Adele's Amusement Park Wish
The doorbell rang with a crisp, crystal-clear ding-dong, free of any static. Moments later, Silvia opened the door, her face bright with welcome.
“Long time no see. I thought the two of us were going to die of boredom.”
Her words were kind, but thorns bristled beneath every syllable. I let out an awkward laugh.
“A lot happened. Have you been well?”
Silvia’s expression flickered. My slightly guarded look must have told her something serious had gone down. Her tone softened at once.
“What the hell happened? You look like you’ve lost weight, too.”
“Haah… It’s a long story. Can we talk inside?”
“Sure.”
Once indoors, I set the bags I’d been carrying on the dining table. Silvia chuckled without even peeking inside them.
“Spaghetti again?”
“Yep.”
“Adele’s tastes have changed. She won’t touch the stuff anymore.”
“Ah… really? You could have told me when I called earlier…”
“I should have. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Your Korean has improved a lot, by the way. We can talk without the translator now.”
Silvia gave a small nod. “Everyday conversation should be no problem.”
“Where’s Adele? Is she out?”
“In her room. She’s glued to her phone game.”
I let out a tired laugh. I already knew Adele was gaming. I also knew Silvia was doing the same. Yet here she was, pretending she wasn’t. Hundreds of payment alerts had flooded my phone—550,000-won packages, 330,000-won packages, 110,000-won packages. She had bought every daily and weekly deal they offered. She was adapting almost too well.
Still, after spending tens of millions of won, she would normally feel guilty toward me… Maybe she simply didn’t understand currency value. Or maybe she knew I was rich and felt free to spend. Either way, it worked in my favor. At least I wouldn’t have to listen to complaints about how long I’d been gone.
I sat at the table. When Silvia brought me water, I gave a small bow.
“Thank you.”
“So? Are you going to tell me what happened? Why you suddenly went dark on us?”
I took a long drink, exhaled, and began. I told her everything without sugarcoating. The lab leak. The high-ranking Americans colluding with a criminal syndicate to analyze the technology and overthrow the government. How I’d been framed and thrown in prison. The only thing I left out was the part about discovering it during a trip. I simply said I had gathered information and flown to America. If I admitted I’d been leisurely traveling while they waited for their Devices, the disappointment would be crushing.
After listening to it all, Silvia let out a heavy sigh, her face grave.
“So that person on the news… was you?”
“It made the news?”
“Yeah. The World Coalition provided critical information that helped America greatly. There was also mention of someone who was framed in the process. It was just a passing segment, but I remembered it.”
It should have been front-page headlines, yet it was reduced to a footnote. The World Coalition must have clamped down hard on the story. That was exactly what I wanted. If my identity came to light, my freedom of movement would vanish. Operating from the shadows was far better.
“I see. Because of that, Device production was temporarily suspended. I’m truly sorry.”
“Don’t be. Saving you came first. Was it rough?”
“The Doctor had it worse. We’re both fine now, and production will resume soon.”
Silvia’s gaze warmed. She seemed pleased that I thought of others before myself.
“To be honest, Adele and I joked about it.”
“About what?”
“That maybe you came to the wrong planet.”
The moment they crash-landed, they had destroyed my tracking monster and fought an A-class threat. After experiences like that, they must have braced themselves for constant danger. No wonder they felt hollow when nothing appeared.
“That Tyrat guy really does seem to have gone into hiding, just like you said. We just have to wait. Our Aether reserves are still plenty, so even if monsters show up we can fight. There’s no need to rush.”
They were beginning to settle into peace. An excellent sign. Of course, the moment a monster appeared they would snap back into full alert.
“That won’t do. I want to finish the Devices as quickly as possible and ease the anxiety you two must be feeling.”
“We’re really okay.”
I answered the embarrassed Silvia with a bright smile.
After another sip of water, I asked, “You must have been bored. Did you ever go outside?”
“Only to the convenience store. Oh, and Adele has something she wants to ask you… Feel free to say no.”
“What is it?”
“Ask her yourself. I’ll get her.”
“Ah, sure.”
Leaving me sitting there in mild confusion, Silvia rose and disappeared into the master bedroom. She didn’t come back for a long time. They seemed to be discussing something. With this human body, I couldn’t sharpen my hearing, which was frustrating. Still, I waited. I would hear it soon enough.
After what felt like an eternity, just as boredom began to creep in—
Click.
The bedroom door opened. Adele stepped out, her bright golden hair pinned up with the hair clip I had once shown her. She walked toward me with stiff, nervous steps and bowed.
“Hello, Jihyeok-ssi!”
“Hello. Have you been well?”
“Yes! I’ve been well!”
An involuntary fatherly smile spread across my face. I was suddenly very curious what this little devil wanted to ask.
“You have a request?”
“Yes… But… Silvia unnie told me you’ve been through a lot… So maybe next time…”
She fidgeted with her fingers. The clear disappointment on her face told me she really wanted something.
I smiled gently. “It’s fine. Go ahead and tell me.”
“Then… I’ll just say it… But please, please don’t feel obligated…”
As always, Adele was adorable—from her gestures to her speech. The only problem was the holy power she wielded. Purification. If she combined it with Aether, she would be the strongest Beast Slayer of all.
“I’ll listen first and then decide. Is that okay?”
“Ah, yes!”
Her eyes darted nervously before she continued in a tiny voice.
“I… want to go to the amusement park…”
I had suspected as much. Earth offered far too many distractions to stay cooped up between the house and the convenience store. It must have been unbearably dull. She had probably seen amusement park footage on television and become fascinated.
“S-sorry for sounding so childish… Maybe next time… Could you take me when you’re not busy, Jihyeok-ssi?”
It was childish. But that would only matter if I were truly on the side of justice. I had no intention of wasting this golden opportunity to deepen the Doctor’s jealousy and stack even more favor with Adele.
I glanced at Silvia, who was smiling faintly. She simply shrugged, leaving the decision to me.
I nodded. “Shall we go right now and just get a taste?”
“A taste? Are we eating something?”
Adele stared at me with those pure, innocent eyes. I chuckled and shook my head.
“No. I meant let’s go to the amusement park right now.”
“R-really? We can?”
“Yes. I’ll let the Doctor know.”
Adele turned to Silvia with the exact expression of a child who had just picked out a new toy at the mart—pleading for permission. Silvia’s answer was, naturally, approval.
“Have fun.”
“Ah… So you’re going to the amusement park with Adele? Silvia isn’t coming?”
“She said she’d rather stay home. She doesn’t like crowded places.”
“Just the two of you?”
“Yes.”
“I see… Have a good time.”
The Doctor’s voice carried a faint note of gloom. She was clearly a little upset that I was taking Adele—alone—to an amusement park she herself had never visited with me.
Time to poke her a bit with an extremely business-like tone.
“I’ll hang up now.”
“Yeah. Call me when you get back.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
“…..”
The Doctor would understand why I spoke so curtly—Silvia and Adele must not learn about our relationship—but she would still feel hurt. She was desperate to monopolize me, after all. I would have to soothe her later. If her jealousy grew strong enough to hack the amusement park’s security cameras, that would be perfect. Even if it didn’t, it was still fine.
I ended the call and started the car. Adele, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn’t hide her excitement. She practically vibrated with joy.
In a gentle voice, I told her, “Seatbelt.”
“Ah… right. Sorry.”
She hurriedly pulled the belt across her chest and clicked it into place. Though not quite as voluptuous as the Doctor, the strap still sank between her generous breasts, creating an unintentionally erotic sight. Adele herself remained blissfully unaware of the sex appeal she was radiating.
Plain white t-shirt, denim hot pants with the hems lightly rolled, and simple flip-flops. The outfit was casual, yet paired with her bright golden hair pinned up, she looked radiantly pure.
How should I conquer this innocent girl? The thought of Purification made me hesitate. The moment I entered her, I feared my magi would be burned away entirely.
I pressed the accelerator, eyes on the road, and asked, “Adele, you’re a believer who serves a god, correct?”
“That’s right! I was chosen as both agent and Saint—an incredible honor! I received God’s power!”
“And with that holy power, you purify evil?”
“Yes!”
“What an impressive ability.”
“Right?! Hehe…”
The god Adele served seemed to stand in direct opposition to me… One thing was certain: it was not omnipotent. If it could see everything and exert influence anywhere, it would have descended personally instead of using an agent. There was no need to overestimate it and scare myself. Still, I shouldn’t underestimate it, either.
I decided to change the subject. I could dig deeper, but Adele would tell Silvia everything once she returned home. And Silvia was ice-cold. If she learned I had extracted too much information from Adele, the trust I had carefully built might crumble. Better to hold back for now.
If I continued like this, everything would fall into place. Once favorability was high enough, the truth would reveal itself naturally.
“But why did you suddenly want to go to an amusement park?”
Adele shyly tucked both hands between her thighs and lowered her head.
“Ah… um… I saw it on a TV show and it looked so fun… I wanted to go so badly…”
“Next time, the two of you should go together with Silvia.”
“Just us? We’re allowed to go far away?”
“Of course. It’s not a prison. I never stopped you from leaving in the first place—you two were the ones who chose to stay inside. Just make sure to tell me whenever you go somewhere other than the convenience store. If anything happens, I need to be able to rush over immediately.”
“Yes!!”
She shouted so loudly my ears rang. I gave my head a quick shake.
“I’m so glad I met you, Jihyeok-ssi! Thank you!”
Glad? We’ll see if you still feel that way later. After I finish with the Doctor, you’re next. Once your holy power is dyed black, corrupting the remaining Beast Slayers will become much easier.
“Your Korean keeps improving every time I see you. It’s impressive.”
“I’m studying hard! So I can become friends with Sehwa-ssi and Yuria-ssi quickly when I meet them!”
“I’ll arrange a meeting soon.”
“Understood! Can I ride the roller coaster first? I’ve been dying to try it!”
Watching Adele excitedly tap her feet, I smiled with satisfaction.
“Whatever you want.”
Once we reached the park, I would make sure Adele enjoyed herself to the fullest. Today I had even obtained a small piece of information about the god she served… It seemed tremendous luck was on my side.