Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Elder
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I sat on the sofa, quietly watching the mother and daughter from afar as they continued their unfinished conversation side by side.
Yi Seo-ryeong's hand gently stroked Seol Yu-wol's hair.
Their reunion had gone perfectly.
Good news.
Walls crumble with just a small crack, after all.
The emotional barrier that had stood between them for decades had finally come down.
It must have been a precious time for both of them.
Seol Yu-wol had finally escaped the crushing weight of duty and felt her mother's love for the first time.
Yi Seo-ryeong, too, had faced her daughter not with her twisted old ways, but properly.
'Nice.'
As a counselor, could I ask for more?
My role here was just about done.
Seol Yu-wol was no longer a special case needing constant oversight.
Like any other ordinary Otherworlder, she could take her time with socialization.
As her assigned counselor, I'd just check in occasionally to see how she was doing.
Visiting hours were almost up anyway.
You can't unpack a decade's worth of resentment in a single day.
Today, this was enough.
Right then, a knock came from the door.
- Knock knock
I stood and opened it.
The staff member stood there holding a large insulated lunchbox, steam rising warmly from it.
"The team leader said to include lunch today... so, here..."
"Ah, thank you."
"It's for three."
I nodded.
Perfect—we could eat this and then part ways.
I thanked the staff and took the lunchbox, turning back to the mother and daughter, who were still leaning against each other with reddened eyes.
I cleared the wide living room table and began opening the lids one by one.
The savory aroma of meat filled the room pleasantly.
Today's menu was ssambap.
Fresh lettuce, white rice, pork stir-fry.
And a colorful array of neatly prepared side dishes of seasoned vegetables.
The meal looked like it had been prepared with real care.
I set chopsticks in front of each of them and placed warm rice bowls first.
"Shall we eat?"
I smiled and sat down.
Ssambap, huh...
Yi Seo-ryeong probably knew how, but Seol Yu-wol might not.
I wasn't sure if the Central Plains had anything similar.
Sure enough, Seol Yu-wol looked lost, just poking at her rice grains with chopsticks.
I opened my mouth to teach her how.
"Let me show you how to..."
But Yi Seo-ryeong moved first.
Instead of interrupting me, she gently laid her hand over mine.
It was her way of saying she'd handle it.
And then.
"Baby."
Yi Seo-ryeong called her daughter in the softest voice.
She picked up a clean lettuce leaf and spread it on her palm.
"Put a little rice on this green leaf... and a piece of meat..."
Yi Seo-ryeong tenderly showed Seol Yu-wol how to wrap it.
Seol Yu-wol watched her mother closely and nodded.
I watched them warmly.
Soon, a pretty, carefully made wrap was complete.
But that first wrap wasn't for her daughter.
Yi Seo-ryeong held it out to me politely with both hands.
She met my eyes and said to Seol Yu-wol,
"It's proper etiquette to offer the first bite to the eldest at the table."
She brought it to my mouth.
"Please eat."
She said with a bright smile.
It was sudden, but I accepted the wrap without refusing.
I chewed and swallowed, then replied.
"Thank you. It's delicious."
"Not at all."
Yi Seo-ryeong shyly shook her head with a smile.
That was the moment.
Seol Yu-wol hurriedly grabbed a lettuce leaf from in front of her.
She mimicked exactly what Yi Seo-ryeong had done: clumsily adding rice, then meat.
A small, cute wrap, hastily made.
I naturally assumed she'd offer it to Yi Seo-ryeong.
But Seol Yu-wol held it out to me.
Just like her mother had.
"Um..."
I hesitated before her gesture.
Shouldn't she give it to her mother first, whom she'd just reunited with?
Right then, Yi Seo-ryeong's gentle voice came from beside me.
"It seems my daughter is offering it to you with her gratitude."
She added with a pleased smile,
"Please accept it."
I couldn't refuse anymore.
I carefully took the small wrap to my mouth.
I chewed and swallowed slowly, then smiled at her.
"Yes. This one's delicious too."
At those words, a brilliant smile bloomed on Seol Yu-wol's face.
It was the first unguarded smile I'd ever seen from her.
***
The delicious lunch came to an end.
Now it was time to return to our separate worlds.
Yi Seo-ryeong and I stood in front of Seol Yu-wol's room door.
I looked at them both and carefully outlined the next steps.
"Probably... the next session will be Thursday or Friday, assuming no major issues."
From now on, we'd gradually reduce the frequency.
Seol Yu-wol couldn't stay confined to me as her sole outlet.
She needed to connect with other Otherworlders in her situation and build new relationships.
And learn about the world from people beyond just her mother.
Above all, she had to go through the Association's training and socialization programs.
"Yes...? Not tomorrow...?"
Seol Yu-wol's expression darkened sharply.
Her blue eyes seemed to sink slowly.
I replied casually to her reaction.
"Yes. You've improved a lot now, Yu-wol. Unless there's something big, our meetings will taper off."
"Big... problem..."
"Sticking to just me would get boring anyway. Stifling, even."
I smiled lightly to reassure her.
"That's not true."
But she didn't smile.
I continued slowly.
"No need to worry too much. From now on, you'll go to the Association and interact with other Otherworlders..."
No matter what I said, Seol Yu-wol wasn't really listening.
Her earlier reaction too...
Maybe she was just shy around new people.
From her perspective, adapting to yet another new world.
"Next time, I'll bring lots of delicious things again."
I promised, looking into her eyes.
"Please take care until then."
At my words, a faint crack appeared in her cold expression.
Her stiff lips parted ever so slightly.
"Yes."
I nodded with a smile.
Our next meeting would be even better.
With that, Seol Yu-wol returned to her room.
Yi Seo-ryeong and I walked back down the Association hallway.
"......"
Yi Seo-ryeong seemed to have something to say.
She kept flinching, precisely following in my footsteps.
Finally, she called me in a small voice.
"Counselor..."
"Yes."
I turned my head slightly without stopping.
Yi Seo-ryeong couldn't meet my eyes, just fidgeting with her long silk sleeve.
She took a long time choosing her next words.
"Thank you... so much."
"No need."
I answered calmly.
"After that day, I thought a lot... about whether I'd bound the child too tightly under the excuse of being her parent."
Yi Seo-ryeong had reached her own conclusion after much reflection.
"I'm so sorry to Yu-wol..."
I shook my head.
To stop her self-recrimination.
"It happens."
Her wet eyes wavered at my unexpected reply.
"You're a mother for the first time too, Alliance Leader."
She had to live as Seol Yu-wol's mother from now on.
A bit of guilt could help mend things, but I couldn't let her bear it all alone.
I wanted to lighten her load a little.
"Besides, considering the world you came from—the Central Plains—that choice might have been somewhat reasonable."
That was my conclusion.
Not that her way was right.
Just that there was some room for understanding.
If she'd clung to it even in this world, it would be different...
But then, Yi Seo-ryeong wouldn't have seen Seol Yu-wol today.
She was a parent who knew how to change.
Someone who could face her own mistakes head-on.
At my words, Yi Seo-ryeong's lips parted slightly.
And soon.
A single tear fell from her eye.
Oh no.
I quickly rummaged in my pockets.
No tissues.
But her tears kept flowing down her white cheek.
'Ah... what now.'
Too many people in the hallway.
Her dignity...
I hesitated, then pulled the soft end of my white coat sleeve.
And gently brought it to her wet eyes.
I dabbed carefully, tapping to absorb the moisture without smudging any makeup.
Through the fabric, the warm heat of her tears faintly reached me.
"Ah..."
Yi Seo-ryeong froze.
She slowly lifted her head.
My reflection was in her teary eyes.
Mixed with a bit of surprise.
Too forward...?
Well, wiping the Alliance Leader's tears with my sleeve was a bit...
I couldn't stand the silence and awkwardly explained.
"If you cry... your eyes will swell."
Her red lips parted slightly.
As if to say something.
Then she dipped her head and let out a soft chuckle.
It was the first girlish laugh I'd seen from her.
She lifted my tear-stained white sleeve.
And, stroking the damp fabric with her fingers, whispered softly.
"I've left my mark on your clothes, Counselor."
Her wet red eyes looked up at me.
"Thank you... truly, in every way..."
Yi Seo-ryeong glanced between my sleeve and my face.
"And... Counselor..."
She bowed deeply, very politely.
"Please take care of us from now on."
Low, as if serving an elder.
She stepped back carefully, as if not even wanting to tread on my shadow.