Chapter 99

Ray Hakter’s words made the clan members start praising me. Especially among them, Yoo Ju seemed so eager to brag about me that she couldn’t stop talking.

Listening to Yoo Ju, even Ray Hakter seemed flustered.

“Honestly, there were several times when we overcame crises thanks to Yoon Seong’s judgment. He’s truly amazing.”

‘Shit… stop it, please.’

“Oh… r-really?”

“Yes, of course! Even in the tutorial dungeon, he made decisions to conserve mana, and in the rare-grade dungeon, he erased the shadows…”

‘Stop it.’

“And, before the market crashed, he sold rare items…”

‘Crazy woman, stop!’

“Even during the investigation of this incident…”

‘Damn it…! Damn it…!’

Listening to this, I was so embarrassed I could die.

In fact, Yoo Ju’s words only deepened Ray Hakter’s suspicion of me.

Whatever Yoo Ju’s intentions were, it could lead to the worst outcome for me.

“Y-Yoo Ju, the listeners are uncomfortable. Please stop…”

“Haha, no. On the contrary, it’s interesting. I enjoy hearing about others’ achievements.”

‘Crazy…!’

It felt like I had two enemies. Originally, Yoo Ju was on my team, but the situation made me think she might be a spy.

Of course, the idea that Ray Hakter suspects me is just my speculation. There might be no suspicion at all, but I trust my observational skills.

I had no choice but to change the subject.

“By the way… what should we do when we arrive at the royal palace?”

“Hmm, once you arrive at the palace, you’ll be given three days of rest. You’ll need time to prepare before meeting His Majesty.”

“I see.”

“During the rest period, you’ll likely learn palace etiquette, but honestly, His Majesty isn’t too strict about etiquette… so minor mistakes are fine.”

‘…The king doesn’t seem to be a stickler for details.’

“Well… as long as you don’t swear in front of His Majesty, you’ll be fine.”

I unconsciously glanced at Kang I-seo.

“…What? Why are you looking at me?”

“…Nothing.”

I’ve noticed something… this Ray Hakter seems to have some level of friendship with the king.

“After all, you are foreigners, and foreigners aren’t familiar with palace etiquette or procedures. His Majesty and I are aware of that, so don’t worry too much.”

Indeed… perhaps because we’re heading to the palace, the clan members, except for Yoo Ju and Wi Ho-yeon, seem visibly tense.

“The reason you were summoned to the palace in the first place is to be rewarded. You’ve done something beneficial for the kingdom, so His Majesty will be grateful.”

“That’s a relief.”

As we talked, the carriage gradually came to a stop.

Looking out the window briefly, it seemed we had stopped to use a warp point.

“We’ll use the warp point, and we’ll arrive shortly. Please rest comfortably in the meantime.”

******

As Ray Hakter said, after using the warp point, we soon arrived at the palace gates.

“Halt. We need to check your identification. Where are you from…”

As one guard tried to verify our identity, another guard nearby hit him on the head and spoke up.

“Hey, you idiot! Can’t you see the carriage? It’s a royal carriage!”

“Yes, yes?”

When Ray Hakter opened the carriage door and stepped out, the man who had been hit turned pale and bowed his head.

“S-sorry, Secretary! This guy’s new…!”

The new guard, stunned by the sudden situation, was hastily spoken to by the senior guard.

“Hey, hey! Bow your head! This…”

“Ah… yes, yes! S-sorry!”

“Haha, it’s alright. Everyone’s like that at first. Here’s the identification. Can we go in now?”

“O-of course! Hey! Open the gates!”

Krrrrrrr—

“Then, everyone, good work. You’ve had a tough time.”

“Th-thank you! Please go in, Secretary!”

And so, we were able to enter the palace.

‘…It’s splendid.’

The capital of the neutral country we passed through was quite splendid, but it certainly couldn’t compare to the palace.

“Alright, everyone can get off the carriage now. I have things to do, so from now on, my assistant will guide you.”

As soon as Ray Hakter finished speaking, Layla addressed us.

“…From now on, I will guide you. Please follow me.”

“Understood.”

As we followed the woman, it felt awkward to stay silent, so I asked a question I was curious about.

“Can you tell us where we’re heading now?”

“Ah… there’s a building in the palace for hosting distinguished guests. We’re heading there now. You shouldn’t find anything lacking during your stay.”

‘Of course.’

It’s not about the guests’ feelings. This is related to the royal family’s dignity.

“….Ray Hakter seems very busy. Is it because of his position as a secretary?”

“Ah, yes. He is busy… but… haa… it’s a bit awkward to say this, but his busyness is his own doing.”

“…?”

“He often neglects his work and just drinks all the time. I wish he’d sober up already, haa… I really wish he’d quit drinking.”

Listening to her, it felt like she was more of a lover than a subordinate to Ray Hakter.

‘Could it be… are they in that kind of relationship?’

There’s no law against a boss and subordinate dating.

I don’t know how Ray Hakter feels about her, but she seems to care deeply for him.

“Haha… alcohol is always a problem. But… Layla and Ray Hakter seem quite close.”

“Ah, that… we’ve worked together for a long time…!”

‘….She must have feelings for Ray Hakter.’



“First, you can rest in the guest room down this hallway. If you need anything, just call the maids and let them know.”

“Understood.”

“Ah… and you’ll probably learn some basic etiquette over the next three days. I apologize if it’s bothersome, but please bear with it.”

“No, it’s fine. I understand.”

“Thank you. Well then… I’ll come to pick you up in three days. Until then, please rest, and if you need to go outside the royal palace, just let the maids know.”

“Ah… we’re allowed to go outside the palace?”

“Yes, it’s fine. Since it’s your first time in the capital, there’s a lot to see, so I recommend exploring. Well then, I’ll take my leave now.”

‘The capital, huh…’

I only got a brief glimpse of the scenery outside while riding the carriage, but it definitely had a different vibe compared to Runde.

Runde felt like a city mainly inhabited by foreigners, while the capital seemed to be a city where the indigenous people lived.

The clan members checked out the guest rooms one by one and couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

“Wow… damn, I never thought I’d ever get to stay in such a fancy place.”

“Yoo Rim! Look at this, is this gold?”

“Yoo Hyun! Don’t touch it carelessly! What if you break it?!”

‘Huh… are they really treating us this well?’

I thought it would be similar to our clan’s accommodations, but this is on a whole different level. Must be because it’s the royal palace.

Considering our clan house is already pretty luxurious, these guest rooms seem like they were made exclusively for VIPs.

‘…What’s the reason for treating us this well?’

Even though we solved the troublesome drug issue for the country, this level of hospitality feels excessive.

“Uh… Yoon Seong.”

“Ah… yes, Yoo Ju. What is it?”

“No, it’s nothing major… but… do you have some free time?”

‘Right now, all I have is free time.’

“Yes, I’m free. Honestly, I’ve got nothing to do here in the palace.”

“Ah, well, then…”

I could already guess what Yoo Ju was about to say.

“Would you… like to explore the capital together, if you’re okay with it?”

“……”

“Well… since we’re already in the capital, there must be something to see, right?”

She seemed quite expectant. Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel a bit conflicted about her proposal.

‘It’s obvious what she’s thinking.’

She’s asking to explore together, but it’s basically a date invitation.

In this situation, I only have two choices. The same answers as always—push her away or accept.

Honestly… I wanted to push her away.

Because while Yoo Ju, with her memories of the first timeline, has deep feelings for me, I don’t have those memories.

‘…But pushing her away here would be too cruel.’

Knowing how much Yoo Ju has struggled for me, I couldn’t outright reject her.

So, this kind of situation keeps repeating. She takes a step closer, and I end up distancing myself.

“…Sure, let’s do that. I’m fine with it. So, do you want to start exploring now?”

I might’ve blurted that out without realizing it.

As soon as I answered, Yoo Ju’s anxious face lit up.

“Yes, yes! Hehe… let’s take our time! Since it’s the capital, there must be lots of food and things to see!”

After that, we immediately informed the maid on standby and started exploring the capital.

The rest of the clan members stayed in the palace.

At first, Hyeon-jin tried to tag along cluelessly, but Yoo Rim pinched his side to stop him.

The capital definitely had a lot to see.

Since there were many indigenous people, there were more places selling Eras-specific foods rather than foreign cuisine.

We visited the plaza, checked out weapon shops, looked at clothes, and acted like a normal couple traveling on Earth.

‘Though we wouldn’t be checking out weapon shops on Earth.’

Whether we were looking at weapons or clothes, seeing Yoo Ju happy made me feel good too, so it didn’t matter.

After quite some time, as evening approached, Yoo Ju made a suggestion.

“Hehe… Yoon Seong, how’s your stomach? If you’re feeling a bit hungry, there’s a restaurant I found in the capital. Would you like to go together?”

“A restaurant?”

“Yes! It’s really delicious. It’s famous even among the indigenous people. I made a reservation in advance.”

I was impressed by Yoo Ju’s effort.

‘…When did she even make the reservation?’

It felt like the roles of a typical man and woman were reversed.

‘…Is it just me, or have the roles switched?’

Of course, there’s no rule saying women can’t do this, but as a man, I couldn’t help but feel a bit strange.

‘I even feel a little guilty…’

I haven’t been paying much attention to Yoo Ju, but she’s always been considerate of me, so it’s natural to feel guilty.

Yoo Ju went through the trouble of making a reservation, and I’m not so clueless as to say I’m not hungry right now.

“The restaurant sounds good. I was just starting to feel hungry.”

“Then I’ll guide you. I’m sure you’ll like it!”

Matching Yoo Ju’s excited steps, I started walking beside her instead of behind her.