★Chapter 10 : My Princess★
“Who’s calling?”
“It’s the publishing company. My work made it into the top rankings of the contest.”
“Oh, really!? Congratulations!”
Clap, clap, clap!
Kang Ba-da smiled brightly, offering her congratulations. Even though Kim Ha-neul had already checked the matter before leaving her seat, she pretended not to know for now.
‘You won’t know that I’m the princess.’
She thought that Kim Ha-neul might catch on, but fortunately, it seemed like he still didn’t know.
“A person called princess sent me a tremendous amount of sponsorship funds. Oh, it may not seem like much in terms of the actual amount, maybe around 100 won…”
Kim Ha-neul bragged like a child, and Kang Ba-da had put in so much effort to hold back her laughter.
-…Nanny, thank you!
She had no idea how much to send, so she hesitated for a moment, thinking of sending about one million won.
-How about sending a hundred thousand won?
-Isn’t that too little? I regretted sending ten thousand won last time… What if he thinks I’m ignoring him?
-I don’t think he would feel that way. The amount is not the most important thing. I heard that he still hasn’t used the card you gave hi. as a gift, right?”
-Well, that’s true…
-I found out that sending ten thousand won is quite rare. With a hundred thousand won, you can convey your feelings without feeling burdened.
-Is that so!?
Thanks to Nanny’s advice on the appropriate price, Kang Ba-da was able to adjust smoothly. She didn’t expect giving a gift to be so challenging.
‘As for external matters, we can handle them through the publishing company.’
After learning about the situation at Daehan Media, Kang Ba-da immediately prepared for the acquisition. She hoped that Kim Ha-neul could write comfortably.
Personally, she found out that the CEO’s reputation wasn’t bad, and with a strong support system, she believed they could fully showcase their talents and make them a true “Daehan.”
‘I can’t believe it, even the publishing company’s name is ‘Daehan’… Is this destiny that I’ve only heard about in stories!?’
Although I approached the acquisition with a somewhat lighthearted mindset, once the name ‘Daehan’ was involved, I couldn’t afford to be careless. I needed to create conditions where I could stand on my own.
It was only natural that Kim Ha-neul’s support would come into play during this process. Even though I hadn’t mentioned it earlier, I was satisfied that the CEO took care of it on their own.
‘It will be a surprise when he finds out later, right?’
If he knew that I had been supporting him from the bottom, it might move him. A heartfelt narrative born from a long and solid build-up. How exciting!
Hehehe…
Kang Ba-da laughed inwardly at her perfect plan as she observed him, and Kim Ha-neul awkwardly smiled sensing her gaze.
“Being in the top rankings isn’t a significant indicator, and it doesn’t necessarily lead to a significant increase in readership.”
“But still, among thousands of works, you made it into the top 200. If you keep writing, you’ll definitely be able to achieve even higher rankings.”
“Since Ba-da-ssi says so, I feel encouraged.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I’m glad. The more successful you become, the easier it will be for our family to accept our marriage, so work hard!”
In truth, it didn’t matter whether the work succeeded or not. Regardless of whether the family opposed it or not, Kang Ba-da had no intention of forcibly ending her relationship with Kim Ha-neul.
However, if she pushed too hard, Kim Ha-neul might start suspecting something, so she needed a “superficial reason.”
“That’s true. I don’t have much to boast about right now. It’s not a particularly prestigious profession.”
“What’s wrong with being a writer?”
“Actually, I’m a web novel writer. It’s not a highly recognized profession, and especially our parents’ generation wouldn’t view it kindly.”
Kim Ha-neul smiled a little bitterly. It seemed like all those years were written on her face, and it pained Kang Ba-da’s heart a little.
‘My dad probably wouldn’t care much.’
Of course, if the son-in-law were a successful CEO or from a reputable family, they would like it. But that was a story from the perspective of viewing Kang Ba-da not as a daughter, but as a “family asset.”
As long as there’s enough money to pass down through generations, unless the son-in-law is a gambler or a useless man, they’ll generally approve. In that sense, Kim Ha-neul is actually a bonus.
‘One who treats the family well, works hard, and doesn’t show off about his wealth.’
The last part is especially crucial.
It’s often said that a man’s true nature is revealed when he has everything. Seeing that she immediately transferred all the money to her parents as soon as she received 5 million won, it was more than enough to trust her.
‘Confidence can be quickly built.’
Perhaps due to the lack of significantly successful works compared to the effort she put in, Kim Ha-neul seemed generally discouraged. But that would be resolved soon as well.
‘This work feels really good.’
Although the works Kim Ha-neul had written so far were decent, “<Life Becomes Amazing After Marriage>” was truly enjoyable even without considering the personal fondness for her.
I had never left any traces on the internet until now. But I was so engrossed in reading that I unknowingly left a comment as well.
‘If it’s Ha-neul, he can do it without resorting to manipulation.’
Since there were so many participants, there were quite a few people who manipulated the rankings by artificially increasing their views. I had briefly thought about it.
Increasing views with money and writing recommendation posts isn’t difficult. But would such rankings truly hold any meaning for Ha-neul?
‘No.’
That would be an insult to Kim Ha-neul. If I genuinely believed in him, all I had to do was silently support him and wait.
Success achieved solely through one’s own hands. Kang Ba-da knew better than anyone else that it had an immeasurable value that couldn’t be translated into money.
“Ha-neul-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“It will definitely work out. No, even if it fails, it’s okay. You can use that failure as a stepping stone to climb even higher.”
“······.”
“Fight on! Understand!?”
Heh-
Kang Ba-da raised her fist and struck a fighting pose, prompting Kim Ha-neul to burst into laughter as if she found it absurd. At that moment, she felt embarrassed by her own actions.
“Yes, let’s fight on. Together.”
Thump-
Kim Ha-neul lightly bumped his fist against Kang Ba-da’s. It created a small ripple in Kang Ba-da’s heart, as if someone had thrown a stone into a lake.
‘I felt that.’
She had held hands and crossed arms in front of people before. Why did this simple fist bump make her heart flutter?
Kang Ba-da couldn’t quite understand the reason, so she fell silent for a moment.
* * *
“It’s certain.”
Kang Ba-da is the ‘Princess.’
He could wager his entire fortune on this.
No wonder the nickname and support were out of the ordinary. When his concerns turned into reality, his abdomen twisted.
‘I had a hunch…’
The first moment of doubt arose when the Princess left a comment. The username listed in her profile was none other than ‘Sea0707.’
From the very word, the scent of Kang Ba-da permeated. Who would include ‘Sea’ in their username? And even the numbers that followed…
-Ba-da-ssi,when is your birthday by any chance?
– It’s July 7th.
– Wow, my birthday is the same.
– Oh really?
I tried to play it off, but I had made such an effort to hide my embarrassment. When did she start reading my novel?
‘Well, she knows everything about me anyway.’
Figuring out the pen name was easy enough.
A single phone call would be enough for her.
Anyway, Kang Ba-da reading my novel is not a bigger problem than I thought. What’s important is that she wants to hide the fact that she is the ‘Princess’ herself.
‘It’s interesting.’
Suddenly, the comment she left flashed through Kim Ha-neul’s mind. It was clearly about the heroine kidnapping and imprisoning the protagonist.
‘She deliberately exposed her username, didn’t she?’
Although she had spent quite a long time on the web novel publishing site, she had never heard news of the ‘Princess’ leaving a comment.
Even with her distinctive nickname. She was famous for silently supporting and leaving without a trace, with such peculiar behavior.
At first, I thought maybe the ‘Princess’ managed the comments to be visible only to the authors.
“If that were the case, rumors would have spread quickly.”
In other words, the ‘Princess’ leaving a comment might be a first-time occurrence. There were many suspicious corners that made it difficult to attribute it to a simple mistake.
Considering her meticulous planning and the slim probability of her making mistakes, how likely is it that it happened to be my work?
‘···Close to impossible.’
She truly is a formidable woman.
A warning that she is watching, no matter when or where. It’s a clear implicit message that she might even kidnap and make it mysterious if necessary.
Kim Ha-neul had two choices regarding this. One was to confront her directly, and the other was to adapt to her strengths and weaknesses.
‘For now, I should adapt here.’
The difference in status between Kang Ba-da and herself is laughable, even to the point of being ‘desperate.’ It’s not yet time to stir up trouble.
‘I can only make the most of it.’
Whatever Kang Ba-da’s objective may be, she’s reading <Life Becomes Amazing After Marriage>. In that case, I can use this situation to my advantage.
Reminding myself regularly that the author’s thoughts are reflected in the work, I subtly convey messages within the novel.
‘It’s not so different from the direction of the novel.’
After all, the broader context of <Life Becomes Amazing After Marriage> is similar to the current state of our relationship. Kang Ba-da must also sense it vaguely.
Therefore, by consistently showing an active heroine and a protagonist who is influenced by her, I can easily confuse Kang Ba-da.
‘Well, let’s leave the calculations at this point.’
As an author, I should show my gratitude. After all, she read my writing until the end as one of my readers.
It’s hard to believe that someone who seems naturally inclined towards the sciences has been reading web novels for a long time, but I was glad to catch a glimpse of her unique side.
‘I’m grateful that she didn’t interfere with the work at her own discretion.’
Since discovering the identity of the Princess, I was worried that she might manipulate things under the guise of ‘looking out for me.’ Fortunately, there were no signs of that.
It wasn’t mentioned on any recommendation boards or specific communities, nor did the number of views suddenly spike. It was just an increase in the settling rate of incoming readers.
Of course, if she sets her mind to it, she can manipulate things without leaving any traces. However, I became certain of that as I had a conversation with Kang Ba-da just now.
“Fight on! Understand!?”
Kang Ba-da raised her fist in a fighting pose. If even that was an act, she had such a pure expression that I couldn’t trust anyone anymore.
I felt so embarrassed by my previous suspicions and constant calculations that I momentarily let my thoughts go.
“Yes, fighting! Together.”
Tap.
Our fists lightly collided. It was a brief moment, but the softness of Kang Ba-da’s touch transmitted through my skin. It was a pleasant tingling sensation.
Momentarily taken aback by the unfamiliar feeling, I bit my tongue slightly to snap myself out of it. Then, I took out the gift I had prepared from my bag.
“Here, take this.”
“What is this?”
“With all the clothes and accessories you’ve been receiving so far, I wanted to do something for you.”
This gesture was pure sincerity.
Regardless of whether she had used me as a tool for her comfortable life or not, it was a clear fact that she had led my life to a better one.
“I struggled a bit to figure out what to give you.”
How many things in the world can’t be obtained if Kang Ba-da sets her mind to it? I pondered for a long time because nothing came to mind as a gift she would like.
“Can I accept this?”
“Of course. I brought it to give it to Ba-da-ssi. Don’t get your hopes up too much. It’s not anything special.”
Perhaps she hadn’t even considered that I would give her a gift, Kang Ba-da, who seemed taken aback, hesitated and slowly opened the box.
“What’s this?”
Kang Ba-da’s eyes widened as she examined the gift.
