The Pope Who Returned After Having Three Children
I sat with Seoyun on the couch, watching Liam's image on the floating mirror created by the Azure Sky Vision.
Just in case something inappropriate happened, we didn't want the girls to see, but luckily the little ones had already fallen asleep from playing.
Rohan, on the other hand, was squirming around in my arms with his chubby cheeks and wide, bright eyes.
I looked down at my son's clear gaze for a moment, then sighed and said,
"Rohan, why is Daddy so clueless? Do you know?"
Instead of answering, Rohan kept turning his head as if trying to see behind him—exactly in the direction where Liam's image was visible.
Does he recognize Daddy? My son really is clever. He's more like me than Liam.
I poked my baby's soft cheek with satisfaction when Seoyun suddenly asked,
"Are you nervous?"
I nodded without hesitation. It was too obvious a question.
"Liam is out alone. How could I stay calm?"
"You're right."
Seoyun immediately agreed with my words. Even after living together for just three weeks, she had perfectly understood the former hero's temperament.
She even claimed yesterday that she couldn't properly describe her brother-in-law as a "handsome nuclear weapon."
I agreed.
"Let's just keep watching."
I turned my gaze back to the mirror.
Liam was already approaching the high-end restaurant that was his destination. He had flown there at high speed.
◈ Sign reads in English, not Korean
◈ Exterior looks more luxurious than expected
I thought it would look even more fancy, so the sign was written in English instead of Hangul.
What does that say? Tournesol? I hadn't touched English for twenty years, but I knew it wasn't just any English word.
Anyway, Liam entered the restaurant with a weird name that wasn't Korean or English.
According to Rule and Common Sense 2, he entered through the door instead of the window.
"Liam is entering with perfect manners!"
"...I see."
Liam was acting unusually gentle for him. It felt surreal even to me, who had been backing him up since his holy maiden days.
-"Welcome. Are you a reservation guest?"
-"Yes."
He even used honorifics. The guy who used to treat me coldly when meeting the Emperor now treated the staff politely.
It was the most emotional moment since the girls first called me "Mom."
"Ms. Seoyun, I have no regrets even if I die..."
"......"
While I was soaking in the emotion, Liam was led to his seat by the staff.
On the table where he arrived, someone was already sitting. It was havant.
As expected, she was a woman, but there was one unexpected thing too.
-"Hello, Sir Warrior. Nice to see you again."
Surprisingly, havant was an acquaintance.
A plain, unremarkable appearance. Polite tone. A calm atmosphere that looked like an ordinary person at first glance.
The National Intelligence Service agent in charge of me. Ha In-ha.
"Eh? That person..."
Seoyun's eyes widened as she recognized Ha In-ha. She looked surprised.
I was surprised for a slightly different reason.
"Ms. Seoyun, what is the average annual salary of an NIS agent? Can I afford to donate a huge amount to personal streams?"
"...I don't know."
While we were talking, Liam sat down and calmly started speaking.
-"You were havant, right?"
-"Yes, but a little off."
Ha In-ha corrected Liam's words with a faint smile.
-"It's havant. It's a mix of my name 'Ha In-ha' and the English word 'servant'."
That's how she pronounced it. I had no idea. Even though I kept mispronouncing it, she never pointed it out, so it seemed like it didn't matter how I said it.
After revealing the origin of her nickname, Ha In-ha stared at Liam for a moment, then spoke quietly.
-"You look even more handsome than usual."
I couldn't hold back and blurted out a curse.
"The baby is cute..."
The words that flowed out after being corrected came out exactly as I said, without containing even a drop of my anger. It was pathetic.
"Calm down. You haven't done anything yet."
Seoyun stopped me, so I calmed my anger. But I couldn't loosen my tension.
How would Liam react? Would the lecherous instincts from his wild days come out? I watched the situation with tension.
And soon all my worries were washed away.
-"......"
Liam sat silently, saying nothing.
He didn't open his mouth even after the food was served, eaten, and dessert was put in his mouth. He seemed determined not to give any room for escape.
"Nothing much happened."
I finally stretched my legs and slumped on the couch.
"I believed you."
No matter what, even if I was a lecher, I couldn't cheat on my wife and three kids.
***
The warrior who became famous overnight with his good looks and rough temper didn't say a single word during the meal.
'havant' nodded her head while watching his silent behavior.
'He doesn't seem like someone who would cheat.'
His wild temperament was worrying, but at least with his wife he seemed sweet. Based on what I had observed so far, he was.
He seemed less dangerous than expected. This was enough to say I got a much more satisfying result than expected.
'Good that I came.'
Initially I didn't want to accept the Pope's proposal. It would reveal my secret identity as 'the big hand of Tribe.'
There was no rule against agents watching internet broadcasts, but it was a bit awkward.
Especially if my superior found out, I wondered what I would be scolded for. At least he wouldn't say 'good job' or 'keep doing that.'
Moreover, just eating dinner alone with him?
Game streamers I usually watched didn't do this much even if they received a lot of money.
It was easy to find on other broadcasting platforms, but not on Tribe, so it was a bit burdensome.
But I had deliberately brought Liam to this dinner seat. I wanted to confirm the danger directly.
Last time I couldn't properly confirm it because of the negotiation, but this time I could. I had read the setting manual thoroughly.
'It said he was a lecher in the settings.'
According to the setting manual, Liam was a 'lecher so bad even the four heavenly kings of the Demon King's army would spit out their tongues.'
So I had no choice but to worry.
Once he started running wild... it would be impossible to stop. Even if I mobilized the army, the main cities would burn to the ground while the troops were moving.
Moreover, there was only one returnee in Korea, so there weren't many people who could stop him in an emergency. If Liam wanted, Korea would be wiped out in no time.
So I accepted the Pope's words that he would manage himself and accept all requests, but I wasn't relieved.
That was why I wanted to meet him without the Pope and confirm it directly.
"Sir Warrior."
I called softly, and Liam, who had been moving only his fork quietly, looked up.
A blank, emotionless gaze. Ha In-ha looked straight into his pair of emerald eyes and asked,
"I heard you are very fond of women. Now, even if you see other women, you're not bothered?"
It was a question based on the setting manual. It was meant to check how much he loved his wife and whether the Pope could truly control Liam.
"......"
But he answered with silence again.
The former hero's lips didn't open at all. It seemed like he had no intention of talking until they separated.
In that case, there was no point coming to the dinner table. Just as I was slightly frowning, Liam broke the silence.
"Hey."
Just one word. Exactly one letter.
But it was so short that I couldn't help but flinch. The voice felt like it had stabbed my heart.
"...Why?"
Ha In-ha barely opened her mouth to answer. But her voice was shaking. This was the first time it had happened since she became an NIS agent.
Not just her voice. Her whole body started trembling.
An indescribable fear. Fear as if facing an unknown existence.
Finally, her mind turned completely white.
"Do I look funny to you?"
The moment Liam's cheerful voice pierced my ear, Ha In-ha realized. The reason he hadn't spoken all along was that he was holding back his anger.
"You've been watching me the whole time, and now you're openly investigating me. Is it because I'm easy? Right?"
"...No."
Ha In-ha answered hurriedly. At the same time, she shrank her body in case of some unknown situation.
Liam watched her reaction and smiled coldly while crossing his legs.
"I'm pissed off, but I'll answer."
The former hero tapped the bowl with his fork nervously and continued speaking.
"It's annoying, so I'll give the conclusion. I can't do it without her. Do you know why?"
"......"
"Because you've been supporting me the whole time. Even though you know I'm an idiot, you never turned away until the end. Because you sacrificed your life to save me. Want me to say more?"
No further explanation was needed. The fervent emotion was already pouring out.
"This is true love. You 'unlovable' idiot."
"...Unlovable?"
"Isn't it written that way? Anyway, do you understand the meaning?"
Liam stood up from his seat. And he showed a lively smile that he had never shown before.
"I'm going. From now on, be careful. Donate a lot on the stream."
The former hero smiled brightly and then walked slowly away. Ha In-ha stared at his back and thought,
'A lecherous warrior who was redeemed by the holy maiden's utmost devotion?'
I wasn't sure if I could really call it 'redemption,' but one thing was certain.
Liam wasn't someone who would run wild recklessly. At least until he touched his wife.
***
I opened the tightly clenched fist. The palm was already soaked with sweat.
"It seems it's over."
The dinner with Liam and Ha In-ha had just ended. In just thirty minutes, it felt like half a day had passed.
Why was I so tense? We had just been talking.
"Ms. Seoyun, you worked hard."
I leaned back on the couch, feeling a bit tired. Seoyun also leaned against me and muttered weakly.
"I'm exhausted."
"Same here."
"But how is your mood? Your brother-in-law is all for one person, so you must be really happy?"
"......"
I quietly turned my head to the side. I would have a face too embarrassed to show.
But I couldn't escape Seoyun's mischief.
"When your brother-in-law comes back, give him a kiss. Or... should I take the kids out?"
'Evil Spawn' really had a good nickname.
"...I'll think about it."
Of course, I didn't hate the idea.
Just imagining it made my heart race. Just a little.
