24K Magic for a Perfect Illusion

Ch 31: Spend Your Money Like Money Ain't Sh*t

Berlin, Germany

After staying in the hotel accommodation for almost a whole day since arriving, Hestia’s group attended the seminar from 8am to 5pm before they’re finally free to do whatever they want since they’ll be returning to Korea by tomorrow morning.

“How’s your day?” Hestia links her arm on Hearthof when the latter gestured like a noble gentleman as they meet each other outside the hall.

“Fulfilling. I took a lot of photos from the hotels I’ve been the whole day.” Hearthof replied as they descend on the stairs. “How about you? You didn’t take a nap during the long seminar, right?”

“Tch. What do you think of me?!” Hestia retorted. “I listened the whole time attentively. Also, there were activities so it’s not that boring like you think.”

“If you say so. Anyway, what do you want to eat? I found some restaurants along the way while I’m roaming around the city.”

“Traditional Berlin Dishes will do. I want to try them while I’m here.” Hestia replied after thinking of what’s good for dinner.

“Sure. I know exactly where to bring you.” Hearthof led Hestia towards the car that he rented for 24 hours.

Hearthof took Hestia to the restaurant by the river and pulled some strings to dine in since customers need reservation to get in.

“I can’t decide what to order. All the dishes in this menu looks appetizing to me.” Hestia said as she continues to browse the pages of the menu.

“Let’s try them all. I want one of each in the menu.” Hearthof said to the waiter who’s waiting for their orders.

With an amused smile on his face, the waiter replied enthusiastically to Hearthof, “Of course, Mr. Goddesseth, I’ll bring your orders in a while.”

When the waiter strode away towards the counter, Hestia raised her eyebrow at Hearthof and said, “Is this our last supper?”

“Hahaha. You said all the dishes looks appetizing, so why not try them all. Besides this is our last night here in Berlin.” Hearthof shrugged. “Don’t worry we’re not wasting any food.”

After sharing ten meals in a row, Hearthof had the rest of the meals take away since they couldn’t eat anymore.

“I think I’m still full until tomorrow.” Hestia rubs her tummy as she walks at the riverside to help her digest.

“I’m definitely adding German cuisines to the hotel’s restaurant.”

“Right. I actually like them all. I never thought I could eat that much. I think I gained a lot of weight overnight.” Hestia said.

“Let me guess you like spätzle the most.” Hearthof recalled the dish that Hestia finished her share.

“How can I not? I love that egg pasta with cheese on top. But I also like maultaschen, there’s a lot of vegetables stuffing in it. And I will never forget the senfeier, I never thought that hard-boiled eggs served with mashed spuds will go well with creamy mustard sauce. I could actually eat that every Sunday morning.”

“Well, nothing beats those various sausages for me, from the sauces of currywurst, to the barbecue bratwurst, and even the mish mash of different meats stuffed of bockwurst.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely all sausages. But we both agreed with Konigsberger Klopse, Schnitzel, and Eisbein. Except for the Döner Kebab, that’s actually Turkish and definitely not German.”

“Berlin has a massive Turkish population, that’s why. Also, it’s meat and salad stuffed inside a wrap; it only looks like a hamburger but you actually called it unhealthy.” Hearthof chided.

Hestia rolled her eyes and replied, “Fine, I misjudged.”

The two kept on talking about the dishes in the restaurant when Hestia found a familiar face in the crowd.

“He’s in Berlin?” Hestia uttered as she quickened her pace to catch on the man, she’s been dreaming every night.

“Who’s in Berlin?” Hearthof subconsciously followed Hestia before he looked around. “Who are we stalking now?”

“Ves, he’s here.” Hestia tailing the man in a white coat but just like magic the latter disappear in a blink of an eye. “Where did he go?” she looked around frantically as she searched. “He’s just right in front of me! How can he just vanish?! You saw it too, right?” she turned to Hearthof. “The man in a white coat, it’s too conspicuous at night, so it’s impossible to missed.”

Hearthof indeed saw a man in a white coat ahead of them but Hestia said that it was Ves and it made him upset so he uttered a lied, “I’m not sure, I’m only following you.”

“I can’t be wrong, that’s Ves!” Hestia keeps on searching around in the same spot where she lost tracked of the man in a white coat.

“Miss Hestia.” Sharon, and the others caught on. “Why were you running? What happened?”

“Ves, he’s here in Berlin. I saw him, he’s wearing a white coat. I was following him but he suddenly disappeared right in this spot where I’m standing right now. Please tell me one of you saw a white figure in front.” Hestia looked at her ladies expectantly.

“I saw a man wearing a white coat but just like you said he suddenly disappeared like he camouflaged among the crowd.” Baby replied.

“Finally, I’m not the only one who saw it! At least one of you has a wide range of eyesight.” Hestia said exasperatedly. “I almost thought that I’m just imagining things. Baby witnessed it too, so I’m not the only one.”

Edith looked at Baby and asked, “Are you sure? You drank three mugs of beers earlier.”

“I know what I saw Edith and I’m not fully drunk if that’s what you mean.” Baby rebutted.

Hestia observed Baby’s appearance and just like what Edith said, Baby’s drunk hence the others won’t believe her right away. “Haist … let’s just forget about it. Let’s go back to the hotel.”

The only witness she has is drunk so her words won’t be credible to everyone although most of drunk people are more observant and can’t tell lies but because of the effect of alcohol …

Meanwhile at the dark corner of the building, Ves watched Hestia until her group left the area, he almost get caught if he didn’t put the black side of his coat on and hid the white.

Ves has a quicker reflex than ordinary person, all thanks to his job of being a thief.

When Ves returned to his accommodation, Peter opened the door for him and told him that Hestia is in Berlin.

“I know. I saw her myself and I almost get caught.” Ves jumped down on the couch and stare at the ceiling. “She’s with that hotel owner along with her ladies and his men.”

“Ooh, someone sounds jealous.” Stefani teased as she put a can of cold beer on Ves forehead. “You think, you can sneak in to her hotel room later?”

“I’ll be caught for sure if I do that. Hes has her full security team with her, given the area of the hotel room, there won’t be a chance that nobody will notice me unless I come through the window of her bedroom.” Ves hesitating to do what he thought of.

“See, you already have a plan to sneak in.” Stefani chuckled.

“We have the equipment here, just say a word and we’ll be on the top of that hotel building.” Peter offered.

Ves sat up and looked at Peter and Stefani, “Should I?”

Stefani shrugged, “I don’t see why not? I’m not yet sleepy anyway so I can give a hand to you lover boy.”

“I’m glad that I’m on your team.” Ves smiled as he stood up and tidied his clothes. “Let’s go and see my princess.”

It’s not the first time for Ves to hang on a rope from a tall building, but he was nervous to sneak in Hestia’s bedroom in the hotel, he only wants to see her that’s all.

Ves was about to unlocked the window when it suddenly opened, it wasn’t Hestia neither her ladies but Hearthof.

The two stared at each other for a long time until Ves broke off the silence between them.

“What are you doing in her room?” Ves asked anxiously as he looked behind the man and saw Hestia sleeping on the bed.

“The same question I want to ask you, what are you trying to do?”

“I asked first.” Ves retorted coldly.

“I’m not oblige to answer.” Hearthof smirked as he looked at the rope that supports Ves weight.

“So, am I. I don’t need to explain myself to you.” Ves responded.

“Ves Taz. As far as I know you’re a psychologist who got scouted to work for a secret organization in US. That’s what Hestia told me about you, is this part of your secret mission?” Hearthof took out a gun and aimed it at Ves. “Convince me not to shoot you right now?” he looked at Hestia sleeping soundly on the bed before he turned to Ves again. “I vowed to protect Hestia in any harm at all cost and obviously you’re a potential harm to her, so I have to eliminate you.”

“As far as I know, Hes security team are all women since when did she hired a male bodyguard?” Ves mocked. “Have you killed anyone before?” he observed Hearthof carefully as he concluded that the latter doesn’t have the guts to shoot. “Look, I meant no harm to Hes, I just want to see her.”

“If that’s really the case why did you hide from her before?”

“Because she can’t be seen with me. We’re on the same side here, we both want to protect her from any harm at all cost.” Ves stated as a matter-of fact. “Please let me in.”

Hearthof made way to Ves after hesitating for a while, “She’s drunk. She finished the whole bottle of wine when we returned here because of you. She’s upset that she didn’t catch you.”

“I’ll make it up to her when I’m done and over with my job.” Ves kneeled on the bedside to look at Hestia closer. “Thank you for taking good care of her.”

“Tch. Don’t thank me, I’m not doing it for you.” Hearthof snorted.

“You love her too, right?” Ves tucked the strayed hair on Hestia’s face behind her ear. “But you can’t confess to her because of her opinion about falling in love with someone.”

“You really know her well.” Hearthof smiled faintly.

“Of course, I was there with her all time. I saw what she saw and heard her opinions about people who lost themselves because of love. She’s never been in a romantic relationship before so she never experienced heartbreak and she grew up in a loving family but she acts like she’s been hurt before.” Ves chuckled lightly.

“She’s cautious to trust someone. I’ve seen it first. I was there when she lost faith to people outside her family. I’ve seen how they used her for their benefits, I heard how they schemed to get her on their sides. We we’re young back then, and I’m powerless to protect her. If only I was standing on the same level as her that time, not below her and everyone else around her, I could’ve protected her from those people who made her vigilant.”

“We’re actually lucky, we’re the only people that she trusts aside from her family. We’re the last straw that she can hold on to.”

“Exactly. She can trust you, right? You’re not going to hurt her?”

“That’s the last thing I’ll do in my entire life.” Ves outstretched his hand towards Hearthof. “I also expect the same thing from you, you’re not going to make her cry, right?”

Hearthof shook Ves hand. “I won’t make her sad again.”

Although they acknowledged each other as rivals, they have the same goal which led them to a mutual agreement.

What they both didn’t know; they have deeper connection to each other than the woman they love.

When Ves returned to their hotel along with Peter and Stefani, he told them what happened in Hestia’s room and both have different opinions about the matter.

“Bruh, how can you work with your rival in love?” Peter asked with disagreement to what Ves did. “It’s like you’re asking a thief to protect your money. I thought you were gifted but you’re actually stupid sometimes.”

“I envy Hestia for having you and that man. You two aren’t barbaric like most of the men I know who thinks women as a piece of meat that you have to bite with your teeth tightly.” Stefani said metaphorically.

“What do you think of men, animals in the wild??!” Peter retorted.

“Am I wrong? You’ve said it yourself before that men are beasts.”

“But you described it like we’re savages as if we’re not humans.”

“Gosh, you’re way off the topic. Does your brain have nothing else …?” Stefani responded and Peter didn’t back down with his ideas.

Ves left the two arguing since it’s normal for them to bicker all the time, he went to his room, took a quick shower and jumped into his bed as he drifted to his dreamless sleep.

The next morning …

Hestia woke up with a hangover and the three missus that serves her took good care of her until she sobered up.

Hearthof didn’t tell her what happened last night, he had a tacit understanding with Ves to keep it a secret, which is also good for him as he doesn’t want Hestia to think of Ves as much as possible.

They returned to Korea while Ves, Stefani, and Peter succeeded to stole a map that leads to Nazi’s bunkers in America.

Few months later, mid-April …

“Last year, Don celebrated his birthday on a cruise, we were drifting in the middle of the ocean for three days that we almost got hijacked by pirates if not for the security team that we have.”

Hestia told Hearthof as they boarded the yacht that will take them to another island to celebrate her brother’s birthday.

“Yeah, I remember you wrote it on your letter. I actually had mixed emotions back then when I was reading it.” Hearthof replied as he took Hestia’s hand to assist her on getting in the yacht. “I thought it only happens in movies.”

“Although what they wear aren’t the same as those in the movies, they’re real. And they’re more vicious than what we know.” Hestia pulled away her hand as soon as she got on her feet steadily.

The two were still on the topic of last year’s event when Poseidon’s friends also came in to the yacht.

“Fancy as always. Spend your money like money ain’t sh*t!” a Korean-American woman said out loud as she stepped in.

“That’s Lee Jin-Joo, the only female friend that Don has, but until now I can’t figure it out how she’s friend with him.” Hestia whispered to Hearthof. “Though one thing is for sure, she’s not hitting on my brother. You can also say that she’s one of the boys.”

“I won’t have a clue if you didn’t tell me that.” Hearthof looking at Jinjoo who’s wearing a one-piece swimsuit and being surrounded by men. “Are you sure none of them is her boyfriend?”

“Why, you like her?” Hestia asked with a raise eyebrow. “As far as I remember all Don’s friends are older than him, the closest to his age is Joe, that guy with a dreamy look, he’s less than two years older than Don.”

“Dreamy look? He isn’t your type of guy, right?” Hearthof had the same expression as Hestia before but it’s more of jealousy.

“Absolutely not, he’s a playboy.” Hestia replied with a ‘duh’ expression. “His type is one of the reasons I can’t trust men easily. His looks and charms are deceiving, that’s what Don told me about him and I proved him right. That guy had the audacity to hit on my sisters and me at same time. Even to our cousin, Leto.”

“I knew he’s an a**hole from the very beginning.” Hearthof said.

“Anyway, let’s not dwell on Don’s friends. Let’s go and play with the children. It takes five hours from here to the island.”