Black Label [EN]: Chapter 173

Black Label 172

173. Favoritism? No, Hero Treatment

Karl lost consciousness and collapsed again in less than an hour.

After saying in a weak voice, “Damn it, I’m sleepy again? I feel like a newborn,” he immediately lost strength like a sick chicken and fell asleep.

Until dawn, Karl woke up briefly about three or four times, then repeatedly fell asleep again.

Jaesung stayed by Karl Lagerbelt’s side all night.

He looked at Karl’s sleeping face with affectionate eyes, sighed for no reason, and repeatedly stroked his wrinkled hands.

As the sun rose, sunlight began to filter through the hospital room window.

Soon, Karl Lagerbelt frowned deeply and tossed and turned. It was because the sunlight was tickling his face.

Jaesung immediately got up from the folding chair and started walking towards the window to draw the curtains.

Thump, thump. Just as Jaesung reached the window and held the curtains tightly in his hand.

“Lee……”

At Karl Lagerbelt’s call, who had woken up again, Jaesung glanced back and replied quietly.

“You can sleep more.”

“No.”

After a moment of silence, he wore a faint smile and asked back in a slightly trembling tone.

“Is the sun up outside?”

“Yes.”

“I won’t be able to see the morning come again.”

“If you give meaning to everything like that, you’ll never escape from self-loathing.”

“Then how should I think about it?”

“Karl can’t see ‘morning,’ ‘sun,’ ‘moon,’ or ‘stars’ anymore. He just can’t see anything anymore.”

“Heh heh, right. It’s cruel but true……”

After a moment of heavy silence in the hospital room, Jaesung, who had been constantly chewing on his lower lip, carefully opened his mouth.

“Can I talk to you about work for a moment?”

“Damn it, you’re like a vicious guy… I’m really asking just in case, but you don’t have any problems with your eyesight, do you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Can’t you see what I look like? Even Chairman Bertimer hasn’t brought up work yet. If there’s nothing wrong with your eyes, I can only assume there’s something wrong with your personality.”

“I’m sorry.”

Karl Lagerbelt nodded once and waved his hand lightly.

“Let’s hear what’s so important that you’re rushing me.”

“What should we do with the posthumous works?”

“I’m still alive and kicking, do you have to use such a gruesome word?”

“Damn it, which tune are you asking me to dance to? You said the flame of life was dying out a moment ago?”

“Did I? Really? I feel a little better now?”

Karl Lagerbelt, who asked back in a mocking tone, chuckled once and continued.

“I’d like you to discard them as they are. Karl Lagerbelt never releases unfinished designs. Anyway, even if my designs are missing, this season’s product lineup is sufficient, right?”

No matter how much time and effort he put in, he would not release it in an unfinished state. Even if it was his last work.

What should I say? It was quite a Karl Lagerbelt-like decision. After a moment of silence, Jaesung asked again in a cautious tone.

“What if I tweak it a little and release it?”

“What kind of bullshit is that-!”

Karl Lagerbelt’s voice suddenly turned high-pressure. His brow was deeply furrowed, and veins popped out on his forehead and thin neck.

Just as Jaesung was about to answer, Karl Lagerbelt continued to speak in a very irritable tone.

“Damn it, damn it-! Actually, isn’t it already a decided matter? Aha, I see now. You’re pretending to ask for my consent, but in fact, it’s been going on since long ago, right?”

“Karl, calm down and listen.”

“Calm down? You’re out of your mind. Whose head did that trashy idea come from? Chairman Bertimer? Those useless strategy and planning team guys who can’t do anything but wave their pens clumsily?”

“You’re all wrong.”

“Then you? If you’re going to talk bullshit, get out of here right now! If my eyes were working, I would have picked up the most threatening thing I could see and thrown it at you. I mean it.”

Karl Lagerbelt, who had been shouting continuously, covered his mouth with both hands and began to cough repeatedly.

Jaesung took a long breath and started to approach Karl Lagerbelt. Then, he knelt down in front of the hospital bed where he was sitting and began to explain his thoughts in a low voice.

“Please, just listen to me once. If you still refuse after hearing all my thoughts, I will discard them immediately as you wish.”

Karl Lagerbelt began to stare at Jaesung without saying a word. No, in fact, it was ambiguous to even call it staring.

He had simply turned his face in the direction where Jaesung’s voice was coming from.

“This is a way for Karl to be recorded not as a history of the fashion world, but as a ‘legend.’”

“Get to the point.”

“The posthumous works that I will work on will not be released under your name or my name.”

“What? Then……?”

Jaesung answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“Heir to the Jannel Kingdom.”

Jaesung, who answered briefly, continued to explain.

The more Jaesung explained, the brighter Karl Lagerbelt’s expression became.

When all the explanations were finished, Karl Lagerbelt asked back with reddened eyes.

“It seems like a really wonderful and grateful plan, but is it really possible……?”

“I have always done everything I have decided to do. And now I have decided to leave you as a legend.”

“Yeah. Well, it would be even better if it succeeds… But even if it fails, I don’t think I’ll regret it at all.”

“Excuse me?”

“Just having someone who would come up with such a great plan at the point of death would be an overwhelmingly happy thing.”

Karl Lagerbelt, who finished speaking, smiled and added again.

“Thanks to you, my thoughts have changed a little. I just thought it was a fierce life, but now it’s not. Thanks to your plan, I’ve fallen into the illusion that it was a pretty great life.”

* * *

“Hmm, well? It certainly seems like a plan that can greatly reduce the group’s losses….”

Chairman Bertimer, who had heard Jaesung’s plan, did not readily give a definite answer and was gently stroking his chin.

Jaesung shrugged his shoulders once and continued.

“If you’re worried about the feasibility, it’s not too late to withdraw the plan during the preparation process. Also, Karl has agreed to it. I don’t think there’s any room to take a passive stance.”

Chairman Bertimer, who had been staring intently into Jaesung’s eyes with a very serious expression, finally nodded once and replied in a very clear tone.

“Okay. I think it’s best to try it out once.”

“That’s the right decision.”

Having received approval from Chairman Bertimer, who holds the ultimate decision-making power, there was no need to delay any longer.

Jaesung bowed once and immediately left his office. In order to realize the plan, it was necessary to move quickly.

What plan?

Karl Lagerbelt is, without exaggeration, one of the most influential figures in the fashion world.

This is even more evident when considering the impact his death will have on the industry, the workers, and even ordinary fans.

To put it simply, it was a plan to utilize the influence he possessed.

For example, after Michael Jackson’s death, there were continuous reports of him being sighted in various places.

Is he really alive? The truth is unknown (although the majority of people accepted his death), but one cultural critic said this.

‘It’s a phenomenon that reflects the public’s desire for Michael Jackson to come back to life. Since ancient times, the deaths of celebrities and powerful people have often been denied.’

This plan was similar to the above example. Anyway, wasn’t it a death that wouldn’t be easily accepted even if the obituary was announced?

Instead of announcing Karl’s death, he was going to create as many ‘rumors’ as possible related to him.

First, he headed to his office located within Jannel House. Then, he began to send text messages with the same content to the designers he had become acquainted with.

-If you respect Jannel’s ‘Karl Lagerbelt,’ or if you dreamed of becoming a designer thanks to him, or if you have any intention of helping him, please reply. If not, you don’t have to reply.

First of all, he thought it was a top priority to gather ‘Lagerbelt Children’ [designers mentored and influenced by Karl Lagerbelt] like himself. Their help was needed for this plan.

First, this season, he will slightly tweak the design drafted by Karl Lagerbelt and release it under the name ‘Heir to the Jannel Kingdom’ as the original author.

Since Karl Lagerbelt directly drafted it, and if he modifies and supplements it without touching Karl Lagerbelt’s characteristic parts, the public will be convinced that the person hiding behind the pseudonym ‘Heir to the Jannel Kingdom’ is Karl Lagerbelt.

Even if this season is filled in that way, what about the next season?

He planned to gradually divide and produce the designs to be released under the pseudonym ‘Heir to the Jannel Kingdom’ with the Lagerbelt Children he had gathered.

Of course, the Jannel Group will pay the Lagerbelt Children reasonable compensation, and they must keep this secret absolutely and remain silent.

Even if it’s a design that doesn’t have Karl Lagerbelt’s characteristic parts at all, it doesn’t matter.

Anyway, the public will create plausible reasons such as, “Karl Lagerbelt is breaking his mold and wants to try new designs, so he’s hiding his name!”

The Jannel Group can minimize the losses it will face due to Karl Lagerbelt’s death, Karl Lagerbelt has room for his name not to sink below the surface,

And Lagerbelt Children like Jaesung can receive a sense of responsibility for taking responsibility for the end of the hero who gave them a dream and a huge amount of guarantee.

If it succeeds, it would be a win-win situation for everyone.

Although profits are intertwined…….

Anyway, this was one way of mourning. A sublime and sacred mourning that takes place over a long period of time.

Just as Jaesung was immersed in such thoughts.

Ding-

Ddiring-

Ddiing-

Ding-

Replies began to arrive one by one from the designers who had sent text messages.