Chapter 227: The Divorcee
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 227: The Divorcee
Two weeks had passed since we wiped out the villains in Otaki-machi.
During that time, the Alliance was nowhere to be seen, and the heroes went about destroying dungeons smoothly without any interference.
It would be nice to think that was their final stand, but the major issue was our failure to find Object X.
It was a cursed item that shouldn't even exist, yet despite scouring Otaki-machi, we couldn't find a single trace of it.
The Alliance still possessed weapons capable of forcing a dungeon to explode, but since the physical evidence remained elusive, the Association had begun dismissing the idea of "forced dungeon explosions" as nothing more than a wild rumor.
Hmm... This feels like a disaster waiting to happen.
While Black Unicorn was highly popular in Japan for saving Miura City and dealing with the Alliance members hiding in Otaki-machi, they were also facing a lot of pushback.
It was likely a "don't touch my bread and butter" sort of situation.
As a result, my opinions were being ignored by the Japan Association. They seemed to view Object X as nothing more than the delusion of a brat caught up in playing hero.
You stupid bastards. After everything you've been through, you're still turning your guns on your allies.
Song Jae-ah believed me and kept pushing the issue, but she was being brushed off with remarks telling foreign heroes not to meddle in Japanese affairs.
Is the New Human Alliance actually backing the Japanese government?
That politician, Masami or whatever her name was, suddenly went missing too.
It wasn't just some random citizen; a politician had vanished, yet the Japanese government's investigation was sluggish at best.
Perhaps they were hiding it because the political climate was unstable due to the Dungeon Impact, but the media hadn't written a single article about it. I only found out through Satomi.
Thinking about it, the missing politician was likely a "tail" that had been cut off, meaning there was a much bigger mastermind lurking in Japan.
I couldn't just investigate recklessly, and since the mastermind hadn't left a single footprint, there was nothing I could do.
I guess I'll just focus on destroying dungeons and protecting Japanese citizens.
Having been in Japan for over a month, I was starting to miss Korea.
The other heroes who came to support seemed to feel the same, as their concentration was beginning to slip.
In particular, since Black Unicorn was clearing areas under Chinese jurisdiction, we ran into many heroes from China and other nations.
Whenever we finished a dungeon and moved to the next location, we often saw heroes resting at the dungeon entrances.
They were human, so they needed rest, but compared to the early days of the Impact when they would dive right back in after a short break, they had grown quite lax.
One party was even holding beer cans; I honestly thought they were there on vacation.
Fortunately, the members of Black Unicorn actually enjoyed clearing dungeons.
"This is way easier than training with Master."
Kwon Ye-jin said with a bright smile.
Wait, maybe she just hates the training.
I had only adjusted the difficulty and given them training that was just a liiiittle bit tough; they shouldn't be getting tired already.
We still have a long way to go.
Still, I was proud of the members for following along so well.
The problem was Han So-ye.
Having been dragged all the way to Japan because of Black Unicorn, she often spent time staring blankly into space, seemingly missing her family.
With a cheating husband and an unstable marriage, it was only natural for her to feel troubled in a foreign land.
"What are you thinking about?"
I sat down beside her and asked, handing her a cup of coffee.
Her long eyelashes and drooping eyes—the kind that could bewitch any man—curved into a soft, thin smile.
"Thanks."
She substituted an answer with a word of gratitude and took a sip of the coffee.
After tasting it, she gave a warm smile and returned to gazing into the distance.
She didn't seem particularly interested in talking, so I sat beside her and took in the scenery.
The Maple Inn was designed to blend in with nature, making it a great place to sit quietly and enjoy the static view.
There are going to be so many bugs here once summer hits.
Was I emotionally stunted? To look at a beautifully manicured garden and have that be my first thought.
Living a life of constant movement and urgent situations made it hard for me to understand the "peace in silence" that high-society types always talked about.
I could enjoy it for maybe five minutes, but anything beyond that was a struggle.
Just as I was wondering what was for dinner, Han So-ye glanced at me and chuckled.
"You're not like other young people these days. Don't you find it boring to sit quietly, drinking tea and looking at the scenery?"
"Not really. I'm just meditating."
Sorry, I was actually thinking about something else.
Han So-ye fell silent again, watching the landscape before speaking softly.
"I think I'm getting a divorce."
At her sudden declaration, I turned my head to look at her.
With a bittersweet expression, she continued to stare at the scenery.
"My husband called me the day before yesterday. He told me he wanted a divorce."
"..."
"But do you know what's even funnier? I could hear a woman's voice next to him."
Han So-ye bit her lip, her face shifting into one that looked ready to burst into tears.
"It was so vile... It wasn't just that she was there; I could hear her moaning. And he didn't even try to hide it. Isn't it ridiculous? How can a person be so low? How can you let your wife hear you having sex with someone else?"
Whoa... that's shocking...
What kind of piece of work was this husband?
Even though this was a world where men generally had lower libidos, people were diverse; if there were those with low drives, there were those with high ones.
While the average was low, there were men who were obsessed with sex and enjoyed seeing multiple women.
Women disparagingly called them "stud lions," or even "man-whores."
...Wait, I'm the man-whore.
Anyway, it seemed Han So-ye's husband had quite the libido.
If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to broadcast his sex life live to his wife.
I couldn't say for sure, but it seemed the husband really detested Han So-ye.
"Later, the woman spoke over the phone. She said my husband 'tasted good.' And my husband just laughed and acted all cute for her."
I took the cup from Han So-ye's hand and set it on the bench, fearing she might crush it with the strength of her grip.
She was radiating an aura that suggested she might commit murder the moment she stepped back onto Korean soil.
"What a bastard. Can't you sue him for that?"
"Adultery can't be punished by law anymore."
She spoke with a bitter smile, but Han So-ye was mistaken.
The abolition of the adultery law only removed criminal penalties; civil lawsuits were still very much an option.
He wouldn't end up in handcuffs, but it was grounds for divorce and a claim for alimony.
Since the husband was the one who wanted the divorce, I wondered what he planned to do about the settlement.
"My poor So-hee... what do I do... If we divorce, the law favors men, so custody will probably go to him..."
Deeply misunderstood, Han So-ye wore a sorrowful expression as she worried for her daughter.
Just in case the laws of this world differed from my common sense, I looked it up on my phone.
It was the same.
I relayed the facts to the despondent Han So-ye.
I explained how the law worked, how the husband was the one who committed adultery and neglected the family, and how she was actually in a much more advantageous position. Han So-ye stared at my smartphone screen as if she couldn't believe it.
"Do you have any evidence? Like call logs?"
"He didn't show his face, but he sent me photos via text."
What an absolute lunatic.
Just how pretty was this woman that he felt the need to openly mock Han So-ye?
When I asked to see the photos, she hesitated.
"They aren't really the kind of photos you show to others..."
"I need to see if they count as solid evidence."
Since I kept insisting out of curiosity about the woman, Han So-ye hesitantly held up her phone.
...I shouldn't have asked to see.
I had forgotten that this was a gender-reversed world.
The photographer was clearly the woman, as the photos only showed the naked man beneath her.
It was nauseating, but since I was the one who asked to see them for "consultation," I pretended to examine them seriously.
Ugh... what a dog.
His face was only visible up to the chin, his body was average, and his...
Having to look at another guy's junk was killing me. It felt pathetic, too.
The only thing even remotely worth noting was a shot taken from the side, like a selfie, while he was performing oral.
Even then, it was male-centric, so only the woman's lips were visible.
I nodded, handed the phone back, and asked, "Are you sure it's your husband?"
"Yes... we've been together this long, there's no way I wouldn't know. I haven't had many chances to see his body since So-hee was born, but the moles and features are the same."
No chances to see his body? Does that mean they haven't been sleeping together?
How could a man live a life of celibacy for years with a woman like this?
Ah, right, he was cheating. But even so, to leave this body alone for years?
I stole a glance at Han So-ye.
She was a sexy MILF with prominent breasts and hips.
Her body, radiating both allure and softness, wasn't too thin and possessed the kind of skin that made you want to hold her.
And those eyes that always seemed to be seducing you.
A sorrowful widow. Ah, not yet. No, no, no, he's not dead. And I'm not going to kill him.
The sadder her eyes became, the sexier this beauty got. Not touching her was a massive loss.
"It looks like this woman put him up to it."
I hesitated for a moment before deciding to be honest.
If I just wanted to sleep with Han So-ye, I could have just comforted her while playing dumb, but I owed her too much for that.
She had subtly helped me during the Break Line incident, and I would have been in danger in Otaki-machi if it weren't for her.
The moment she heard my words, Han So-ye arched her fine eyebrows in anger.
"The woman took all these photos. She's doing this specifically to make you angry, So-ye Nuna."
"To make me agree to the divorce?"
No, people aren't that kind.
"It's more like bragging. You said she even told you your husband 'tasted good.' There are plenty of people who enjoy the act of stealing something from others even if they don't gain anything from it. Like villains."
As I spoke calmly, Han So-ye clenched her fists in anger before suddenly turning composed.
"But my husband enjoyed it too... He consented, which is why those photos were taken."
"Yes. There's no denying that either."
I intentionally stayed quiet to give her time to think, and Han So-ye calmly assessed the situation.
Gazing at the ground with sad eyes, she looked at me with a bitter smile before tears began to fall.
"I... I worked so hard... Why..."
"You did work hard. It's just that the other person didn't."
I pulled the sobbing woman into an embrace.
Buried in my chest, Han So-ye wept and trembled.
While I was patting her shoulder, Lee Yuna approached from a distance. Startled, she observed the situation for a moment before asking in sign language if everything was okay.
I patted So-ye's back to ensure she didn't notice while briefly explaining the situation in sign language. Yuna nodded and quietly withdrew.
After a while, a calmed Han So-ye pulled away and smiled with swollen eyes.
"I'm sorry. You had to see me in such a pathetic state."
"It's always okay if it helps you release your emotions, Nuna."
"Thank you. You've given me courage."
Taking a deep breath, Han So-ye hesitated, biting her lip slightly before speaking.
"Actually, my husband sent the divorce papers last week. I think he did all that to pressure me into signing them quickly. I've been hesitating until now, but I'm going to sign them."
"You have to bring So-hee with you, too."
"Yes. From now on, it'll just be me and So-hee, living happily together."
Han So-ye nodded and stood up.
Once she signs, there will be mediation and whatnot, but the divorce should be finalized by the time we return to Korea.
Han So-ye looked relieved as she let out a long breath.
"Still, you shouldn't lend your chest to other women so easily. They'll get the wrong idea."
"I told you, I can lend it to you whenever you need it, Nuna."
"Hehe—it's warm. I'll lend you mine later too, so come find me when you want to cry."
You promised.
Of course, I had no intention of borrowing her chest just because I wanted to cry, but she did promise to lend it.
Once she signs those papers and becomes a stranger to her husband, I'm going to go collect on that promise.