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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Are you serious?”
“Yes, but only if you help me.”
“You need my help? Is there a princess in need of a swordsman?”
Based on his past experiences, Limon offered the most logical explanation. Li Chingwei was an exception.
He couldn’t imagine any other reason for a Seven Dragons princess to seek his help, their sworn enemy.
“No, it’s not exactly your strength that I need…”
Knock, knock.
Li Chingwei, her expression growing even more enigmatic, was about to elaborate when a knock interrupted them.
“Princess, I apologize for the interruption, but there’s something I need to discuss.”
“…What is it?”
“It’s not urgent, but I believe the Sword Saint should be informed.”
“Me?”
Yo Ouin entered the reception room, presenting two photographs.
“Do you recognize these individuals?”
“Huh? Why do you have their pictures?”
“I came across them while investigating Miss Eugene…”
Limon looked at the photographs of the live cafe owner, Mr. Jeong, and PD Kim Seung-jun, puzzled.
Why was Yo Ouin showing him pictures of people he would likely never see again, now that Eugene was gone?
Yo Ouin’s expression turned serious.
“It seems these two individuals are in a rather complicated situation, due to you and Miss Eugene.”
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Mr. Jeong and PD Kim Seung-jun sat in the empty live cafe, their faces grim.
“Senior, have you heard from Eugene?”
“If I had, do you think I’d be sitting here like this?”
“You should have gotten her contact information. It’s basic procedure for part-time employees.”
“You’re one to talk! You introduced her to me! You should have her number!”
“I was going to ask you for it later.”
“You recommended her for the job just so you could get her number?!”
Mr. Jeong glared at Kim Seung-jun, then sighed, his anger deflating.
“Forget it. Yelling at you won’t solve anything.”
He gulped down a glass of water, trying to calm himself. Kim Seung-jun, seeing his distress, averted his gaze, feeling a pang of guilt.
He wasn’t directly responsible, but Mr. Jeong’s current predicament was a result of his introduction.
“What about her friend, that young man? Have you tried contacting him?”
“If I don’t even have her number, do you think I have his?”
“…Good point.”
Mr. Jeong ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.
He needed to talk to Eugene to resolve this situation, but she had disappeared without a word. It was a disaster.
Kim Seung-jun, cautiously observing Mr. Jeong, voiced his suspicions.
“Senior, don’t you think the timing is… suspicious?”
“What timing?”
“That she disappeared right when all this happened. Is it really a coincidence?”
“If it’s not a coincidence, what? You think that guy kidnapped her?”
“Maybe not kidnapped, but he could have done something.”
Mr. Jeong scoffed at Kim Seung-jun’s conspiracy theory.
“He did all this because of her. What would he gain by doing something to her?”
“What if she refused to cooperate with him?”
“Be reasonable. Even if she’s a music-obsessed eccentric, and even if he’s… flawed, he wouldn’t go that far.”
“…Senior, you’re starting to sound like you believe it’s possible.”
“…Is it that obvious?”
“Your eyes are shaking like California during the Great Refinement War.”
“Damn it!”
Mr. Jeong abandoned his pretense of calm, his leg bouncing nervously.
“What do we do? Should we call the police?”
“The police can’t even touch WIM.”
“What about the PAB? The Player Arrest Bureau?”
“They were disbanded recently.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?!”
“Calm down, Senior. We don’t even know for sure if Mr. Moon did anything to her.”
“That’s easy for you to say! You’re not the one in trouble!”
Just as Mr. Jeong, enraged, grabbed Kim Seung-jun by the collar, the cafe door opened.
“We’re closed! Come back later!”
Mr. Jeong, despite his anger, instinctively reverted to his shopkeeper persona, politely dismissing the customer who had ignored the ‘CLOSED’ sign.
He grumbled inwardly about the customer’s rudeness.
“Really? Should we just leave then?”
“…!?”
But the moment he heard the customer’s voice, Mr. Jeong spun around, his previous indifference forgotten. It was the voice he and Kim Seung-jun had been desperately waiting for.
“Lee! Where have you been?!”
Bang!
In his excitement, he slammed Kim Seung-jun headfirst into the floor. Limon, watching the scene unfold, said dryly,
“…If you’re going to commit murder, at least lock the door. It’s awkward for innocent bystanders.”
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“I’m going to sue you! Attempted murder!”
“Come on, it was just a little bump on the head. Hardly attempted murder.”
“You just pile-drived me into the floor!”
“Ahem, things happen when you’re excited.”
“One more ‘excitement’ and you’ll actually kill someone!”
Na-kyung, watching the two bicker, said thoughtfully,
[…I didn’t realize it before, but I feel a strange kinship with PD Kim Seung-jun.]
“Because you both speak without thinking?”
[Is that it?]
As Na-kyung examined the bump on Kim Seung-jun’s head, Limon tapped the table, getting their attention.
“Hey, you two. Nice to see you getting along, but didn’t you have something to tell me?”
“Oh, right!”
“Do you know where Eugene is?”
They finally remembered why they had been waiting for him, their faces a mixture of worry, hope, anxiety, and anticipation.
Limon, after a moment of silence, said,
“She went to America.”
“What?”
“America? Why would she go to America?!”
“She was always a wanderer. Time for her to move on, I guess.”
He didn’t tell them that she was a criminal, that he had killed her. It wouldn’t do them any good to know.
“Oh my god.”
“Of all the times for her to disappear…”
His words were enough to crush their hopes. Their faces fell.
Limon asked calmly,
“Why? Is it a big deal if she’s gone?”
“It’s not just a big deal. It’s a disaster.”
Kim Seung-jun sighed, about to explain, when another visitor arrived.
“Hey, Boss! How’s business?”
Moon Cheon-yeop, wearing sunglasses, burst into the cafe, laughing loudly. He surveyed the empty room, then feigned surprise at seeing Limon.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Lee. I’ve been looking all over for you. Fancy meeting you here.”
‘“Fancy meeting you here,” my ass.’
Kim Seung-jun grumbled inwardly. Moon Cheon-yeop had been harassing them for days, looking for Limon and Eugene.
Limon, his expression unchanged, looked at Moon Cheon-yeop.
“You were looking for me? Why?”
“Oh, just a little something I wanted to deliver.”
Moon Cheon-yeop eagerly pulled an envelope from his briefcase.
“A lawsuit.”
“…”
“It’s still being processed, but it’s just a formality. Thought you should start looking for a lawyer.”
He presented the lawsuit as casually as if it were a wedding invitation. But Limon, instead of being surprised or angry, simply asked coldly,
“I don’t recall doing anything worthy of a lawsuit.”
It was true.
The only thing he, as ‘Lee,’ had done was play music with a murderous Specter of the Liberation Brigade. The treason and hostage-taking were all Limon Asphelder’s doing.
Moon Cheon-yeop said, feigning sympathy,
“Unfortunately, we received a report that the original song you and Eugene performed is remarkably similar to a song registered by our exclusive composer.”
“You’re saying we plagiarized your song?”
“Careful with your words, Mr. Lee. That’s a serious accusation for a musician.”
He avoided explicitly stating who had copied whom, glancing at Mr. Jeong.
“Of course, we could overlook it if it wasn’t used commercially, but Eugene performed it here and received payment.”
“That was just her part-time wage, not a performance fee!”
“Don’t be absurd. You paid her for performing, but it wasn’t a performance fee? Does that even make sense?”
“Ugh…”
Mr. Jeong groaned.
He had agreed to Eugene’s strange terms because she hated earning money from her music, but it was a ridiculous argument.
“Of course, I’m sure you weren’t aware of this, Mr. Jeong, but please cooperate with the investigation. You wouldn’t want to be accused of tax evasion.”
‘You bastard! You’re the one who spread that rumor!’
Mr. Jeong swallowed his words.
“And you should be careful too, PD Kim. It wouldn’t look good if it got out that you tried to feature a plagiarizing musician on your new program.”
‘You son of a…!’
Kim Seung-jun, also a victim of Moon Cheon-yeop’s smear campaign, cursed inwardly. But they couldn’t confront him.
He would simply deny everything, and the pressure on them would only intensify. He had the backing of WIM, and by extension, the Midas Guild. He was a high-level player, a being beyond their reach.
Moon Cheon-yeop, satisfied with having intimidated them, turned to Limon, a smug smile on his face.
“It’s a shame. If you and Eugene had signed with our guild, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”
Limon, who had been watching silently, arms crossed, finally spoke, his voice languid and dangerous.
“…So, you’re saying I should beg for mercy?”
“Of course not. I’m just saying there might be a… better way to resolve this.”
The ‘better way’ was for Limon and Eugene to sign a contract with WIM. And if they chose the ‘worse way,’ things would get very unpleasant for them, and for Mr. Jeong and Kim Seung-jun as well.
He spoke with the arrogant confidence of someone who expected no resistance.
Limon stared at him for a moment, then said softly,
“Hey.”
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