Chapter 110
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: This Isn't How It's Supposed to Go (2)
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Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared up quickly.
...So youre saying this kid is also a survivor of that fucking experiment?
As it happened, the princess had proof right on her head that she wasn't human. This should make them believe me.
Yes.
Meiden looked with a wistful gaze at the princess, who was growling as she hid behind me.
There was another survivor besides you? I don't think I saw any records of that.
Meiden frowned, recalling the reports from the other labs.
Of course not. Rena was experimented on in a different place from the four labs you know about.
...A different place?
Her expression turned grim.
That goddamn experiment. It was happening somewhere else? Is that what youre saying?
She looked absolutely ferocious.
Yes. Think about it. Do you really think theyd be so careless as to have all their branches discovered just because one lab was found?
...
The four labs, including the Sunshine Orphanage, were just Group A. Rena was from Group B.
Ha.
Meiden raised a hand to cover her eyes. She pressed her lips together, leaned back heavily in her chair, and then looked up with a self-deprecating sigh.
What a fucking world.
Beside her, Yuhwa bowed her head with a sorrowful expression.
...My conscience pricked me a little.
Rena wasn't a survivor of a beastkin fusion experiment; she was a real beastkin.
Still, it was true that there were more than the four labs Meiden knew about.
The silence stretched on for quite a while.
I decided to give the two of them time to sort through their thoughts.
A moment later.
Meiden, having finished her thoughts, was the first to speak.
So, kid. Youre the one who rescued her from that lab?
Yes.
When?
About five years ago.
The project was scrapped around that time, so this should be a safe answer.
...
A deep sadness settled over Meidens face.
Rena... was it?
Yes.
Meiden's deceased daughter's name was Leah Keuritineseu. Coincidentally, it was quite similar to Rena's name.
Add to that the shared experience of being experimented on, and it wasn't so strange for her to see one in the other.
And her language?
She asked, looking at Rena, who was still hiding behind me with her guard up.
Shes still clumsy with it. Shes only just started learning Korean.
What were you doing for five years... No, thats not right. A kid who went through an experiment like that wouldn't open up easily. Sorry. I misspoke.
Meiden smiled bitterly.
Then what was that daddy thing from before?
Yuhwa asked carefully.
Ah... that.
What was I supposed to say?
I couldn't say it was the result of me messing around. And saying I made her call me daddy would sound way too weird.
What do you think? Its because the kid has opened her heart to him.
Meiden answered before I could.
She must miss her parents. Shes probably identifying this kid with her own father. It's not that strange for her to call him daddy.
Ah...
Yuhwas expression grew even sadder.
That child. I noticed her language earlier sounded like nothing I've ever heard. Is she from some remote indigenous tribe in Europe?
Huh? Yes. Thats right.
Beastkin are an indigenous people, I guess.
Though not from Europe.
Kid. I have to ask, just in case. Are there any other survivors?
Meiden stared at me with a dead-serious expression. Her eyes were pleading with me to say yes.
None that I know of.
I shook my head.
I see.
Meiden let out one last, deep sigh. Then she looked at Rena and smiled warmly.
Rena hid even more tightly behind my back. Finding her reaction adorable, Meiden's smile widened.
She must be seeing her own deceased daughter in Rena.
Anyway, kid. I get the situation. ...You little punk.
Meiden suddenly stood up and walked over to me.
I dont know whose son you are, but youve grown up well.
Then she started ruffling my hair. Her eyes, filled with goodwill, pierced right through me.
...
It hurt, just a little.
I wondered how those eyes would change if she found out everything Id said was a lie.
The thought was, just for a moment, terrifying.
Well, we should be going. Hwa. Lets go.
Ah, yes.
Yuhwa stood up as well.
Youre leaving already? Why? You could at least stay for dinner.
Its fine. We mainly came because we were worried you werent answering your phone...
Meidens gaze dropped to Rena.
And it seems our little princess here didn't take a liking to us, given the poor first impression.
I glanced at Rena, who was still growling.
...Haha.
Lets have dinner some other time.
Yes. Understood.
Meiden waved and walked toward the door. Yuhwa gave a small bow and followed her.
Oh. Right.
Meiden stopped, as if shed just remembered something.
Kid. If you need anything, make sure you tell me, alright? Dont be shy.
Meiden flashed one last bright smile.
And dont you forget this big sis is always on your side. Got it?
***
After the two of them left.
The tension drained out of me, and I collapsed onto the sofa.
Phew. That was a close one.
The princess grabbed me and shook me.
I stayed as quiet as you asked...
Huh? Oh. You did great. Thanks.
Who were those two women? Judging by the murderous look one gave you at first, it seems you are not on good terms.
The princess frowned.
No, theyre close acquaintances. One of them even gifted me this house.
Then why did she look at you that way? The emotion in her eyes was clearly disgust.
Um. I think there was just a misunderstanding.
The princess tilted her head.
A misunderstanding?
Well...
She probably thought I was the worst kind of human scum, keeping a little girl, making her call me daddy, and even putting animal ears on her.
Its complicated. Anyway, theyre good people. Theyre like benefactors to me.
I couldnt explain the whole misunderstanding in detail, so I just trailed off.
Hmm. If you say so, then it must be true. A benefactor, you say. In that case, I have been rude to those two women. Hmmm.
The princess pressed her lips together with a serious expression.
Its fine. Next time we see them, just try to be a little more friendly. Thats all.
Will that be enough?
Yes. More than enough.
Hm. If you say so. Very well. I shall do as you command.
The princess beamed.
By the way, you. Did you not tell me that in this world, beastkin like myself only appear in legends?
I did.
Then how did you explain my existence to those two? They would not have easily believed you if you said I was a beastkin.
Right. I didn't say you were a beastkin.
Oho. A clever solution. Then what did you say?
I answered nonchalantly.
A pitiful survivor of a biological experiment who received beastkin gene transplants.
...What did you say?
The princesss expression froze.
I said you were a poor survivor of a biological experiment who kept her heart closed for five years and has only just started to open up.
Hah.
The princess was completely dumbfounded.
Her pupils were trembling slightly; she seemed utterly bewildered.
Next time you meet them, youll have to act the part, so Im telling you to remember it. Got it...?
Y-You!
The princess lunged at me, protesting.
You described me as such a being! This is an insult! If this were the Beastkin Kingdom, your head would have been rolling on the floor long ago...!
Hahaha, Magic Shield!
The princesss outrage continued for a long time.
***
That afternoon at 6:30 PM.
Ugh, my head is spinning.
Dizziness set in, a side effect of five straight hours of magic training.
My mind felt foggy.
We shall stop here for today.
Princess Rena said with a smile as she looked at me.
Whats this? The spartan princess taking a break?
Be it physical or magical training, simply doing more is not always better. There is a reason the word efficiency exists.
Wow. Shes right. Shes absolutely right, but.
Says the person who made me train until 3 AM?
Th-That was... I got a little carried away...
Two days ago.
I had been acting so smug that Renas patience snapped.
As a result, I was forced to practice magic until 3 in the morning.
And Princess, lets be honest. Youve been glancing at the clock since 6. Youre hungry, arent you?
Flinch.
The princesss shoulders trembled.
Th-That cannot be true. I am not one to have such a large appetite in the first place.
Really?
Hmph. A wolf must be noble.
The princess nodded with a resolute expression. It seemed she was trying to maintain her dignity.
Pizza.
Flinch.
Chicken. Pork trotters.
With every word I spoke, the princesss body trembled, and her silver ears twitched back and forth.
Or... how about the hamburg steak we had yesterday?
Ooh...
Now her eyes were practically sparkling.
No. A Korean needs rice. For your health, Princess, how about a barley rice and vegetable set?
Droop.
This time, both her ears sagged as if they were about to drill through the Earth's mantle.
This princess absolutely despises vegetables. I once jokingly ordered her a barley rice meal full of greens, and she ate it with a tearful face.
True to her Silver Wolf nature, she has a serious obsession with meat.
Y-You, are you truly going to eat the barley rice set again today?
Her voice was pleading.
I chuckled.
Im kidding. After burning all this energy, who wants vegetables? Lets go with samgyeopsal today.
Ooooh! That dish with the texture that seems to melt the moment it enters your mouth!
Her ears perked up.
They even started wagging back and forth.
She seemed absolutely thrilled.
I smiled to myself and placed an order using a delivery app.
I ordered it. Itll be here soon. Probably in 30 to 40 minutes.
With that, I put on my jacket.
Are you going out?
Yeah, just for a bit. To get some air. You want to come, Princess?
No, thank you. I shall play with the Geumbaeks.
The princess then bounded over to Geumho and Baekho, who were playing on the bed. The three of them were soon tumbling around in a fluffy pile.
Hmm. Every single moment was a meme-worthy masterpiece. I sneakily took a picture with my phone.
Ill be back.
The princess replied to my Korean farewell in Korean as well.
Come back saefly~
My lessons in polite speech were proceeding smoothly.
As I left the apartment, I sent a message to Yuhwa.
[Attached Photo]
[Arent they cute?]
It was the picture I had just taken of Geumho, Baekho, and Rena.
No reply.
The checkmark next to the message disappeared, meaning she'd definitely read it. But there was no reply.
?
This was the first time Yuhwa had ever left me on read.
...Is she too stunned to reply?
Maybe she was just lost in the moment.
That was possible.
Yuhwa had a huge weak spot for cute things like this.
I shrugged it off and put my phone in my pocket.
Oh my.
A woman approached me.
I didnt expect to see you on the weekend. At this point, dont you think it might be fate?
...Ms. Shirakawa.
It was Lust, the woman with the charming beauty mark by her lips.
Lately, whenever I went out, there was a high chance she would appear.
It was as if she was monitoring me.
Come on. I told you to call me Ai. You dont call people Mr. Kim or Mr. Kang in Korea, do you?
Lust took another step closer to me.
Haha. Im still not comfortable with that.
My reaction made Lusts expression brighten even more.
Seoyul, youre so pure. I like that.
I wasn't sure if I was imagining it.
But it felt like her vibe changed every time we met.
At first, she had the fierce intensity of a predator about to pounce.
Now, she had a relaxed air, as if she was simply happy just talking to me.
Pure? Theres no such thing as a pure man in this world.
...Yes. Youre right.
For a fleeting moment, a dim light flickered in Lust's eyes.
But the darkness vanished as quickly as it appeared, like snow melting in the sun, and her eyes regained their usual brightness.
Until recently, thats what I thought too.
Lust leaned against me. She looked up, her eyes meeting mine directly.
Seoyul. What do you think when you see me?
Hmm. Just that youre a beautiful woman, I guess?
I met her gaze and answered.
Lust laughed.
Liar.
She smiled and pulled away from me.
This is strange, isnt it? I used to wish men wouldn't fall for me. But now that theres a man who wont, it hurts my pride. Im such a selfish woman, arent I?
Hmm. So my continued rejection of Lusts advances was the cause of this situation?
But it wasn't like I could just give in to her seduction.
Well, Seoyul. Ill see you next time.
Lust turned and walked away with light, carefree steps.
...
Left alone, I just stood there and tilted my head in confusion.
Afterward, I took a short five-minute walk and returned home.
I wanted to get more fresh air, but the food was due to arrive soon.
I used my key card to disable the security system and opened the door.
Princess, the delivery hasn't come ye?
The moment I stepped inside, my body froze solid.
Two women were standing in the entryway.
Seoyul?
Seonjonim?
Jia and Siyeon glanced at Rena, then turned to me with peculiar expressions.
...
I was at a loss for words.
This situation felt awfully familiar.
*Thump-thump-thump-thump!*
The princess came running toward me. She hid behind my back and shouted.
Love Daddy!
Hate bad guys!
To reiterate, that was the only Korean curse word the princess knew (because I had taught it to her that way).
In the princess's eyes, Jia and Siyeon must have looked like intruders who had broken into our home.
...Daddy?
Seonjonim?
The pupils of the two women dilated.
I sighed internally and asked the princess in the beastkin language.
...Princess. Did you open the door thinking the food delivery was here?
...
The princess was silent.
But her reaction was answer enough.
You opened it, didn't you?
Blinded by the thought of samgyeopsal, she must have opened the door at the sound of the doorbell. Hadn't I told her not to open the door for anyone? Hmm. I hadn't.
...Ha.
Who was it that said it?
What goes around, comes around.
Seoyul. What does she mean, daddy?
Whoever it was, they must have possessed true wisdom.
Seonjonim?
But for karma to strike twice like this was just unfair.
My head was starting to hurt.
< This Isn't How It's Supposed to Go (2) > End