Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood - Episode 13

Not long after that incident, everyone was gathered around the dining table quietly eating when Lee Soo-bin tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and cautiously asked:

"You said your name was Bong-chang, right?"

"No, it's Bong-gu."

Soo-bin covered her mouth in surprise. "Oh my, I'm so sorry..."

Kim Bong-gu replied as if this were a common occurrence, his tone indifferent. "It's fine."

"By the way, I tried my best with the soup, but I'm not sure if it's to your taste. I don't have much experience making pollack roe stew."

Kim Bong-gu's mental calculator immediately started whirring.

What must 'sister-in-law' have thought when she saw me carried in dead drunk last night?

This was his chance to fix the disastrous first impression that surely lingered in her memory.

Kim Bong-gu.

If there was one thing he could confidently say about himself, it was that his social awareness and adaptability were second to none.

He cleared his throat with an exaggerated "Ahem, hmm," then asked in a slightly theatrical tone:

"Ah, sister-in-law, your cooking is truly exceptional."

"Sister-in-law...?"

"Yes, because of you, big bro must be counting down the minutes until every mealtime."

He then turned to Kang-jun with a playful grin. "Right, big bro?"

"Hey."

As Kang-jun set down his spoon, Kim Bong-gu swallowed dryly.

"That's my sister."

"Huh?"

"My real sister."

A heavy silence fell the moment those words left his mouth.

"Let's just eat."

"Yes, big bro."

Kim Bong-gu's mind was now filled with regret—I should've just kept my mouth shut.

"Mr. Bong-gu."

Fortunately, Soo-bin broke the awkward silence.

"Kang-jun mentioned you two grew up together in the same neighborhood, like brothers..."

Big bro told her that?

"I'm really sorry to ask this when we've just met, but would you mind keeping an eye on Kang-jun for a while...?"

Kim Bong-gu reflexively blurted, "Huh?" before whipping his head around to stare at Kang-jun.

Sure, right now he was wearing a stretched-out, shabby cotton T-shirt and eating pollack roe stew over rice in just his underwear...

But this was the man who had subdued an A-rank hunter from the Anti-Management Bureau Union with just a look, and treated a so-called "Archdemon" boss monster like a disobedient puppy.

What exactly does she mean by 'keep an eye on him'...?

As Kim Bong-gu sat there dumbfounded—

"Ah, have you not heard yet?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you see..."

Soo-bin glanced at Kang-jun before continuing.

"Since you're close with Kang-jun, I feel bad bringing this up, but..."

"Yes?"

"The truth is, Kang-jun was trapped inside a Gate and only returned to his family less than a month ago."

Kim Bong-gu's eyes widened like lanterns.

W-wait a second...

So big bro is one of those "Gate returnees" you only hear about on the news?

Suddenly, the jumbled puzzle pieces in his mind began clicking into place.

Come to think of it, some of the top overseas hunters supposedly gained mysterious powers from beyond the Gates...

His gaze shifted back to Kang-jun.

Then does that mean big bro also...?

Just then, Kang-jun furrowed his brow and cut in.

"Seriously, I keep telling you I wasn't trapped in a Gate."

"Yeah, yeah. I know—you were the emperor of some continent, right?"

Soo-bin glanced at Crabsley before adding, "And this gentleman was your royal advisor who helped govern the kingdom with you."

"No, I wasn't just some king—I was the emperor."

"Honestly, what's the difference? Why are you getting so worked up?"

"It's completely different. The kings didn't even dare to look me in the eye."

At that, Crabsley suddenly let out a low, sinister chuckle. "Keukeukeuk..."

"My lord, do you recall the previous king of the Varathion Kingdom? I was just reminded of him."

"Huh, who was that again?"

"The fool who not only dared to meet your gaze but raised a rebellion, only to be publicly executed in the imperial capital's square..."

"Oh, that guy!"

Soo-bin sighed deeply before forcing a calm tone.

"Let's just say he's dealing with... aftereffects like this."

"I see..."

"It could've been worse—at least it's just paranoia. But to reintegrate into society..."

Her smooth explanation was abruptly cut short when Kim Bong-gu began muttering to himself as if struck by revelation.

"No wonder he seemed so strong and regal... So he really was an emperor..."

"Uh, Mr. Bong-gu?"

"Then does that make Mr. Dol-soi here something like the 'Prime Minister'...?"

"M-Mr. Bong-gu?"

While Soo-bin knew nothing of Kang-jun's true power, Kim Bong-gu had no choice but to believe every word.

After witnessing that overwhelming strength firsthand, how could he doubt anything?

Soo-bin continued gently, "I was hoping you could help Kang-jun readjust to society, even if just a little."

Kim Bong-gu quickly nodded. "Of course, I'll do everything in my power."

Relieved, Soo-bin smiled. "Thank you so much." She then turned to Crabsley.

"Sir, would you be interested in a part-time job?"

"Your Grace, I humbly apologize, but I know not of what you speak..."

"Oh, just think of it as a simple way to pass the time."

She went on to explain, "The owner of the convenience store near our place is looking for part-time help. I mentioned you, and he said he'd love to meet you for an interview..."

Crabsley politely declined in his usual composed manner.

"Your Grace, I am deeply sorry, but my sacred duty is to serve my lord. I cannot leave his side for even a moment..."

Kang-jun cut him off.

"No, just go work there."

Sure, having Crabsley around meant he could dump all his annoying chores on him...

But having him tag along is exhausting.

Like how he'd constantly whisper things like, "My lord, shall I kill them?" in that overly serious tone...

Or pull attention-grabbing stunts in public that made Kang-jun want to vanish on the spot.

So...

It'd be far more useful for him to learn about Earth's culture and customs while working at the local convenience store.

Plus, it'll help with the household expenses...

Crabsley, however, seemed unable to accept this decision.

"My lord, but...!"

Hearing the grievance in his voice, Kang-jun asked solemnly,

"Didn't you promise to 'ensure my kingdom stands tall even on this Earth'?"

"Y-yes, but..."

"Then shouldn't you thoroughly study this world's culture, customs, and the lives of its people?"

Kang-jun narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I'm not telling you to abandon your duties as my advisor to mess around at some store."

"Then...?"

"I'm entrusting you with all matters related to nation-building. Consider this an important investigation."

As those words hung in the air, a heavy sigh escaped Crabsley's lips.

"Ah..."

A painfully familiar emotion began burning fiercely in his chest.

This is...

Loyalty.

Suddenly, Crabsley shot to his feet and slammed his forehead against the floor with a thud, prostrating himself before Kang-jun.

"My lord, strike me down—!"

"Ugh, here we go again."

"Have mercy upon this fool—!"

"Hey, calm down first."

But Crabsley showed no signs of calming down. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"To have failed yet again to grasp the depths of your wisdom—I am unworthy to even gaze upon your divine visage—!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"This lowly servant shall dedicate every fiber of his being, even if his bones turn to dust, to this sacred investigation!"

Kang-jun glanced at his sister.

"Sis, you heard him?"

"Huh...?"

"He's going to the interview."

"Uh-huh..."

And so, the fate of the once-mighty Vampire Lord who had ruled his kind, the brilliant advisor who led one of the imperial court's five core ministries, the Grand Duke second only to the emperor himself—

No.

Code Name: Choi Dol-soi's convenience store interview was settled.

After the rather rowdy lunch...

Soo-bin found herself lounging on the couch for the first time in ages.

This was because Kim Bong-gu had stubbornly insisted on handling the cleanup, refusing to take no for an answer.

No matter how much she protested, he wouldn't listen, so she had no choice but to reluctantly sit down.

She peeked over at Kim Bong-gu's back as he stood at the sink, humming while vigorously scrubbing the dishes with a squeak squeak.

"Kang-jun, shouldn't we at least help? He is a guest..." ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"It's fine. He wants to do it."

"But he's surprisingly good at it..."

"Good for him. Just relax."

As Soo-bin fidgeted like she was sitting on pins and needles, Kang-jun's attention was fixed on the heated discussion between a news anchor and a scientist on TV.

[Doctor, what are your thoughts on the recent spike in Gate occurrences near the metropolitan area?]

[The academic community suspects a possible correlation between Gate frequency and population density.]

[So you're saying areas with higher populations are more likely to see Gates?]

[It's still speculative, but analyzing Gate incidents over the past three years shows that Seoul and Gyeonggi Province—regions with the highest population density—have the highest occurrence rates...]

After a lengthy explanation, the scientist looked straight into the camera and added:

[Residents in densely populated areas should remain vigilant, as Gates can appear without warning at any time.]

[As widely known, newly formed Gates absorb all lifeforms within a 1-2 kilometer radius, so it's crucial to evacuate immediately upon noticing any signs of a Gate's emergence...]

[Additionally, based on current Gate appearance patterns, the academic community predicts the next likely location to be south of the Han River in Seoul, and is preparing countermeasures accordingly...]

Kang-jun tilted his head. "Wait, isn't our house south of the Han River?"

Soo-bin nodded grimly. "Yeah. It's getting harder to live peacefully these days."

Kang-jun scratched his stomach lazily. "Don't worry about it. Nothing's gonna happen."

His gaze then drifted to his daughter Seol, who was playing excitedly with a puppy on the living room floor.

Noticing his stare, Seol suddenly turned and beamed at him.

"Dada! Doggie!"

"I see."

"Bad doggie! Hit!"

The puppy—no, the Archdemon Marbas—yelped ("Yelp...!") and scrambled away after being unexpectedly thumped by Seol.

Frowning, Kang-jun chided sternly, "Princess, that's not how you do it."

Soo-bin blinked. "Oh?"

"Flailing your fists wildly is pointless. To finish it in one strike, you need to aim straight and fast at the vital point."

Soo-bin promptly smacked Kang-jun's back ("Whack—!").

"That's not the point! You're supposed to tell her not to hurt animals!"

Rubbing his stinging back, Kang-jun thought to himself:

Hmm.

Even if he still couldn't fully grasp that this child was his daughter...

She's pretty.

Very pretty.

And cute.

Very cute.

When she grinned, revealing her tiny baby teeth, his chest tingled strangely.

And for some reason...

Whenever she called out "Dada—!" in that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠adorably garbled voice, it felt like someone was squeezing his heart.

Holding her was terrifying—she was so fragile. Just looking at her delicate, fern-like hands made his heart melt.

She doesn't belong here.

This child didn't fit in this unstable world teeming with death at every corner.

I want to change it.

He had no interest in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠playing the hero or sacrificing himself for the greater good...

But for this beautiful, smiling child—so she could laugh more often, live more happily—

He wanted to change this wretched world, even if just a little.

Just a little...

Yeah, just a little would do.