Chapter 516: Michael
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 516: Michael
“Kim Taesung, that fucking bastard.”
I couldn’t help but curse. For someone who’d just gone to check on the situation for a moment, he was taking an awfully long time. I waited and waited, but my love never came. The night had passed, and it was already 5 AM. I couldn’t fathom what they could possibly be talking about for so long.
“And he said he’d cherish me… Fucking liar…”
The thought that he might already be speaking the language of the flesh with that pigeon, Seraphim, made my head start to boil. The only problem was that there was nowhere to vent my anger.
It was too late to go with Baek Ahyeon to find those Nazareth pigeons. I decided I’d have to pay them a visit tomorrow.
“She was ridiculously pretty, after all.”
Honestly, it wasn’t that I lacked confidence in my looks. I’d put in the effort, doing my best to maintain my appearance to survive in a place filled with nothing but beauties. I already knew he loved me the most, but that didn’t mean I was completely free of anxiety. Our bond might be special, but the hearts of handsome men were fickle things.
Pretty boys always live up to their reputation. That was a personal belief I’d always held. And Kim Taesung stood at the very pinnacle of those pretty boys. I had to rein him in before his collection grew any larger. In truth, that was part of the reason I’d been in such a hurry to have a child. I wanted to stake my claim.
“When the baby’s born, I’m definitely telling them about this. Definitely.”
I regretted acting so cool and telling him to live this life however he wanted. The problem was that I’d let him off the hook in this life because I was grateful for how he’d cherished me in our last one. I never could have predicted he’d take “doing whatever he wanted” to this extent.
‘He’s collected one for every taste.’
He’d gathered them by preference, by species.
From Eunju, who had been a married woman, to the Fairy Queen Mev, an Alraune, a demon, busty, flat-chested—he was assembling a truly impressive collection. He made excuses that it wasn’t his intention, but the way he was subtly expanding his range was just absurd. Now, the thought that he was adding a pigeon to the mix made my irritation flare up.
Even Han So-Hye of the North had been subtly asking me to arrange a meeting lately… It’s hard to hold on to a man with so much talent.
“These holy types are so damn annoying…”
I’d rather it be the cute So-Hye.
Maybe it was because of my memories of my past self, but for some reason, people like Ha Yuri just pissed me off. That image, that concept, that air of a noble and holy maiden—it was all so infuriating. Ha Yuri’s act had been exposed as a blatant lie, but who knew if that Seraphim pigeon was genuinely noble and warm? Kim Taesung pretended not to, but he liked that kind of atmosphere.
“...................”
I felt I had to do something, so I shot up from my seat. First, I needed to find out what was going on. He would keep his promise, so at the very least, they wouldn’t be rolling around in bed. I was just thinking that it wouldn’t be a problem if I suddenly burst in when it happened.
“I’m back.”
The one I’d been waiting for—no, that bastard—had finally arrived.
“What the hell were you doing that took you so long?”
“I had a few drinks.”
“I can see that without you telling me, you asshole. You think that’s what I’m asking? Huh?”
He seemed a little tipsy. I’d never seen him like this except for when he was drinking with the giant Ogre, Goff, or the spear-throwing Troll, Black Spear. It was because of his inherently suspicious nature; he rarely let his guard down.
At most drinking parties, even if he drank, he would use his magic to dispel the effects of the alcohol. In other words, he almost never got drunk. The only times he did were when he truly let his guard down, or when he genuinely enjoyed the atmosphere.
‘Right, you were comfortable, is that it? Fucking comfortable, huh?! You liked her, is that it?!’
I had no way of knowing what kind of magic that Seraphim pigeon had used.
The one silver lining was that, aside from being drunk, there were no other suspicious traces on him. It seemed they really had just talked and had a few drinks. But for some reason, seeing Kim Taesung like that only made me angrier.
In a way, it could be interpreted as him cherishing me.
But that wasn’t all. Although there were no truly strong individuals among the pigeons who had come to the city, this was, in a sense, the heart of enemy territory. The fact that he had let his guard down in a place like this meant I had to assume that Seraphim pigeon’s skills were anything but ordinary.
‘What kind of magic did she use…?’
She must have pulled out every trick in the book, doing everything she could to get on his good side. She must have clung to him like a prostitute in a high-class brothel.
“Looks like you had fun? Huh?”
“It was interesting. And complicated… I’m going out again tomorrow, so you know. She’ll probably come here in the morning. Haaah…”
“What? Again?”
“Yeah… We’re going to the Brother’s Land together.”
“Why the Brother’s Land?”
“I’m going to introduce her to them.”
“What?!”
‘Fuck…’
Introducing her to Goff and Black Spear? That was unexpected. In a way, it was an extension of his work. I didn’t really have anything to say about it, but the fact that they would be spending time together again tomorrow, after today, was quite a shock.
‘He hasn’t fallen hard for her, has he?’
The thought began to consume my mind. In my past life, I’d been forced to sell my body, so I’d never had thoughts like these. I’d seen the wife of an adventurer who’d blown dozens of gold coins at a high-class brothel show up and scream at her husband, but I’d always thought of it as someone else’s problem.
But now, I was in that wife’s shoes.
If he had fallen hard for her, the situation would become much more serious.
Long eyelashes, wavy, shimmering hair, a voice like pearls spilling from lips you’d want to kiss, and wings as white as pure snow. The only saving grace was that her chest was just average, but then again, so was mine.
“Son of a… bitch.”
The curse slipped out before I knew it, but the womanizer in front of me had already collapsed onto the bed. I needed to take drastic measures. The first thing that came to mind was to establish discipline. I wanted to avoid such a situation if at all possible, but if he was going to accept that pigeon, she would need to be properly educated.
She was coming here tomorrow morning anyway, so it wouldn’t matter if I made up a plausible excuse to spend some time with her. I slid into the bed next to him, and the face of that sinful man filled my vision.
“He really is ridiculously handsome.”
No wonder the pigeons were going crazy. I could tolerate sharing him.
However…
“I will never let him be taken from me.”
*
I hadn’t slept for more than a few hours, but I woke up quite early. It was the day the pigeon was coming. I don’t know why, but on days I considered important, I tended to wear a little more makeup than usual. I tidied myself up, of course, and just in case of an unexpected situation, I strapped a dagger where it couldn’t be seen.
“It’d be best if it never has to see the inside of a gut, but…”
If necessary, I was sure it could play its part.
“That Seraphim pigeon.”
I slipped out of the room a little early, considering Kim Taesung might see me. It was a natural move. It was better to encounter her outside than to meet her together inside. We could have a little chat, woman to woman, and I could even put the squeeze on her a bit. It was the logical choice.
“Let me know if a pigeon comes in.”
“Yes.”
I spoke to the followers guarding the temple, just in case she arrived out of my line of sight, and they answered immediately. I must have sat there in a daze for some time before I started to hear a commotion.
The pigeon had arrived.
“Lady Choi Seulgi.”
“I know.”
Establishing dominance from the start was crucial. I had to teach her who was on top and who was on the bottom to prevent any trouble later.
“It’s that woman from before.”
Just as I gripped the dagger I had no intention of using, the figure that came into view wasn’t the Seraphim I was waiting for, but a man with angel wings.
“Huh?!”
“Is Blood Dagger still asleep?”
“Yes… well… Did you come alone? Seraphim is…”
“Lady Seraphim is attending to other matters.”
“Did you, yesterday…”
“The two of us drank together.”
“..........”
I couldn’t help but think I’d made a stupid misunderstanding. The energy just drained out of me. I suddenly felt ridiculous for making such a fuss. For a moment, I debated whether to speak formally or informally, but he was a guest, and with someone I didn’t know well, formal speech was more comfortable.
“He’s probably still sleeping. Would you mind waiting a moment?”
“No need, Seulgi. I’m up. Haaaah…”
I was startled once again by the voice that came from behind me as we were talking. Kim Taesung, already awake and ready, was opening the door and coming out.
“It seems I’m a little late. My apologies.”
“Not at all. By the way, what kind of place is this Brother’s Land? I couldn’t stop thinking about what you told me yesterday.”
“It’s where my brothers live.”
“Hmm.”
“You’ll probably be surprised when you see it. Though I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”
An even more bewildering scene began to unfold before my eyes.
Kim Taesung was acting as if they’d known each other for decades.
“.........”
“Is your stomach alright?”
“I’m still not used to the alcohol here…”
“I’d recommend you prepare yourself properly. Pfft.”
“That’s worrying.”
There was no awkwardness between them, as if they’d known each other for a very long time. They didn’t seem uncomfortable at all; they clicked perfectly, like two people who had found their ideal match.
‘What the…?’
I could count on one hand the number of times I’d seen him like this, even in our past life. He never had any trustworthy people around him back then, but I’d certainly never seen him make a friend. In fact, the most surprising thing after reuniting with Kim Taesung wasn’t the women around him, but the existence of Goff and Black Spear.
The fact that he had found friends he called brothers was quite unexpected. It was a scene I could never have imagined, thinking back to the old Kim Taesung.
“...............”
I felt a bit like an outsider, but this wasn’t so bad in its own way. Come to think of it, I had also found friends I got along with thanks to Kim Taesung. Of course, we were in the unique situation of sharing one man, but there were many times when the sense of security outweighed the exhaustion.
“I’ll be back, Seulgi.”
“Yeah… see you.”
I wasn’t so petty as to not allow him this much. The only thing that bothered me was that this angel, Michael, was incredibly handsome. All the pigeons were either beautiful or handsome, but this one felt a little special.
“Surely not…”
Probably not. Kim Taesung had changed a lot since coming here, but he wouldn’t have turned into the type of Green Skin who thinks anything goes as long as it tastes good, or who… checks out other men.
As she watched the two of them spread their wings and disappear, Choi Seulgi muttered to herself one more time, just in case.
“It can’t be that…”
Surely, it couldn’t be that.