Chapter 4

Just One Hundred Thousand Won

Click.

The next day, and the day after that, I turned on the stream.

-She’s here

-Her Highness is hereee!

-Don’t use Japanese, let’s do the No Japan movement

-What kind of concept is that now

-The princess is here

-We were waiting, Princess

“Ooh.”

One hundred fifty people.

Before, I had to wait quite a while for this many people to gather, but now there were one hundred fifty as soon as I turned it on.

If I streamed for a while, it would even go past 250.

The world is a scary place.

Just a few days ago, I could count the viewers of my stream on my fingers. Now I would need a calculator to count them.

“So many of you have come to see this princess. My subjects, what do you desire?”

But that did not mean my attitude would change.

They say humans are creatures of adaptation, and now even with one hundred fifty people watching, I just accepted it.

Well, I can guess why things turned out like this.

It must be because of that damned moaning clip.

Apparently, the sight of me groaning from muscle pain spread all over the place again.

If someone works out hard and their muscles hurt, they can moan a little. Damn creepy Korean men.

-Doesn’t it hurt today? lol

-Moan again for us

-That’s what I came to hear

“I shall not, you irreverent lot.”

-Aww

-What a shame

-This lady doesn’t know how to do business

What do you mean, what a shame.

They seem to think my muscle pain is some kind of content.

-But sis, seriously, change your model

-For real, if you were still a tiny streamer then whatever, but now you’ve got 150 people watching and that’s your model?

-It’s hilarious how it only blinks lol

This again.

My Lilith, that is, the vampire princess on the screen.

No matter what I do, she only blinks.

Whether I slam the desk or fall out of my chair and roll around, the princess on-screen merely blinks elegantly.

Of course she does. It is not merely a cheap model, it is a free one, and I do not even have a camera.

-Other VTubers nod their heads and move their mouths though

-Why doesn’t yours move?

-For real, you just put up a single picture and insist you’re a VTuber lol

“How insolent. This is this princess’s lofty stillness.”

-Stillness lol

-You’re just using a free one because you have no money

-Please refrain from attacking her with facts

Kgh.

These bastards.

But honestly, I was jealous.

Other people’s models smiled when the streamer smiled, nodded when they nodded.

They were overflowing with life.

But my princess just blinked like some preserved specimen.

At this rate, I had no grounds to complain even if they mocked it as a still image.

“...You lot. Suppose, just suppose, that this princess were to use a model that moved. What would you think?”

-Oh, finally?

-Please just buy one

-Want us to chip in?

-But didn’t this girl disable donations?

-Oh, right

“Hmph. This body has lived for hundreds of years. I have amassed wealth beyond your wildest imagination. I have no need for the pocket money of you foolish subjects.”

-(This message has been deleted)

-Wow, money fetish guy

-You crazy bastard lol

“You shall go stand outside with your hands raised and reflect. For about thirty minutes.”

Even after ending the stream that day, I could not shake the thought for a long time.

A moving model.

I want one.

Not a picture that only blinks, but a real model that moves along with my own movements.

It was funny when I thought about it.

In my previous life, there had not been anything I wanted. Enduring each day was all I could do, so I did not even have the energy to desire things.

And yet in this life, here I was getting this worked up over a single VTuber model.

Maybe this is what it feels like to be alive.

But it is not like one just appears for free.

First, I need a camera to track my facial movements, and I also need to get a model that looks at least somewhat decent instead of the free one I am using now.

“What should I do...”

In the end, if you want good products or good services in a capitalist society, you have to pay money.

And the higher the quality, the more exponentially expensive it becomes, especially for things like this that are not necessities.

But no matter how expensive it is, to this noble body, the granddaughter of the almighty Shinil Group chairman, it is still mere pocket change—

“Ugh...”

As far as I know, there are tens of billions of won in bank accounts under my name. But ultimately, Ms. Sejin is the one with payment authority.

‘Until you become an adult, you must always get your guardian’s permission before spending money.’

Since I have no parents, Ms. Sejin is my guardian for now. Grandfather said it himself, so there is nothing I can do about it.

Of course, Ms. Sejin is not the only route.

Since she is not a member of the Shin family, the true authority actually lies with Grandfather, Shin Ilseong, the chairman.

Am I supposed to call that terrifying old man and ask to buy a camera and a VTuber model?

“That would be insane.”

That man is ridiculously scary.

Back when I worked at the company in my previous life, his New Year’s address made him seem like a kindly old grandfather, but when he thundered at everyone during the last family meeting—

The other relatives gathered there were mostly presidents, directors, and other important executives who must have wielded plenty of influence in the company, and yet—

At one word from Grandfather, they trembled like leaves—

“Eeeek!”

“Waaagh!”

“Deheheheh!”

“Please forgive us!”

“We can always have another child— Deheheh, I’ll manage them properly!”

“May I be granted permission to request permission to swear that I shall never again screw up the management of my children?!”

Shiver shiver. It is still scary even now.

A single shout that instantly transformed perfectly normal people into wretched beings beneath human dignity. Is this some kind of sonic martial art?

They say in the martial world that you should beware of children and old people. As expected, old people are terrifying.

Anyway, asking Grandfather for help is out of the question.

He does love me very much, but after the medicine incident, he declared there would be absolutely no exceptions and cuts things off ruthlessly.

In that case, the easiest target I might actually be able to handle is, of course—

“...Should I ask Ms. Sejin?”

The problem is that even Ms. Sejin is not easy to deal with.

She will not even buy me games. To be precise, she offered to buy them only if I met all sorts of conditions, and in the end I backed down first.

Pay attention in class. Get an average score of at least fifty on the private tutor tests. Exercise a little.

And this time it is a camera and a VTuber model. Convincing her may be even harder than with a game.

With a game, I could simply say I wanted to play it, but how am I supposed to explain this?

Above all, I absolutely cannot let her find out that I stream.

So I needed a plausible justification.

You need justification to wage war and make money, don’t you!

I have no intention of waging war, but if I want to receive money, I do need some justification.

Hmm.

A justification.

— — —

The next morning.

After returning from my workout, I decided to immediately launch the operation.

“Ms. Sejin.”

“Yes, Miss. What is it?”

“I’ve been working out really hard lately, right?”

Ms. Sejin looked at me suspiciously.

Her expression said she had instantly realized I was plotting something.

As expected, ten years of experience is not to be underestimated.

“...So?”

“Look. Don’t you think I’ve built a little muscle now too? Hnnngh.”

I raised my arm and flexed my bicep.

Bicep... bicep...

Where did you go, bicep?

...Hmm.

Do I need to put in more effort?

“Guaaaah—! Bear the child of God—!”

“...The child of God?”

With all my strength.

Even the strength I used to suckle milk.

“Gyaaaah, nghhh—!”

I had trained by lifting the ultra-heavy pink dumbbell a hundred times a day.

And yet Shin Yua did not become One-Kick Man... no, One-Kick Girl.

Even after exercising diligently for almost a week, my arms were still chopsticks.

At this point, it is less like I exercised and more like my arms scammed me.

I worked myself to the bone for a week and nothing changed. Should I demand a refund from the trainer? Not that I ever paid her.

...Still, I had lost quite a bit of belly fat, so I guess I should take comfort in that.

“...Miss. You can stop now.”

“N-No. If I put in a little more strength, it’ll show.”

“...I think something else might come out.”

Crack.

I tried putting in even more strength, but my arms only trembled. Not even the tip of a muscle was visible.

“Th-Then look at this. I can do this one well.”

What I was about to show her this time was none other than a squat.

Was there not research saying that women generally have stronger lower-body muscles than upper-body muscles?

Of course, for the old me, this would have been a supreme martial art beyond my wildest dreams—

But now, after being brutally trained by my personal trainer, I can do about ten of them.

“Look. I can do squats now too. One, two.”

I slowly sat down—

And tried to stand back up.

“Huh?”

“Careful.”

“Uh, uh, uh.”

Thud.

Just as I was about to fall flat on my butt, Ms. Sejin caught me from behind.

“...Tehe.”

Ms. Sejin put a hand to her forehead.

“Miss. You don’t need to show me, so please just get up.”

“W-Wait a second. My legs are a little...”

Come to think of it, it was only natural that I could not do it after being worked so hard earlier. My legs were still trembling even now.

To ruin this important negotiation by picking the wrong timing, what a tragic mistake!

“Here, take my hand and get up.”

As I dawdled on the floor, Ms. Sejin held out her hand, helped me up, and let out a long sigh.

“Haa... Miss, what do you want?”

“Gasp, how did you know?”

“...Did you think I wouldn’t know when you’re being this obvious?”

“Cough.”

S-So that was it. As expected of the watcher Grandfather assigned to me, his ultra-VIP. She possessed that level of ability. Of course she could see through this much.

In that case, there is no other way. I have to go straight at her.

“Ms. Sejin. Just one hundred thousand won.”

“One hundred thousand won?”

“Exactly one hundred thousand won. I won’t ask for anything more.”

Ms. Sejin tilted her head and stared at me.

“What are you going to do with one hundred thousand won?”

Time to use the line I prepared in advance.

“Well. Um. It’s something I need for studying.”

“Studying? You’re going to study, Miss?”

“I mean, I can study a little too—! Ooooooh.”

“...Is that lie really true?”

“Wait, how can you decide it’s a lie from the start! Prejudice is bad!”

“Pfft.”

What was that? Did she just laugh?

The moment I tilted my head in confusion, Ms. Sejin immediately turned serious again. Mommy, scary.

“Is it something like an online class?”

Did it actually work somehow?

“Yes. Well. If you’re learning something online, you need things like a camera.”

“Hmm...”

Ms. Sejin lowered her head and fell silent.

Is she going to refuse?

Just as I was beginning to give up—

“...All right.”

Huh?

“I’ll give you my card, so return it after you pay.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. But I’m checking the receipt. If you buy anything strange, I’m confiscating it immediately.”

I grabbed Ms. Sejin’s hand.

“Sob! Priestess... I will never forget the taste of the card Ms. Sejin bestowed upon me!”

“...If you keep saying weird things you learned on the internet, I’m not giving you the card.”

“Gasp.”

“Here. The card.”

“O-Oooooh!”

Now this noble body would finally be able to have a moving model.

Sitting on bank accounts containing tens of billions, yet squeezing out my biceps just to get a mere one hundred thousand won.

Objectively speaking, it was an utterly pathetic situation.

But I was simply ecstatic.

“...But Miss.”

“Yes?”

“Next time, you don’t have to appeal to me with exercise. It doesn’t work at all.”

Ahem.

— — —

Han Sejin watched the young lady’s back for a long time as she returned to her room.

Even with her trembling legs, she seemed so excited that she nearly fell several times, yet she kept bouncing on the tips of her toes to express her joy.

“How long has it been since I saw her like that?”

Han Sejin first took charge of Shin Yua when the young lady was four years old.

Back then, the young lady was a child who did nothing.

She did not cry, and she did not throw tantrums.

She would simply sit there blankly, holding a phone and letting time pass.

If someone offered to buy her something, she shook her head. If someone asked her to go somewhere, she only looked uninterested.

She seemed to have absolutely no interest in anything in the world.

The chairman pitied his granddaughter and tried to do everything he could for her.

But the young lady herself wanted nothing.

She had lived like that for ten years.

But recently, something had begun to change.

Light had started leaking from the young lady’s room every night.

A light that did not go out until late.

Even though she turned off the room light, it was obvious she had the computer on and was doing something.

During the day she lay in bed and lazed around, but once night came, it was as though she became absorbed in something.

The young lady believed she had hidden it perfectly, but Han Sejin already knew very well that she had been secretly doing something at night.

At first, she had been worried.

What if the young lady had gotten involved in something bad?

The world was so dangerous these days, after all.

So once, she had taken a discreet peek.

She did not know exactly what the young lady was doing.

She only saw her sitting in front of the computer doing something, sometimes muttering to herself, and occasionally laughing.

Last time, she had scolded her because she was worried about her staying up late every night, but in truth, part of her had also been happy.

A child who had never laughed at anything her entire life was becoming absorbed in something and smiling.

Was that not enough?

So Han Sejin decided to pretend she did not know.

She nagged her about staying up late, but she did not truly interrogate her.

She decided to wait until the young lady opened up on her own.

She did not want to take away whatever it was that made the young lady’s eyes shine.

“One hundred thousand won...”

In truth, one hundred thousand won was laughably little money.

Considering the assets under the young lady’s name, even one million or ten million won would not have been impossible to give her.

The chairman, too, would surely have allowed any amount if it was something his granddaughter genuinely wanted.

And yet the young lady had said one hundred thousand won.

Just one hundred thousand won.

For some reason, Han Sejin found the sight amusing.

A granddaughter of the Shin family getting that excited over a mere one hundred thousand won.

“Hehe...”

Ding—.

“Oh my, already?”

The fact that the payment happened this quickly meant the young lady had been thinking and preparing for this in her own way for quite some time.

Han Sejin quickly checked the card transaction details.

As the caretaker personally instructed by the chairman, it was only natural for her to look at what the young lady had purchased.

“A webcam...”

She understood this one.

The young lady had said it was necessary for studying, so she must be planning to use it for online classes.

“But this...? Vooth? What is a booth?”

A record of a purchase worth several tens of thousands of won from some place whose name she did not recognize.

Even the item name was written like some alien language, making it impossible to understand.

“What in the world is this?”

But in the end, Han Sejin closed the details.

If she pressed her about it, the young lady might close herself off again.

She was a child who had only just begun to become absorbed in something and smile.

Just a little longer.

She decided to watch for just a little longer.

“...It’s probably nothing serious.”