Chapter 454: Eunbyul Protection Plan (1)

About an hour after somehow rescuing Eunbyul from Geumhyang Shin-ga’s mansion.

We returned to Seoul via the national highway, crossing the warp gate, and finally managed to get back to my house, which we had designated as the rendezvous point.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

The three of us, exhausted from our individual fatigue and emotional distress, collapsed the moment we stepped into the house, completely spent.

Even though parts of the house’s hallway were still a mess of dirt floors, none of us had the energy to care about such things.

It was only natural for Eunbyul to be exhausted, having been held captive and tormented by Geum Nari for the past three days.

And it was the same for Sihee, who must have gone through considerable emotional distress searching for Eunbyul during those three days.

Add to that me, whose accumulated fatigue from getting tangled up in all sorts of things throughout today.

Each of us had more than enough reasons to collapse from exhaustion.

As we lay there in the hallway near the entrance, our bodies languid with relief, I soon heard Eunbyul’s quiet voice speaking to me and Sihee.

“Master, Kim Sungchul-nim….”

“Yes.”

“The kindness you two showed me today, rescuing me, I will never forget it for the rest of my life.”

“…….”

“I, I thought I would never escape from that place again. I thought I would be brainwashed by those women for days, months, and be used by those people forever.”

“Nari….”

“Therefore, I will dedicate my remaining life to repaying you both for the rest of my life. Master, Kim Sungchul-nim….”

…Honestly.

I didn’t exactly rescue her just to receive such a stiff thank-you speech, you know.

Considering Eunbyul’s personality, it wasn’t entirely strange for her to react so excessively, but still, it wasn’t quite an event that warranted such profound gratitude.

Besides, the reason we decided to save Eunbyul wasn’t specifically to make her say she owed us a debt of gratitude.

That was probably the same for Sihee, too.

“That’s enough, lift your head, Nari.”

“Master….”

“You don’t need to give such a grand thank-you speech. Helping a friend in a crisis is natural, isn’t it?”

“Friend….”

“That’s why I went to save you the moment I found out you were kidnapped by the Geumhyang sisters. Surely, you weren’t the only one who thought of me, Geum Nari, as a friend, were you?”

“…No. I, I also… think of Do Sihee-nim as my Master and my most precious friend.”

The moment she said that, Eunbyul, teary-eyed, hugged Sihee.

These two, sticking together like this, were quite a fitting sight in many ways.

As expected, Eunbyul belongs by Sihee’s side. And Sihee belongs by Eunbyul’s side.

As I watched the two of them, immersed in the feeling that perhaps things had been resolved rather well, the doorbell suddenly began to ring.

-Ding-dong.

“…….”

“…….”

The strangely tense and unsettling doorbell sound caused Sihee and Eunbyul to freeze stiff.

But the moment a familiar female voice came from the intercom, the tense atmosphere instantly dissolved.

『I know you’re all inside. Open up quickly.』

“…….”

Seriously, I wish she could do something about that confusing way of speaking.

I forced my tired body to get up, operated the intercom to unlock the main gate, and opened the front door myself. Standing there was Do Yehee, whom we had briefly parted ways with earlier when entering the Geumhyang Group mansion.

Although she immediately reverted to her usual self, glancing nervously at me the moment our eyes met after the job was done.

“D-Don’t tell me the job seems to have been finished properly, thankfully.”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“Ah, by now, those sisters probably suspect something. Th-they might even be thoroughly searching the mansion right now.”

Probably. After all, escaping a six-story mansion where elevators aren’t even usable wouldn’t be easy.

If they assume she might be hiding in other rooms of the mansion, the pursuit would inevitably be delayed while they search those areas.

And since it’s a place containing their dirty secrets, a large-scale search would likely be difficult.

“O-One thing is certain: this is a method we can’t use again. Th-this incident means I’ll also start becoming a suspect in the sisters’ eyes.”

“…What are the chances those women will try to kidnap Nari again?”

“Th-That’s 100% certain, of course. Do you think those women would leave Nari alone, knowing all of Geumhyang’s dirty secrets?”

At Do Yehee’s cold words, Eunbyul’s body flinched for a moment.

Sihee quietly hugged her to calm her down.

“S-So, for a while, Nari will have to be evacuated somewhere other than the Dokyung Group’s mansion. Until now, we were able to protect her by utilizing the advantage that the location was secure, even if inaccessible, but th-this incident has shown us that the Dokyung Group’s mansion isn’t safe either.”

“…W-Wait a moment, Do Yehee-nim. What you mean by ‘protecting’ her… Wh-what does that mean…?”

“…….”

At Eunbyul’s words, Do Yehee fixed her gaze on her, making eye contact once.

She cast a glance that was somehow similar yet subtly different from the way she looked at Sihee, then averted her gaze and continued speaking.

“Didn’t I tell you? If you just behaved yourself, I wouldn’t send you to the Geumhyang Group.”

“…What?”

“You were keeping that promise properly, so there was no reason for me to proactively send you, Nari, to those unpleasant women.”

“B-But… I did rebel against you once before, Do Yehee-nim….”

“Did you think of me as such an unladylike woman that you’d consider that a rebellion?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

At Do Yehee’s words spoken while making eye contact, Eunbyul quickly lowered her head and bowed.

The red-haired young lady quickly shifted to an arrogant attitude and continued speaking.

“You’re helpful to Sihee in many ways when you’re by her side, so just know that there’s no particular reason for me to bother you.”

“…Yes, yes.”

“Of course, this applies only if you continue to have a positive influence on Sihee going forward. Did you understand?”

“…….”

Her tone was still quite infuriating, but this time, it felt like Do Yehee’s intentions were conveyed to some extent.

In fact, seeing that woman’s arrogant tone and bold attitude, it would be difficult for anyone to easily grasp her true intentions.

Perhaps that woman has built all her human relationships in that manner up until now.

By establishing her own intimidating presence through charisma and her gaze, making others perceive her as a dangerous being they shouldn’t cross.

For me, who had already witnessed all of Do Yehee’s humiliating moments and attitudes just a few hours ago, it only evoked shamelessness instead of intimidation.

“Anyway, we won’t be able to protect Nari at the Dokyung Group for a while now.”

“…I suppose so.”

“There’s no guarantee those sisters won’t attack using the same method again, so now it’s important to prevent them from figuring out Nari’s location at all.”

“We’ll have to make her whereabouts unclear by periodically moving her between hotels affiliated with the Dokyung Group. Or perhaps, she could take temporary refuge at one of Dokyung’s villas abroad….”

The two of them discussed various options with serious expressions regarding Eunbyul’s safety.

Both of them were likely offering these suggestions out of concern for her, but honestly, by my standards, they weren’t very appealing solutions.

After all, hiding Eunbyul’s location like that ultimately meant that the opportunities to meet her would drastically decrease.

“…….”

Eunbyul probably understood her situation in her heart, but she wore an expression of unease, as if she couldn’t just follow the two of them’s opinions.

A life of wandering from place to place like a fugitive, despite not having done anything wrong, wouldn’t be appealing.

Living abroad in a foreign country, far from Geumhyang’s reach, would be the same.

Feeling disappointed that things might conclude like this, I cautiously offered my opinion, aligning with theirs for the moment.

“I’m not disagreeing with what Sihee-ssi said, but are there perhaps other ways to protect Eunbyul-ssi?”

“What?”

“For example, even if it’s not the Dokyung Group, I don’t think it’s impossible that there are groups hostile to Geumhyang. Hearing about how the Geumhyang Group operates earlier, there might be other places that could hide Eunbyul-ssi.”

“As Sungchul-ssi says, such companies might exist, but it’s difficult to expect active cooperation from companies with whom we have no direct relationship.”

“W-Well, companies naturally operate for their own benefit. If, if they thought they could gain more profit by selling Nari to Geumhyang, any company would abandon her without hesitation. Unless, unless they have a purpose other than profit from the start, like the Dokyung Group, it’s a difficult approach.”

“Is that so….”

So, it’s decided then? That I won’t be able to see Eunbyul for a while.

Eunbyul, noticing my clearly disappointed expression, cautiously spoke.

“I, I’m fine, Kim Sungchul-nim.”

“Eunbyul-ssi….”

“I am simply grateful that you, Master, Kim Sungchul-nim, and Do Yehee-nim are looking out for me.”

“Nari….”

“Rather, I cannot impose further burdens on you because of me. And periodically moving locations, or taking temporary refuge at a foreign villa, are much better options than returning to Geumhyang.”

“…….”

“…Of course, it will be lonely not being able to see you, Master, or Kim Sungchul-nim often because of it….”

Eunbyul offered a strangely wistful smile, seemingly trying to reassure me and Sihee not to worry.

Her voice clearly conveyed a sense of sadness and melancholy.

Everyone present knew that her smile seemed forced, as if she were trying to convince herself of her situation.

The desire to find a better solution somehow became even more urgent.

“I’d like to keep Eunbyul close if possible, too. It would be great if I could protect her by my side 24/7, but as the Dokyung Group’s young lady, I have too many unavoidable schedules….”

“Same here. Until now, I’ve managed to protect you, Nari, somewhat in line with Sihee’s schedule, but considering how much bolder those sisters will become, sticking to the current plan is risky. Besides, I’m going to be busy for a while with work I postponed during my vacation.”

“It’s, it’s okay, both of you. I understand your situations, so I never intended to be stubborn from the start.”

“If possible, I’d like to entrust her to someone close to me who can protect Nari from the Geumhyang sisters if needed… but there’s no way such a place exists….”

“Furthermore, it would need to be a place beyond Geumhyang’s surveillance. If we want to protect Nari for as long as possible.”

Close to Sihee, possessing the power to protect Nari from the Geumhyang sisters, and a place beyond Geumhyang’s reach.

…Wait, could it be.

“Hold on, Sihee-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“I think there’s one place that fits the conditions Sihee-ssi and Do Yehee-nim just mentioned.”

“Kim Sungchul-nim…?”

“…Where is it?”

“…….”

At my sudden interjection, six pairs of eyes flew towards me.

Under the gaze of those three women, I unhesitatingly voiced the proposal that came to mind.

“Eunbyul-ssi will be protected here, at this house, for the time being.”

Close to Sihee, possessing the power to protect her, and a place beyond Geumhyang’s reach.

As far as I know, the only place that meets all those conditions is my house.