Episode 15: Money < The Peaceful Life of a Possessor < Too Much Money (3)

The dream had been far too vivid to simply chalk up to the shock of meeting the protagonist from her favorite novel. Never mind that it was a scene she had never encountered in the original story, but the sound of her own voice—so unsettlingly foreign—had been enough to give her chills.

Not to mention the attitude and mannerisms of the ‘Guide Maeng,’ who would make an exemplary case for being the poster child of annoying villain characters. Her face had even looked a bit off, though Sodam figured that anyone would look that way if they made such expressions. But more importantly…

‘Yeah… this feels like something that actually happened, doesn’t it?’

Given the circumstances, she had to reassess Juyul’s attitude. Instead of cursing her out as soon as they met again, he had merely dismissed her with indifference and spoke to her informally. Considering how different her voice and mannerisms had been—not to mention his claim that her name was different—it was no wonder he was suspicious. As someone who had spent his life fighting monsters at the frontlines, Juyul couldn’t be blamed for suspecting her. In fact, it was almost surprising that he hadn’t killed her outright. Perhaps he was too naïve.

Sodam propped herself up on the bed with a creaky body and rubbed her forehead, letting out a long sigh.

“Maeng Sodam… no, Guide Maeng, you really did all sorts of horrible things, didn’t you? What were you even thinking?”

Even mumbling softly made her throat sting. Her voice also sounded a bit hoarse. Holding her neck and letting out a weak sigh, Sodam shook her head and glanced down at her hand. The hot pack, still firmly attached to her palm, hadn’t lost its warmth. She stared at it for a moment before slowly peeling it off.

“Holy…”

The moment the hot pack was removed, a biting chill assaulted her entire body. It was as if someone had snatched her from a cozy bed and tossed her into a pool filled with floating glaciers.

She had assumed the cold would just be similar to how she felt right after being possessed, but no. If back then she had felt like her skin was freezing over, this time it felt as though her internal organs had been replaced with Siberian ice blocks. Desperate, she hurriedly rolled up her hoodie sleeve and pressed the hot pack back onto her bare arm.

“Aaah, I thought I was going to die!”

Her heart was still pounding from the shock of the sudden cold. She placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath, lowering her head. Looking down at the hot pack clinging to her arm, she finally understood why Juyul had left it behind, confident it would compensate for his near-murder attempt. And with that realization came another, more disheartening truth about her situation.

“Damn it, I can’t sell this. If I don’t have it, I’ll die. How am I supposed to sell it?!”

Her voice wavered, filled with frustration, as she lamented her lost fortune.

“My 10 million won…”

The sense of loss was beyond logical explanation. According to the original story, this hot pack’s usage period lasted about six months. Sodam was deeply skeptical that this cursed cold would go away in that time, even if she kept Guiding Juyul.

The worst part was that this hot pack wasn’t new—it had already been used by Juyul. Which meant she had no idea how much longer it would last. If she sold it, only for the warmth to vanish the next day, it would lead to more complications than she could count.

And then there was the ominous feeling that Juyul’s command to report to the Guiding room daily was more than just surveillance. The hot pack would likely remain glued to her skin until it turned black and fell off.

“…Yeah, when have I ever been lucky? I’ve always been the type to earn money like a dog and spend it like one, too. Ugh…”

Sodam ran her hands over her now gaunt-looking cheeks and sighed, slowly getting to her feet. She had no idea how long she had been asleep, but it felt embarrassing to stay any longer in the Guiding room with no one left to Guide.

She glanced at Juyul’s coat lying on the chair nearby but decided to ignore it as she prepared to leave. Just then, a sharp pain radiated from her neck. Even the lightest touch made her cough, suggesting there was a noticeable mark left behind. If she wanted to hide the bruise, she’d need to wear a scarf or a high-collared coat.

She turned her head, hoping for a stroke of luck, and her eyes landed on Juyul’s coat once more. Conveniently, the coat had a high collar and looked big enough to comfortably fit over her hoodie.

“Ugh, this doesn’t count as losing. It’s not like I’m stealing it—he left it here, so I’m just using it. It’s mine now…”

She didn’t want anyone seeing the bruises on her neck or the disheveled state of her clothes. The coat was larger than she expected, almost swallowing her up, but she bit her lip and pulled it tighter around herself.

“If anyone sees me like this, I’ll make sure they think Baek Juyul has a weird taste in fashion…”

Her legs felt weak from the mental strain, and she staggered as she reached for the door. Just as her hand touched the knob, the door was flung open from the other side.

“Ah!”

“You’re finally awake, Guide Maeng. Do you know how many hours it’s been?”

“Uh, I’m sorry… I must have caused trouble for the Association. Did I mess up any Guiding appointments?”

“Oh, don’t tell me you forgot this Guiding room is exclusively for Baek Juyul. What do you even know?”

“Ah, right, of course… Sorry, again.”

The B-class Guide, the one who had talked down to her earlier in the morning, looked furious. Her eyebrows were raised, and her twisted smile suggested that every part of her face was filled with anger.

Sodam had been irritated by the unfair treatment before the Guiding session, but now that she had genuinely messed up, she could only bow her head in apology. Her attitude seemed to appease the B-class Guide somewhat, as the fury on her face softened a little.

“…At least you’re sorry. You can leave now.”

“Oh. Just leave? Don’t I need to, like, fill out a report or something?”

Money. Or money. Or something like money. Sodam swallowed her blunt thoughts and forced a bright smile, trying to ignore the cold sweat running down her back. She was trying her best to look like a professional Guide, but the B-class Guide’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“It’s strange to hear you ask about that first. Yesterday, you were yelling about why you even needed to receive such things.”

“Me…? I must’ve said something ridiculous because I was exhausted.”

“Maybe. It’s something that benefits everyone, so I never understood why you were so against it. Anyway, wait here for a bit. I’ll go check if Huang Esper is available.”

“Yes, I—wait, what?”

“To sign the confidentiality agreement, we need him present. To be honest, I was nervous about this. No Guide who has ever provided Guiding for Baek Juyul has returned for a second session, and I was worried you might start spreading rumors with false hopes.”

“Wait, that’s not what I meant—”

“We didn’t prepare it earlier because the higher-ups thought one strong agreement was enough. But since you brought it up, I appreciate it. I’ll be right back.”

Ignoring Sodam’s bewildered voice entirely, the B-class Guide spat out her words and disappeared as quickly as she had come.

Left alone once again, all Sodam could do was replay the conversation in her head. Combining her knowledge of the original story, the dream, and what the B-class Guide had said, there was only one conclusion.

The confidentiality agreement that all Guides who had guided Juyul had to sign.

“It feels like I’ve dug my own grave. Damn it, I should’ve just asked for money upfront…”

The little color left in Sodam’s face drained entirely. Keeping secrets wasn’t the real issue here. Sodam had no intention of spilling any secrets—she barely knew anyone close to the original Maeng Sodam, and even if she did, it wasn’t like she was planning to gossip about Juyul. The real problem was the nature of the “agreement.”

‘In the original novel, an Esper with the power to place restrictions would brand a mark on the skin. The pain you felt depended on your rank! This is insane! Absolutely insane!’

No wonder some Guides screamed and shouted when forced to receive this mark. Only people who never had to deal with it would call it a “confidentiality agreement.” Among F-class Guides, it was referred to as the “brand” because it looked and felt exactly like one.

Sodam only knew this tiny bit of information thanks to a side female lead who was ranked E-class, which was why it was even mentioned in the original story at all.