Chapter 128 – Post-Test Aftermath
How much time had passed after we had sex again?
“Haa… haa…”
“How… how is she… even Asian…”
Jessica and Julia, who had spent nearly half a day intertwined with me, were not just retired; they were so drained that they could only twitch their fingers while lying on the bed.
I watched them for a moment before heading into the bathroom to wash up.
After quickly rinsing my body under the hot water, I dried my annoying long hair.
—Whirr.
‘I should probably cut this.’
Usually, Ayaka’s mom or Yuka’s mom would dry it for me, so it was fine, but even so, dealing with long hair was incredibly annoying.
While thinking this, Takuya diligently dried his hair. After drying it, he put on the white bathrobe and slippers provided in the villa and headed to the terrace.
The reason for going to the terrace was simple: the view was nice.
For reference, although this was a villa in the mountains, it was also quite close to the city, making the terrace a prime spot for viewing the city’s nightscape.
Takuya sat on a chair on the terrace, gazing at the night view, and thought.
‘You really need money to live well. Look at this view.’
Indeed, you need money to live well.
Even before the possession, I always wondered how the rich managed to find such prime locations.
How long had I been leisurely enjoying the night view while thinking this?
—Slide.
Someone roughly opened the terrace door and entered. That someone was none other than…
“You were here.”
“I was enjoying the night view.”
“May I sit here?”
“Sure, I don’t mind.”
It was Lunako, who had passed out after having my dick inside her and had disappeared at some point.
The fact that she was using polite language again meant that the sex (business) was over.
I nodded at Lunako, who was entering wearing a similar robe, or rather, holding a can of beer, and asked.
“Is that alcohol?”
“Yes, it was in the fridge.”
“Are you offering me some?”
“If you want some.”
“Then just one can.”
Receiving the beer, I looked at the can with a somewhat sentimental expression.
And that was because…
‘Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve had this.’
I hadn’t drunk alcohol since being possessed.
No, I hadn’t smoked either.
Of course, even before the possession, I didn’t drink or smoke much.
I only ever drank or smoked when things were shitty.
‘In other words, things were that shitty before the possession.’
Anyway, if you asked why I hadn’t drunk, it was honestly because I hadn’t experienced much stress here.
Even if I did, it would quickly resolve, or I would have many good things happen.
Of course, the biggest reason was that it was hard to buy alcohol, and maybe because my body was young, I didn’t really crave it.
So, why was I suddenly drinking now?
It was just that seeing alcohol after a long time made me think, ‘Hmm, should I have just one?’
Also, I was a little curious if my alcohol tolerance was different now than before the possession.
So, I took a sip, sip, sip.
“Hmm, I’m not getting drunk.”
“…Your face is so red though?”
This body was unexpectedly weak to alcohol.
Before the possession, I could down four bottles of soju straight and not get drunk, but now I was getting tipsy from half a can of beer.
Damn it. I shouldn’t even touch it next time.
“It’s my first time drinking this too. I didn’t expect this.”
“Hmm…”
What’s with that suspicious look? Is she doubting me?
Well, I guess she has a reason to.
‘Even I would think it’s a lie if I said I didn’t.’
Anyway, as I was sipping the alcohol, I felt my mood lift.
Before the possession, my mood would go down, so this was the opposite.
I thought about the differences between before the possession and Takuya while sipping my drink.
I spoke to Lunako, who seemed to have a story behind her eyes.
“Can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Oh, it’s nothing much, but I was curious about what you said earlier about being a favored person.”
Lunako was silent for a moment at my words.
It seemed like she had a story to tell.
Judging by her expression, she was wondering if she should even say it.
After watching Lunako’s troubled expression for a moment, she seemed to decide it was okay to talk and answered my question.
“First of all, I’m not particularly favored or anything.”
“Then?”
“It’s just that I was taken in by the head of the family and I’m his secretary, so I guess that’s why.”
“So, in short, you didn’t do anything, but you’re called that just for being by his side?”
“Exactly.”
At Lunako’s words, I nodded as if I understood.
I had experienced that too. I also moved according to my superior’s orders, but at some point, I became part of that superior’s faction.
As I was drinking and empathizing, Lunako, who was getting tipsy, said in a soft voice.
“The thing is, there’s no favor to speak of. I was sold.”
“Sold?”
“Yes, my parents, who were in debt after their business failed, accepted Yuzuke-nim’s offer to give them money if they gave him their child.”
“…”
I couldn’t say anything at Lunako’s words.
I never imagined that she would be sold as collateral for a loan.
“Actually, I understand that part. Selling a child is something that can happen.”
Even though her voice was full of tears, I didn’t point it out.
It was something worth crying over.
“But at least if they sold their daughter, I wish they had some guilt, no, I don’t even need that. I just, just wish they had loved me a little.”
Lunako said this, slightly lifting her head to look at the sky, and muttered with a resentful look.
“But when I went home later, it was like I was almost nonexistent. They only favored my younger siblings, probably because my usefulness had diminished.”
Lunako looked at the sky for a moment, then lowered her head, turned to me, and chuckled.
“Isn’t it funny? I’ve been working my whole life to pay off my parents’ debt, but it seems like my parents didn’t even think of me as their child.”
Lunako, who was laughing, whether from being drunk or self-deprecating, began to mutter weakly.
“Now that I’ve paid off all the debt and I’m old enough to get out of my parents’ hands.”
It was as if she was asking herself, not me.
“What should I do, having lived half my life without freedom…”
And at that moment, Lunako, who had always seemed so rigid and cold, looked like a fragile girl in my eyes.
A girl who had been hurt, had overcome the hurt, but now didn’t know what to do.
Was that Lunako’s true self?
‘Probably, that’s her true self.’
To be precise, she had lived for so long acting that her acting and her true self seemed to be half-synchronized.
How did I know so well?
Because I was similar to Lunako before the possession.
To tell a little story from before the possession, I was actually a quirky middle schooler before I went to the military.
In short, I was a kind of mood maker who got along well with the other kids in my class.
But after the war started, my personality completely changed over the decades.
No, it wasn’t just a change, I had become almost a different person.
When I started politics after the war, I had already half-forgotten how to smile, and I always had a stiff expression.
No, my behavior had changed too.
I used to be a show-off who liked to stand out, but later, I hated being alone and receiving attention from people the most.
It was an unavoidable change.
Politicians who were trying to keep the military in check because their positions were in danger, high-ranking military officials who were trying to tear apart their own fields after gaining some achievements, and old people who still made up most of society and were suspicious of the military.
The more I worked for the country, the more people tried to keep me in check, and because of those people, I had to unknowingly put up my guard and try to appear dull.
If I didn’t, countless people would try to stab me with a dagger at any moment.
Thanks to my political power being weakened, my personality somewhat returned later, but my love for staying in my room didn’t change.
I’ve digressed a bit, but what I wanted to say was this.
I felt a certain affection for her because I was also a similar person.
Therefore.
“Well, if you don’t have a place to work, would you like to work under me?”
“Huh?”
It was also a way of saying I wanted to hire her.
“I have a small business, and it’s growing, so I need someone to manage it in detail.”
This was true.
Perhaps because Miyuki was unexpectedly skilled, the business was growing.
It was fine for now, but it was clear that it would become difficult if it grew any larger.
So, I was thinking of hiring a secretary before that happened.
‘If there’s such a good catch, I should snatch her up right away.’
She’s worked for a large family, so she must know the personalities and skills of the families we could trade with.
I can’t miss out on such talent.
“…Just, just give me a little time.”
And to my offer, Lunako hesitated for a moment and then asked for a little time.
“Take your time. It’s not urgent yet anyway.”
At my words, Lunako nodded, and she stared blankly at the city view again. I also followed her gaze and looked at the city view.
It was a truly beautiful view.
