824 On the Verge of Breaking (2)
“No, Erina-sama. Sylvia-sama has a point. I have to be more aware of all circumstances around you.” Mio held Erina’s hand and looked at Sylvia. “Thank you for your advice. I will implement my role soon as Erina-sama’s full-time personal bodyguard.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Sylvia nodded with a happy smile. She then noticed some newcomers and clapped her hands for attention. “Ah, some people are waiting for us in the living room now. We’d better not keep them waiting too long.”
“Eh? They came so fast?” Erina asked in wonder. She and everyone then went into the living room at a leisurely pace.
Somewhere in a presidential suite room in a hotel near Minamoto Clan’s mansion, a typical Korean black-haired prince came out of his room in a hurry.
He showed his smartphone to a bald, burly black man in the living room. “Grandpa Five! They just gave notice that Miss Elysia can meet us to hear our request. We’re going to the Minamoto Clan’s mansion right now! We’re going to make her an offer she can’t possibly refuse.”
“All right, we are leaving now.” Grandpa Five rose from his seat.
“Wow, looks like the Lady of Luck is on our side, Ju-Won. We’re getting the green light so soon.” A sleepy man got up from the sofa bed and immediately smoothed his blond brown hair.
“Are you coming with us or not, Se-Yeon? Get your ass off that couch and we’re going now.” Hong Ju-Won threw a pillow at his friend.
“Yes, yes… Fwahh, I haven’t slept since yesterday, my fweind.” Sung Se-Yeon stood up and did a little stretching while yawning.
“If Miss Elysia is as great as the association says, then she can save my clan from the doom. We can also destroy that rotten scheme and catch the mastermind behind it all.” Hong Ju-Won clenched in a hopeful murmur.
The three of them then left the hotel. Grandpa Five drove the car as if driven by time. Luckily they didn’t get a ticket for it and arrived at the Minamoto Clan’s mansion in less than three minutes.
“Blaargh… I feel like my dinner will come out of my mouth.” Sung Se-Yeon covered his mouth, and his face was so pale.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve been in a high-speed car. Stop complaining and don’t embarrass yourself here.” Hong Ju-Won patted his friend’s back.
“Please come in. Minamoto Mitsuzuka-sama is waiting for you.” An influential expert opened the front entrance.
“Hmm.” Hong Ju-Won nodded slightly and tidied up his clothes before entering the mansion.
It was his second visit that day. Just as he had just entered, an angry man suddenly left the living room and rushed out with an angry expression.
“…” Hong Ju-Won stopped his steps, and so did his entourage.
“Tch.” The angry middle-aged man just clicked his tongue and left the mansion.
“???” Hong Ju-Won wondered what was wrong with the man, but he didn’t recognize the person. He just shrugged his shoulders and went into the living room.
“Nice to meet you again, Minamoto Mitsuzuka-sama, Minamoto Kenji-sama. Thank you for considering and accepting my request.” Hong Ju-Won sat on the sofa when the host had already made a gesture for him.
“Hmm.” Kenji only responded with a nod. He still felt annoyed with the impudent manager earlier.
“It is Elysia herself who is willing to listen to your requests. We have no way of persuading her if she does not want to see you. Although, it would have been easier for us if you had just said why you wanted to ask her for help in the first place. Isn’t that right, Grandpa Five?” Mitsuzukaraised his palm with a mysterious smile.
“That is the young master’s decision.” Grandpa Five responded curtly.
“…” Hong Ju-Won looked left and right, but he couldn’t see the presence of someone he wanted to meet. He didn’t even know what kind of person to meet for this emergency request. All he knew was information regarding Elysia’s incredible medical abilities.
Besides, he sensed that the atmosphere was awkward, and Minamoto Kenji seemed upset about something. He just hoped he wasn’t the cause.
“Ahem, did the middle-aged man who just left upset you, Kenji-sama? If I may ask, who is that person?” Hong Ju-Won cleared his throat and asked politely.
“He’s a nobody, but acting like he has power and forgot who the real boss is.” Kenji just snorted and drank his tea. He had to calm himself down soon because Erina and Elysia would be here soon.
“Looks like he made the worst fatal mistake of his life. He probably won’t see the sun rise tomorrow.” Hong Ju-Won shrugged his shoulders, feeling a little relieved.
A few seconds later, the pleasant voices of the girls came closer. A group of gorgeous girls with alluring charms arrived in the living room. Their arrival immediately got everyone’s attention.
“Oh! He is the arrogant man and the eccentric boy!” Sylvia pointed her finger at the two people in the living room.
“…” Hong Ju-Won and Sung Se-Yeon didn’t know what to say when they saw who was coming. The former’s lips twitched awkwardly, but the latter’s eyes sparkled as he was able to meet these rare beauties again.
“Oh, this is indeed a meeting destined by heaven. We meet again, Lady Lily. Or it’s now Miss Elysia.” Sung Se-Yeon immediately gave a sparkling greeting.
“Ellie, you already know them?” Erina asked in wonder.
“My apologies, but we weren’t even properly acquainted. We ran into them in Seoul, and what Sylvi said is true. They are the arrogant man and the eccentric boy at that time.” Elysia nodded.
“Ah, um… Why did I get the nickname the eccentric boy? Let me introduce myself once again, my name is Se-Yeon, the first young master of the Sung Clan from Seoul. And this is my best friend, Hong Ju-Won.” Sung Se-Yeon scratched his cheek awkwardly. He then introduced himself elegantly.
“Haha, how about you sit down first and talk things over a cup of hot tea? It gets a bit chilly at night.” Mitsuzuka ordered the girls to sit down, but he repeatedly stole glances at the two silver-white-haired girls behind Elysia. One of them was Sylvia, but the other one was a new face.
At that moment, he realized that Sylvia had just said something he could understand. It was obviously Japanese, and not the unknown language anymore!
“Let me introduce myself once again. I am Hong Ju-Won, the only son and only direct descendant of the Hong Clan’s core family. It is a pleasure for me to meet you, Elysia-sama. Our previous meeting may not have been so memorable, but thank you for coming to my request.” Hong Ju-Won put his hand to his chest and spoke eloquently and calmly.
Elysia asked Erina to sit with Kenji and Mitsuzuka. Meanwhile, Elysia sat on a separate sofa with Sylvia and Lynn on each side. “Mm, I’ll listen to your request first. Shall we speak in English or stay in Japanese for your convenience?”
“That’s fine. I speak Japanese pretty well.” After saying that, Hong Ju-Won told Elysia about his clan situation and proceeded with his emergency request.
Broadly speaking, he wanted Elysia to heal his grandfather and essential people in the clan. That way, the rotten scheme would be exposed to light, and the masterminds could be punished accordingly. The prestigious Hong Clan was indeed on the verge of breaking.
“So, you know about me from the Alchemy Association, huh…” Elysia murmured and put her hand to her chin. Some of her guesses and information from Erina were accurate.
“Just so you know, Young Master Hong Ju-Won. You came to me under the assumption that I could solve your problem? You are so confident in someone you don’t even know. Your clan problem is really complicated and obviously involves many parties. Maybe, you also have some enemies hoping for your clan’s destruction. What would you do in the worst-case scenario?” Elysia took a deep breath and concluded.
“I can only try my best in what I can do. We have asked many influential medical experts for help, but they have not given satisfactory results. Even if you say that, please help save my clan with your abilities. The Alchemy Association has great regard for you, and you are my only hope right now.
I can’t accept my clan will end up like this! My grandfather and my mother don’t deserve to suffer! Please help me, Miss Elysia! I will give you whatever you ask within our power. Whether it’s money, gems, artifacts, or wishes!” Hong Ju-Won put his hands on his knees and bowed pleadingly.
The room fell silent for a few seconds, and Sylvia decided to ask via telepathy. ‘What are you going to do, Ely? He will bother us and Erina until his wish is granted. He also looks so desperate. Honestly, we can take advantage of this guy for our benefit.’
‘If it’s as he says, then his grandfather probably won’t last long. His death is the key to his clan’s destruction. He feels confused, panicked, and hopeless.’ Lynn sighed and closed her eyes. Based on her observations, the man was telling the truth, and the situation was terrible.
“I can’t give you any promises or guarantees, but let’s see what we can do. You must remember your promise to us, the successors of the Hong Clan. You will owe us a lot of lives. Whatever the outcome, you must do a clean-up in your clan, or something bad will happen again.” Elysia just had a little discussion with Elena via private telepathy. She then decided to lend a helping hand with a little ulterior motive in mind.
“Yes, that’s for sure! Thank you for being willing to fulfill my request! I’m sure we can save my clan with your help. All right, we can immediately leave for Seoul tonight with my private jet. I-” Hong Ju-Won’s face instantly brightened. He had just said a few things, but Elysia suddenly raised her hand.
“No, not tonight. Schedule our departure tomorrow morning at seven after breakfast. We’ll be waiting for you here.” Elysia emphasized the decision.
“…” Hong Ju-Won was silent for a moment. He felt a little dissatisfied but swallowed his arrogance because he couldn’t force anything on the other party. “Tomorrow morning, it is? All right, we’ll be here at exactly seven o’clock.”
“Wonderful. We’re already feeling tired, and I’m sure you also need some rest, young master. Take your time to have a proper rest because tomorrow you might be very busy.” Elysia nodded slightly.
After a few pleasantries, Hong Ju-Won and Sung Se-Yeon bid farewell, especially to the girls. Grandpa Five only gave a respectful gesture in silence before leaving.