11 Virtues A Hero's Civilian Friend Must Uphold - Chapter 8

The reactions of people who first learned about Na Eun’s house and what kind of company her parents ran were generally similar.

How much allowance do you get? Do you really have a swimming pool at home? Do you have parties often?

These were relatively innocent questions, and Na Eun used to answer them comfortably.

Allowance is 100,000 won excluding essential fixed costs like transportation and food expenses, there’s no swimming pool at home, and I’ve hardly ever attended parties.

When she answered like that, everyone was surprised.

To think that the allowance from a chaebol family everyone knows by name is only that much.

When they asked if she used something like a card with no limit, Na Eun would secretly scoff inside.

What card?

If this month’s allowance wasn’t enough, she had to use next month’s allowance, and even that was only possible by barely begging her mother.

We have a lot of money, not you.

Her kind yet strict mother had told Na Eun so mercilessly, and thanks to such thorough education, Na Eun was able to mingle comfortably with friends even after entering a regular high school.

When everyone wore uniforms and sat in the same classroom, they were all the same, so both her friends and Na Eun herself often forgot that she was born into a wealthy family.

But sometimes, there were times like this when it felt real.

Looking around the interior of the venue filled with political and business figures you’d only see on the news, Na Eun secretly marveled inside.

Our family really is well-off.

If Seung Joo or Sun Jin had heard, they would have hit her back saying it was tasteless.

The wedding of her parents’ acquaintance was held at the most famous hotel in Seoul. Usually, they didn’t bring their daughter to such events, but this time Na Eun had insisted on going.

It was because she heard that Sun Jin’s favorite idol group would be performing as the wedding singer.

Maybe she could even get an autograph? Sun Jin, who had been injured again during the last terrorist suppression, was resting at home to treat her leg.

Thinking it would be comforting to bring her favorite singer’s autograph when visiting, she was watching for an opportunity beside her parents.

But the inside of the venue was more crowded than expected, and Soo Hyun and Seok Hoon seemed busy greeting acquaintances.

Moreover, attention was drawn to Na Eun’s presence, who rarely attended such events, so she had to busily go around greeting adults she didn’t know well.

After circulating for a while, Na Eun, who had roughly made her presence known to the adult guests at the wedding, slipped out of the hall using the bathroom as an excuse.

She wanted to look for the singer’s waiting room, thinking they might have given a separate one since the wedding singer was a celebrity.

How many times did she get lost in the vast and complex interior, even though she had been to this hotel a few times before?

Na Eun turned her steps when she spotted a figure coming into view at the end of the corridor she was walking down.

“Hello.”

“……”

“Hello?”

“……”

“You saw me, didn’t you?”

The other person seemed to have seen her too, as they were now following behind her. Na Eun felt irritation rising but finally stopped walking.

There were many of her parents’ acquaintances here.

Na Eun had just gone around introducing herself, so acting recklessly here would be disgracing her parents.

She asked in the kindest manner possible:

“What?”

“You’re so cold.”

Did I do something wrong back then? She disliked that glib attitude from the start.

Na Eun was about to ignore him when a thought suddenly occurred to her and she looked around frantically. The man watched her actions with amusement.

“What?”

“Is something happening here today?”

Why are you here? Knowing his identity, Na Eun’s expression darkened, wondering if some kind of terrorist attack might occur here.

Hee Won chuckled at her natural yet colorful imagination.

“We have private lives too. Can’t you tell from my outfit?”

Only then did Na Eun look him up and down. The appropriate semi-formal attire clearly indicated he was a wedding guest.

The piercings on his ears remained, making him look somewhat out of place, but as much as she hated to admit it, they suited the model-like handsome man very well.

As Na Eun silently stared at the man’s appearance like a scene from a fashion magazine, he said as if realizing something:

“Ah, so you were that daughter Mrs. Kim was nagging earlier about having to make an impression.”

Na Eun also had an “oh” moment at his words.

She remembered the middle-aged woman who had been introduced as her mother’s acquaintance earlier, holding Na Eun’s hands and repeatedly expressing regret, saying, “My son stepped out for a moment, but I really wanted to introduce you.”

I don’t like this.

Na Eun really disliked this situation that seemed likely to entangle her despite her dislike.

On the other hand, Hee Won smiled, finding this small girl who was expressing her dislike of him with her whole body quite cute.

If I give her my number now, I don’t think she’ll be able to throw it away.

That thought made him want to tease her once more, but suddenly he noticed Na Eun’s gaze shifting behind him.

Na Eun saw a woman who looked like she had just fixed her appearance passing by them, pretending not to notice, from the emergency stairway entrance where he had come from.

Then, unexpectedly discovering the lipstick mark on Hee Won’s shirt collar, Na Eun’s face stiffened.

“…You really are something else.”

It was an unintentionally honest remark, but Na Eun decided not to hide her aversion to him anymore.

She turned her back as if not wanting to associate with him and walked away, while Hee Won, though amused, did not stop her.

That’s when it happened.

Bang. The building shook with a huge boom.

Na Eun reflexively sat down, and faint screams could be heard from far away.

Before she could even comprehend the situation, Na Eun watched the crowd scatter in all directions. She struggled to steady her trembling legs and stood up.

Something hit the hotel building−!

Someone’s shout pierced her ears.

It meant that the frequent terrorist attacks in downtown Seoul were aimed at this hotel today.

As Na Eun’s eyes gradually filled with panic, a strangely familiar mechanical sound came from behind.

Beep−. With that irritating sound that was neither a ringtone nor vibration, Hee Won put away the phone he had been holding with an indifferent expression.

“And I thought I might get some rest.”

It sounded like an office worker who had just been told to come in on a holiday.

Trudging over to where Na Eun was sitting, he said:

“You’ve learned about disaster evacuation at school, right?”

Using the elevator is suicide at a time like this. Use the stairs.

Looking up at him as he gave advice while not hiding his bored tone and even yawning, Na Eun said:

“Mom… Dad…”

They’re inside.

The wedding was held in the hotel’s largest central hall, and the thought that this impact would have been felt most strongly in the hall drove Na Eun into a state of panic.

But the man tilted his head, showing no sympathy for Na Eun’s state:

So,

“Are you asking me to save them?”

“……”

He sneered.

“Are your parents the only ones here?”

“……”

“That’s very selfish.”

The look in his eyes, as if looking at the most insignificant creature in the world, made her heart shrink.

You’re a hero, aren’t you? Heroes aren’t supposed to say things like that.

Such a rebuttal rose to her throat but then subsided due to unavoidable shame.

Because the man was right. This place was crowded with numerous people for the wedding.

There were plenty of people to save even if not her parents.

I have to find Mom and Dad myself.

She struggled to stand on her shaky legs.

Hee Won watched the hem of the pink dress rushing past him down the corridor with emotionless eyes, then yawned widely while standing in place.

Ah, what a bother.

Even as he could hear the screams of dying people in the distance with his superhuman hearing, Hee Won muttered with an infinitely bored look.

Finding Mom and Dad in the hotel that had turned into pandemonium in an instant was not easy.

Chaos ensued as people trying to go down the stairs mixed with the crowd rushing to the elevators.

Ah!

Na Eun let out a small groan as she fell to the floor after bumping into someone fleeing while trying to enter the hall, but no one paid any attention to her.

To survive this life-or-death situation, she had to pull herself together somehow.

Na Eun staggered to her feet and finally made her way into the hall, pushing through the crowd.

The hall, which had already become a scene of pandemonium as people fled, was strewn with round tables that had fallen like dominoes.

As Na Eun wandered through, calling out for her mom and dad, a horrific sight entered her view.

“Please help…”

Hearing the faint plea for help along with a groan, Na Eun hurriedly approached the end of the bridal aisle.

There lay a bride in a white dress, her legs pinned under a fallen statue, unable to move.

Shocked by the fact that all the guests had fled, abandoning even the bride, Na Eun reached out with both hands to try and lift the sculpture trapping the bride’s legs.

But the heavy statue, made of who knows what material, showed no sign of budging even a centimeter despite Na Eun’s grunting efforts.

The white dress the bride was wearing began to turn red from the wound caused by being crushed.

Na Eun’s face turned pale at the sight, and at the same time, a presence approached with a dragging sound.

Could it be people coming to rescue us? Na Eun’s hopeful expression darkened further as she turned her head.

“Oh my, what pretty little things we have here.”

A masked woman wearing a hat spotted them and approached with a smile. But Na Eun couldn’t smile.

There are 12 active heroes in the world. And they all wear the same outfit.

This woman was masked and wore a hat, but it wasn’t their uniform, nor was she a firefighter or soldier.

Then there was only one answer.

Bang−. A gunshot rang out without hesitation through the hall, and the bride pinned under the statue died instantly.

The woman who had put a hole in the bride’s head in an instant looked down at Na Eun as she calmly sat on the chair she had dragged over.

“Nice to meet you, miss.”

You know, I’m waiting for someone right now and I’m bored. Want to play with me for a bit?

Na Eun couldn’t answer. Her gaze was fixed blankly on the bride in front of her, who had been alive just moments ago.

At the sight of a person who had been alive just thirty minutes ago now lying as a cold corpse, Na Eun couldn’t help but retch.

Oh my, you have a weak stomach. The woman even patted Na Eun’s back as if pitying her, then grabbed her hair and pulled it back.

Ah−! Na Eun let out a groan at the pain shooting from her scalp, but it was short-lived as a gun barrel was pressed to her neck.

“It’s okay, I won’t kill you.”

It was quite an untrustworthy statement coming from someone pointing a gun.

Na Eun squeezed her eyes shut in fear, and as the woman’s voice, laughing at the amusing sight, was about to echo around them, a wind blew from somewhere.

With a cracking sound, Na Eun felt the gun barrel move away from her neck.

She opened her eyes to see a back as solid as a mountain in front of her, something she had never felt that way about before.

“……”

−Sun Jin.

Na Eun’s eyes filled with tears as she swallowed the name she couldn’t bring herself to say out loud.

Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day

It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!

This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.

The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.

Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.

If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.

It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.

The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.

In the end, everything will come together and be explained.

One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!

In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.

Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.

However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.

Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.

Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?

——

Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.

His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.

Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”

——

The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.

Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!

Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!

The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…

——

But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.

The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.

She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…

Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”

Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”

Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?

[Small Theater]

The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.

Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”

Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.

Zhu Wansheng: ?

Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…

On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.

Warm breath lingers on her neck.

“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”

[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]

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