Chapter 198 Even the Almighty is New to Being a Dad Chapter 199
Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood - Chapter 199
While fully immersed in training the S-rank Hunters, Iriel glanced toward the entrance and muttered under her breath.
"Huh...?"
It was none other than Kang-jun and Seol, their heads swiveling left and right as they stepped into the training room.
"Let's take a short break."
With that solemn declaration, Iriel immediately strode toward them with hurried steps...
"Here."
Kang-jun handed her the lunchbox he'd been holding.
"Were you out of it this morning?"
"This is..."
"You left without your lunch."
Iriel bowed her head slightly and answered in a voice that kept getting quieter.
"I-I'm deeply honored..."
While feeling guilty that he'd come all the way to this humble place just to bring her a meal...
'My heart feels strange.'
Her chest tingled inexplicably while her cheeks burned.
'For His Lordship to care about my meals...'
At that moment, Kang-jun surveyed the exhausted S-rank Hunters slumped on the ground, drenched in sweat, and murmured:
"You've all worked hard."
Then—
"By the way, what's that?"
Kang-jun had casually asked upon noticing the well-worn notebook in Iriel's hand.
Startled by the question, Iriel quickly hid the notebook behind her back and whispered:
"I-It's nothing."
"What is it?"
"Just... training logs and such..."
Kang-jun went "Ah," then stretched out both hands in a 'hand it over' gesture, speaking flatly:
"Let me take a quick look."
"Pardon...?"
"Just curious about the contents."
It was simple curiosity about how Iriel trained these 'S-rank Hunters,' but...
"I-It's absolutely impossible!"
Iriel stubbornly refused.
"Hmm?"
Kang-jun's brow furrowed.
This was essentially...
An act of insubordination.
"I'll just glance through it."
"But..."
"Come on, just hand it over."
Had this been the Anux Continent where Kang-jun's word was law rather than Earth?
Refusing a direct order would have meant being tried and punished under the legal statutes without exception.
"I-I beg your forgiveness."
Yet Iriel held firm.
"Before my appointment as instructor, the management bureau's contract included a 'confidentiality clause' regarding training content..."
Kang-jun stared at Iriel with clear dissatisfaction before...
"Sigh."
He exhaled deeply and muttered:
"Always so rigid about rules."
Looking back, Iriel had always been someone who staked her life on strictly following regulations.
It wasn't something he absolutely needed to see anyway—just idle curiosity...
"Fine, I won't look if you're gonna be stingy."
Surprisingly quick to give up, Kang-jun spoke gently to Seol, whose small hand was tightly gripping his:
"Seol, let's go home."
"Uh-huh!"
"Want some ice cream?"
"Yay!"
Then with a glance back at Iriel, he added:
"We're off."
Iriel bowed deeply in farewell...
"Whew..."
Not long after Kang-jun and Seol left the training area...
Iriel patted her chest once and looked down at the notebook in her hand.
It contained something she could never show him.
"If this got out, the scandal would be..."
The notebook held none other than a handwritten novel.
"Resume self-directed training."
Regaining her solemn tone, Iriel opened the notebook...
And began slowly reading the novel she'd written.
Page after page was filled with Iriel's painstakingly crafted prose.
Rustle.
She turned a page and scanned the next passage...
Iriel abruptly closed the notebook.
"Sigh."
How could she ever dare show this to anyone?
A novel depicting romance between men, titled...
『The Lord's Men』
Iriel had begun writing this novel shortly after the princess's birthday banquet.
"Truthfully, I've been pounding mochi with this guy nonstop for days."
She'd accidentally overheard a conversation between the Great Sage and Marshal Canopy, who'd arrived late to the banquet.
"Despite his slender frame, this monkey performs a man's duties quite admirably."
"Haha, you bull-headed bastard aren't half bad yourself."
"The tautness makes the pounding so enjoyable I hardly tire."
At the time, failing to grasp the innuendo, Iriel had asked Crabsley about the meaning behind their words...
"What exactly are they saying?"
"My, how embarrassing."
"What's so embarrassing...?"
When Crabsley explained the meaning of 'pounding mochi,' she'd been so shocked she could only flounder helplessly.
"A-Amazing..."
Perhaps that was when...
The devil took hold of her mind.
"Sigh..."
Even after all misunderstandings were resolved, whenever she saw the Great Sage and Marshal Canopy together...
Indecent thoughts tormented her.
Especially when His Lordship entered her line of sight, speaking affectionately to them...
"It only got worse..."
So she decided to pour it all out through writing.
Thus resolved...
She began writing 『The Lord's Men』.
And she had a knack for it.
Ever since her days as the Anux Empire's Minister of the Imperial Household, Iriel had voraciously read all sorts of erotic novels and scandalous romances circulating the empire.
"How obscene..."
She'd confiscated all the pornographic illustrations and romance novels the palace maids secretly passed around among themselves.
"My goodness..."
And became utterly enthralled by them.
Perhaps because of this experience?
Writing came naturally to her.
"What should happen next...?"
As she lost herself in thought...
"Speaking of which."
She glanced at the wall clock and murmured quietly:
"I wonder why that new recruit who was supposed to join training today still hasn't shown his face."
That evening.
"You're back?"
Crabsley, seated on the living room sofa reading something intently on his phone, casually greeted Iriel as she returned from work.
"Yes, I just finished—"
Then Iriel casually asked in return:
"What are you reading?"
Crabsley answered:
"Ah, just a novel."
"On your smartphone?"
"Everyone reads this way on Earth."
He added:
"Haven't done much reading lately, so I'm catching up on my quota."
"What novel is it?"
"Apparently the most popular one recently."
Crabsley showed her the cover of the novel he was reading.
『The Mage Returns』
An unprecedented hit on a certain web novel platform.
"I see..."
Crabsley began praising the novel:
"It's about a mage, but the historical accuracy is impressive and the plot development is fascinating."
Nodding, Iriel seemed to remember something as she murmured "Huh?" quietly.
"Your Grace."
Addressing Crabsley formally, she licked her dry lower lip once before cautiously asking:
"I was wondering... can anyone serialize a novel?"
Crabsley nodded and answered flatly:
"Yes, anyone can write one."
Then asked curiously:
"Are you thinking of serializing a novel yourself, Lady Iriel?"
"W-what nonsense! I was just asking out of curiosity..."
After saying "I'll be going in then," Iriel vanished straight to her room...
"Hmm?"
Crabsley murmured quietly and, as if nothing had happened, refocused on his novel.
How much time had passed?
"Let's see..."
Having retreated to her room, Iriel immediately registered on the web novel platform Crabsley had been using.
"Good..."
As Crabsley had said, anyone could serialize novels after registering...
"Pen name..."
After brief deliberation, she entered her chosen pseudonym:
Lustful Queen.
"Hehe, I hope it becomes popular."
She'd resolved to serialize 『The Lord's Men』, the novel she'd painstakingly written alone.
What good was writing in secret if it remained mere scribbles?
The thought flashed through her mind—she wanted to show her work to the world and observe the reactions over time...
"Now, shall I start serializing...?"
She began transcribing her handwritten manuscript onto her phone.
Secretly hoping it might gain popularity, but...
"Expecting too much from a first attempt would only lead to disappointment..."
You can't get full from the first bite.
She only hoped...
That at least a few people might read it.
[ Posting complete. ]
Having uploaded the first installment without great expectations, she went to sleep...
Overnight.
Her novel's view count began rising at a remarkable pace.
The popularity was overwhelming.
In just one day.
It reached first place in a single day.
1st Place: The Lord's Men
2nd Place: The Mage Returns
Surpassing even 『The Mage Returns』, hailed as this year's greatest hit, with astonishing metrics.
Things were escalating quickly.