Chapter 330: Uninvited Guest (3)

“Wh-what nonsense are you spouting….”

Shocked by the statement, Do Sihee instinctively tried to deny it, but Do Yehee responded with a relaxed smile, as if unfazed by her reaction. Having already been convinced about the mysterious Hunter her younger sister was meeting, she had fully anticipated such a reaction. As if flimsy denials were useless, Do Yehee leaned forward over the table, her red side-tails fluttering.

“I’d prefer it if Sihee didn’t drag this out. I’m already certain that you, Sihee, have made someone from the Guild your new contact.”

“Wh-what basis do you have….”

“Well now. Isn’t the reaction you just showed me the most solid evidence?”

“…….”

“Of course, I’m joking. There’s no way your sister would jump to conclusions without any suspicions, right?”

Sihee desperately wanted to retort that Yehee would do something like that without hesitation if it meant tormenting her. However, saying such a thing would only prove her agitation, so Do Sihee quietly shut her mouth and assessed the situation.

“I became certain after checking the records of your visit to a shared dungeon not too long ago.”

“…….”

“It’s not a typical decision for you, Sihee, who’s busy enough just establishing your position within the Foundation, to waste a whole day visiting a shared dungeon, is it?”

“I’ve used shared dungeons often before, you’re using that flimsy stuff as evidence….”

“You get tripped up by ‘flimsy stuff’ because you act illogically. If you wanted to avoid notice, you should have been more careful.”

Indeed, this particular action of hers was undeniably a mistake in many ways. Caught up in the desire to have a dungeon-crawling date with Sungchul-ssi, back-to-back, she hadn’t paid enough attention and had stepped on a landmine. Looking back, it was clearly her mistake, but Do Sihee still had some excuses. After all, she had a history of alternating between the Foundation’s private dungeons and shared ones as needed. Even if she went into a shared dungeon and met someone from another Guild, she never expected Do Yehee’s suspicions to reach this far.

However, Do Yehee, whose personality was far more meticulous than Sihee anticipated, immediately noticed that her younger sister had visited a public dungeon ‘without any reason’ upon checking Sihee’s dungeon activity records. This, in turn, led her to suspect Sihee’s connections with external Hunters, something she had already been suspicious of.

“A smart girl like Sihee wouldn’t enter a ‘mundane’ dungeon like the Black Mud Swamp without a reason. Therefore, it’s logical to assume there’s something only found within that place, isn’t it?”

“…That’s a leap. I just went hunting in a different dungeon than usual with Eunbyul for a change of pace….”

“Then why didn’t you attend the Ariel Foundation’s evening banquet hosted by Baumedia at the same time that day? If it was for a change of pace, you could have easily finished your business and returned before dinner.”

“…Th-that’s…”

“Perhaps you thought the connections you made at the Guild were more important than the evening banquet, right? There’s no other explanation.”

Only then did Do Sihee realize that her older sister, Do Yehee, had already figured out almost everything. Yehee hadn’t spoken because she didn’t need to; she had already reached her own conclusion based on sufficient evidence regarding why she came. Sihee understood that Yehee’s visit was merely to confirm the conclusion she had drawn. Sihee couldn’t be sure how far Do Yehee’s information network extended, but she knew the more they talked, the more disadvantageous it became for her. Sihee decided it was better to hide her expression and remain silent if she couldn’t properly refute, so she quietly lowered her head and shut her mouth.

“It was probably him who dealt with the Kraken at the villa in Indonesia, wasn’t it? The A+ ranked swordsman that even I couldn’t find.”

“…….”

“I never imagined someone from the Guild, not a company. I didn’t expect the arrogant Sihee to be engrossed in building connections with the Guild’s pathetic dropouts.”

“He’s not some pathetic dropout…!”

“I’m not finished speaking.”

Her words, which seemed to insult Kim Sungchul, reflexively drew out a defense from Sihee, but Do Yehee’s next words immediately silenced her.

“Yes, calling him a dropout was inappropriate. It’s hardly a suitable title for the great individual who defeated the Kraken and protected the Dokyung Group’s private property.”

“…….”

“Therefore, as the representative of the Dokyung Group, I feel obligated to offer my thanks to the person who protected our private property. Don’t you agree, Sihee?”

The intense gaze directed at her was enough to evoke a familiar sense of déjà vu, even without direct eye contact. It was a chilling gaze that felt like her entire body was being stripped bare, piercing through her from head to toe. There was no point in lying or making excuses anymore. Her flimsy lies would have zero impact on someone who had already grasped everything perfectly. Thus, Do Sihee had no choice but to indirectly acknowledge Kim Sungchul’s existence to her half-sister.

“…I’ve already expressed my gratitude sufficiently, so there’s no need for you to step in.”

“Sihee, I said I’d offer my thanks ‘as the representative of the Dokyung Group.’ You aren’t the representative of our group yet, are you?”

“You’re hardly the representative of the Dokyung Group either….”

“But one of us, you or I, will eventually inherit the Dokyung Group, won’t we? Therefore, naturally, I also have an obligation to thank that person.”

It was a flimsy sophistry that could be easily refuted, but Sihee couldn’t bring herself to resist Yehee’s words. Her extensive experience told her that resisting Do Yehee’s words here would only lead to a worse outcome. As soon as Do Sihee fell silent in contemplation, Do Yehee, as if expecting it, brought out her prepared next offer. To implement the main purpose of her visit to her sister’s room today.

“It would be best if you introduce him willingly. Right now, I’m the only one in our group who knows your new colleague is from the ‘Guild’.”

“…….”

“That is, ‘for now’.”

“…What does that mean?”

“It means don’t force me to have the servants investigate him and spread rumors about him within the Dokyung Group. I’ve already found out which Guild he’s from, so from now on, I can find him within three days at the latest.”

Hearing her speak without a hint of bluff, Do Sihee fell silent again, lost in thought. Sihee had experienced Do Yehee’s information network countless times before. Just as her half-sister said, if she remained silent, it was only a matter of time before Kim Sungchul’s existence was discovered by Yehee. She was only afraid of how many people would learn about her own little Kim Sungchul in the process.

As Do Sihee hesitated to answer, Do Yehee delivered her final offer.

“I’m giving you a choice here, Sihee. You understand that, right?”

“…….”

“If you insist on silence, then so be it. I’ll have no choice but to show my power to my foolish younger sister.”

“…If I introduce him, is that the end of it?”

“Hmm? That might depend on what he does, wouldn’t it?”

It was the same pattern again. Every time Yehee took away her colleagues, she always created a connection like this.

‘You said her name was Lee Hae-na of the Saehae Group? If that girl truly considered you a colleague, would she have readily accepted my offer and joined our party? You say the strangest things.’

‘Eunseo? Ah, the young lady from the Seonghwa Group? Seonghwa went bankrupt, so why bother keeping her around? She was mediocre from the start anyway. …Then why did you take her? Well, Sihee, you don’t need to know for the rest of your life.’

‘No matter how desperate you are, stop associating with riff-raff like Dongshin. How many more times are you going to tarnish the Dokyung Group’s reputation? I can only chase away the flies for you so many times. Honestly, you have such poor judgment of people.’

Memories of losing all her colleagues except Eunbyul, who was active as Geum Nari, flooded back, and tears began to well up in Do Sihee’s eyes. With too much to protect to act freely, she couldn’t resist Do Yehee’s high-handedness.

“According to the information I gathered, it seems you planned to meet him again at the shared dungeon tomorrow. Am I right, Sihee?”

“……Yes.”

“Great. Coincidentally, I don’t have any other plans tomorrow, so maybe it’s time for us to party together after a long while? I’ll get to meet Sihee’s new friend, too.”

“…….”

“Don’t even think about running away with flimsy excuses. This isn’t a proposal; it’s a notification.”

“…If you’re done, get out now.”

“Yes, yes.”

Unlike Do Yehee, who stood up with a refreshed expression as if she had said all she needed to, Do Sihee remained seated, her head bowed in shadow over the table.

“Oh, and air out your room. The whole place reeks of something pathetic and unpleasant. Don’t tell me you’ve snuck a man into your room without my knowledge?”

Leaving Sihee’s heart aching until the very end, she disappeared down the mansion’s corridor. The blonde young lady left alone in the room quietly stifled her sobs, shedding tears like pebbles onto her lap.