Chapter 519: Meeting Minutes (4)

The Promotion Test to Rank A Hunter.

The moment the date was set for next Friday.

Although my promotion wasn’t confirmed yet, my heart couldn’t help but flutter for various reasons.

The promotion test content, as explained by the CEO, was that I could be promoted to Rank A just by entering a Rank B dungeon and performing my usual healing activities.

It was only natural that I felt excited, as if I had already been promoted.

Eager to quickly deliver this joyous news to someone else, I hurriedly opened my smartphone and accessed a KakaoTalk chat window.

I found a message from someone already waiting on my smartphone before I could even contact them.

「What time do you plan on leaving work today, Master?」

…It was a message that instantly pulled me back from a strangely pleasant daydream into reality.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t yet sent a message saying I was leaving work after stopping by the CEO’s office.

Fortunately, it was only around 6:30 PM, so I figured I wouldn’t be too late for dinner.

With a hint of apology, I replied to the KakaoTalk message from Eunbyul.

「I’ll be there by 7.」

「Yes. I will prepare the meal according to your departure time, Master.」

The professional maid-like tone in the text made me smile for no particular reason.

It would be best to talk about my promotion to Rank A directly once I get home.

It was a small wish of mine to be congratulated face-to-face rather than discussing such happy news over a smartphone.

As I thought this, I closed the KakaoTalk chat window and was about to hurry home when-

Another message flew my way, this time from someone else.

A message from the chaebol heiress who, in many ways, shared a deep connection with me.

「Sungchul-ssi, are you free next time?」

…Well, it was about time she contacted me.

Quite some time had passed since the last time we were intimate, and I hadn’t had time for a proper date.

I had met her once after that day I had sex with Eunbyul at the campsite.

The atmosphere that day wasn’t conducive to a cozy and leisurely date.

Do Yehee had stalked me and broken into my house, and I had forcefully thrust my cock into her as punishment.

Then Sihee immediately came to my house, mistakenly believing Do Yehee was involved in Eunbyul’s kidnapping plot, and finally, we all secured her and rescued her from the Geumhyang mansion.

While the process of rescuing Eunbyul and returning home could be considered a date depending on your perspective, it didn’t change the fact that we hadn’t shared intimacy or resolved our sexual urges.

In fact, it might have built up even more since we only saw each other’s faces without resolving our desires.

‘If things go well, I might be able to tell Sihee about the promotion test in person too.’

Sihee would probably be genuinely happy to hear the news of my promotion face-to-face.

While thinking this and considering how to reply, the blonde young lady’s next message immediately popped up in the KakaoTalk chat window.

「I think I’ll be able to take a vacation soon. When would be convenient for you, Sungchul-ssi?」

Usually, we met on dates she set during her vacation, but this time she seemed relaxed enough to adjust the schedule.

I had planned to adjust to her schedule anyway, so it didn’t really matter to me.

I replied that any day except for a specific date I needed to keep free would be fine.

「Any day is fine as long as it’s not next Friday.」

「That’s a relief. I actually had a schedule conflict next Friday myself.」

「Then, how about three days from now?」

「Three days from now would be next Monday, right? Great. I’ll keep that day open.」

「Then I’ll consider it settled for that day.」

「I’ll let you know the specific time and place later. How about that Korean fine dining restaurant I mentioned last time?」

「Where we go isn’t particularly important. What’s important is being with you, Sihee-ssi.」

「Okay. I’ll handle the arrangements, so you just need to keep that day free, Sungchul-ssi.」

「Understood.」

After replying to the message that came back with a slight delay, I put my smartphone back in my pocket and quickened my pace towards home.

Unaware that another woman had sent me a KakaoTalk message in the meantime.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After scheduling the next date with Sihee for the following Monday, three days from now.

As promised to Eunbyul, I returned home at 7 PM. Instead of going straight to my room, I quickly headed towards the kitchen first.

…For some reason, the voices of the two women coming from the kitchen were evoking a strange sense of unease.

「…No, what I mean is, starting tonight, I…」

「…No, managing Master’s household is my duty…」

This was something I had worried about since leaving the house this morning.

As expected, upon arriving home, I found Min-ah and Eunbyul in my kitchen, exchanging uneasy glances.

They were locked in a heated argument, completely unaware of my return.

「Look, Eunbyul-ssi. Starting tomorrow, I’ll handle the housework. It’s honestly tiring for you to take care of four people every day, isn’t it?」

「I am not tired, Han Min-ah-nim. Serving Master and Master’s guests is a maid’s duty.」

「It’s because I feel ashamed looking at you, Eunbyul-ssi. While taking care of just Taekyung is your usual job, I feel so sorry that you’re also looking after me and my younger siblings. The meal prep and laundry have increased from catering to two people to five.」

「Whether it’s two or five people, the workload is the same for me. Wouldn’t Han Min-ah-nim be more tired juggling your Hunter activities? I cannot burden a guest who is already exhausted.」

「I’ve been doing this for over three years, so it’s not that tiring. The washing machine does the laundry anyway, and doing all the dishes at once finishes much faster…」

「No. Rather, since I have no other duties besides managing Master’s household, it is more logical for me to handle all the domestic chores…」

Eunbyul, who had been handling our household chores for several days, insisted on continuing, driven by her professional pride as a maid.

And Min-ah insisted she should do it, arguing that with her younger siblings, the number of people to care for was even greater.

If left alone, they seemed likely to continue their endless argument forever, so I gently inserted myself between the two, speaking in a calm voice.

「Stop it, both of you.」

「Ah, Sung Taekyung…」

「…Have you returned from work, Master?」

It was only when I intervened that the two realized I had returned home.

I quickly began to wrap up the argument they had just been having.

「From what I heard, you two seemed to be fighting over something trivial. About who should do the meal prep and laundry, right?」

「No. Master’s household chores are not trivial matters; they are crucial. I cannot entrust them to a guest.」

「…I have some conscience too. I can’t possibly leave all the housework to Eunbyul-ssi while I’m staying at your place. That’s why I said I’d do the chores while I’m here, but Eunbyul-ssi keeps preventing me from doing so.」

「Of course, I cannot hand over my duties to a guest…」

「It’s not your job in the first place, Eunbyul-ssi. Why are you trying to take care of me and my younger siblings too…」

「Enough, both of you. For now, just listen to me.」

「…Yes, Master.」

「Okay…」

The argument, which was about to reignite, subsided with my words.

Still, both of them became quiet when I spoke to them.

Well, as they said, if only one person was responsible for the housework, the other would surely be dissatisfied.

I presented a solution I had devised to the two of them.

「For now, let’s do this.」

「Huh?」

「Yes?」

「Let’s keep most of what Eunbyul has been doing as is, but Han Min-ah, you can help out a little bit here and there.」

「But I can’t entrust my duties to a guest…」

「Strictly speaking, for the time being, you’re not a guest but a housemate. What’s strange about housemates sharing chores, Eunbyul?」

「…Understood.」

「But still, shouldn’t I be doing more work than you two? You and Eunbyul-ssi are two people, but with me and the kids, we’re three. At the very least, I should be responsible for 60% of the housework…」

「Instead, you go to work every day. Besides, taking all the work away from Eunbyul would be disrespectful to her. Compromise at a reasonable level. If Eunbyul asks for more help later, you can do more then.」

「…Fine, then.」

「Since it is Master’s wish, I shall comply.」

I never thought I’d live to see the day when two women argued over who would do more housework in my house.

If it’s like this on the very first day of cohabitation, I wonder if this household will run smoothly in the future.

It was only natural that a strange sense of anxiety began to sprout.