NS - Chapter 447

Chapter 447

     ‘So this is Lee Dojin-ssi…’

    Once more, I sipped the warm tea in front of me and, despite knowing it was impolite, I stole another glance at the woman sitting across from me.

     Her long, tied white hair, the fluffy but stylish shirt, and the skinny jeans reminded me of a European model, but she looked more ordinary than I had expected.

     However… Her eyes.

      Like the deep blue sea or a serene lake, yet blazing with the intensity of sparks flying from a furnace…her eyes left an incomparably powerful impression.

     Her eyes were so impactful that her gender or age became irrelevant in the face of her gaze. If someone were to ask, “Which one of you is Lee Dojin?” in a massive crowd, everyone would instinctively turn to look at her. That was the kind of gaze she had.

     “So, you’re telling me that the guy who resurrected you kids… Is that scrawny little boy over there?”

      But, unlike my immediate admiration for Lee Dojin-ssi, she seemed far from impressed by me.

     Well, considering how we were meeting in a hospital reception room–and I still had an IV line sticking out of the back of my hand–I couldn’t exactly disavow her of my frailty.

     Even though the thought was bitter, I had no choice but to accept that fact. So, I scratched my cheek with a clumsy smile, “That’s… pretty much true, yeah.”

     Upon hearing my answer, Lee Dojin-ssi frowned even more. “How could you have so little inner fire, tsk tsk.”

     “……”

     “I thought the person who made Seo Dawon into their servant would be some incomparable beauty–or someone like the chairman of the Shinshin group.”

     In the past, I would have been hurt by such words, but I wasn’t like that anymore. No matter what anyone says, I’m the one who fully possessed Dawon’s body and heart. So, I just laughed, and Lee Dojin-ssi’s gaze subtly shifted.

     At that time, Dawon, who had been listening to our conversation quietly from the side, smiled and interrupted, “The Chairman ShinShin group, unfortunately, chose to stand on the wrong side of the line. She invested in Jaemin-ie.”

     Lee Dojin-ssi responded with an impish smile, “Really? That old man’s lost his touch. Honestly, I figured he’d gone senile the moment he started groveling before his son’s illegitimate child.”

     Dawon asked back nonchalantly, “Are you talking about the Elemental Spirit Master?”

     Lee Dojin-ssi replied with a shrug, as if she were already tired of the subject. “…even if you’re dead, is there anything you don’t know?”

     “Haha. If the people that murdered me are backed by someone, it’d be strange for me to not know.”

     “Why are you even messing with the Shinshin Group? You may be dead, but your temper is still the same.” Lee Dojin exclaimed–was that banter or a bad joke?–and suddenly reached behind her back. Then, [Charon], the spirit of the beautiful and plentiful land, that was standing behind her handed her a rather small pair of reading glasses.

     After wearing them, Lee Dojin-ssi received another document from her spirit and presented it to us. Her fluid, practiced movements bore the mark of someone well-versed in dealing with people and business—calm, confident, and efficient. “Well then, let’s stop the small talk… It’s obvious what you all are going to ask me. Read this. These are my terms.”

     I took the thick, densely-packed contract and started reading from the front. But, Dawon just glanced at it before setting his copy aside on the table. Then, with a big smile, he said, “A contract? Between us? How cold.”

     “What do you mean, ‘between us?’ I didn’t even bother attending your funeral.”

     “And you have such good foresight for that–after all, here you are: welcoming me back instead.”

     “……”

     Lee Dojin-ssi briefly shot a speechless glare at Dawon over the top of her reading glasses. However, Dawon looked composed. He looked a bit like a naughty grandson teasing a strict but secretly affectionate grandmother.

     And, Lee Dojin-ssi seemed to realize this as well. Then, deliberately putting on a stern face, she spoke coldly to the insolent-looking Dawon, “It’s true, you slippery snake, that I’m quite attached to you. However, that doesn’t mean you can swindle me out of my work. I’ve never handed over so much as a single piece of jewelry to my own flesh and blood for free.”

     “I’m not asking for a handout. I have a piece from the ‘Beauty of the Old Worlds’ ¹ This is a returning term right? I can’t recall the original name I had for this term: 이전 세계의 미. series you used to collect as a hobby. You’re missing eight pieces, right?”

     “What? You told me so shamelessly before that you had none left. The nerve…!”

    “I was working on a related scenario at the time.”

     Lee Dojin-ssi looked annoyed, but soon an honest glimmer of greed appeared on her face. Knowing exactly what scenarios meant to rankers, I was certain she would take the bait.

     However, Lee Dojin-ssi shook her head again, “…It’s incredibly tempting, but hmm. It’s you, not me, that needs this deal.”

     “That’s true.”

      “…Your smiling and nonchalant attitude is so infuriating. I don’t know if I would do this for you even if you begged on your knees.”

      “You hate it when people grovel to you.”

      “I see you haven’t lost the habit of getting the last word–even after death.”

     “Didn’t you say that you want to kick the butts of all the men around you since men these days have no spine or courage?” Dawon, infuriatingly sharp-tongued, shot back without missing a beat. Even I found his comeback annoyingly cocky.

     I lightly hit Dawon-ie on the back of his hand, worried that Lee Dojin would refuse to make us anything. I wanted him to moderate his behavior. Lee Dojin noticed that movement.

     She paused for a moment, as if she was about to say something. Then, she suddenly looked between me and Dawon-ie. “By the way. What’s the relationship between you and skinny-Necromancer-kun? The atmosphere between you two is… sticky.”

     “What…?” I was surprised and flushed red. Dawon hadn’t even been flirting with me like he sometimes did, and all I did was tap the back of his hand—how did she pick up on our relationship?

    “Oho?” However, her question was bait.

     For the first time, Dawon clamped his mouth shut, and the moment I saw Lee Dojin-ssi’s mischievous smirk, I realized I’d fallen for her trap.

     I felt like I had exposed Dawon-ie’s weakness needlessly and felt both guilty and resentful towards Lee Dojin-ssi. In the end, I bowed my head.

     And, Dawon… He spoke incredibly confidently, “He’s the biggest reason I want to fully resurrect.”

      “…..!”

      “W-What?”

      Even I was flustered to hear his response, but Lee Dojin-ssi, who had known Dawon when he was alive… Naturally, her reaction was dramatic. 

     She had never exactly been quiet when speaking, but this time, she practically shouted in disbelief, “Oh my gosh! W-Were you gay?! Th-then the girls you’ve dated…Hemhem..Hmm… Is that so?”

      “……”

      Flustered by the realization, she nearly blurted out Dawon’s flamboyant romantic history, only to suddenly clamp her mouth shut when she glanced at me. I already knew about the rumors though.

     Suddenly, Lee Dojin fell silent, her lips pressed together as she anxiously tapped her foot, clearly agitated. She then discreetly gestured toward her elemental spirit, [Charon], who had been standing behind her. Leaning in, she quickly whispered something into [Charon]’s ear.

     I saw the Earth Spirit’s beautiful face quickly distort then relax–she must have said something quite bold.

[…If you must…]

     [Charon] flicked his finger with an utterly reluctant expression; everything that had been given to us–including the contract I was holding–disappeared cleanly.

     Dawon’s brow subtly arched upward. Meanwhile, Lee Dojin-ssi’s eyes took on a noticeable glimmer, far brighter than before. She began glancing between Dawon and me, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

     “I’m Lee Dojin, you know. Alright–I’ll make all the weapons you want within the month. Every piece, every part, every term—I’ll meet them all.”

     “R-Really? Thank–” I wondered at her sudden turn in attitude, but I nodded first because I felt immense joy and relief.

     Dawon, however, was different. He crossed his arms and looked up arrogantly, as if he were an imperious boss overseeing a business deal. “What are your terms?”

     “I want to craft your wedding rings.”

     “W…What?” I was astonished.

     The two did not change their expressions.

      Rather, Lee Dojin-ssi blushed like a child. 

     Dawon pouted, “No. I’ve already designed something.”

     “I knew you’d say that! But! I just got a brilliant inspiration!” Lee Dojin’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she continued; the volume of her voice kept rising. “Look, your design is undoubtedly practical and functional, but I have exceptional artistic sense. A wedding ring isn’t meant to be a combat accessory.”

     “I said no. I’ll make the very thing that Lee-kyung will wear on his hand for the rest of his life.”

     “You stubborn punk! Do you think this opportunity comes about often?! There’s lines of people who wait to even receive a crumb–let alone a ring–from me!”

     “Then, you should make their rings.”

     And, I just sat there, dazed, listening to their war of words.

—

TL: Not only does Dawon have the ring planned out, he already has the names for his first kids picked out.