Chapter 275

Kim Olim refused at first–she didn’t think she should intervene in their matters.

However, Ryu Hyerin knew that Kim Olim was particularly ‘sympathetic’ towards her. Before, she didn’t often hang around with the Paladin because she didn’t like the pitying yet considerate gaze. However, this week, she bothered the paladin constantly.

Ryu Hyerin had even bought a diet potion and starved for several days. She felt even happier when she saw Kim Olim’s nervous expression–as if the paladin was worried that she’d waste away.

In the end, Kim Olim surrendered. Ryu Hyerin didn’t need to do anything; the paladin acquiesced after looking at the recovery band on her wrist. With a furious expression, Kim Olim dragged her into the meeting room. “Ryu Hyerin, are you even eating nowadays?”

“……”

“What happened to your wrist?”

Ryu Hyerin pulled down her sleeves without answering, acting as if she wanted to hide her shame. Kim Olim opened her mouth–fully ready to explode–before trying to calm down. She adopted a soothing tone, as if she were trying to persuade a disobedient younger sister. “Seo Dawon is really inappropriate for your first relationship. Even if you didn’t confess…Seo Dawon must have known. If he wanted to date you, he would have confessed to you the moment he noticed your feelings. That man moves fast.”

“……”

“However, he would have pretended not to notice your feelings. What do you think that means?”

Ryu Hyerin answered quietly in a placid voice, head lowered. “Enough…”

Then, she wriggled her arms to get out of Kim Olim’s hold. Of course, the paladin didn’t let her go; Kim Olim shouted, frustrated, “Hyerin-ah, why are you acting so silly? You’ll be embarrassed about this stubbornness in a few years. In the future, you’ll meet a man way more amazing than Seo Dawon…!”

“I’ve never gotten what I’ve wanted, Olim-unni.” Ryu Hyerin said, cutting off the Paladin’s words calmly. She felt genuinely depressed as she confessed that. At the same time, that outpour of emotions was fortunate since she could now shed tears without much difficulty. Ryu Hyerin felt really, really sorry for herself–enough to make herself cry.

At that sight, Kim Olim, though she still adopted a stern expression, rushed to give the Priest a handkerchief. Ryu Hyerin leaned her head away and rejected that helping hand. She would look more pitiful, after all, if the tears kept flowing.

After sighing deeply, Ryu Hyerin continued in a mournful voice, “Nobody wants me either…”

“No, it’s just Seo Dawon that doesn’t want you; there are many people that want and care for you.”

“My heart won’t fill up with anyone else.”

“……”

“Unni has always gotten whatever she wanted. There’s nothing that hasn’t fallen into your hands, right? So, I’m sure you won’t understand me, but…”

“……”

“I don’t need anything else–I only want Dawon-oppa.”

Kim Olim looked down at Ryu Hyerin with a shocked expression. However, her perplexed expression–as if she was looking at something incomprehensible–quickly dispersed. The paladin carefully wiped away Ryu Hyerin’s tears and exhaled deeply, “I can try engineering a meeting between you two.”

“……”

Kim Olim continued in a dejected voice, “But, if Seo Dawon doesn’t like someone…That’s not an issue I can change.” She had to draw a line somewhere.

“I understand.”

“In fact, Seo Dawon may act worse in order to discourage you.”

“That’s fine.” Ryu Hyerin wanted to laugh now that her plan was finally being implemented.

However, Kim Olim looked at her and continued in a calm tone, “You’ll come to regret this request someday.”

“…….”

“Hyerin-ah. You aren’t supposed to… sway and exert your force on people like this. I can’t break your stubbornness now, but…”

The Priest flinched at the cold tone and looked up; she met Kim Olim’s deeply worried eyes. She almost retreated a step. The paladin’s deep, dignified eyes–which the Priest had always been uncomfortable with–penetrated her to her core.

“You can’t do something like this next time,” Kim Olim said.

“……” She couldn’t say anything, but Kim Olim calmly turned her back after that last remark.

The Priest was filled with a strange, anxious feeling, so she grabbed Kim Olim’s arm inadvertently. However, the Priest couldn’t say anything once she grabbed the other’s arm; Kim Olim simply stared at the Priest before patting her on the head as if to reassure her.

“Yes, well…I’ll make an appointment for the weekend. In the meantime, don’t skip your meals…”

“……”

“And don’t do anything stupid.” After such generous appeasement, Kim Olim slowly left the meeting room. Ryu Hyerin stood still until her unni turned the corner and completely disappeared from view.

Her plan was successful, but she still felt rather sour. Ryu Hyerin often thought that Kim Olim treated her like a fool, but she couldn’t even entertain those thoughts today.

Even though she had succeeded in deceiving the Paladin, she couldn’t even sneer at the woman or be confident in her victory.

* * *

“I didn’t know Hyerin-ie was invited as well.” Seo Dawon said after a short silence, a few days later, as Ryu Hyerin arrived inside the appointed meeting room.

Rather than talking to Ryu Hyerin, his tone contained an odd nuance directed at Kim Olim, who sat next to the Priest. It seemed like he was rebuking the Paladin, ‘I didn’t think you would force me to be in this sort of position.’

Sure enough, that nuance didn’t escape her notice; Kim Olim glanced towards Ryu Hyerin and nodded, “I’ve been a bit nosy today. However, you’ve promised to give me two full hours, so please honor your words.”

“….Hmmm. Alright.” Seo Dawon smiled almost incomprehensibly and nodded.

Only then was Ryu Hyerin able to escape his gaze, which made her feel lacking, and sat down in her seat. Soon afterwards, Kim Olim sighed and stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

“You’re only going to snack on the appetizer and leave?”

“I said I’m coming back.”

Seo Dawon joked around with a wistful look, yet his words to the parting Kim Olim still had some bite. “Fine, come back later. It’s quite delicious here.” [/efn_note] delicious is, of course, referring to drama. Alongside the food that they’re eating. Popcorn is always tastier when flavored with drama. [/efn_note]

“……” Kim Olim opened the door and left without answering. Ryu Hyerin calmly raised her head after hearing the door close behind her.

Seo Dawon stared at her, as if he were seeing her for the first time in his life. “How did you persuade Olim? She’s not the type of person to engineer a situation like this.” He smiled as he spoke, but his words went straight to the point. Instead of answering, Ryu Hyerin blinked and took a sip of the soup–smooth and delicious–in front of her.

Seo Dawon waited for her to empty the whole bowl of soup. Ryu Hyerin, after supplying enough food to her starving body, wiped her mouth daintily with a napkin.

Then, she raised her head; Seo Dawon wasn’t even looking at her–he was checking something on his cellphone. However, sensing her stare, he asked again without raising his head. “So, what did you want to tell me?”

“I wanted to ask why you rejected me earlier.”

Seo Dawon sighed silently and placed down his cell phone. Then, he looked at her. It felt as if he were asking, ‘Are you really asking something pathetic like this?’ But, since she was waiting for a response, he answered without delay, “It’s because I’m not attracted to you.”

“You knew I liked you, though, correct?”

“And?”

“Have you never considered it? Why? Is it because I’m young? Or because I have no money?”

Seo Dawon seemed a little speechless at those words; after reading the seriousness in her eyes, he leaned back languidly against his chair. Then, he calmly replied, “Money…Haah… I don’t think you’ll understand even if I explain.”

“……”

“Still, that’s not the reason.”

“Then?”

“Because you aren’t fun.”

Ryu Hyerin bit her lips. However, Seo Dawon continued to speak, not even hesitating after seeing her expression, “You treat my words like gospel.”

“I…”

“I want to converse and get to know people better…isn’t that how one begins to like another? That’s how I choose who to date.”

“……”

“There’s not much I particularly want to know about you.”

Ryu Hyerin wasn’t convinced by the Mage’s words.

He’s only ever been with successful women–what’s the point of trying to hide his snobbish side now? She couldn’t see the difference between what she said and what he said.

‘He always smiles when talking with me. He had fun as well. How could he go and say that it’s a matter of personality differences now?!’

Become a Patron!

TL: The audacity of it all! Did she just really say that Kim Olim never went through any hardships? Who knows if it’s true or not, but that’s very self-centered to say.

And, because Ryu Hyerin never properly learned the inherent worth of human life (and how not to judge them for how useful they’d be to others), she just can’t understand what Seo Dawon is saying.