Absolute One Is Also New to Fatherhood - Episode 146

The next afternoon.

"I'm back!"

As usual, Seol returned from daycare tightly clutching Kang-jun's hand.

But something felt off.

Noticing Kang-jun's unusually dark expression, Lee Soo-bin cautiously asked:

"Kang-jun, is something wrong?"

Kang-jun weakly shook his head before slumping straight into his room...

"Seol, did something happen today?"

Seol tilted her head slightly.

"Nuffin happened."

"Then why..."

"He's been like that since earlier."

Answering as if it were nothing important, Seol immediately scampered to the bathroom to wash her hands...

"Something definitely happened."

Soo-bin stood frozen, staring blankly at Kang-jun's firmly closed door.

"What in the world..."

This was the first time she'd seen her younger brother so utterly dejected.

"I'm worried..."

Concern overwhelmed her.

That evening.

"Wow, what a feast!"

Family members gathering around the dinner table one by one expressed admiration.

"I put in extra effort today."

Soo-bin had prepared an extravagant spread fit for royalty—enough to "break the table legs," as the saying goes.

'When someone's feeling down, stuffing them with delicious food is the best remedy!'

The table was laden with all of Kang-jun's favorite dishes, yet...

"Thanks for the meal."

Kang-jun showed no particular reaction, silently picking at his food.

Clink, clink—

An unusually awkward silence hung over the dinner table as everyone exchanged glances while pretending to eat.

'El.der.'

Soo-bin mouthed to Crabsley, who nodded in response.

'Kan.g-jun.acts.weird.to.day?'

Crabsley answered:

'Yes.Like.a.sick.chick.en.'

Iriel joined in:

'Def.in.itely.not.him.self.'

Just then, Dibald, observing their silent conversation, cluelessly interrupted:

"Could I join too?"

Iriel immediately stomped on Dibald's foot...

"Yowch!"

Dibald dropped his utensils from the sudden pain.

Thud—

Kang-jun abruptly set down his chopsticks.

"I'm done eating."

He then collected his dishes and headed straight to his room...

Soo-bin peeked at Kang-jun's half-eaten rice bowl and quietly asked:

"You barely touched it?"

"Yeah, guess so."

"Not hungry today?"

"Guess not."

After putting his dishes away, Kang-jun retreated to his room.

Creak—

The moment the door closed, Iriel glared at Dibald.

"Lord Dibald, how can you be so oblivious?"

Crabsley chimed in:

"These days they call it being 'noonseh'."

"What's 'noonseh'?"

"Short for 'no-chi eopneun saekki' [tone-deaf brat]."

Pouting, Dibald stabbed at his rice grains.

"I just asked because you were excluding me from some interesting conversation..."

Soo-bin mediated:

"We weren't discussing anything major—just that Kang-jun seems off today."

Dibald asked, "Our lord?" prompting Soo-bin to voice her concerns:

"He's never been this gloomy before. It's unsettling."

Suddenly...

"Heh heh..."

Dibald covered his mouth with a sly smile.

"Don't you realize?"

All eyes turned to him.

"I believe I know."

After a dramatic pause:

"That expression—"

Dibald declared with conviction:

"Is the face of a heartbroken man."

"Heartbroken?"

"Undoubtedly rejected."

Kang-jun's behavior perfectly matched countless women who'd passionately pursued Dibald only to be refused.

"Who would reject Kang-jun...?"

Soo-bin's gaze drifted to Seol, who was drawing on the living room floor...

"Don't tell me..."

Just then, Seol looked up and asked:

"Auntie, you know how fold heart?"

Soo-bin gulped and asked nervously:

"To give to Daddy?"

The whole family held their breath, staring at Seol's sealed lips...

"No?"

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Seol give Park Joon-woo?"

The shocking revelation made Crabsley and Iriel gasp simultaneously:

"Good heavens..."

Dibald was right.

The cause was...

The pain of rejection.

"We must take action," Crabsley declared.

Iriel agreed:

"Indeed..."

This couldn't continue.

Drastic measures were needed.

In the darkened room.

After barely eating dinner, Kang-jun lay facedown on his bed, burying his head deep in the pillow.

"Sigh..."

The traumatic scene from earlier replayed vividly in his mind.

"Park Joon-woo."

Seol had kissed the cheek of a clueless little boy.

Smooch.

Then hugged him tightly while saying:

"Seol love Park Joon-woo."

The devastating sight had made him...

Plop.

Drop his "Ssang Ssang Bar" ice cream.

"Seol..."

The twin popsicle he'd brought to share on their way home.

Now it lay melting pathetically on the floor.

Kang-jun's heart melted alongside it.

"Sir, don't take it so hard. Children this age change favorites weekly—"

Daycare teacher Lee Ji-hee offered experienced consolation, but...

"Seol is my everything..."

Her words provided little comfort.

"Right... this was inevitable."

This calamity was always destined to arrive.

Eventually she'd grow up, fall in love...

Marry and leave his side.

He tried to accept it gracefully, but couldn't.

"I hate this..."

He buried his face deeper into the pillow.

As if trying to hide from the entire world.

Knock knock—

Someone rapped on his door.

"Who is it...?"

The door creaked open as three ministers entered.

"My lord."

Crabsley asked solemnly:

"Are you alright?"

Kang-jun's muffled voice replied:

"Alright... how...?"

Crabsley cut straight to the point:

"Park Joon-woo."

Kang-jun froze.

"Will you truly let this stand?"

Crabsley's voice grew impassioned:

"This isn't like you, my lord!"

"Damn it, what's so great about me...?"

"You must respond with firmness!"

Iriel nodded vigorously in agreement with Crabsley's words and chimed in.

"How could we allow some insolent brat—whose family background and upbringing we know nothing about—to steal away Her Highness the Princess?"

Kang-jun sighed at those words.

"Then what should I do...?"

"But..."

"Seol likes him..."

For Kang-jun, Seol's happiness was the most important thing.

He had no intention of ruining his child's happiness for his own selfishness.

Just then, Crabsley suddenly let out a long, weary sigh...

With a smile so sinister it sent chills down one's spine, he murmured:

"My Lord, you need only grant us the authority."

"Grand Duke..."

"This is the very duty we swore to uphold when we first pledged our loyalty to you."

His crimson eyes gleamed with an increasingly ominous light.

"Leave the dirty work entirely to us. My Lord need only stand in the warm sunlight where it shines brightest."

Only then did Kang-jun lift his head and gaze intently at his three steadfast loyal retainers...

"Hey, guys..."

At that moment, Divald, who had noticed the distinct tear stains still visible on the pillow where Kang-jun had buried his face earlier, muttered under his breath:

"My, could it be... My Lord was crying...?"

Just then, Iriel stomped on his foot with all her might and whispered:

"Please trust us and leave it to us."

It was a night of deep contemplation.

The next day, around noon.

"That boy is 'Park Joon-woo.'"

The three retainers stood on the rooftop railing of a separate building within the daycare premises, intently observing a child running around ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the playground.

"So that's the one who stole Her Highness the Princess's heart."

He was an adorably bright-eyed little boy.

"Here are the findings from my investigation."

Crabsley promptly pulled out a notebook and began smoothly reciting the personal details of 'Park Joon-woo' that he had gathered the previous night.

"Name: Park Joon-woo. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Age: Four. Hobby: Playing ball. Favorite toy: Presumably the 'Hello Car' toy series..."

Just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then—

"Her Highness the Princess!"

At Iriel's exclamation, the other retainers immediately turned their attention to Seol, who had just stepped out onto the playground for outdoor activities...

"Look at that insolent brat!"

"How dare he take Her Highness's delicate hand in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his!"

Their target, 'Park Joon-woo,' had firmly grasped Seol's hand, causing the retainers to gnash their teeth in barely contained fury.

"This won't do!"

Crabsley then casually inquired:

"Shall I proceed with the 'operation' I prepared first? It's a flawless plan, so there's no chance of failure..."

Trailing off, he added:

"If I fail, perhaps the two of you could implement your respective plans in sequence?"

At this, the other two retainers subtly nodded...

Whoosh!

In an instant, Crabsley's figure vanished.

Thud!

The soccer ball Park Joon-woo kicked rolled far away.

"Seol-ya, I'll go get it."

Having said this, Park Joon-woo began walking toward the ball...

Bounce, bounce, thump...

The ball kept bouncing until it disappeared around a corner.

"Huh?"

Park Joon-woo followed the ball around the corner...

And the moment he stepped into the CCTV blind spot, he encountered Crabsley.

"Park Joon-woo."

Park Joon-woo looked up at Crabsley with wide eyes...

"I've come to propose a deal."

Crabsley tilted his head slightly, wearing a smile so sinister it could curdle milk, and asked in a low voice:

"You like Hello Car robots, don't you?"

"Huh? Yeah..."

"Keep your distance from Her Highness the Princess."

After a deliberate pause, Crabsley whispered:

"If you honor this agreement, I swear upon the imperial family's honor to fulfill every desire you could possibly have."

"Me?"

"Road Saver, Mighty Guard, K-Cops, King Guys, Pentastorm, Ugaba, True, Ashark, and all the rest..."

Crabsley proceeded to list every 'Hello Car' toy robot currently on the market...

"If you distance yourself from Her Highness, as compensation, I will provide you with every 'Hello Car' toy in existence."

To this, Park Joon-woo replied:

"I already have all of those."

"What...?"

"Daddy buys them all for me."

Having said this, Park Joon-woo quickly lost interest and began walking back to retrieve his ball.

The Snow White Daycare in Yeoksam-dong was known to cater primarily to the children of political and business elites.

Park Joon-woo, a student in the 'Love Class,' came from the astonishingly prominent Oseong Group conglomerate.

His mother was a retired famous actress, and his father was the designated successor to Oseong Group.

Moreover, as his parents doted on him excessively, they often bought him Hello Car toys even before their official release.

"So he can't be bought with material goods..."

Crabsley stood dumbfounded where he was left behind.

"He's not an easy target..."

Crabsley returned to the 'separate building rooftop'...

"How did it go?"

The other two retainers immediately asked about the operation's success.

"To my shame, it was a failure."

Without hesitation, David promptly pulled a glass bottle of medicine and a syringe from his training jacket pocket and declared confidently:

"I'll handle this."

Sensing something amiss, Crabsley stopped him and asked quietly:

"Wait, what is that medicine?"

David filled the syringe as he answered:

"A mind-altering drug. Just one drop can completely reprogram someone to develop an intense hatred toward Her Highness the Princess..."

At this, Iriel shouted:

"That's a crime!"

Crabsley then asked:

"Then what operation has Lord Iriel prepared?"

In response, Iriel untied her tightly bound hair, letting it cascade as she answered in an alluring tone:

"I intend to deploy a honey trap."

"On a four-year-old boy?"

"Isn't that my specialty?"

"Lord Iriel, are you in your right mind?"

"You failed too, Grand Duke!"

As they bickered among themselves...

"Ah!"

The final outdoor activity class had ended...

Several parents arriving diligently to pick up their children came into view.

Among the crowd was none other than Kang-jun.

The retainers held their breath and observed the situation briefly.

"Huh? They're fighting?"

Though they couldn't hear the details, it appeared that Park Joon-woo and Seol were arguing and pushing each other.

And then...

Spotting Kang-jun, Seol waved her hands energetically, calling "Daddy!" as she ran and leaped into his arms.

"Huh? How...?"

"Well..."

"What just happened...?"

Several question marks floated above the three Grand Dukes' heads as they silently watched the scene unfold.

"Seol doesn't like Park Joon-woo anymore."

At Seol's declaration while nestled in his arms, Kang-jun asked:

"Wh-what brought this on?"

Seol puffed out her cheeks and answered:

"Park Joon-woo said if you love someone, you have to marry them."

Kang-jun thought to himself, 'Was he really someone worth considering for marriage?' when—

"But he said if you get married, you can't live with Daddy anymore."

"Huh?"

"He said you can only live with Park Joon-woo then."

Kang-jun held Seol close as he walked home, maintaining a deliberately calm tone:

"Well, typically when people marry, it's common for the couple to live alone together..."

Seol shook her head vigorously.

"Seol doesn't like that."

"Huh?"

"Seol wants to live with Daddy."

Then she chattered on:

"Even when Seol grows up, Seol will always live with Daddy."

"Uh...?"

"Seol can't live even one day without Daddy."

Having said this, Seol looked up at Kang-jun and asked:

"Daddy will always live with Seol too, right?"

Kang-jun smiled softly and answered:

"Of course, absolutely."

Then, with cheerful enthusiasm, he asked:

"Shall we get some twin popsicles on the way home?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, we'll split one half and half."

As the father and daughter walked on, chatting happily with bright smiles...

"Though we don't understand how, it seems the matter has been resolved amicably."

Hidden in the distance, the three retainers sighed in relief as they watched them.

And so...

The scandal that had briefly stirred up the imperial household came to a close.

It was a peaceful afternoon.