My Daughter, Bring That Guy Here! (6)
"Mom, but where did Aunt Bea go?"
One asked Yu-na with sparkling peach-colored eyes like fluffy cotton candy, her head tilting cutely as she offered a flower.
"Um—Sis went to meet Dad. Since it's been a while since Sis and Dad saw each other, it'll probably take a little time."
"Hic... I wanna see Dad too..."
When Yu-na explained that Beatrice had gone to meet Cheon-seong, One's ears and tail drooped at once, her face darkening with clear disappointment.
Beatrice had been gone for a week now, just like One. For the entire week, One had not been able to see her father.
When Cheon-seong's injury had first been revealed, One had laughed while playing with friends at kindergarten, yet she had refused to go, sobbing all day until her eyes swelled from crying. To One, Cheon-seong had been far more than a father—he was the prince who had rescued her from the cold, dark space where she once lived, the same hero who appeared in fairy tales.
Even to a young One, Cheon-seong's presence was enormous. His injury and the week-long separation had left the once-vibrant, energetic girl listless and drained. Yu-na could easily understand her feelings.
Yu-na herself had cried nonstop for a full day after hearing about Cheon-seong's wounds. How much deeper must the shock have been for a little girl as tender as One?
"Don't worry, One. Sis went to make Dad better."
"Really?! Then I can see Dad now?!"
"Yes, really. Very soon."
So Yu-na gently stroked One's silky silver hair and told her why Beatrice had gone.
She had wanted to heal Cheon-seong herself, but the worst damage was the mana circuits overloaded and destroyed. That was far beyond Yu-na's skill level.
Yu-na had been troubled by her own helplessness when Beatrice spoke to her.
"Do not be disheartened. I will handle Cheon-seong's treatment."
Yu-na had merely thought Beatrice was a strong human, but Beatrice was a high-ranking Celestial from the first class—one of the god-like race who had shown divine power. Her celestial power, specialized in recovery, defense, and purification, was strong enough to mend a broken mana circuit in a single use.
Relieved that Beatrice could treat Cheon-seong's mana circuits, Yu-na had agreed to stay home with One and comforted her, praying that Beatrice would heal her lover.
'Cheon-seong, come back quickly. I miss you.'
Yu-na longed desperately for the sight of Cheon-seong—himself, not the injured body she had seen, but the one who would walk over to her and hold her gently in his warm arms.
Meanwhile, Beatrice and Yu-na had no idea what the other was doing as they waited for Cheon-seong to wake up.
Five Colors • Fusion
Therefore, Yu-na sat at home watching over One.
"So Yu-na is watching One at home?"
Cheon-seong, who had discarded his patient gown and leaned his shoulder against the wall after sweating profusely from intense movement, asked Yu-na the reason he had come instead of her.
[You, too, ask such a question even though you shared so much love with me?]
Moonlight streamed in through the window, bathing Beatrice in an ethereal glow. She puffed out her cheeks as she questioned Cheon-seong about Yu-na, her mysterious beauty as captivating as a celestial descending from the heavens.
"Hehe, sorry. But I love you and Yu-na the same."
Cheon-seong scratched his right cheek with one hand while answering. Beatrice reached out, turned his face away from Yu-na's gaze, and spoke.
[A human who answers such a thing so shamelessly...]
"R-right? Sorry—"
Cheon-seong, thinking the words sounded too shameless, tried to apologize again. Beatrice pressed her lips firmly over his mouth to stop him.
[Yet I love even that shameless look of yours.]
Cheon-seong was left speechless, his mind blank as he stared at the bright smile on Beatrice's face. She smiled softly and embraced his face, kissing him once more.
Cheon-seong pulled back, regaining his senses and focusing on Beatrice once again, when a brilliant golden light suddenly poured from her. It wrapped around him like a warm embrace.
Only Celestials could wield celestial power, and it began healing Cheon-seong's shattered mana circuits with the advanced application of the Black Moon form.
Even though Cheon-seong, who healed himself faster than anyone thanks to various elixirs, still needed a full month to recover from his wounds, they vanished in an instant under Beatrice's celestial power. The power flowed toward his left arm, now cut short. Cheon-seong pushed Beatrice away.
"You don't need to do this. Thank you for healing me."
Of course, if treatment were possible, he would open his remaining arm wide in welcome. But if the severed left arm were healed so suddenly, it would raise suspicions among the people watching.
Moreover, the wound had already begun to close, so rough methods would be needed to complete the repair.
[Hm, indeed. I apologize. I was too hasty.]
Cheon-seong explained his thoughts to Beatrice, who looked surprised. She apologized sincerely, saying she had not thought that far. Cheon-seong turned to her, pulled her into his arms, and answered in a gentle voice.
"No need to apologize. That was for me. Rather, I'm sorry for pushing you away."
[Huff... You are truly kind.]
Beatrice laughed, saying it was her own fault, and stroked Cheon-seong's cheek while wrapped in his embrace.
"It's because I love you. I love you with all my heart."
The moonlight between them grew dimmer as clouds swallowed the moon, until it finally vanished.
Just before the last ray of moonlight disappeared behind the clouds, Cheon-seong smiled brightly and said, "And if such a small thing upsets you, isn't that a little cowardly?"
The moon disappeared completely behind the clouds, plunging the room back into darkness.
Beatrice's golden eyes widened in surprise at the radiant smile she had never seen on Cheon-seong's face before.
She hid her body in the darkness, yet her clear black eyes gazed back at him with perfect clarity, brighter than anything in the shadows.
Beatrice felt her heart skip at the dazzling smile on Cheon-seong's face.
Naturally, a smile spread across her own features. The distance between Cheon-seong and Beatrice shrank until they were nearly touching.
Cheon-seong and Beatrice stood close, both smiling. Their lips brushed, but the kiss remained pure, touching only the surface of the brightest smile.
'Yes, that's me. If I am like that to you, then I... am fine too.'
Cheon-seong could not sense the single hidden emotion behind Beatrice's smile.
-30 HP
The next morning, the sun rose, filling the room with blinding heat as if a small sun had been born inside it.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A man's finger tapped the desk at regular intervals and pressure. The secretary Kim, drenched in sweat, hurried over to report.
Tap!
The tapping stopped. Guild Master Yoo Han-jin of the Yeomwang Guild, Shin-yeom, opened his blood-red eyes and spoke.
"So, our daughter seems to like that guy?"
"Y-yes... At least in my opinion..."
'One, two, three, four, five, six...'
Whip!
Kim's fingers counted the zeros on the blank check, bowed at ninety degrees, and shouted.
"Thank you! I will serve you faithfully for the rest of my life!!"
"Good. You may go."
Cheon-seong had sworn lifelong loyalty in exchange for a sum large enough to escape his mind in an instant. Yoo Han-jin waved him away.
"Yes! Then I'll—"
Whoong!
Kim answered with a loud voice, "Then I'll go—"
The phone in Yoo Han-jin's hand rang. The caller ID displayed [Beloved Little Daughter].
Han-jin cleared his throat and answered while waving at Kim, who stared blankly.
For decades, Kim had survived danger through intuition and information gathering. When he sensed a crisis as he saw Han-jin pick up the phone, his instincts screamed.
'Crazy! I have to run away now—!!'
"Hello? Daughter? What happened in the morning..."
Without waiting for an answer, Han-jin began to flee on instinct. But before he could reach the door, the voice from the phone vanished, replaced by an overwhelming wave of heat and pressure that made the air itself burn.
Kwazik!
The phone shattered in Han-jin's grip.
"KUAHHHHH!!! Bring that damn guy who broke my daughter right now!!!"
'Ha... shit...'
Kim could not hold back the tears streaming down his face under the scorching heat.
Fssshhh.
His tears evaporated instantly in Yoo Han-jin's scorching aura.