Chapter 38
Chapter 38
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Living with the Princess
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Whether from the tension finally easing or not, Princess Kurumi fell straight asleep in Shin-woo's arms.
Shin-woo hoisted the princess onto his back and, following Lee Jin-ah's guidance, headed up to the recovery room located in the mid-levels of the Hunter Association building.
After gently placing the sleeping Princess Kurumi on the soft bed, he soon heard the full story.
"From this recent attack, Princess Kurumi's mind and body have been greatly weakened. If we leave her alone like this, the intense stress might lead her to make a regrettable choice."
"...! Is it that serious?"
"Yes. She's someone with a Beast Hunter constitution who's had to live her whole life on foreign soil. The fact that she's endured this long is impressive in itself."
Lee Jin-ah looked down at Shin-woo, who was sitting right beside the princess's bed, with an extremely grave expression.
She continued as if this was where things really began.
"That's why I'd like to make a proposal to you, Shin-woo."
"A proposal...?"
"Yes. While Princess Kurumi recovers her mind and body, could you 'live together' with her for a while?"
"Of course not!"
But the one who answered wasn't Shin-woo, naturally.
"Sophia!"
Sophia, who had followed Shin-woo straight into the recovery room.
She was already half out of her mind at the mere mention of Shin-woo living with a woman.
"L-living with the princess for a while?! Wh-what if something happens...?"
"Sorry, but Sophia, this is a proposal I made to Shin-woo. Even family can't just butt in like that."
"Th-that's...!"
"Isn't that a bit too harsh, Jin-ah?"
It was then.
Sophia, who had been fidgeting, feeling like she was definitely going to lose Shin-woo.
Was it to give her daughter a push?
"Auntie!"
"Mom!"
"Rolling..."
Rolling, who had followed her kids, waved cheerfully at the two and was the last to enter the recovery room.
Lee Jin-ah clicked her tongue as if an annoyance had arrived.
"I only approved it because you said you'd take our son just to keep the lonely princess company."
"...So what are you trying to say?"
"Even so, living together crosses the line. If it were just visiting friends occasionally, maybe, but anything beyond that is honestly... a nuisance."
"......"
With the Korean branch's vice director—and a parent, no less—so firmly opposed, what could she do?
'If things went well, this could've been a chance to breed a child from the top ten families with Korean blood...'
It was truly a shame.
Truly a shame, but with no way to persuade her further coming to mind, Lee Jin-ah had no choice but to...
"Um, Auntie."
"Yes?"
...give up.
"Then I'll stay at the princess's mansion for a while."
"Wh-what?!"
"Wh-what are you saying?! Han Shin-woo!"
Fortune had suddenly rolled in.
Everyone in the recovery room, including Lee Jin-ah, wondered if the kids really loved each other that much as they all whipped around to stare at Shin-woo.
"Princess Kurumi looks like she's been through a lot. She at least needs someone to talk to, right?"
Han Shin-woo, his eyes shining purely with the desire to help.
Though precisely, it was for this world's happy ending—but somehow, everyone sensed his firm resolve to absolutely cohabit.
"H-Han Shin-woo... You're really going to... live with that woman—no, the princess...?"
"Yeah. Of course, we'd sleep in separate rooms and all that."
"N-no, even so... Uh, Mom!"
"......Is that what Shin-woo wants?"
"Yes! Of course, Auntie."
Sophia, beyond restless, called out to Rolling as if pleading for help.
But seeing her son answer so resolutely, even a mother had no choice.
"...Fine, do as you like."
"M-Mom?!"
There was nothing she could do.
A gloomy shadow fell over Sophia's face, while conversely, Lee Jin-ah broke into a bright smile, judging breeding fully possible.
"C-cohabiting?!"
"Haha, yeah... It just kinda happened."
"A-are you okay with that?! Living with someone like me..."
"...? Isn't that what I should be saying? Living with someone like me..."
"Of course I'd love to! ...Ah, s-sorry..."
A week had passed since then.
In the meantime, a second major attack targeting Princess Kurumi had occurred, just as in the game scenario.
"You damn bastards!"
"Hand over the foreign bitch!"
But the attackers this second week were none other than North Korean spies.
Normally, they'd have to face a siege battle from the mansion like in the first week.
But by chance, Princess Kurumi had been staying temporarily at the Hunter Association's Korean branch for mansion repairs.
"Hey there? Red friends."
"Uh... huh?!"
"A-aaahhh!!"
The North Korean spies who brazenly charged into the heart of Korean hunter power were annihilated in under a few minutes by overwhelming numbers and Lee Jin-ah's personal command.
I reunited with Princess Kurumi the very next day after that.
"They really fixed the entire mansion in just a week..."
"I heard they used powerful barriers and specially crafted timber to reinforce it even sturdier than before."
"Oh, really?"
I was amazed that the mansion, which had been reduced to barren wasteland without a trace, had been restored to its original state as I'd first seen it.
Even the surrounding concrete buildings, turned into a ghost town to hide the mansion, had all been fully repaired.
'What kind of beings are the grinders in this world...'
Makes me wanna worship raids anew.
Anyway, I led the way with Princess Kurumi toward the mansion...
Ahem!
...but before entering, we first decided to thank the three hunters who had volunteered to guard the mansion despite the recent incident.
"Despite the major crisis last time, I sincerely thank the hunters who volunteered to protect Princess Kurumi's mansion this time."
"Ooh! Words of thanks? I'll gladly accept!"
"Don't worry about us. Take good care of the princess too, Shin-woo!"
"......Hmph!"
On the day of the first attack on Princess Kurumi.
The hunters who had failed to protect her due to the rampage of the now-imprisoned Russian national-level hunter in the Korean branch basement had all voluntarily stepped down.
As if they didn't deserve to, they even submitted mass resignations, giving Lee Jin-ah a headache for a moment.
"Does that mean I have to guard personally...?"
"Branch Chief, I'd like to volunteer!"
"Me too! Senior!"
The Jamsil Monster.
Upon hearing that her protection had coincidentally succeeded thanks to its emergence, volunteers stepped up immediately.
"C-Rank Hunter Yoo Cheol-ran! Here to volunteer for Princess Kurumi's protection!"
One was Yoo Cheol-ran, a fake heroine who was buried under Sophia but treated as a genius in the original story.
"Leave it to me, Senior!"
The other was none other than A-Rank Hunter Joo Sang-ho, who had faced the Jamsil Monster head-on, taken a hit that shattered his bones, survived—and was still living as a hunter with 'zero anger management'.
"Then for this round of Princess Kurumi's protection, these two for now..."
"Branch Chief, I'd like to volunteer too."
And the last one insisting on protecting the princess was.
A capable American B-Rank hunter who had shone brilliantly during the first protection despite the bad matchup.
Sophia herself.
And so, back to the present.
"......"
Sophia staring at me quietly with a sullen expression.
Had it been since I announced I'd cohabit with the princess?
At home and out, she kept giving me that 'how could you...' look nonstop.
"Haha..."
Does she really think I've been stolen away by someone?
But this cohabitation was absolutely necessary for the world's happy ending, with not even a speck of impure intent.
And when I eventually marry someday, even family must part ways.
'Think of it as... practice.'
What can you do? It's the Beast Hunter constitution.
With those thoughts.
Pat pat.
"...!"
"Don't worry. I'm just protecting the princess up close for a while."
"...Yeah."
To tell her to stop being mad, I patted Sophia's head.
She seemed a bit appeased, turning her gaze away but answering obediently anyway.
"Just protecting..."
"...? Princess, what did you just say?"
"Yes?! Oh, nothing..."
Anyway, we passed the three current guards and entered the mansion.
I thought we'd check the guest room first.
"Huh? Aren't we going in here anymore?"
"No. We're 'cohabiting' now, so we don't need to use rooms like that anymore."
Princess Kurumi breezed past the guest room without a glance.
The first room we entered was none other than the tatami room where I'd be staying and eating for the time being.
"Shin-woo, you'll sleep here from now on."
"Uh... Isn't it too big?"
"...? Is it? I was about to apologize, saying it's like a doghouse..."
What doghouse is the size of a room that could fit an entire soccer team comfortably?
Is this the class of the top ten families, also called world nobility?
Anyway, since it was my room, I set down the luggage I'd brought in advance.
Then.
"Now, let's check out Princess Kurumi's room."
"Y-yes?! My room...?"
"Yeah. I need to know where you sleep so I can help if something happens."
Precisely, in my monsterized state.
The reason I was cohabiting with her was solely for the princess's safety.
And knowing the target's usual location was a key point in protection.
"Where does Princess Kurumi stay?"
I perked up my ears and listened intently.
"Uh... Um... Th-that's..."
The princess, extremely hesitant just to reveal her room's location?
Worried she'd chosen a disadvantageous spot, I watched her head toward the wall of my tatami room.
Slide.
"...Huh?"
"Here... it is..."
No way, that wasn't a model?
When Princess Kurumi quietly slid open what I'd thought was a decorative sliding door on the wall, her bedroom came into view right inside.