Absolute One, First-Time Dad - Episode 39

[Director Seo Do-cheol of the Awakened and Gate Management Bureau announced in today's emergency press conference that signs of a large-scale terror attempt by an unidentified organization were discovered during the rank advancement examination...]

[While suspected to be the work of the Anti-Management Bureau Alliance, current evidence remains insufficient for definitive conclusions...]

[Though all personnel were evacuated to the building lobby in the commotion, swift action by stationed Hunters prevented any casualties...]

[It was also revealed that 'Iron Man' Go Du-yeol, Deputy Guild Master of Solitude and 6th ranked S-class Hunter, single-handedly led the initial response...]

Bong-gu, who had been staring intently at the news anchor's face on TV, subtly shifted his gaze to glance at Kang-jun.

'How did all the credit for suppressing the terror attack end up going to Hunter Go Du-yeol...?'

Though he didn't know the full details, based on what he'd briefly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heard from both parties, it had gone exactly as he expected.

'He just happened to find them and killed them all?'

When he'd pressed for details, Kang-jun's response had left him speechless.

'What exactly do you want me to explain in detail? Why don't you give me a spectacular retelling of when you swatted a few mosquitoes?'

Just how formidable must his power be to compare members of the Anti-Management Bureau Alliance to mere 'mosquitoes'?

At any rate...

The actual person who resolved the terror incident, Kang-jun, was currently preoccupied with reading a Snow White picture book to Seol.

"And so Snow White lived happily ever after with the prince..."

"Waaaaah!"

"Alright, we've finished reading it again, so now let's play something else—"

"No! Read again!"

As Seol tugged at his sleeve insistently, Kang-jun sighed deeply and flipped back to the first page of the book.

"Once upon a time, on a winter's day long ago, a princess was born with skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony, and lips as red as blood..."

"Again!"

"Because she was as white as snow, they named her Snow White. But the joy of her birth was short-lived, for sadly, the queen passed away..."

"Again!"

From a few steps away, Crabsley observed the scene and whispered to Bong-gu in a low voice.

"Young Bong-gu, isn't this a truly horrifying sight?"

"Huh?"

"Our lord has memorized 'Snow White' word for word."

He then shuddered and added:

"Today marks the five hundredth time our lord has read it aloud. At this point, it'd be stranger if he couldn't recite it in his sleep."

"Five hundred times..."

"At the imperial palace, we call this 'Infinite Streaming Torture.' Her Highness Soo-bin herself coined the term."

Bong-gu nodded repeatedly in response.

"Wow, that's actually a perfect name for it."

Just then, Lee Soo-bin emerged into the living room wearing an apron and called out to the family.

"Dinner's ready, everyone. Come eat."

Seol pouted at this, so Soo-bin picked her up and said:

"Seol-ah, you can ask him to read it again after we eat, okay?"

"But Seol-i doesn't wanna eat now..."

"Then Santa won't bring you any presents."

Seol immediately changed her tune.

"Seol-i eat now!"

"Good girl."

"Santa give Seol-i present?"

"Of course he will."

Remembering that Christmas was just days away, Kang-jun smirked.

"Ah, with innocence like this..."

"Huh?"

"I shall reveal the truth of this world—"

"Don't you dare!" Soo-bin shouted, slapping Kang-jun's back with all her might.

WHACK!

Glaring at him with slightly furrowed brows, she growled in a low voice near his ear:

"Try saying one more word, Kang-jun."

"She'll find out eventually—"

"That's enough. Go eat."

As Kang-jun rubbed his sore back and headed toward ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the dining table, Soo-bin set Seol down and approached him.

"Kang-jun, I was thinking—aside from Santa's presents, maybe we should each get Seol a separate gift from the family."

"Oh?"

"If you hadn't thought of anything, how about a children's makeup playset? I asked her casually before, and she said she wanted it most..."

As Soo-bin continued speaking, Kang-jun puffed out his chest and replied confidently:

"Actually, I've already come up with an amazing present."

"Huh?"

"It'll put a silly makeup playset to shame."

With a sinister chuckle, he headed to the table.

Soo-bin watched his retreating back, tilting her head slightly.

"He already thought of something?"

Lately, Kang-jun had been showing more paternal affection toward Seol, behaving like a proper dad in many ways.

They spent much more time playing together, and though he grumbled, he usually ended up indulging her whims.

Still, she never expected he'd already planned a Christmas gift for her. But it was undoubtedly a positive development.

"Auntie! Seol-i eat now!"

Snapped out of her thoughts by Seol's call, Soo-bin muttered "Get it together" and hurried to the table.

Seeing the family gathered cozily around the table deepened the smile on her lips.

The heartwarming scene inexplicably warmed her heart.

That night.

Kang-jun returned with Bong-gu to the massive private bank hidden deep in the market—"The Gathering of Secret Wealth."

"Hyung-nim, why are we back here?"

"Christmas is coming. Need to prepare presents."

As they conversed, the manager Kazan came rushing into the VVIP reception room and prostrated himself before Kang-jun.

"Goblin Kazan humbly greets the great Immortal..."

After proper bows, Kang-jun got straight to the point.

"I need your help with something."

"Anything you command, I shall serve with utmost devotion."

"I need you to prepare my daughter's Christmas present."

Kazan's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

'The Immortal has a daughter?'

Maintaining professional composure, he smiled naturally and asked:

"What kind of present did you have in mind?"

Bong-gu also turned with curious eyes, staring intently at Kang-jun's profile.

Why come to a bank instead of a toy store for a child's gift? The question burned in his mind.

"To win my daughter's heart, she'll need an extraordinary gift. Something so special it can't even be compared to what others might give."

"Yes, so...?"

"I spent days deliberating what that gift should be, but no matter how much I thought about it, nothing could surpass 'that.'"

A brief silence followed.

"By tomorrow, procure an entire commercial building for purchase."

Bong-gu's eyes bulged as he muttered, "Good lord," and clapped a hand over his mouth.

So...

He was planning to gift a three-year-old girl an entire commercial building for Christmas?

'Damn. I never saw that coming...'

Just then, Kang-jun raised a single finger and continued in a measured tone.

"However, it must meet my conditions."

"Which are...?"

"The first floor must house a thriving toy store."

He added firmly:

"We won't charge the shop owner rent. In ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠exchange, they must provide my daughter with any toy she desires whenever she visits."

Bong-gu exhaled sharply, "Hah..." only for Kang-jun to smirk and add:

"Others will probably just give her mediocre toys. This should firmly capture the princess's heart, don't you think?"

Bong-gu nodded blankly.

"Yes, I'm sure she'll love it..."

Then swallowed the words stuck in his throat.

'Though she probably won't realize it for another decade or so...'

Several days passed, and soon Christmas Eve arrived.

"It's freezing, so cold..."

Lee Soo-bin trudged through the streets after another grueling day at the factory, blowing warm air onto her numb hands as the winter chill bit deep.

A massive Christmas tree towered over the bustling downtown, carols drifting from every corner.

'Wow, Christmas is really just around the corner...'

The thought made Soo-bin smile faintly.

'This year, we'll finally have a happy Christmas...'

Last Christmas had been one of the most painful memories of her life.

'Seol-ah, we're using candles tonight. Don't go near them, okay? They're dangerous.'

Buried under unpaid utility bills, their electricity had been cut off right before Christmas.

'Seol-ah, I'm so sorry...'

That night, Soo-bin had wept silently for hours while watching her sleeping niece, resentment toward their harsh reality simmering in her chest.

With no one to care for young Seol, getting a proper job had been impossible. She took whatever piecework she could find—assembling pizza boxes, attaching doll eyes, removing stray threads—anything to scrape by.

Even then, survival was a daily struggle, worrying about tomorrow a luxury she couldn't afford.

Yet she'd clung to the hope of her brother's return, enduring through sheer stubbornness until finally reaching their current life.

'As they say, life's ups and downs are unpredictable...'

Soo-bin was happy now.

'What should I make for dinner tonight that everyone will enjoy?'

The warmth filling their once-silent home delighted her—sharing meals, chatting late into the night—all of it precious.

'If only things could stay like this...'

And now, at least, they didn't have to worry about putting food on the table. That alone felt like abundance.

As she climbed the hill toward their row house complex...

She spotted Iriel waiting at the bus stop near their home.

"Miss, what are you doing here?"

Iriel sprang up immediately.

"I thought it was about time you returned, so I came to meet you."

"Miss, it's too cold for you to—"

Soo-bin's trailing words dissolved into a quiet "Thank you."

"You seem especially cheerful today."

"Must be the Christmas spirit getting to me."

"Her Majesty must enjoy this holiday."

Soo-bin shook her head softly.

"Actually, I used to dislike it..."

"Is that so?"

"Last Christmas was... like a nightmare."

As they climbed the slope, Soo-bin recounted last year's hardships in a low voice.

"That sounds terribly difficult."

At Iriel's solemn words, Soo-bin paused, then shook her head again.

"No, only happy days await us now."

She walked ahead a few steps...

"Though you may not know this, His Lordship struggled greatly as well."

"Yes, I imagine it was far harder for him."

Iriel's head jerked slightly at that.

She remembered Kang-jun's desperate efforts.

'My Lord, what are you writing every day?'

'Just recording who I am.'

'You who watch over the Anux continent—'

'No, not that. The person I was before.'

He'd feared his memories slipping away.

'Who I was, what kind of person, my likes and dislikes, how I grew up... Things I never want to forget.'

Iriel had no response then.

'I talked about my noona often, didn't I?'

'Yes, you did.'

'Lately, I can't even remember her face.'

The indescribable sorrow in his eyes as he feigned calm had made her want to embrace him tightly.

Soon, they reached their home atop the hill...

"Everyone must be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hungry. I should start dinner—"

Soo-bin moved toward the kitchen, opening the fridge when—

"Huh? Lottery tickets?"

She blinked at the crumpled tickets on the table.

"His Lordship purchased them for amusement."

"I'll have to tell him not to waste money like this."

As she rummaged through the fridge:

"You said the past felt like a nightmare?"

"Hmm?"

"Perhaps it's time to wake from that bad dream."

Soo-bin shrugged, answering brightly:

"I think I already have."

"Then that is truly fortunate."

"I'll have dinner ready soon."

"May I assist?"

"No need, please rest."

Alone in the kitchen, Soo-bin resumed searching the fridge when suddenly—

"Well, since he bought them... might as well check?"

She fumbled for her phone, tapping nervously until—

"Eh?!"

Moments later, her pupils trembled violently.

Every number matched.

Meaning...

It was the jackpot.