Chapter 35 – Last Carnival

Ｒ​ｅａｄ​ ​ｏｎ ＫａｔＲｅａｄｉｎｇＣａ​ｆｅ​

“What a mess.”

 

I stated my honest impression.

And objectively speaking, it wasn’t wrong.

 

Hongryeon’s house was nice.

Far bigger and better than where I used to live.

“Do underground mercenaries make this much money?” I wondered.

But that only made the mess more jarring.

 

It looked like five college students had thrown a week-long rager and just… left it.

The only differences?

 

A horrifying taxidermied animal crammed in one corner.

 

The guy passed out on the couch wasn’t a drunk student—just a scrawny middle-aged man.

 

“Ah! You’re awake, my lord!”

Hongryeon was already in her uniform.

Right, it’s Thursday.

I marveled at how I’d lost track of time.

 

“Yeah… ‘Morning.”

“Shouldn’t vampires be nocturnal?”

Sharp at the most useless times, as always.

 

I watched her button her shirt, then surveyed the depressing interior.

“This is your house?”

“Of course! I’ve lived here over ten years.”

“Where’s your mom? Any other family?”

 

She tilted her head.

“Hmm… Don’t know. Never had parents.”

Then what about that guy snoring on the couch? An uncle?

“No idea.”

 

“So it’s not just the house that’s a mess.”

The family tree was just as chaotic.

These people had no business living together.

 

…Wait, that guy looks familiar.

His sharp features tickled my memory.

“When was the last time you cleaned? It reeks of booze.”

“Not sure. I’ve been busy working since he got injured.”

“Injured?”

“Don’t you remember? The day we met.”

 

I took a closer look.

The forked tongue peeking through his parted lips clicked it into place.

This was the goblin-like vampire hunter who licked daggers at the blood center.

The insane one.

 

I gave up thinking.

Conclusion: Neither Hongryeon nor this guy could be trusted.

If anything, he was the bigger threat.

 

Which meant—if I had to pick someone to rely on here, it’d be Hongryeon.

But she was leaving for school.

So I’d be alone with Psycho Uncle all day.

 

“…Can I come with you?”

“Sure!”

“Never mind. I’ll stay. I’m freeloading here now anyway.”

 

I’d clean first.

Ugh, already tired.

But considering I was why this place became a dump…

Uncle was too injured to clean, and Hongryeon had to work nonstop.

…Call it karma.

 

Plus, a clean house would be nicer to live in.

After seeing Hongryeon off, I surveyed the damage:

4 rooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 storage spaces.

The worst? The living room and two bedrooms.

 

“…Let’s do this.”

I rolled up my sleeves.

 

Later…

After hours of scrubbing, airing out, and sorting trash, the house was presentable.

Sunlight gleamed off the spotless floors. Air freshener masked the stench.

A warm breeze drifted through open windows.

Golden afternoon light spilled across the living room.

 

This… This is why I was born.

To witness such pristine beauty.

 

But that effort only made my current situation more tragic.

 

“COME OUT! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?! WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!”

“I JUST CLEANED! STOP POUNDING THE DOOR! IT’LL BREAK!”

“LIES! THE CUTER THE VAMPIRE, THE MORE DANGEROUS! YOU THINK I’D TRUST SOME MONSTER ROAMING MY HOME?!”

“WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?! DIDN’T HONGRYEON TELL YOU?!”

“YOU INVOLVED HONGRYEON?! YOU TRASH! WHAT DID YOU THREATEN HER FOR?! I’LL STAB YOUR HEART WITH A STAKE SO BIG—”

 

BANG. BANG.

Like a scene from The Shining.

 

Maybe I should’ve explained first.

But Psycho Uncle woke up mid-cleaning and lost it.

I’d assumed Hongryeon briefed him, but his face turned beet-red as he screamed.

 

“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING!”

“GET OUT! I NEVER INVITED A VAMPIRE IN! GIVE HONGRYEON BACK!”

“WAAAAAH!”

 

I couldn’t fight back—not after what I’d done to him.

And I’d promised Hongryeon I’d watch the house.

If she came home to find her only family beaten to a pulp again…

I’d be the worst!

 

Four hours later, Hongryeon finally returned and calmed him down.

By then, I was broken.

Trapped like a horror movie victim, listening to curses I’d never heard in centuries of life.

 

“My lord, it’s okay… I forgot to tell him last night. He understands now.”

“Sob… hic…”

Karma shouldn’t hurt this much.

All I did was clean!

 

But then Hongryeon twisted the knife.

“Yes, you did smash Uncle into a lamppost and put him in the ICU… But he overreacted.”

“I-I didn’t hurt him today!”

“Uncle’s sensitive. After what you did, he drank himself into liver disease. Still, he shouldn’t have screamed.”

 

…What?

I couldn’t tell who was the victim anymore.

 

“Maybe… give him dinner?”

“After how much you cried? You haven’t forgiven him.”

“F-Forgiveness isn’t mine to give! I hurt him first!”

“Even if you forgive him, I won’t. Not with those tear streaks on your pretty face.”

 

“Stop…”

I curled up, guilt crushing me.

Hongryeon never lied—until now.

 

Slurp. Slurp.

I looked up.

Psycho Uncle was devouring kimchi stew across the room.

 

…She lied about withholding food.

And did it to my face with puppy-dog eyes.

 

“I-I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine! We did stop your robbery. Even if you shattered Uncle’s body, that debt remains.”

“WAAAAH!”

 

Hongryeon was ruthless when it came to family.

Even if that family was me.