535

 [Chapter 145]

[Things Money Can't Buy (6)]

"Hmm..."

Julieta is not here.

Bruno crossed his arms.

He kept staring intently at the elixir placed on the table.

"Hmm..."

A few days ago,

Eunha, who defeated a 4th tier monster alone, finally escaped from his family and brought some kind of elixir.

Royal Beads.

Bruno also knew the name.

He didn't expect to see the actual thing.

Moreover, he certainly didn't expect it to end up in his hands.

"Royal Beads..."

It's good for the body.

Very good.

Really good.

Bruno replayed the words he heard from Eunha in his head several times.

Come to think of it...

Avenir did say last time that he wanted a younger sibling too.

Julieta came to mind.

His son Avenir came to mind.

After pondering, Bruno reached out his hand.

He decided to slowly taste the Royal Beads and take care of his health.

Just then,

A sudden loud noise came from a room near the hallway.

Thud thud

The sound of someone stomping on the floor.

Crack

Then mana was sensed from inside the house, and the sound of something being crushed.

Thump

Finally, there was a sound like something falling over.

Bruno quickly got up from his seat.

When he headed towards the direction the sound came from, the door was fallen from the inside to the outside.

"..."

What on earth happened.

There's a fist-sized hole in the lower part of the door.

But the hole looks like it was grabbed and torn off.

No, judging by the direction the broken fragments fell, which was not inside the door but outside,

It seems to have been pushed from the inside with a hand.

"This is really..."

However, why is heat rising from around the hole?

Bruno was at a loss for words.

Then he looked for Avenir, who must have undoubtedly created this commotion.

Because the owner of the room where the door fell was his son.

In other words, his son broke the door.

"─Dad, look at this! I finally did it! I can't do a full hand yet, but I can do fingers now!?"

"...Nier." "What, Dad?" "..." "Anyway, hurry! Hurry and look at this!"

His only son was inside the room.

Smiling brightly without knowing what he had done.

Bruno fell into deep thought.

Wondering if he should really scold his son who was smiling so innocently.

"I still can't wrap magic around my whole palm, but I can easily do it with my fingers now!" "...I see, good job."

"Right!? I should show this to Eunha hyung later too."

It seems he developed some magic.

His son's fingers raised high were glowing green.

Bruno gave a wry smile seeing that sight.

He should scold his son.

But he didn't want to disturb his son who was so absorbed with sparkling eyes.

He seemed to be in the midst of gaining an insight.

"Dad! Dad! What should I name this? Huh? Huh?" "..."

Then Avenir asked innocently.

Asking to name the magic.

"Something cool! I want to name it something cool!"

A voice full of expectation.

Bruno didn't want to betray his son's expectations.

He examined the five glowing green fingers this way and that.

After a moment, he nodded and opened his mouth.

"...Shining Finger." "Shining Finger!? That's a cool name!"

"Dad told you not to stomp. Eunae noona will come up to scold you for being noisy like last time." "Ah, right. That's true! I won't! I'll be quiet!"

Fortunately, his son seemed to like it.

His son jumps up and down.

Bruno admonished his capricious son by borrowing Noh Eunae's name.

His son obeys Noh Eunae's words.

Avenir suddenly came to his senses and made a sign with his finger that he would be quiet.

Bruno gave a wry smile.

"By the way..."

Bruno looked at the fallen door.

And looked at his son again.

Eventually, a smile as if he had given up on something appears on his lips.

"Dad, why?" "Nothing. Well, since you knocked it down, you should clean it up. What will Mom say when she comes later?" "Oh, what should I do? Mom will get angry, right?" "You'll have to apologize to Mom. You're at an age where you need to take responsibility for your actions now."

It seems,

One child is enough.

Bruno placed his hand on his son's head.

☆

Apart from KK Group Chairman Kim Geon,

Eunha received thanks from KK Group's direct descendant Kim Geon-ung.

"─Thank you so much for helping. If it wasn't for you Eunha, I might have died as a monster's livestock."

"It's enough if you know you're grateful." "...Right, I shouldn't expect a humble attitude from you."

Academy Cultural Center Sky Lounge.

When the Academy Dungeon incident was somewhat settled,

Kim Geon-ung said he wanted to formally express his gratitude to him.

That was the reason Eunha was having dinner with Kim Geon-ung now.

"But you're not trying to repay the favor with just one meal, right?"

"Don't worry, I won't do that."

"Then that's good."

Kim Geon-ung, who had bowed his head intensely thanking him at first,

Gradually regained his original demeanor as he conversed with Eunha.

Kim Geon-ung now openly sighed and opened his mouth.

"Since you saved my life, I should give you a reward befitting that. Tell me if you need my help." "Then keep it. Pay me back with interest later."

"...Just where are you planning to use me?"

Kim Geon-ung looking disgruntled.

Eunha shrugged.

To be honest, I'm not sure either.

Though he said to pay back with interest,

Eunha actually hadn't thought about creating a debt with Kim Geon-ung.

Because the incident that occurred in the Academy Dungeon wasn't something that existed in the future he knew.

So he hadn't properly thought about how to utilize the price of Kim Geon-ung's life yet.

I'll just keep it for now.

Kim Geon-ung isn't someone who would pretend it never happened later... If he was, I wouldn't have saved him in the first place.

So Eunha concluded to think about it slowly.

There will probably come a time to use it someday.

And even when the time comes to use it, wouldn't it be even better to use it on the day Kim Geon-ung becomes KK Group's chairman?

That was the psychology underlying Eunha's mind.

"Anyway, I realized through this incident."

"What?"

"That I shouldn't make you my enemy. I also realized that the very thought of putting you under me was nonsense."

"You're stating the obvious."

"..."

Kim Geon-ung looking embarrassed.

Eunha ate dinner diligently.

In the end, Kim Geon-ung also seemed to feel awkward and focused on eating dinner.

"Ah, right." "What?"

"Take good care of Seo-na. She's in the same group as you for now." "...Seo-na seemed to be doing well on her own even without me taking care of her. But well... since you say to take good care of her, I should. Alright. Don't worry."

Then the two exchanged conversation occasionally.

Kim Geon-ung no longer tried to be arrogant in dealing with Eunha.

He used to look down on Eunha before.

Now he looks at him with an equal gaze, or a gaze slightly higher than that.

"Come to think of it."

"What?"

When coffee came,

This time Kim Geon-ung started the conversation.

Eunha was about to drink coffee while half-listening.

Just then,

"─What are you planning to do during the break?" "Huh? What are you talking about?" "...You don't know?" "What don't I know?" "I guess you don't know yet..."

Kim Geon-ung's question.

Eunha asked back as if hearing it for the first time.

Then Kim Geon-ung let out a hollow laugh as if troubled.

Then he continues speaking.

"There's a gathering where people our age meet every summer." "Ah, that?" "Yes. It's planned for this year too." "So?"

A gathering where people in their teens and 20s from the political and business world meet every summer.

Eunha belatedly recalled after hearing Kim Geon-ung's words.

A few years ago, Eunha remembered attending once as Han Seo-yeon's escort.

Though it's nominally an exchange meeting,

It was a place to slander each other and show off oneself.

"You should come too." "Why should I go there?" "Huh..."

"I don't plan on going?" "...Did really no one tell you?"

It's a boring and truly childish place.

So Eunha wasn't even thinking about attending the summer gathering.

But hearing Kim Geon-ung's words, it seemed he was saying Eunha absolutely had to attend.

Eunha couldn't understand.

"Think about it."

"Tell me."

"It's not a gathering you have to attend obligatorily."

"So?" "But Han Seo-hyeon noona will probably come out to show her face at this party because she's been in Japan for a long time. That's natural, and everyone will probably think that way." "And?"

"In the end, it's a gathering where Han Seo-hyeon noona is attending after a long time. So people who rarely attended the gathering, or people who were close to that noona, will definitely try to attend this gathering."

"And?"

"If Han Seo-hyeon noona attends... Jung Ha-yang, who follows that noona well, will surely try to attend too."

Kim Geon-ung rubs his brow.

Then he takes a sip of coffee.

He continues speaking.

"And this is where the problem arises." "What problem?"

"I'll say it again, Han Seo-hyeon noona has no choice but to attend this time. She has to show her face after a long time, and she also has to show people her engagement to you this year."

"..."

"Then you should come out together too." "..." "The problem is that Jung Ha-yang will definitely come out to the gathering too. If she doesn't come out, she'll be caught up in all kinds of rumors. For example, that she didn't come out because she didn't want to see you together with Han Seo-hyeon noona. Even if Jung Ha-yang makes excuses that she's sick or has another schedule and can't attend, will the people in the political and business world really believe that? There's bound to be rumors somehow."

Kim Geon-ung speaks calmly.

Noh Eunha's face hardened.

His words were correct.

"...I just won't go." "Then conversely, Han Seo-hyeon noona will suffer from rumors. For example... that your engagement with her is nothing more than a political marriage after all. They'll probably try to slander that noona somehow? I'm sorry to say this to you but... that noona has quite a lot of enemies because of her personality."

"..."

Kim Geon-ung snorted.

Eunha closed his mouth.

If he attends the gathering, Jung Ha-yang will be subject to rumors.

Conversely, if he doesn't attend, Han Seo-hyeon will be subject to rumors.

It was truly a situation of choosing between two options.

However, it's not that there was no solution.

"─Then we'll go holding hands, the three of us."

"It's not bad, but..."

Though we'll be criticized a bit,

Eunha decided to attend the gathering with Han Seo-hyeon and Jung Ha-yang, the three of them.

Anyway, he was already being criticized for the two-timing rumors.

It was better for the three of them to have a good time together than for one side to look miserable.

Above all─

─I'll show them I'm... such a great guy to be two-timing.

He just needs to act confidently.

If he acts confidently, people probably won't be able to criticize.

Just as Eunha thought that─

"─It's fine for the three of you to enter the place where people from the political and business world gather." "Huh?"

"But as you know from going once before, there's also a separate gathering for direct descendants there." "So?" "There's a rule that direct descendants who can attend that gathering can only bring one person..."

"..." "In the end, it means you have to attend that place accompanied by one of the two." "...Do we really have to go that far?"

"It's a gathering attended only by direct descendants of business groups or people receiving similar treatment, so it can't be helped. Security must be thorough." "Hah, really..."

"Actually, that place was originally for us to introduce the people we're seeing to each other. So somehow that rule was created."

Eunha frowned.

He wondered how there could be such a place.

"People attending alone must feel really lonely." "...That's why people attending there try to bring even bodyguards. They try to bring someone of the opposite sex if possible. Like when you attended as Han Seo-yeon noona's escort before." "Ha..."

It's truly a frustrating exchange meeting.

Eunha let out a deep sigh.

In the end, he was faced with choosing between two options.

"Well... good luck. Think about who you'll go with..."

As if feeling really sorry,

Kim Geon-ung looked at him pitifully.

At this, Eunha─

"─Can't this be solved with money somehow?"

He gave a wry smile, they say.

This has become quite troublesome.