Chapter 535: A Man's Responsibility
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 535: A Man's Responsibility
Just as men have the ultimate move known as ‘No More Dick,’ women possess a terrifying asymmetrical strategic weapon of their own: the ‘cry first and you win’ gambit.
From a man’s perspective, nothing could be more unfair.
It was a magic trick that instantly turned me into the bad guy, even when the woman was clearly the one at fault.
That was exactly how I felt right now.
I’d been slammed into a wall so hard that my back muscles felt half-torn and my shoulder blade was cracked, yet if a third party were to witness this scene, they would undoubtedly see me as the aggressor and the Tower Lord as the victim.
A beautiful woman’s tears had that kind of power.
In fact, it was so effective that even I was starting to think, What the fuck? Am I the one in the wrong here?
No, seriously, why is she crying??
The White Tower Lord, a woman who looked like she wouldn’t bleed a single drop even if you stabbed her with a needle, was crying?
It would be more believable to say a NewTuber with ten million subscribers was filming a prank show with her.
My mind was more chaotic than it had ever been.
Creeak—!!
The pressure on my neck began to intensify.
...I’m seriously going to die at this rate.
Just as my vision started to blur, a memory from high school flashed before my eyes like a movie.
A friend of mine, whose chances of ever getting a girlfriend were practically zero, had somehow managed to land a rather pretty one.
It was something I simply couldn't comprehend.
“Fucking incredible. How does a face like that get a girlfriend? You’d have a better chance of getting a perfect score on the college entrance exams…”
“Curious?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then apologize.”
“…For what? For just dissing your face?”
“Just apologize.”
“For what?”
“I said, apologize.”
“Seriously, what am I supposed to apologize for?”
“Sigh, you’re not ready for a relationship yet.”
“???”
“Tsk, tsk. You have to know how to apologize for no reason at all. That’s how you get a girlfriend.”
At the time, I thought it was complete bullshit.
But now, I knew I was wrong.
“Tower Lord!! I’m sorry!!”
I still had no idea what I’d done wrong.
But to survive, the smart play was to bow my head first and see what happened.
“…A little late for that, don’t you think?”
“…”
Shudder.
But holy shit, this was terrifying.
The way she was staring at me through her disheveled hair was, no exaggeration, far scarier than facing several S-rank Gate bosses at once.
Of course, even if I misspeaked here, she probably wouldn’t kill me, thanks to Anastasia’s curse removal.
If anything, she’d treat me with the utmost respect as the savior who saved her daughter’s life.
But that would be it.
My relationship with the Tower Lord would be damaged beyond repair, eventually becoming purely professional.
Needless to say, that wasn’t the ending I wanted.
“…It seems I misspoke in my panic.”
“Misspoke…? Ha, haha… Hahahaha…!!”
Shiver…
Faced with the Tower Lord’s crazed laughter, I couldn’t say a word.
Her state was so abnormal that I genuinely thought I might die.
Gulp…
But staying silent wasn’t going to solve the problem.
It would only make the situation worse.
“…I know it’s not the best method. But with Lady Anastasia’s treatment just around the corner, do we have any other choice?”
Flinch!
The moment Anastasia’s name left my lips, the Tower Lord’s body shuddered.
“E-Even so…! Instead of putting our heads together to find another way, you think it’s right to speak of such a disgusting method?!”
“Disgusting? Of course, depending on your values, you might feel that way. But at least among younger people, it’s a fairly common method.”
“Wh-What?!”
At that moment, the Tower Lord’s eyes went wide.
Seeing her so utterly shocked, I felt a sense of unease.
“I completely understand why you might feel repulsed, Tower Lord. But isn’t this a time to be clear about our priorities? I, too, find it deeply regrettable that I have to bring this up, and my heart is not at ease.”
“…”
The magical pressure choking my neck lessened.
I took a moment to catch my breath before continuing calmly.
“It may be presumptuous of me to say… but right now, you must focus only on Lady Anastasia.”
“…Isn’t it just a matter of finding another way?”
I shook my head firmly at the desperate Tower Lord.
“As far as I know, there isn’t one.”
It wasn’t as if I was comfortable with this either.
But as of now, there really was no other way.
Even if there were other options, there was no reason to take a detour when the most certain method was right in front of us.
Thump—
At that moment, the Tower Lord’s legs seemed to give out, and she collapsed to the floor.
Simultaneously, the magic binding me vanished without a trace.
After a moment’s hesitation, I cautiously approached her.
Thankfully, I wasn’t slammed into a wall again.
No, to be precise, it seemed she didn’t even have the capacity to pay me any mind.
“Sob, sniff… No, no…”
A strange sense of foreboding washed over me as I watched the Tower Lord clutch her lower abdomen and weep.
Wait… is this something to be this upset about?
I couldn’t understand why the Tower Lord, who seemed willing to give her liver and gallbladder for Anastasia, would hesitate so much over a simple matter of her period.
It got to the point where I wondered if I was missing something crucial.
Judging by her mood swings, it’s definitely her period…
If I had my way, I’d down a potion and take a nap.
My back muscles were half-torn from being slammed into the wall, and my shoulder blade was even cracked.
Naturally, I wasn’t in any mood to see the Tower Lord in a favorable light.
And yet, my gaze kept drifting to the sight of the endlessly cold Tower Lord crying so sorrowfully.
“Haaa…”
Damn this obsession with looks.
Beauty really is power.
With a heavy sigh, I knelt on one knee and pulled the Tower Lord into an embrace.
Flump—
The Tower Lord, her eyes red and swollen, came into my arms without a hint of resistance.
I stroked her hair.
This was a situation I could never have imagined under normal circumstances.
“Please stop crying. I’ll help you find another way.”
“…”
The Tower Lord said nothing, only snuggling deeper into my embrace.
My first impression of her was cynical, but now she was starting to feel more like a feisty chihuahua.
*
The moment she met Kang Hyun-woo again, Valentina’s heart pounded as if it were about to explode.
Although the child wasn’t conceived out of love for him, he was, undeniably, the child’s father.
She had no desire to marry Kang Hyun-woo or build a happy family with him, but as a woman, she couldn’t help but worry about his reaction.
If Kang Hyun-woo scowled and told her to get rid of the child…
Valentina wasn’t sure she could maintain her sanity.
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Valentina sat down at Kang Hyun-woo’s suggestion.
Although she hadn’t known him for long, she had already figured out that while he was an excessive womanizer, he wasn’t a fundamentally evil person.
If he were, he wouldn’t have gone to such devoted lengths to save her daughter’s life.
So, a part of her thought it might be okay to trust him.
“If you’re so concerned… there is a way to get rid of it.”
But the moment those unthinkable words came out of Kang Hyun-woo’s mouth, Valentina felt her heart drop.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Having secretly imagined Kang Hyun-woo manfully embracing her and promising to take full responsibility, Valentina’s anger surged uncontrollably.
But when he mentioned Anastasia’s name, her heated mind cooled instantly.
“It may be presumptuous of me to say… but right now, you must focus only on Lady Anastasia.”
There was no logical flaw in Kang Hyun-woo’s words.
As precious as the child in her womb was, it couldn’t possibly be more precious than Anastasia.
But an expectant mother has no room to separate reason from emotion.
“Sob, hic…”
In the end, Valentina burst into tears.
It was a side of her she rarely showed.
I can’t… I can’t lose this child…
It was true that Anastasia was more precious, but that didn’t mean the child in her womb wasn’t precious at all.
If possible, she wanted to protect them both.
“Haaa…”
Flinch…!
The moment Kang Hyun-woo let out a low sigh, Valentina’s body trembled reflexively.
According to some studies, when a woman becomes pregnant, she tends to become emotionally dependent on her partner without even realizing it.
Valentina was no different.
She knew it was a difficult situation in reality.
But still, she desperately wished for Kang Hyun-woo to actively protect the child.
Because he was the father.
Because she was the mother.
“Please stop crying. I’ll help you find another way.”
“…”
When Kang Hyun-woo gently pulled her into his arms, the resentment that had been building in her heart melted away like snow.
Valentina herself couldn’t understand her own emotions.
He hadn’t knelt to beg for forgiveness, nor had he promised to take responsibility no matter what.
Yet, as if drawn by something, she burrowed into his embrace, and her unexpected behavior sent Kang Hyun-woo’s mind into a state of confusion.
How much time had passed as he stroked her hair, soothing and placating her as if calming down an upset girlfriend?
“…So, how would you like me to address you from now on?”
“Address me?”
At Valentina’s question, who seemed to have calmed down considerably, Kang Hyun-woo tilted his head.
“Well… is there a need to change anything? I think you can just call me whatever you’re comfortable with, like you have been.”
“I-Is that so…? But I heard men have a certain fantasy about titles…”
“Sorry? What did you say?”
Kang Hyun-woo asked again at Valentina’s mumbling, but she just replied, “It’s nothing.”
It was clear she was displeased about something.
…I’ll never understand her.
“Excuse me.”
Kang Hyun-woo stood up, still holding Valentina in his arms.
He couldn’t just keep this up on the cold marble floor.
Just as he was about to gently set her down on the sofa—
Grab—!
Valentina clung to Kang Hyun-woo, refusing to let go.
“?”
“W-Wait a moment. We haven’t finished the most important discussion yet.”
“Important discussion…?”
Her pale face was flushed, and her eyes were trembling faintly.
It was a look that didn’t suit her epithet, the Witch of the Snowfield, and Kang Hyun-woo started to feel a little worried.
In his experience, moments like these were usually followed by something bad.
“I-I’ll take care of everything else, so could you at least give the child a name…?”
Valentina carefully broached the subject.
Kang Hyun-woo looked at her and tilted his head.
“…Why would I do that?”
