Ch.535Chapter 20. American Doblin (25)

As they say, the most fascinating thing is always someone else’s love life.

Especially when it’s not just any romance but an affair between an elderly man and the wife of a major corporation’s chairman, even a hero would pause and perk up their ears.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ve been keeping you too long, haven’t I?”

“Not at all. It’s been enjoyable talking with someone who shares my interests.”

Their pleasant conversation naturally had a common topic.

“Next time you visit Korea, I’ll introduce you to a course. They’re building a new golf course near Mount Geumgang, and it’s really excellent to play there.”

“Mount Geumgang… you mean the former North Korean territory. Hmm, playing a round while enjoying the scenery would be splendid.”

That must be the sport Ymir mentioned earlier.

[Teacher. Have you ever played golf?]

[I have.]

[For Syndicate business, I assume?]

[No.]

I had directly witnessed and experienced someone striking the previous protagonist’s head with a golf club.

Having learned how to inflict endless malice upon humans, I’ve since accurately remembered that swing and have been wielding my Goblin club in the same manner.

In the direction of villains’ skulls.

“Baa-ah.”

A child’s laughter rings out.

I wondered where it was coming from, and it was in front of Yang Da-rin—

“Ah, I’m sorry. Miran, you shouldn’t do that.”

“Boo.”

It wasn’t a child Yang Da-rin was holding, but one Desmond was carrying.

“Haha, it’s fine. Just my beard, that’s all.”

The child seemed fascinated by Desmond’s beard, continuously reaching up to touch it.

[Teacher. That.]

[Yes. The child is instinctively using an ability right now.]

The feeling of mana emanating from those fingertips clearly indicated the child was using an ability on Desmond.

‘Is it hereditary?’

Knowing Yang Da-rin’s ability, there’s only one possibility for what the child is using on Desmond.

[Mind reading.]

Thought reading.

It’s somewhat different from what the chairman uses, but the basic principle of reading another’s thoughts is the same.

Depending on how it’s used, it can be an incredibly versatile skill.

And now this bundled-up child is using it, reading the thoughts directed at her while being held by Desmond.

[Ymir. I shouldn’t say a word about ‘that plan’ to Desmond.]

[You mean the Yang Da-rin NTR plan?]

[Yes.]

I don’t know how this situation came about.

Yang Da-rin unexpectedly made contact with Desmond, and the fact that the child is being held by someone who is neither her mother nor father without crying is something even the Haeguneul chairman couldn’t have predicted.

That’s clearly because this is the real world, not some game where events occur wherever I go.

‘Because it’s reality, these things happen in places I don’t know about.’

There are many sports, but those with the notorious reputation as “affair sports” are particularly diverse.

Like hiking clubs.

Or tennis.

Or golf.

Golf especially differs from others because, by its nature, a limited number of people move together for several hours.

While hiking and tennis “might lead to affairs,”

Golf is more likely a case of “people who are already having affairs go there.”

‘If that happened to me, I’d lose my mind.’

My wife playing golf with another middle-aged man?

If I saw that, I’d rush over and swing a 7-iron at him, but…

‘Actually, I need to take that man’s side in this situation.’

I’m on Desmond’s side.

And unnecessarily interfering with Desmond right now would disrupt the flow.

[If this is ‘fate,’ then it’s not something someone like me should carelessly interfere with. Yes, indeed.]

Feeding unnecessary information to Chairman Desmond would disrupt the flow.

[If Desmond succeeds in NTR-ing Yang Da-rin, I’ll recommend him as the president of Korean Air after I bring down Haeguneul.]

[Teacher. I disagree.]

Ymir firmly expressed her opposition.

[It’s not Chairman Desmond NTR-ing Yang Da-rin.]

[Then?]

[It’s Yang Da-rin herself trying to hook Chairman Desmond.]

[…Ah.]

The direction of the arrow was wrong.

[That’s what you feel?]

[Of course. I watched the auction livestream at the Jeju hotel, and seeing it in person makes it even clearer. This is a woman’s intuition.]

Ymir’s eyes sparkled as she confidently pointed at Yang Da-rin’s child.

[She’s trying to switch from a bald old man who doesn’t care about her C-rank ability child to an elderly man who genuinely sees someone else’s child as just a child.]

Ah.

[So that’s what her name means.]

Yang Da-rin.

Her parents wouldn’t have named her intending “straddling two sides,” but she must have been teased about her name by peers when young.

For her to engage in such behavior even after having a child…

“It was nice meeting you. What a shame. If the flights to Korea took a few more days to normalize, we could have played another round.”

“Haha… carrying a baby on my back while playing golf was certainly a unique experience…”

“You played so well even with Miran on your back. Sigh. If you weren’t a chairman, if you were just an ordinary person, I’d really want to hire you.”

“Haha, what a thing to say…”

“Well, see you next time.”

Yang Da-rin extended her hand to Desmond while holding her daughter.

Desmond shook her hand with a bright smile, and I felt a chill from the water droplets on my cup.

Our eyes met.

Though we were facing away from each other, Yang Da-rin and I definitely made eye contact.

Situation assessment, complete.

‘She read Desmond’s thoughts through the handshake.’

I signaled to Ymir below.

[Do you think she knows?]

[She might not have known until yesterday, but she probably knows now. That the Goblin is here.]

[Then, are the people here trying to capture and kill the Goblin—]

Step, step.

Yang Da-rin and her child left casually.

Simultaneously, the Haeguneul hunters around us followed her out of the café.

“……”

“Um, oppa?”

“I see the angle now.”

I understand.

Despite learning about Desmond’s true nature and the situation through mind reading, she left casually, revealing her inner thoughts and intentions to me.

“Mir.”

“Yes, teacher.”

“If you guess that woman’s true intentions, we’ll do patriotism in the hot spring tonight.”

“……”

Ymir put her index finger to her temple.

“Full brain activation…”

“After what happened on the plane, you’re still so eager?”

“The battlefield is different, you know. Aerial combat and underwater combat are completely different.”

“It might not be underwater combat but ground combat on a tatami futon.”

“Anyway. Hmm…”

As soon as I offered patriotism as a reward, Ymir devoted all her reason and intellect to finding the answer.

“…Is it because the child has fallen for the chairman? Or herself?”

“70 points. That’s part of it, but a woman like Yang Da-rin wouldn’t fail to consider all circumstances.”

She’s still quite heroic.

“You’re still so pure, Ymir.”

“That’s a compliment, but from a villain’s perspective, it means I’m 30 points short? Why do I feel like some ugly truth is about to emerge?”

“100 points.”

“Oh, I don’t like this.”

Ymir openly frowned.

“Just a moment ago, I was watching a pure and innocent drama, but suddenly it feels like the drama has turned into something sticky and messy.”

“Too bad. The genre isn’t a romantic comedy but a melodrama about infidelity that would air on Thursday nights.”

The kind of drama that doesn’t get great ratings but becomes a hot topic due to its provocative content is unfolding in reality.

“The answer is ‘leaving the country.'”

“…What?”

“In nice terms, it’s asylum; in harsh terms, it’s abandoning her nationality and fleeing to America.”

“…???”

Ymir is indeed pure.

“She’s the wife of the Haeguneul chairman, right? So what?”

“Because she’s the chairman’s wife, she’s seen more of Haeguneul’s dirty side. She’s abandoning her country and ‘escaping Korea’…”

Escaping Korea.

Ugh, my head.

“…abandoning Korean citizenship and preparing an escape route to America. You know, how everyone talks about fleeing abroad if Korea collapses.”

“Who says that?”

“……”

Well.

In this patriotic world, anyone wanting to emigrate from Korea to a developed country would only be someone fleeing after committing a serious crime.

Or someone disgusted by the ugly, dirty aspects hidden beneath the nation’s surface.

“She’d rather establish a good relationship with a chairman running a solid airline in America than with one who treats the child she painfully gave birth to like a sack of barley.”

“…Give birth?”

“Pregnancy attack.”

“…I’m suddenly finding it difficult to understand Yang Da-rin.”

“Ordinary women often struggle to understand power-oriented, ambitious women. Think of it simply.”

“You mean I shouldn’t overthink it?”

“Right. In a word.”

“I don’t like using this expression, but Yang Da-rin is a ‘villainess.'”

But one who helps us.