Chapter 46
Translator - Zofu
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As I opened the door and entered, So-young welcomed Si-woo.
"Welcome home, Si-woo."
"I'm home, Aunt."
"I'm home."
"...I'm home, Aunt."
"Good."
Only then did Han So-young smile brightly.
Si-woo flinched at her cute smile that suited her appearance more than her age. She already looked young enough to seem more like a slightly older neighbor than a married woman or widow, or an aunt.
But seeing her smile like that made his heart flutter for no reason.
'So it's true that women with strong mana and yin energy are more beautiful...'
More precisely, mana enhances one's appearance, while yin energy strengthens femininity and adds allure.
Either way, both played a part in making a woman desirable to men.
World-renowned scholars had presented theories and hypotheses about this, but Si-woo didn't know about that. He wasn't interested either.
"Was the training center fun?"
"......."
She asked Si-woo while maintaining her smile.
The way she asked was like a parent asking a child who had just returned from school.
'More like a boarding school, I guess? Though the weekdays and weekends seem swapped.'
He didn't know if it was intentional or just a habit from treating someone her son's age. Hesitating slightly with his answer, Si-woo decided to play along. He thought she might be reminded of her son who died from illness.
"Yes, I got to meet my party members starting last week."
"Party members?"
Han So-young found that term odd.
Not because she didn't know what a party member was, but because he spoke as if he had already joined a party. Timing-wise, about six weeks had passed, so they couldn't have met many times, and his words already gave the impression of being a member.
"They're friends I made before entering the training center."
"Oh my, really?"
So-young's eyes sparkled.
There are two cases where party members are decided before training center admission.
One is when a candidate's home country fully supports them and matches them with their own promising talents. The other is when someone shows exceptional talent in a specific field and prospective members approach them beforehand.
Either way, it was undoubtedly a talent that could be counted on one hand.
Si-woo had never bragged about himself. It wasn't that he never talked about himself, but most of his stories were about Earth. Nothing ever sounded like bragging. He always spoke modestly.
So it was unexpected, yet at the same time, So-young thought it was natural.
'I expected as much when the Empire brought in a non-hero candidate to persuade me... but Si-woo really must be an amazing kid. For the Glayzer Empire to trust him this much.'
A mission is assigned with the hope of success, not failure.
She believed that the Glayzer Empire had assigned Si-woo a mission because the Imperial family highly valued his talent and had faith in him. In fact, he had achieved some results against her as well.
The reality was completely different, but So-young had no way of knowing that.
"What kind of kids are they?"
This time, So-young's tone was the same.
The expression of asking about a new friend from school.
She even used mana to lightly dust off a dusty chair by the window and placed it next to her own. The implication was for him to sit beside her and answer. Because of the chair's position, Si-woo was reminded of visiting his grandfather's house as a child.
'Mm. This would be rude.'
Si-woo sat in the seat she had prepared and spoke.
"One is a knight sent from the Palania Kingdom. She's the daughter of the Royal Guard Captain."
"The Royal Guard Captain's daughter?"
"And the other one is someone you'd know too, Aunt. She's the Third Saintess of the Holy Vishra Empire."
"A Saintess from there?"
Han So-young's face grew confused.
Neither name was insignificant. The former could be dismissed—the Palania Kingdom was known as a weak nation, so one could think they attached someone to support their promising talent.
But the latter was different. She belonged to a different nation, so the Holy Vishra Empire hadn't matched them. That meant one of only four Saintesses in the Jushin Church had approached Si-woo directly.
And even before training center admission.
'Is Si-woo really that amazing?'
She wondered what the Saintess had seen to make her approach a hero candidate first.
'If he's a male hero, then of course...'
So-young's head naturally tilted downward.
"Aunt?"
But at Si-woo's call, she startled and quickly raised her head. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as a bonus.
"Ah, yes. What is it?"
"You suddenly went quiet, so I thought something was wrong."
"Ahaha... I was just a little surprised."
"Are those two really that surprising?"
"Of course. By the way, you're quite an amazing kid, aren't you, Si-woo?"
"Ah, no. I was just lucky."
"Luck is also a skill."
"I was just born with good talent."
"Hmm..."
Born with talent. So Si-woo possessed the qualities of a male hero candidate.
Han So-young had spent more time in this world than on Earth, despite being Earth-born. She too had sufficiently twisted perceptions and common sense. Though her foundation was Earth-born, she didn't have much resistance to sexual matters.
'I'm a little... curious.'
So she was curious.
About Si-woo's physical examination results.
It wasn't for any strange reason. She was just curious and worried. Perhaps the yin energy filling this world might reduce his masculinity, or some other problem might arise.
"You seem tired. Should I head back now?"
As Han So-young kept asking questions then trailed off into thought, Si-woo asked.
"Huh? Oh, no. Sorry. I'll focus now."
After that, the two chatted quietly.
Mostly So-young asking questions and Si-woo answering.
Though they had only been apart for two days, Si-woo felt she had become much more curious about him. Her behavior was also somehow more friendly and proactive. This sudden, significant change left Si-woo feeling unsettled.
'Is there a reason for this?'
Thinking back, her reaction at the entrance had been odd too.
After finishing their conversation and leaving her room, Si-woo asked the butler directly.
"The Lady has been feeling lonely."
"She's always lonely..."
"About your absence, Si-woo."
"Ah..."
That was something to be happy about.
In just one week, they had become close and shown meaningful results.
It was an outcome that countless people who had visited Han So-young over two years, as well as her friends, had failed to achieve. While Si-woo's own efforts played a part, the repeated coincidences had a greater impact. But in the end, even that luck belonged to Si-woo.
The person in question, however, wore a slightly ambivalent expression at the too-smooth result.
"In my opinion, the Lady seemed to think often of her late young master when she looked at you."
"......."
"Please continue to take good care of the Lady."
"Uh, um. Yes."
The butler smiled at Si-woo's dazed reply.
"If the opportunity arises..."
"What opportunity..."
"It might not be a bad idea to call the Lady 'Mother' instead of 'Aunt.'"
"...Excuse me? But, Mr. Butler, what do you..."
Si-woo tried to say something at the absurd suggestion, but the butler disappeared from the spot as if using mana. Si-woo watched the butler's back walking down the far end of the hallway in a daze and shook his head.
"No way... Not Mother..."
Even calling her Aunt was awkward, but Mother would be even more so.
Though his biological mother on Earth had passed away, so it wouldn't trigger nostalgia, he still didn't think she was someone to be called Mother. Neither her appearance nor her figure seemed suitable for being called Mother.
'Still, if her son were alive, he'd be 17? 18? Around that age.'
Han So-young had married quite early.
She became pregnant at 20. Uncommonly summoned at a young age, she spent more time as a hero in this world than on Earth, completing countless missions.
Thanks to that, her noble husband, who was older than her, received some criticism from Earth-born heroes, but with three years of dating, he mostly received congratulations.
"Definitely not Mother."
But Si-woo didn't know.
That a day would come when he would call her Mother. And that day wasn't far off. He couldn't know that now.
"Si-woo. Let's go for a walk. Are you tired?"
"Ah, yes! I'm fine! Let's go!"
"Alright~."
He answered her soft, gentle suggestion loudly and hurried to get ready.
It was a bit surprising that she suggested it so soon after leaving her room, but remembering that she had walked alone for two days made his mouth move on its own.
"Which way should we go today?"
Si-woo hurriedly finished preparing and went down to the entrance.
Han So-young carefully opened her mouth with a slightly nervous expression.
"Today... we're going to the village."
"The village?"
Si-woo, and the servants who had come out to see them off, were surprised.
Han So-young's mansion was in a secluded area, but there was a civilian village not far away. Most food supplies and necessities were delivered by merchant caravans sent by the Imperial family, but they sometimes used the village for urgent or small-quantity items.
"Are you sure you'll be alright..."
"...Y-yes. I'm fine."
The reason they looked at Han So-young with such concern was simple.
That village was where So-young had her last date with her son, and where her son collapsed. So-young had hurriedly brought her son back to the mansion, and after that, her son never left the mansion again.
In many ways, it was a village with deep trauma for Han So-young.
"Please don't push yourself too hard, Aunt. There's no need to force yourself to overcome it..."
"Mm. No. Six years for my husband. Three years for my son. It's not a short time, but I need to move on by now."
Her resolve was firm.
"Those two would want me to be sad forever."
"...I understand. Then let's go together."
"Yes. Let's do that."
The two stepped outside the mansion together.
The village was some distance away, quite a walk on foot, but Han So-young insisted on walking.
Because she had walked to her date with her son. For a hero and hero candidate who had awakened mana, it wasn't a tiring distance. There were no servants who would stop her when she was trying to overcome her sorrow and trauma herself.
'Results this fast...? This is a bit dangerous...'
Except for the spy sent by the Glayzer Imperial family.
She had been dispatched long ago to monitor SS-rank hero Han So-young's movements. Apart from having to work as a maid, it had been very comfortable. Until now, So-young never left her room, let alone the mansion, except for walks, and the other maids and butler were kind-natured, allowing her to continue her work without issue.
But in just one week, a major upheaval had begun.
'I must report this immediately.'
Her superior in the intelligence unit, who normally listened to regular reports half-heartedly, had sternly warned her a week ago. It was fine if positive changes occurred in Han So-young, but if the two grew too close or if Han So-young seemed likely to return to active duty at Si-woo's suggestion, she was to stop it.
An SS-rank hero's return would have more value than any promised reward to Si-woo, but the problem was that Si-woo was suspected to have teamed up with Helena, the Third Princess. In the end, it was dirty political logic, but spies were the Imperial family's dogs.
The spy left a message for her superior, who wouldn't receive direct communication, and sent a pigeon to the village.
To interfere with their walk, their date.
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