Goblin Library - Chapter 74

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 74

Twenty years ago, when Cha Jang-woo was a university student, he committed sexual assault. His victim was a classmate who had been drinking.
At the time, the court handed down a suspended sentence based on the absurd reasoning that he was a first-time offender, showed deep remorse, and had reached a settlement with the victim’s side.
Cha Jang-woo’s father, who owned several buildings, had used money to bury the case.
Therefore, Cha Jang-woo’s case was also Lim Sung-un’s case.

Late in the evening, Lee Hye-eun sat in her apartment, sipping coffee while gazing out the window.
『Now, shall I start preparing?』
Lee Hye-eun murmured softly as she retrieved a bottle of soju from the refrigerator. She immediately uncapped it, brought the opening to her lips, and took a small sip.
And then….
『Gargle, gargle!』
Lee Hye-eun opened her mouth and made gargling sounds before spitting the soju into the sink.
[What are you doing?]
Jang Ma-ru asked through the earbuds in her ear, and Lee Hye-eun replied.
『You don’t actually need to drink alcohol to act like you’ve been drinking.』
She then dabbed a bit of soju on her body and lightly rubbed it on her neck and ears as if applying toner to her skin.
[That’s detailed.]
『You all seem like you’d do this kind of work too… don’t you do this sort of thing? Acting drunk and all?』
[We… …don’t do things like that.]
Hearing the hesitation in his voice, Lee Hye-eun let out a small laugh.
『Sounds like you said something you shouldn’t have to me.』
[That’s right.]
Jang Ma-ru had just inadvertently said something he shouldn’t have, and the AI program had deleted it before sending the audio.
『But you really are good with computers.』
[That’s what I do.]
『So you’re really good at mining coins too?』
[Do I mine coins? The computer does the mining, and I just… give orders.]
Jang Ma-ru paused mid-sentence, smacking his lips before continuing.
[Anyway, we don’t do acting or anything like that. And we’re not going to mine coins for that noona either.]
『I see….』
Lee Hye-eun nodded and adjusted her clothing as she asked.
『So I don’t need to get involved in the Cha Jang-woo situation?』
[Cha Jang-woo is a criminal caught up in the work we do. We’ll handle sending him to prison ourselves.]
『Prison, huh….』
Lee Hye-eun spoke as she looked in the mirror.
『Isn’t just sending him to prison a bit boring?』
[Why would sending him to prison be boring?]
『Sending Cha Jang-woo to prison won’t make his wealth disappear, will it? He’ll serve his time and come out rich again, living lavishly as before…. Rather than sending him to prison, it would be better to strip him of his assets and turn him into a pauper. Then being outside would feel like hell to him.』
[But it’s still prison. Prison.]
『What’s so special about prison?』
Lee Hye-eun continued as she left the officetel.
『Only first-timers get scared and think their lives are ruined. Those who go often don’t feel that way.』
Jang Ma-ru laughed at Lee Hye-eun’s words and replied.
[Fortunately, Cha Jang-woo has never been to prison.]
『That’s… true. So Cha Jang-woo would really hate going to prison then.』
[But do you really think prison is nothing special?]
『That’s just how I’m putting it. Just how I’m putting it….』
Lee Hye-eun continued with a laugh.
『Even those who go to prison often hate it. After all, you can’t do whatever you want there.』
[That’s true.]
『But there are exceptions. When I was inside before, I saw someone young with a lot of tattoos. That person was building their body for this time, doing yoga and working out whenever they had the chance.』
[You do yoga in prison?]
『It depends on the atmosphere of the cell. In rooms with nice people and less rough treatment, it’s actually better than outside. It’s still a place where people live, after all.』
[So what did you do?]
『Me? I mostly listened to the older inmates talk.』
[Listened to them talk?]
『Life is experience. And experience can be learned. I learned a lot of experience by talking with the older inmates.』
[Is that how you con people?]
『Con… I suppose you could call it that.』
As Lee Hye-eun descended from the officetel and began walking, Jang Ma-ru asked with confusion.
[Aren’t you taking your bike?]
『Drunk driving isn’t just for cars. You can’t ride a bike or scooter after drinking either. The only thing you can operate drunk is your own body.』
[But you didn’t drink, did you?]
『The character Lee Seul-ki did though.』
While continuing her conversation with Jang Ma-ru, Lee Hye-eun walked diligently until she stopped near the Convenience Store. Then she quietly pulled out eye drops from her pocket and applied them to her eyes with a tap.
After blinking several times, Lee Hye-eun’s eyes turned slightly red.
They were eye drops that made your eyes red like someone who was drunk.
After completing all her preparations, Lee Hye-eun checked her face on her phone and opened the Convenience Store door.
Ding!
As the bell chimed, Lee Hye-eun entered and gave a slight bow to Kim Un-hyun, who was sitting at the counter looking at his phone.
『Hello.』
At her slightly slurred voice, Jang Ma-ru exclaimed in admiration.
[You really sound like you’ve been drinking.]
Lee Hye-eun laughed softly. Of course, she was laughing because she felt a bit pleased by Jang Ma-ru’s compliment.
But Kim Un-hyun thought her laughter was directed at him and smiled as he spoke.
『What brings you to drink?』
『Just had some things to deal with.』
Lee Hye-eun answered and retrieved four cans of the trendy lemon soda from the refrigerator, placing them on the counter.
『You’ve already bought quite a bit of alcohol. Are you going to drink more? You must hold your liquor well.』
『Oh, I can’t actually drink that much.』
『Then why are you buying four cans?』
『I can’t resist a good deal.』
『Ah!』
Kim Un-hyun smiled and placed the cans in a bag, and Lee Hye-eun held one out to him.
『Have a drink after work.』
『I’ll enjoy it, thank you.』
『Sure.』
Lee Hye-eun waved goodbye with a smile and stepped outside with the bag. She sat at a table in front of the Convenience Store, pulled out one can, and popped the tab.
As she was sipping it, Kim Un-hyun emerged carrying something in both hands.
『You shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach—it’ll upset your stomach.』
He set what he’d brought onto the table.
Convenience store canned meat, cheese, and spicy beef soup.
『Convenience store food has gotten really good lately, so these should work nicely as snacks.』
Then he quietly sat down across from Lee Hye-eun.
『Would it be alright if I joined you for a drink?』
『What about the store?』
『I’m the owner, so I can operate whenever I want or close whenever I want.』
At Kim Un-hyun’s smiling face, Jang Ma-ru gagged as if disgusted.
[Anyone looking at him would think he’s some gentleman… Ugh!]
Lee Hye-eun seemed to agree, nodding lightly as she spoke.
『You’re the owner?』
『Ah! You didn’t know? I’m the building owner here.』
『The building owner?』
『I have money, but what’s the point of just sitting around? So I opened a convenience store and work here.』
『I see.』
Lee Hye-eun continued with a smile.
『But if you’re the owner, you should work even harder. My father always said that employees work hard only when the owner works hard, so he always left early in the morning and came home late.』
At Lee Hye-eun’s words, Kim Un-hyun’s eyes sparkled.
『Does your father run a business?』
『He runs a stationery manufacturing business in Jeonju.』
『I see.』
Kim Un-hyun spoke with a smile.
『But if your home is in Jeonju, why are you here? Oh, are you a student?』
『No. I graduated this year.』
『Ah… So you’re preparing for employment?』
At Kim Un-hyun’s words, Lee Hye-eun sighed and shook her head, then nodded.
『No. Uh… Actually, yes. I’m currently preparing for employment.』
『What do you mean?』
『My father told me not to struggle and to learn the business at the company… but I hated living that way. Since I’m his only child, he made me attend university in Jeonju instead of Seoul.』
『Still, wouldn’t it be better to attend a top university in Seoul if you study well?』
『Of course it would be. But since I wasn’t going to work anywhere else anyway, what was the point of going to a good university? He just told me to stay by his side and go to school nearby.』
Kim Un-hyun’s face registered bewilderment and confusion as he listened to Lee Hye-eun’s words.
From what she was saying, she seemed like the daughter of a mid-sized company owner, if not a conglomerate heir. Yet even accounting for how beautiful his daughter was, he couldn’t fathom why a father would send her to a local university right near home.
『So!』
Lee Hye-eun clenched her fist and spoke with determination.
『After graduation, I came to Seoul alone to try living independently.』
『Ah… so you’re living alone here in the city?』
Lee Hye-eun nodded and let out a sigh.
『So I submitted my resume to an Advertising Company I was interested in, and I got hired. But then I realized… I hadn’t accomplished anything on my own.』
『What?』
『I got the job, but it turned out… my father had asked the company president to hire me.』
『Something like that happened?』
『Ugh! The atmosphere among the employees was strange, so I wondered why. Then I overheard them in the Rest Room calling me a parachute hire. So… I quit right then and there today.』
Kim Un-hyun looked at her silently for a moment before speaking.
『So that’s why you were drinking.』
『Yes.』
Lee Hye-eun sighed.
『I really wanted to do it on my own.』
Kim Un-hyun nodded and spoke.
『Why don’t you work at our Convenience Store?』
『What? A Convenience Store?』
『Of course, I’m not asking you to stay long. It’s just…』
Kim Un-hyun trailed off, looking at Lee Hye-eun. He’d just realized he didn’t know her name.
『Oh! My name is Lee Seul-gi.』
『I’m Kim Un-hyun.』
Then Kim Un-hyun smiled and continued.
『With your abilities, Seul-gi, you’ll be able to find a much better job. I think working at a Convenience Store for a bit while you look for something else would be good. And since I don’t know who your father is, this job will be something you got entirely on your own.』
『By myself…』
『That’s right. This will be the first job you’ve ever gotten in your life.』
At the mention of her first real job, Lee Hye-eun spoke quickly.
『Then I’ll do it.』
『Really?』
『Yes! But… I’ve never worked at a Convenience Store before. Will that be okay?』
『It’s a small shop, so there’s nothing difficult about it. Just bring your resume tomorrow.』
『Thank you so much. Thank you. I’ll work really hard.』
『Don’t thank me. I’ve been struggling to find part-time help anyway.』
Kim Un-hyun smiled and carefully packed the snacks into a bag.
『Then let’s call it a night on the drinking. Take this home and enjoy it there.』
『Of course.』
As Lee Hye-eun gathered the bag and bottle, hurrying toward her home, Kim Un-hyun watched her departing figure with a smile.
『The Company President’s daughter… She’s quite a suitable match for me.』

Stepping into the Officetel, Lee Hye-eun tossed the bag into the trash bin by the entrance.
『What does he take me for? Wrapping up his leftovers like that.』
At Lee Hye-eun’s grumbling, Jang Ma-ru spoke.
[You really can’t judge people by appearances alone. The way that bastard behaved today… who would look at him and call him an ungrateful wretch who betrays his own family?]
At Jang Ma-ru’s muttering, Lee Hye-eun laughed and replied.
『That’s exactly why there’s a saying about it.』
[What saying?]
『The devil approaches with a smile.』
Then Lee Hye-eun continued.
『You have to be most wary of those who approach you smiling. Scammers and people trying to cheat you—they’re fundamentally kind and pleasant in their behavior.』
[That’s true enough. It’s rare to find a con artist with an unpleasant face.]
『So shall we begin the real work starting tomorrow?』
Then Jang Ma-ru suddenly asked, as if remembering something.
[But looking at the plan you’ve drawn up this time… won’t you run short on money? Is that really okay?]
Lee Hye-eun answered with a laugh.
『This time… let’s do it as volunteer work. I find anyone who commits such ingratitude toward their parents rather distasteful.』

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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