The moment that thought crossed my mind, I saw it.
Emilia's lips curling into a smirk, as if mocking me.
That expression alone told me exactly what she thought of me.
A foolish boy, obsessed with women and drugs, who could be easily manipulated as long as they threw enough bodies at him.
That was probably how she evaluated me.
She wasn't exactly wrong, but seeing her openly making that face made it difficult to just go along with her little game.
"I can always gather idols and have my fun later. I don't need her hospitality for that."
And if these girls were so readily available, they had likely been through this process countless times before.
Was there any real reason for me to indulge in them while she sneered at me?
"I'd rather raise them myself and keep them for me alone."
I gently pushed the women away.
The ones clinging to my arms widened their eyes in surprise as they backed off.
"What are you saying? Work is more important. Let's get straight to business."
"…"
For a moment, Emilia was silent, as if she hadn't expected that.
She must have been completely convinced that I was a sex-crazed fool.
Well, considering all the things Go Mu-yeol had done, that assumption wasn't entirely wrong.
Even I had been tempted.
Even now, I was still rock hard.
"In that case, please follow me to my office."
Emilia signaled the girls to step aside and led me to the president's office.
.
.
.
"…"
I might have talked a big game, but watching Emilia's swaying hips as she walked only made my erection worse.
If anything, it was even more stimulating.
I'd have to relieve myself with Soo-ah's body after this was over.
.
.
.
As soon as I sat down on the sofa in her office, I got straight to the point.
Not even waiting for refreshments.
"I want to buy some trainees."
"…Excuse me? Trainees?"
Su-ah handed over a list.
All names I had personally chosen.
"…So that's why you requested the list of celebrities and trainees."
With a slightly displeased expression, Emilia let out a soft hum and examined the list.
"I take it none of our established celebrities met your standards?"
"I'm not interested in leftovers."
"…"
For a brief moment, she shot me a sharp glare before quietly folding the list and placing it on the table.
"May I ask why? What exactly do you plan to do with our trainees?"
"I don't see why I need to tell you, but… you'll find out soon enough. I recently became the president of Goryeo Entertainment."
"Goryeo Entertainment…?"
"Living the life of a chaebol playboy was getting boring. I figured I should do something productive. Work gives life energy, don't you think? So, I've decided to try my hand at this industry."
"So, you're saying… you want to enter the entertainment business?"
"Something like that."
She tilted her head slightly and leaned back in her chair.
It was a rather arrogant posture, and I couldn't recall anyone ever sitting like that in front of me before.
"Then why these specific trainees?"
"Instinct."
"…"
"Do I really have to explain it in detail?"
As she leaned back, I leaned forward.
Closing the distance between us over the table.
"You get money, I get the trainees. Isn't that simple? It's not like you seem that attached to them."
"That's exactly why I'm asking. They aren't even high-performing trainees—so why are you so fixated on them?"
"If they were top-tier, would you even sell them? You'd hold onto them."
"If you offer enough money, I might."
"I don't have that much cash on hand right now."
"…"
Emilia studied me in silence.
I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but it was clear she was running the calculations in her head.
"…Dong-gi."
"Y-Yes? Oh, yes, President."
"Bring me the contracts for the names on this list."
"U-Uh… should I bring copies?"
"…"
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
"I-I'll bring them right away!"
The man called Dong-gi scrambled out of the room in a hurry.
Emilia let out a sigh as she watched him leave, then suddenly threw out a price.
"500 million won per person. I'll hand them over cleanly at that price."
"500 million? That's way too expensive for trainees."
"You won't think so once you see the contracts."
Emilia displayed a seductive smile, tinged with mockery.
It felt insulting, like she was looking down on me.
Yet, at the same time, I felt a twitch down below.
She was undeniably beautiful—conquering her would be satisfying.
'I'd love to wreck that.'
As I indulged in crude fantasies, the clueless-looking man finally arrived with the contracts.
"Take a look. I'm sure you'll be satisfied."
"What's so special about them that they cost 500 million won each…?"
No.
No, wait—
"As you can see, this is practically a slave contract. Those girls? I picked them up right after they graduated from orphanages. In exchange for food and shelter."
It was a literal slave contract.
Never mind the revenue split—the trainees (Party B) were obligated to follow Party A's orders without question.
Even if they found the conditions unfair and wanted to terminate the contract, they couldn't do so without Party A's agreement.
And if they somehow did, they'd owe an astronomical penalty fee.
If not terminated, the contract would automatically extend for another two years.
'If this were Korea in my past life, this contract would be illegal.'
But this was Korea in 2077.
A ridiculous contract like this held full legal power.
"You're literally buying their lives."
"Yes. And they're young, fresh, and at their prime."
I didn't need to think too long.
At this price, buying them was a bargain.
"I'll take them."
—
After paying 500 million won per head—totaling 2.5 billion won—I received the contracts and headed to the practice room.
Naturally, Emilia, the agency president, accompanied me.
"This is where our trainees practice."
Through the large glass wall, I could see everything inside.
A little over ten girls were drenched in sweat, performing a synchronized dance routine.
Even from behind the glass, I could feel their raw energy.
Emilia pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The trainees didn't stop dancing.
They only halted when Emilia used a remote to cut the music.
As the speakers went silent, the girls finally stopped their routine, panting heavily as they turned to look.
"Step forward when I call your name."
It seemed she ruled with a firm hand—at the sound of her voice, the trainees trembled slightly.
Well… A woman who makes contracts like that…
"Jung Min-ah, Kang Eun-chae, Kim Ye-na, Sung Ye-ji, Han Da-hye."
The girls flinched at their names being called, hesitantly stepping forward.
Since they had been dancing in light training outfits, their body lines were on full display—an absolute work of art.
"Introduce yourselves. This is your new master."
"...What?"
"Young Master, these are the girls. You'll be taking them right away, correct?"
"I should... Ah, but my car is too small for all of them. I'll take one with me, and I'd appreciate it if the rest could be delivered separately."
"Oh? Even a delivery service?"
Emilia seemed slightly pissed off.
But what could I do? My car wasn't big enough to fit five more people, and the police vans escorting me front and back were already full.
"Ah! T-Then, I-I can deliver them! President...!"
"...You?"
The clueless-looking guy suddenly raised his hand.
Emilia frowned, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Fine. You're responsible for their safe delivery. Young Master, who will you take with you first?"
I looked over the trainees I had just purchased.
They all stood trembling, their faces filled with shock.
Among them…
"You. Come with me."
"!!"
I called the girl who would one day become a cult sensation.
Sung Ye-ji.
In the original timeline, she debuted as the leader and main vocalist of the girl group LUMINA.
From 2078 onward, her potential skyrocketed, turning her into a superstar.
Right now, she was a nobody.
But give it a few years, and she'd be a massive success.
'Then again, with this contract, she'd still be practically a slave even at the height of her fame.'
A worldwide superstar, yet still shackled.
For a moment, I felt a pang of pity.
But only for a moment.
.
.
.
Meanwhile…
After Go Mu-yeol left, Emilia sat in thought.
"…This isn't what I expected."
Tapping her finger against the desk, she replayed the events in her mind.
"He outright refused the entertainment girls. The bastard was hard as a rock, yet he held back."
Rainbow Miracle's "hospitality team" wasn't the best in the industry.
But men were simple creatures.
When faced with a group of beautiful women practically throwing themselves at them, they always—always—gave in.
She had seen it happen countless times.
Or rather, she had never seen anyone resist.
Every single one of them would grin ear to ear, forget whatever business they came for, and lose themselves between some woman's legs.
Hell, some of them even had the audacity to make passes at her—the company president. (Not that she ever entertained them.)
But Go Mu-yeol refused.
Sure, he had just purchased five trainees, so he could satisfy himself with them later.
But the fact that he rejected the girls right then and there?
That was… shocking.
"…Was the whole playboy reputation just a smokescreen?"
Still deep in thought, Emilia picked up her phone.
"Yes, President. What do you need?"
"Look into Goryeo Entertainment for me."
"Goryeo Entertainment?"
"Yes. Oh, and Go Mu-yeol as well. In detail."
"Investigating a direct heir could be risky."
"I'm not asking for anything dangerous. I just want to know if there's anything different from the public perception."
The person on the other end of the line fell silent.
"…Understood. I'll do my best."
"Good. I'll be waiting."
After ending the call, Emilia pressed the phone tightly between both hands.