The Desire to Become Stronger
When morning arrived, I was once again preparing breakfast myself. Despite the intense night I had spent with Seo Moon-min-hye and Arian Liberin, they had risen early instead of collapsing from exhaustion. They were meditating to increase the mana within their bodies.
Porcini and truffle mushroom soup it is.
Of course, this would be an expensive soup made with real truffles rather than truffle oil. Still, not every truffle cost hundreds of millions per kilogram, so Seo Moon-min-hye and Arian Liberin had both tasted truffles priced in the millions per kilogram before. I remembered every detail of what Seo Moon-min-hye had eaten over the past seven years—down to the exact time, place, and dish. With no forgetfulness to speak of, I could recall even these trivial pieces of information perfectly.
Bubble, bubble—
As the soup boiled vigorously, releasing a rich truffle aroma, I also baked some bread. It was nothing fancy, just ordinary bread to go with the soup, but paired with an omelet, bacon, and sausages, it would make a hearty breakfast. Mana Awakeners generally ate more than ordinary people, even if not quite at Yee Eun-chae’s level, so it was wise to start the day with calorie-dense food.
Creak—
The door opened, and Seo Moon-min-hye stepped out. She had washed up and wore only a simple T-shirt on top, leaving her lower half bare. Smiling, she approached from behind and wrapped her arms around me. The soft warmth of her body pressed against my back.
“Good morning, Oppa.”
“Yeah, good morning, Min-hye.”
We exchanged morning greetings while she held me.
“Min-hye, breakfast is almost ready. Why don’t you sit down? I’ll serve the soup right away.”
“Okay! Hehe~ This feels just like we’re a married couple.”
After letting go, Seo Moon-min-hye took her seat, looking utterly content as I served her. Spending the night in passionate intimacy and then sharing breakfast like this felt like the everyday life of a married couple to her, and it made her happy.
“Oh my, you’ve already finished preparing everything.”
Arian Liberin emerged after finishing her mana meditation, wearing one of Seo Moon-min-hye’s T-shirts. Because her chest was considerably larger, the hem rode up enough to reveal a hint of her navel, and the fit looked a little tight. Unlike Seo Moon-min-hye, she wore white lingerie underneath. She gave me a playful smile.
“Having Lord Chun prepare breakfast two days in a row makes you seem just like a housewife.”
“I suppose it could look that way. If I left it to you two, breakfast would be a disaster, so I had no choice.”
It was no exaggeration. Seo Moon-min-hye could at least follow a simple recipe, but Arian Liberin was hopeless in the kitchen—exactly what one would expect from a sheltered princess. Though this world was based on a light novel, it was fortunate that the infamous poisonous cooking scenes common in such stories had never appeared here.
“Then perhaps I should study cooking as well?”
Arian Liberin asked with her characteristic pure and delicate smile, though a hint of wounded pride flickered beneath it. I shook my head.
“No need. Please, for my sake, don’t.”
Otherwise, I would be forced to taste her experimental dishes countless times.
“Understood.”
Even as she said that, I had a feeling she would secretly study from books anyway.
“Here, it’s hot, so be careful.”
I placed bowls of the steaming soup in front of them, along with bread, omelets, bacon, and sausages. After serving my own portion, I sat down.
“Thank you for the meal~”
“Thank you for the meal.”
With their bright voices, breakfast began.
“Heh heh heh!”
“Hngh!”
Lee Se-na woke from another nightmare. In her dream, she had been captured by vicious villains. Lately, she had been tormented by similar nightmares.
Haah…
She let out a sigh of relief upon realizing it had only been a dream, then sat up and neatly arranged her long beige hair, which had become messy during sleep.
If it were before, I would have told Hyun about this…
In the past, she would have confided in Seo Moon-hyun whenever something troubled her. But she could no longer do that with the current Seo Moon-hyun. Instead, she found herself worrying about him lately. He often seemed as though he were being chased by something, displaying strange behavior that was unlike his usual composed self.
Was the shock of losing to Lord Chun that severe for Hyun?
After being pushed from first place to second and then suffering a crushing defeat in their duel, he was likely struggling with confusion. Still, he was originally her kind and righteous childhood friend, so Lee Se-na believed he would eventually stand back up. Right now, rather than burdening him with her own inner turmoil, she thought it was more important to support him in rising again.
If I keep believing in Hyun and cheering him on from the side, he’ll be able to get back on his feet.
Lee Se-na sincerely believed that. He was merely lost for now. If she stayed by his side and supported him while his originally righteous and gentle heart wavered in confusion, he would rise again and become a fine hero. He did not need to become the strongest hero. As long as Seo Moon-hyun did not forget his sense of justice, he could become a hero greater than anyone else. Lee Se-na truly believed that.
Lord Chun saved me…
Yet she instinctively avoided comparing him to Seo Moon-hyun. No matter how much she wished to support Seo Moon-hyun, comparing him to the man who had saved her from being violated by villains felt too ungrateful, and her conscience weighed on her.
“Haah~”
Letting out a small sigh, Lee Se-na rose from bed, washed up, changed into her academy uniform, and headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. On the way, she happened to run into Seo Moon-hyun.
“Good morning, Se-na.”
“Yeah, good morning, Hyun.”
Seo Moon-hyun greeted her with a smile, and Lee Se-na smiled back as she returned the greeting.