Chapter 670: A Trustworthy Relationship

Right after spending quite a fun time with two maids in the bathroom.

It was only about three to four hours after waking up in the morning that we all sat down at the dining table to start our late breakfast.

Actually, if you looked at the time, it was already much closer to lunchtime than breakfast.

Perhaps it was because I had relieved our respective sexual desires by getting intimate with the two of them, and also made Min-ah and Eunbyul physically closer, but not long after we sat down at the table, I heard a rather surprising story from Min-ah.

“…You knew from the beginning?”

“Yeah. That Eunbyul Sunbae… no, Eunbyul-ssi was Nari-ssi, I actually had a vague inkling from the first time I saw her.”

Min-ah, who had naturally changed into indoor clothes after coming out of the bathroom, started talking as if she knew Eunbyul was the third daughter of the Geumhyang Group the moment she saw her.

Eunbyul also nodded at her words and added her opinion that the two of them had already discussed this matter before.

“As Han Min-ah-nim said, Master.”

“…Really?”

“Actually, it’s been quite a while since I talked with Eunbyul-ssi. It was a conversation we had less than a month after she started living at your house.”

“Then why haven’t you said anything until now?”

“There just wasn’t a good opportunity to tell you. I wanted to talk with you and Eunbyul-ssi, just the three of us, but when you were home, your younger siblings were usually here too. It was hard to find a situation where the three of us could talk.”

“It was difficult to mention it easily, such as when Master became busy for a while after defeating the boss monster of the abandoned village, or when you became busy after becoming an S-class Hunter.”

Well, I’ve been quite busy myself these past few months.

The two of them must have been waiting for the right moment to have a serious talk with me. The problem was that I was too busy to create an opportunity for us to get together like this.

It was quite ironic in many ways that the opportunity that finally came about was a meal after a 3P.

…No, come to think of it, this isn’t the time to get sentimental about things like this.

“Um, Min-ah.”

“Yeah?”

“This might be too late to say, but the fact that Eunbyul is Geum Nari of the Geumhyang Group, please keep it a secret from everyone if possible…”

“Don’t worry. I already heard the same thing from Eunbyul-ssi.”

“Huh?”

“I brought it up in a situation like this just in case. If Sung Taekyung, you are cooperating with Eunbyul-ssi, there must be a reason. If Eunbyul-ssi was hiding her identity even from you, I probably wouldn’t have stayed quiet then…”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Living at my house started with me knowing Eunbyul was Geum Nari in the first place.”

“Yeah. I kind of figured that might be the case, so I kept quiet. Even when I went on business trips to the Foundation for work, I naturally didn’t say a word.”

…Well, Han Min-ah, being the mood-maker she is, would surely notice and play along without me having to say anything.

In fact, asking her this might have been an insult to Min-ah’s pride. The fact that Eunbyul’s identity hadn’t been revealed to the outside world even after living together for several months meant Min-ah had been keeping her mouth shut from the start.

Well, it was fortunate that Min-ah wasn’t the type to get offended over something like this. Her easygoing personality, not dwelling on trivial matters, was part of her charm.

“So, Han Min-ah.”

“Yeah?”

“How far have you talked with Eunbyul? Did she tell you the detailed reasons why she’s working as a maid at my house?”

“No. Actually, Eunbyul-ssi did try to tell me, but I haven’t heard it yet.”

“…Why?”

“Just because, I felt like it would be better to hear it together with you. I didn’t want any strange misunderstandings to arise if I heard it first.”

…I see, she hasn’t heard up to that point yet.

Well, if that’s the case, there was no need to tell her about that sensitive family matter.

After all, Min-ah was an outsider who hadn’t yet been involved in the issues between me and Eunbyul, and frankly, it was knowledge that wouldn’t do her any good to know.

It was my judgment that there was no benefit in unnecessarily telling her about the complicated affairs of the Geumhyang Group.

…And besides, Eunbyul herself probably wouldn’t like talking about her family history in the first place.

Even if her sisters were like enemies from her perspective, telling the circumstances of Eunbyul staying at my house would mean exposing problems that occurred within her family, the Geumhyang Group, to the outside world.

It was possible that Eunbyul herself wouldn’t want to talk about it due to complex feelings. No, it was much more likely that she wouldn’t.

Therefore, for the sake of both of them, I wanted to conclude this conversation here if possible.

…Whether the other two would feel the same way was something I needed to ask about.

“……”

“……”

As soon as the sensitive topic came up, the two exchanged awkward glances, making their newly formed closeness seem meaningless.

I couldn’t accurately grasp what emotions Min-ah and Eunbyul were harboring individually right now.

From Min-ah’s perspective, not wanting to get involved in troublesome affairs, she might not want to hear Eunbyul’s detailed story, and even if Min-ah wanted to hear it, Eunbyul might not want to reveal her personal history to more people.

It seemed the only way was to have each person honestly express their feelings one by one.

“Min-ah.”

“…Ah, uh-huh!”

“Before Eunbyul tells you about what happened to her, I’ll give you a choice first.”

“…A choice?”

“The choice of whether you want to hear about what happened to Eunbyul or not.”

“Ah, aha. That choice…”

Seeing that I offered the choice of whether to hear it or not first, she seemed to have somewhat guessed that it wasn’t a pleasant event.

Although I had considered the possibility that she might immediately refuse to hear it upon hearing about the choice, Han Min-ah gave an answer that was, in a way, true to her personality.

“Um, it might sound a bit strange for a third party to say this.”

“It’s okay. Say whatever you think.”

“Please speak comfortably, Han Min-ah-nim.”

“If possible, I think it would be good if you could tell me what happened to Eunbyul-ssi, as much as you can…”

“Really?”

“Of course, if you and Eunbyul-ssi don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine! B-but still, it’s a story related to you and Eunbyul-ssi! I-if perhaps knowing it could help… maybe?”

Well, I expected Min-ah to give this kind of answer. Avoiding the stories of people close to her while claiming it might get her involved in troublesome affairs would be out of character for her.

And seeing that she mentioned potentially being helpful even before hearing the story, it seemed her closeness with Eunbyul had grown quite a bit.

If I could get Min-ah’s cooperation after she heard the full explanation, it might be helpful at unexpected moments.

For example, reporting to me first about any people from the Geumhyang Group who might barge into my house when I’m not around.

Even just that would be a considerable help to Eunbyul and me. At least, I would have a means to rescue Eunbyul in any situation.

“Han Min-ah-nim…”

Seeing Min-ah’s sincere attitude, Eunbyul seemed to make up her mind, quietly calling her name and looking at her.

Before telling her story to Min-ah, she cast a final glance at me, seeking my opinion.

“Master.”

“Yeah.”

“I believe I can tell my story to Han Min-ah-nim.”

“What a coincidence. I was just thinking the same thing.”

Since my and Eunbyul’s opinions aligned, from now on, we would quietly convey what had happened, as if making a confession, to Min-ah.

Watching Min-ah’s expression change moment by moment as she listened to Eunbyul’s story, I inwardly felt a sense of relief.

It was a moment when Eunbyul’s heart, which had been burdened by hiding the truth from Min-ah, could finally find release.

“So, the reason Eunbyul-ssi is staying at Sung Taekyung’s house now is…”

“Yes. It’s because I’m in hiding, evading the pursuit of my two older sisters, Geum Jangmi and Geum Dallae. Since my location was discovered once, Do Sihee-nim’s mansion is no longer a safe place, and constantly moving my residence would only draw more attention.”

“Your house is a secret refuge that Geum Jangmi and Geum Dallae haven’t discovered yet, and it’s a space where I can stay stably for a long time. It’s also good for responding immediately if any unexpected situation arises.”

“I had a feeling you were hiding due to something serious, but I never imagined it was this grave…”

Min-ah’s expression seemed to stiffen for a moment upon hearing the story, but that was all.

After hearing Eunbyul’s complicated family history, Min-ah, true to the Han Min-ah I knew, gave an answer that was perfectly in character to me and Eunbyul.

“Got it. So, I should continue keeping the fact that Eunbyul-ssi is Nari-ssi a secret, right?”

“Yeah. I’d appreciate it. It would be even better if you could keep the fact that there’s a maid at my house a secret, if possible.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it a secret just like I have been. If anyone from Geumhyang comes to harm Eunbyul-ssi, I’ll contact you, Sung Taekyung, right away.”

“Okay. Thanks, Han Min-ah.”

Although it’s tentative, I did receive Han Min-ah’s promise of cooperation, so…

In the end, telling her this fact would probably turn out to be good news.

“…But, you know.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to keep Eunbyul-ssi dressed like that?”

Min-ah, who had been avoiding eye contact with Eunbyul throughout the conversation, finally cautiously brought up the topic of her attire.

As her shy gaze suggested, Eunbyul was dressed rather scandalously, wearing nothing but an apron over her bare body.

Min-ah, who had already put her fingers inside Eunbyul’s ‘hole’ in the bathroom, responded rather shamelessly.

“You’ve already seen everything, so why are you embarrassed by that now?”

“No, well… that’s different from this…”

“……”

“No, well… if you think about it, it’s your and Eunbyul-ssi’s hobby, so it’s not like I can interfere…”

“I’ll make sure my younger siblings don’t find out. It’s fine as long as it’s only until then, right?”

“…Do whatever you want.”

Min-ah looked genuinely embarrassed, as if Eunbyul’s attire was her own.

It was a moment when I quietly thought to myself that someday, I hoped she would wait for me at home dressed in a similar ‘bare-body apron’ outfit.