The Second Coming of Gluttony - Chapter 233

Chapter 233

Chapter 233

That night, a small party was held in Carpe Diem’s office to celebrate Kim Hannah joining the team .

“I’m paying so drink to your hearts’ content . ”

Chohong simpered, raising a bottle of booze into the air .

Thinking that she had escaped from Seol Jihu’s evil clutches, she had planned this event herself .

The team members reacted positively with cheers .

No matter how rich one was, free food and drinks were always the tastiest .

Everyone ate and drank merrily as a huge drinking party broke out .

Surprisingly, Kim Hannah didn’t reject Chohong’s goodwill .

No, never mind rejecting it, she was partying in high spirits, getting along with everyone . Her usual formal attitude was nowhere to be seen .

“Well, this is unexpected . I thought you’d hate parties like this . ”

When Seol Jihu struck up a conversation, the red-nosed Kim Hannah took her mouth off a bottle of liquor .

“Company get-togethers are an extended business duty . But here, they went out of their way to throw a party for me, so what would they think if I skipped it?”

Kim Hannah said it was important to participate in such parties to maintain a good relationship with one’s colleagues .

This aspect of her really showed how she became the chief of a large conglomerate like Sinyoung when she wasn’t even 30 yet .

It was then .

Just as the atmosphere was ripening, a light knock was heard from the door .

The clamor of the party made it hard to hear, but Phi Sora, who was near the door, heard it clearly .

“It looks like someone’s here . Who is it? Come in!”

The door clicked open, and a beautiful woman appeared behind it .

Everyone’s eyes widened .

Because Seo Yuhui was standing there with a backpack on her back, a sack in each of her hands, and a sack hanging over her shoulder .

Seo Yuhui walked in groaning before seeing the drinking party and widening her eyes in surprise .

“Oh, um… hello . ”

Jang Maldong was thrown into confusion with a vegetable pancake in his mouth .

The attention must have embarrassed Seo Yuhui as she blushed . She put down her baggage carefully and spoke .

“Um… Jihu told me to come…”

Hearing this, one or two people looked back and forth at each other and nodded their heads .

It wasn’t as if the team wasn’t acquainted with her . Given Seol Jihu’s personality, it was likely that he called her over to party together .

But why did she bring all those bags?

Did she bring food?

At that moment, Seol Jihu, who had offered her to join Carpe Diem, shot up from his seat .

“Noona, does this mean that you’re…!”

Seo Yuhui smiled bashfully as she tucked her hair behind her ear .

“Yeah…”

Her following words delivered an explosive shock .

“I thought hard about it… and I decided to rely on Carpe Diem for a bit…”

Silence instantly descended in the office .

“PFFFFT!”

Kim Hannah spat out a mouthful of liquor a beat later, and Marcel Ghionea hiccuped . The vegetable pancake in Jang Maldong’s mouth dropped to the floor .

“Welcome!”

Only Seol Jihu ran forward and welcomed her with open arms .

“Come in, hurry . Aii, it’s okay . You came at the perfect time . ”

Once he took the lead and grabbed her bags, she walked in modestly .

Just like that, Kim Hannah’s welcoming party also became a place to introduce Seo Yuhui .

Only after a huge ruckus were the other members of Carpe Diem able to face reality head-on .

“No way… Really? You’re really joining us?”

“This is insane . I really hit the jackpot entering this team . With the Daughter of Luxuria here, a bright future is practically guaranteed . ”

Chohong muttered in a daze, while Phi Sora laughed in disbelief .

With many people muttering to themselves, Seol Jihu noticed an empty hope and spoke up to clarify the situation .

“No, that’s not it . ”

He drew the line from the get-go . That way, there wouldn’t be any complaints later .

“Yuhui Noona won’t be participating in any outside activities in Carpe Diem . She’s going to focus on recovery, and I’m going to help her as much as I can . That was the condition for her joining in the first place . ”

Seo Yuhui nodded as people glanced at her to ask for confirmation .

“…Yes . ”

It was an open secret that Seo Yuhui had lost most of her ability as a Priest . Simply put, she currently owed a huge debt because she forcefully drew in all of the divine power that could be used in the future .

While she had recovered a little from constantly praying and using the offerings Seol Jihu brought, she still had a long way to go .

The restriction placed on her ability might be resolved through steady recovery, but that didn’t change the fact that she was indebted .

And this debt would only increase every time she used a spell .

As such, the best method was to not use any skill until she fully paid off the divine power she borrowed .

“What Jihu said was still on my mind… so I shamelessly decided to come . I’ll do my best not to disrupt everyone’s activities . Please take care of me . ”

Seo Yuhui bowed with an apologetic look .

A hint of disappointment flashed across a few members’ faces, but no one opened their mouths carelessly .

They knew she lost her abilities because of Seol Jihu, their leader, so how could they say anything?

Moreover, it was obvious that saying something like, ‘Eii~ so she’s here to do nothing,’ would only make Jang Maldong yell and Seol Jihu resent them .

Jang Maldong hurried up a moment later .

“Welcome! Aigoo, thank you for coming . Think of this place as your own and make yourself at home . Jihu, well done!”

He made a fuss, which was unlike his usual self .

Regardless of whether Seo Yuhui was officially joining or simply staying, her coming here was a huge shock to Jang Maldong .

Plus, Carpe Diem wouldn’t be taking a loss even if Seo Yuhui did absolutely nothing . Even though her abilities were sealed, what the name ‘Seo Yuhui’ symbolized in Paradise was undeniable .

Although she had worked in temporary teams she formed, this was the first time the Daughter of Luxuria was choosing to be affiliated with a team .

Just this fact alone was enough to gather the public’s attention . And they would inevitably gain hard-to-measure benefits as well .

For example…

“…Hey . ”

Kim Hannah called the happily grinning Seol Jihu .

“Have you sent the documents yet?”

Seol Jihu went “Ah . ”

He had planned to do so in the morning but forgot about it after teasing Chohong .

“I forgot…”

Seol Jihu took out an envelope from his pocket and glanced at Kim Hannah . He expected her to immediately yell at him…

“Good job!”

But she surprisingly praised him before snatching the envelope out of his hand .

“Cheat keys! You have three cheat keys!”

Babbling on about things he couldn’t understand, she shot up from her seat .

Seol Jihu stared blankly as Kim Hannah ran into her room, saying she would add just one line before hurrying back .

Meanwhile…

“Ah… no… fuck, why…”

Chohong was wallowing in despair with her hands pressing down on her forehead .

*

“Come eat . ”

When the next morning dawned, Seo Yuhui woke everyone up with a kind voice .

But she smiled bitterly in the next moment as she felt someone sneaking a secret glance at her .

Although a day had passed by, yesterday’s shock had not fully vanished .

It couldn’t be helped .

What happened was the same as a world-class celebrity coming to live in an ordinary middle-class household .

Seol Jihu, who was responsible for inviting her, was sitting on the couch, smiling gleefully at Seo Yuhui .

Seo Yuhui must have felt his gaze as she returned a gentle smile .

“Why are you smiling, my Jihu?”

“Nothing . ”

“Hmm?”

“Just that, I like it . ”

Seol Jihu replied while swaying side to side . Even his legs were swinging front and back . He was clearly on the brink of dying from happiness .

“Are you that happy that I came?”

Seo Yuhui giggled and lightly pinched Seol Jihu’s cheek .

“Let’s go . You gotta eat before the food goes cold . ”

“Okay . ”

“What do you want for lunch? I can make anything . Just let me know . ”

“No . ”

Seol Jihu suddenly grabbed Seo Yuhui’s hands .

“You don’t have to cook . I didn’t call you over so you could make meals for us . ”

He looked up at her and spoke with a thoughtful gaze .

“Noona, you don’t have to worry about anything during your time here . And just tell me if you need anything . ”

“Oh, really? I’m happy to hear that . ”

“Of course!”

Seol Jihu wasn’t saying this for show .

His third Level of Cognition was the Golden Rule .

Seol Jihu was devoted to paying back the kindness she showed him .

Right, his intentions were good… but the problem was with his method .

“If you want, I can even pluck the stars and the moon in the sky and give them to you . From now on, I won’t let you dirty your hands at all . ”

A flustered look flashed past Seo Yuhui’s smiling face .

“Y-Yeah . I’m happy you would go that far for me . ”

“It’s true . I’m being sincere . ”

“R-Right . But Jihu, do you know what that means…?”[1]

“Sure, I do! Anyway, I won’t let anyone lay even a single finger on you . Not even the Parasite Queen . ”

When Seol Jihu brazenly revealed his intentions, Seo Yuhui gave him a renewed look . She smiled from happiness and an unknown sense of reminiscence .

‘Jeez…’

“Jihu . ”

“Yes?”

“Come here . ”

In the end, Seo Yuhui could no longer hold back and embraced Seol Jihu .

“You talk so kindly and have a good heart… What a shame!”

Rubbing her cheek against Seol Jihu’s head, she showed a blissful expression .

Seol Jihu was happy too, though he couldn’t understand what was a shame .

It was then .

Kiik— Kim Hannah, who came back from her morning workout, froze as soon as she stepped into the office .

“…The hell?”

Seo Yuhui babying Seol Jihu .

He was really receiving a king’s treatment when he was nothing .

Cold air seeped in from the gap in the open door, making her sides chilly .

“What are you doing now… really…”

Muttering as if she was talking to herself, she snorted and trudged past them .

For the record, Kim Hannah was a 28-year-old bachelorette with no previous dating experience .

For some reason, she was suddenly reminded of her mother, who naggingly kept asking her when she was going to get married because her younger sister got herself a nice man .

Kim Hannah’s grievances only became deeper today .

*

After sending the newly written documents via a messenger, a reply came back exactly ten days later .

The sender was the Eva Royal Administrator, Sorg Kühne .

Seol Jihu carefully took off the seal of the envelope like a student opening up his SAT scores .

The letter was written in a refined handwriting and tone . Although it was a rather lengthy letter, the content could be summarized as a definitive ‘Yes’ .

Along with the words ‘Welcome to Eva!’, the letter contained a postscript expressing their wish to meet Carpe Diem personally . They even asked what time would work best for their visit .

Seol Jihu clenched his fists .

The normal course of action would be to exchange a few more letters before setting a date for a meeting, so Kim Hannah was surprised that they received such a response on their first communication .

It was clear that Eva was just as interested in their move .

As this didn’t seem like a bad thing no matter how he thought about it, Seol Jihu copied down a reply Kim Hannah came up with .

The gist was that they were free to visit whenever they wanted .

And a few days later, something even more surprising happened .

Eva sent a reply, which, on top of them visiting as soon as possible, said Sorg Kühne would personally come .

The royal administrator in charge of overseeing the Eva Royal Palace had revealed his intentions to visit .

“Wow… Usually, even at the land purchasing step, you only have a small chance of meeting the royal administrator… . ”

Kim Hannah emphasized that a high-ranking official like the royal administrator usually only received reports from his underlings . Then, she read the letter again and again .

“Cheat key!”

In the end, she shot her hands up in the air and shouted .

Seol Jihu laughed inwardly .

*

The day of the meeting dawned .

All members of Carpe Diem worked busily for this day . They cleaned every nook and cranny of the office, aired out the smell of booze from the walls, and soldered up any cracks .

They did everything they could to make the place clean and professional .

And just to be safe, Seol Jihu began a final inspection while Kim Hannah went out to greet Eva’s royal administrator .

“Oi, Eggy . ”

When he called the round guy busy nibbling on rice, the egg paused and turned about 45 degrees backward .

“We have an important guest coming over today . Stay quiet, okay? Eating until you’re full and sleeping is your work anyways, right?”

Seol Jihu requested earnestly while picking off a grain of rice stuck on the egg’s surface .

The egg went back to eating as if nothing happened .

“Hey, at least give me a reply… ah, you don’t have a mouth . ”

Seol Jihu sighed and poked the egg that was busy eating .

The egg flinched and bounced angrily .

“Oh, I guess you can reply that way . ”

Seol Jihu opened his mouth as if he just came up with a good idea .

“Okay, bounce once to say yes . Bounce 5,000 times to say no . ”

Bounce…!?

The egg paused in the middle of bouncing .

“You bastard, you tried to say no, didn’t you?”

After gently tickling the surface of the egg, Seol Jihu clasped his hands together and pleaded .

“Anyway, please! They’re going to jump out of their seats in shock if you suddenly come out and bounce around the room . ”

The egg turned to the side as if it was sulking .

Then, it went back to eating .

“Don’t forget what I just told you! If you do as you please, I’ll turn you into a fried egg and eat you . ”

After threatening it severely, Seol Jihu sat down on the couch and waited for Kim Hannah to return with the rest of the team .

And about ten minutes later, the door opened along with a chatter .

“It’s a bit shabby, but please come in . ”

“Mm . ”

A man followed Kim Hannah inside .

Seol Jihu stood up from the couch and got a better look at him .

He had an average height of about 175 centimeters . Most of his central hair had receded, making him look rather bald .

‘He’s… maybe in his 50s or 60s?’

Although his body was covered with a gown, the wrinkles on his face proved that he wasn’t young . Moreover, the hair on his temple was laced with strands of white hair, and the way they protruded up reminded him of Tekken’s Heihachi .

‘This person is…’

Eva’s royal administrator, Sorg Kühne .

His glasses and the way he walked in with imposing steps made him look like an uptight old man . At least, that was the impression he gave Seol Jihu .

But he suddenly paused his steps and bowed toward Jang Maldong respectfully .

“I heard that you retired… I’m glad you chose to come back . ”

An aged voice rang out .

“That’s old news . Thank you for coming all the way out here . ”

Jang Maldong also replied with a smile . Next, when Seo Yuhui got up saying she would bring some tea, the royal administrator also bowed to her .

“Long time no see, Lady Seo Yuhui . ”

“Yes . Is the queen healthy?”

Seo Yuhui replied with a gentle smile .

“She is . In fact, she’s a little too energetic… anyway, I doubted my eyes when I saw the documents . I never even imagined the Daughter of Luxuria’s name would be written there…”

“I have my reasons, fufu . ”

“I heard the news . I don’t know what to say…”

“It’s fine . I’ve been very happy recently . Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise . ”

“I’m relieved to hear that you’re doing well . ”

Seol Jihu stared at the courteously talking royal administrator with curious eyes .

Sorg Kühne seemed very uptight from his first impression, but it seemed you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover .

As Seol Jihu activated his Nine Eyes out of curiosity, the royal administrator turned his gaze . Sorg Kühne instantly put on a stern expression before opening his mouth .

“Nice to meet you . The name’s Sorg Kühne . ”

He sounded rather brusque .

“Welcome! Thank you for coming all the way here . ”

“Not at all . It was most definitely worth the long trip . ”

Next, Seol Jihu guided Sorg Kühne to a seat .

“Here, have some tea . ”

Seo Yuhui handed him tea that she personally brewed .

Sorg Kühne accepted it with thanks, but he didn’t drink it . He placed the cup on the table and pushed it slightly to the side .

“First… there are a few things I want to confirm . ”

He spoke while taking out a few documents from his pocket .

He cut straight to the point . Sorg Kühne, who was staring at the documents fixedly, suddenly glanced to the side .

“Are you the Earthling called Phi Sora who was previously the ace of White Rose?”

“Yes, I am . ”

Phi Sora replied apathetically . She didn’t seem all that happy about him bringing up old news .

But when Kim Hannah sent her a sharp glare, she put on a beautiful smile .

“Yes~ I am~”

“Hmm… then the lady next to you must be the Priest Warrior, Chung Chohong . ”

“A Templar, to be exact . I’m not a fan of the phrase ‘Priest Warrior’ . It just doesn’t sound right . ”

Chohong retorted while crossing her arms .

“My apologies . ”

Sorg Kühne replied calmly, then moved his gaze again .

Hugo sat straight with a nervous expression, but Sorg Kühne’s eyes brushed past him .

“And you must be the Archer of Steel…”

“Marcel Ghionea . ”

“Mm . I have a question for you . I heard several organizations have reached out to recruit you after your return . What is the reason you refused all of them and joined Carpe Diem?”

“I have two reasons . ”

It was a sudden question, but Marcel Ghionea replied smoothly .

“The first is because Leader Seol Jihu saved my life . The second is because he can grant my wish . ”

“Wish?”

Marcel Ghionea closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes .

“…To thoroughly destroy Vulgar Chastity . ”

“Ah, photon magic’s Marika Larisa… . I understand . Thank you for telling me . ”

Sorg Kühne moved on right away . It seemed he understood Marcel Ghionea’s reasoning perfectly .

Seeing the royal administrator slowly flipping through the documents, Seol Jihu finally realized .

That the evaluation had already begun .

1 . The above phrase is usually used by a devoted husband to his wife .

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