CH 9

It was then. The moment I looked at Lee Jehee with a frown and spat out a swear word, an ominous red window came to mind. 

[Warning: ‘Be Loved’ is -1 because the master is upset] 

[Warning: Since the status of the ‘Be Loved’  skill has become negative, the status effect ‘Melancholy’ is given.] 

I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders in an instant, and the energy in my body drained. I looked at Lee Jehee, blinked my eyes, and felt a sudden surge of melancholy. Lee Jehee, who caught my sight, shook his hand once as if removing his status window from the air, folded his eyes finely, and smiled.

Damn it, I’m really fucked up.

Is the reason I’m about to cry right now is because of the status effects this ring has given me or is it my honest feelings? 

“My master is pretty even when he smiles.”

Lee Jehee bursts into laughter as I forcibly raise my thumb. 

And that moment.

[The Master’s mood improves, giving you +1 to ‘Be Loved’] 

[Because the status of the ‘Be Loved’ skill has become 0, the ‘Melancholy’ effect disappears.] 

“You have good adaptability. You’ve already cleared the status effects. Just keep doing that. Be careful with your words and actions.” 

“….”

He talked about such nonsense with a smiling face. However, there was nothing I could say or swear. No matter how much I thought about it, this wasn’t right. 

As expected, the first emotion I felt was right. My 1 year will be ruined.

*****

Crazy. There is no way to express this situation except to say it is crazy.

All of sudden, I was taken as a prisoner, signed a ridiculous contract, and when I returned home, I came to my senses and realized what kind of accident I had caused.

“It’s completely nose piercing.” (t/n: 코 꿰다 (nose piercing) means you got involved in some unwanted situation and there’s no way out.)

I muttered to myself like a madman as I opened every cupboard door in the kitchen. It’s already been a month since I’ve stayed in this house, but the house is so unfamiliar that I still haven’t figured out what’s where. 

While looking for a long time, I found what I was barely looking for and picked it up quickly. It was cooking oil.

“It’s obvious it won’t work, but—”

Still, just in case. 

With weak anticipation, I opened the lid of cooking oil, poured it over my finger, and turned the ring. A ring that rotates loosely must have come off, but strangely it doesn’t fall out and just spins around. 

“Why isn’t this coming out!”

[The Master has used the Servant Summoning skill. Until summon, 3, 2, 1.]

“What? Damn it, cancel skill! Cancel it”

[Warning: Servant can’t cancel the Master’s Summoning skill!]

[Warning: Servant can’t cancel the Master’s Summoning skill!]

“Cancel skill?”

“….”

At that moment, I got goosebumps as my body hardened by the relaxed voice I heard from behind me. By the time I felt like cold sweat was flowing behind my back, the cooking oil poured into my fingers fell to the floor without noticing, and made a sound.

The damn Law of Gravity!

I slowly lowered my head in a chilly mood, and before that, I looked at the floor stained with cooking oil. Somehow, I closed my mouth quietly and hid my hands inside my sleeves in a situation where I was a little self-conscious. 

At that moment, the guy who was close behind my back spoke calmly. 

“What were you doing?”

“—I didn’t do anything.”

“Then why are your hands like this?”

A large hand that came out from behind grabbed the hand that was glistening with cooking oil and lifted it up into the air. As a result, cooking oil, which was only wet with fingers, flowed on the back of the hand. 

How miserable it is when he sees the tips of my sleeves getting wet with oil. Who will understands this feeling? 

“Cook— I was doing that.”

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t do anything”?

“Because cooking means nothing to me—”

How long do I have to make up such lame excuses? How far does he want to hear to be satisfied? 

Thinking that I could no longer be scared, I turned around. Then I used my strength to move my hand away from him, which he was still holding. However, the hand that seemed to be holding it lightly did not come off easily.

When I looked at him in embarrassment, the man holding his wrist slowly opened his mouth with a face that I couldn’t read with any emotions. 

“What about the watch?”

“Ah—”

I took it off as soon as I went home to sell it.

What happens if I say this? Is the scene of violence that could have been avoided after demonstrating the pitifulness repeated again? 

“I took it off because I was washing up.”

“Isn’t the watch that comes out these days waterproof? Of course, if it’s that watch brand, it’ll work. I don’t think you wouldn’t notice because you loved it so much earlier.”

I know, you punk. But I don’t know who’s framing me and said I loved it so much. 

“It’s such a good watch so I cherish it—”

“….”

“I think I made a little mistake, I did it because it was a precious watch given to me by Hunter Lee Jehee.” 

When I answered as obedient as possible, overshadowing my determination not to be intimidated, the wrist that had been held was only then released. It wasn’t a hard grip, it didn’t hurt, but there was a time when I was sweeping my wrist several times because the sensation left on my wrist was numb. 

“Don’t make a mistake in the future. It’s a watch that has been ripped off like crazy, but if you wear it well, it won’t be a waste for me.” 

It was because it was a waste. Would you have given me money instead if it had been that bad? Huh? 

“Yes.”

I looked around after nodding my head with an expression that looked stupid while hiding my inner thoughts as much as possible. 

The landscape of the house had changed before I knew it. The spacious living room with marble, not the ordinary villa room where I lived for a month, was unfamiliar. Overall, I asked him with a grim smile at the appearance of the house in a cold atmosphere with a monotonous tone.

“By the way, where are we?”

“Where do you think it is?”

“….”

Why didn’t you just say it? Lee Jehee stood up and smiled as his arms crossed in front of my eyes. 

If I had a little courage, I would have said, ‘Why don’t you just say it?’ and it was not good enough. If I could only say it once on that smiley face, I’d have no other wish. 

“Haha, I think it’s your house. Your house is really nice.”

“Is that so?”

Ah—Is it okay for a person to be so shameless like this? I complimented you at best.

Looking at the guy who tilted his head shamelessly, I tried to be kind until the end.

“You probably didn’t call to brag about your house at this late hour, so why did you call me all of a sudden?”

“You have to work. Wash your hands first.”

“Work—What do you mean?”

“Do you want to see the contract again?”

“….”

Crazy guy. What do you mean by calling out people at home at this time? No I mean, the ink on the contract hasn’t even dried, do you mean I should do that now?  

Despite my trembling look, he continued to smile.

But. 

[Warning: ‘Be Loved’ is -1 because the master is upset] 

[Warning: Since the status of the ‘Be Loved’  skill has become negative, the status effect ‘Melancholy’ is given.] 

—This crazy bastard. 

Again, my shoulders were heavily pressed and my strength was gone, and my mood subsided horribly. When I look at him with a face that I can’t understand in my difficult state of being even standing, he just smiles with a crooked smile.

Just looking at that face, I can’t tell what he didn’t like, but I had to do something quickly to get out of this depression effect. 

“Ah, I’m already nervous and excited at the thought of working with Hunter Lee Jehee! Thanks to you, I came to your house and I wish I had lived in this kind of house!”

Even with a weakened body, I forced my voice to be bright and raised my voice, so a welcome status window popped up in my sight.

[The Master’s mood improves, giving you +1 to ‘Be Loved’] 

[Because the status of the ‘Be Loved’ skill has become 0, the ‘Melancholy’ effect disappears.] 

Ugh, it’s hard to make a living, really.

What the hell is this caregiver’s bastard— I’m not really caught up in the wrong way, right? 

Feeling exhausted, I sighed and looked up. Oddly enough, he was still smiling as if he was watching something funny. Of course, it couldn’t have been good to see that.

“—Is it fun?”

“It’s interesting.”

“What’s so interesting?”

“Can you tell me what’s the part where Yeon Seonwoo-ssi is annoyed with me?”

“….”

So, if I don’t get annoyed by this situation, am I a Buddha or a human being? In a situation where it’s obvious you’re playing with me?

But as long as he came out like that, I couldn’t even pick it up. I was the only one who lost only when Lee Jehee felt bad.

I’m being swayed by that crazy skill, but this crazy master doesn’t seem to be affected at all.

“Where’s the bathroom?”

Raising my oil-stained hands and asking, the guy standing with his arms crossed pointed to the door on the other side of the living room. I feel frustrated at that seemingly casual attitude.

You’re saying I have to do this for another year, right?

Even though I was not in a state of melancholy, but just thinking about it, my mood worsened and my shoulders drooped without energy.

“—I’ll wash my hands.”

I went straight to the bathroom he pointed out with the intention of stopping the conversation. And I rolled my eyes quietly in the bathroom, which was plastered with black tiles and created a gloomy atmosphere.

What is this? What kind of bathroom is this gloomy? Is the border and the handle all gold? Is this a coffin or a bathroom?

I frowned in front of the door, took a look around, and walked to the sink, where I turned on the water. The chilly water pressure wiped away little by little of the oil. And I used hand sanitizer to make foam and remove the ring. Even though the oil and foam were combined, the ring did not intend to fall out.

“Are you telling me to cut my fingers or what?”

Originally, it is difficult to reattach fingers when they are cut off in the world, but there was definitely a job called healer here.

So even if my finger is cut off, it won’t be difficult to connect it again, but it will hurt. It’s really not an easy choice for me, who hates being sick the most in the world.