Chapter 419 – Prologue

The August sunlight streaming down from the sky is intense.

A tedious summer.
Humid, hot, and abundant with rain.

“Beep!!!!!”

A tiny wooden piece is scattered on the floor of the room. Shiba, dressed in her underwear, lies sprawled on the hardwood floor.

“Did you finish your homework?”

A gentle mother’s voice comes from the kitchen. However, Shiba despises homework. When Shiba doesn’t respond, Azalea, who is cutting fruit, exhales a sigh.

“Did you or didn’t you?”
“…Beep. I didn’t.”

To think of sitting and studying in such a stifling summer.
Wouldn’t it be better to indulge in savory pancakes and rice wine?

Azalea, holding a neatly sliced watermelon, sits down next to Shiba. Raindrops patter down on the roof.

She lovingly stroked Shiba’s forehead, as the girl lay beside her.

“It’s always around this time.”

The end of a mother and daughter’s day. Shiba, who was being caressed by Azalea, arched an eyebrow.

“Again, that story?”

Hearing the same romantic first love story time and again could grow tiresome. Azalea puffed out her cheeks at Shiba’s sharp remark.

“That’s so Shiba won’t forget! How Mom met Dad.”
“I’ve already forgotten everything. He’s the one who abandoned me and died.”

Shiba’s lips pouted, but Azalea’s face remained the same. Over the past three years, Azalea hadn’t changed at all. The only slight change she had made was to her hairstyle. Her hair had grown much longer, and she wore it in a braid that hung over one shoulder.

Aside from such minor alterations, Azalea remained unchanged throughout the seasons. She never frowned in front of Shiba, fully absorbed in showering her with love.

Perhaps he gave even more love than Lee Si-heon.

“How much my dad loved you, Shiba.”
“I can’t even remember now.”

The growth of wooden puppets is incredibly fast.
Among them, Shiba’s growth was particularly exceptional.

In just three years, she achieved growth close to that of a 20-year-old, which means that Shiba’s perceived time was very long.
Has she endured the 12 years since she lost her father?

“Still, you don’t know how much Si-heon cherished our daughter.”
“…”
“You liked my daughter too, didn’t you?”

There was a faint memory.
The man who had been with her since her budding days.

Even now, when she recalls his face, her eyes redden and her nose stings.
He’s already dead, so they won’t meet again… If she saw him, she wouldn’t be able to stop the tears from pouring.

“They weren’t even married.”
“…Hehe. They should have.”

“Mom, silly. What’s so special about this time of the year?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s around this time. When your mom and dad were dating.”

It must have been during a retreat.
Azalea’s passionate confession had failed once, but was eventually accepted, leading to a romantic relationship.
Their relationship progressed rapidly, culminating in them living together, and Azalea essentially became Shiba’s mother.

“Did you confess, Mom?”
“Yes.”

Azalea smiled at Shiba’s question.
A happy face, still seemingly smitten with love.
Yet, it was this very appearance of her mother that looked all the more pitiful to Shiba.

“…What about seeing other men?”
“No way. Mom will only love Dad and Shiba for the rest of her life.”

Azalea, putting a piece of watermelon into little Shiba’s hand, listened to the sound of rain with wistful eyes.
A square.
The sound of chewing the watermelon.

Shiba had very few memories left with her father.
Even looking at the photos, there weren’t that many.

Still, even the current Shiba knew that something between the father and daughter was tightly intertwined.

‘Still.’

It would be nice if her mother could have a happier life. There were many ways, even if not with other men. To be honest, she seems very happy even now. After all, she’s Azalea, who smiles brightly whenever she’s hugged.

‘Why did Dad leave these people behind and go first?’

Knowing Azalea’s feelings made the question even more puzzling.

To protect another woman? While having someone like her mother? It just makes him seem like a playboy.

Shiba couldn’t know what Lee Si-heon was thinking at that time, or how focused his mind was.

‘I’m sorry.’

And yet, each time she thought about it, she wondered why a part of her heart ached. As if to interrupt the thoughts in Shiba’s head, the sound of knocking echoed.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

The door burst open simultaneously with three lively knocks.

“Come on in~~!!!!! Dal-lae, hurry up and pay your respects to Byeol-yi!”

The spirited voice of Starfruits echoed. The moment the woman with twinkling stars in her pupils saw Shiba lying on the floor, she exclaimed.

“Wow! Shiba~♡”
“Ah, Aunt Byeol… Cough!”

With a whoosh! Like a fired cannon, the star that sprang out in an instant embraced Shiba. She rubbed her cheeks against Shiba’s, patted her back, and stroked her head. If Azalea embodies calm and deep emotions, Byeol is somewhat complex and busy.

“How’s our Shiba been?”
“What kind of speech is that, Auntie….”
“Huff, huff. Our Shiba, will you make sure to secure a spot for me at the association later?”

In an attempt to change her image, she had her hair braided into two pigtails. Still as vibrant as ever.

The woman making the preposterous claim of offering Shiba a position in handling the association’s corruption is none other than the president of the Korean Hunter Association.

She is a person capable of shaking Korea with no falsehoods.

“Oh, sister, have you arrived?”
“Yes, yes. How have you been, Azalea?”

A cheerful greeting is exchanged, and then another presence approaches. Long, unbraided green hair falls down the back of a beautiful woman, who is glaring at the star with apparent disapproval.

“You’re going to make life difficult for Shiba again.”
“Ah, sister.”
“How have you been?”

The once-harsh tone has vanished, replaced by a mellifluous softness. Whether it’s due to age is uncertain. What is clear is that Lee Se-Young has changed somewhat since the death of Lee Si-heon. Azalea is aware that for some reason, Se-Young has been moving massive funds behind the scenes.

An unparalleled colossus.

Though Azalea worried there might be issues, the reality was quite the contrary. Lee Se-Young’s allure has deepened, and her personality has become gentler.

I heard that men just can’t seem to stop flirting with her.
The frequency has more than doubled since her youth. It was the considerable improvement in her personality that made all the difference.

“Second mom?”

Shiba, who had wriggled free from the star’s incessant pampering, smiled mischievously.
Second mom. A nickname that held faint memories of her childhood and was the result of Lee Se-Young’s subtle gaslighting that persisted for three years.

“Why are you so grown up already? I wish you were a little younger.”
“Beep… What are you talking about?”

Following Se-Young’s response, Byul chimed in.

“What do you mean? Byul just wants to keep looking at how adorable Shiba is!”

-Bubbit bubbit.

As soon as they met, Byul made all sorts of exaggerated expressions and rubbed her cheeks against Shiba’s.
Shiba’s appearance had improved so much that Byul’s fuss didn’t seem strange at all.

“Auntie is weird.”
“Gasp!”

How could she possibly be only three years old?

People watching couldn’t help but question it.

And indeed, the personality traits were strikingly similar to Lee Si-heon’s. Rough around the edges, yet incredibly gentle and endearing when with their own. Their actions were often borderline perilous, eliciting worry from those around them, just like Lee Si-heon.

Se-Young sighed, observing Byul’s cringe-worthy displays of affection.

“Byul, quit the nonsense. How old are you?”

“Age…”

Byul flinched at the mention of age. It was a time when sensitivity peaked. Tears welled up in Byul’s eyes.

“…I’m still young, you know.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Keeeeek!”

Byul was dragged away by Se-Young, like a puppy caught by the scruff of its neck. They had all come together like this, the trio who suffered due to Lee Si-heon’s manipulation.

Once upon a time, emotions and romance.

Truth be told, it wasn’t so strange to part ways with one’s original lover and find a new one.

In today’s world, people often share love with many others.

Yet, astonishingly, these three found themselves entangled in love. Azalea, who has a child, is second only to Lee Se-Young, who has a promising future, and Star is no different.

A significant factor was their unresolved emotions and the numerous tasks they each had.

Azalea’s business flourished due to her resourcefulness, never having been hindered by the World Tree and Flower. Lee Se-Young nearly dominated several guilds and corporations in the underworld, and as for Star, her power is so vast that only a handful of individuals possess greater influence.

Considering the rapid pace of Shiba’s growth, it is easy to see the advantages the three of them gained by pouring their love into her.

“Well, that’s that.”

The more painful memories are unearthed, the more it hurts. Nonchalantly brushing it aside, Star opened the box she had brought with a playful smirk.

Inside were bottles of expensive liquor – each one a luxurious spirit worth hundreds of dollars.

“Let’s drink. Right?”

Recently, Byul began showing interest not only in anime but also in Yangju. This was due to the newfound peace that came with the end of the Cold War, allowing her to indulge in various hobbies. Her room now contained even more figurines and games than before.

Perhaps the one enjoying life the most in this gathering was Byul.

“Alright, everyone raise your glasses!”

Surprisingly, Byul’s cheerful words seemed to gradually halt the rain. Shiba, who had hesitated, tried to reach for the alcohol, but Azalea slapped the back of her hand and handed her apple juice instead.

“Beep…”

“Hehe, well, cheers!”

After the brief war, peace returned to the world. Life continued to flow steadily.

* * * * * * * * *

A sinister, black energy surged from the ground, encircling the area.

“We are humbled in Your Majesty’s presence.”

All the cloaked figures, shrouded in darkness, bowed their heads in reverence.

“We are humbled in Your Majesty’s presence!”
“In Your Majesty’s presence.”
“We are humbled in Your Majesty’s presence!”

In time, a multitude of hushed voices fell silent, and a man seated upon a throne swept his gaze around the room, his murky eyes darting back and forth.
His eyelids lowered and rose again.

The atmosphere was charged with tension. The subjects trembled as though their very lives were held in this man’s grasp.
A throne too small to contain his imposing presence.
Women flitted across his blackened gaze.

– Clop, clop.

Two women, one with fiery red hair and the other with raven black hair, approached. They were known as Hong-Yeon and Gu-seul.
They knelt before him, their submission palpable.

Their white knees pressed firmly against the ground, as though drawing blood.
Assuming a posture of complete obedience, they remained kneeling on the floor.

“I see Your Majesty.”

-Squeak.

As the man’s body stirred, an impure sound reverberated from the chair. A pressure that weighed down the surroundings with just the movement of his body, it incited fear even among those on the same side.

Some of the attendants paled, finding it difficult to even approach or observe him.

Flower. The eighth leaf.
An independent king. A man without a name.

His firm lips parted, and he snapped his fingers.

“Very well.”