## Chapter 591 – Is Spring Coming?

I couldn’t contain my anger any longer.

ㅡShivers…!

This little brat needs a good scolding!

“How dare you say such a thing to an elder!!!!!”

ㅡGrowl!!!!

I wasn’t sure how to treat her before, so I just brushed it off and dealt with her casually. But now, Alaune is a member of our household. As the head of the family, I have a duty to correct her wrongdoings.

“Learn some manners and etiquette! And morals and common sense! If you consider me your father, you shouldn’t say such things!!!”

Winter is ending, so it’s practically the New Year.

In other words, the Lunar New Year, a traditional Korean holiday, is approaching.

It’s unacceptable for such unethical and immoral things to happen on Lunar New Year, when the whole family gathers to celebrate the start of a new year.

I cannot allow it.

This is a disgrace to the Kim family.

Back in the day, my grandfather and father would have sharpened a pair of clubs and shouted “Familynch!” (a combination of “Family” and “lynch,” a word my father often used when he was dishing out discipline disguised as domestic violence) while breaking all our brothers’ legs.

“Ah, a-ah. Th-that is…”
“How dare you drag out your words when an elder is speaking! Hold your head up straight!”
“Y-yes, sir…”
“And dress properly! How dare you be naked when an elder is speaking! If you’re a woman, you should be more careful about that! Are you trying to seduce the head of the household!”

This impudent and seductive flower girl was trying to seduce me by taking advantage of the situation where I had to give her flower nectar. It was an unpardonable act of filial impiety. Fusion Confucianism would never allow such a thing.

I am by no means someone who can be called Papa or Father.

“O-okay…”
“Get dressed now!”
“Eek!!”

Alaune started to frantically put on the clothes she had taken off.

But looking at them, they were already completely stained with my semen, so it didn’t seem like it would do much good to put them on. This is just going to add to the laundry.

“No. On second thought, you need to wash. Just cover yourself with a blanket.”
“O-okay…”

Alaune put down her clothes and covered herself with a blanket. She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling.

“Alaune, you! What kind of behavior is that! How could you do that to the head of the household! Trying to seduce the head of the household is wrong! Understand?”
“Yes… I, I understand… So please stop shouting…!”
“Are you saying you don’t want to listen to me!”
“N-no, that’s not it…!”

Alaune was almost in tears, constantly talking back.

How dare you talk back to the head of the household?

ㅡFusion Confucianism!!!

Unacceptable!

“How dare you talk back to the head of the household! Just listen now!”
“Eek…!”

Alaune cowered, looking completely terrified. Now that Alaune is a housemate, I need to give her a good scolding and teach her proper manners.

“Even if you want to do such things, there’s a time and place! Do you understand, Alaune!”
“I understand…! Sniff, my voice… It’s hard because you’re so loud…!”

Alaune was on the verge of tears, trying to cover her ears.

Covering your ears when an elder is speaking?

This was a tragic event caused by a lack of education. Even if she hatched with awakened intelligence, she’s no different from an ignorant person without proper education.

This must be corrected.

So, long after the morning sun had risen, I pointed out every single thing Alaune had done wrong, criticizing everything about her behavior.

ㅡGrowl!!!!!!!!!!

How dare she do such a thing to an elder!

Since she considers me her father, I have to give her that much education. Parents aren’t just there to indulge their children.

Sometimes, they have to scold and reprimand them, acting as life assistants to help their children grow into polite members of society.

Of course, I’m not a parent.

I’m just educating her as the head of the household!

“Sniff… Sob… Hooo… Hooo… Sniff!!”

Perhaps it was because I scolded her too harshly, but Alaune finally burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

“You brat! How dare you cry in front of an elder! Where’s the stick! Get the stick!”
“Waaah, waaaah…! Stop, stop it…!”
“Stop crying! Go wash up and come out if you don’t want to be punished more!”
“Y-yes, sir…!”

Alaune went straight into the bathroom.

“Hoo!”

I put on my shorts, leaned back on the sofa, and chugged water, taking some time for meditation.

If we’re going to live together anyway, education is essential.

I might have shouted a bit too much at someone who doesn’t know anything, but if it’s not now, there won’t be another chance to discipline her.

As I waited in meditation, Alaune came out after washing up.

“I-I’ve washed up…”

Fortunately, she was dressed properly.

“Good.”

She was wearing a big white T-shirt-like dress, which was okay from an ethical point of view. Alaune came right up to me and knelt demurely.

She’s surprisingly perceptive, even though I didn’t tell her to.

“Hey, Alaune.”
“…”

She lowered her head and didn’t say anything.

“If you do something wrong, you get punished. Huh? Lift your head.”
“If I do something wrong…”

Alaune lifted her head and looked up at me with tearful eyes.

“…Do I get punished?”
“Yeah. That’s why I punished you. Because you did something wrong.”
“Then… Is it wrong for me to ask Father for love?”

Hmm.

This is a difficult question to answer.

“I can’t say it’s completely wrong.”

But one thing I can say for sure.

“But as I said, what you did wrong was trying to seduce me, the head of the household. I understand that it’s your instinct, but you shouldn’t do that. Understand?”
“…”
“Showing your breasts to a man, asking him to make them red. You can’t do that. Of course, I understand that you’re an Alaune who feeds on a man’s essence, so you can’t help it. But now you’re not the Queen of Flowers, but a member of our household. So you have to keep that much decorum.”

This was in line with what Elise had said.

“That’s why I punished you. Be careful in the future.”

Tears suddenly streamed down Alaune’s face as she listened to me quietly.

“Th-then…”

What is it?

Is she moved by my words?

Thinking so, I felt a sense of pride.

So this is why the elders in my family used to beat the crap out of the kids until they were crying their eyes out. Of course, hitting children is unacceptable.

“Are you not going to hug me anymore…?”
“What?”

Not going to hug her?

“Because it’s wrong? Sniff, sob… I want it though… Sniff, hooo… Hooo…! I don’t like that… Hug me, please? I’ll be good…”
“No.”
“I want to be held by Father… Sniff!”
“You crazy little…”

Alaune burst into tears, saying she wanted to be held by me.

“…”

Ah, I was mistaken for a moment, but wanting to be held here didn’t mean something else, but really meant she wanted to hug me. Then she’s not crazy.

…Can I say it’s normal?

It’s natural to want to be loved by your parents.

“Sniff… Hooo… Waaah… Father… I don’t like it, hug me. Okay?”

Alaune looked at me, tears streaming down her face.

“…”

Maybe this is some kind of monster girl instinct to seduce men. A disguise and strategy to make the other person lower their guard by putting on a pitiful appearance.

But tears.

ㅡTear.

From a Fusion Confucian perspective, those flowing tears were by no means wrong. I decided to sort out my feelings. No, I had already decided to accept Alaune from the moment I disciplined her.

Now that things have come to this, I have to do my duty.

ㅡI have to take responsibility.

After all, I was 90% responsible for creating that Alaune.

I’m not the kind of person who would turn away just because I didn’t know or because it was an unexpected situation.

“Alaune.”
“Sniff… Fatherrr… Hooo, waaaah… Hooo…!”

Yeah. It’s just hugging a kid.
That can’t be wrong.

“Come here.”

ㅡTap tap.

I patted my thigh.

“I’m not your dad, but I can at least hug a kid.”
“…Sniff!”

ㅡWhoosh!

Alaune showed sudden agility and rushed into my arms. It was fast enough to make me think it was a surprise attack, but fortunately, there were no signs of aggression.

“Waaaaah…”

She was just hugging my torso and rubbing her face against my chest.

“Yeah, from now on, you should walk the path of Fusion Confucianism.”
“Fusion… Confucianism?”
“It’s a moral and philosophical discipline that only the most righteous people can follow and strive for.”

In other words, it’s like New Year’s money.

“I will teach you that.”

In the New Year, on Lunar New Year, you have to do good things. You need laughter. Instead of New Year’s money, I will teach Alaune the best value, Fusion Confucianism.

Then, one day, this monster will be reborn as a true human being.

“I’ll study hard…”
“That’s a good idea.”
“If I study hard, will you keep hugging me like this?”
“We’ll see.”

Alaune’s body temperature was warm. And she was smiling brightly, as if she felt very good.

But where did the tears go?

“I’m so… happy… Father.”
“I told you, not Father. Call me Lord Kat or Elder Kat.”

That would preserve my authority as the head of the household and make me look cool.

“…I don’t want to.”
“Why.”
“I don’t want to call you that… I want to call you what my heart tells me to.”

Alaune, who answered that way, kept rubbing her face against my chest as if she was trying to burrow into my arms.

I left it like that for a while and then said.

“Then let’s do the laundry now.”
“Yes!”

Alaune, who answered confidently, got out of my arms and grabbed the laundry basket.

“Did you do the dishes yesterday?”
“Yes. I did them after everyone went upstairs.”
“Good job. Just keep doing that. Doing what I tell you is Fusion Confucianism.”
“I will, Father.”

Oh, right.
I think I should wash first.

“No. I’ll go wash first, so wait a minute for the laundry.”

Then I went into the bathroom and washed my body.

I felt like the fatigue from staying up all night was coming over me.

* * *

Two days later, I went to see Elise.

Two days would have been enough time to sort out the documents. I was going to go yesterday, but I was too tired to go out because I had been shaking my hips for two days straight.

“Saint. It’s been two days since I last saw you.”

Anyway, I called out to Elise as usual, shouting “Divine,” and entered Elise’s room when she told me to come in.

“Hehehe, you’re right. Have you finished sorting out the documents?”
“Yes. If I just go back and report, this situation will be resolved. I will be promoted to intermediate nun, and I will be able to discuss the future countermeasures of the Order regarding this incident.”

Elise smiled happily. Elise’s primary goal is to eradicate the forces of evil. She likes it just to discuss countermeasures.

“But… Saint.”
“Hmm? Why?”
“Have you thought about the ascetic practice?”
“Ah, asceticism?”

As Claudia said, I was clearly an ascetic man, and asceticism itself was just an illusion. I was just a man who knew how to restrain himself.

“Elise.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been thinking about it at home, and I think I’m an extremely ascetic person.”
“Yes?”

Elise tilted her head.

“I talked to Claudia about it, and she said there’s nothing wrong with it. She said I’m too ascetic. So I’m going to try to maintain the status quo. Hehehe, but thank you for worrying about me. Thanks to you, I had a day to think about it properly.”

When I told Elise this, she seemed satisfied.

“Saint.”

But Elise had a look on her face as if she had heard something strange.

“How did you hear what I said?”