I Installed a Dating App and These Otherworld Virgins Became Obsessed With Me. 53

## Chapter 53 – 53. Dinner

#53. Dinner

This morning was busier than anything I could have imagined.

I put on a suit, stopped by the department store to buy a gift, and then got my hair done at the salon I used to visit before blind dates.

Considering the appointment was at 12 and the department store opened at 10, no one could deny it was a tight schedule.

It was busy without a moment to breathe, but it was something I had to endure to be rewarded.

I headed to the address I had received in a text message beforehand, and a huge gate and signboard greeted me.

[城北崔家]

The signboard was inscribed with the Chinese characters “Seongbuk Choi Family.”

“…This is no joke.”

A mansion like this in the middle of Seoul? I’d heard it was over 10,000 pyeong (approximately 8 acres), and while I wondered if that was possible, I figured if it was the Seongbuk Choi Family, it could be even more.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“Could you stop for a moment?”

As I adjusted my tie and headed towards the gate, the guards stopped me.

“May I ask what business brings you here?”
“I’m Kang Hyun-woo, invited by Mrs. Choi Young-ok.”

Only after I mentioned Choi Young-ok’s name did the menacing-looking guards politely bow and step back.

At the same time, the huge gate opened automatically, revealing the interior of the magnificent mansion.

The garden was too large to take in at a glance.

Small streams ran along both sides of the path, which was paved with a sleek material that looked like marble or stone, and fish that looked expensive at first glance were swimming in them.

I was momentarily amazed by the landscaping of the garden, but the huge mansion in the distance once again caught my attention.

“…Do people actually live in a place like that?”

I couldn’t even see the whole mansion at a glance.

The exterior, which seemed to blend a traditional Korean house with a Western mansion, was so impressive that it wouldn’t look out of place in a movie.

However, no matter how much money I made, I didn’t think I’d want to live in such a huge mansion.

Is it because I’ve lived as a commoner my whole life?

Just as I was thinking that I’d rather live in a penthouse, I heard a familiar voice from somewhere.

“Your jaw’s gonna drop.”

Choi Hye-na, who appeared with her elaborately decorated dress and wavy red hair fluttering in the wind, was quite different from her usual self.

“Do you dress like that at home, too?”

Isn’t it customary to wear a T-shirt and shorts at home?

“I didn’t dress up, so don’t say nonsense and just follow me.”

I followed Choi Hye-na, who turned her head and walked away.

‘I didn’t exactly say you dressed up.’

Of course, I refrained from saying anything more, as I might get hit with her pointy high heels.

Still, seeing her out of her mage robes and in a dress, she definitely felt like a rich young lady.

If only she could tone down her personality a bit, she’d be perfect.

‘By the way, the atmosphere feels strangely cold. Is it just my imagination?’

I was a little unsure, but I pushed the extraneous thoughts aside as the mansion grew closer.

“Isn’t it inconvenient to live in a place like this?”
“…It’s not inconvenient.”

It was a question that popped out without me realizing it, but Choi Hye-na’s attitude was definitely cold.

I thought we’d become somewhat close after risking our lives together at the gate, but was I mistaken?

“How could a girl who lives in a mansion live in that small tent…?”

Thwack!!

“I, I told you to forget about that time?!”

It’s unfair.

I was just trying to ease the awkward atmosphere, but was it something I deserved to get punched in the gut for?

‘Is this really that day?’

Her attitude had been subtly different from usual since earlier.

“Welcome.”

Regardless, Choi Hye-na touched something, and the mansion’s front door opened automatically, as maids lined up on both sides to greet us.

They all looked to be around my age, and each of them was quite beautiful.

‘Living in a mansion might not be so bad after all?’

I’d heard that European nobles lived luxuriously, staffing their households with maids who suited their tastes.

Once I became a great mage, there was no reason I couldn’t live like that.

“Hey.”
“Huh?”
“You like it?”
“…?”
“I asked if you like it.”

Choi Hye-na, her expression darkening, suddenly poked me in the chest.

I hadn’t said anything this time, and I’d just been following her, so what could have possibly upset this young lady?

The answer could be found with just a little thought.

“Are you jealous right now?”
“…Die.”

With that short murmur, Choi Hye-na didn’t even glance at me, let alone talk to me, and walked on silently.

***

Choi Hye-na woke up early in the morning.

Before the sun had even risen, she summoned the maids and soaked in bathwater infused with a limited-edition luxury oil released by an Italian alchemist, allowing the subtle fragrance to enhance her beauty.

She had the most famous hair salon in Cheongdam send a stylist to the mansion to do her hair and makeup, and she wore the only dress in the world, created by a famous designer she had invited a few days ago, tailored to her measurements and style.

Finally, she added accessories that she didn’t usually wear because they were too flashy.

In some ways, it was similar to Kang Hyun-woo’s morning routine, but the time and money invested were on a completely different scale.

The maids all praised her, saying she looked beautiful, but her own expression as she looked in the mirror was far from pleased.

Had she ever primped herself up this much before?

Never, not even once.

At the parties and events she had attended so far, she had simply dressed up to keep up appearances, but this was the first time she had moved around since dawn, working up a sweat to adorn herself like this.

If all of this was simply for a change of pace, she wouldn’t feel so displeased.

‘…Kang Hyun-woo.’

But even while bathing, while putting on makeup, while getting dressed, she kept thinking of him, and the fact that she kept looking in the mirror made her feel like a teenage girl in love, which made her feel resentful.

How did things end up like this?

Was it really necessary to dress up?

What kind of relationship did Kang Hyun-woo and I have?

The questions that no one could give her a clear answer to kept circling around and around.

“Frustrating, so frustrating.”
“…I told you to shut up.”

Wendigo, who was usually quiet, always popped out and bothered her whenever she thought of Kang Hyun-woo.

“Tsk, tsk, at this rate, how long will it take you to pay the price of the contract?”
“I’ll take care of it myself.”
“You? How?”

Wendigo flew through the air, making an annoying laughing sound.

“You’re blushing and twisting your legs just by thinking of a man who isn’t even in front of you. How are you going to receive ‘affection’?”
“…”
“Sigh, you young human child.”

Wendigo came down from the sky and met Choi Hye-na’s eyes, who had her head bowed.

“Be honest with your feelings. Remember that hiding and ignoring your feelings is useless. Otherwise, things won’t work out.”

This advice wasn’t given out of affection for her contractor, Choi Hye-na.

Wendigo had contracted with her to receive Kang Hyun-woo’s affection as a condition of their spirit contract.

‘Ah… Hyun-woo…’

Although she couldn’t contract with Kang Hyun-woo because she was possessing Choi Hye-na’s body, and she couldn’t help him escape the gate because she was in a deep sleep for some reason, Wendigo still cherished the memories of that day.

The advice she gave to Choi Hye-na was simply a means to reconnect with Kang Hyun-woo as soon as possible.

Choi Hye-na, who had no way of knowing that, had no intention of taking Wendigo’s advice to heart.

Why?

‘Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy!!’

She was already hiding her feelings from herself, so how could she convey them directly to the person in question without filtering them?

Yeah, right.

In the first place, Choi Hye-na was still in the denial stage of her infatuation.

Giving her heart to a man was already absurd, but telling her to convey that heart was as absurd as her reaching 7th Circle tomorrow.

Nevertheless, the maids smiled contentedly at Choi Hye-na’s back as she kept glancing in the mirror and fixing her hair and clothes.

Ah, our young lady has finally fallen in love!

The voices of the maids reached Choi Young-ok, the mistress of the mansion, through the head maid.

Her granddaughter had fallen in love with the man who had saved her life! The fact that the other party was Kang Hyun-woo, whom she had already marked, made her even more pleased.

It was only natural for a smile to spread across Choi Young-ok’s face.

And as time passed, Kang Hyun-woo, who arrived at the dining hall with Choi Hye-na, was a neat and tidy young man, dressed up in a way that couldn’t be compared to when they had met in the magic tower and the hospital room.

He bowed politely.

“It’s been a while.”
“Welcome.”

Choi Young-ok, who was looking at him with a pleased expression, gestured for him to sit down.

Today, she wasn’t meeting him as Choi Hye-na’s grandmother, but as the mistress of the Seongbuk Choi Family, so she didn’t forget to use honorifics.

Choi Hye-na, who had sat down first, seemed to hesitate for a moment, but eventually sat next to Kang Hyun-woo.

At the sight of that, Choi Young-ok had to suppress the desire to hug her cute granddaughter with superhuman patience.

“I was worried that I had made the appointment rather hastily, but I’m grateful that you came with a bright face.”
“It’s nothing. I’m a jobless person who hasn’t even entered the magic tower yet, so I have plenty of time.”

As they exchanged greetings and talked about this and that, the table was soon filled with a feast.

“You must be very hungry since you came from this morning, so eat a lot. Tell me if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”

Choi Young-ok pretended to eat while glancing at Kang Hyun-woo and Choi Hye-na.

Like her, Choi Hye-na was busy stealing glances at Kang Hyun-woo, barely eating her food.

How could she be so cute?

Choi Hye-na, who was sensitive to the gazes of others, didn’t even notice that her grandmother was watching her.

‘…Cute.’

Choi Hye-na didn’t even glance at the food made with expensive ingredients.

All her eyes and attention were fixed on Kang Hyun-woo.

Kang Hyun-woo seemed awkward in this setting, eating soup with a dessert spoon. Moreover, the way he awkwardly cut the steak with a knife was so cute that she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

If her past self were to see this scene, she would have screamed that she was crazy and torn at her hair, but that wouldn’t stop the current Choi Hye-na.

Of course, she was upset that he hadn’t praised her for dressing up so diligently, but Choi Hye-na was so focused on Kang Hyun-woo that she didn’t have the energy to show it.

And so, the meal continued, just for one person.

***

As time passed and the dinner ended, Grandma Choi Young-ok dismissed the gathering, suggesting that I take some time to rest.

Thanks to that, I had some free time, so I was aimlessly wandering the hallways of the mansion, not knowing where to go.

I definitely wasn’t lost.

“…This place is freaking huge.”

If I had known this would happen, I would have said yes when the maid offered to guide me.

I had refused because Choi Hye-na’s expression was too fierce, but who knew it would end like this.

I had no choice but to keep walking wherever my feet took me.

If I could meet a servant, I could ask for directions.

But as if fate was playing a trick on me, I couldn’t see a single person wherever I went.

I was really starting to think I should call Choi Hye-na and ask her to come rescue me.

“Ha, I knew it.”

A welcome voice came from behind.

“I figured a guest who went to see the house would get lost.”
“I wasn’t exactly lost.”
“Shut up.”

Choi Hye-na’s voice sounded strangely excited, even though she seemed to be scolding me.

“Just follow me.”

I followed Choi Hye-na, who was once again walking ahead.

Before long, we arrived in front of a door with a slightly different atmosphere than before.

“…Come in.”
“Where is this?”
“My room.”

Before I could be surprised by the fact that it was Choi Hye-na’s room, the door opened.

‘Oh…’

The interior of the room was decorated with furniture and decor that were more luxurious than extravagant, from head to toe.

Moreover, it was so large that it was more appropriate to call it a house than a room.

‘My studio apartment could fit in here more than twenty times over?’

I could feel how small the place I was living in was.

“Stop looking around and take this.”

While I was looking around the room, Choi Hye-na handed me a luxurious-looking box.

Inside the box were the wand and ring that I had lent her inside the gate.

“Thanks for letting me use them. If you hadn’t lent me the equipment, there would have been many more situations where I would have been attacked by monsters before I could even use magic. I wouldn’t have been alive and well like I am now.”
“If you knew that, you should have done better.”
“…Are you really crazy?”

Just as I raised my guard to protect myself from Choi Hye-na, who was striding towards me as if she was going to punch me in the gut again…

Thud-

“…Huh?”

Choi Hye-na suddenly grabbed my collar.

Then, with a flushed face, she leaned in and opened her mouth in a trembling voice.

“…What happened at the gate.”

I could feel how much her hand was shaking as she grabbed my collar, as if I was shaking along with her.

“Have you really forgotten everything?”