Lingling and Yungfenjai returned to the hotel.
As soon as they walked in, Yungfenjai, who couldn’t say a word in front of Isabel, started shouting like it was the most normal thing in the world.
“Damn it, that fucking whore!”
‘What a loser…’
Lingling had a rough idea of what had occurred between Yungfenjai and Isabel.
At the social gathering held on a cruise ship for the elite, Yungfenjai had hit on a beautiful woman—just like Isabel.
But at that time, the target was Isabel herself.
Isabel, strong-willed and fierce, wouldn’t just let Yungfenjai’s actions slide.
She publicly shamed him by calling him out in front of everyone.
Humiliated like that, Yungfenjai bolted from the party and returned home.
Since then, Isabel had become his sworn enemy and a source of trauma.
That was the reason why Yungfenjai was as helpless as a frog in front of a snake today.
“Fucking bitch! When I see you again, I’ll smash those tits of yours!”
In frustration, Yungfenjai pounded on the hotel pillows, looking utterly pitiful to Lingling.
He continued to spout vulgarities that were hard for anyone to hear, even more so from a woman’s perspective.
Having served the royal family, Lingling felt that the upper-class exuded elegance in every breath and move they made.
It wasn’t that they acted dignified on purpose; it was simply that their upbringing shone through them naturally.
But Yungfenjai was different. He was one of the highest-ranked individuals Lingling had ever protected.
Yet, there was no trace of the unique elegance typical of the upper class in him.
Instead, all she felt from him was the vulgarity of a lowlife she was all too familiar with.
Despite having been raised with princely education, it was hard to believe how crass his behavior was.
Seriously, it just made Lingling sigh in disbelief.
‘In contrast…’
Isabel Brown, the genuine noblewoman she had met today, radiated an elegance that couldn’t be matched.
Even her striking the cheek of her own owner was so noble and beautiful.
That was why Lingling hadn’t intervened, despite being able to. Even though she hadn’t been properly educated, she knew well what was right and what was wrong.
‘Maybe it’s truly time to quit.’
She had felt the urge to stop serving many times, but this was the first time she had felt such deep disillusionment.
Lingling had consoled herself with the idea that she was serving someone of noble blood, but she felt no satisfaction at all from the man in front of her.
I can’t feel it.
“Rather…”
I want to protect a more noble being.
There is another sky above the sky. Lingling faced a glimpse of that today.
Even if I’m going to be a servant, I want to serve in a prestigious household. It was the moment that ignited Lingling’s desire to change jobs.
“-Ling. Lingling!”
It was then. While Lingling was momentarily distracted, Yungfenjai, having already shed his outer garment, was thumping the bed, his gross mass shaking.
“Come over! I’m so mad I can’t stand it!”
“….”
The meaning of those words was clear. He wanted her to devote herself to her master.
Throughout countless bodyguard missions, no one had ever requested to share a bed like Yungfenjai. In fact, no one had ever been so base.
It was an exceedingly rude proposal, but Lingling had secretly been bracing herself for this.
Well, to keep working, she couldn’t offend his inclinations.
Even if such a request eventually came, she thought she’d calmly respond with a simple “Understood” and let it go.
However, as the moment she’d prepared for arrived, Lingling felt a rejection rising from the deep corners of her heart that she had not even recognized.
Her head grew cold. Judging rationally, what was right?
Her own deepest desires, the boundary between reality and ideals, Yungfenjai, Isabel, Kayak…
After a long yet brief contemplation, Lingling made her decision.
“Lingling, hurry up! Are you ignoring me too?”
“I apologize, young master.”
“…What?”
Yungfenjai, the hideous mass, wore an expression of disbelief. It seemed he never imagined Lingling would refuse.
Seeing that dazed face, Lingling felt a sense of relief and reaffirmed that her decision was indeed correct.
“Effective today, I, Lingling, will quit being the bodyguard of Yungfenjai.”
“Wait a moment. Lingling. Lingling! Where are you going? Come back!”
The grotesque figure of Yungfenjai, stripped down, chased after Lingling, but being slow, he couldn’t catch up.
“Well then, goodbye.”
*
“So, you don’t need a bodyguard, do you?”
Inside the dazzling building with a view of the city’s nightscape, Isabel asked me with a playful smile.
One of her hands was resting on someone’s shoulder.
That someone was Lingling, the Chinese bodyguard, who had just been chatting moments ago.
“The backstory is quite long.”
“Right? There’s so much unnecessary stuff in between. It would’ve sufficed to just say I didn’t like Yungfenjai and came here. Please hire me—done.”
“I just didn’t like Yungfenjai, so I came here. Just hire me already—end of story.”
“Uh, I’m so sorry…”
Isabel’s words made Lingling sulk and lower her head.
Huh, from just looking at her, she seems like a cute and innocent girl.
Can this girl really be someone who’s actually dunked a few people in the special forces?
It wasn’t a lie. After all, there’s no reason for her to lie, and she was a bodyguard for a Chinese tycoon, so her skills must be solid.
It’s probably true that she’s dunked people, won a fight 17 to 1, and can move stealthily like a trained agent.
Right, that must be the case…
‘Why do I feel like I’d win if we fought?’
As I looked at Lingling quietly, that instinct bubbled up inside me.
It was a similar feeling to when I took down armed robbers, a near certainty.
“I really don’t… need a bodyguard.”
I couldn’t outright say I’d win in a fight, so I turned down the offer vaguely.
“Ah…”
Lingling’s expression darkened at my answer. But I couldn’t say I needed something I didn’t.
Having a bodyguard would probably make me feel uneasy one way or another.
“Hmm… yeah, I can see that.”
With those words, Isabel dismissed Lingling from the scene. She wanted to be alone with me.
Watching Lingling leave with a gloomy face, I curiously asked, “So you’re not hiring Lingling? You’re sending her back?”
“No, I might use her as the head of the security team… well, there aren’t many places for talent like that.”
“Right?”
I felt a bit guilty that I seemed to have ruined her chance at employment, but it was a relief in a way.
“She seems very capable, so I thought about assigning her to you, but you say you don’t need it.”
“Yeah, yeah. Honestly, I didn’t want to say it in front of her, but I think I’m stronger.”
“…You think you’re stronger than Lingling? Pffft….”
Isabel burst into laughter, as if she’d heard the funniest joke ever.
“I’m not joking.”
“Sure, sure, not joking at all. I get it.”
Isabel looked at me with the gaze of someone watching a show-off teenage kid.
I found that a bit displeasing, but there was no need for clarification. After all, I couldn’t go around breaking this fancy-looking place.
“Anyway, thanks for coming right when I called. I thought you might be too busy to show up.”
“What are you talking about, between us? More importantly, if you came to the U.S., you should have contacted me. That’s what I’m more upset about!”
“Hahaha….”
Isabel raised her eyebrows, genuinely looking a bit hurt.
In truth, I had been planning to quietly slip away, but things ended up blowing up out of proportion.
Isabel is both my benefactor and a somewhat burdensome, awkward presence.
It’s a being that is both a benefactor and a burdensome, awkward presence.
She hasn’t really done anything wrong. If anything, it’s a problem because she treats me too well.
Isabel is one of the few people from whom I feel an overwhelming sense of debt.
First, I rejected her offer to join, second, she abruptly acquired Twisy for my sake, and third, each time she comes to my broadcast, she sponsors me with hundreds of thousands.
Even now, Isabel remains the top sponsor of my broadcasts, despite not having sponsored in over a year.
Plus, I got help from her again today. I’ve accumulated yet another huge debt, making it impossible not to feel the pressure.
“I should just think of her as a rich friend. Why overthink it?”
“But she’s not just rich, Isabel.”
“Here you go again, acting like a small-town citizen. How did someone like her break Yungfenjai’s arm?”
I had no words for that.
It was such a reckless act that even I found it to be absurd.
It was literally an act done without considering the consequences. I must never do that again.
“No, no, if someone like that comes around again, make sure to give them a good scare, don’t let them get away with it.”
And then she can just get me involved again. Isabel added while sipping her wine.
Is it really okay to do that? I caught a glimpse in an article online that said Isabel makes over $1,000 an hour. Is it really alright to take her time for granted?
“You’re overthinking it again. Let’s get moving. I have something to show you.”
“Show me what?”
Come to think of it, Isabel said she came all the way to this building on purpose. It’s a place she doesn’t use much.
If such a big building is just sitting here unused, then the bourgeoisie really are something else.
Isabel activated the elevator in one corner, and we slowly descended down.
From the high-rise penthouse overlooking the night view, we moved further down.
Finally, when we reached a deep underground level, Isabel smiled and said, “It’s a surprise gift I prepared, so don’t get too shocked.”
“A gift?”
“Yes, a gift. If it weren’t for Kayak, I wouldn’t have prepared something like this.”
That meant it was something related to me, but I couldn’t even begin to guess what Isabel had brought.
Boom boom—
When Isabel pressed a button on the wall, the underground space began to open up like a secret base.
As something hidden in the simple underground facility began to emerge, I widened my eyes in shock.
“This is…?”
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
