Chapter 46 – The Guild Leader’s Office

Woo Min-ah said, handing over a pair of fluffy slippers. Hee-na slipped into the slippers in a daze and followed her.

The door opened, revealing the hallway of the Blue Dragon Guild. Although she had worked here for three months, it was a place she had never been to. It was an unfamiliar location.

“Where is this? How many days has it been since we entered the dungeon? Did you contact my home?”

Hee-na poured out a stream of questions she should have thought of much earlier.

“This is the top floor of our guild. It’s exclusively for executives, so you’ve probably never been here. It’s been three days since you were swept into the dungeon gate. And I contacted your older brother through the emergency network and told him that due to a sudden issue at the guild, you had to work overtime for a few days. Hearing that, your brother told me to make sure to pay you properly for overtime and holiday work. Otherwise, he said he would report it to the Labor Department. He was very caring.”

“Oh dear…”

Her face flushed at the behavior of her brother, who acted like a tough guy from the safety of his room over the phone when he wouldn’t even be able to say such things to Woo Min-ah’s face.

Hee-na asked, cooling her hot face.

“But why am I on the guild’s executive floor?”

At the question, Woo Min-ah patted her on the shoulder.

“I told you earlier, right? Let’s talk where everyone is gathered. Well, it’s not a big deal, so don’t worry.”

Woo Min-ah shut her mouth, as if she had no intention of answering any further. Hee-na tilted her head while following behind her.

Were they trying to give her a reward for protecting the sleeping Kang Jin-hyun?

‘If they’re going to give me a reward anyway, I hope they give it in cash instead of a plaque of appreciation.’

It was when she was counting her chickens before they hatched. Woo Min-ah stopped in front of a door and knocked.

“Coming in.”

And in that brief split second, Hee-na caught sight of the nameplate next to the door.

‘Blue Dragon Guild Leader’s Office?’

But she didn’t even have time to widen her eyes. For Hee-na was grabbed by Woo Min-ah’s hand and pulled right into the office of the Blue Dragon Guild Leader.

As she stepped into the Guild Leader’s office, the gazes of three people turned to Hee-na all at once.

For the record, two of them were familiar faces, and one was a stranger, but not entirely a stranger.

The former two were HR Team Leader Kang Mok-hyun and S-class Hunter Kang Jin-hyun.

And the latter one was the Guild Leader of the Blue Dragon Guild, who could be considered the owner of this room.

Hee-na had seen her face a few times on the news. This was because she was the leader of Blue Dragon, one of the top guilds in South Korea, and was frequently mentioned as one of the three women leading South Korea.

In any case, it was uncommon for the head of such a large corporation to be a woman.

‘Gasp! My attire.’

Hee-na was flustered when she looked at herself dressed in a comfortable T-shirt and soft slippers.

Everyone else was dressed to the nines, so she felt embarrassed to be the only one wearing something like loungewear.

However, that embarrassment did not last very long. This was because Kang Jin-hyun sprang up from his seat and strode toward Hee-na.

“Hello, Hee-na.”

He unexpectedly threw a greeting at her.

It was only natural to respond to a greeting. Hee-na returned the greeting almost like a spinal reflex.

“Ah, hello, Hunter Kang Jin-hyun.”

“Did you have a good day?”

It was a conversation far too ordinary to be shared in this bizarre situation. Consequently, Hee-na was flustered and stammered a bit.

“W-Well…”

“The reason I ask is because I have an earnest request to make.”

Just like the sudden greeting, the main point burst out abruptly.

That was it. Kang Jin-hyun was charging forward like an angry bull.

“An earnest request?”

As soon as Hee-na asked, Kang Jin-hyun suddenly knelt on one knee.

Thump!

He had merely let his knee touch the ground, but it made a sound as if the floor were breaking. The force was incredible.

Hee-na took half a step back.

At this, Kang Jin-hyun grabbed Hee-na’s hand as she tried to back away. His hand was extremely hot.

“W-Why are you suddenly doing this?”

When she tried to pull her captured hand away, Kang Jin-hyun pleaded.

“Just a moment. Please give me just a moment of your time.”

“But this is a bit overwhelming…!”

Hee-na looked around with a bewildered expression.

Woo Min-ah, Kang Mok-hyun, and the Guild Leader were all watching Hee-na and Kang Jin-hyun with highly intrigued eyes. Her face turned red on its own.

“Then I will speak to you directly.”

Kang Jin-hyun wore a solemn expression. He looked nervous as his Adam’s apple bobbed. Wetting his mouth, he slowly parted his lips.

“Please manage my life in general. Please become my live-in housekeeper.”

With that, he fumbled inside his coat. A card came out of his breast pocket. Hee-na knew what that was. It was a card key. In other words, a house key.

“Won’t you take responsibility for my future?”

He handed the card key to Hee-na while saying something outrageous.

At the huge leap in logic, Hee-na’s eyes grew as wide as saucers.

To rephrase the request to become a housekeeper as asking her to take responsibility for his future.

‘My goodness.’

In her childhood, she had fantasized about a handsome lover proposing by holding out a Cartier ring. She had thought fantasies were just fantasies, but who would have known she would end up in a situation similar to that?

A man who was handsome and renowned worldwide for his abilities was promising a future while handing over a house key that was hundreds of times more expensive than a Cartier ring!

This was a jackpot far beyond the imaginations of her childhood. If her deceased parents had seen this, they would have slapped her back and told her to grab the opportunity immediately.

However, in the face of this once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck, Hee-na could not help but be cautious.

“……Um, Hunter Kang Jin-hyun.”

“I will entrust you with everything, including myself.”

Kang Jin-hyun, who was considered one of the strongest Hunters in the world, looked at Hee-na with eyes that were more than firm—they were sorrowful. He looked so pitiful that she wanted to hug him right away.

‘Is this the honey trap?’

She thought he was only amazing in terms of physical strength, but his mind games were also incredible. Reproaching herself for almost losing her mind for a moment, Hee-na carefully spoke.

“W-Well…”

“Please say anything. There is nothing I cannot bring before you, Hee-na.”

In the end, Hee-na had no choice but to shout as if she were half-crying.

“No, why do you make the request to become your exclusive housekeeper sound so strange?”

“To the person more important than anyone else, who will take charge of my food, clothing, and shelter, then how on earth should I speak?”

At the exceedingly serious answer, Hee-na could only hold her head.

‘I wanted to live a quiet and ordinary life, but how did I end up getting entangled with someone like this?’

It was then that a *clap-clap* sound of applause was heard.

“Now, that’s enough.”

The Guild Leader stood up from her seat and helped the kneeling Kang Jin-hyun to his feet. Easily pulling up Kang Jin-hyun, who was a span taller than her, showed she was no ordinary person.

Then she stood between Hee-na and Kang Jin-hyun, showing both her palms. She looked like a kindergarten teacher reconciling fighting children.

She first gave Hee-na a good-natured smile.

“Environmental Beautification Team employee Lee Hee-na. You look very flustered, so I will apologize on his behalf.”

Then she whipped her head around and yanked Kang Jin-hyun’s ear. The instant change in her facial expression, as if switching Chinese opera masks, was a bonus.

“You punk! This isn’t a monster hunt. How can you just rush in without even explaining the situation properly?”

“……”

Although Kang Jin-hyun’s ear was being pulled, he did not look particularly pained, though he did look a bit sulky.

‘To be able to handle an S-class Hunter like that. One has to be at least that level to be the leader of the Blue Dragon Guild.’

Hee-na admired the Guild Leader’s spirit.

“Since we’ve enjoyed a good show, how about sitting down and talking now?”

Woo Min-ah raised her hand from behind and suggested. Her face was flushed bright red from how hard she had been holding back her laughter.

“Is the Raid Team Leader joining the talk too?”

The Guild Leader twitched her eyebrows as if surprised.

Despite hearing something close to an eviction order, Woo Min-ah answered with a broad smile. She had incredible cheek.

“It looks like I’m the only one here to take her side, so I should at least be by her side.”

To Hee-na, whose head was spinning from trying to follow the situation, it was like a welcome rain during a drought.

“Unni…”

Hee-na was deeply moved by the friendship forged over meat, but the Guild Leader did not seem particularly impressed by that sight.

“You’re probably joining because it looks fun.”

“Ayy. That’s harsh.”

“Do you think I’ve only known Team Leader Woo Min-ah for a day or two?”

“Anyway, I’m not leaving.”

Woo Min-ah stood her ground with her hands on her hips. Hee-na clung tightly to Woo Min-ah’s side.

“I think it would be better if the Team Leader stayed next to me too.”

Then the Guild Leader shrugged and permitted Woo Min-ah’s attendance.

“Well, if Lee Hee-na is fine with it, I don’t mind having one more person here.”

Meanwhile, Kang Jin-hyun, whose ear was still caught by the Guild Leader, sent a wistful look toward Hee-na.

“……When did you become so close with Hunter Woo Min-ah behind my back?”

His remark received a surprising lack of interest. Even Hee-na ignored that ridiculous nonsense.

“Now. Shall we have a proper talk step-by-step?”

Hee-na sat up straight, facing Kang Jin-hyun, the Guild Leader, and Kang Mok-hyun in turn. For some reason, she felt like she was participating in a high-pressure interview.

“Don’t be nervous. Right now, you hold all the cards.”

Sitting beside her, Woo Min-ah poked her in the ribs and whispered.

“Right… yes.”

Her advice was surprisingly unhelpful.

How could Hee-na, who was a mere ordinary citizen, feel like she held all the cards in front of the executives of the Blue Dragon Guild, the best guild in South Korea? It was impossible unless one possessed tremendous courage.

“My greeting is late. I am Kim Kyu-hee, the Guild Leader of Blue Dragon.”

The Homemaker of the Dungeon