Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 548

Niveo was a skincare salon that was both famous and not famous, depending on who you asked.

Working at a skincare salon that didn’t usually have many customers was a battle against boredom. Spending time idly until a customer arrived was the daily routine for those who worked there.

However, those who worked at Niveo were unfortunately unable to enjoy such a privilege.

Inside, where a subtle aroma and carefully selected classical music played, there were no customers, but the employees were on edge.

The door could open at any moment. And when that customer came in, they had to give the impression that they were always waiting, poised and ready.

Because Niveo was not a typical skincare salon.

This was a high-end skincare salon that operated strictly on a membership basis. The only people who knew of its existence were either high-ranking officials or top celebrities.

These people were all extremely picky, and they were the type to call the director over the smallest things.

In the past, a high-ranking official’s wife had made a surprise visit, and the director had been severely reprimanded just because there was no one at the counter.

The only reason this ridiculous power dynamic was possible was this:

The members here paid an enormous amount of money for a one-year membership.

Do the rich only use the best?

That’s the general perception, but it’s not actually the case.

Rich people who have made a fortune through investments may overlook the importance of money, but those who have climbed up from the bottom know how precious money is.

From their perspective, there were many rich people who were stingy even with money that was like a single drop of water from the ocean.

They don’t spend money on things they don’t need to. That’s what real rich people were like.

What those rich people really obsessed over wasn’t luxury.

It was privilege.

Those who could spend money like water didn’t feel pleasure from spending money. The element that gave them pleasure was the privilege of being able to do what others couldn’t.

Niveo was a skincare salon that targeted that very aspect.

Only those who were socially renowned or had beauty that everyone had to acknowledge could become members of Niveo. Of course, that was just a qualification, and to actually become a member, a referral from a previous member was required.

The highest level of service for the highest class.

That was Niveo’s strategy.

As a result, they were often subjected to various forms of power abuse that would be unimaginable in a typical company, and the stress of the employees was beyond imagination.

However, today, the manager of Niveo, Lee Mi-yeon, was feeling comfortable for the first time in a while.

“Relax a little.”

“Yes, Manager.”

“There are no reservations today, so just keep an eye on the CCTV. But be careful not to make any noise.”

“Yes.”

At Lee Mi-yeon’s words, the employees’ shoulders relaxed.

‘Why is the manager like that?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe something good happened to her.’

The employees whispered as they watched Lee Mi-yeon head to her office.

This was not a common occurrence.

Due to the nature of its business, Niveo was a place where they had to risk their lives to serve customers. There was no way a normal person could manage such a place. Lee Mi-yeon, who was practically in charge of Niveo’s operations, was someone who was called a witch or a germaphobe by her subordinates.

She couldn’t tolerate even a speck of dust in the room, and she would scold them for an hour if their posture was off by 1 cm. If it weren’t for the carrot of high wages and a four-day work week, there would have already been several employees who had grabbed Lee Mi-yeon by the hair.

And now, Lee Mi-yeon was telling them to relax?

This was the same as the sun rising in the west.

The employees looked at Lee Mi-yeon’s back with unease. Seeing her back slightly swaying, she really did seem to be in a good mood.

“It’s a good day.”

Lee Mi-yeon entered her office and sat down on her chair.

The chronic headache that had always plagued her had disappeared. Lee Mi-yeon was humming to herself, unconsciously, at this fantastic change.

‘Why is this happening?’

The reason was obvious.

Stress.

The cause of her headaches was stress. Even the doctor had only advised her to rest, as there was no other treatment.

It was understandable.

Managing a business where even a small mistake could escalate was incredibly stressful. Even though she didn’t do any physical labor, when she went home after work, her whole body felt like a waterlogged cotton ball, and it was hard to even lift a finger.

But recently, that terrible stress had drastically decreased.

“Did I get used to it?”

For now, that was the only explanation. There hadn’t been any dramatic changes in her surroundings recently. Yet, the fact that her stress had decreased so much meant that she was feeling at peace with her work.

They say that even a slight change in the direction of your thoughts can change your life. Lee Mi-yeon, vowing never to forget this precious realization, was struck by a bolt from the blue.

Bzzzz.

Her phone started vibrating in her pocket. Lee Mi-yeon picked up her phone without much thought and checked the screen.

At the same time, her eyelashes began to vibrate like the phone.

Choi Yeon-ha.

The name on the screen was that.

The name, written with spaces between each character, showed Lee Mi-yeon’s distance from her.

‘Ah… so that’s it.’

The moment she saw the name, a severe headache began to pound in her head.

Ah, that’s right.

The reason she felt at peace.

The reason why peace had come into her life, despite no significant changes in her daily routine.

It was because this witch had left for China.

At this moment, Lee Mi-yeon deeply realized that fact. The moment she saw the name Choi Yeon-ha, not only did she get a headache, but her stomach also started to ache.

A level 0 ultra-sensitive customer.

Niveo’s VVIP [Very Very Important Person], who was called the best and worst in terms of social influence and pickiness, was now graciously calling her phone.

‘Why are you calling me!’

Normally, she wouldn’t even bother with someone at the manager level, so why was this person calling her?

Anyone else would have welcomed it with open arms! Because it meant she acknowledged her. But not Choi Yeon-ha. Anyone else was fine, but not Choi Yeon-ha.

Witch.

Choi Yeon-ha’s nickname of ‘witch’ wasn’t for nothing. She was a witch, in every sense of the word. Once, she had identified that the ingredients of the massage oil had changed just by smelling it, and she had completely turned the salon upside down, saying, ‘Doesn’t this shop even tell its customers that they changed the oil?’

The director had to run out barefoot and beg for forgiveness before she finally calmed down.

Dealing with this ultra-high-maintenance customer was something she wanted to avoid.

But what could she do? Choi Yeon-ha was calling her phone right now. If she tried to avoid the call, she would cause a scene again, complaining about the poor customer service.

Lee Mi-yeon pressed the call button with trembling hands.

“H-hello?”

[Why are you answering the phone like that?]

Lee Mi-yeon’s face turned slightly pale.

“I’m sorry. I was a little flustered.”

[There are many things to be flustered about.]

Lee Mi-yeon, like a professional, quickly realized from this short conversation that Choi Yeon-ha wasn’t in a bad mood. For anyone else, those comments would mean they were in the worst mood, but for Choi Yeon-ha, that was normal. No, she was even a little more gentle than usual.

That was her only comfort.

“I heard you were in China. But you suddenly called… Did you perhaps return to Korea?”

[No.]

Thank goodness.

At least that meant that this woman wasn’t going to storm into the salon right now. Lee Mi-yeon let out a deep sigh that couldn’t be heard over the phone.

“Then…”

[Is it wrong to call if I don’t have a reason?]

“No, no! Of course not.”

Why are you calling if you don’t have a reason, you witch!

Lee Mi-yeon’s cheeks twitched.

All of this woman’s way of speaking was like this. She would somehow find something to make the other person flustered, or she wouldn’t miss even the slightest flaw and would ruthlessly tear it apart.

There were more than a few people whose mental state had been shattered by this way of speaking.

‘I have to think of it as a characteristic.’

The problem was that this way of speaking wasn’t necessarily malicious.

That’s just how she was. By nature.

“You’re our most valued customer, so I was just thinking that if you had any business, we should take care of it quickly. Hehehe.”

Lee Mi-yeon skillfully deflected Choi Yeon-ha’s attack. Wasn’t this why she was getting paid?

[Hmm, is that so?]

Choi Yeon-ha, unable to find any more grounds to attack, backed down slightly. But she didn’t feel any sense of victory. All Lee Mi-yeon could do was let out a sigh of relief several times.

[You’re open today, right?]

“Of course. But you’re in China…”

[I’m not the one who’s going.]

“Ah…”

Lee Mi-yeon’s mind started to work quickly.

This place operated on a membership basis. And that membership required a referral from an existing member. But Choi Yeon-ha had never recommended another member before.

‘Because she doesn’t have any friends.’

Well, of course, that was part of it, but it was also because Choi Yeon-ha was arrogant. ‘The people who use the same place as me should be at the same level as me. But there is no one around me who is at my level,’ was Choi Yeon-ha’s basic way of thinking.

But now, Choi Yeon-ha was recommending a new member?

Sweat began to form on Lee Mi-yeon’s forehead.

No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t good news. From their perspective, it meant that there was one more customer they had to deal with in a state of high alert.

But…

‘It’s good news.’

That was the purpose of this skincare salon.

“Is it a new member?”

[Not a member yet. They’re just going to stop by today. I don’t know if they’ll come again.]

“But Choi Yeon-ha, our salon is a membership-based system…”

[So?]

At the cold voice from the other end, Lee Mi-yeon unconsciously put on a business smile.

“O-of course, in principle, that wouldn’t be possible, but since it’s a recommendation from a valued customer, we’ll allow a non-member to proceed this time.”

Principles?

Those were things to be applied depending on the person.

If she tried to stick to the principles here, that woman might get on a plane to Korea right now and throw the salon’s flower pot at the counter.

If rumors spread that Choi Yeon-ha had caused a scene because she was angry, customers would leave.

Do you avoid poop because you’re scared of it, or because it’s dirty?

‘Of course, this poop is a little scary too.’

[Well, there’s no need to be so reluctant. It’ll be something you’ll be very happy about too.]

“Yes?”

Choi Yeon-ha’s ominous voice came from the other end.

[There’s only one photo. And no external advertising.]

“Yes?”

Lee Mi-yeon couldn’t understand what Choi Yeon-ha was saying.