Chapter 427 – Shaving the Beard, Picking Up a Middle School Girl (5)

Crow.
A titan of darkness.

The black-feathered godfather who grew up in the crevices between Flower and the World Tree, eventually came to rule over countless corporations.
Her hands held the world’s riches, and her beauty, which shook men’s hearts, was also a powerful weapon.

‘Why?’

Why on earth are you here?
I simply cannot comprehend.

“Let’s get to the point. What are our respective intentions?”

Se-Young, with her composed demeanor, slightly tilted her fully adorned face.
A green choker adorned her neck, and on her left ring finger was the ring I had given her.

Oh, so you haven’t forgotten me yet.
Even if she had met someone else, I wasn’t in a position to interfere.
For a moment, I stared at her, lost in reminiscing.

“Hans, is there something on my face?”
“No.”

She caught on.

– Tuk tuk.

At the signal of the bead prodding my side, I adjusted my expression and took a seat.

“You are…”

Lee Se-young’s gaze shifted to the bead beside me. As her secretary, she calmly observed Lee Se-young, who had once been a teacher at the academy long ago. Se-young nodded, seemingly having a rough understanding of the situation.

“Ah, I see.”

No longer a spy as in days past, the bead now served as the closest aide to the leaf.

“It’s been a while, Professor.”

The bead murmured in a rigid tone, as if dismissing any thoughts of their previous connection. It wasn’t as if they had shared a particularly deep bond. What significance could the bead’s affiliation with the Flower faction – and as part of the third force, no less – hold for the present-day Lee Se-young?

“Hmm, and then…”

Lee Se-young’s gaze turned to me. Her sharp, narrowed eyes scanned my entire body.

Although I hoped not to be discovered, I had taken precautions. I had altered not only my scent but also my voice, magical abilities, physique, and even my face.

The atmosphere had been altered so thoroughly that it was certain no one would detect any preordained connection.

‘……’

Yet, just in case.
Applying a slight force to her body, she sent pressure throughout her surroundings.

“Eek!”

From Se-Young’s right, the second hunter, who appeared to be a rookie, dropped their weapon in surprise. Concurrently, Se-Young’s right hand moved, and she tightly grasped her ring.

Her right wrist was trembling.
Having deliberately sown fear, it might be difficult for Se-Young to withstand it, no matter how much she had grown. A smile still lingered at the corners of her lips—that steadfast expression she always wore, feigning strength. With an additional layer of a mask upon her face, which had always appeared more delicate in front of me, I could tell she hadn’t realized my true identity.

Even so.

“Have we met before?”
“……”

Goosebumps were inevitable in response to such an uncertain inquiry.

“No.”

“Ah… Is it just my mood?”

Anyway, this changes the course of events. Things have become quite complicated.

The reason I hadn’t shown my face to this person and others until now was to avoid getting entangled. I couldn’t go against that initial purpose, even if it might seem somewhat impolite.

“The deal is off.”

I severed the connection that was on the verge of being established.

“…Sigh.”
“What?”

Guseul snickered, incredulous. Se-Young’s face twisted in bafflement, and the surrounding hunters furrowed their brows, seemingly irritated.

“I apologize. I’ve changed my mind.”

Se-Young let out a hollow laugh, as if dumbfounded, and the atmosphere turned cold in an instant, as though doused with icy water. Having upended the situation, I left my seat with an expression devoid of any guilt.

* * * * * * * * *

*Sigh.*

A sigh kept escaping from Gu-seul’s mouth.

“What’s with that girlfriend of his? What’s she saying?”
“Hey.”
“Just reveal your identity, and if you spend some time at a hotel near a reconciliation site, you know? Money will come rolling in, and women will too.”

I know she’s saying this out of disappointment.
Gu-seul, who knew my situation well, had many complaints about my unreasonable choices.

“There are plenty of alternatives.”

One of the ways to solve my financial difficulties was a deal with the crow.
If plan A doesn’t work, there’s plan B, and plan C.
Nevertheless, it was undeniable that the crow’s help was the quickest solution.

“They say love ruins people.”
“…Am I really a king?”
“You have to live like a king to be treated like one.”

For some reason, it feels like Gu-seul’s nagging is increasing. Is it just my imagination?
I am the one who revived the eighth power from nothing but ruins.

How much effort and blood had I poured into this?

“So, what? Do you want me to praise you like ‘Your Highness~’?”
“Yeah, do it.”
“…You’re not even a child.”

Praise makes Lee Si-heon dance.

“What about food?”
“Shall we eat before we go?”

At my suggestion, Gu-seul immediately turned the steering wheel. Getting off at a nearby shopping center, we looked around for a suitable restaurant when a doll shopcaught our eye.

Large wooden dolls, sharks, and dolphins that were comforting to hold.

“Why? Do you want me to buy it for you?”

Gu-seul, who had seemingly read my mind like a ghost, asked me. When I nodded, she frowned slightly, as if she couldn’t believe it.

“What kind of king buys dolls…”
“That’s a discriminatory statement. You know how sensitive these days are to discrimination.”

Hadn’t the divide between woodmen and humans escalated to extremes, even leading to war? Gu-seul chuckled at my mischievous warning and pinched my shoulder.

“You say that while touching your chest all the time.”

I had nothing to say.

At the doll store, we gathered a shark plushie the size of a small child and other dolls that a girl might like. At first, Gu-seul seemed hesitant, but eventually, she became more excited and even recommended them, saying, “Isn’t this more fitting?”

We filled the car’s trunk and even the back seat before returning home.

After finishing my tasks for the day, I finally had some free time in the evening.

*Thump thump thump thump thump!*

After knocking on the door sharply, I went in to meet the little one, who looked startled as they gazed at me.

“I’m here now. Have you eaten?” I asked.

Upon checking, I found the porridge bowl on the table completely empty.

“Well, well.”

Perhaps being caught and fed by me had left a traumatic impression, so they decided they’d rather eat by themselves. Or maybe it was because the generous serving of abalone porridge had satisfied their appetite. Regardless, it was a significant improvement.

I placed the dolls I had brought with me one by one next to the little one.

“…?”

The renovated room was pristine enough to be deemed a space fit for a princess of a kingdom. Deciding against pink, the room was tastefully decorated in neutral tones. The bed was also of the largest size, allowing four people to sleep comfortably.

Initially, the dark-skinned individual felt quite out of place in such surroundings, unable to sleep and merely staring wide-eyed. However, humans are creatures of adaptability. In a few days, there should be no significant issues.

“Come on, let’s sleep!”
“???”

The person gazed at me with a puzzled expression as I lay down on the bed. I picked up the remote control from the nightstand and turned on the TV.

Shortly after, a movie began to play on the screen. Luxurious refreshments and beverages were provided, though not in excess. The spread was just the sort that Byul would adore.

I sprang from the bed and sat next to the dark-skinned individual. They continued to scan the room and me, as if the change in atmosphere had not yet settled.

“Is it still difficult for you to speak?”

If it were other slaves,
Such things wouldn’t occur, as they know their place well.

A reaction that could be expected from someone who once thought death would be preferable.
They should be guided to yearn for life rather than death,
So they can be a little mischievous as well.

“Hey, you scoundrel. If you poke a tree, does it hurt or not?”

I passed some snacks while watching a movie.
Sweet treats coated with chocolate.

The young one’s hands still trembled, seemingly unable to grasp the current situation.

“Eat.”

It was a command.
The youth, having learned the consequences of defiance during the previous meal, opened their mouth in bewilderment.

*Crack*.

The snack snapped, and the chocolate from the mushroom-shaped treat filled the child’s mouth.

Did it have an effect?
The child was expressionless but eagerly chewed. It seemed to be their first time tasting such food.

*Crunch*.

Having swallowed the snack, the youth covertly glanced at me.

Gradually, a hesitant voice emerged from her mouth.

“…Why me?”
“I told you.”

I popped the mushroom-shaped snack into my mouth.
It was a bit too sweet for my taste.

“You’re precious to me.”

Perhaps she’s a child with the potential to handle magic.
Of course, even without considering that aspect.
I believe children in this world should grow up in a better environment.

“…?”

The child appeared to have no room for doubt.
There’s no way she could understand, even if I said something like being precious out of the blue.
That’s why we share a bed, and we need to learn about each other bit by bit.

“Do you want more?”

The little one pondered while looking at the snack I offered.
I shouldn’t have proposed it like that.
I changed my way of speaking.

“Open your mouth.”

At last, she opened her mouth.
As the two of us finished a whole container of mushroom snacks, her complexion seemed to improve slightly.

I had unexpectedly met someone today, and it caught me offguard, so I needed to calm my racingheart.

“From today on, this is your home.”

Gu-seul shared the story with me. It seemed that the origin of the dark-skinned one was akin to Flower’s experiment.

In that case, it could be inferred that their friend was also part of the same experiment, and they had tried to flee the auction house, causing a commotion in an attempt to avoid being separated from them. I would have to hear more details, but for now, I understood a little.

There would be time to address the rest later, once they opened up.

“Make yourself at home.”

The dark-skinned individual wore an expression that seemed to ask how they could possibly feel comfortable with me around. But we would have many experiences together in the future. This was a project to help restore their self-esteem.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The day passed, and the weekend arrived. After tirelessly working to strengthen the influence of the leaves and raising their support to the highest level, I visited the bar to honor my promise with Hong-Yeon.

As she was releasing her pent-up frustrations, Hong-Yeon cocked her head at the unexpected comment that arose.

“…Are you talking about the disciple?”
“Yes.”
“I see… So that child is a lesser Heavenly Demon.”

With a mischievous grin, Hong-Yeon raised her glass and indulged herself in the peach wine.

“Hiccup.”

Her once annoyed expression had completely vanished. Her red hair, damp with sweat, clung to her flushed cheeks.

It seemed that women from Do-won were curiously weak when it came to alcohol. White Peach had the same issue, and Zodiac didn’t appear to be particularly resistant either. I had never shared a drink with my master, but I doubted she had a high tolerance.

Gu-seul had mentioned that she had never seen Hong-Yeon inebriated.

-Could it be because you’re beside her?

Nonsense. There’s no way a person’s tolerance for alcohol could change due to something like that.

I took a sip of my drink and gazed at Hong-Yeon, who was smacking her lips.

“Do-won ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…”

“What’s wrong? Why? Why again?”

“Ughh…”

After making noises for quite some time,

“This alcohol… I made it.”

“Really? No wonder it tasted so good.”

“Is it good? Drink… Drink more, more. Bring another glass…”

Hong-Yeon, resting her arms on the table and her head on her arms, stared at me intently. Her enticing chest curved naturally downward into a U shape. Perhaps because I drank peach liquor, the faint sweet scent wafted over, making the drink even more enjoyable.

“Is your work going well?”

“I always thought about you, Do-won…”

“Thanks for that.”

“Am I… not enough for you?”

“No, you are.”

I patted her back gently, comforting her. Her prominent shoulder blades and slightly pliant back felt soothing under my touch.

Her back was slightly damp, perhaps due to sweating from the alcohol.

“…I’m not enough for you.”

“Why do you think that?”

“In my world… you’re all that remains…”

Completely captivated, I wondered if words nearing a confession could be considered a signal.

As Hong-Yeon’s hand stealthily reached behind her back and grasped her drooping breast beneath the table, her body writhed.

“Huh…”

The siren-like moans of a woman beguiling the hearts of men echoed through the empty bar, leaving just the two of us.

The tantalizing aroma of peach wine and the scent of autumn leaves seemed to spread slowly across her skin.