I'll Provide Mental Care (4)
I'm no fool. I'm not the idiot who kicks over a perfectly laid-out feast. I'm the kind of guy who floors it when he sees a green light, the type who never backs down in a situation like this.
"I can certainly offer you a room to crash in overnight, but if a scandal breaks out, I can't take responsibility for that?"
"No need to worry about that. If a scandal erupts, the country would probably love it."
Baek Seolhui smirked at my provocation, dipping her head slightly.
"All the nation really cares about is one thing. Whether the man who becomes my husband—the father of my child—is Korean. Whether he holds Korean citizenship. That's it."
"Well, now."
What to do. I'm an alien. Not the little green men kind we usually imagine, but a man from another world.
"Pure-blooded Korean, you mean?"
"Are you mixed-race?"
"Hmm... As far as I know, no. Definitely not."
"But your citizenship is Korean right now, isn't it?"
"It is. So, as far as the nation's essential requirement for Baek Seolhui's husband goes, I've nailed it. The nation would approve."
Is Baek Seolhui the type who has to live, die, or bear children on command if the country says so? Not at all.
"Seolhui, mind if I call someone over real quick?"
"Someone?"
"Yeah. Sitting here still, I figure we need something to drink."
"Alcohol in a hot spring isn't good for you."
"Not booze. Can't just drink recklessly like that."
Drinking in a situation like this is a recipe for disaster.
"Shall I fetch something to drink, or would you prefer to go?"
"...I don't even know where we are."
"Guess I'll go then."
Baek Seolhui had overlooked one crucial thing. She sees me as a reasonable guy who listens patiently to all sorts of stories, and on the surface, Do Jihwan the librarian acts like a normal person. But I'm a bona fide villain.
"......Huh?"
"I'll grab some drinks. What would you like?"
"Uh, anything...?"
I stood up from my seat. Baek Seolhui scanned me up and down with a bewildered expression, but I casually stepped out of the water without a care.
"Wha—what—?!"
Her confused voice echoed from behind, but I ignored it, heading to the small fridge near the open-air bath entrance to grab some drinks and hand one to her.
"Coffee milk or strawberry milk?"
"C-Coffee..."
"Here you go."
I handed Baek Seolhui a triangular carton of coffee milk with a straw already poked in. For myself, I snipped the end of the strawberry milk with scissors and inserted a straw.
"Wait, Jihwan...?"
"What's up?"
"......Should I report you for sexual harassment?"
"What? Oh, this?"
I raised both arms out to the sides.
"I'm not embarrassed by anything."
"...Pardon?"
"There's nothing about my body I'm ashamed of, so I can be completely confident."
Even the master of the Thunder Hammer stood tall before the gods for a reason. No need for me to hide or cover up.
This place is mine—I rented it—and Baek Seolhui's just a guest.
"Any problem with that?"
"...You can just show it off like that?"
"It's no different from the David statue in Florence."
Before slipping back into the water, I struck a pose just like David's.
"A body like this is a work of art. Complaining about sexual harassment over something artistic is just bad manners."
"Am I the one in the wrong here?"
"Of course. I was enjoying my private soak, and then Baek Seolhui barges in—should I have suited up just to hop back in the bath?"
Straight facts.
"Nothing shameful about my naked body, and this is the private open-air bath of the pension I rented. Why should I be the embarrassed one?"
"But... I'm looking, aren't I?"
"Sure, I'm Ability-less, but this body's S-grade—no, special EX-grade. Admit it?"
"......I'd have to inspect it with my eyes to confirm."
"Look all you want. This masterpiece sculpted by nightly workouts. No need to be shy—anyone would marvel at art like this."
Anyone who objects would be some Du Eok Sini type.
"So, what do you think?"
"......Ten minutes ago we were talking national shame, and now suddenly national treasure? Never saw that coming."
"Hey now, national treasure? I'm talking purely about this body."
"Jihwan, you drunk or something?"
"Drunk? Not at all. I'll have a drink later in the room after the bath."
I don't booze during the soak.
"Seolhui, feeling a bit calmer now?"
"Pardon?"
"The mood was getting too heavy, so I figured drinks would lighten things up. We still need to talk about you staying over."
I took a light sip of strawberry milk.
"I can definitely listen to your story. But I'm a little scared I might end up forcing my views on you. Can't impose one person's thoughts on another."
"That's..."
"Not because you're an S-grade Ability user—I'm saying this as a friend. Friends can offer a word of advice to help things go well, but blocking someone's life choices? Can't do that lightly."
"Friend..."
Her voice carried a hint of disappointment, but for now, we have to keep it at friends. Otherwise, she'll kill me.
"Yes. Friends."
"......Can't we be more than friends?"
Not a green light anymore. This woman's gunning it down the autobahn.
"More than friends."
I swallowed a sip of strawberry milk and shook my head.
"We can't go deeper than friends. Hate to say it, but..."
Best to lay out the facts straight.
"I have a daughter."
"......Pardon?"
Baek Seolhui's face stiffened instantly.
"A d-daughter?"
"Yeah. More precisely, there's a woman you'd call my wife. And right now, there's a life growing in her belly."
"......Really?"
"Dead serious. Why would I lie?"
"......Maybe you find me burdensome and made it up."
Baek Seolhui started gauging my reaction.
"Saying that because you don't like me."
"No way. Why would I invent some story just to say you're burdensome? It's true. Want to hear about it?"
To defuse this, I have no choice but to ask her directly for help.
"Should I call her now?"
"......Sure."
She seems convinced I'm bluffing, but unfortunately for her, she's wrong.
"Hold on a sec."
I tapped my Taeguk Watch and dialed someone.
"Hello?"
Baek Seolhui's expression hardened at the woman's voice coming through the Taeguk Watch—sounding much younger than her.
"Yeah, honey. Got a minute?"
"What's up?"
"I'm in a tricky spot right now. Need to prove I'm a married man."
"...Oh, I see."
The woman's tone sank.
"Who is it? A woman?"
"Woman."
"You said you were heading to the 'Oppa' pension, and now you're alone with a woman? Heh."
Something's off. My body's submerged in the hot spring, but it suddenly feels like the steam's turning icy.
"Oppa. If the 'Chairman' knew you were doing this, what do you think she'd say?"
"Hmm..."
Sensitive topic. The answer's obvious, but I can't just blurt it out.
"Wrong. The Chairman would say this."
She replied calmly.
"No hesitation allowed in patriotic acts."
"...What?"
Not the answer I expected.
"Excuse me...?"
"What? Do I look like some ordinary girl who'd freak out over you meeting other women? "
"N-No. That's usually how it goes, though..."
"You know I'm not some average girl. Is the other person there with you?"
"Y-Yeah. She is..."
"Oh, really? Can I talk to her for a sec?"
No. Is she seriously—?
"Hello? The lady there?"
"...Yes?"
"Use him clean and return him."
Click. The call ended.
Neither I nor Baek Seolhui knew how to respond to this emperor-of-the-sky woman's words.
"Your... wife is quite unique."
"......"
Words failed me. This situation was utterly beyond my comprehension.
What the hell. Is this the dignity of a national-pride isekai light novel world? Heroes, nationalism, anti-nationalists—screw all that. This is allowed?
No way. For real?
Ding.
My Taeguk Watch lit up. A message arrived, so I checked it right away. She'd sent just one short line.
Ah. Does she think I'm out here in the dead of night, even using my body, to recruit him? And she just approved it?
"...Really, words fail me on so many levels. Sorry, Seolhui. I didn't mean to put you in this spot."
"...Use him clean and return him? Ha."
Baek Seolhui twisted her lips.
"......Unbelievable."
"No, Seolhui...?"
"You know why I came to find you tonight, Jihwan? To be a 'bad girl' for once."
Splash. Baek Seolhui rose from the water.
"The country's pressuring a woman named Baek Seolhui to pop out kids quick. Sure, that's patriotic. An Ability user born from it would be this nation's hero. But... she'd just end up as the government dogs' bitch."
She reached up, channeling mana to create a faint mist.
"I hate that. I want to work for this country, for its people, but I have no intention of becoming the daughter-in-law or wife of those corrupt 'officials' fattening their coffers off that goodwill."
"Seolhui...?"
"Jihwan."
Baek Seolhui approached and gripped my Taeguk Watch firmly with one hand.
"...Lend me your night—just for today—so I can be a 'bad girl'?"
"......"
Let me say it again.
"This might be treason."
"No one would think of it that way."
"...Got it."
I.
"I'll help with your patriotism."
I'm not the moron who kicks over a feast.
"Let's talk all night."