Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Adoptive Daughter
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- Knock knock.
Unlike yesterday, things were different.
I no longer called out to her from beyond the reinforced glass of the counseling room. Instead, I stood right in front of the door to her room and knocked myself.
I'd already let her know I'd be visiting at this hour.
She was probably awake by now.
"Miss Seol Yu-wol, may I come in?"
I asked cautiously through the door.
- ......
There was no reply. But I could hear the faint rustle of clothing just beyond the door—someone was there.
She seemed to be right in front of it, but...
I waited a little longer.
When the door still didn't open after a while, I tilted my head in puzzlement.
Then, a tiny grunt came from inside.
- This thing... how do you open it...?
Ah.
"Ah, I'll get it."
- Beep.
I held my card key up to the door lock.
They hadn't even explained something this basic.
She might not be familiar with modern fixtures yet. Or maybe they really hadn't told her.
The door slid smoothly outward.
And at that exact moment...
"...!"
Something soft thudded right into my chest.
I looked down to see the crown of a familiar head, black and white strands mixed together.
Seol Yu-wol, who had been standing pressed close to open the door, had buried her face straight into my chest.
She jumped back immediately.
Her face flushed bright red, but I pretended not to notice.
I stepped inside casually and offered a routine morning greeting.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
Seol Yu-wol kept her eyes on the floor and murmured softly.
"The bedding was soft... and the room was quiet. It was fine."
She likes quiet and soft things.
Noted.
I moved naturally to the next question.
"Did anyone bother you during the night? Like an unexpected visitor, for example."
Since I'd requested no access to Seol Yu-wol, the association wouldn't have sent anyone.
This was to check on the Azure Heaven Alliance Leader's actions.
But Seol Yu-wol just shook her head.
"No. No one... came."
Good.
The barriers seemed solid enough.
I led her through the living room to the kitchen.
There, on the table, sat a lunchbox, lid still sealed, gone completely cold.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you."
She nodded at my words.
"...Because I don't know where it came from..."
Yeah, I get it.
I nodded back.
Basically, counseling works best when the client is in a stable state.
Her fondest memory with me was probably... the tanghulu.
But this time, I wanted to switch it up a bit. Keep the direction but make it fresh.
I'd predicted she wouldn't have eaten breakfast.
She wouldn't touch food provided by strangers, especially without knowing how it was made.
So, I'd come prepared.
'Mooncakes.'
Round pastries shaped like the full moon, stuffed with sweet red bean paste—a treat from her world.
But making actual mooncakes from scratch was practically impossible.
So, I went with the next best thing: the closest equivalent in this world.
'Flower bread.'
It might seem a bit sloppy, but it was the best option. Shaped just like she was used to, and sweet.
I pulled a home flower bread maker from my bag.
Seol Yu-wol's eyes widened at the bizarre metal contraption she'd never seen before.
I plugged it in familiarly and took out dough and red bean paste from my bag.
- Sizzle.
White dough poured onto the hot mold, releasing a nutty aroma as it cooked.
I spooned sweet red bean paste on top and covered it with more dough.
As I closed the lid, the sweet scent of bread began filling the room.
Seol Yu-wol watched the whole process in silent fascination.
A spark of curiosity flickered in her blue eyes.
"It looks... just like little mooncakes."
"Yes, I'm glad you recognize it. Think of it as this world's version of mooncakes."
- Ding.
With a cheerful chime, I opened the lid.
Flower breads emerged, shaped like full moons or blooming chrysanthemums.
I carefully took one out, speared it with a fork, and held it out to her.
"It's hot, so be careful."
I went to the kitchen, poured milk into a small glass cup, and put it in the warmer.
Flower bread alone might dry out her throat, and cold milk on an empty stomach isn't great.
I set the warmed milk in front of her.
Pulling out a chair, I sat and smiled gently.
"Shall we... eat and talk?"
Seol Yu-wol hesitated, then nodded ever so slightly.
"I hope it suits your taste."
She nibbled at the flower bread like a baby bird.
Her eyes widened for a moment, then her cheeks puffed out as she chewed vigorously, crunch crunch.
It was probably way tastier than Central Plains mooncakes.
Modern tech shines in cooking too.
'Where to start?'
Most clients come to me to unload their emotional burdens.
They recognize their issues and open up about the pain first.
But Seol Yu-wol is different.
I discovered it first.
She might not even realize what's wrong.
The wounds are there, but she doesn't know they're wounds.
I need to make her look at them directly.
Not to trigger PTSD.
Just to awaken those dormant sensations, one by one.
Time to button up the start of this long conversation.
I watched her munch on the flower bread and opened gently.
"From now on, I'll call you Yu-wol."
As she looked up in surprise, I smiled and added,
"In this world, that's more natural than 'Miss.' Think of it as practice for life here."
I gave her the choice.
"Call me whatever feels comfortable. Doctor, Counselor—whatever you like."
Freedom.
I emphasized the word.
"Freely. We'll keep remembering that word from now on."
Confirming her quiet nod, I got to the point.
"Now, let's start with the first question."
[Satisfaction Fit 80%]
What was the reason you refused your mother's visit?
[Satisfaction Fit ???%]
Yu-wol, your hair is a mess again. Come sit on my lap. Father will brush it for you.
The ability offered the exact options I'd anticipated.
The other one didn't make sense, though.
Yu-wol? Who'd think that was a real dad line?
I remembered that paper, so I won't go that route. Even if I did, not with that line.
Anyway.
'Why?'
Why refuse the meeting with Yi Seo-ryeong?
That would be the first button to peek into her emotions.
I waited for her to finish chewing and swallowing the last of her flower bread.
Then I asked softly.
"Yu-wol."
"Yesterday, you said you didn't want to meet your mother."
At the word "mother," Seol Yu-wol's pupils began to tremble.
But now wasn't the time to back off.
"Then, could you tell me why you refused?"
I met her blue eyes gently.
She desperately tried to avoid my gaze.
But wherever she fled, my eyes waited.
Finally, Seol Yu-wol opened her trembling lips, as if surrendering everything.
"...Because... I'd be ashamed..."
"What about it makes you so ashamed?"
"Because... I couldn't live up to Mother's expectations..."
Expectations.
I repeated the word in my mind.
What would a normal parent expect most from a child they reunite with after years apart?
'The child's well-being.'
That's what all parents hope for.
Just being alive would be enough for tears and hugs.
There probably aren't many parents who'd blame a child for not meeting expectations.
Yet she dreaded meeting her parents because she hadn't met expectations.
The pressure of failing them outweighed any joy of reunion.
'A bit more.'
I needed more info.
"I see. Thank you for answering."
To keep her from shrinking back, I shifted the topic slightly.
Not digging into the past, but sketching her life so far.
"If it's not too rude, could you tell me more about yourself, Yu-wol? Anything small is fine. Likes, wants, background—whatever."
She looked at me for a moment.
Then, like she was in an interview, she answered dryly, point by point.
"Likes... none."
"Wants... to become the next Alliance Leader."
"Background... the only daughter of the Martial Alliance Leader."
I listened silently.
She answered only the exact examples I gave.
But I got something.
The second answer.
'To become the next Alliance Leader.'
I smiled softly, echoing her words.
"Next Alliance Leader... sounds impressive. Is that your goal, Yu-wol?"
"Yes. I must become the Martial Alliance Leader."
She replied without a second's hesitation.
Quick, emotionless, like reciting lines.
I didn't miss the dissonance.
Seol Yu-wol said becoming Martial Alliance Leader was her goal.
After her mother Yi Seo-ryeong came to this world, the seat was probably vacant.
Did she achieve it afterward?
'No.'
I pieced together the clues in my head.
And reached one conclusion.
First, she felt ashamed for not meeting her mother's expectations.
Second, her goal was the vacant Alliance Leader position.
So the two lead to one truth.
'Seol Yu-wol failed to ascend the empty throne.'
That's the failure she spoke of.
People usually feel disappointed and crushed when they fail their own goals.
But she said she was ashamed. Like failing an order.
The goal she spat out mechanically was never hers.
It was Yi Seo-ryeong's, spoken through her mouth from the start.
I nodded slowly and told her,
"You said you're the only daughter. The precious only child, a treasure beyond anything else."
"Would a mother really be disappointed in such a daughter just for falling a bit short of expectations?"
Her blue eyes lost their way again at my question.
But this time, it wasn't wandering. They began to sink slowly.
A moment later, she spoke in a very calm voice.
"She would."
"That's not—"
"Because she's not my real mother."
"......"
I momentarily lost my words.
Seol Yu-wol continued slowly, ignoring me.
"When I was young, I was an orphan begging on the streets. No name, no home."
"The one who saw my talent and took me in was my mother."
"She gave me the name Seol Yu-wol and raised me into who I am."
She concluded as if stating an obvious truth.
"So, repaying that grace is only right."
That's her entire reason for existing.
"I must prove my worth to her."
Then, her status appeared before me.
That's what Seol Yu-wol was saying.