Chapter 969: Side Story – The Unfilled Empty Seat (4)

With Eunbyul’s help, I quickly reviewed only the urgent parts of the documents piled up over half a year, and before I knew it, it was already a bit late into the evening.

Even though I had started by organizing the ones that needed quick sorting due to their urgency, the situation had far exceeded closing time.

“Sorry, Eunbyul. I ended up making you work overtime right from your first day.”

“Please call it flexible work hours, Master. And as a maid, every moment you are awake is work time, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Right now, I’m not a maid, but your secretary, so it’s different.”

I was so busy that I couldn’t even send a message telling Min-ah and my younger sisters that I’d be home late, so I hurriedly opened KakaoTalk and notified the group chat they were in about my late return.

「Sorry. Work is running late, so I think I’ll be leaving now. If you haven’t eaten yet, please eat first.」

「Huh? You’re leaving now? Then it’s only about an hour, so I’ll just wait.」

「I can wait for about an hour too, Oppa!」

「You are actually leaving work, right, Oraboni?」

「Yeah. I’m leaving now, so I’ll get there as fast as I can.」

Even though it was already late evening, Min-ah’s sisters all replied that they would wait for me.

To make them wait even a little less, I quickly started packing up to leave, and I also brought up heading back to Eunbyul, who had worked hard with me.

“Let’s head home, Eunbyul. You worked hard.”

“…You worked hard, Master.”

“When we get home today, it’s going to be quite lively. Min-ah and my younger sisters haven’t seen you in half a year, after all.”

“Huh? What are you talking about…?”

“Huh? Ah, Min-ah and my younger sisters have continued to live at our house even after you left, Eunbyul.”

Seeing Eunbyul after so long, I wondered how the three of them would react.

As I was imagining that, she seemed worried about something and cautiously spoke to me.

“What I wanted to say is not that, Master.”

“……Huh?”

“I, stayed at your house purely to escape Geumhyang’s pursuit and hide my body, so now that that purpose is over, I no longer have the right to stay at your house.”

“……Ah.”

Right, now that I think about it, the reason Eunbyul came to live at my house was for that reason.

Eunbyul, who had completely taken over Geumhyang, was no longer a fugitive, and she wasn’t in a situation where she had to hide at my house, unable to go outside.

Therefore, there was no longer a reason to hide at my house and avoid the Geumhyang Group’s pursuit.

She could return to Sihee’s mansion where she originally lived, or now that she had more than enough money, buying a hotel or a new house was also fine, or perhaps living openly in the Geumhyang Group’s mansion might even be possible.

But hey, you don’t need a grand reason to come stay at my house.

Even if other conditions were met, if Eunbyul wanted to come back to my house, she could simply come back.

“Enough about that. Hurry up and return to your maid duties, Eunbyul. Since we’re done with work at the company, you need to return to being my maid now.”

“…Master?”

“Now that you’ve become the owner of the Geumhyang Group, you don’t want to be my maid anymore? If that’s the reason, then I can’t help it.”

“Ah, no! From today onwards, I will return to my duties as your maid!”

Eunbyul, Sung Taekyung’s exclusive secretary and the Guild Master of Hope City Guild, had returned to her duties, also serving as a maid at my house.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“Wow, Unnie! It’s been so long!”

As soon as she saw Eunbyul, who returned home with me, Han Min-ah, wearing an apron, came out from the kitchen.

Eunbyul also recognized her immediately and responded to her greeting with a smile.

“It’s been a while since we last met, Han Min-ah-nim. Have you been well?”

“Of course, I’ve been well, Unnie.”

“Oh, it’s Eunbyul Unnie’s voice!”

“It’s nice to see you after so long, Eunbyul Unnie.”

“Yes, Han Jin-ah-nim and Han Seon-ah-nim seem to be healthy, which is a relief.”

Just the news of Eunbyul’s return to our house quickly made the atmosphere inside the house lively. After all, since they had lived together for a considerable period of time, Eunbyul’s return seemed like very welcome news to them as well.

Hearing Eunbyul’s voice, Jin-ah and Seon-ah, who came out following Min-ah, were chatting with her about various things. Meanwhile, Han Min-ah slyly approached me and asked in a small voice about what had happened to Eunbyul during that time.

“Hey, hey, Sung Taekyung.”

“Huh?”

“That, Eunbyul Unnie…. you know, Nari Unnie’s situation – was it resolved well? If it was Nari Unnie’s family problem, surely….”

“It was resolved well, that’s why she’s back like this. From now on, she won’t have to hide or be confined, so you don’t have to worry, Min-ah.”

“Haa, that’s a relief. Lately, on TV, only news related to the Geumhyang Group has been pouring out, so I was worried….”

Although she pretended not to be particularly interested, inwardly she had hoped that Eunbyul’s family issues would be resolved well.

As Min-ah had wished, Eunbyul had resolved her family issues well and reappeared by our side, so now she too was ready to return as a member of our household.

“Ah, Unnie, you haven’t eaten yet either, right? I’ll serve you another bowl of rice!”

“I will do it, Han Min-ah-nim. And the dishes after the meal too….”

“The evening dishwashing duty was originally mine. And Unnie, since you’ve returned after a long time, you should rest a bit….”

Although it was already quite lively, as soon as Eunbyul returned, the atmosphere in the house seemed to gain even more energy. At least the fact that there was no one who didn’t wish for her return brought me peace of mind.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After Eunbyul’s return, after spending a day in the house that had been lively for a while.

Today too, because of my Guild Master duties, I had to leave a bit earlier than Min-ah’s sisters, but my commute today wasn’t quite as lonely as usual.

“Did you cough, Master.”

“Ah, Eunbyul. You’re up early.”

“Waking up before you is basic training for a maid.”

As soon as I stepped out of my room, seeing a maid giving me a morning greeting, I wondered how long it had been.

It felt somewhat surreal, yet also like my daily life had finally returned, a moment when I truly felt it.

“Ughh, Oppa…? Are you going to work…?”

“Ah, Jin-ah, you can sleep more. I’m heading to work early today too.”

“Mhmm, okay….”

Last night too, after putting Jin-ah, who had crawled into my bed, back to sleep, I roughly changed into my suit and prepared for work.

For your information, I decided to let Eunbyul keep wearing her maid outfit from now on. After all, the image of her in a maid outfit suited her better compared to a suit, and more importantly, Eunbyul liked it more.

That the Guild Master of Hope City Guild would bring a maid instead of a secretary and drag her around might cause some strange rumors, but it was a minor issue. After all, being a Hunter is a profession where various kinds of people gather, so bringing a maid along barely even counts as eccentric behavior.

“Today too, through the company, using the warp gate, I’ll be commuting to the Chuncheon City Guild, Eunbyul.”

“Understood. Since there’s a vehicle sent from the Geumhyang Group, starting today, may I assist you with your commute using that vehicle?”

“Huh? A car?”

“It’s been stored in the garage, so please check it, Master.”

Hearing something strange, I half-believed it and half-doubted it, and stepped out into the yard. In the previously empty garage, there was actually a car I hadn’t seen before, parked there.

It looked like something foreign entrepreneurs would drive, a black sedan with perfectly tinted windows.

“Regarding this vehicle, I received it separately early yesterday morning. Nominally, it’s planned to be registered as a company corporate vehicle, but regarding that, I would also like to ask for your opinion, Master.”

“For your reference, regarding the cost of procuring the vehicle, the largest shareholder of Geumhyang Chemical sponsored it, so you can rest assured.”

“…If the largest shareholder of Geumhyang Chemical is you, Eunbyul.”

“That’s correct.”

At my dumbfounded expression, Eunbyul replied with a smile, making a V-sign with her hand.

Perhaps because she had become a maid with more money than her employer, she showed no hesitation when it came to spending money.

“Nominally, Geum Dallae is in charge of Geumhyang as Chairman, so the amount she can freely operate isn’t that large, but at the very least, regarding the operation of your guild, I can provide generous support to the extent that there will be no inconvenience.”

“…Originally, shouldn’t I be the one paying you a salary? Even so, we are Master and Maid.”

“You saved my life, and you apprehended and dealt with Geum Jangmi and Geum Dallae, so it’s as if I’ve already received a lifetime’s worth of compensation. All assets currently under my name, intangible resources, and even my body, are essentially yours, so you don’t need to feel burdened.”

“…Okay, thank you.”

To be honest, these words themselves were a burden, but I didn’t say it out loud. Because of that, Eunbyul’s affection for me is so great, and she expressed it like this, I felt there was no need to pour cold water on it. Compared to what I did for her, it might seem like excessive devotion, but after all, Eunbyul was also a Hunter from the Foundation. For her, my existence is irreplaceable by anyone else, so she wants to show the utmost sincerity she can.

…To such an Eunbyul, the expression of repayment I could give her was at best satisfying her sexual fetishes.

“You’ll be driving yourself, right, Eunbyul? No other chauffeur?”

“That’s correct, Master.”

“Good. Then first, could you take off those cumbersome clothes, Eunbyul?”

“Huh?”

“I mean the clothes. Since it’s just the two of us in the car anyway, you and me, there’s no need to wear them, right?”

“……Understood.”

Eunbyul, who could have easily taken the position of Chairman of the Geumhyang Group, even though she could have obtained it, still chose to concurrently serve as my secretary and maid, returning again.

It was time to be reminded after a long time of the reason she had no choice but to be loyal to me.