Chapter 145: Cheon Hong-ryeon’s Husband
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145: Cheon Hong-ryeon’s Husband
Ahyu was so taken aback by Do Hwa for thinking of her first that she pressed her forehead against my chest.
“It would have been easier to just resent me…”
“Ahyu, sometimes choosing the easy path is actually the harder thing to do.”
There are always people who insist on taking the difficult road.
And most of the time, those people do it for their families rather than for themselves.
“Just as you couldn’t ignore Do Hwa after hearing what the Sword Queen said, it was the same for him.”
“I never did anything for him. In fact, I destroyed everything he had. So why?”
“Because you’re family.”
Even though they didn’t grow up together as children.
And even though they had different fathers.
The Sword Queen, who was mother to them both, had clearly connected the two.
“Ahyu, you’ve known for a while that your life as Shin So-ra wasn’t the whole story.”
Ahyu was only turning away from her life as Cheon Hong-ryeon; she hadn’t discarded it.
That’s why she was so shaken the moment she saw Do Hwa.
The life of Cheon Hong-ryeon she had tried to ignore must have kept resurfacing.
“Ahyu, you are Shin So-ra, but you are also Cheon Hong-ryeon.”
“…”
Ahyu’s hazy eyes looked up at me.
“To Do Hwa, it’s not just Cheon Hong-ryeon who is his sister. He thinks of you as his sister because you are Ahyu.”
I cupped Ahyu’s tear-filled cheeks in my hands.
At my touch, Ahyu glanced away before covering my hands with her own.
“And that Ahyu is the person I like the most.”
The two are not different people.
The life of Cheon Hong-ryeon and the life of Shin So-ra—they are all the things that ultimately made the Ahyu of today.
“I told you before. I like you for who you are right now.”
“Yeah… yeah.”
Tears streamed down Ahyu’s face.
I caught them with my hands so they wouldn’t fall to the ground and disappear.
“Do Hwa told me. He doesn’t want to go back to Murim. Ahyu, let’s talk to him properly one more time. I’ll be right there with you.”
In that instant, Ahyu’s form changed into Cheon Hong-ryeon.
Having returned to her appearance as the Heavenly Demon, she smiled at me, still in my arms.
That confident smile was the one I loved most about her.
“I believe that falling in love with my husband was the best thing I have ever done in this world.”
When I smiled back at her words, Cheon Hong-ryeon kissed me once more.
Her face, unbecoming of the Heavenly Demon, was flushed bright red.
“This is the first time… in this form. I’m a little embarrassed.”
She cleared her throat, pulled away from me, and turned around.
“I’ll head in first.”
As she shyly entered the café, I found myself face to face with Baeksan, who had been standing by the door.
Baeksan, with his arms crossed, glanced toward Cheon Hong-ryeon and spoke to me.
“Kang Ha-chan, after this, the Heavenly Demon will become even stronger, mentally as well.”
“Ahyu is still growing?”
“That’s not the point.”
Baeksan uncrossed his arms and looked back toward the café.
“You were already deeply involved, but in my memory, this incident was the catalyst that forged the deepest relationship between you and the Heavenly Demon.”
Is this how my relationship with Ahyu deepened in Baeksan’s world?
When I looked at him, he let out a long sigh.
“Remember this: if you die now, it’s really the end.”
“…Baeksan, after I died, what happened to Ahyu?”
At my question, Baeksan turned to me as if the answer was incredibly simple.
“In my world, the one who killed the most hunters and returnees was none other than the Heavenly Demon.”
His words made my body go rigid.
“The only reason I was able to defeat the Heavenly Demon was because it was right after she had killed all the divine beings from the Divine Realm that Erebos had summoned, and even killed Erebos himself.”
Baeksan stated it calmly, as if reporting a fact.
“Listen carefully, Kang Ha-chan. I don’t know how strong I’ll be in this world, but even I couldn’t stop the Heavenly Demon in a direct confrontation. I’ll help you when you save or help someone, but…”
Baeksan warned me.
“Remember one thing for certain: your death will bring an end to the world.”
His warning seemed to carry the weight of his deep sorrow.
Having heard what kind of world he had lived through, I could only nod.
“So stop getting hurt and try to stay out of trouble, you punk. It’s best for everyone, including you, if I don’t have to get involved.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tch, you’re always quick with your answers.”
As if he didn’t expect anything anyway, Baeksan jutted his chin toward the café, signaling me to go inside.
As I followed his gesture and entered, I thought about Baeksan’s return.
‘January.’
Baeksan had definitely said that was when he returned.
If there’s no deviation, then the Baeksan of our world will be returning soon.
‘Then, at that time, Baeksan will…’
What will happen to him?
I couldn’t know yet, but I entered the café, thinking about the future.
*
8
After our conversation ended well, I was making a call somewhere.
Click—
[Who is this?]
A moment later, the sound of the call being answered was followed by a playful voice.
“It’s Kang Ha-chan.”
[Ah, so you’re my husband. Could you tell me your wife’s name?]
“I have both Jin Seol-hyang and Baek Seol-hyang. Which one should I say?”
[Heehee, I like them both. Is this about Do Hwa?]
As I played along, Seol-hyang’s mood seemed to brighten as she asked.
“Yeah, you must have heard from Eunhyeon.”
[She reports to me immediately. I was waiting for you to call, Ha-chan.]
Hearing that, I gave her an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, I ended up causing trouble again.”
[What are you talking about? Ha-chan, I’ve never once thought you caused trouble.]
At my apology, Seol-hyang spoke to me in a gentle voice.
[This incident, and all the others, were things you got swept up in. And yet, you’re the one who always resolves them far beyond my expectations.]
Her words warmed my heart.
[Of course, you get hurt so often that it makes me a little angry every time.]
“I’m really sorry about that.”
[I’ll accept that apology. I want you to know how I feel watching you get hurt all the time.]
If Seol-hyang were to get hurt, I felt like I would become completely undone, so I apologized once more.
[You’re always meeting with the Heavenly Demon, and I want to be with you too, Ha-chan. I’m always the only one who’s busy, we can’t even see each other. Maybe I should just quit as the Association Chairperson.]
Seeing Seol-hyang so openly express her disappointment, I adjusted my grip on my phone.
“I’ll come over today.”
[Oh, really?]
The moment I said that, Seol-hyang’s tone brightened instantly.
“Yeah, I told you, didn’t I? If you ask, I’ll come right away. You just said you wanted to see me, so I have to keep my word.”
[Really? You really mean it? W-wait, do I have any clothes? Ah, no. Come to my house. Come to our house. It’s cleaner there—no, uh, ah, okay?]
“I’ll do that.”
Hearing her flustered reaction to me saying I’d come, I smiled and replied. I could hear Seol-hyang laughing.
[Haa, you really know my heart too well. It’s a problem.]
“That’s why you like me, isn’t it?”
[Yes, I love you more than anyone in the world.]
I pictured Seol-hyang’s happy laughter on the other end of the line and smiled along, ending the call after saying I’d see her later.
Then, I realized that I had recently grown accustomed to being in a relationship with both Ahyu and Seol-hyang at the same time.
“…Is this really okay?”
To think I’m getting used to dating two people at once.
I felt like I was drifting further and further from normalcy.
But at the same time, I couldn’t be half-hearted about it. The greatest courtesy I could show the two people who liked me was to like them back with all my heart.
“Haa, well, it’s already come to this. What’s the point of questioning it now?”
I’ve already told them both that I like them.
All I can do is my best to love them both so that they feel even a little less lonely.
Who would have thought I’d live to see the day I’d have a harem?
The problem, however, was that even in this situation, there was one more person who came to mind.
‘Si-ho.’
It’s already like this with just two. What would happen if Si-ho were added to the mix?
Si-ho’s actions were practically a confession, but she hadn’t crossed the final line.
She must be waiting on purpose.
For the day she turns twenty, the day I would no longer have to worry about her being a minor.
“…”
I fell silent for a moment, thinking of Si-ho, then turned around.
This year was almost over.
After next month, it would be a new year.
I quietly returned to Juksim’s house to wait for Eva.
I firmly trusted that the me of next year would figure things out.
*
9
In front of Seol-hyang’s house.
I lifted my head and looked up at her home.
Perhaps because it was my first time coming here alone, I felt a little nervous.
“Kang Ha-chan.”
Just then, Baeksan spoke to me.
When I turned my head at his call, he was looking at Seol-hyang’s house.
“Tell the Iron-Blooded Empress to investigate whether there are any highly intelligent lifeforms among the dimensional entities.”
“Highly intelligent lifeforms?”
My eyes widened at his words.
I realized this was what Baeksan wanted me to ask Seol-hyang about earlier.
“That’s right. The Tower of Revelation may be summoning dimensional entities and causing dimensional shifts, but it also acts as a dimensional barrier to some extent.”
“Like how it prevents dimensional invaders from entering recklessly?”
“Exactly. That’s why it’s rare to find dimensional entities with proper intelligence and social structures. Most of them are just creatures of instinct.”
It was true that most dimensional entities were closer to animals, driven only by instinct.
Of course, that was what made them dangerous.
But just as humans reached the apex of all life with intelligence alone, intelligence was a tremendous weapon.
“However, that barrier is entirely at the Tower of Revelation’s discretion. To be precise, the Tower has a set of phased rules.”
“…Rules?”
“Yes, rules. If it determines that the dimension has surpassed a certain stage, it moves on to the next one. That’s when the high-level dimensional entities that were previously blocked start to cross over.”
Baeksan spoke with a familiarity that suggested he had experienced it before.
For me, however, it was a fact that was beyond shocking—it was horrifying.
“Originally, this was supposed to happen much later. But recent events have caused unsettling changes. This business with the Heavenly Demon’s brother, for example. Everything is happening too fast.”
“Is it because of me?”
“To be precise, it’s not because of you, but because of me.”
Baeksan let out a long sigh, as if he had concluded that his regression was the starting point of all this.
It seemed Baeksan was feeling a sense of responsibility.