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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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After a long silence, pressing his fingers to his temples as if nursing a headache, Limon finally spoke.
“So, you’re saying I’ve been chosen as the White Dragon Princess’s consort?”
“Yes.”
“…Should I be honored?”
“That’s up to you, isn’t it?”
Li Chingwei gave a wry smile. Na-kyung chirped in disbelief.
[Not satisfied with one of the richest women in the world, you’ve now been proposed to by two? I never knew you were such a lady-killer, Team Leader.]
“Are you mocking me?”
Limon frowned and asked Li Chingwei,
“Why does she want to marry me? I’ve never even met her.”
“About that… after hearing her story, it seems you have met.”
“What are you talking about?”
Limon looked puzzled.
He listened to Ainsha’s explanation, how she had secretly gone to the Music Challenge studio and been rescued by a black-haired young man, and his jaw dropped.
“…You’re saying the person I saved was the White Dragon Princess?”
“Yes. Didn’t you realize?”
“If I had realized, do you think I would have helped her? I would have ignored her even if bullets were flying, not just a camera!”
[Even if you say so, isn’t that a bit much?]
“What’s so much about it? If she had gotten even a scratch from that camera, I would have eaten my hat.”
Any competent Seven Dragons warrior would have been able to block or dodge that camera. Let alone the White Dragon Princess.
Despite her delicate appearance, the seven princesses were the strongest warriors of the Seven Dragons Association. They were inherently different from ordinary humans.
“Damn it, no wonder something felt off…!”
Limon finally understood the source of his unease. It was Ainsha.
He had subconsciously sensed something amiss from her calm demeanor as she watched the camera fly towards her, despite her bundled-up appearance.
He had dismissed it as her being in shock at the time. But he had been mistaken. She had been calm because she hadn’t felt any danger.
[So, you’re saying Team Leader saved the White Dragon Princess, and she fell in love at first sight?]
“Whether she was actually in danger or not, it’s natural to develop feelings for someone who saves you in such a situation.”
[What a coincidence.]
Na-kyung was dubious.
If Ainsha hadn’t secretly gone to the studio, if the accident hadn’t happened, and if Limon hadn’t been there, this whole thing would have been a simple anecdote.
Limon scoffed at her words.
“Coincidence my ass. Do you think coincidences happen to the White Dragon Clan?”
[What do you mean?]
“It means those fools did something foolish again.”
[What?]
Limon ignored Na-kyung’s confusion and frowned at Li Chingwei.
“What are we going to do now?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.”
Even Li Chingwei, who usually maintained a calm demeanor, looked genuinely troubled.
“Ainsha is a bit eccentric, but I never imagined she would propose to someone she just met.”
“I know a princess who proposed the moment she saw me.”
“Come to think of it, it’s not that uncommon.”
“That’s a very persuasive argument.”
Limon gave her a wry look, remembering how she had proposed to him upon their first meeting. Li Chingwei asked him seriously,
“Sword Saint, just to confirm, you have no intention of accepting Ainsha’s proposal, right?”
“…Do you think that’s an appropriate question for a fiancée to ask her fiancé?”
“I’m still your fiancée.”
Li Chingwei pointed out calmly.
They were engaged, but not yet married. Limon still had the option of breaking off the engagement and choosing Ainsha.
“Besides, I promised you before we got engaged, didn’t I? You’re free to see other women.”
Their engagement was a political alliance. If the alliance could be maintained, there was no need to force a marriage.
Limon stared at her for a moment, then sighed and flicked her forehead.
Flick!
“…?!”
“Princess, haven’t you forgotten something important?”
Limon said coldly to Li Chingwei, who looked surprised from the sudden flick.
“I swore on my sword that I would never abandon you. If I break off the engagement now, what kind of Sword Master am I? A Son of a Bitch Master.”
“But…”
“Besides, I already warned you.”
Limon cut her off, staring at her with his golden eyes.
“You’re already mine.”
He wouldn’t let go of what he had already claimed. She had no freedom to escape. He shattered her composure with his ruthless words, then smirked.
“Besides, the White Dragon Princess proposed to my fake identity. Do you think she would still want to marry me if she knew who I really was?”
“…Indeed, you’re right.”
Limon continued nonchalantly, saying that she would run to the ends of the earth if she saw his real face. Li Chingwei stared at him for a moment, then chuckled and nodded.
[Excuse me, lovebirds? It’s nice that you’re so affectionate, but can we get back to the topic at hand?]
“I wasn’t being affectionate.”
“We were just discussing what’s necessary.”
[Sure you were.]
Na-kyung grumbled, glaring at them. Whether it was because of her remark or Limon’s flick, Li Chingwei started to consider alternatives.
“Well, if you have no intention of accepting her proposal, we’ll have to find another way.”
“Like what?”
Ainsha’s condition was cooperation with the marriage.
How could they secure the White Dragon Clan’s cooperation while ignoring that condition? Limon looked at her, puzzled.
Li Chingwei smiled sweetly.
“How about getting married and then divorced?”
“…What?”
“Ainsha only asked for cooperation with the marriage. You could marry her, get divorced, and then remarry me.”
“Are you trying to start a war with the White Dragon Clan?”
“If you don’t like that idea, how about the kept man strategy?”
“Kept… what?”
“You seduce Ainsha and secure her cooperation without actually marrying her. It’s surprisingly effective.”
“…”
Limon stared at her, dumbfounded by her outlandish suggestions.
Na-kyung asked dubiously,
[…Princess, do you have some sort of grudge against the White Dragon Princess?]
“Ainsha is my favorite among the princesses.”
[You mean as a friend, right? Not as an easy target or a pushover?]
“Of course not.”
[Why won’t you just say yes or no?!]
Li Chingwei, her best strategies rejected by Limon and Na-kyung, thought for a moment, then offered a more reasonable compromise.
“Then how about this?”
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While Limon was struggling with this unexpected problem, the popularity of Music Challenge continued to soar. There were two reasons for this.
First, Limon’s performance was made available to the public for free.
Second, a prize was offered for anyone who could sing along to the challenge song.
“Level, skills, age, occupation, nationality!”
“This event is open to everyone!”
“Just record a video of yourself singing along to the challenge song and send it to us!”
“We’ll randomly select 100 participants and award them 10 million won each!”
“And the ten best singers will receive 100 million won and a chance to participate in the finals for the grand prize of 100 billion won!”
“Challenge yourself!”
“Music~ Challenge!”
This was Kim Seung-jun’s desperate attempt to salvage the situation.
The original contestants had withdrawn, and the future of the program was uncertain due to the broadcasting accident.
He had gambled on a prize money strategy to create a breakthrough. It was a simple, albeit expensive, tactic, but it worked surprisingly well.
People of all ages and backgrounds, motivated by money, curiosity, friendly competition, spite, pride, or simply the captivating music, attempted to sing the Ghost Song.
Ultimately, no one succeeded. Most were overwhelmed by the enchanting music and couldn’t even open their mouths.
Those who managed to sing were overcome by self-doubt and gave up midway.
However, the more people failed, the more people challenged themselves, and the Ghost Song spread like wildfire. It became a trend to attempt the Ghost Song.
Naturally, Music Challenge, the origin of the trend, gained popularity, becoming a sensation in the broadcasting world.
But every light casts a shadow. As Music Challenge gained popularity, there were those who suffered.
“What?!”
“No, that’s ridiculous…!”
“Branch Manager, Branch Manager?!”
Click-
Moon Cheon-yeop was devastated. He had invested everything in building connections with the Midas Guild Branch Manager. And thanks to those connections, he had been able to act as the power behind WIM.
But now, those connections were severed. Just because he had a “complicated relationship” with the creators of some Music Challenge program!
“Son of a bitch!”
Crash!
Moon Cheon-yeop threw his smartphone. It was absurd for the Midas Branch Manager to abandon him just because a song from a broadcast program became popular.
Someone was clearly working behind the scenes. And he knew exactly who it was.
“That bitch, the Guild Leader! She teamed up with those bastards to screw me over?!”
Moon Cheon-yeop was furious.
At Yeonhwa, who had stolen his connections, at Kim Seung-jun, who had created the program, and at Limon, who had beaten him to a pulp. If Claire hadn’t called for a healer, he would still be groaning in the hospital.
“Just you wait, you bastards!”
Moon Cheon-yeop rummaged through his business card holder. His connections, built through Claire, weren’t limited to Midas.
He had connections in politics, various guilds, and even some dangerous, underground organizations, all thanks to Claire’s fans.
He pulled out a business card hidden deep within his card holder, his eyes glinting with malice.
“You’ll regret messing with me!”
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