Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Dad Gets Energized Just Seeing His Daughter
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“Waaah!”
I let out a cheer that bordered on a scream as I dashed around every corner of the house.
Is this really our home?!
The place where I—no, we—will live from now on?
This isn't a dream, is it?
Someone pinch my cheek for me!
I'd heard that it was too rundown to fix up properly, so they were tearing it down and rebuilding from scratch.
Even accounting for that, the transformed house was so brand new it was hard to get used to.
And for good reason—there were a whopping three rooms.
Two bathrooms, to boot.
The living room, which used to fill up halfway with just a TV and table, was now spacious enough for a sofa.
But what amazed me the most was the repaired windows.
Not the windows themselves, exactly.
It was how almost no sounds came in from outside.
“Wow, Yuseol! Check this out. When you close the door, no noise gets in at all.”
“They must have added soundproofing. To think they managed this much in just one day...”
Even the great Han Yuseol let out a gasp of admiration. It seemed every little detail had been taken care of.
Clack, clack. I kept opening and closing the soundproof windows, fascinated by them.
When I opened the door, I could hear birds chirping outside.
But when I closed it, it was like the world had been cut off—dead silent. So amazing!
“With this, even a summer typhoon should be fine, right?”
“A typhoon?”
“Yeah! During typhoons, I'd always have to huddle under the covers, shivering. The doors would rattle so hard, and it felt like the house might fly away...”
“You've been through a lot. No need to worry about that anymore.”
“Wow!”
No more fearing typhoons!
Overjoyed, I shot both hands up in the air.
Bring it on, summer!
The old me who hid under the blankets with a pillow over my ears is gone!
No matter how fierce you are, you won't breach these sturdy walls!
Thud thud thud. Hugging my joy close, I bolted straight to the bathroom.
Whoosh—
I turned on the faucet experimentally, and the water pressure was strong.
But more than that, warm water came out, leaving me deeply moved.
I bounced up and down on the spot, gazing up at Han Yuseol with sparkling eyes.
“Gasp! Yuseol, warm water comes out too! Now I won't have to shower in ice-cold water and shiver through winter!”
“I... see. That's a relief.”
For some reason, Han Yuseol's reaction felt a bit off.
Maybe because she'd always lived in a house with hot water?
It seemed like a huge deal to me, though.
I started feeling a little down, like I was the only excited one.
But then I spotted the toilet, and all those thoughts vanished.
“Huh? Isn't this the thing in your house too, Yuseol?”
“Ah, you mean the bidet. Have you never used one?”
“Nope. It looked so complicated, I never dared touch it.”
So this is a bidet.
I had a vague idea of what it was.
But something about it made me hesitant, so I'd never tried it even at Han Yuseol's place.
“It's handy for cleaning up after you go. Just press this, and water comes out...”
“Aha.”
Hearing how it worked, it seemed simpler than I thought.
Still, a bit of anxiety crept in.
W-water shoots out, you say...
At there?
It sounds like it'd feel really weird.
I decided there was no need to use it. Why bother with water when toilet paper is so convenient?
Everything else was perfect, though.
As I left the bathroom beaming ear to ear...
“Gasp! Y-Yuseol... that...!”
“Must be the item I asked Choi Geonwoo for.”
“Whoa, it's real...!”
I spotted the object on the kitchen table.
My eyes widened, and I rushed over in a heartbeat.
It was an ice maker!
The very machine that had shocked me to my core at Han Yuseol's house!
No need to freeze ice trays in the freezer anymore.
Whenever I wanted, cold ice at the ready.
A revolutionary appliance for me!
Fill a glass to the brim with this ice.
Pour in chocolate milk, and it stays cold to the last sip.
If it starts getting watery, just drink faster!
“With this, summer won't faze me anymore!”
“Summer? Oh, because you can have cold water?”
“Huh? Don't you know, Yuseol? In summer, fill a basin with ice water and soak your feet—it's super refreshing!”
“...Ah.”
She didn't know this golden tip?
Excited that I finally had something to teach Han Yuseol, I chattered on.
She froze for a second, scratching her cheek awkwardly.
“Is that how you usually spent summers?”
“Yep! No fan, so I had to improvise. Oh! Or wrap ice in a towel and loop it around your neck. It's on a hill, but surprisingly little breeze in summer—gets so hot.”
“That must have been tough.”
“Eh, not too bad. When it got really hot, I'd pop down to the supermarket below. They had a fan on the floor, and the lady there never minded.”
Once on a scorching day, I couldn't take it anymore.
On the way back up the hill, I nearly collapsed from heatstroke.
Best to wait till sunset to climb.
“Good grief, how did that kid end up...”
“No wonder that guy begged so desperately. Poor thing...”
I was enthusiastically sharing my summer survival secrets.
Then I heard whispers from the workers behind me.
Oh right—they must work outside even in summer.
That's why they're listening so intently to my tips.
Ice towel's the best—hope they use it well!
“You probably won't have to do that starting this summer, Master.”
“Huh? Why not?”
For a moment, I thought maybe this summer I'd be the one teaching Han Yuseol.
Puffing out my chest proudly...
She doused me with cold water.
She pointed at the living room ceiling.
“Because there's an air conditioner up there.”
“What?! An air conditioner? That's an AC?!”
Her shocking words hit me.
More than that—was that an air conditioner?
Not a vent...?!
“Yes. These days, they do system ACs built into the structure from the start. You saw it at my place, right?”
“Oh...! Now that you mention it, yeah.”
Back then, I was too mesmerized by the huge TV and comfy sofa to notice.
Thinking back, there was definitely something like that on the ceiling—a vent... no, an AC.
“Right? Turn it on in summer, and the house feels like opening a fridge door.”
“Wow!”
Air-conditioned buildings in summer?
I thought that was only for banks or district offices!
It's possible at home too!
“Plus, with the AC on in summer, you can do something truly amazing.”
“Wh-what amazing thing?”
Even Han Yuseol called it amazing.
What could it be?
I swallowed hard, eyes gleaming.
“Indeed. You can burrow under the covers in the dead of summer...
...and eat chocolate ice cream inside them.”
“Whaaat...?!”
An action so inefficient it was absurd—my jaw dropped in shock.
Why cover up with blankets when you're running the AC because it's hot?
Burying under blankets means you're cold.
Then why eat chocolate ice cream on top?
It defied all logic.
Yet strangely...
Just imagining myself doing it filled me with bliss.
“How about it, Master? Lying on that big sofa, wrapped in cool blankets thanks to the AC, watching your favorite shows on the huge TV, devouring chocolate ice cream.”
“That... would feel amazing!”
“Exactly. You can enjoy that starting this summer.”
I get it now!
Sorry for hating you all this time, summer!
Hurry up and come, even if just for a day this year!
“Now that you have this wonderful house, how about a commemorative photo together?”
“Hehe, sure!”
Click!
After that, Han Yuseol and I posed side by side with the house as backdrop.
She seemed to fiddle urgently with her phone after snapping the shot.
But I was too busy exploring, bouncing around everywhere to notice.
Gasp! No mold on the ceiling or walls!
At the same time, Choi Geonwoo was deep in paperwork in his office.
Having poured all his attention into Hayang's house the past couple of days,
he'd neglected guild business to the point of getting an earful.
“Whew...”
Trying to clear the piled-up work in one day left him utterly drained.
Might as well raid a gate and fight it out—less exhausting.
Paperwork showdowns were definitely not his thing.
He rubbed his temples and looked up at the ceiling.
No improvement in sight, he was about to call his secretary for coffee.
Ding!
“Hm?”
His phone on the desk buzzed, tilting his head.
This was his personal phone, separate from work—used only for private contacts.
Just two people knew the number in the last six months.
You can imagine how rare incoming messages were.
Thinking it might be spam, he picked it up.
[Sword Empress Han Yuseol]
A name both unfamiliar and growing familiar floated up.
Han Yuseol, whose contact he'd shared yesterday while visiting Hayang's house together.
“What's this about?”
Maybe something wrong with Hayang's house?
He'd mobilized everyone possible, ordering a rush job.
And thrown in bonuses to ensure no corners cut.
Growling, ready to drive over if needed, he checked the message.
There was a photo that screamed "never taken a selfie before."
Han Yuseol holding the phone with her usual stiff expression,
and next to her, Hayang shyly beaming as wide as possible, flashing a cute V-sign.
A heartwarming duo shot.
“...Pfft, nicely done.”
Choi Geonwoo smiled in satisfaction, but one thing bugged him.
Just Hayang's—resend
???
Shamelessly, he'd requested a resend from Han Yuseol, then set the phone face down.
(Photo)
I trust you won't use this for anything weird
Outrageous
Thanks anyway
Once Hayang's solo photo arrived,
he set it as his wallpaper and grinned.
“Let's do a bit more.”
Somehow refreshed, he rolled his shoulders and dove back into work.