63 - Upki Girl

< The God Has Three Remote Controls > Whew, it's the middle of summer, yet it's freezing. There seems to be a chill that emanates from people. The cold aura that Han had was so intense we didn't even need the air conditioner. Yona and Eunbi were already so embarrassed they couldn't lift their heads. "What's going on?" I approached them, glancing back and forth between Han and the princess. Judging by their economic origins, this scene shouldn't have been possible, but it was clear from their expressions who was superior and who was subordinate. Seowon looked haughty, like a classic secondary female antagonist glaring at the protagonist, and our esteemed princess, facing that cold stare, turned pale and staggered backward as her legs gave out. "Oh no..." "Whoa!" — Thud! Fortunately, I was there to catch her in time; otherwise, she would have collapsed like a wrestler doing a backflip. And I distinctly heard it. Even as her eyes were losing focus, she looked at me with disdain and muttered, "Don't touch me..." Isn't that the other way around? "Oh my, what should we do! Princess!" Startled, Cassie immediately called someone. In less than a minute, the medical team arrived, administered an emergency injection, and took Aliyah to the hospital room in the hotel. From their swift actions, it seemed like a known condition with a strict protocol. Cassie left us momentarily, saying she would be back shortly. "What happened? Why did she collapse?" Yeom, who hadn’t witnessed everything, asked, and I responded. "I’m not sure. She just suddenly fainted..." As I spoke, I glanced at Seowon, who seemed a little deflated as well. I decided not to criticize her. Cassie returned about ten minutes later, looking drained. Strangely, she apologized to us. "I'm sorry." "Is the princess alright?" "Yes, she's okay. It seems she's been overworked these past few days and might have been physically drained. She asked you to wait a little; she'll be down shortly." It felt like they were downplaying the situation. Without any specific explanation, the medical team promptly intervened with an injection, suggesting she indeed had some ailment. Additionally, if a princess had collapsed, shouldn’t they have asked those of us who witnessed it what happened or if there were any warning signs? Yet Cassie didn’t ask anything, acting as if she knew everything. It piqued my curiosity about their background. This can't just end with a simple case of man-phobia, especially since she's supposedly a mysterious foreign princess. Indeed. An enigmatic princess from some unknown country. Owner of the Oskal Hotel—not feeling like a professional manager. Man-phobia. A fan of girl idols. Oh no. Don't touch me. "Hope you liked the food," Cassie tried to wrap things up, redirecting the topic to something more mundane. "Yes, it was delicious." "It was good." Cassie snapped her fingers at the staff to clear the table and ordered dessert and tea. “She is very interested in Korean culture. She particularly likes K-pop and variety shows.” That was Cassie’s first comment as she sat down, gradually releasing bits of information. She mentioned that Princess Aliyah really liked us—Eunbi, Seowon, and Yona—and intended to maintain a close relationship with us, so we should be informed to some extent. "She was very frail when she was young and spent most of her time indoors. It's quite recent that she's been able to engage in more outdoor activities, though she still requires regular medication. Her schooling or cultural education is done via private tutors." We nodded silently, focusing on her words. "Her father is the Sultan of Brunei." What? I know that place. Was it two years ago? I recall being interested when they were recruiting staff for a Brunei mission. It's a small Islamic country adjacent to Malaysia, ruled by an almost oppressive monarchy, yet overflowing with oil and natural gas, rendering taxes unnecessary, and boasting excellent welfare in healthcare and education, leading to high citizen satisfaction. The country became famous through his appearances on Korean educational programs, with the Sultan being wealthy on par with the likes of Mansour, owning over 5,000 supercars, and famously giving each citizen visiting the palace for New Year’s 1 million won as a gift. That annual New Year’s gift alone reportedly costs about 60 billion won. And Aliyah is that man's daughter? Who exactly are we meeting here? “However, she is not officially recognized as a princess. Her mother was not wedded formally.” Ah, that's clear. She's an illegitimate child. "Is her mother Korean?" I asked, half expecting the truth, and Cassie nodded reluctantly. “She passed away last year due to an illness.” “Ah…” “The Oskal Hotel, which her mother managed, was inherited by Princess Aliyah. However, she isn’t involved in its management.” Aliyah lived in the UK until last year and moved to Korea after her mother passed away. "As you might have noticed, both our representative and director, the princess is quite wary of men. It wasn’t this severe before, but it has worsened since her mother’s death." "What’s her relationship with her father like?" “Beyond economic support, they have virtually no interaction.” This isn’t just some morning drama that Seungseong enjoys. If I were to speculate, due to her father's existence, it's likely Aliyah developed psychological anxiety and man-phobia. I had been worried she might be one of those extreme man-hating types like those involved in the Megalia controversies, but thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case. It's hard to imagine someone with such a pretty face shouting slurs and insults. Maybe our fourth member, Kakura, would... Hmm, sorry, Hong. So let's work on losing that weight quickly. "Princess was really moved by Eunbi's and Seowon's performances," Cassie chuckled, talking about their fandom as if discussing a daughter's obsession. "Initially, she liked Eunbi, but after hearing Seowon sing 'My Mother' last week, she became a fan of Seowon." It was the song Seowon performed with Seoldaejin in the final. Having lost her mother last year, Aliyah was so emotionally overwhelmed that she fainted after that performance as well. "Her body is inherently weak, and she suffers from anemia, so she feels dizzy easily even with slightly poor condition." Having finally met the Eunbi and Seowon she adored, only for them to be cold, it makes sense she fainted. Her behavioral motives and mental age seemed much younger than her actual age. Now that we knew Aliyah's circumstances, members 1, 2, and 3 looked at their fingertips uniformly, as if in synchronized thought. In the gap left by the pause in conversation, I asked a question. "You mentioned the princess is interested in K-pop. Has she ever considered trying it herself?" Cassie looked at me, seemingly not understanding the crux of my question. Yeom and members 1, 2, and 3 also looked at me. I'm used to these kinds of stares by now. "She has the perfect look for a girl group. Would she consider joining our group?" While members 1, 2, and 3 exchanged silent glances, Yeom interjected. "As far as I know, Islamic women aren't allowed to do things like that..." "Oh, right. That's true." It was only after Yeom spoke that I remembered the strict Islamic laws. When considering the mission to Brunei two years ago, I had been told to be cautious as Islamic laws were becoming stricter there. But Cassie shook her head. "No, Princess Aliyah holds Korean nationality. Her Korean name is 'Jinliya,' following her mother’s surname. There's no religious restriction. And even if she held Brunei nationality, it wouldn't matter much because royal family members are exempt from Sharia law. Though becoming an idol would likely still be difficult." The information board should update faster; her Korean name is 'Jinliya.' "So, there’s no issue, then." "Huh…?" "Is the princess interested in joining a girl group at all?" Cassie laughed dryly and turned to Yeom with a slightly mocking tone. "But it seems like you haven't discussed it with the representative and the members yet?" In terms of recruitment, which Yeom had pretty much mastered by now, he saved my face. "Member-related decisions fall under Deputy Director Kim’s domain." Yeom, who had defended even Lukaku, would certainly welcome Aliyah with open arms. Not to mention, he couldn’t overlook the advantage of having a sponsor directly involved with their field. Her mixed beauty, resembling a Korean style, is just a bonus. Just then, Aliyah, or rather Jinliya, having finished her treatment, elegantly walked through the open door. She pretended nothing happened, but her acting was clearly lacking. Everyone must have noticed. She watched Seowon like a timid herbivore, gauging her mood ever so cautiously. To regain her composure, she turned to the most approachable person, Cassie. "What were you talking about?" Cassie smirked and directed her to ask me, handing off the conversation. However, as Aliyah couldn’t directly ask me, I simply laid it out, pointing at members 1, 2, and 3. "Princess, have you ever thought about joining them in a girl group?" "Are you… talking to me?" Aliyah pointed at herself and asked Cassie, who nodded with an amused expression. “Yes. They think you’d be great in a girl group, Princess.” Cassie seemed indifferent herself, but was secretly hopeful. The important thing was Aliyah didn’t seem entirely uninterested. With deer-like eyes, she glanced at members 1, 2, and 3, habitually fiddling with her lips. "I can't sing..." I replied. "You can learn. Besides, you seem to have a talent for dancing." "What do you know about me…" While you might lack in other areas, your potential in choreography is a solid 100. Even our team’s dance ace, Yona, maxes out at 90. Aliyah, gauging the others’ reactions, seemed to lose interest quickly, her shoulders slumping when they didn’t react. "Cassie, I’m tired. I want to go to my room." Those words resonated deeply within me, striking a chord. Finally, I could sense the purple wavelength of communication. Her words seemed to mean she wanted to be stopped. And I was the only one who could do that here and now. Cassie wouldn’t dare oppose her orders. "Would you really prefer that?” See? "I’ll accompany the princess to her room and be right back." Cassie politely informed us as she proceeded towards the door. I spoke to Aliyah, who was about to follow her. "Princess, I'd like to talk a bit more with you." She caught herself, her steps slowing. See? She's just like a five-year-old child. I signaled Yeom and the other girls as well. Seize the opportunity, hold onto her. Doing so will hasten your debut, you dimwits! The first to receive my mental message was Yona. "Princess, why don’t you stay and chat with us a bit more? We haven't really had a proper conversation yet." Eunbi chimed in, "That's right. We can take pictures and have some dessert." Aliyah stopped completely and turned around to face us. Her gaze landed on Seowon, who in turn looked at me. With a slight nod, I gave him a pleading look that said, "Just let it slide this one time." Mumbling under my breath, "We have to debut..." "Again with me, huh? Sure, it's always my fault, and I'm always the bad one," grumbled the ever-resentful number two as she curtly spoke to Aliyah. "Just sit down for now." Even with such a brusque tone, Aliyah's face lit up instantly. Her mental age was confirmed to be that of a five-year-old. But thank heavens, really. It's such a relief to have a remote control—a means of managing this all-powerful investor and member whom not even the CEO and the chief planner could handle. And not just one, but three remote controls at that. < The God Has Three Remote Controls > End