Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Master of Childcare
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[Chapter 1: Find a Way to Cure the Heavenly Demon's Mental and Physical Weakness at the Demonic Cult]
'W-what is this?'
The words I'd muttered to myself in bed just moments ago flashed through my mind.
"Daddy, if you're watching over me, give me a hint..."
The scroll before my eyes felt like someone's answer to my plea.
'What if someone actually heard me say that...?'
A chill ran down my spine, and I shot to my feet, scanning the room frantically.
I even checked under the bed thoroughly, but there was no sign of anyone else.
'Doesn't seem like anyone's watching me. So who sent this scroll? They know about Daddy the Heavenly Demon being frail, so they must know a lot about me...'
That meant, even if I didn't know where it came from, it was worth paying attention to.
'Could this scroll be like a status window or quest from a fantasy novel or game? Only in a martial arts story would they commit to the concept like this.'
'When you're on the verge of death, you don't get to be picky about hot or cold water.'
Compared to the hopelessness I'd felt just moments ago, this was practically a fairy descending from the heavens. If I followed the instructions on the scroll, I might find a way to survive in this martial arts world.
'It said to cure the Heavenly Demon's mental and physical weakness? Come to think of it, he has a chronic illness.'
They said it was a highly dangerous condition that made him prone to qi deviation, one that had persisted for a long time.
In the novel, it was vaguely called a "chronic illness," but with my memories of my past life, I knew a more precise way to describe the Heavenly Demon's ailment.
The Heavenly Demon suffered from the same illnesses I had in my previous life.
Depression, panic disorder, insomnia.
Three diagnoses, but all stemming from a single root cause.
The Tang Clan of Sichuan.
The Heavenly Demon's name was Dang Hwi. Before joining the Heavenly Demon Cult, he had been the young master of the Tang Clan of Sichuan and was known as the world's greatest poison sword emperor.
And he had a beautiful wife named Seol-hwa from the North Sea Ice Palace.
'They say rumors spread far and wide about the union of the Central Plains' greatest beauty and the most handsome man.'
The child born to those two was me, Seol Cheon-seong.
'Now I understand why Daddy always looked sad whenever he mentioned Mommy.'
My mother, Seol-hwa, had been murdered.
Shortly after giving birth to me, while Daddy was away briefly.
And it was all due to a scheme by the Tang Clan's matriarch, right within their own household.
Daddy—Dang Hwi—had picked me up and left the Tang Clan forever, abandoning the Tang surname.
'After that, he started having nightmares of that day every night, leading to insomnia. And the deep grief from losing the woman he loved.'
What got Daddy, who was growing weaker by the day and sinking into helplessness, moving again was none other than me, a mere infant at the time.
"Dada!"
"Did you just... call me Dada?"
"...Da!"
Watching me smile brightly, Daddy saw the face of the woman he loved in me.
"You look just like me and Seol-hwa. Yes, you're a gift. The final treasure Seol-hwa left me."
Daddy kissed my cheek and said,
"From today, you won't carry the Tang name. You'll take the Seol family name. You're Seol Cheon-seong now."
"Da!"
"Looks like you like your new name."
As I laughed with a clear voice and gripped his finger tightly, Daddy spoke in a voice more resolute than ever.
"Cheon-seong, I'll hand you this world. No one will ever harm you."
After that, Daddy cultivated demonic arts, defeated the previous Heavenly Demon, and became the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
As if fulfilling his promise to me, he grew the cult, and the Demonic Cult expanded its influence day by day, rapidly multiplying his enemies in the process.
Having more enemies applied to me too, the one Daddy cherished most.
"At this rate, Young Lady Cheon-seong's safety is at risk. Wouldn't it be best if you left the Demonic Cult temporarily until she grows strong enough to protect herself?"
At the suggestion of a loyal retainer who had helped build the cult alongside him—and out of concern for my safety—he settled in a remote village far from the Central Plains to raise me.
'And that's the present.'
Cruel as it sounds, the truth was that Seol Cheon-seong was killed because of the Heavenly Demon's excessive attachment.
'The mental illness stemming from the memory of losing Seol-hwa worsened as Cheon-seong grew.'
Anyone who even spoke to Cheon-seong got met with overprotectiveness, scaring off would-be friends.
'Eventually, even the Heavenly Demon couldn't control it, and Cheon-seong felt suffocated too.'
Unable to bear it, Cheon-seong defied the Heavenly Demon's strict order never to leave the cult alone and sneaked out.
'And as if waiting for that moment, the Tang Clan bastards appeared, killed her, and hung her head at the Demonic Cult's entrance.'
In truth, more than sixty percent of the reason the Heavenly Demon became overprotective was the Tang Clan. They kept sending items that reminded him of Seol-hwa's death as threats to kill Cheon-seong.
Not wanting to live in the fear of when Cheon-seong might be killed, the Heavenly Demon kept it all from her.
Instead, he vowed to protect her himself.
'If Cheon-seong had listened to him, she wouldn't have died, but being kept in the dark with her hands and feet bound must have been suffocating for her too.'
I understood both of them. That's why that episode hurt my heart so much.
'If the Heavenly Demon hadn't been ill, their loving father-daughter bond wouldn't have broken, and Cheon-seong could have survived...'
—I'd lamented.
'Wait, that means if I cure Daddy's mental and physical weakness, I won't die and can live happily ever after with him?'
This scroll really might be my path to survival!
If Daddy stops worrying about losing me like Mommy, being together won't feel suffocating, and he can escape his pain too?
In this life, I had just two wishes.
"Daddy, I'll stay by your side forever."
The first was to keep my promise to Daddy.
"Listen well—you have to survive, no matter what. I love you, my daughter."
The second was to survive without dying a dog's death.
"Alright! I'll cure Daddy's mental and physical weakness!"
I clenched my fist in determination, but soon hit another wall.
'But how exactly do I cure Daddy's illness?'
There was no modern medicine here, nor the treatments I'd taken in my past life.
I turned my eyes back to the scroll.
'Demonic Cult.'
It specified the location, so there might be clues there to cure Daddy's condition!
'I need to go there...'
"Star, did you wake up from sleep?"
"D-Daddy!"
At Daddy's sudden appearance, I hurriedly hid the scroll behind my back.
Daddy looked at me with strange eyes.
"If you need to use the outhouse, Daddy will go with you."
"It's not that!"
He didn't ask about the scroll, so it seemed invisible to him. He didn't seem to know I'd overheard him earlier either.
'What a relief.'
"Where were you, Daddy?"
I sighed in relief and smoothly changed the subject.
"The outhouse."
'Lies just roll off his tongue, huh?'
"You little liar!"
I almost preferred the weakling fish Daddy.
Feeling oddly upset, I dove under the covers with a huff.
"What?"
"I don't know!"
I shouted in a petulant voice, and Daddy, flustered, came to my side and sat down, silently stroking my hair.
Those trembling hands, gentle as they stayed until I fell asleep, were so tender that I couldn't bring myself to resent him fully.
The sun rose.
Unlike usual, I got up early, ate breakfast, and with the purple ribbon Daddy had carefully tied fluttering like bunny ears, I kept an eye on his movements.
Daddy usually spent mornings alone, saying he had work to do.
'Who would've guessed that "work" was training? He's the Heavenly Demon, after all—he must be doing terrifying training. Summoning spirits or blood rituals... Even if he's strong, with his mental and physical weakness, is his mind okay during that?'
I definitely shouldn't approach him during this time.
Imagining his training sent shivers down my spine, but it was also an opportunity.
'This is when I can avoid Daddy's eyes!'
Leaving Daddy focused on his fearsome task, I headed to the room with his private study.
'He told me not to go in there because it has important documents. I've always obeyed, so I've never been inside.'
But now I knew. Daddy the Heavenly Demon's private study! If there's info on the Demonic Cult, it has to be there.
I double-checked he wasn't around, then sneaked in like a stray cat, slipping through the door like an arrow.
"It's all books?"
The private study was packed with bookshelves filled to the brim with crisp volumes.
'Books on the Demonic Cult? Or martial arts manuals?'
I swallowed nervously and read the titles on the shelves one by one.
'How to Become a Childcare Master, Childcare Victory Strategies, Making Nutritious Baby Food, Cute Hairstyles for Your Daughter.'
Eh?