Kael is a Spoiled Brat 0.5/5

There was one game I used to play obsessively. A simple fantasy game. It was genuinely fun, but the problem was how lacking the content and endings were despite that fun. The weird part? There were zero reviews or ratings anywhere. So, as the game's one and only player, I left a meticulously detailed rating, review, and a bunch of advice.

I figured maybe they'd patch it if I did. With my heart pounding inexplicably in excitement, I calmed myself down and went to sleep.

And then.

"……?"

I—Na Seon-ho—had been isekai'd into the game world.

As the hero's son, no less—the one I'd complained about in my review.

If you're wondering how I knew I'd been isekai'd into the game...

"Oh, you're awake, my sweet boy? Looks like you had a nightmare—you're shaking so much. It's okay. Mommy's always here to protect you, Kael."

The moment I opened my eyes, someone noticed and gently scooped me up. I blinked dazedly, staring at her with wide eyes.

Snow-white hair. Blue eyes brimming with dripping affection. A soft, noble voice whispering in my ear.

A voice I'd heard endlessly in the game.

It was the hero, Aurelia la Elion.

The instant she called me her son, a flood of unfamiliar memories poured into my head.

More precisely, the memories of her son, Kael la Elion.

Nickname: Kael. The youngest of the hero's four children—and her only son. Her precious baby boy, just over seven years ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠old.

Unlike his eldest and second sisters, who took after their demon father, he resembled his fully human mother. Which made him the frailest of the family.

"Kkh... ugh..."

"Must be tough with all this... I'm sorry. Should we move somewhere else? Hmm..."

The onslaught of information made my body writhe. A feeble whimper escaped my lips as I burrowed deeper into the arms holding me.

They were soft and plush, yet firm and warm. Being cradled there finally quieted my feverish mind a little.

I blinked awkwardly and looked up.

There was Aurelia, stroking my hair with eyes full of worry and love, soothing me.

Her face was so familiar from the game that I hadn't realized just how stunningly beautiful she was.

I'd never been looked at with eyes like that before.

Orphaned from birth, I'd been beaten relentlessly at the orphanage for being short, for looking like a girl—nothing but misery.

Not harsh glares full of irritation and hostility, but soft, warm affection... A smile slipped out unbidden.

"Mommy..."

...Huh?

The word slipped out unconsciously. Only then did I realize I already saw Aurelia as my mom.

Na Seon-ho had been abandoned by parents who vanished into the night.

But Kael had a family.

And I was Na Seon-ho... now Kael.

Which meant I had a mom now.

Remembering that again, I mumbled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bittersweetly and nuzzled my face firmly into her warm embrace.

"Mommy... why does it hurt so much...? You're the hero..."

"...I'm sorry. You're the only one like this, Kael. It's probably Daddy's blood causing trouble."

She looked like she was in agony herself, as if her heart was breaking.

Of course. Demon blood was poison to humans—dangerously so.

Unlike his sisters, I'd been born in a purely human body, yet carried demon blood—a contradiction that made me hate monsters despite being the Demon King's son, and weak despite being the hero's child.

She always carried guilt over it.

My chest tightened painfully. My lips trembled as I gazed up at her.

"Um... Mommy... can you do one thing for me... please...?"

"...Of course, anything."

.

A day passed like that.

"Ho, so this is the youngest son of the Elion family, Kael? Much smaller than I imagined."

"Watch your tongue, monster. Remember, you're a hired mercenary in a strict employer-employee relationship. Show some respect."

"I haven't been paid yet, so I'm not exactly the 'employee' yet. But sure, once the gold's in hand, I'll be all proper."

A woman gazed down at me as I clutched my chest, groaning harshly.

Pointed ears, sharp eyes. Light green hair, pure white pupils.

Her name was Leaf. A wood elf.

...In the game, I'd only ever seen her upper body, so I hadn't noticed, but her outfit was insanely revealing up close.

Looking up at her like this, even her embarrassing parts were fully visible—but that wasn't important right now.

The symptoms I was suffering? Probably demon poison erosion syndrome.

A disease that would've killed an ordinary human by now, vomiting blood. But as the son of a demon, it just wrecked my immunity and health instead.

In the game, interacting with certain characters when afflicted with this rare disease slowed its progression dramatically.

Leaf had holy and wood attributes—opposites to demon blood and poison.

As a wood elf especially attuned to nature, she had bonuses to those affinities. She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could weaken my demon poison erosion... or even improve it.

Game knowledge comes in handy sometimes.

The interaction? Holding hands with that character—or cuddling up.

She was a living antidote for my condition.

With that in mind, I nodded and greeted her.

"Khup... haa... Nice to meet you, Leaf."

"The pleasure's mine. I came as requested in that sudden letter, and you specifically named me? Even though I'm just a forest native..."

"There's a reason—khup... cough..."

I clamped my mouth shut mid-sentence. Cold sweat beaded on my skin. My heart pounded wildly.

When I slowly pulled my hand away, bright red blood seeped out.

Leaf's eyes, briefly sullen, filled with pity.

"...Looks like the young master's in rough shape. Poor thing."

"I told you to watch your words. How crude, for a mercenary we summoned ourselves."

That single "poor thing" drew a cold glare from the Dullahan housekeeper standing nearby.

The housekeeper had no head.

Precisely, her head was tucked at her waist.

A classic dullahan... wearing a full maid outfit.

Yes, the head housekeeper was in a maid dress.

...In this world, men were physically weaker, smaller, and lower on the social ladder than women. A gender-reversed society where the hero was female, and women held most high positions.

So men became maids, women butlers. Men wore suits, women maid outfits—from a man's perspective, anyway.

Though here, maid outfits were "formalwear," and suits were "maid clothes." Confusing as hell sometimes.

That's why all healers were men, and tanks were women, huh?

I raised a hand to the housekeeper, who looked ready to draw a sword.

"Housekeeper. It's fine. Stand down. Anyway, Leaf—I want to make a long-term contract with you."

"Long-term?"

"Yeah. Until my symptoms fully improve. Duties: guard me, help with treatment, and some basic magic tutoring."

"Hmm, but I don't really have proper healing skills? You sure?"

"Yeah, just having you around is enough. So, will you accept?"

"Well... long-term's one thing, but no fixed end date makes me hesitate."

Leaf tilted her head, reciting my terms.

I'd expected that. I stared pointedly at the dullahan beside me.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, approached Leaf, and handed over a parchment.

It was the absolute contract I'd tearfully begged Mommy for while in her arms.

Leaf scanned it carefully.

And then.

"Wood Elf Leaf!! From this day forward, I pledge to serve Kael la Elion as my master!!!"

"Perfect."

A win-win.

* * *

Leaf, a wood elf mercenary who'd recently left the forest to adventure solo, felt like she might float away.

No way—even for the hero's family, handing over enough gold to live on for years? And providing lodging? The client's totally lost it!

The reason was simple: the contract was too good.

The payout was beyond imagination. Normally, she'd have to brace for mid-contract abandonment with noble houses, but not here.

The employer had pulled out an absolute contract themselves.

True to its name, breaking it vaporized your lifespan. Ironclad.

No worries about getting stiffed. And the duties? Perfect.

Just babysit one cute little boy—the hero's son, no less.

Guard duty? With all these monsters around, she was the one needing protection.

Honey of a gig. Tell anyone, and they'd slap you for lying.

There was a clause about cancellation if the subject truly objected, but...

"Phew, yes, so, Young Master Kael la—"

"Thaat's... too long. Just call me Kael. Don't need much for treatment anyway."

Kael smiled awkwardly and explained: his symptoms, why he'd requested her specifically.

Then he took her hand and led her to the bed.

"Cough... ahem. Lie down."

"Y-Yes...? Um, isn't this your bed, Kael?"

"Oh, right. Been lying here, so it's probably gross. I'll call the housekeeper to change the sheets."

"N-No, that's not what I— Well, if you're okay with it."

Leaf let out a dazed exclamation.

Is he too young for this? A wood elf girl—not even high elf—lying on a noble boy's bed? Will I end up like that dullahan?

Kael blinked innocently, asking her to lie down. Sure, the worldview wasn't fully set in his little head yet, but still—a noble boy's bed.

No ulterior motives in his request, though.

She tilted her head repeatedly before finally lying down as asked.

Her head on the pillow, and a sweet honey scent wafted to her nose.

The hero's son, huh? His sweat smells so fresh and sweet. Mine just reeks when I sweat... Hm?

—Plop.

"W-Wait?! Kael?!"

Lost in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rising bed's fragrance, she suddenly felt Kael's body settle atop hers.

Her skimpy outfit meant skin-on-skin contact. He even laid his cheek on her ample chest like a plush pillow.

A child sprawled over her private parts. The embarrassment, the lewd undertone of him climbing on top...

She jolted in shock—but then.

...He's so hot..."

His feverish body heat seeped into her skin like a blazing ember.

Blinking at the fire-like warmth, she felt him burrow deeper into her embrace.

And his coughing... gradually faded.

Was it really working? The boy who'd been hacking nonstop now breathed evenly, quietly.

"Ah... doesn't... hurt... hehe... feels... good..."

Like he could finally breathe right, he grinned dopily.

A few shaky breaths later, his eyelids fluttered shut.

When she shifted uncomfortably, he whimpered tearfully, hugging her tight and drifting off.

Gazing down at him, Leaf gently stroked his hair and patted his back.

Recreating her mother's touch from her own infancy, her elf-sharp memory guiding her hands.

—Stroke... stroke...

His face relaxed completely under the tender care.

Watching him, Leaf chuckled softly.

...Not just baby-faced. He is a baby. So cute.

.

A year passed since then—short if short, long if long.

Every cuddle in her arms steadily stabilized his symptoms.

Now he could walk unassisted, healthier than ever. No trace of his old frailty.

The problem?

"I don't wanna do history class! They only teach weird stuff!"

"But it's real history, Kael. And you're at the center of it."

"Hiiing... Nooo, I wanna stay with Leaf! She's way better. Hug me more..."

...When did he turn into such a clingy brat?

But he's so cute, I can't even refuse... Feels like something got exchanged in the deal.