The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 69

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

Yeo Joo Saves the World – Episode 69

‘Is this really the Muse I know?’
Jung Je Hwa slowly powered on his phone, trying not to show his surprise.
Then he typed “Muse” into the search bar.
‘The goddess of art and learning from Greek mythology.’
A goddess?
That couldn’t be it.
‘A being that provides inspiration.’
…That’s quite the jackpot.
I’d become the source of inspiration for the Master who crafted the finest items in this entire world?
And so definitively that it appeared as a keyword in the message bubble like that?
This was like digging up an oil field while trying to till a vegetable garden.
Besides, remembering how Kang Han and Jang Su Ho’s attitudes shifted the moment a keyword appeared last time.
“Indeed, it seems we think alike, Yeo Joo.”
“Ha.”
Jung Je Hwa’s tone had become considerably softer.
And it seemed like there was even a faint hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, which usually remained as rigid as a plaster cast.
“Ha, haha. Yes, that’s right! Boss, how did you know exactly what I wanted?”
I let out an involuntary nervous laugh and quickly covered it with a clap of my hands.
“There’s something I’d like to show you. Please, come this way.”
Jung Je Hwa led me forward.
But it wasn’t toward that tedious counter.
We passed the shelf where the rabbit sculpture stood, and when Jung Je Hwa touched the wall deep within the workshop with his finger.
“Wow, damn.”
The wall slid back with a whoosh, revealing a hidden space.
“This is my Secret Workshop.”
“This is your Secret Workshop?!”
But was it really okay to show me this so casually?!
Even if I am a Muse, this seems like too much!
Am I really allowed to see the Master’s Secret Workshop?
As I stood frozen in shock, unable to step inside, Jung Je Hwa spoke.
“Please, come in, Yeo Joo.”
“Then, just a moment, I’ll be careful entering.”
I was so surprised that my words came out jumbled.
Jung Je Hwa’s Secret Workshop was completely different from the regular workshop.
The space was so brilliantly lit that I questioned whether it was truly connected to that dim area—the kind of place where you’d think additional lighting was necessary.
The expansive workshop was filled with various equipment.
From workbenches holding microscopes for precision work to refining furnaces that looked ready to spark with flames at any moment.
“I… I’m not sure I should even be entering such a precious place.”
“It’s fine. You’re my muse, after all.”
Right, so now I understand I’m your muse!
But did you really have to reveal all your secrets like this?!
“Oh! Right! Boss! We need to lock up! Close the Workshop Sugar door!”
Though it seems unlikely anyone would come to Workshop Sugar anyway!
Still, what if someone sees this?!
“When the Secret Workshop door opens, the shop door automatically closes.”
“Oh…?”
Right.
Jung Je Hwa would never have failed to install such a mechanism.
I let out an embarrassed snort and rubbed under my nose when Jung Je Hwa called me over from the largest workbench.
“I’ve designed the shield.”
“This is… a shield design?”
What Jung Je Hwa showed me was over a dozen drawings densely covering the workbench surface.
Had he really been drawing these continuously since the Eternal Cold Iron first appeared?
I stared blankly at these drawings—the kind that could be sold in a gallery—when Jung Je Hwa spoke.
“Choose one from these.”
“Boss, isn’t this too much for me?”
How was I supposed to choose from all of these?
They’re all amazing!
“Ah, I see.”
Jung Je Hwa nodded repeatedly.
“Indeed, the selection is too narrow. Then let me draw more tomorrow…”
“No, the selection is already so wide I feel like I’m stranded in the Pacific Ocean.”
If he drew hundreds more and said “choose one,” I might actually faint.
I lowered my hand that had been covering Jung Je Hwa’s mouth and carefully examined the scattered design sketches.
Worried the drawings might smudge, I held only the edge of each paper with my index finger, moving with utmost care.
“Wow, oh my, goodness.”
With each page I turned, exclamations burst from my lips.
Even for a Master, wasn’t this too much?
How was I supposed to choose from these?
As I hesitated for a long while, Jung Je Hwa selected a few designs and showed them to me.
“Considering the properties of the Eternal Cold Iron that you directly handled earlier, I recommend these three.”
Jung Je Hwa didn’t stop at simply selecting the three designs.
“The first one should effectively showcase the cold nature of the Eternal Cold Iron. The contact surface with the user’s body is wide, and…”
Thanks to his soft and composed voice, his explanation seemed to sink directly into my ears.
If Jung Je Hwa had been my high school math teacher, I never would’ve given up on mathematics.
“The third design will be somewhat challenging to forge, but I’ll craft it to specialize in defense. This curved surface here will absorb impact….”
Jung Je Hwa had thoughtfully narrowed it down to three options, yet the chaos swirling in my mind refused to settle.
‘This is like being asked to choose between triple-layered black bean noodles, marbled beef seafood soup, or jumbo shrimp fried rice.’
I simply couldn’t decide.
So I decided to use a cheat code.
“What would you recommend, boss?”
In other words, I’d leave it to their discretion.
But the chef wasn’t so easily swayed.
“You should choose for yourself, Yeo Joo. That will be the correct answer.”
What was I supposed to do?
I clutched my head and deliberated.
Not merely thinking deeply, mind you.
I was literally gripping my hair as if I might tear it out while wrestling with the decision.
Several minutes passed, yet Jung Je Hwa never rushed me.
This problem is too difficult, teacher.
“Well then….”
I took one last look at the triple-layered black bean noodles, the marbled beef seafood soup, and the jumbo shrimp fried rice before making my choice.
When in doubt, go with black bean noodles.
“I’ll take the first design.”
But it seemed this problem had a predetermined answer from the start.
The moment I pointed to the first sheet, Jung Je Hwa’s lips curved into a broad smile.
Not the subtle, barely-there smile from before, but a clear and unmistakable one.
“An excellent choice indeed, Yeo Joo.”
Ding—

《 ♥ 22 : Muse 》

* * *

“Sigh, I’m home.”
“Noona, why do you look so exhausted?”
“Don’t even get me started.”
I’d barely made it back from Jamsil before collapsing onto the Training Facility sofa.
Come on, work already—stamina recovery effect, activate.
Without question, that had been the most mentally draining decision of my entire life.
I’d been sprawled there like a zombie starved for three days when something began poking at my body repeatedly.
“Huh? Oh, what is it. Go Young, no—Baek Young Ee.”
Baek Young Ee, Kang Han’s familiar, had wrapped her tail around my ankle.
I must have disturbed her beloved cushion when I’d collapsed so dramatically.
“Sorry, sorry. But I’m just so tired right now….”
Given her usual temperament, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she’d bitten my calf with those tiny rice-grain teeth.
Yet the creature, who’d been staring at me with those green eyes, began slithering up my body with surprising gentleness.
I was startled, but I lacked the energy to get up, so I simply watched as she made her way to my neck.
“Hey, if you bite there, it’ll hurt me too, huh.”
I held my breath.
She was always affectionate only with her master, Kang Han, but constantly poking and prodding at me.
With her soft body, Baek Young Ee loosely wrapped around my neck and gently bumped her head against mine.
Then she glanced warily at Lee Yu Eul and Jang Su Ho nearby.
As if warning them not to disturb my rest.
“Oh, Baek Young Ee….”
Was this what a parent felt like, coming home after working late and being greeted by a sleepy-eyed furry child?
But the moment of warmth was fleeting.
As I felt Baek Young Ee’s soft texture and her incredibly light weight, my eyes began to drift shut.
“Hey, noona’s falling asleep. Shh.”
“What? Why not go to your room and rest properly instead of here….”
The twins’ whispered bickering was the last thing I heard before I surrendered completely to sleep.
By the way, when should I go retrieve my three-line jjajangmyeon?

* * *

Tap, tap.
Something tapped against my arm.
I didn’t want to wake from my sweet slumber, but I couldn’t ignore Baek Young Ee’s touch, so I slowly opened my eyes.
“Hmm? It’s not Baek Young Ee?”
Baek Young Ee, who had already nestled completely into my embrace, lay sleeping with both eyes tightly shut.
So who had touched me then.
“Yeo Joo.”
Filling my drowsy vision was Kang Han, whose hair was still slightly damp from a recent shower.
Ah, that guy really was devastatingly handsome.

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