Chapter 116: Board Game (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 116: Board Game (3)
As time passed, the participants found it increasingly difficult to distinguish themselves from their in-game characters.
Just as Kang A-rin had warned, The Route, with its limits removed, was more than just a simple board game.
Everyone had perfectly projected themselves onto their characters.
Their thoughts, emotions, even their desires.
In a state where reality and fantasy seemed to blend, they soon found themselves enjoying a life that felt real.
And Jung Hae-in was no exception.
@
A rustic morning at the farmhouse.
The manor of a great farmer in a frontier village.
Sunlight streamed through the small but warm bedroom window, seeping softly over the bedding.
Jung Hae-in slowly opened his eyes.
A familiar warmth, a subtle fragrance.
As if by instinct, he turned his head, and there she was.
“Are you awake, dear?”
A languid voice.
Cheon Yeo-wool rubbed her eyes lightly and shifted.
Sunlight settled on her shoulders, and she smiled brightly from behind her scattered hair.
His beloved wife. Last night, they had shared an intimate night.
As they did, in fact, almost every night.
Of course, that wasn't what had actually happened.
Even an adult game had its limits.
It was merely a scene that started the morning with the premise that they had been intimate.
There were no direct descriptions.
However, the fact that it was an adult game was made clear by her attire.
As the sunlight shone down on her, it revealed everything.
Cheon Yeo-wool was completely nude.
Beneath the blanket, the unadorned silhouette of her naked body was faintly visible.
Jung Hae-in briefly held his breath.
It was a beautiful sight he could never get used to, no matter how many times he saw it.
Smooch.
Without warning, Cheon Yeo-wool leaned over and kissed his cheek.
A pleasant warmth lingered where her lips had touched.
Beyond her cascading hair, the faint red marks left on her neck from the night before were subtly revealed.
When she lowered her head slightly, the marks vanished beneath the blanket.
“Take your time getting up, okay? I’ll go make breakfast.”
With those words, she put on some clothes, carefully opened the door, and left.
Even after the door closed, her scent lingered gently in the room.
Jung Hae-in quietly inhaled the lingering fragrance.
He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth, before slowly rising from the bed.
It had already been a year since their wedding.
They were still in their honeymoon phase.
A breakfast table filled with lovingly prepared food.
The two sat side by side, chatting.
“You have a busy day today, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I’ll be back a little late. You can go to bed first.”
The demand for their specialty, blueberries, was growing by the day.
It was time to deliver the harvested crops.
He had to go all the way to the central city and sell the entire stock.
It was going to be a long day.
“……You can’t.”
Cheon Yeo-wool said.
With a slightly bashful expression, she put down her spoon and met his eyes.
“Today is… an important day, you know.”
Jung Hae-in’s hand froze.
He thought for a moment, then nodded with a soft, “Ah.”
Though they had made love countless times and their affection for each other was boundless, the couple had not yet been blessed with a child.
They… still had no children.
So they had promised that on the important days Cheon Yeo-wool had calculated, they would share a night together, even if the sky were to fall.
Of course, the real reason was that the sum of their two dice hadn’t exceeded twelve…
But completely immersed as they were, they had no way of knowing that, and it was a time of growing concern for the couple.
After finishing his meal, Jung Hae-in popped a blueberry into his mouth and gently stroked Cheon Yeo-wool’s hair.
She closed her eyes, quietly accepting the touch of his fingertips.
“I’m off.”
“Be safe, dear.”
After that brief farewell, Jung Hae-in put on his coat and left the house.
It was the start of a vibrant day.
@
However, there was one person who was not feeling vibrant at all.
A woman who was watching this entire scene, completely sober.
“…Shit.”
Yoon Chae-ha uttered the strongest curse she could manage.
It was now her turn to roll the dice.
But she had no expectations whatsoever.
Why?
Because five of the six people in this room were already their in-game characters.
All of them were completely immersed. All except for Yoon Chae-ha.
They were all acting as if they were truly living these lives.
But Yoon Chae-ha couldn't. While a certain level of immersion was possible, her eyes prevented it.
Her eyes showed Yoon Chae-ha only the ‘truth.’
They prevented her from becoming too deeply engrossed in the simulation.
Thanks to that, Yoon Chae-ha had to watch Cheon Yeo-wool and Jung Hae-in’s entire lovey-dovey act from beginning to end, completely sober.
She was the only one in her right mind.
And therefore, she was the only one who had witnessed that farce.
“Let’s just get this over with…”
In the end, she rolled the dice again.
Her only thought was to end this game as quickly as possible.
*
The heart of the central city, the market at noon.
Jung Hae-in set down a box of blueberries, just as he always did.
He had struck a deal with a wholesaler in the city and had agreed to help out for a day.
When he opened the lid, the plump, ripe, blue fruits glistened in the sunlight.
It was then that a white parasol slowly approached, parting the crowd.
‘…A noble.’
Her hair was neatly styled, and while her dress was simple, it had a different class to it.
Though her attire was modest on the surface, there was something about her that couldn't be hidden.
One look was enough to tell she was no commoner.
Usually, you could read it on a noble’s face.
‘I am a precious being.’
But she was different.
A demure expression, an affectedly ordinary way of speaking.
She was pretending not to be a noble, as if trying to blend in with the crowd.
Jung Hae-in saw through it instantly.
She was trying to hide it, but it couldn't be hidden.
She stared intently at the blueberry boxes stacked on the table, then casually picked up a single berry, looked at Jung Hae-in, and spoke.
“…Is this really good for your skin?”
“Why don’t you see for yourself?”
When Jung Hae-in replied with a smile, Ha Sion blushed.
Ha Sion was the treasured youngest daughter of a ducal family.
The household was probably in an uproar by now. She had snuck out, after all.
Having grown up under a strict father, this was the first time she had ever received such a direct smile from a man.
Jung Hae-in delicately wiped a blueberry and handed it to Ha Sion.
Blushing, Ha Sion accepted it.
‘…It’s delicious.’
She had experienced all manner of delicacies.
But she had never tasted anything like this.
“How is it?”
When Jung Hae-in asked with a smile, Ha Sion couldn't look him straight in the eye.
His speech was that of a commoner, but it was imbued with an unexplainable confidence and a warm sense of ease.
Ha Sion tried to scold herself and turn away, but her gaze kept drifting back to him.
He was smiling, his expression full of confidence.
He was surely a commoner.
His very actions were free.
A station in life that could never match her own.
And yet, for some reason, her heart was drawn to him.
Her hand went up.
“I’ll take one box… no, two boxes.”
“Right away.”
Jung Hae-in nodded and picked up a cloth to start wiping the boxes.
Thick fingers, sinewy wrists, a calloused palm.
Ha Sion stared at his hands, then spoke once more.
Small and slow, as if to herself.
“No… just give me everything you have here…”
Instantly, the nearby merchants looked up.
“All of it?”
“Yes, all of it…”
Ha Sion’s face was flushed bright red.
In the end, the noble girl, blinded by love, bought all the blueberries.
But the man himself…
‘She’ll be happy if I get back early.’
…was only thinking about getting home to his wife sooner.
The Hero, Yu Hana, had completed her year-long campaign.
From the Balrog to the legion commanders… and finally, the Demon King himself.
All had fallen beneath her sword.
The royal palace wished to appoint her as the supreme knight.
But she refused.
Yu Hana was exhausted.
She had pushed herself too hard for too long.
She longed for a normal life.
A life where she could breathe as if truly alive, feel the sun in the morning, and quietly turn off the lights to sleep at night.
In the end, she turned down the position of supreme knight and became the lord of a provincial village.
Many had tried to dissuade her.
The land there was barren and poor, they said.
But a scene completely different from her expectations greeted her.
The land she had expected to be rough and desolate was fertile, and the people were as gentle in spirit as they were in appearance.
“It’s the blueberry man!”
“Give me some too!”
Just then, she saw a scene in the distance: dozens of children swarming toward one man.
“Alright, you little rascals.”
A strong build.
Tanned skin, firm arms, and handsome features.
Without exaggeration, his looks would be considered among the best in the empire.
But this man was in the middle of the children, handing out blueberries one by one with a smile.
She watched him intently.
No matter how rowdy the children got, he never once showed a hint of fatigue or irritation.
He gave them piggyback rides, sang them strange songs, and played games with them.
As Yu Hana watched, her heart stirred quietly with a warmth she hadn't felt in a very long time.
It felt as if the wounds in her heart… were beginning to heal.
Before she knew it, the sun had begun to set.
Only after the children had returned to their homes one by one did Yu Hana slowly approach him.
“Hello.”
He smiled and turned his head to look at Yu Hana.
“Hello there. I don’t believe I’ve seen you around before…?”
He glanced at Yu Hana’s attire.
For a moment, a peculiar light flickered in his eyes.
Then, as if it were nothing, he wiped his palm on his pants and politely extended his hand.
“I’m Jung Hae-in. I run a farm in the village. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my Lord.”
Yu Hana was slightly surprised.
Even if he knew a new lord was coming, it wasn't easy to recognize her at a glance in these clothes.
‘He’s sharp, too…’
She was liking him more and more.
Seeing no point in hiding it, she nodded and accepted his handshake.
The sensation from his fingertips was incredibly firm and warm.
“…The pleasure is all mine.”
Yu Hana replied.
Jung Hae-in looked at her for a moment, then glanced around and said.
“If… you have the time…”
“Yes?”
Yu Hana tilted her head slightly.
“I would like to treat you to a meal.”
His tone was still polite, and his smile held a relaxed confidence.
As a village farmer, it was in Jung Hae-in’s best interest to get on the new lord’s good side.
So he offered an invitation to his home.
Then he quickly added.
“Ah, I have no other intentions. It’s just… a way to greet you properly. You must not be familiar with the village yet. I can show you a few places as well.”
Yu Hana smiled as she listened.
It was clearly for his own benefit, but she didn't feel offended.
Even though she felt like she was being sweet-talked… it felt strangely pleasant.
“…Alright.”
Jung Hae-in gave a slight bow.
“This way, then. The path is a bit uneven, so please be careful.”
Watching his back as he walked ahead, Yu Hana found herself murmuring inwardly.
‘Broad…’
A few minutes later, they arrived at a farmhouse that was much larger than it looked.
“Honey~ I’m home~”
At those words, Yu Hana instinctively froze.
‘Honey?’
A pang of disappointment crept in from somewhere.
However, the house was quiet.
Jung Hae-in peered inside and muttered.
“Did she go to pray…?”
He was right.
Expecting him to be late, Cheon Yeo-wool was at the church, praying.
Please, bless our marriage with a child.
“That’s a relief. To be honest, I’m a slightly better cook.”
Jung Hae-in smiled as if it were no big deal and led her inside.
Before long, freshly made dishes were set upon the table one by one.
And the two of them sat facing each other.
They began to talk, pouring and sipping a bluish infused liquor.
“This is one of my prized bottles.”
Jung Hae-in smiled and raised his glass slightly.
His eyes, looking at her over the rim of the glass, were warm.
The more Yu Hana talked with him, the more she found herself falling for him.
A comfortable feeling she couldn't remember when she had last felt.
But at the same time, the fact that he had a wife kept knocking at a corner of her heart.
Jealousy… was steadily growing.
As the night deepened, the two slowly became more intoxicated.
Of course, for a Hero like Yu Hana, the alcohol was easily manageable.
But it was her heart that was getting drunk.
Before long, Jung Hae-in was almost completely wasted.
But he wasn't a messy drunk. He only became more of a gentleman.
“You know… I have my own worries…”
He spoke cautiously.
His gaze grew hazy, and his voice dropped a notch lower.
He began to tell Yu Hana, his lord, the stories he had kept bottled up inside.
“Well… it’s probably all my fault. Haha…”
A year of marriage. And still no news.
That was his worry.
Jung Hae-in looked into the empty air and gave a bitter smile.
Yu Hana listened intently.
He was blaming himself for everything.
Even down to the smallest details of his consideration for his wife.
A strange tickle bloomed somewhere in her chest.
And an urge to cross the line began to rise.
Yu Hana was thoroughly intoxicated, and she was a woman of great ambition.
Quietly, she asked a meaningful question.
“…What are the conditions for a good harvest?”
It was a sudden question, but Jung Hae-in answered it without a second thought.
His eyes were pure, and he was utterly serious when talking about farming.
“The seeds have to be good… sunlight, water… but in the end, the most important thing is…”
He listed the items, extending his fingers one by one, before finally clenching his hand into a fist.
“In the end… the field has to be good. A healthy field, rich in nutrients.”
Yu Hana smiled faintly.
She slowly reached out and covered his hand with her own.
As their fingertips touched, Jung Hae-in blinked slowly.
“In that case… the source of your worries is probably…”
Her lips curling up further, Yu Hana whispered.
“…that the field isn’t good enough, don’t you think?”
Yu Hana was the Hero.
If one had to put it in those terms… she was humanity’s finest field.
And she was the type of person who always took what she wanted.
Besides, it was common for an attractive man to have several wives by his side.
“……snore.”
However, Jung Hae-in didn't hear her last words.
He seemed to have passed out completely.
“Hmm…”
Yu Hana gazed down at his face in silence.
It didn't matter. The night was long.
She turned her head.
Her gaze shifted to a shelf.
On it was a picture frame.
It was a photo of Jung Hae-in and his wife, standing in front of a small vegetable patch, smiling at each other.
It was wiped clean every day, not a speck of dust on it.
You could feel the love.
She rose silently and took out a handkerchief.
Thump.
And she quietly covered the picture frame.
It was a fine cloth, embroidered with a white design.
Her symbol.
“…Honey, mmm…”
Jung Hae-in mumbled unconsciously.
He was talking in his sleep.
Yu Hana smiled softly.
“…Yes.”
And slowly, she moved toward him.