CH.86 Request (3)
Within the <Royal> Clan, Moon Ga-eun’s position is somewhat ambiguous. Unlike Kang Juyeon, whose father is the clan master and even has a B-grade Holder rank, Moon Ga-eun is neither the clan’s successor nor does she have a high rank; she holds a C-grade. She is not exceptionally talented compared to other clan members. Of course, her father, Moon Jong-hyuk, is a founding hero of <Royal> and a high-ranking officer, as well as the clan master Hwang Geon-wook’s in-law, so her power within the clan is overwhelming. However, it is her father’s authority, not her own.
She is not a senior clan member but a regular one. This is the position Moon Ga-eun holds within <Royal>.
‘Well, everyone treats me well,’ she thinks.
However, being the daughter of a core officer doesn’t change her status. Although Moon Ga-eun, as a regular clan member, doesn’t perform any significant duties, she can enjoy decent treatment within <Royal> thanks to her father’s influence.
This is also because <Royal> doesn’t have a special successor. Since Clan Master Hwang Geon-wook did not have children, the Moon Jong-hyuk family shared some of that power. The ability to attempt to ‘recruit Do Jae-hyun’ after Kang Juyeon was also due to the privileges and recognition that came from this power.
“Hello, Holder Moon Ga-eun.”
“Yes, good morning. You must be the new member, Holder Kim Dong-hyun, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. How…”
“The hunting team knows most things.”
So, during the vacation, Moon Ga-eun consistently went to the clan and did her best in her duties, not settling for the abundant treatment she received and striving to uphold her father’s honor. Rights always come from responsibilities. That was Moon Ga-eun’s principle regarding authority.
“We have plans again for the weekend. This time, you must come. I can’t face the Sunset Flower Master because of our little chatterbox daughter.”
… But her father, Moon Jong-hyuk, didn’t seem to care much about such principles.
In the clan, her father’s private office.
She rushed over due to a sudden call, and this was what she returned to. Moon Ga-eun expressed her annoyance at the tedious blind date proposal.
“Oh, come on! How many times do I have to say I’m not leaving my seat?” She couldn’t even remember how many times it had been, from the middle of the semester to now, during the vacation. Her father continued to arrange blind dates without a break, even changing members steadily. He was truly a passionate father in many ways.
“It’s not about leaving your seat for just meeting one peer. It’s about building new connections.”
Moon Ga-eun immediately countered her father’s words.
“Why should I build new connections over dinner with someone? Besides, you know that I’ve seen Holder Jeong Hyun-seok from work before. Why build connections I already have?”
<Sunset Flower>’s successor, Jeong Hyun-seok. A second-year academy student and a promising Holder who had already been promoted to B-grade this year. He was handsome, came from a good family, and was popular, but Moon Ga-eun had no interest. It wasn’t her style, and she never had any intention of making a lover like that in the first place.
But her father seemed to like Jeong Hyun-seok, as he was already proposing a second meeting with him. “That’s why. Last time, Holder Jeong Hyun-seok was really taken with you. It was love at first sight. He’s a young man.”
“I don’t want to meet him!”
Her voice grew even louder. Moon Ga-eun knew that when her voice got this loud, her father would respond in kind. They had fought like this more than once. But, as usual, her father raised his voice, leaving aside the documents he had been handling.
“My daughter, who hasn’t dated by the age of twenty, is frustrated. Why don’t you understand your father’s desire to help you find a boyfriend? What’s the harm in meeting someone?”
It was this conversation again. Why was her father worried about her dating? She was only twenty years old. It was like an annoying excuse, repeatedly frustrating her during their conversation. Frustrated by these various factors, Moon Ga-eun blurted out words that were far from her true feelings.
“I already have a boyfriend!”
“…”
With those words, the office that had been filled with raised voices fell into silence. It was an unexpectedly sudden calmness, almost startling. It felt like someone had cast an ice-type spell, suffocatingly cold and quiet. It hung over the room like frost, a bewildering, icy silence.
Moon Ga-eun had inadvertently uttered a ridiculous lie. As she realized the situation, everything seemed to fade away before her eyes.
‘This is bad’, she thought.
She had been overwhelmed by a momentary emotion. Normally, she could have said it was a mistake and picked up the pieces, but it was impossible to convince her father, who had driven the conversation in this direction.
Terrifying thoughts started creeping in. Her father’s expression had changed a long time ago, and it was filled with a strange look.
“You had… a boyfriend?”
Why did that one sentence feel so terrifying?
Moon Ga-eun was flustered, trying to continue speaking.
“Dad, well, you see, it’s…”
“Hahaha. I see. There is no way my daughter hasn’t dated by this age? Especially during the most passionate years of her twenties. Haha. So, who’s the lucky guy you’re dating? Is he someone Dad knows?”
She never got the chance to continue her sentence. Her father pressed on without pause, not allowing her a moment to think. Her father’s face displayed a sense of joy.
‘Why?’
That suddenly made her angry again. Her father arranged her blind dates—it wasn’t for any political reason, but it seemed to genuinely come from his desire for his daughter to experience love. Or was it because he thought she couldn’t find a boyfriend on her own? Even if she couldn’t, did it show so clearly? Those questions rushed into Moon Ga-eun’s mind.
The misunderstanding was accumulating in a strange direction.
“Ah! Could it be the guy you’ve been pursuing since last time? That… Do Jae-hyun, right?”
It was a misunderstanding. A really big one. If she made a wrong move, the situation could escalate uncontrollably.
Moon Ga-eun quickly shook her hands to deny it.
“Dad, no, he’s just…”
“Hahaha. Did you see this sly daughter of mine? She wanted to recruit a student Holder, Do Jae-hyun, for herself, right? Haha. It’s youth, youth.”
It was over. Once her father confirmed her dating status, there was no stopping him. Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears.
“Bring him in front of me sometime. Dad wants to treat him to a meal. Just having a meal, so don’t worry about any strange concerns.”
Silence followed. Moon Ga-eun had tried to resolve the problem, but she had ended up with an even bigger issue.
***
Ippotranslation
***
“…That’s how it happened.”
Moon Ga-eun, who had explained everything, bowed her head deeply once more.
In response, my face wore an expression of utter bewilderment. I couldn’t believe such an absurd situation had unfolded.
I asked Moon Ga-eun, “Did you try to explain it properly?”
“He wouldn’t believe me. I really spoke from the heart, I think.”
“Well, your appearance certainly fits the bill.”
Especially for a father who genuinely wanted his daughter to date. It made sense.
As I listened to the story, I found it fascinating. Moon Jong-hyuk was quite the opposite of Kang Juyeon’s father, Kang Woo-hyun. Kang Woo-hyun had been so protective of his daughter that he would have kicked me out of the clan if he had suspected I was Kang Juyeon’s boyfriend. But Moon Jong-hyuk was encouraging his daughter’s dating life.
Anxious about not taking his daughter away but rather arranging a date for her himself—this was a type of father I had never seen anywhere else. There was no clear answer as to what was right, but the fact remained that both Moon Ga-eun and I were in a difficult situation due to it.
“But why did you say they were trying to recruit me?”
Suddenly, a question arose. The only recruitment offer I had received was from Kang Juyeon’s <Judgment of Fire>. I had never heard of an offer from <Royal>. In response, Moon Ga-eun lifted her head.
“Oh, that… originally, <Royal> wanted to recruit you too.”
“Since when?”
“From the very beginning! But Juyeon was faster, like a cat burglar. Ugh… we could have brought you in first.”
Moon Ga-eun’s eyes showed frustration. Clenching her fists in anger, she seemed to have forgotten about her original request and was focused solely on losing out in the recruitment race.
“Phew-“
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. It was only now that I was seeing the real Moon Ga-eun. She always acted on her emotions, regardless of the context. Maybe that’s why she frequently fought with her father. And in the midst of all this, she had told a lie about having a boyfriend.
“Don’t laugh, I’m serious.”
Moon Ga-eun pouted while tightly holding her vanilla latte. I wondered why vanilla latte was so appealing to her. Perhaps coffee helped even in difficult situations.
“I’m serious too. From now on, I have to be Moon Ga-eun’s boyfriend, and I can’t take it lightly.”
As I said this with a smile…
Moon Ga-eun blinked at me.
“A-are you… helping me?”
“Well, would you rather I didn’t? After all, your father already knows about me.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Do Jae-hyun…!!”
Her gratitude was intense, and it made me laugh again. I seemed to be witnessing a new side of Moon Ga-eun today. She wasn’t just about playing pranks as I had always thought. Kang Juyeon should have been here to see this.
“Going to dinner with your father, is it just a one-time thing?”
“Yeah! Other than that, I don’t need any more favors.”
“Is the date not decided yet?”
“No. You can pick a day that works for you.”
“Okay. Then let’s prepare properly and go without any flaws.”
To be honest, I could help with a dinner situation at least once. Playing the role of a boyfriend that she never had wouldn’t be easy, but well, it wouldn’t be an indefinite commitment. Besides, unlike Kang Woo-hyun, a father who laid traps with convoluted language, Moon Jong-hyuk seemed like someone I could easily communicate with once I found the right words. As long as I matched the conversation appropriately, things would likely go smoothly.
