Chapter 355: Like Mother, Like Daughter (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 355: Like Mother, Like Daughter (7)
Nothing in this world is eternal.
Humans, even less so.
Whether it comes late or soon…
The time given to each person is finite.
Right now, the Republic of Korea is safe.
Countless Hunters, and above them, five—no, six S-rank Hunters.
For such a tiny patch of land, it was an excessive amount of power.
That was why the entire Korean peninsula, with Seoul at its center, was rapidly regaining its stability.
If things continued like this for another ten years, even the more dangerous provincial areas would become as livable as they once were.
And by then, the time for those who currently protect the Republic of Korea will have come to an end.
“That’s precisely why I named the guild Twilight.”
As expected.
The moment I announced the founding of a guild named Twilight, the reporters went wild as if they’d been waiting for it.
All sorts of sensational articles poured out.
【Not Joining, but Founding?! Kim Do-jin’s New Guild, ‘Twilight.’ Is He Taking a Shot?】
【‘Twilight,’ Led by Kim Do-jin. The Arrogance of a Rising Star Ushering in a New Era, or Sheer Confidence?】
【The Era of Dawn is Over, by Twilight】
Do you see them?
The headlines of these provocative articles, so sensational that once you see them, you’ll go mad with curiosity if you don’t click!
What’s amazing is that not a single one of those articles contacted me to confirm the facts.
If I let this go on, my reputation was about to be ruined, so I scheduled an interview for the first time in a while.
I even contacted them myself.
No matter how much I talked, it was obvious that only those who wanted to listen would, and those who wanted to criticize would just cover their ears and do so anyway. Still, I had to get my side of the story out there.
That way, I’d have grounds to sue the bastards who kept spreading rumors to the very end and see their faces in court, or whatever.
“Our guild wasn’t created to surpass Dawn, but with the goal of following in its footsteps.”
I continued speaking into the recorder held out by a reporter who had written one of the more favorable articles about me.
“We will work harder to follow in the footsteps of our seniors who have protected the Republic of Korea, so I ask for your support rather than your criticism.”
Or you won’t know what I’ll do.
Let’s be nice while we still can.
If I get pissed off, I might just emigrate to a country where polygamy is legal.
And if that happens, I swear I’ll change the guild name to Harem.
“Yes, thank you so much for the interview.”
“Please write a good article, miss. If you do, I’ll be sure to pass along plenty of scoops in the future.”
“Hoho, is that a promise?”
“Of course.”
I might not be able to promise much else, but I could guarantee this one thing.
The reporters who were favorable to me would be overflowing with stories to write from now on.
And what’s more, every single one of those stories would be an exclusive.
“Well then, I’ll see you again next time. I’d like to talk in a more comfortable setting then… would that be alright?”
A comfortable setting, she says.
There was no way this café, which I’d booked for the entire day just for interviews, was uncomfortable.
I subtly lowered my gaze, scanning her face and figure.
An intelligent face and a body toned by consistent exercise.
She was attractive enough not to be easily dismissed anywhere she went, but… well.
She was quite pretty for a reporter, but to be brutally honest, she wasn't even as good as my fucktoy.
Therefore, there was no chance I would be having drinks alone with this woman and spending a hot night together.
Hiding these inner thoughts, I smiled and replied.
“Sounds good. I’ll treat you properly then.”
“Hoho… can I look forward to it?”
“By all means.”
Well… she was free to look forward to whatever she wanted.
I saw her off as she left with a strangely sensual smile playing on her lips.
“This should be enough.”
I had done almost three interviews today alone.
They were all with influential figures in the world of online news, so it should be a great help.
Besides, I still had an ace up my sleeve.
“You fight fire with fire.”
And that was none other than Han Ju-yeon.
I had announced the guild’s founding, but I hadn’t yet revealed that she was one of our members.
It wasn’t that I intended to keep it a secret from the start. I just had a feeling some bastards would try to pick a fight over the guild’s name, so I saved it as a countermeasure.
If public opinion didn’t shift even after these articles, I planned to put Ju-yeon front and center.
If that happened, all talk of me taking a shot or declaring war would be impossible.
Why?
Ju-yeon is Han Ju-hee’s sister and Son Si-woo’s sister-in-law.
If we were a sniper guild, how could Son Si-woo’s sister-in-law have joined us? With that one statement, no one would be able to argue.
In short, I had created a perfect setup where they could no longer talk shit so openly.
I win, you keyboard warrior fucks!
My joy was short-lived.
A bitter smile spread across my face.
“All this trouble over a single guild name…”
I had no idea how many days I’d been suffering, literally, just because I chose the wrong name for the guild.
Then couldn’t I have just not used that name?
“Sigh…”
How could I?
My daughter had laid it all out, showing such boundless affection and respect, saying she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps.
The problem was that, setting me aside, all the other kids were completely won over by her words.
What could I do when they all banded together, saying they would face any controversy head-on?
I had no choice but to go with it, following the principle of majority rule.
“As if they could do anything.”
It was laughable.
How could kids who didn’t even know how to deal with reporters handle the fallout?
So I just got pissed and threw them into a dungeon.
They were probably having a hell of a time right now, on a grand tour of dungeons in the provinces.
I had specifically chosen places that weren’t particularly high-risk but were difficult for other reasons.
“They need to suffer a bit more, yes.”
It wasn’t because I hated them.
It was simply because of where they were at right now.
They were far too green to handle anything.
Now was the time for them to experience more, to get knocked down, and to grow.
Therefore, the cleanup…
“Ju-yeon, I’m counting on you…!”
Waaah.
I’m baby Do-jin.
I can’t clean up messes.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The provincial dungeon tour for Yu-jeong and the other team members—no, guild members now—which was scheduled for one day, was extended to two days and one night.
There wasn’t any particular reason… they just said the dungeons I picked for them were shitty.
I had planned a 12-hour schedule taking all of that into account, but it seemed to be harder than they expected.
So, they said they would rest at a nearby hotel in the evening, finish the conquest the next morning, and then come back.
And what did that mean?
“Welcome home, honey…♥”
It meant that for the first time in a while, I would be having a quiet, intimate dinner alone with Jeong-hee.
By the way, the word “honey”… was it always this pleasant to hear?
As I grinned, she naturally walked up beside me and linked her arm with mine.
While I was mesmerized by the soft touch of her breasts against my arm…
“You worked hard today.”
She sounded just like a wife greeting her husband after a long, hard day.
Ah, so this was today’s concept.
In that case, I should play along.
She asked in a voice that was music to my ears.
“Do you want to wash up first? Or eat first? Or maybe…”
Th-this question… could it be…?
“Me first…?”
She subtly pressed her upper body against me, making the sensation of her breasts even more distinct.
If she asks like this, then of course I’ll…!
“Then Jeong—mmph.”
Just as I was about to lunge for her, Jeong-hee blocked my lips with her finger.
“Fufu… sorry to disappoint, but let’s save me for a little later. Let’s eat first, shall we?”
“……”
I know what this is.
The answer is already decided, you just have to say it.
That’s what this is, right?
Led by her soft hand, I headed to the kitchen.
A feast of delicacies was spread across the dining table.
Butter-grilled abalone, grilled beef, grilled eel, samgyetang with lots of ginseng, stir-fried octopus, oyster soup, and more.
Wait, hold on.
The composition of this menu feels incredibly… blatant.
“Come, sit down. I made only your favorites today, honey…?”
No, that’s not right.
I hate oysters.
And I’m not too fond of ginseng either…?
Aren’t these things that are good for my virility, not things I like?
“Here, honey…? Say ahhh♥”
A piece of abalone was unceremoniously placed into my slightly open mouth.
“How is it?”
“…It’s delicious.”
The taste was undeniable.
The heavily sauced grilled eel, the ginseng-scented samgyetang, the spicy stir-fried octopus.
Every single dish was a perfect match for my palate.
If the food I’d eaten until now was like standardized, off-the-rack clothing, then this meal was like a custom-tailored suit designed solely for my taste.
I didn’t even have to lift a finger as rice, side dishes, and soup were all brought to my mouth in perfect balance. It made me think that this must be what it feels like to live a life an emperor would envy.
After vigorously finishing a heaping bowl of tightly packed rice, just like our ancestors used to eat, I shouted.
“One more bowl of rice!”
“No.”
And I was rejected.
But why…?
As I looked at her, she answered with a gentle smile.
“You can’t get sleepy from being too full… so we’re stopping here for today. Got it?”
“…R-right.”
Is she saying she’s not going to let me sleep?
After being forced to finish my meal, we cleaned up the table, hovering around each other like newlyweds.
Once I finished the dishes, I was presented with a glass filled with a thick, white liquid.
“What’s this?”
“Yam juice.”
“……”
“It’s good for you, so drink it all up, all of it… that’s a good boy♥”
As my face contorted from the bitter taste of the yam juice, she popped a strawberry-flavored candy into my mouth.
“Honey.”
“Yeah?”
By now, I had grown so used to the word “honey” that I could answer without a second thought.
“I have a present I want to give you.”
“Uh… what is it?”
I’d like to pass on any more stamina-boosting things.
I already feel like I’m about to explode as it is.
She replied with a smile.
“Fufu… you’ll know when you see it. It’ll take some time to prepare, so just sit on the sofa for a bit. And when I give you the signal, come into the room.”
“Okay, got it.”
“See you in a bit?”
After planting a light kiss on my cheek, she entered the room with shy steps.
“Hmm… what could it be.”
What kind of present requires preparation time?
Could it be something like cosplay?
I wondered what gift she had prepared.
Just as I was tapping my feet impatiently, like a child on Christmas morning excited to see what was in the stocking they’d hung by their bed…
Her voice came from beyond the door.
“Honey, you can come in now…”
Her voice sounded somewhat shy.
Like a tightly wound spring finally released, I shot up from my seat and headed for the master bedroom.
I pushed open the door to her bedroom, which I had entered and exited so many times it now felt like my own.
The room was generally dark, with soft lights glowing faintly.
And on the bed in the middle of it all…
Jeong-hee was lying there.
Dressed in a very thin and risqué nightgown, commonly called a slip, she shyly spread her legs.
Squelch♥
Her pussy, sticky with love juice as if a flood had hit, despite me having done nothing.
But this time, even her pussy, which always captured my attention first, was pushed to the background.
My gaze settled below that.
On the red jewel that sat where another hole should have been.
I knew instantly what it was.
And I also knew what the present she had prepared was.
Gulp!
Just as I swallowed so loudly it seemed to echo throughout the room…
She slowly parted her lips, painted with red lipstick.
“Honey…”
“Y-yeah…?”
“Aren’t you going to… open your present…?”
Right.
When you receive a gift, you have to tear off the wrapping and see what’s inside.
“Hurry…♥”
My body moved toward her, completely helpless to resist.