The public opinion about her, who helped Kim Deok-Sung save Seoul and South Korea, turned overwhelmingly positive.
Unlike the U.S. military heroes who are obligated to support South Korea due to the Korea-U.S. Gate-Villain Mutual Defense Treaty, she had no obligation or reason to help South Korea, yet she voluntarily participated in the battle for Seoul and didn’t ask for any diplomatic or material compensation.
It was a situation that clearly warranted such demands.
As a result, it didn’t take long for the domestic public opinion to shift from favorable views of her to an almost fanatic desire, although not quite surpassing Kim Deok-Sung.
Naturally, the Goddess Cup began to spread beyond online platforms and specific demographics to the entirety of South Korea.
In an elderly center in Gyeonggi-do.
As grandfathers were watching the news while playing Go, Olivia’s video came into their view.
“Wow, that girl is really pretty. She speaks nicely, and last time I saw, she made kimchi well too.”
“Of course. That Princess is the best for Kim Deok-Sung! Haha. Even though she’s Western, she’s more charming than other girls. By the way, didn’t the French royal family send relief supplies?”
The grandfathers chuckled while playing Go.
But that wasn’t all.
In a hair salon.
Ladies clustered together while getting perms were chatting as they watched the news.
“Oh my, that girl Shinozaki Rin really suits Kim Deok-Sung as his wife, don’t you think?”
“She’s truly the ideal daughter-in-law. I heard in the news that her dream is to be a virtuous wife, and she’s surprisingly charming for her age.”
“I heard her father is the President of the Japan Hero Association? I also heard that the Japan Hero Association provided restoration funds for free this time…”
The ladies in the hair salon were gossiping away!
In a high school classroom, it was the same scene.
“Did you see Eri’s video this time?”
“Total hit! She’s got such girl-crush vibes!”
“Isn’t Eri unni the best match for Kim Deok-Sung?”
“Makoto unni was also incredibly cool!”
High school girls were chatting while watching Nishizawa Eri’s video on their smartphones.
[Shinozaki themed stocks are booming. Hyunseong Guild, Dae-seon Guild, these two are the collaborative guilds of the Japan Hero Association. Haha. Shinozaki Rin will be the main candidate for the future, so hop on now! Haha.]
[Is the Dae-seon Guild stock really skyrocketing? Haha, from now on, I’ll trust only Shinozaki! Haha.]
[SHL, what’s with this garbage stock suddenly soaring??? Isn’t it just some unknown small company? Haha.]
[- Don’t you know yet? The owner went to the same school as the French royal family and studied in America! Haha. Olivia’s themed stock! Haha.]
In the stock market, shares of companies even slightly related to heroines were being grouped as themed stocks and were hitting daily caps.
It was the moment when the heroine Goddess Cup became a national sport.
After everything was wrapped up,
Yuji, who had collapsed, was taken to the hospital, and Kusunagi returned to Yuji’s sword.
Haru’s new soldier was temporarily taken over by the Korean Hunter Association.
And I led the group, except for Yuji and Haru, back home.
Even though the possession had been lifted, since I used to be a villain, I’d remain detained by the association until someone guaranteed Haru’s identity.
Fortunately or unfortunately, or perhaps due to diligent security, my mansion in the heart of Seoul, resembling a palatial castle, was intact.
“…I need to get Haru out, but what should I do?”
If this continued, it would be a problem.
I didn’t free him for this.
Regardless of my status in Korea, to get Haru out required proper identity verification and complicated formal procedures. While I could brush off the procedures with my authority, the identity guarantee was a different story.
In this world, there was no connection between Haru and me, so there was no way to provide identity verification.
Yuji, my only family member, was unconscious, and while Rin was around, having Ichiro, the association president, might help, but with her alone, the odds were low.
Just as I was deep in thought about how to save Haru…
“Leave that to me, little one.”
Creak.
As the door swung open, a familiar voice tickled my ears.
When I looked up, there she was.
A beautiful girl with white hair and red eyes, dressed in a black gothic lolita dress.
The association president, Yoshizaki Seira, stood there with a slender silver-haired beauty behind her.
Saionji Aris.
“I’ll handle the matter of Kurosawa Haru.”
Swish!
Seira beamed as she opened her black lace fan.
When Aris caught my gaze, she quickly turned her head, her face slightly flushed.
Yoshizaki Seira.
And Saionji Aris.
The two had finally arrived in Korea.
Light novel protagonist.
It clicked that I was the one who called her.
Even though things wrapped up before Seira arrived, it wasn’t as if I was keen to just return to Japan.
So, it wasn’t surprising that Seira came here.
‘But I don’t remember calling Aris too? Why is she here?’
However, I had only called the association president.
I had no memory of summoning Aris.
It’s not that I disliked it, just a bit bewildering.
[Partner. Playing dumb while being perceptive?]
As soon as I finished my thought, the Black Prince chimed in.
His tone dripped with scorn.
Just as I was about to retort to him…
“How about it? Will you trust me and leave it to me, little one?”
Swaying.
Seira sat beside me, fanning herself with a flourish.
She flashed a flirtatious smile.
[Big sis… ]
The Black Prince muttered with a voice full of regret.
Seeing that eager gaze again was far from comforting. I really hoped she’d stop.
“Oh, yes. Well… please go ahead, President.”
I nodded.
After all, there’s no reason to refuse when Seira was eager to help.
If this were a Korean Hunter story, I’d have to shoot a fiery negotiation scene here.
But the kind light novel world is great in that regard.
There’s no need for painful reasoning or persuasion; everything is solved with a simple emotional appeal.
Long live excessive emotion!
“Thanks for trusting me, little one. Just wait and see; I’ll make you feel my grandeur!”
As soon as I gave my consent, Seira’s demeanor noticeably brightened.
Her face flushed a charming pink.
Flap, flap.
Seira waved her lace fan.
[Big sis, you’ve got this…]
In his mind, the Black Prince whispers in a small voice.
Seira, who looks obviously in good spirits.
Now’s the time.
“Well then, let’s go rescue Haru from the Hunter Association. As they say, seize the moment, President!”
A little tease to the good-humored president.
“Right, that’s it! I shall show you my skills! Prepare to be amazed, little one!”
Up she jumps.
Seira rises from her seat, pounding her chest with laughter.
She moves just like that.
“Well then, little one, Aris. I shall go fetch Haru. Wait a moment.”
Seira stands up.
She flutters her fan playfully.
Tap.
The door closes.
*
Seira emerges from Kim Deok-Sung’s room, her lips quivering.
“Hu hu hu hu…”
Laughter spills out of her mouth.
Seira places her hand on her chest.
Thump, thump.
She feels her heart racing like an immature girl.
“I’m so glad I can help the little one…”
Her accidental mumbled words make Seira’s face flush.
She quickly glances around.
Fortunately, the spacious main hall is empty.
Swish.
She hides her flushed face behind her open fan.
“Ah, I truly…”
Thud thud.
No one is around.
Realizing this, her heart beats like thunder.
She’s simply overjoyed to have been of help.
She adores how he trusts her.
Her heart races uncontrollably, emotions swirling without restraint.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
Her heart beats like it’s malfunctioning.
“…What a mess I’ve made.”
Hardly mature.
When did it start?
Every time she stands before him, her heart pounds and her face turns red like a teenage girl.
It surely wasn’t this kind of feeling at first.
He resembles her.
She wants to protect him.
It was supposed to be just that, but now his presence has grown too large to detach from her heart.
He has become precious.
“Ugh…”
Seira bites her lip.
Her shoulders slump.
She knows.
That her actions must look foolish.
Even if she appears young, she’s different from other real youthful girls.
So she’s consciously kept her distance.
“I have no right to feel this way…”
She thought it would never suit him.
She thought she had no right to stand beside him.
She has stubbornly denied it.
“I can’t fall deeper than this…”
Tap tap.
Seira slaps her cheeks with both hands.
“Any further is crossing the line. I need to snap out of it.”
A crush on someone much younger than herself.
How ridiculous.
It doesn’t fit her.
She has no right.
Seira’s cheeks tremble as she fights to suppress her wriggling affections.
Her expression darkens.
“Ugh…”
Still, she wants to stay by his side.
She wants to protect him.
She never wants to see him hurt like back on the deserted island again.
“Did everything go well?”
Flash.
With a gray flash, a beautiful woman in a suit appears in front of Kim Deok-Sung’s residence.
It was Han Seo-Jin.
Her neat gray hair sparkles in the evening glow.
“Ah, of course.”
As she hears those words, Seira hurriedly hides her facial expression with her fan.
After all, she’s the president of Shuo Hero Academy and a member of Five Crowns.
She cannot carelessly show such weakness to anyone.
“I’m glad my guidance and advice have proven helpful to the president.”
Han Seo-Jin’s cold voice pierces Seira’s ears.
Yes.
The reason Seira was able to come all the way to Kim Deok-Sung’s residence in the heart of Seoul and talk about working together to steal Haru away was all thanks to Han Seo-Jin’s advice and guidance.
Han Seo-Jin’s gray eyes gazed into Seira’s trembling crimson eyes.
‘She’s flustered.’
Her cold intellect assessed Seira’s mental state.
Han Seo-Jin had figured out that Seira was still struggling to suppress her feelings due to their age difference and status.
‘What I need to do is…’
Continuously provoke Seira to recruit her as a member of the harem.
Plus, bringing in the newly joined ‘Kurosawa Haru’ to recover her identity using Seira’s power and recruit her as a new harem member.
That was the grand plan she envisioned as the planner and executor of the harem scheme.
“…Thank you for that.”
Seira’s crimson eyes turned towards Han Seo-Jin.
“I will guide you to the Hunter Association, President. Please follow me.”
Han Seo-Jin turned her back and Seira followed her.
The setting sun cast its light on the two women.
*
Tap.
After Seira closed the door and left,
only Aris and I remained in the room.
Even though it was my room, it was so unnecessarily spacious that it felt as big as a hotel suite, so having Aris with me didn’t make it feel cramped at all.
“…”
The real problem was the awkward atmosphere.
Now that it was just the two of us, Aris sat in a guest reception chair, her fingers fidgeting nervously without saying a word.
She seemed more like a shy outsider than a student council president, unsure of what to say.
I knew that this was closer to her original personality.
Originally, Aris was a timid country girl.
She had even been bullied for being too rural back in her hometown.
I wouldn’t know as well if it was anyone else, but because Aris was my favorite character, I understood her better than anyone.
Yet, even though Aris was originally an outsider, her current level of awkwardness was a bit much.
Was something bothering her?
I started to feel slightly worried.
“Saionji-senpai.”
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung…? Did you call for me?”
At my call, Aris lifted her shoulders slightly and looked at me.
“Are you troubled by something?”
“Well…”
Aris’s silver eyes trembled upon hearing my question.
“…I’m not troubled by anything…”
Aris shook her head.
Even without being her biggest fan, I could tell.
It was clear that Aris was harboring some worries.
I also knew the reason she couldn’t speak up.
It was likely due to her stubborn mindset of being the student council president, where she felt she had to solve her own problems, along with her excessive sense of responsibility.
That struggling character of hers would eventually become a crucial point during the upcoming cultural festival event in the second semester.
“What’s bothering you? You can tell me. At this point, what’s the big deal between us? Anyway, you and I have seen all sides of each other by now, right?”
That’s why Aris’s worries were important.
No matter how irrelevant the original story had become, Aris-related episodes still hadn’t appeared in any form.
Moreover, Aris’s face looked pretty serious right now.
As if she was caught revealing her true identity in the original story.
Was it possible that while I was rolling around in Korea, Aris’s secret of being a country girl was revealed way earlier than in the original?
That would be quite a headache.
In that moment, as all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind,
“…Really, I can’t hide anything from you, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
Aris said as she lowered her head.
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