No Dark Secrets In This Book

Episode 103

While preparing a warm meal for little Ryuseong, we had a thorough conversation about what happened in the dungeon while we were apart. 

Although there was a major incident where the pitiful third wheel Ivan Karpin got his face nearly torn off by beast-like aggression when he tried to chat with little Ryuseong with a very left-out expression, it was a micro incident for us even if it was a major incident for his life, so we didn’t pay much attention to it.

Rather, I was just overwhelmed with emotion that little Ryuseong obediently stops when I say “Stop!”

‘I’ll have to pat him a lot.’

After the micro incident and a short discussion, we decided on soup and bread for the meal. The chef is of course Ryuseong today as well.

The ingredients were divided up and provided by the three adults, with Ivan Karpin, who wasn’t on my side, contributing the most. 

Considering the possibility of being isolated in the dungeon for a long time, it’s best to save a lot of food on my side.

‘Of course, this is something that needs to be considered! Ahem.’

Anyway, in that way, we obtained red beets and sour cream, followed by carrots, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, minced garlic, and potatoes.

When I used the excuse that since we’re cooking, they should provide the ingredients for the soup, they gave them to us without question. Even so, Ivan Karpin will be doing all the recipe guidance anyway. What a fool.

‘We need a local to make soup from this region.’

The soup we’re making is called borscht. It’s characterized by the purple soup that comes from adding red beets, and it tastes amazing with sour cream. I was treated to it when exterminating demons in a nearby village, and it went down well even for me who is sensitive to spices.

However, since I don’t know if little Ryuseong will eat borscht well, we’re also preparing more common foods.

‘My very own dimensional storage… I’m sharing it with you, little Ryuseong. Listen carefully. Do you realize what a precious opportunity this is… Gasp! Feel it!’

The items I took out of my dimensional storage were a bottle of wine, spreads for the bread, and several types of fruit. The wine is one of the few handmade products made at an old grape farm in Eastern Europe that Cassice Demillang had bought at an auction. I kept it in my dimensional storage in case someone stole it, but I took it out thinking if not now when we might die, then when will we drink it? Ivan Karpin’s eyes rolled back when he saw it. That damned bastard. He only knows the good stuff.

‘He couldn’t even match the dungeon opening date.’

This won’t do. I’ll only give that bastard a single drop.

For the sweet spreads, there was yuzu spread and wild strawberry jam. Actually, there were a few more kinds, but as soon as the child took out the fruits, he widened his eyes and flared his nostrils, so I decided to give him the goat cheese and chocolate kinds next time. If he likes fruits, I’ll have to give him a lot. So I took out bright yellow mangoes whose skin peels off in chunks when tapped, tart and chewy purple mulberries, wild strawberries that release a refreshing scent when crushed between the molars, and fresh green apples.

‘I saved the watermelon for dessert.’

Honestly, I know this is contradictory behavior for someone who said they’d save their dimensional storage. But when Ryuseong was around that age, it was a time when he fucking wandered the wilderness and ate corpses. Corpses. Corpses. Whether demon or human, he didn’t discriminate. Just rotting things. Gnawing at them. That tiny thing trying to survive somehow…

An innocent child who had to live like that because no one protected him…

‘That’s not right. That’s really… not right.’

…I want to give a fantastic experience to a child trying delicious food for the first time. What’s wrong with that?

‘Absolutely nothing wrong!’

Meanwhile, Ryuseong’s dimensional storage, which I urged him to take out cooking tools and tableware from, unexpectedly contained soft white bread like dinner rolls. When I asked why a guy who looks like he would eat hard campagne based on his face brought sweet and soft bread in his dimensional storage, Ryuseong chuckled and retorted.

“You only eat those kinds of things.”

“…Pardon?”

“Soft and tender things. Sweet. Always things like… you.”

At this point, I seriously contemplated whether I should apologize to Ivan Karpin or not. What a hardship it must be to get stuck between a loving couple. He must be struggling to hold back his vomit. Damn.

And so, after warming our bodies a bit by pouring half a glass of wine into soju glasses and drinking it, I enlisted the two remaining men, excluding myself, to prepare the ingredients and start boiling the soup. As the cooking progressed, little Ryuseong, who had been dancing impatiently, couldn’t resist the delicious smell and tried to stick his bare hand right into the pot. I felt strange, thinking that if I had grown up like Ryuseong, I would be doing the same thing now, but I gently grabbed his hand and shook my head. I never raised my voice to scold him. I had no intention of startling him. Instead, I looked straight into the eyes of little Ryuseong, who was glaring at me as if he would devour me for interfering with his food hunt, smiled kindly, and brought my hand to the side of the pot and burned it.

“…!”

Ryuseong tried to shout, but I rebuked him telepathically. I told him not to make any sound if he was going to yell in front of the child. I couldn’t see what expression Ryuseong had. But I saw little Ryuseong’s expression terribly distort as the sound of burning crackled from my hand.

The little one grabbed my sleeve, trembling, and pulled me. Only then did I take my hand off the pot. And I showed it to little Ryuseong. The burned black flesh.

“This is why you can’t do it.”

“Hic… hic…”

“I’m not trying to torment you, hurt you, or starve you.”

“Ugh… uh… ugh…”

“I don’t want you to be in pain. That’s why I’m saying you can’t. Okay? You can’t touch that. No. Okay?”

“Ugh… ugh. Hic…”

Little Ryuseong looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, nodded his head, and hugged me tightly. I was worried he wouldn’t be shocked because it was too shocking, but I thought this was the only way to convince a child who had literally been living like a stray dog, scavenging garbage. How can you teach a child who hasn’t even learned language without this kind of direct “showing”? You might be able to fix it by scolding and yelling, but I didn’t want to do that. 

Because Ryuseong did nothing wrong.

“…”

“…”

Eventually, I healed myself with blood magic. My fingertips became clean as if nothing had happened, but silence flowed for a while. The soup boiled, and the vegetables softened in the purple broth. The fact that the fattiness would be just right after adding mutton felt quite encouraging.

Around that time, I slowly unraveled the conversation. How I met Ivan Karpin and little Ryuseong.

After that, Ryuseong shocked me by saying that he had fought with someone who seemed like a boss monster and escaped. 

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Why aren’t you surprised? No, more importantly, why are you mentioning this now?”

“You cheated on me.”

…How many years will it take to explain that it wasn’t cheating? 

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t even answer. Then Ryuseong became emboldened.

“That’s why you shouldn’t cheat.”

“Ha. Really now.”

“You can’t kiss anyone but me.”

“We’re not even really dating, so why are you doing this?”

“No, last time we agreed to really date.”

“…”

Well, when I was crying and making a fuss, Ryuseong did say let’s really date. But did I agree to that? When I was at a loss for words and couldn’t say anything, Ryuseong brazenly spread yuza spread on bread with the crust cut off. 

“You also implicitly agreed, so that means we’re dating.”

“…That’s nonsense. I never agre-“

I was about to firmly deny it.

“I like you though.”

“…”

“I love you.”

“…”

“I want to date you. Can’t I?”

Ah, ugh. I felt like my brain was going to shut down. Damn Ryuseong. Damn alluring bastard. Why are you so cute and making me want to nod my head right away? I… I’m not ready yet. I’m not really Cassice Demillang, and I’m not the person you love, so I’m not someone who can dare to accept the love you give me. I can’t receive your precious heart. I can’t accept such a thing. It’s shameless…

Yes, such a thing is shameless. It’s theft. But you smile so unusually gentle and soft and enchant me. Wow. I… I’ve never been so captivated by someone before. I’ve never really been like this even once…

“Heehee. Nya.”

“Uh, yes? Our little Ryuseong. Is there something you want?”

At that moment, little Ryuseong made a cute kitten-like sound and grabbed my attention. I melted at little Ryuseong’s cuteness while at the same time feeling grateful for the opportunity to ignore adult Ryuseong’s sincerity. 

Little Ryuseong was tugging on my arm and making cute whining sounds. 

And grown-up Ryuseong was glaring at the little one…