Chapter 207
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: Ruthless Lee Seong-hoon
[Dad. When's Benia coming?]
"In ten nights."
[Ten nights?! I've already slept three times!!]
"That leaves seven more."
[Hmm... I miss her.]
"She'll be here soon."
[Okay!!]
Three days had passed since escaping that hellish lair. I was enjoying a refreshing weekend, lounging on the sofa and stroking Levatein.
Benia, whom I'd tasked with sweeping out the mines and scouting, had gone off to talk with the dragon. With no word on the results yet, what else was there to do?
So I'd gone about school life for a bit, and lo and behold.
Weekend.
Still, a few things had changed since the incident.
For starters, Isia got weird whenever she saw me. She was already a bit off, but yesterday when I greeted her...
—G-Good morning? Right? You greeted me first!! Yo!!
She kept repeating stuff like that and flaunting her ring like crazy. Glad she liked it.
And Sophia, standing next to her, seemed kinda down and mumbled something strange.
—I'm trash. A mosquito that can only suck blood. Eeng~ Eeeeng~
She seemed a little off-kilter, so I patted her head, and she went back to normal.
Other than that? Park Ho-soo and Shin Chae-yeon glancing at me now and then? Kim Tae-hyun too, I think. This attention's getting awkward.
"What's with that creepy look on your face."
"The creepy look is on your face right now."
"Obviously. Think about it, Seong-hoon."
Think? I'd been thinking up until a second ago. As I ignored her and kept petting Levatein's head, Raphael continued.
"It's the weekend today, right? A golden weekend? An exciting weekend where you don't go anywhere and play games with me at home?"
"Why's the conversation going there."
"Anyway!! Right?!"
"Feels like agreeing would be a bad idea."
"Exactly!! Yes!! I know your true feelings, Seong-hoon!! I know you wanna hang out with me!! Just hear me out!!"
"Levatein, don't end up like your mom."
[That's what I'm trying not to do.]
Aww, good girl. Whether we exchanged smiles or not, Raphael was lost in her own words, rambling on.
"But what's that?! What is that pure white creature over there?! Why is something like that in our house?!"
Following her pointing finger, my gaze landed on white hair. White hair and black eyes.
The guy playing with Sion, saying stuff like, "Listen well, Sion. This is what you tell Levatein. [Aunt Mikael isn't an auntie; she's an aunt.]"
The one who'd changed the most since the incident.
Lately, he came to our house a lot. He used to refuse even if I begged, but now he showed up every other day—this was almost his second time today.
And whenever he came, he stayed for breakfast and dinner.
"That's Mikael."
[Auntie!!]
"You think I don't know that?! Why is he here!!"
"Because I told him to come."
Well, duh. I'd nagged him endlessly to come eat.
Eating together is nice. More people means more liveliness, Sion likes Mikael, and Benia's not here anyway.
Good for Mikael, good for me, good for Sion.
Everyone wins. Except probably...
"Who decided that!! This is our house!! You need my permission!!"
Raphael, apparently. She grabbed my shoulders and shook them wildly. Hope she'd stop—Levatein was getting jostled too.
"Calm down, Raphael. If you think I came to ruin your alone time on purpose, you're mistaken. I only came for meals because this man invited me anytime."
"Seong-hoon."
"Yeah?"
"That woman just smirked, right? She smirked while talking?"
Dunno. With her gripping my shoulders like this, how am I supposed to see? I glanced at Mikael with a "Did she really?" look, but she shook her head.
Nope.
"Seong-hoon!! Kick that woman out!! Hurry!!"
"Mikael. You're eating and leaving today too, right?"
"Naturally."
"Lee Seong-hoon!!!!"
Tough luck, but no amount of wailing would chase Mikael away.
Ignoring Raphael's throat-shredding screams and chatting with Mikael, my eyes drifted to her legs.
Maybe because she was sitting on the floor, it caught my eye. Without thinking, I asked right away.
"Huh? Mikael. Didn't you say wounds heal once you leave the lair?"
Startled by my question? Mikael flinched and hid her legs.
"Ah. That. It... isn't healing well. Maybe because it's my first wound ever since birth. It won't go away."
Really? So it's a serious injury, and she's still using the bandage I wrapped.
You gotta change those right away. Disinfect the next day, change bandage, repeat.
That's how it heals fast, but she's been dumbly reusing the same one?
"Then you need to change the bandage. Come here. I'll do it."
"Ch-Change?! No. I can do it myself. I'll handle it. Don't bother!!"
Suddenly? Wondering why she was acting up, I stared, and Raphael approached, resting her chin on my shoulder with a weird expression.
"Suspicious. Very suspicious."
"What exactly."
"Seong-hoon. Do you know this?"
Here comes more nonsense, so I ignored expectations and watched Mikael fluster off to the bathroom.
"Angels can use basic healing magic."
"For real?"
"Yes."
"Then why haven't you used it even once so far."
"......"
Well, well.
—Hey. Mikael, why are you sitting there?!
—No other chairs left.
—That's Levatein's spot?!
—Levatein's on his lap.
—Then I'll move the chair here, so sit here!!
—Don't bother. This is fine.
—Argh!! Then switch seats with me!!
—Who's watching Sion?
—Arghhh!!!!
"Gonna choke on your food."
Watching the two angels bicker pointlessly over the seat next to me during chaotic breakfast made even me feel bloated.
Sion and Levatein chowing down unfazed were kinda admirable, though.
Guess I need to get used to it. Calming my slightly queasy stomach, I packed my bags when my phone blared noisily.
An alarm. Text message alert. I hurriedly checked it.
[We're waiting.]
Sender was, naturally, Shin Ga-yeon. I replied I'd be there soon and finished packing.
The reason? Obvious. The promise I'd made with Shin Chae-yeon during the half-demon attack.
We'd agreed to visit their family home over the weekend.
"Good thing the week-long break got shortened to one day."
Small consolation: the vacation schedule dropped from a week to one day? Not much else.
Best would be not going, but I'm Lee Seong-hoon. I keep my promises.
Go quick, come back quick.
"Alright."
With that resolve, I looked up to see something peeking from the doorway.
A twintailed little girl clutching the door, only her face showing. Sion watching me.
"Oppa. All packed?"
"Yeah. Ready. You?"
"I finished ages ago!!"
Perfect. I stored my bags in [Inventory] and headed out. Sion approached, so I patted her head.
"But just me going feels off."
"It's fine. I'll be back soon. Think of it as a quick trip."
"Still wanna go together."
Our kid's got a kind heart. No helping it. Raphael and Levatein had no reason to tag along, but when I said Sion was just my little sister, they said bring her.
Sion walked to the living room holding my hand, eyes downcast sadly but mouth corners slightly up in excitement.
"It's okay. We're not going just the two of us."
"Huh? Who's else coming?"
Someone else is. Raphael and Levatein lacked pretext, but one other did.
Visiting a swordmaster family—how could a sword expert be left out?
Especially one who dispatches the heir with one hand.
"You're late. Why so much prep?"
"That's how it is. You wouldn't get it. You came with nothing."
"You're making me come again, but heading home?"
Not that. As I got serious, Mikael grinned like it was a joke. She could smile like that?
"...Smiling like that. You're set. Lucky you, Lee Seong-hoon."
"Why add the full name suddenly."
"Dunno. The Seong-hoon I knew is gone. Only ruthless Lee Seong-hoon remains."
Wonder why she's sulking. Raphael approached with Levatein in her arms, pouting and glaring thinly at me.
"Fine. You go out every holiday, and now you're sleeping over with my little sister?"
"Don't phrase it like that—it sounds wrong!! That's not it, right? You know that's not why we're going?"
"Dunno. Dunno. I don't know anymore~ Gonna change the passcode. Live outside from now on."
"This is my house. You're the illegal squatter."
"Ugh~ Whatever~"
Raphael plugged her ears completely and flopped onto the sofa, done with goodbyes.
"Levatein. Your dad's a bad guy."
[I know.]
"Human trash not even worth recycling. Nuclear waste."
[That's not true!!]
"Even my daughter sides against me. No allies in this house~"
What was that combo leading to lamenting? She kept sneaking glances our way.
Is a short trip out such a big deal? That bored and hating being alone?
I slowly approached and crouched in front of Raphael.
"Who're you."
"Lee Seong-hoon."
"Don't know that guy~"
Sigh. Sulking hard. Leaving her like this would bring an aftermath I couldn't handle, so I placed a hand on her head.
"Raphael. When I get back, we'll play all weekend."
"......"
"Next week too."
"....."
"Leaving money. Order delivery."
"......Next week."
"Next week?"
"No Mikael on weekends."
She really hates Mikael. Nodding helplessly, she fully turned her head toward the sofa.
Talking to the back of her head felt weird, but still.
"Go and come back."
Got the answer I wanted.
One quick trip, and it's this damn exhausting.