Side Story 42. The Story After (42)

After witnessing the Iris Guild’s assets… no, their power, it was break time. Although today’s work was finished, normally I would have returned to the Iris Guild and had to deal with overtime.

However, Alice headed somewhere else, using the excuse of showing off her closeness with Lee Hoyeon.

“Is today’s schedule over?”

“This cafe too is an asset of the Iris Guild, so if it’s a schedule, it’s a schedule.”

“…Is that so?”

Lee Hoyeon sat in the cafe and looked around.

It was a cafe famous among tourists coming to France.

He himself had a memory of seeing it while searching for places like famous French restaurants.

But this place too is owned by the Iris Guild, making me wonder just where in France there is a place untouched by the Iris Guild’s influence.

‘Hmm? What is that?’

While looking around the cafe, Lee Hoyeon suddenly felt a strange energy.

It seemed there was a lot of empty space behind the cafe.

“Now, this cafe’s signature is drip coffee. The beans were. Uh, what was it called again?”

“Panama Esmeralda Geisha. It’s a world-famous bean.”

“Right. That was it. As expected, Alice is smart, huh?”

“Because it’s a field I’m interested in, that’s why.”

Irene brought the coffee and placed it down in front of Lee Hoyeon.

Lee Hoyeon, while hearing about the varietal and such, brought the coffee to his lips.

They said it was an incredibly amazing coffee, but for Lee Hoyeon, who had a cheap palate, it was just okay.

“Irene-ssi. Could it be that there isn’t an Iris Guild branch behind that refrigerator?”

“How did you know? Since there’s no magical concealment, it should be hard to notice, did you hear it from Alice?”

“The airflow felt strange.”

They said it was an Iris Guild asset, but it turns out it was just a cafe to hide a branch.

Isn’t it comedy that a cafe meant for disguise is becoming world-famous?

Lee Hoyeon sipped his coffee and chuckled.

“By the way, today’s schedule is over, you don’t have anything to do, right?”

“As for me, I was just planning to help the Iris Guild out until the party.”

“That’s great. Then you can stay with me tonight too, right?”

“…”

At Alice’s words, Lee Hoyeon subtly glanced at the two of them.

Alice and Irene.

Both of them were glancing repeatedly at Lee Hoyeon.

‘Indeed, they’ve been busy for a month, so it’s understandable that things have piled up….’

The two of them want to spend time at night.

Simply put, they desire intimacy.

“Alice. … Is it possible when Father is watching with both eyes wide open?”

However, Irene was a bit more realistic.

The relationship between Lee Hoyeon and the Irene and Alice sisters was already somewhat acknowledged, but Isaac, even amidst that, was gritting his teeth and pretending not to know.

He cherishes and loves his daughters so much that he wouldn’t allow them to be embraced by another man.

Especially if he were to see not just two, but three people rolling around in the same room… what comes after is too horrible to imagine.

“If Lee Hoyeon puts up a barrier, even Father can’t break through.”

“…But he’ll know that a barrier exists, at least. Father isn’t an idiot. Lee Hoyeon. Right?”

“That’s true.”

Lee Hoyeon drank his coffee and hid his expression.

Actually… even if the opponent is Isaac, I can hide it if I want to.

After killing the god of this world, Lee Hoyeon’s magic has already surpassed the realm of humans.

Even the genius mage Im Sol has to impose restrictions against Lee Hoyeon for a sparring match to be established.

No matter how much he’s the Emperor of the Night, if Lee Hoyeon decides to, putting him to sleep quietly is not difficult.

‘Still, with Scarlet here, having sex here would prick my conscience….’

However, Isaac alone is not the problem.

Today, because I was busy, I couldn’t see her face, but Scarlet followed me for now as my secretary.

Deceiving her for intimacy with Alice and Irene weighs a little on my mind.

“Speaking of which, what is Scarlet, who came with you, doing? You said she’s a secretary, but I don’t see her.”

“Around now, she’s probably learning the Iris Guild’s tasks?”

Scarlet is wandering around the Iris Guild, returning to work.

Her reinstatement probably isn’t confirmed yet, so I don’t know why she’s doing that.

“…Scarlet left the Iris Guild, didn’t she? I thought she was working as your personal secretary, so…”

Alice tilted her head and asked.

As the next Guild Master, it was strange for her to return as a guild member without her knowledge.

“Well. According to the Korean Branch Manager, she already worked for a long time in the Korean branch?”

“Why is that person making appointments arbitrarily…?”

Lee Hoyeon, listening to their conversation, smiled.

Dr. Kang Hyorin is treated as a troublemaker even here.

“If she lacked ability, she would have been fired long ago.”

“What ability? Because her face is pretty, Father is letting her off the hook.”

“…Is that so?”

Irene, while drinking coffee, replied to Alice’s words.

For work, I’ve seen Dr. Kang Hyorin’s face a few times, and we’re quite friendly, but honestly, I don’t really think she’s that pretty.

‘If they saw Alice, everyone wouldn’t be able to say that.’

In fact, there are too many parts of people’s sense of aesthetics that I don’t understand.

Originally, the face of the Iris Guild was Isaac. However, after he became known as the Emperor of the Night, Irene stepped forward.

And now, the next Guild Master, Alice, represents the Iris Guild.

‘Much more than me, the beautiful, cute, and dazzling Alice exists, but… strangely, people’s reactions aren’t that enthusiastic.’

People like pretty women.

Regardless of age or gender, if she’s a pretty woman, she can gain favor with anyone.

Irene too benefited greatly from that, so I thought Alice’s appearance would move the world…

Strangely, compared to Irene, there wasn’t much difference.

Ang.

Irene watched Alice putting the cake that came with the coffee into her mouth and smiled with satisfaction.

Pretty. Beautiful. Ecstatic…

Many emotions brushed past Irene’s mind.

“Heh. Hehehe…”

For the past month, in France without Lee Hoyeon, spending time with Alice, I got to know her various aspects even better.

When enduring sleep in the morning. When eating meals. When falling asleep.

Lee Hoyeon too has a decent appearance, but as expected, Alice was the most beautiful in the world.

“Alice. Why is your older sister like that? Her eyes have suddenly become strange.”

Meanwhile, Lee Hoyeon looked at Irene and shuddered.

Her gaze was too burdensome.

If I had to compare, it felt like the perverted gazes of middle-aged men you see in the media.

“Just ignore her. She acts like that sometimes. If she calls a modeling agency and vents her frustration, she’ll be fine.”

“…”

What on earth is that illness that has struck?

Lee Hoyeon observed Irene’s expression and subtly distanced himself from her.

And so, the day of the party arrived.

• The day of the party led by Three Star Corporation.

I was getting ready since morning.

“Well, this much seems sufficient. There’s no need to get makeup, it seems.”

Chak-chak-

Standing in front of me, Scarlet smoothed out the wrinkles on the suit everywhere and gave a satisfied smile.

I came out of the room wearing casual clothes, but she insisted that no one goes to a party like that, so this is the result of her holding me back since morning.

‘Even so, I just put on a suit and styled my hair a bit.’

She insisted so much that men are all about their hair and clothes, I couldn’t help it.

“Scarlet. Is it okay now?”

“Yes. Actually, I could have styled you more, but doing it just to this extent seems like it would show Hoyeon-nim’s charm best.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

I looked in the mirror and nodded.

Certainly… there’s a bit more of an atmosphere.

As expected, must things like this go through a woman’s hands?

Coming out of the accommodation, when I met the Iris Guild members, I could see the effect of my grooming.

“Wow…”

“Haa…”

The Iris Guild members’ reactions were quite amusing.

It seems like it’s been a while again since people were surprised just looking at my appearance, ever since I first enrolled in the academy.

“M-Mage Lee Hoyeon-nim! I have something to say!”

“Wait a moment! Me too, give me your number too!”

I quickly hid myself from the approaching women’s gazes.

Any further becoming close with women could put my life in danger.

‘…Is it dangerous even now?’

I pressed myself against the wall and watched the passing Iris Guild members.

About a few dozen people rushed past me.

Most were women, but seeing men too sent a chill down my spine, so I quickly hid.

‘Even participating in the party isn’t easy.’

I adjusted my suit again and headed towards the party venue.

• The party venue was larger in scale than I thought.

If I had to compare, it was similar to the Wizard Association.

Apparently, famous guilds from around the world participated, so there were many faces I knew.

“Hey! I see my dear friend here again!”

“Ironblood Guild Master-nim. It’s been a while.”

I smiled and greeted those around me.

As time passed, the changing treatment towards me was quite fascinating, but position originally makes the person.

Now, I’m gradually getting used to it.

“You… your face brightens every time I see you.”

“Chairman Arthur-nim. You came all the way here?”

“Yes. I intended to send Sol, but she said it was bothersome, so I had to drag this old body here. By the way… you really have no intention of becoming the Chairman of the Wizard Association?”

“I haven’t even properly participated in the Wizard Association, how can I take such a position?”

“Tut tut. You’re still saying that. Even within the Wizard Association, I’ve dealt with all of them who say such things, so rest assured.”

“….”

Surely he didn’t kill them?

I looked into Arthur’s eyes and moved my position.

The party hasn’t properly begun yet.

The Iris Guild and Three Star Corporation will enter shortly.

Before that, I must finish the task.

‘Here. And here?’

Lee Hoyeon examined the party venue’s structure and infused magic in various places.