Chapter 163: Is This Your First Time with a Baek Tae-yang Ending? I’ll Let You Savor It Slowly.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163: Is This Your First Time with a Baek Tae-yang Ending? I’ll Let You Savor It Slowly.
"Hmm... The biggest problem is whether I can actually see this frog as the Saintess or not."
In the castle of the Third Prince, Ivan.
There, Kim Min-su sat across a table from a frog, lost in deep thought.
The topic of his dilemma: 'Should I look at this frog as the Saintess and kiss it?'
Ribbit, ribbit.
If he hadn't known the original story, he would have thought it was just an ordinary frog.
Min-su nodded to himself, plotting how to clear the Gate perfectly.
His top priority was to utterly crush Baek Tae-yang.
To the point where the man would never dare look his way again.
For the sin of stealing the women he had loved.
"Well, I didn't love them that much... and I'd already mostly moved on... but still... anyway..."
He had to collect on that debt, with interest.
"In that sense, your role is very important, Saintess."
They say a married couple is one in heart and mind, devoted for a hundred years.
Since we're destined for that, couldn't you use any means necessary to help me achieve my goal?
Min-su spoke pleadingly to the frog, and as if in response, a voice drifted out.
Ribbit, ribbit.
—I will.
The Saintess's voice overlapped with the frog's croak.
Min-su jumped up from his seat and brought his face close to the frog.
"I knew it...! It really was you, Saintess...!"
—Of course. Who else would it be?
"I thought as much. For the Indomitable Hero, the Darkness Warrior... wait, please forget that last title."
Kim Min-su backed away from the frog with a look of regret for his slip of the tongue.
'Phew... it's a bit too early to reveal my aliases.'
Even if their future together was promised, there were lines that had to be maintained.
As much as he wanted to share everything, a cruel fate stood in his way.
'Once I escape this destiny, I'll just... phew...'
After mentally deciding on the names of their future grandchildren, he continued.
"First of all... there will be three trials ahead. The first is the bread... and the second is..."
He began by explaining the overall flow of the Classic Masterpiece 「Frog Princess」.
He didn't think he needed to worry about the minor details.
In fact, even in the Classic Masterpiece 「Chunhyangjeon」, the Gate hadn't demanded extreme precision.
'The only problem was that damn choice that made Hanja mandatory for the Civil Service Examination.'
The most important thing in a Classic Masterpiece was 'how well you lead the story according to its flow.'
'Luckily, I landed the protagonist position, so I just need to follow the usual narrative.'
Min-su imagined his transformed self after the Gate.
Melanie and the Saintess clinging to his arms, and Baek Tae-yang watching them in despair.
Baelson hadn't done anything particularly wrong, but he was guilty by association for not taking Min-su's side.
"Now, please go out through the door. After that, just ask them to bake bread. You understand, Saintess?"
Ribbit, ribbit.
—I will.
Good, perfect.
Min-su headed outside to prepare for the upcoming events.
Since he knew the plot, he intended to gather the necessary items for the latter half in advance.
'It'll be different this time.'
Imagining the "true education" he would give Baek Tae-yang, Min-su waited for the next day.
Once your mental state is shattered, Baek Tae-yang...
'I wonder what kind of face you'll make.'
+++++++++++++++++
The day of the bread presentation.
I smiled with satisfaction as I watched everyone's shocked expressions, except for Melanie's.
'This is it.'
The way a supporting character devours the lead.
I had done it in 「Chunhyangjeon」, and Baek Tae-yang's life itself was already like that.
In other words, Chubby Ahn putting me in a supporting role was his worst move.
"Do... do you really mean to accept that?"
"On second thought, it seems like a fine proposal. Do you have a problem with it, Ivan?"
"N-no, it's not that..."
"Well... they might be good at baking bread... but no matter how I think about it, the First Prince is right."
With every word the King spoke, the faces of Scrawny and Kim Min-su crumpled.
I suppose they never imagined a variable like this.
'You bastards must know the original story, huh?'
Those confident faces they wore when told to prepare white bread.
I wondered where those expressions had gone; now, their faces were filled with nothing but bewilderment.
'You punks, did you think you were the only ones who'd have smooth sailing?'
Recalling the events of yesterday, I bit my lower lip, desperately stifling a laugh.
+++++++++++++++
Last night.
After Melanie and I found Baelson, we brought him back to our castle.
"It looks like they suppressed him and then immediately treated him."
"There's actually someone who gives the disease and then the medicine..."
"It's strange, though. Judging by the bloodstains, it should have been a fatal wound, yet he's perfectly fine."
Contrary to his blood-soaked appearance, Baelson was sleeping quite peacefully.
'I wondered how he could sleep through the stench of the sewers...'
He looked so deeply asleep that I shook him and even slapped his cheeks, but Baelson didn't budge.
Melanie suspected Scrawny and the Black Gyaru, and I strongly agreed.
The fact that he didn't wake up even after being slapped hard enough to turn his head meant they had pulled some kind of trick.
"I don't know what they did, but it's fascinating... stealing his role... and just keeping Baelson asleep..."
"Yeah... their influence must be quite large."
"Influence?... Ah... right. They would have needed an Opener."
Openers are rare.
So rare that they are managed at a national level.
Even if they have no work, the government keeps their bank accounts full and provides a generous allowance to maintain their dignity.
In Kang Tae-min's case, he was just excessively greedy and always short on cash.
In normal cases, they don't struggle for money.
'To seduce an Opener like that... what did they give him?'
I'd have to ask Kang Tae-min about that once we got out of the Gate.
Since it wasn't something I could solve right now, further discussion was pointless.
"For now, we need to make the white bread."
"But does making white bread even matter?"
"Actually, you're right."
Baking white bread and offering it as instructed meant following the story exactly.
If I did that, I would inevitably lose to Kim Min-su.
"I need something different."
If the story proceeds exactly as the protagonist leads it, I'll never escape being an extra.
Therefore, a supporting character must provide appropriate interference without completely ruining the flow of the story.
Just like how I used the Pimp and Magistrate Byun to take Chun-hyang away.
'Wait... hold on. That was completely ruining the story flow.'
Well, Chun-hyang's side had its own problems too.
Setting that aside, the important part was that it didn't matter if the ending changed completely.
'...As I thought.'
The Gate message said it would be considered a clear as long as 'anyone' reached an ending.
Which meant.
'I can be the one to trigger the ending.'
Maybe it was because it had been a while since I'd entered a Gate.
I had been taking it for granted that everything would revolve around Kim Min-su.
As I was organizing my thoughts one by one...
Ding!
An Emergency Quest appeared before my eyes.
"Huh?"
"What is it?"
"...I just thought of a good plan."
I gave Melanie a bright smile and asked her to finish making the bread.
'Yes, this is it.'
I had finally found the clue.
Everything after that went very smoothly.
From making the bread to naturally sleeping in the same bed.
It was all very seamless.
'I knew she'd feel sorry for me if I said I'd sleep on the floor.'
No woman would just stand by and watch a man she's interested in sleep on the floor.
Following this natural law, Melanie said she would put up with sharing a bed.
As a result, I slept while holding Melanie tight, and I had a hard time suppressing my rising sexual desire.
I thought about using a method similar to how I conquered Yu-min in a single day.
But I held back once.
After conquering Su-jin and Yu-min like that, I realized that just swinging my dick around wasn't always the best solution.
"You got the bread, right?"
"O-of course!"
"Why are you shouting? Is it because of last night?"
"Ha... I'm really perfectly fine, okay?!"
"Alright, alright."
After spending the night together.
Walking toward the castle, I did my best to lighten the mood so Melanie wouldn't feel awkward about last night.
Starting with how it couldn't be helped since we were a couple, to honestly expressing that I actually liked it, and so on.
I made her blush and then quickly turned it into a joke, enjoying the small moments of happiness.
"Now, let all the princes show the bread they have made."
As soon as the King finished speaking, Kim Min-su and Scrawny presented their bread.
Scrawny presented bread so white it looked like tofu, and Kim Min-su showed off white bread that looked like an angel's wing.
"Yes, everyone has brought white bre—hm? First Prince, what is that?"
"It is the bread you requested."
However, my bread was different.
It was a coal-like bread that looked rock-hard just by looking at it.
The crumbs scattering here and there looked like falling ash.
"Why did you make such bread?"
"Because I was so worried about my younger brothers."
"...What?"
What do you mean, worried?
At the King's follow-up question, I suppressed a laugh and replied.
"As the eldest son, I am deeply concerned about whether my brothers' brides are truly a good match for them. I have lived much longer than my brothers and have far more experience. But my brothers are not like that..."
"Continue."
"So, I would like to tas—no, verify. I want to see if they possess the dignity required of a princess."
If everyone brought white bread, the King would naturally focus on the Third Prince, Ivan—Kim Min-su.
But what if I brought a completely different result?
'He'll have no choice but to focus on me.'
A black bread would stand out far more than the most delicious-looking white bread.
After diverting the King's attention like that, I just had to lead the story my way.
"And how do you intend to verify this?"
"One by one, I will go on a date with them."
As I uttered those words, I checked the Emergency Quest that had appeared yesterday once more.
=======================
Emergency Quest!
Three husbands.
Three wives.
One of the husbands is Baek Tae-yang.
You know... what you have to do, right?
I'm counting on you!
Clear Condition :: You know.
Penalty :: ???
=======================
"I shall allow it."
"Thank you."
I bowed my head, pretending to be deeply moved by the King's words.
'First, it's you, Black Gyaru.'
Is this your first time with a Baek Tae-yang ending?
I'll let you savor it slowly.