“Got any booze here?”

“... Not in my café, at least.”

“Hmm, then make some extra-strong coffee. It's rude not to offer a guest anything.”

“I would say greeting a guest in that position is rather rude, too.”

“I'll handle that part. You just do your duty as the owner, Mr. Jeong.”

“Hmm. Very well.”

“Oh, Sir. Could I have an Americano, too...?”

“Make it yourself, you little bastard!”

“...”

An ambitious television producer. A watcher disguised as a café employee. An assailant exuding a murderous air.

... Unfortunately, there was nothing of the sort.

There was only a café owner busily serving coffee, and a producer from a tiny broadcaster shrinking under his scolding.

As Yeon-hwa wondered in dismay why she had been so nervous about coming to a place like this, Limon's carefree voice brought her back to reality.

“Sorry about that. These boys must be new to this sort of meeting. They're awfully awkward about getting things ready.”

'You don't seem any better yourself.'

The black-haired young man had greeted her with his feet on the table. Forget welcoming guests—his entire attitude toward other human beings was appalling.

Looking at him, Yeon-hwa swallowed the words that had risen to her throat.

She knew instinctively that this insolent young man was the very person who had sent Moon Cheon-yeop to the hospital and summoned her here.

“Never mind the apology. Can we get straight to the point?”

“You're in quite a hurry, aren't you?”

“This really is urgent.”

Yeon-hwa spoke firmly, determined not to get swept up in the atmosphere. Then she looked Limon straight in the eye.

“First, I have a few questions.”

“About what?”

“What made you think I would accept your offer?”

“That's hardly a mystery.”

Limon gave a smirk and answered casually.

“For a mere singer's manager to make a name for himself as the real power in a guild, he'd have to have direct connections to Midas.”

“What does that matter? The whole WIM Guild benefits from it.”

“But your authority as guild master must have shrunk just as much. That son of a bitch probably acted like he owned the place.”

“...”

“And nine out of ten leaders I've known are creatures who care more about being shut out of power than about what's good for their organization.”

Yeon-hwa remained silent. It wasn't merely because he had hit a nerve.

It was his insight: Limon had pinpointed the delicate balance of power between her and Moon Cheon-yeop, something only WIM insiders knew.

'How does someone so young have this sort of presence?'

He looked like nothing more than a somewhat arrogant young man in his twenties. Yet his subtle, indescribable air was unlike that of a scheming politician, an old hunter, or a wild beast.

After briefly regarding him with a baffled gaze, Yeon-hwa broke her silence.

“All right. Tell me how you intend to get rid of Chief Moon.”

“Hmm? Done with your questions already?”

“I've established that you're not someone who talks nonsense. That's enough.”

“Nice and straightforward. I like that.”

Limon nodded, apparently pleased to skip the tedious questions and answers, and continued as he sipped the coffee Mr. Jeong had brought.

“Well, it's nothing fancy. While that son of a bitch is out cold, you just take over the position he's left vacant.”

“... You called me all the way here just to tell me that?”

“Why? Don't think you can do it?”

“If that were possible, I would have gotten rid of Chief Moon long ago. But Claire alone makes it impossible.”

Yeon-hwa couldn't conceal her disappointment.

Claire was a count-class player in the level-eighties and a singer at the height of her popularity. She was WIM's flagship star, and it was thanks to her that Moon Cheon-yeop had been able to build such close ties with the Midas Guild.

Unless Claire changed her mind, it would be difficult to get between Moon Cheon-yeop and Midas.

“Why is that a problem?”

“Are you saying I should persuade Claire? Unfortunately, that...”

“No, I'm asking why you're so hung up on this Claire or Clear or whatever her name is.”

“What?”

As Yeon-hwa puzzled over his unexpected words, Limon spoke matter-of-factly.

“In the end, what matters is whether you can give the Midas Guild more benefit than that son of a bitch can.”

“... You're saying I should bring Midas more profit than Chief Moon does with Claire backing him? And do it without Claire?”

“That's right.”

“Do you have any idea how absurd that is?”

Yeon-hwa was dumbfounded.

As both a singer and a player, Claire alone accounted for more than half the guild's total revenue. She was WIM's pillar, all the more so when her fame and influence were taken into account.

Yet he wanted her to outdo Claire and offer enough profit to monopolize the connection to Midas?

Even cooking the books and siphoning off all of WIM's revenue to hand over to Midas would hardly suffice. Naturally, Yeon-hwa had no intention of doing that.

But Limon hadn't summoned her without a plan, either.

“Don't worry. That's what Producer Kim here is for.”

“What? You mean me?”

Kim Seung-jun, who had been sitting to the side watching nervously, was flustered at suddenly being singled out. Limon gave him a meaningful smile.

“Producer Kim, didn't you say you were putting together some program?”

“[Music Challenge]?”

“Yeah. Let me make use of that.”

“You mean you'll appear on my program?!”

“No, I mean I'll use it.”

“What?”

Limon had completely ignored his casting requests until now. Forgetting the situation, Kim Seung-jun had lit up at his words, only to be left looking bewildered.

Limon calmly explained to him and the equally puzzled Yeon-hwa how he intended to use the program.

At first, Yeon-hwa looked dubious. Then flustered. Finally, incredulous.

Having gone through that succession of expressions, she gave a disbelieving laugh the moment Limon finished and asked,

“Do you genuinely believe that ridiculous plan can work?”

“Of course I do. Why?”

His answer was so brazenly confident it bordered on shameless. Yeon-hwa now looked at him as though he were a complete madman.

Limon chuckled at her expression and turned his gaze aside.

“Producer Kim, does my plan sound that far-fetched to you, too?”

“I...”

Unlike Yeon-hwa, who had laughed in disbelief as soon as she heard it, Kim Seung-jun had been deep in thought with a serious expression. After lengthy consideration, he answered.

“I think there's a chance.”

“Are you serious? If this goes wrong, it could end your career as a producer.”

“I don't care. If we don't do something, our station is finished anyway.”

“Honestly. I can't tell whether that's boldness or recklessness.”

Yeon-hwa furrowed her brow.

If Limon were the only one saying this, she could dismiss it as nonsense. This industry was overflowing with beginners whose sky-high confidence went so far as to become delusions of grandeur.

But however small his cable station might be, Kim Seung-jun was still a television producer. He wasn't foolish enough to mistake a beginner's baseless confidence for the real thing.

'Come to think of it, this is the man Chief Moon wanted to sign.'

For all his failings of character, Moon Cheon-yeop was the one who had discovered Claire and made her a star. His eye for talent was reliable, at least.

Granted, that was the power of his unique skill.

Still, if this was a musician whom Moon Cheon-yeop had visited so often he practically wore down the doorstep, even resorting to threats to get him to sign...

And if he was also a player of a high enough level to utterly demolish Moon Cheon-yeop...

“What's there to agonize over? You have nothing to lose even if it fails.”

“... You're certainly right about that.”

Yeon-hwa nodded. Compared with Kim Seung-jun, who had to stake his career, or Limon, who could come into conflict with Midas, her own risk was negligible.

Even so, rather than decide immediately, she gazed steadily at Limon.

“I'm sorry after saying I was done with questions, but let me ask one last thing.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you going this far?”

She could understand Kim Seung-jun. Leaving Moon Cheon-yeop alone could land him in trouble anyway, whereas success would give him a chance to turn everything around in one stroke.

The same went for Yeon-hwa herself. If she could push Moon aside and gain access to Midas, she could regain control of WIM.

Limon was the one she couldn't understand.

“I know Chief Moon tried to pull something on you, but surely he hasn't earned enough of your hatred to warrant all this?”

If he truly possessed that much ability, he could resolve the matter more amicably. Why deliberately escalate it, even going so far as to involve her?

That suspicion colored Yeon-hwa's question. Limon answered calmly.

“There's something I was reminded of recently.”

“What's that?”

“When you fuck up a son of a bitch, you have to do it thoroughly. So thoroughly that neither the dog nor its owner dares step forward.”

“...”

Limon slowly raised a hand. Stroking the head of the bluebird perched on his shoulder, he continued quietly.

“Otherwise, innocent people can get hurt.”

Whether the dog bared its teeth or its owner went on a rampage in its stead, it all happened because half measures made you look like an easy target.

So he would crush Moon Cheon-yeop thoroughly enough that even if Moon tried to latch on again, Midas itself would swat him away.

Yeon-hwa remained silent for a long time after hearing Limon's words—so composed and calm that they were all the more chilling.

Then she spoke quietly.

“How soon can you have that program ready?”

That was the moment a backroom alliance began, one that would nail Moon Cheon-yeop's coffin shut.

* * *

“That happened to the Sword Lord?”

“Yes.”

Li Qingyu soon learned what Limon was plotting as well. Yo U-in had told him about Moon Cheon-yeop in the first place, and Limon had given her a brief account of his plans.

“That's a little disappointing.”

“That the Sword Lord has come into conflict with Midas?”

“No. That he didn't ask me to resolve it.”

Li Qingyu shook her head, then continued with a gentle smile.

“If he had said just one word to me, I could have disposed of this Moon Cheon-yeop without leaving a trace.”

“That certainly is a shame. The Silent Shadows have been short of practice material lately as it is.”

“The Black Fiends would have been better for a clean job. One of the ten great guilds is involved, after all.”

“Indeed. You're quite right.”

Had Moon Cheon-yeop heard them, he would have been extremely curious about exactly what they meant to dispose of, and how cleanly.

But Li Qingyu paid no attention to such trifles. She merely murmured to herself.

“Still, this works out well.”

“In what respect?”

“There was something I'd been debating, but I don't think I need to debate it anymore.”

Li Qingyu smiled. She had been wondering how to ask Limon, but now that he had stepped forward on his own, she no longer had any reason to hold back.

She immediately took out a sheet of stationery, picked up a pen, and wrote a flowing series of characters. Then she neatly folded the letter, sealed it with wax, and firmly stamped her seal into it before handing it to Yo U-in along with a box she had prepared beforehand.

“Yo U-in, would you send this letter to her?”

“... May I ask the purpose of the letter?”

“There's no need for any particular formality or secrecy. It's merely an invitation.”

“An invitation, you say?”

Yo U-in's expression turned strange.

As befitted Leviathan's general manager, he could calmly carry out most assassination orders. Yet he was unsettled for one reason alone: the recipient named on the letter.

“Do you believe she will accept the invitation?”

“She will.”

Li Qingyu answered decisively.

In the past, she couldn't have been so confident. She might be a princess ruling one branch of the Seven Dragons Society, but the recipient of this letter was no different.

Nevertheless, she spoke with certainty, a meaningful smile on her lips.

“I can't speak for the other princesses, but she most certainly will.”

Provided, of course, that she didn't run away beforehand.