I Became a Scoundrel of a Chaebol Family-Chapter 317
We returned to the hangar.
Just getting there took quite a while, given the massive scale of the base.
But I was still excited.
I mean, who wouldn’t be, after witnessing that absurd performance by Snow White?
No knight or mech I’ve ever imagined—or seen—has ever moved like that.
Even now, just thinking about it gives me chills.
She disappeared for a second, then reappeared in place—and every enemy unit nearby exploded like fireworks. That scene, that rush... I can’t even put it into words.
‘Snow White. You’re worthy. You have the right to become the commander of my very first knight order...!!’
And if something like a “Muyeol Army” comes to be one day, of course Snow White would be its general!
The emotion I feel right now—that alone is worth everything.
Chiiik.
Psshhhhh...
The Snow White-exclusive unit, G85-00001—the one that stunned us all with its grandeur—appeared once again in the hangar.
When I first saw it here, it had an overall white appearance, but now the entire exterior had turned blazing red, with clouds of steam pouring from every part of the unit.
“Whoa...”
Cooling mechanisms installed for mech maintenance were spraying water to cool the surface, but the moment the water touched the armor, it evaporated instantly—filling the entire hangar with steam.
It was hotter than expected, so we evacuated for a bit.
Only after about 10 minutes of ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) spraying water and venting steam were we able to re-enter the hangar.
The mech, which had been glowing red, had now returned to its original pristine white form.
Clunk.
With that sound, the cockpit opened, and Snow White, the pilot, emerged.
“...Snow White?”
But she didn’t look good.
Just like the mech’s exterior had been glowing red and steaming, Snow White herself looked about the same.
The cockpit looked extremely humid, and even from a distance, she was visibly soaked in sweat.
Her skin was flushed, and she kept exhaling through her mouth.
Her eyes were half-closed—she looked utterly exhausted.
Did something... go wrong?
“...She overdid it.”
“Sorry?”
Go Min-young clicked her tongue with a faint, wry smile.
“I thought so. That performance was too ridiculous. I figured moves like that would require at least a 9th-generation unit.”
“What do you mean...?”
“The movements just now—regardless of the pilot’s specs—are simply beyond what an 8.5-generation unit can handle. We’ll need to check the black box to be sure, but from what we can tell, she suppressed the G-forces that the unit couldn’t handle by absorbing them herself.”
“...That’s possible? Absorbing G-forces yourself?”
G-force... that’s the thing about gravitational pressure, right?
The physical strain when moving at high speeds.
But how can you absorb that yourself?
“In theory... if you have a high-performance exclusive unit that can generate an extreme-grade defense field, it’s possible. But again, it’s purely theoretical... and the very idea of a human absorbing the burden of a mech that big is...”
I looked up at Snow White in disbelief.
People—or maybe robots—wearing thick heat-resistant suits were helping her down.
“So... what you’re saying is, the damage the mech was supposed to absorb, Snow White took on herself, forcing the unit to perform like that?”
“Yes.”
“...Why would she go that far?”
She could’ve taken out everything even moving normally.
“She wanted to impress you, Muyeol.”
“!”
“I mean, I may have paid for it, but even if I hadn’t—you were going to give her the exclusive unit, right?”
“Well... yeah...”
If Go Min-young hadn’t footed the bill, I would’ve bought Snow White’s custom equipment and exclusive unit myself.
No matter the cost.
“To a lord who completely trusts her and gives her every bit of support he can... she wanted to show her very best. Her absolute best.”
“Snow White...”
“For a toy, that’s some impressive dedication.”
Go Min-young chuckled softly.
This might be the first time I’ve ever seen her smile at Snow White.
“She’ll need rest and treatment for a while. The mech too.”
“Ah...”
Snow White was hospitalized at Koryo Medical, which is part of the Militaris HQ complex.
++++
“L...ord...”
When I visited her hospital room, Snow White was lying on a white bed.
For someone who’d just shown such overwhelming force, seeing her in a hospital gown made her look like nothing more than a fragile woman.
She tried to sit up as soon as I entered.
“Don’t. Stay down.”
“Ah...”
She shut her eyes tightly.
Her lips trembled, bitten hard enough to almost bleed.
“...I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For... showing such a disgraceful sight...”
She was clearly blaming herself.
She wanted to impress me, but ended up in a hospital bed.
It is... kind of funny, honestly.
“Well yeah. I heard your mech needs a full inspection too.”
“Uuugh... I-I’m sorry...”
Still—
Pat.
“You were amazing, Snow White.”
“...!”
Her heart had definitely reached me.
That desperate effort to show me her best, even if it meant burning herself out—
I felt it. Clearly.
“Lord...!”
Her forehead was warm under my palm.
I heard from the researchers that her temperature had spiked dangerously, but fortunately, she was stable now.
“That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”
“!!”
Snow White’s eyes widened.
She always had a dignified face, so seeing this expression now—it was... kind of cute.
“I’m proud to have you as my first knight, Snow White.”
“L-Lord...! Th-Thank you... so much...!”
Her wide eyes trembled, filled with emotion.
“You were going to stay here for a few days anyway, right? So just get some real rest. They said there’s nothing serious.”
“Yes... Lord...”
“Rest well.”
I patted her a few more times and stepped out of the room.
Just before I left, for some reason, Snow White pulled the blanket over her head.
Outside, Go Min-young—who had followed me this far—was already reading a report, likely having just received a briefing.
Judging by the contents, it was about Snow White and her exclusive unit.
“Even if it was reckless, the fact that kind of movement is possible at all is a huge breakthrough. If your knight gets a 9th-generation unit, she should be able to perform like that without overexerting herself.”
“...So the only reason it was so rough is because it’s an 8.5-gen?”
“Precisely. In fact, it’s because it was 8.5-gen that she even survived. If it had been an 8th-gen, the unit would’ve collapsed—and the pilot wouldn’t have made it either. Of course, that’s assuming a 26.8-meter monster like that.”
“...”
...So that’s how it is.
It was a pretty reckless stunt, all things considered.
“A knight should have that kind of spirit.”
“...You think so?”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen something this entertaining. I quite enjoyed it.”
Go Min-young was smiling a lot more than usual today.
Back when she handed over Snow White’s exclusive weaponry, she was all cold and ruthless.
That just proves how many points Snow White scored today.
‘Well done, Snow White. Now it’s my turn.’
She gave that breathtaking performance using just an 8.5-gen unit.
She pushed herself to the brink, just to show me her best and strongest form.
Now, it’s my turn to answer that desire.
“Min-young, about what I said earlier—there’s something I need to tell you. I’ll say it now.”
“H-Huh? Right now? At this moment?”
“Yes.”
I had made up my mind.
No more hesitation.
I know exactly what I need to do.
Go Min-young glanced around, then cleared her throat awkwardly.
“...Alright. Sounds like you’ve made your decision. If you’re that serious, I should hear you out.”
She looked around with a strange sort of expectation.
Then she took me into an empty hospital room.
“Stay outside.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She left all the staff and secretaries outside, then checked the door lock multiple times.
Hooo...
And then a deep breath.
When she turned to me, her expression was serious.
But it wasn’t her usual commanding sharpness—it was something warmer, with a strange heat and desire.
“Muyeol.”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to ask one more time.”
“?”
“Are you sure... this is something you can tell me? And are you going to say it right now?”
...She’s thinking about me.
She has no idea what I’m about to say, and yet—
Her care only strengthens my resolve.
“Yes. I’m going to say it now. And I can only say it to you, Min-young.”
“I-I see...”
She blushed and shyly averted her gaze.
This woman—who always smiled at me even during sex—is now reacting like this because I’m about to confess that I can make superconductors...
‘Wait. Hold on.’
Confess?
“You’ve really... made up your mind.”
“...”
No... wait.
No way, right?
She’s not seriously thinking I’m about to confess my love or propose or something—
...♥
...Right?
“Actually, I—”
My head was a mess, but my mouth moved on its own.
With the mood already built up, and my resolve already set, I couldn’t pull back now.
“I... can create a room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor.”
“...Right. I always thought as much. There’ll be hurdles, but you and I— wait, what?”
Go Min-young’s face went stone cold.
“....”
“....”
And just like that, the mood froze solid.
