Chapter 31: Counseling (4)

Why is everyone so anxious?

The girl hurriedly poked her head out of Han Dayeon’s chest before she suffocated.

“Phew-!”

A sweet body scent still lingered in her nose.

Her cheeks were flushed red, having been pressed against the chest.

How can a grown woman be so shameless!

If not for Mia giving her arms and legs, she might have died smothered in that chest when she was just a torso.

Dying would be welcome, but it’s not time yet.

The girl rested her chin on Han Dayeon’s shoulder and said grumpily:

“You could suffocate someone by burying their face in your chest…! Please be more careful in the future…”

“Uh…?! Oh, s-sorry…”

She’d unintentionally ended up showing off her chest in front of the Guild Master.

Han Dayeon’s face turned bright red.

But she couldn’t run away while holding the girl.

“Pfft.”

-“I knew it when you started flaunting those fat lumps.”

Han Yuyeon’s laughter out loud.

And her teasing through telepathy made Han Dayeon lower her head slightly, as it was the best she could do.

Ah, I must be really crazy.

To lose my mind in front of my damn sister of all people…!

It’s all because the girl is too cute!

The girl, who had knocked one person out from the start, turned her head to look at Han Yuyeon.

With a sullen expression.

“It’s bad to mock others.”

“Uh… me?”

Her voice was just as firm as when she scolded Han Dayeon.

“Laughing at others’ mistakes is a sin. Everyone can make mistakes, and everyone should have a chance to correct their wrongs.”

Her serious talk while being held in Han Dayeon’s arms was so cute that it made Han Yuyeon laugh, but

Since she wasn’t wrong, Han Yuyeon replied glumly:

“Yeah… sorry…”

Yeah. It’s okay to disappoint my sister, but I can’t let our little one be disappointed.

“Tsk! You should apologize to your sister!”

But the girl wasn’t easily satisfied.

When her mom and dad passed away, the girl was too young.

She was like an uncivilized primitive person who hadn’t received the cult’s education.

“Let’s go to the dentist just once with mom, okay? Then I’ll buy you all the ice cream you wanted.”

“…No! Stop saying you’re always in pain and go to the hospital yourself, mom!”

She used to rebel and raise her voice every time.

If she’d known her parents would be sacrificed so meaninglessly… she wouldn’t have done that.

It was the girl’s original sin.

The sin of being born and hurting her mother.

The sin of stealing her father’s entire life for her sake.

And the sin of hurting her parents’ hearts.

The sin of doing all that and finally causing her parents’ death.

[It’s not your fault.]

The girl ignored Mia’s voice in her head and stood up abruptly.

She broke free from Han Dayeon’s arms, put her hands on her hips, and looked at the sisters alternately.

They’re kind people who bought me, a sinner, delicious drinks.

I hope these two won’t regret and hurt like I do.

Once you lose a connection, you can’t find it again…

So I’ll make them reconcile here!

“If you don’t make up…”

“If we don’t…?”

The sisters sent expectant looks at the girl’s threat.

Ah! Those cute eyes that remind me of a cat just by looking!

How can they be so cute, as kind as they are in appearance!

I wonder what cute threat she’s going to make!

“I’ll hang you upside down and rip out your tongues by the roots for saying bad things!”

“……?!”

What?

Did those words really come from that small, cute child’s mouth?

The atmosphere instantly turned chilly.

Uh, this isn’t right.

Forget having our tongues ripped out, this is really bad for the child’s emotional state?

Those vicious cult bastards!

Han Yuyeon, who was frightened in advance, frantically thought of reasons to apologize to her sister.

So… Aha! The girl must hate it when family fights!

Coming up with an excuse on her own, she forcibly opened her tightly sealed lips.

“Uh, sis, I’m sorry…”

The education was incredibly effective!

“…Huh? Oh! Yeah, okay.”

It was an apology she’d never heard in 24 years of fighting and bickering.

The sisters awkwardly shared a look with each other.

You apologized?!

I apologized?!

Where’d you learn to act like that, bitch?

If I’m acting, then you’re a monkey!

After exchanging dozens of sharp glances without the girl noticing,

“…You two aren’t fighting, are you?”

At her gloomy voice, they hurriedly put on harmless expressions.

At least while the girl is watching, let’s not fight.

It’s not good for education, and the child is sad, right?

The sisters weren’t the only ones surprised by this scene.

‘So those two can actually listen to people.’

The Guild Master was very impressed!

To think those beast-like individuals would listen so obediently.

It was a moment worthy of rewriting guild history.

He wanted to immediately move the girl into those sisters’ house and order them to live together forever, putting a leash on them, but

“So, kid. Are you okay?”

For now, figuring out the girl’s problem was the priority.

“Oh, right!”

The girl, finally coming to her senses, rolled her eyes while grinning.

Actually, it’s not something to worry about so much.

Just a little while ago, when I was drinking the beverage…

[I-I’m sorry… You know this is just how I am, right?]

‘Hmph!’

Mia’s voice had started echoing in her head.

When she first heard Mia’s voice, she was happy.

She hadn’t been able to talk to her for a while while living at the temple.

She wanted to tell her about everything that had happened and share this happiness.

Even though I took over your body through threats, I’m living so happily thanks to you!

But when Mia finally appeared, all she did was nag.

[Demons? Yeah, it’s good to catch demons. But why do you keep trying to catch them by sacrificing your body?]

…Actually, she knows it’s not nagging, but words of concern for her.

To be honest, it was just a tantrum.

She resented Mia for appearing and disappearing as she pleased.

Even in the short time they had to talk, she’d say her piece and vanish.

‘Mia, I ate something called tanghulu today…!’

[Please listen properly! Do you really want to die? Even my healing ability has its limits!]

The girl, unable to bear it anymore, covered her ears and shouted.

‘Mia, did you want to see me suffer?! You left me alive in this hell, but you’ve never once listened to me!’

If this had happened while living in the cult, it would have been unimaginable.

Me, raising my voice to someone else.

If the Sage had caught her, it wouldn’t have ended with just a slap on the cheek.

At worst, she might have undergone an exorcism ritual, accused of being possessed by the demon of pride, so the girl hurriedly covered her mouth with a hiccup.

No.

At this rate, I might really be possessed by a demon.

No, no.

How could a sinner like me raise my voice?

Right.

How disappointed would my parents be if they saw me like this?

If there’s any fault, it’s all mine.

Yeah. Mia didn’t do anything wrong.

The girl reflexively scratched her nape while smiling brightly.

[Hey… I’m sorry.]

Yeah, it’s okay. It’s not Mia’s fault.

It’s all my fault.

Scratch, scratch.

The girl bit her nails until blood droplets formed, even though her nails were already exposed.

Oh! Right. I need to drink the beverage.

Wasting food is a sin.

Snapping back to her senses, she picked up the drooping drink.

[Today, um… if you want, I’ll stay with you.]

That’s how she ended up jumping out in surprise when a tapioca pearl suddenly slid down her throat as she was hastily sipping the drink.

How could she explain this to others?

She could tell them about Mia’s existence, but although Mia might seem strong on the outside, she was delicate inside.

She might get hurt by careless words from others.

…Later, much later.

If she could find a way to return Mia’s body without sacrificing it,

Then she thought she might trust the kind Guild Master and tell him.

Who knows what Mia might do if left alone after I die?

Moreover, carelessly talking about the cult’s existence was taboo.

Even the scary Sages would be dragged to the repentance room for one mistake.

She couldn’t sin by lying to the Guild Master.

So the girl awkwardly smiled and mumbled:

“Hehe… I just felt like I was enjoying myself too much alone…”

It was quite a plausible answer for being made up on the spot.

Although she’d forgotten about it with so much on her mind, it was actually something the girl had been worrying about for a while.

“…I wonder if the monks have ever tasted something this delicious?”

Joyful things, good things should be shared with everyone.

That’s how she’d been taught, and it was natural for everyone’s happiness.

“So that’s what you were worried about.”

The Guild Master chuckled at the girl’s gloomy voice.

This girl, who’d suffered all sorts of hardships in the cult, was so worried about something like this?

For a moment, he had doubts, but

‘Guild Master, you eat too!’

He remembered how the girl had tried to share even a piece of tanghulu with him.

‘Could you please look after the little ones while I’m in virtual reality…?’

The sparrows, curled up and sleeping snuggled together in her bag.

It was something easily forgotten unless you were paying close attention.

The girl had carefully taken off her bag and handed it to him, worried about waking the sparrows.

For such a tender-hearted child, this was actually a natural concern.

If he’d known, he would have stopped by the temple earlier to buy them various things.

…Hm?

Come to think of it, it’s not too late now.

What he realized after spending a day with the girl.

He judged that she needed to stay with Chungseong Guild for her safety and future.

But he couldn’t just kidnap a child without permission from her guardian, Monk Jamyeong.

In that case, why not go with a bunch of gifts and ask for permission?

“From now on, if you’re worried about anything, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“…Huh?”

The girl tilted her head at the sudden statement.

The Guild Master reflexively reached out to pat her head and said:

“Let’s have dinner at the temple. We can pack a bunch of food for the monks, can’t we?”

Knowing Monk Jamyeong’s straightforward personality, he knew it wouldn’t be easy to get permission.

But could he really refuse if that child asked directly?

-“You two come along too.”

-“Huh? Us?”

The sisters, who had been glaring at each other, opened their eyes wide at the sudden telepathic message.

The temple is so far away, it’s annoying…

-“If you succeed in persuading the monk, I’ll let the child stay at your house.”

-“Oh! Leave it to us, Guild Master.”

So the sisters declared, Operation: Meeting the Parents.

Hmm. Calling it “meeting the parents” for such a small child, no wonder they were called crazy psycho lesbians.

The Guild Master heightened his guard against the sisters and immediately began preparations for the meeting.

—