Chapter 14
Thump-thump.
Lenea's heartbeat seemed audible even all the way over here.
Han Hyojae had a cynical air about him, something you wouldn't have picked up from the photo, probably thanks to Photoshop.
Lenea flinched.
It was something I'd heard from her, but seeing it in person would be different.
“Ms. Lenea?”
When Han Hyojae greeted her first, Lenea hurriedly stood up and bowed.
“Ah, hello. I'm Lenea.”
“Hello. I'm Han Hyojae.”
The two shook hands like business partners. The atmosphere was awkward, but the first introduction got off to a good start, making all that practice worthwhile.
They sat down and faced each other.
Just as I'd said, the man would usually take the lead, and Han Hyojae brought up the first topic.
“I may be overstepping, but I'd like to ask one thing first. About your age—”
“Y-yes!”
Here it came.
Lenea was utterly tense.
But he'd come here already knowing everything.
“I heard you're 1,901 years old. Is that true?”
“Ah, yes.”
“I knew elves were a long-lived race, but I never imagined it would be this impressive.”
“......”
“Did you perhaps come down to the third floor a few years ago?”
Under the expectant gaze behind his glasses, Lenea pretended to be flustered.
But even so, she did her best to leave a good impression and began explaining.
“Ah, no—rather, I've been down here for less than a month. I've only ever lived in the forest...”
“I see.”
Han Hyojae nodded and leaned back in his chair. The atmosphere grew a little more relaxed.
“You look exactly like you do in the photo. Personally, I thought your picture looked lively, so I already had a good impression.”
“A good impression...! I-I also thought well of your photo, Hyojae-ssi.”
“Haha, I went heavy on the Photoshop so I'd have one shot at marriage.”
“Pho...to...shop?”
“It's something that makes a photo look better. Here, if you look at this—”
Han Hyojae held out his phone.
“This is the original, and this is the photo after Photoshop retouching—”
“Ohh, w-well, it really is different.”
Their conversation was progressing better than expected. Feeling pleased, I watched as Kim Yang fed another piece of cake into my mouth.
Sweet.
“Boss, he's a good man.”
“Hyojae-ssi? Of course. He's someone I chose carefully.”
No one would hand out bad stock to just anybody. Especially someone like Lenea, a country mouse who'd only been down here for a month.
People who'd come down from the fourth or fifth floor only recently, or who were on short-term visits, got scammed especially often.
“She's a naive woman who's never even met a man in 1,901 years. If she gets tangled up with the wrong guy, there's no coming back.”
In that sense, Mr. Han Hyojae was a calculating but diligent man.
Fundamentally, he was a kind person who looked after others, and he also knew exactly what benefit that brought him.
People like that don't treat others carelessly, and they always start from a baseline of respect.
If it weren't for the M-shaped receding hairline in progress on his head, he might have been able to aim a little higher than B-rank.
“Honestly, I'm extremely interested in other races. Beastfolk on the fifth floor are nice too, but the orcs, dwarves, and elves of Rajesta Continent on the fourth floor have something heart-stirring about them.”
“I-it's a good place!”
“Yes, I think so too. I've actually been interested in classic fantasy novels and comics since I was a child. Ah, by the way, are elves really—”
The conversation that followed was smooth as well.
There was definitely a generational gap here and there in the old stories told by a 1,901-year-old elf, but not enough to be unpleasant.
Once one topic came to an end, a brief silence settled in. The two naturally lifted their coffee cups to their lips and thought about the next topic.
As usual, Han Hyojae was the first to speak again.
“Excuse me, Ms. Lenea.”
“Yes?”
“Anyway, since we met through a marriage agency, I think we should talk a lot about the practical side of things.”
“Y-yes!”
Nodding, Lenea clenched her fist tightly.
It seemed that the fact the other side was truly considering marriage with her gave her hope.
Han Hyojae's glasses gleamed.
“What do you plan to do for work?”
“Huh? Ah... I was thinking of being a full-time homemaker.”
“My salary isn't generous enough for that. I also have to take care of my parents' retirement. I actually heard that you recently dealt with a hunter-related issue and received a bounty.”
“What? Ah, right! 100 million won!”
100 million won.
It was by no means a small amount.
Lenea's combat ability was one of the reasons Han Hyojae had come to this meeting.
“To be honest, if I get married, I'd like a dual-income household.”
“Ah.”
“Since you were even the Elf Queen, low-rank hunter work shouldn't be all that difficult for you. It would be safe too.”
“To take up the bow again...”
A shadow fell over Lenea's face.
The married life she'd dreamed of seemed to be one where she would no longer hold a bow.
“Even if you weren't a hunter, I hope you'd at least have a job. If we end up having children, we'll have to think about that then, but until then it should be possible.”
Han Hyojae was calm.
What he said was truly cold, but that didn't mean it was wrong.
On the contrary, because it was so realistic, it only reminded her how cold reality was.
“I heard you don't have a house or any assets of your own.”
“I-I do have a bow.”
“......Then I think that makes it even more important for us both to work.”
“Ah, yes.”
A short answer.
Han Hyojae stared at Lenea for a moment, then took another sip of coffee.
“......Ms. Lenea, do you have anything you'd like to ask me?”
At those words, after thinking for a moment, Lenea voiced the question she'd kept buried deep in her heart.
“When it comes to marriage, I'm curious what you think an ideal couple looks like.”
“......An ideal couple.”
Perhaps it was an unexpected question; he lifted his glasses and fell silent for a moment.
After mulling it over, he calmly explained his answer.
“I want a rational relationship. One where neither side is one-sided, a relationship of companionship. They say husband and wife are not people who look at each other, but people who look in the same direction.”
“......”
“Yes, that's what I want. The two of us running together toward one goal, like a two-person three-legged race.”
“A goal, then—”
“It would change depending on the time. Financial stability, raising children, taking care of our parents' retirement, and so on.”
Oddly enough, Han Hyojae's answer seemed to weigh Lenea down even more, and he knew it.
That's why he asked in return.
“What kind of marriage do you hope for, Ms. Lenea?”
“I... I.”
She pressed her clenched fist against her chest.
The ideal she'd held deep inside.
“A relationship where we laugh together, cry together, and support each other. A relationship where we don't look at anything else, and are happy just looking at each other.”
Silence fell.
Slurp.
After taking another sip, Han Hyojae asked calmly.
“Then, Ms. Lenea, you want to keep the courtship period long.”
“Ah, yes. That's right.”
“On the other hand, I hope to get married right away if the conditions and our feelings match.”
“......”
“......”
Their positions were parallel lines.
Before long, the two were looking at each other.
So comfortably.
Without any excitement or fluttering.
“Was I chasing ideals too much?”
Lenea asked, scratching her cheek like a student hoping to find an area for improvement.
“Yes, that's right. Given your age, Ms. Lenea. Besides, coming to a marriage agency in modern society means you want marriage, not dating. But you're hoping for romance.”
“These days, it's an era where people work until they're 100. Someone who doesn't work can't help but look incompetent. Much less when, at marriage time, you say your dream is to be a full-time homemaker; it can easily look like you're trying to marry for convenience.”
Han Hyojae's matter-of-fact barrage of words was like a superior going over a report and suggesting revisions.
“What's more, you don't have any wealth saved up. You're beautiful, but age is not something you can ignore.”
“W-well, I suppose so.”
Once again, silence returned.
The two coffee cups were already empty by then.
After glancing out the window for a moment, Han Hyojae uncrossed his legs and asked,
“Do you think I was too harsh?”
“J-just a little?”
“I suppose so. I understand that it may have hurt. But Ms. Lenea, I came here as well to find a spouse who suits me.”
“......”
“I used my one precious chance on you, Ms. Lenea. The same goes for you. There's no need to be timid.”
“Ah.”
“I'm talking about the CEO of Meracle Company. A man named Kim Juseon. He's a capable person. He definitely has an eye for people. But even he can't judge everything for you.”
Kim Yang chuckled, lightly bumping my shoulder with her elbow.
Even so, the conversation between the two continued.
“From now on, many people will stand before you, not me. In the end, you're the one who has to judge them.”
Han Hyojae slowly rose from his seat.
He picked up his bag and looked down at her.
“Because it's you who will be getting married.”
“......”
“If I hurt you today, I apologize. But the next person will ask questions not all that different from mine. That's what marriage is.”
Han Hyojae bowed politely.
This would probably be their first and last meeting.
Lenea, who had been staring at Han Hyojae, suddenly let out a snort of laughter.
“No, not at all. I too... have learned a great deal.”
“......Is that your usual way of speaking?”
“Hmm, I suppose you could say that.”
“That suits you better.”
The two of them laughed softly.
“Thanks to you, I now know how lacking I am and what kind of effort I need to make. Thank you.”
“......Me too.”
After hesitating for a moment, Han Hyojae smiled, a little softer than before.
“Marriage isn't a business, but an exchange of feelings. Thanks to you, today reminded me of that once again.”
They hadn't gotten the result they wanted.
In the end, though, it was a day where they learned from each other.
“I sincerely hope you find a good match.”
“I hope you too have the married life you'd long wished for.”
The two parted ways, blessing each other's futures with neither lingering regret nor tenderness.
notes":"Fixed the accidental repeated closing-line translation, used Kim Yang by name to avoid pronoun ambiguity, and aligned the title to the chapter’s value-contrast theme."}]}ಘ### END HERE ###