Chapter 592
Chapter 592
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 592
Chapter Title: Is Spring Coming?
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I couldn't hold back my anger any longer.
Tremble tremble...!
This kid needs a proper scolding!
"How dare you say something like that to an adult!!!!!"
Roooar!!!!
Up until now, I hadn't known quite how to handle it, so I'd just glossed over things and played along. But Alraune was now a full member of our household. As the head of the house, it was my duty to correct any misbehavior.
"Learn some manners and etiquette! Morals and common sense! If you see me as your father, you can't say things like that!!!"
Winter was coming to an end, which meant—in a manner of speaking—the new year was right around the corner.
In Korean terms, that was like Lunar New Year approaching.
The whole family gathers for rituals to start the new year on Seollal. It made no sense for something so unethical and immoral to happen then.
I couldn't tolerate it.
This was a disgrace to the Kim family.
In the old days, Grandpa and Dad would've both whittled down sticks and gone on a familynch rampage—a portmanteau of "family" and "lynch," the term Dad loved using when he dished out abuse disguised as discipline—shattering every one of our brothers' legs.
"Ah, uh. Th-that's..."
"Don't you dare twist words when an adult is speaking! Chin up!"
"Y-yes...!"
"And put your clothes on properly! How dare you stand there naked while an adult talks! If you're a girl, cover those parts right! Are you trying to seduce the head of the house?!"
This impudent, seductive flower girl had exploited the pollination situation to tempt me. It was an outrage on par with incest. Fusion Confucianism would never stand for it.
I was no one worthy of being called Papa or Father.
"Ah, got it..."
"Hurry up and get dressed!"
"Eek!!"
Alraune fumbled around, scrambling to pull on the clothes she'd discarded.
But they were already thoroughly stained with my semen, so wearing them would be pointless. This would just pile up more laundry.
"No. On second thought, you need a wash first. Just cover up with the blanket."
"O-okay..."
Alraune set the clothes aside and wrapped the blanket around her body. She stood there trembling, head bowed.
"Alraune, you! How could you do that to the head of the house! Seducing him is wrong! Got it?!"
"Yes... I g-got it... so please stop yelling...!"
"You don't want to hear what I have to say?!"
"Th-that's not it...!"
Alraune looked on the verge of tears, sassing back at every turn.
Daring to talk back to the head of the house?
Fusion Confucianism!!!
Unacceptable!
"Talking back to the head of the house! Just listen!"
"Eek...!"
Alraune shrank back completely terrified. She was a housemate now. Time to give her a thorough dressing-down and teach her proper manners.
"No matter how much you want to do something, there are right times and wrong times! Got it, Alraune?!"
"Got it...! Sniff, your voice... it's too loud, it hurts...!"
Alraune was on the brink of outright sobbing, hands hovering near her ears.
Plugging her ears while an adult speaks?
This was a tragic consequence of zero education. Hatch with intelligence or not, without proper upbringing, she was little more than a brute.
I had to fix this.
And so, even after the morning sun rose, I spent quite a while meticulously pointing out every single one of Alraune's mistakes, lambasting her behavior from top to bottom.
Roooar!!!!!!!!!!
How dare she pull that on an adult!
She saw me as her father, so I had to give her the education to match. Parents weren't just there to indulge whims.
Sometimes, they had to scold and admonish, guiding the child into a polite, functioning member of society—the ultimate supporting role in life.
Of course, I wasn't a parent.
Just the head of the house, educating her!
"Sob... sniff... hng... hnnng... hnngg!!"
Had I gone too hard? Alraune finally burst into heartbroken sobs, tears streaming down her face.
"You punk! Crying in front of an adult! Where's the stick! Get the stick!"
"Waaah, waaaa...! Stop, stop please...!"
"Cut it out! If you don't want more, go wash up and come back!"
"Y-yes...!"
Alraune bolted straight for the bathroom.
"Phew!"
I pulled on some shorts, slumped against the sofa, chugged some water, and entered a meditative state.
If we were living together, education was non-negotiable.
Yeah, I'd yelled harshly at the clueless girl, but if not now, there'd be no chance later.
As I waited in meditation, Alraune emerged fully washed.
"All... all washed now..."
Good, clothes on properly at least.
"Yeah."
The oversized white t-shirt-like garment was ethically passable. Alraune approached and knelt demurely before me without prompting.
Pretty perceptive.
"Hey, Alraune."
"..."
Head bowed, silent.
"You get scolded when you do wrong. Right? Face up."
"When I do wrong..."
She lifted her face, gazing up at me through tear-filled eyes.
"...I get scolded?"
"Yeah. That's why I did. You messed up."
"Then... is it wrong to seek love from Father?"
Hmm.
Tricky one.
"Not entirely."
But one thing I could say for sure.
"Like I said, what you did wrong was trying to seduce the head of the house. Instinct or not, that's a no-go. Got it?"
"..."
"Showing your chest to a man, begging him to suck it. Not okay. Sure, I get it—you're an Alraune who feeds on male essence. But right now, you're not the flower queen. You're a member of this household. Act like it."
It aligned perfectly with what Elise had said.
"That's why the scolding. Behave from now on."
Alraune listened quietly, then tears suddenly trickled from her eyes.
"Th-then..."
What?
Moved by my words?
Felt kinda proud.
So that's why the family elders beat us kids till we bawled. Beating kids was wrong, of course.
"You won't hug me anymore...?"
"What?"
No hugs?
"Because it's wrong? Sob, sniff... But I want it... sniff, hng... hnngg...! I hate that... Hug me, please? I'll be good..."
"No."
"I want Father to hold me... sniff!"
"You're talking nonsense."
Alraune wailed that she wanted to be held.
"..."
Ah, momentary misunderstanding—it wasn't sexual. She literally just wanted a hug. Not nonsense then.
...Normal, though?
Wanting parental affection was natural.
"Sniff... hnng... waaah... Father... Don't like it, hug me. Please?"
Alraune gazed at me, tears dripping steadily.
"..."
Maybe it was some monster girl instinct—playing pitiful to drop the target's guard. Camouflage and strategy.
But the tears.
Tears.
From a Fusion Confucian perspective, those falling tears were no sin. I steeled my resolve. Truth be told, I'd already accepted her the moment I started the lecture.
Things had come to this. Time to fulfill my duty.
Take responsibility.
90% of blooming that Alraune was on me, after all.
I wasn't the type to turn tail claiming ignorance or "unexpected circumstances."
"Alraune."
"Sniff... Fatherrr... hng, waaah... hng...!"
Yeah. Just hugging the kid.
Nothing wrong with that.
"Come here."
Pat pat.
I patted my thigh.
"I'm not your dad, but I can manage a hug."
"...Sniff!"
Whoosh!
Alraune lunged into my arms with startling agility. For a split second, I thought it was an attack—no malice, though.
"Waaaa..."
She simply clung to my torso, rubbing her face against my chest.
"Good. From now on, walk the path of Fusion Confucianism."
"Fu-fusion... Confucianism?"
"A moral, philosophical discipline only the most upright can pursue and perfect."
Basically New Year's money.
"I'll teach you."
New Year, Seollal—gotta do good things. Smiles all around. Instead of cash, impart the greatest value: Fusion Confucianism to Alraune.
Then this monster would someday become a true human.
"I'll learn hard..."
"Smart girl."
"If I learn well, you'll keep hugging me like this?"
"Depends on how you do."
Alraune's body was warm. She beamed happily, clearly thrilled.
Where'd the tears go?
"Feels... so good... Father."
"Not Father. Call me Lord Katt or Elder Katt."
Sounded dignified, with gravitas.
"...Don't wanna."
"Why."
"Don't feel like it... Wanna call you what my heart says."
With that, she nuzzled my chest relentlessly, burrowing deeper.
I let it slide for a moment, then spoke up.
"Alright, time for laundry."
"Yes!"
Alraune hopped up energetically, grabbing the laundry basket.
"Dishes from yesterday done?"
"Yes. After everyone left."
"Good job. Keep it up. Doing what I say is Fusion Confucianism."
"Got it, Father."
Ah, right.
I should wash first.
"Wait. I'll wash up first—hold off on laundry."
I headed to the bathroom and cleaned up.
Suddenly, fatigue from the all-nighter hit hard.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Two days later, I went to see Elise.
Two days should've been plenty for sorting documents. I'd planned to go yesterday, but two straight days of hip-shaking left me wiped.
"Saint. Two days since last we met."
As usual, I called out "Divine," got invited in, and entered Elise's room.
"Heh heh, yeah. Documents sorted?"
"Yes. Just the report back, and this incident wraps up. Not only promotion to mid-level nun, but we can discuss the order's future countermeasures too."
Elise grinned happily. Her top priority was wiping out evil forces. Just talking countermeasures thrilled her.
"But... Saint."
"Hm? What?"
"Have you given thought to the abstinence training?"
"Ah, abstinence?"
As Cloudy put it, I was undeniably abstinent—and abstinence itself was a myth. I was simply a man with self-control.
"Elise."
"Yes."
"Pondered it deeply at home. Turns out, I'm extremely abstinent."
"Pardon?"
Elise cocked her head.
"Ran it by Cloudy too—no issues. Said I'm too abstinent, if anything. So, status quo it is. Heh heh, really appreciate the concern. Gave me a good chance to reflect."
Telling her felt oddly satisfying.
"Saint."
But Elise wore an expression like she'd heard something utterly bizarre.
"How on earth did you interpret what I said?"