me.
"Take good care of the house. I'll be back."
Lee Se-rin sank down on the spot. It was certainly a bit much to leave her alone for the whole day.
'If I promise to train with Lee Se-rin tomorrow, maybe she'll forgive me?'
"Hey, Se-rin-ah."
"...Yes. Ji-tae-nim."
I whispered into Lee Se-rin's ear.
"When I come back, I'm going to do it with you too. So no doing it alone until I return, got it?"
"......Yes?"
Lee Se-rin stared at me blankly before slumping down like a puppet with its strings cut, motionless.
Well, she'll have calmed down by the time I come back tomorrow.
*****
Lee Ah-rang lived in Lee Seon-hee's mansion. It was a grand residence that seemed like something from the pre-modern aristocracy. When I opened the iron gate and stepped inside, I saw a garden covered in grass. And there, on one side of the garden, was Lee Ah-rang.
Her outfit was very simple, suited for training. A white T-shirt and black leggings that clung tightly to her lower body. Her long silver hair was tied back, exposing her pale, slender neck and collarbones.
Lee Ah-rang shouted.
"Die! Die!! Die!! Die!!!"
"Haah. Is this all you've got? Your boyfriend is pitiful, having to date someone this pathetic."
"Die!!! Die!!! Die!!!"
Lee Ah-rang was engaged in combat training with a witch statue that had six arms. The witch statue she was fighting against also had a voice output function, and it provoked her with mocking words.
"Pathetic. At this level, wouldn't it be better to break up before you get divorced?"
"Shut up!!!"
The witch statue's six arms attacked and defended simultaneously as it assaulted Lee Ah-rang, who moved three times faster, deflecting every punch while landing effective hits. Lee Ah-rang gradually gained the upper hand. It was thanks to her overwhelming speed. Come to think of it, she had been incredibly fast even when fighting Lee Ji-eun. Was it thanks to the skill she obtained upon awakening? Looking closely, there was a skill called Seochopaewang (A).
'A skill that designates a weapon and grants corresponding bonus effects.'
It was a far more powerful skill than I had imagined. Moreover, she had currently designated sneakers as her weapon, obtaining a 200% speed increase. She was moving three times faster than usual. It made sense that she could overwhelm someone in the Condensing Realm while being in the Refined Realm.
The maid pointed at the witch statue.
"That is the Six-Armed Witch Statue. It's a combat sandbag specially manufactured by Samjin. If you give the order, I'll bring a new one."
"...It's fine. I'm here to work today, so I should do as Ah-rang wants."
Thud!
Lee Ah-rang leaped into the air and spun her body at high speed. Spinning like a typhoon, she extended her leg. A spinning back kick with multiple rotations in midair. The rotational force generated through tremendous speed made the kick even faster.
Bang!!!
The leg extended like a spear burst the witch statue's head.
"Excellent. Miss Gorilla. Your boyfriend should see this sight."
"Shut up!!!"
Lee Ah-rang, who had been stomping on the fallen witch statue with her foot, wiped her sweat with a towel.
"Ah. It's hot. Ah. Seriously.... Why did they set the voice to something like that...."
The moment Lee Ah-rang took off her T-shirt and wiped her neck and stomach with the towel, her eyes met mine.
"Ah."
In times like this, should I greet her first? Since she was my employer, it would be good to at least offer some lip service.
"That was really impressive, Ah-rang-ah."
Lee Ah-rang hurriedly put her T-shirt back on and wrapped her arms around her waist.
"...How much did you see?"
"Was it 'Die. Die. Die'?"
"...Ah... aah...."
Lee Ah-rang's eyes welled up with tears. Then, with her face flushed bright red, she grabbed the hem of her T-shirt. She clutched and twisted the shirt as if wringing out a rag, lowered her head deeply, then slowly raised it.
"Th-then shall we start sparring right now?!"
I was a little surprised. Since she was rich, I had thought she would take training lightly, but it seemed she didn't want to waste even a single second.
"Yeah."
Lee Ah-rang put on a rash guard over her top.
"Alright. The personal combat training room is underground, so let's go right away!"
I followed Lee Ah-rang into Lee Seon-hee's mansion.