NOVEL NEXT Chapter 127
As I savored the apple in solitude, a sudden thought struck me—why is this okay?
Isn’t this a bit like being divine too? Sure, the balance of sourness to sweetness is embarrassingly skewed, with sour at a 2 and sweet at an 8, but it’s technically still a taste of divinity.
…Not that I was really disappointed or anything. I never liked lemons or things like that anyway. I just had a whim for something sour, and this just happened to come to mind.
“…How strange. This is just… yum.”
I didn’t particularly dislike fruits, yet I never sought them out. But right now, I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t alone, as the God said.
Right, my chest hurt a bit, probably because of the baby. It wasn’t enough to cause me distress, but it was bothersome. However, what truly troubled me was the thought that… oh, what if baby food is served next?
-So, what on earth is that child? Hoyeon, what about your resolve that you wouldn’t allow any man near you except your father and the Black Wolf…?
Ah, right. I had completely forgotten about the apple and orange issue, and the chest problem too. So… judging by the conversation, it seems to be someone who was there on my 10th birthday…
It was too serious to be treated as a dark history, and honestly, I couldn’t deny it since I’d been thinking that way even before meeting Dokan.
What should I do? No matter how I respond, it feels like I’d just be countered. Ugh, if only I had listened to my father’s teaching on conversation skills.
-…It was my choice. No matter how others might see it, this feeling and heart are real. Yes, I love him.
This hardly felt like the best option, nor a second-best one. Still, I wanted to affirm myself at least once in my life. I wanted to make a decision that wouldn’t waver, regardless of what others might say.
It’s a somewhat new realization, but I’m an adult now. I’ve passed the age where I simply follow what others say.
I can take responsibility for the foolish things I do myself. That doesn’t mean that meeting Dokan was foolish.
-…So you’ve reached this conclusion from your own thoughts. If that’s truly how you feel… there’s nothing the elder can do about it… Hmm. Watching a child grow is always a sorrowful affair.
-There is no eternal child, elder. It is natural for anyone to grow eventually. One shouldn’t sprinkle ashes when they cannot bless a child’s path.
-Urgh… Time is indeed cruel to everyone… especially to children. How tragic, how tragic. So that foolish child is your lover…? Hmph. Judging solely by appearances is a bad habit. So, what’s beneath the surface?
Fortunately, it seemed that the God respected my wishes. In return, it seemed they intended to hold a review on Dokan. Let’s see, as for Dokan—
…He is nice enough. No, really nice. He reads the atmosphere well and adjusts to me. However, he does have stubbornness and some foolishness in odd places.
Right, I still remember how he ran around tailing women due to some unspoken circumstances. Does he even realize how much I was burning with jealousy back then?
-He is nice, yes… but… How should I put it? There is a peculiar kind of foolishness in him that unintentionally keeps people on edge.
Okay, that’s sufficient cover in my opinion. I didn’t lie, after all. The God, though skeptical of my words, didn’t seem to think it was fundamentally flawed either, letting out a low groan.
-Hmm… No matter how I think about it, this is unsettling for me. No matter how I think, it’s troubling. Men are beasts; I know because I am a man!
If I were a man, I would be a man. If I were to evaluate Dokan as a man, just being by his side improves my quality of life.
For a while, the God threw tantrums, insisting that they would never give in, but ultimately conceded after being verbally defeated by other Gods.
…Now, the Gods accepted my choice, but would my father listen to me?
My father was kind but also strict. That said, it didn’t feel like he controlled my life entirely, but it did feel like he paved the whole path for me ahead of time.
So when I say it’s my choice, I fear he’ll only see it as a deviation from the norm.
As for my mother… well, honestly, she’s unpredictable to the point of being comforting. She’s always asked questions that were hard to answer.
“By the way, it feels like it’s about time to come in… Is watching the sea more interesting than watching me…?”
Even though I gave plenty of time, Dokan still hadn’t returned. I clearly marked where my room was, so he shouldn’t have gotten lost. Therefore, he must still be outside.
Men tend to be weak when it comes to unfamiliarity and adventures, so he probably got too excited about exploring the deep sea. I can understand that. But still, leaving someone who’s pregnant alone for four hours is a bit much, don’t you think?
I informed him we had five hours left until arrival, yet it frustrated me to know he still hadn’t come back, so I left behind the lively discussions of the Gods and stepped onto the deck.
And there was Dokan, constantly mumbling away as if talking to someone.
—
“…What will you say if your grandchild grows up and asks, ‘Grandpa, where’s my dad?’ Or what if he thinks of you as a father? Ugh, no, this isn’t right…!”
With one hour left until arrival, he’d been repeating those lines, but no matter how I thought about it, it seemed impossible. This wouldn’t keep me alive for sure.
I needed to make it─make it more intense and shocking…
“…Dokan? Aren’t you supposed to be exploring the depths? What are you doing alone?”
Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed Hoyeon had come up beside him. If I were to ask why he was hugging the ship with both hands, he’d likely answer it’s precisely because of that.
What should we do about Jeongho? Even if Byeolbi supported me, knowing her personality, she wouldn’t likely intervene the moment Jeongho goes wild.
I didn’t know how capable this body was, but I was sure it was inferior to the Black Wolf, making it impossible to fight from the start. Even if I possessed strength, I’d probably be utterly defeated due to lack of skills.
“…I have no clue how to deal with your father.”
I hoped that using harsh words could prove my worth, but my gut told me such instincts are futile.
And I honestly didn’t think this method would truly work. Of course, it would be nice if it did, and I believed it might…
But my heart kept whispering if such a method would genuinely work. An Emperor of a nation must have heard much worse than this; could it really suffice?
“Because of Dad… How surprising. Weren’t you confident?”
“Before being a father, he is the Emperor of an Empire. I doubt he’ll be swayed by mere threats like this.”
In my heart, I already believed it wouldn’t work. But with no better options available, I had no choice but to cling to this.
“…Huh, are you scared by something like that? It’s okay, I’m here. Even if you fail, if I support you from behind, there might be a chance. And Dad is… a bit weak against me.”
Hoyeon playfully clung to me, telling me not to worry. It was encouragement, assuring me she’d help from behind even if I failed.
…That’s right, I’m not alone anymore. Even if I fail, someone will be there to catch me. Thinking like that made the pressure feel much lighter.
I still felt small whenever I thought of Jeongho, like standing before a mountain, though.
“That’s right… oh. Right, you were here. I’ve been thinking like a fool all this time… I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Asking others for help is always the hardest thing.”
Sometimes Hoyeon seemed to understand my feelings while also perceiving them differently, but this time, I felt she understood clearly.
“No need to apologize. If you feel sorry, don’t forget I’m here. Four hours have passed—four hours, you know?”
She said somewhat brusquely while playfully poking my side with her tail. Four hours have drifted by…
…Four hours? Wait, that means there’s only one hour left until arrival.
“…Hoyeon! Could you be my practice partner for a moment?!”
“Eh…? Uh… okay… suddenly?”
—
As the time approached, the Black Wolf came up to the deck holding something. Watching Dokan struggling with desperate means, I couldn’t help but chuckle, yet I didn’t have time to dwell on my complicated feelings about Hoyeon.
He moved to the front of the ship and raised the black cuboid he held high.
-…First World, grade: black. Approval complete. Welcome back, Lady Baekho-yeon. The barrier will be partially opened…
A loud sound echoed through the air, making everyone present freeze as the space before them began to split open.
And from within, a blinding sunlight poured forth, completely at odds with the deep sea.
Hoyeon felt this was finally the arrival—just a thought, but for Dokan, it was a shock as if the sea itself was splitting apart.
Yet regardless of his shock, the ship had sailed past the crack and arrived at the calm climate’s dock.
And seeing who had come to welcome the ship, Dokan’s expression suddenly soured.
Because Jeongho and Byeolbi stood there.