NOVEL NEXT Chapter 136
How could I have gone this long without ever mentioning that? We’ve both said we liked each other and seen everything there is to see, yet we’ve never once talked about the wedding—it was shockingly absurd.
“Um. I haven’t really talked about that yet. Well, I think we should discuss it with Ho-yeon…?”
It was an outrageous thought, but truly. No matter how much I tried to remember, we had never once mentioned the tiniest detail about the wedding. The most we had done was share some giggles about when Eric and Anya might tie the knot.
“So… we’ve been so close, and yet we’ve never talked about marriage?”
The realization seemed to trigger something in Jeong-ho, and the coldness returned. But soon, he took a deep breath, as if trying to regain his composure, and sat back down.
“…Huh, right… that can happen. Young couples might just enjoy being together, completely oblivious to the future. So now, let’s think about the future. What do you plan to do? You’re not thinking of avoiding marriage, are you?”
Well, isn’t that obvious? Once a baby is on the way, whether you like it or not, a wedding must happen. But it seemed that Jeong-ho really believed I might consider otherwise.
“I absolutely will not! How could a person do such a thing?”
“…At least you’re not that pathetic. How did a guy like you end up uttering such outrageous words? It might not be a good idea to consult my daughter directly, since she seems to be as clueless as you… But if I make the decision on my own, she might dislike it… It’s a conundrum.”
It seemed Jeong-ho was worried about being disliked by Ho-yeon, stuck in a bind, groaning without knowing what to do. Yet, despite that, he was right.
I had suggested he consult Ho-yeon, but I didn’t really think she would have any concrete thoughts on the matter—she probably felt just as lost as I did.
“So… we could decide together and then I could just say I did it.”
So my compromise was simply that I would take all the responsibility. Of course, having Ho-yeon onboard would be preferable. But she was probably busy talking with Byeolbi, and somehow I felt she’d go along with whatever I suggested.
Or I could just modify things later if needed.
“…Let me say this again, doing that won’t make things better for you. Still… right. I do like that idea. So from now on, everything we discuss will be considered your idea. I’d like to hold the wedding in about three weeks; what do you think?”
Jeong-ho’s expression lightened, seemingly pleased with my idea. It was odd how a man who cared so much for his daughter seemed to only make choices that Ho-yeon would dislike.
…I could see how that would happen. Since Ho-yeon rarely expressed herself, if Jeong-ho were to ask her if this was okay, she’d probably just stay silent.
I could vividly imagine that scene, leading me to think it was Ho-yeon’s fault for not simply mentioning it.
…No, I still needed to respect others. Some people are just like that. Unless one provides nearly mind-reader level consideration, things can easily get messy with them.
It seemed Ho-yeon was one of those people, so I reflected on his proposal. Three weeks was just enough time to prepare for everything.
If we were going to have a wedding, it needed to be before my belly started showing. I mean, I couldn’t even predict what the public sentiment would be like if the premarital pregnancy got out.
“Yes, three weeks should be manageable. We might even need to do it sooner, but… anyway, both she and I, as well as you and my parents, will need time to prepare.”
“Ah, I granted permission, yet I’m still not your father-in-law. Where do you get the nerve to call me that?”
Seeing Jeong-ho getting hung up on formal titles made me wonder if I’d end up like him someday. I didn’t even know if it was going to be a daughter or a son, but if it was a daughter, would I become as fussy as Jeong-ho?
The scariest part is I can’t be sure I won’t be like that. What father wouldn’t get uptight about handing over his daughter to some guy?
…Though bringing in a woman could have its own problems.
“…Yes, Your Majesty. I let my emotions get ahead of me and spoke out of turn.”
Only then did Jeong-ho look satisfied, as if a weight had been lifted. If he hadn’t started out with that kind of talk, and if he and Ho-yeon hadn’t been in a relationship from the start, we might have actually had a good rapport.
But imagining hypothetical scenarios doesn’t really matter, so I continued.
“Then for now, let’s set it for three weeks… and let’s discuss the finer details.”
– – – –
“Um… so, this is… a fish, right…?”
My mother continued to stare expressionlessly at my creation. I was trying to replicate the most shockingly memorable thing I could think of, but… it wasn’t working out.
The shape was indeed a fish, but it had hair all over instead of scales and no gills, so it ended up suffocating while swimming in the water.
“Yeah, this is better than before. But you’re still a long way off. It’s a miracle that Dokan is still walking around. I can hardly believe you made that.”
Right, Dokan’s current form was created by me. Just how I managed to create something like this was beyond my own understanding. Maybe I was possessed back then or something?
If not, there was no explanation for this level of failure. I couldn’t even make a simple fish—how on earth did I create a complex human?
I doubted I was even at a level to receive my mother’s harsh critiques. Still, I thought, at least this one moved like a fish. I looked up at her with a pitiful expression, but she remained as stoic as ever.
“…I might have overestimated your skills. Start with something simple. A plaster bust or a water feature might be a good idea. With your current skills, making something alive seems impossible.”
In the end, I was left with the unflattering title of “crappy artist” bestowed upon me by my mother, and today’s lesson concluded just like that. When I didn’t understand, it seemed fine… but trying to comprehend suddenly made everything feel far too complicated.
If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve paid attention during high school science class. Who would’ve thought I’d be the one constructing molecular structures?
Feeling down, I squatted and repeatedly decomposed and reassembled droplets, when I could hear Dokan’s footsteps approaching.
I guess the conversation had come to an end. Given his normal-sounding steps, it seemed like nothing had broken or caved in. Thank goodness for that.
“…It seems you’ve finished talking with Ho-yeon. What did she want? Did she want to disappear?”
“Your worries are unfounded. The child doesn’t seem to want the little continent to disappear. However… it was inadequate for me to convince her. The child said there’s no need to remove the lump, but there’s no reason not to. The nutrients the lump would take away are greater than those needed to remove it. So, foreign child, let’s hear your reasoning for why you should keep the little continent.”
This conversation seemed to be taking a strange turn…?
I decomposed all the droplets I had been fiddling with and stood up.
Didn’t my plea get across? Was my mother intending to regard my opinion as merely a reference while still wanting to erase that continent?
“Appealing to you ‘humanly’… would be pointless, huh? Then I’ll put it this way: How about viewing Ganaan’s land as a humans’ storage facility built to prepare for when everything goes awry? If you were to disappear, it would be a storage of pure humans in case the premise that you’re a beastfolk were to prove false.”
…What is he talking about? Dokan was saying something spine-chilling—words that were so uncharacteristic of him. Storage facility? Seriously?
“Oh. A storage facility. So in essence, you’re suggesting there’s a possibility that I might be wrong or that this society isn’t developing correctly. If you saw with your own eyes, you’d know—there’s a slim chance of things going wrong. And yet you still want to prepare for the worst?”
“Yes. There’s always a possibility that anything could go wrong. If the probability isn’t zero, one should act as if it’s bound to happen, right?”
“…Haha, right. Even if I might not have thought that way now, I’m sure another version of me would have said just that. Okay, let me consider your storage idea. However, what if mutations occur within? What if they cease being pure humans?”
“…That won’t happen. The magic Ganaan has placed on them prevents that. They will remain humans no matter their wants or needs.”
“So that’s your plan, huh? You want to store them. Good. Then I have one last question. What if, even as we store them, they turn against us, baring their teeth?”
“They won’t have the teeth to bare. Without a unified nation like this empire, they’re too busy aiming their weapons at one another. If you just instruct the gods to ‘surround the continent and prevent anything from entering or leaving,’ that should suffice. And if they somehow unite and bare their teeth, wouldn’t that be something to welcome? That would be proof of their advancement. I can’t share your perspective, but if there’s anyone who would welcome it, I’ll boldly venture to guess it would be you. Wouldn’t it?”
Dokan stood before my mother with an expression that showed something distinctly different from his usual demeanor. Was it inhumane? It seemed closer to the side of Dokan I disliked more than the one I liked.
My mother stared vacantly at Dokan before a sly smile appeared as she answered his proposition.
“You’re audacious. Very audacious. Trying to negotiate with me, are you? Fine, you’re right. Humans tend to direct their energy toward one branch to avoid wasting it on the lesser ones… but, I guess they can also be seen as another branch altogether. Celebrate it, young man. You just saved millions of lives.”
With that, my mother spoke and vanished from her seat. She must have opened a rift and disappeared somewhere…
Dokan stood there for a while, maintaining a dry expression, before slumping down and letting out a long sigh. What was happening? Was he possessed too?
I intended to ask Dokan what on earth led him to say such things, to check if he was okay.
However, what he showed me was something I had never seen before.
He was crying.
It looked like he was laughing, but he was sobbing so sorrowfully that I wondered if anyone could cry like that in their lifetime. Why was he crying? I couldn’t comprehend it, but as I was about to ask if he was alright…
“…Ho-yeon. Did I… do the right thing…?”
I had no choice but to stop at that question.