Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Girlfriend (Future)
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Just a moment.
A hush fell over our boisterous table for a split second. It wasn't just any hush—it was an awkward one.
Sion, who had been munching on cake beside me, tilted her head with cream smeared all over her mouth, while Levatein looked up at me, seeing this woman for the first time herself.
The silver-haired woman right in front of me smiled brightly at me too. She was definitely smiling. But it was scary.
Under the gazes of all three, I was breaking out in a cold sweat.
If it were the old me, I might've thought, 'Why is she so mad?' But not anymore. I'm a guy who can read the room.
Lee Seong-hoon, age 25 (real).
"H-Hi?"
"Yeah. Hi."
I mustered my courage to say something, but only a greeting came back, and silence fell once more. She was smiling so sweetly, yet the air was like a freezer.
Seeming to sense the mood, Sion didn't speak loudly but whispered in my ear as she scooted closer.
"Oppa. Who's she?"
"A friend."
"Why does she look so mad?"
That's adult stuff. I couldn't answer honestly and just brushed it off vaguely.
More than that, the cream on her mouth bugged me, so I wiped the corner of Sion's lips without thinking.
She'd gotten used to my touch now and accepted it without protest. She squinted one eye a bit, but no resistance.
Good girl.
"Hm."
Another voice drew my eyes sideways to Sophia, whose smile had deepened even more. Her eyes were smiling, but her mouth stayed the same.
Definitely smiling, yet shadows crept over her face. How does she even do that?
It was starting to get a little scary, so I decided to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Wh-Why are you... here?"
"Hm. Well. I heard Isia went back to her family home, so I came looking for you."
"You could've just called."
"But running into each other by chance makes my heart race, don't you think?"
It sure does—in the bad way. My heart was pounding like crazy, but not in a good way.
"More importantly, who's the kid I've never seen before? Black hair, black eyes. Hm."
The silver hair turned to Sion as she spoke. Maybe because she was a child, she smiled cutely at her. To a stranger, it would've been a smile to fall for at first sight—
"Eek!!!"
Not for the kid herself. An inexplicable pressure weighed down on her. A silent pressure, I guess you could call it. That kind of thing.
Sion, startled, threw herself into my arms, and Levatein, not to be outdone from her perch on my lap, clung to me tightly.
Suddenly sandwiched by two kids, I patted their backs—not panicking, no, totally panicking.
"O-Oppa!! That sister's scary!!"
"Calm down. Calm. She won't bite. Er, she might, but anyway, she won't."
I soothed Sion and Levatein, who were stuck to me like glue, and looked at Sophia. Luckily, I had a prepared excuse, so no real problem.
She probably hadn't meant to scare the kid, so I spoke up toward the flustered Sophia.
"This is Sion, she's my—"
"Daughter?"
"Huh?"
Her instant remark left me speechless. Obviously, I should say no here, but people freeze up and lose words in shock.
As I floundered mutely, Sophia covered her mouth and laughed.
"Kidding. Like a little sister or something?"
I exchanged glances with Sion. She, still clinging to me, nodded. I'd planned to say cousin, but whatever works?
The late-bloomer vibe might fly.
Still, I sighed in relief. Excuse made somehow; now just stall till Raphael shows.
Thinking that, I chugged the coffee in front of me—
"I'd be fine if she was your daughter. I'm confident I could raise her well."
"Pffftheheheha!!!"
I spat out all the coffee I'd just sipped, doubting my ears. Sophia was smiling fully now, mouth included.
No, you can't just say that! Casually dropping lines like—
"Huh? Oppa, what's with her?"
"Your oppa's (future) girlfriend."
"No she's not!!"
[Daddy cheating?]
"Not cheating!!"
What cheating? Me, a virgin till 25—what affair?!
"Cheating...?"
"Don't take it so seriously!!"
"Oppa... you're trash...?"
"No!!"
What is this chaotic mess? I couldn't handle it. Caught between Sophia's renewed chill and Sion's 'what a weirdo' stare.
"Noooooooooo!!!"
[Yup meow.]
I put on a full show to salvage the situation.
"Hi, little one. Where's mommy?"
[Mommy's in the bathroom!!]
"Really? Wanna do something fun with sis?"
[Something fun?]
"Yeah. Watching your daddy squirm."
[Sounds fun!!]
Not fun. That's not fun at all. What are you even doing?
I watched the two, now suddenly buddies chatting and laughing. Raphael was still nowhere, probably tripped on the way back from the bathroom.
I'd broken a real sweat clearing up the growing misunderstanding between Sophia and Sion—when would someone appreciate my efforts arrive?
"Maldives fun? Someone here had withdrawal after two weeks apart."
"Withdrawal? I told you to drink blood regularly."
"If that was it, Justitia would've been a ghost town."
Fair point. I scratched my head sheepishly, and Sophia chuckled like 'whatever' before eyeing Levatein.
Chin propped, peering down. Levatein barely reached the table, dangling adorably, and Sophia gazed at her fondly.
"She's so cute."
"Right? Super cute."
Ah. Did I overdo it? Rare chance to gush over Levatein's cuteness, so I got hyped without realizing.
But against my expectation, Sophia chuckled. I'd thought she'd be repulsed, but she laughed like it amused her.
"Relieved. You seem like you'd raise kids well."
What? Feeling Sion's sharp glare from the side, I pretended not to hear and sipped my coffee.
Already spat once and got looks from the staff; couldn't do it again.
The forcibly gulped coffee tasted bitter. It was supposed to be sweet—why bitter? No idea.
"Out playing with Raphael and the kids?"
"Yeah. Sion likes Levatein."
"Uh, y-yeah, obviously!!"
Sion chimed in from beside. Can't act, so stay quiet please—but she's trying to help somehow, so what can I say?
"Hm."
Sophia narrowed her eyes at our words, then stood from her seat. She approached me—
"Don't worry."
And whispered in my ear.
"I'm good at reading situations. But in return..."
My ear tickled. So much I wanted to pull away right then, but I couldn't. Because she's a progenitor? Something irresistible.
"Go on a date with me tomorrow."
"D-Date?"
Before I could stammer a response in panic, Sophia—who'd been wearing an indescribable smile—sprang up.
She straightened from her leaned whisper position and stared into empty space.
The weirdness didn't end there. Far off, a black bird flew straight toward me.
[Master.]
I knew what that meant.
"Sophia."
"..."
Even a passing dog would get it.
"Huh?"
Raphael returned from the bathroom and looked around. They should've been right here, but no sign.
One idiot and two cuties ought to be here, but not even a glimpse.
"What?! Are you guys excluding me?!"
Maybe one of those 'hidden camera' pranks she'd seen on her phone lately? She yelled around, but no reply.
"What's going on?!"
No answer came. Raphael cursed the ridiculously long cafe bathroom line while pondering how to kill Lee Seong-hoon.
Running.
Nothing else needed. My Agility (High) stat let me match Sophia's speed.
Of course, Levatein and Sion were tucked inside my robe.
"I can go alone, y'know."
"No. I'll come with."
Vampire progenitors had attacked recently too. No way I'd let her go solo. Sophia was one whose fate I'd altered.
She was on my responsibility list. Absolutely no incidents on my watch.
Better than nothing, right?
"Feels like low-level anyway."
"Could be progenitors mixed in."
"True, but..."
Sophia looked uneasy, but her lips crept upward slyly. Aware it was weird herself, she tried pushing them down with her hand, but they wouldn't budge.
"This... is weird."
Watching Sophia's odd yet cute antics while running, we soon reached where the crow led.
Sophia sensed it here too. An alleyway. Sparse foot traffic, screaming danger to anyone who saw.
Vampires love spots like this.
"Shall we?"
"Yeah."
With her casual reply, we entered the alley. Sure, my Stamina (Low) made it brutal, but I walked without showing it. Legs wobbling?
Didn't show.
How long did we walk? In the dim alley, we had to stop.
Not because of enemies. A situation that halted us dead.
"Gotcha, you damn pests."
The alley was drenched in blood. Not one person's worth. Corpses scattered everywhere.
Not intact either. Smashed to bits, barely recognizable as human.
"Gate opens a crack and you crawl in?"
In the center stood a person. Height half mine. Wide-brimmed magic hat.
Overflowing orange hair. Body spotless amid the gore.
Her staff glowed, magic circle etched, levitating a vampire.
"Go tell 'em. One more raid, and I'll come rip you apart myself. Got ties to those demon filth too? Tell them. You're getting annoying—might just wipe you out."
With that, the floating vampire vanished. No trace. I flinched.
I knew what that was. The grand mage who founded Justitia. One of five archmages in the world.
"Hm?"
Monster with rare spatial magic. Unmatched in offense, defense.
"What're you doing here."
Rosarin. She turned. Thin brows arched like quotes.
"You again?"
So fed up—
At the voice, I instinctively shoved Sophia behind me.