CH 14

* * *

Lee Yoonkyung let out a deep sigh and pressed her throbbing temples. 

After suffering an emergency situation all night, dark circles form under her eyes. 

It was a long night. Last week, her daughter, Haeun, was caught in a monster flood, and she was very worried, but this time she was completely swept away by the dungeon. 

She was worried that her daughter might end up in a dangerous situation, so she made an exception, and she even recruited the No. 1 hunter in the rankings—.

“It’s all my fault. I apologize, Hunter Lee Yoonkyung-nim.” 

As a result, it was useless.

From what she had heard, it seemed like Haeun had left Hunter Seo Dojoon alone and had an accident when she went outside alone.

She made a mistake by not making it clear from the start that Haeun had to pay close attention to everything she said.

Lee Yoonkyung recalled Haeun last night. 

‘At least it’s fortunate that she doesn’t look depressed….’

Unlike the two sons who became S-class awakeners, Haeun did not awaken. 

In fact, the lives of Awakeners and Hunters are far from safe because they have to fight to the death with monsters in an unknown space called a dungeon. 

That’s why Lee Yoonkyung was more than happy to know that her daughter Haeun was a non-awakened person. 

She and her husband, Jung Jinho, have spent their entire lives trying to keep stories about their daughter out of the media as much as possible so that Haeun can live a normal life.

In particular, Haeun was the only one who came out of the dungeon alive during <The Gym Gate Incident>. This made the family’s movement to protect Haeun stronger. From then on, Jung’s family had a team of professional lawyers.

But today, all of a sudden, she began to wonder if she had made the right choice.

“Those b*stards were running towards Jung Haeun.” 

Regarding what happened inside the dungeon, Lee Yoonkyung also heard from Jung Eunwoo. People who were greedy for escape stone surrounded Haeun and threatened her together.

This situation raises the question of whether they would have acted that way if they had known that Haeun was a member of Jung Jinho’s family.

Did she dare to touch the daughter of an S-class family? 

How dare you to my daughter! 

Srrk. The report in Lee Yoonkyung’s hands was brutally crumpled.

“Director, are you okay?” 

Lee Yoonkyung’s secretary Choi Miyeon handed her a cup of warm coffee. The scent of freshly brewed coffee calmed Lee Yoonkyung for a moment. 

Yeah, because she didn’t get hurt in the first place. She just has to make them pay for it later.

“It’s okay, what can’t be okay?”

Lee Yoonkyung smiled faintly at Choi Miyeon.

“You went home for a while at night and came back right away, so you couldn’t sleep.”

“Since there is a crack, we have to deal with it. There are quite a few victims.”

It was fortunate that there were no deaths.

“Did your daughter’s test results come out?”

“Yeah. She looks fine in the outside but I didn’t know how it would be on the inside, so I had a thorough examination, but fortunately, there were no injuries.” 

“That’s a relief.”

Lee Yoonkyung tapped her finger on the desk. Choi Miyeon pretended not to see the crumpled reports rolling across her desk. Lost in thought for a moment, she called Choi Miyeon.

“Miyeon-ssi.”

“Yes?” 

“Miyeon, how would you feel if all your family was awakened people? Are you going to talk to people?”

“Wouldn’t that depend on the situation?”

Choi Miyeon, who knows Lee Yoonkyung’s family history, avoided giving a definite answer. She knew her boss, Lee Yoonkyung, was always busy worrying about her daughter.

“I think I want to brag about it, but I also want to pretend I don’t know.”

“Why?”

“I’m not an Awakener, so I don’t know, but that’s it. If my mother and father are doctors, and all of my siblings went to medical school, I feel like I failed to go to college alone…? I could definitely feel left out.”

“Haa.” 

“Ah, I’m not saying that’s what the director said! I know how much you care for and love your daughter!”

Choi Miyeon desperately made excuses, but the wrinkles on Lee Yoonkyung’s forehead were not smoothed out.

If she, who wasn’t Awakened, talked that way, Haeun seemed to be thinking the same way.

“I think I made a mistake, Director.”

“No, Miyeon-ssi’s words make sense, too.”

“However… Uhm. These days, hunters are recognized as some kind of celebrity, so wouldn’t it be okay? Celebrities’ families often appear on TV. There are people who only appeared on reality programs for a short time, but they are more popular.”

“You think so?”

“Of course! The world has changed a lot, too.”

Choi Miyeon asked carefully while clenching her fists.

“But why are you asking all of a sudden? What did your daughter say?”

“No. Because accidents happen all the time. I wondered if it would be safer to advertise that Haeun is my daughter. She will be so famous that no one would even think to touch her.” 

“How about putting on a guard?”

“I tried, but it’s useless.” 

“Uhm…But does your daughter want to be famous too?”

“Ha… Probably not.” 

Lee Yoonkyung sighed.

“I don’t want to…Ugh. I hate it, Mom. I don’t want people to know me.”

She didn’t want to see Haeun cry again.

So, in the end, she will have no choice but to keep the promise she made to Haeun. The lack of clear answers deepened the wrinkles on her forehead.

* * *

The contract with Seo Dojoon was canceled.

The period was different, but it was a contract that he couldn’t keep since Haeun got caught up in the dungeon. In the dishonorable contract breach, Seo Dojoon felt guilty first.

“I’m really sorry.”

He apologized to Haeun until the end and went back.

But Lee Yoonkyung’s worry grew as she failed to protect Haeun, even with the No. 1 Hunter in the rankings.

Who the hell should she put as a guard to keep Haeun safe? 

However, her troubles have become useless. Because Haeun started not going out on her own. 

It was the exact opposite of how she seemed before when she was determined and stuck to her vacation plan even after being swept away by the dungeon break once.

Lee Yoonkyung seemed to know why Haeun only stayed at home. Maybe it’s because of what people rushed to Haeun in the dungeon.

Her family was concerned about her condition and noticed at the same time. 

“Hey, didn’t you say you had to go somewhere this week? Do you want me to take you?”

“I canceled that.”

Jung Eunwoo suggested taking Haeun first.

“Noona, would you like to go for a drive with me?”

“No, I don’t want to go. It’s annoying.”

Jung Sehyun asked Haeun to go out with him. However, Haeun rejected all of them.

“Daughter~ Mom bought a lot of Chocolate Choux that my daughter likes.” 

Fortunately, she didn’t say that she wouldn’t eat cream puffs.

Haeun sat on the sofa watching TV and, in a slightly low mood, ate the Chocolate Choux that Lee Yoonkyung gave her.

She was eating well and chewing her food like a squirrel, but the atmosphere was definitely calm. Usually, she would have made a fuss saying that it was really delicious or that she was born to eat this cream puff. 

[The constellation ‘The Mutant of the Abyss’ comforts Haeun not to be disappointed over such trash.]

[It says Haeun’s appearance breaks its heart.] 

[It whispers to Haeun that it will scold the trash.] 

‘Enough.’

It’s just a temporary reality check. Or Hyunta in the slang words.  (T/n: I don’t know how to put it but 현타 means like realize a reality.) 

Six years have already passed since the Gymnasium Gate Incident, which led to Haeun’s decision to hide her power.

She thought it would be okay if time had passed by this much, but it must have been Haeun’s misunderstanding. As soon as a similar situation came, she was so easily swayed.

“Ah.”

The cream puff Haeun was eating burst. Dark chocolate cream was smeared on the white dress.

She was suddenly irritated.

Why does she have to pretend she doesn’t have power?

It was definitely Haeun’s choice, but it was not a decision made solely by Haeun’s voluntary will.

Meanwhile, Haeun, deep in her thoughts, didn’t notice that Jung Eunwoo and Jung Sehyun were exchanging glances with each other. 

Jung Eunwoo, who was sitting on the long sofa, suddenly got up and approached Haeun. Haeun waved her hand at them to get out of the way when they got in the way while she was watching TV.

However, at that time, Jung Eunwoo suddenly put his hand between Haeun’s armpits. At the same time, Jung Sehyun stood up, holding Haeun’s leg. 

“Ack!”

The upper body was caught by Jung Eunwoo, and Jung Sehyun caught the lower body, and Haeun, who was dangling in the air, shouted in a panic.

“What are you doing, let me go!”

“Hey, Jung Sehyun. Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

“No, what are you doing!”

The two casually put on their shoes. The door lock opened, and the sound of the door opening was heard. Haeun struggled on her legs but it’s useless. Haeun’s blood relatives were S-class hunters with physical abilities beyond that of ordinary people. 

‘Still, my grade is higher!’

[The constellation ‘The Mutant of the Abyss’ nods, saying that since they are experts in dungeon raids, they must know how to defeat monsters.]

‘Are you saying I’m a monster?!’

It was similar to being dragged away.

“Have a good time.”

Lee Yoonkyung waved at the three people leaving the house. There was a slight smirk in her voice. Haeun trembled with betrayal.

“Hello, madam.”

“Oh my. Where…are you going?”

Even after doing this, Jung Sehyun politely greeted the residents he met in the elevator. The resident smiled awkwardly, glanced at Haeun, and looked away embarrassingly.

She felt like she was going to explode because the heat was rushing to her face from the shame that was coming up. Haeun just closed her eyes tightly.