Ch.163Dinner – 1

I slightly opened my eyes, sensing the brightness filtering through my eyelids.

Though fatigue hadn’t completely faded, the awareness that it was morning automatically set my body in motion.

What a damn sad reality. I never knew being unable to sleep in could feel so anxiety-inducing.

“Mmm…”

As I gently stretched my neck and shoulders to slowly wake my body up.

My foggy mind cleared, and suddenly the events of last night—

No, not just last night. Everything that happened until dawn today came flooding back.

“…Ah.”

You crazy bastard. How far did you go yesterday?

You’re not a dog in heat, and you weren’t that starved either.

The lovemaking that started in the evening, continued through the night, and lasted until dawn.

We changed positions several times as Soohyun Kim and I kept going.

Both of us clung to each other as if we’d lost our minds.

Completely intoxicated with each other, we went at it like we were trying to possess each other’s souls.

I didn’t realize it then, but thinking about it now, it’s a bit… much.

They say first experiences leave strong memories for both men and women.

For me, mentally it wasn’t my first time, but for Soohyun, this was her first.

I wanted to give her the best experience possible, but I’m not sure if I succeeded.

…Honestly, all I can remember now is Soohyun eagerly embracing me.

I can’t quite recall how gentle or good I was to her.

Come to think of it, Soohyun, who should be sleeping beside me, is nowhere to be seen.

Wondering if she might be in the bathroom, I checked, but she wasn’t there either.

Just as I was wondering where she’d gone, I heard movement beyond the door.

Click—

“Oh, you’re awake?”

While I was just getting up and struggling to move,

Soohyun had already gotten up and showered, looking absolutely radiant.

“Would you like some water?”

When I nodded reflexively, Soohyun handed me a cup.

“I prepared a simple breakfast for now.”

She had somehow already prepared a simple breakfast and brought it on a tray.

A porridge that showed signs of effort, along with a few simple side dishes.

I thought it remarkable, considering she was probably more tired than I was.

“Thank you, Soohyun.”

“It’s nothing. I just made something simple with what was in your home… Oh, if I’ve disturbed your house, I apologize. I only meant to prepare breakfast…”

“You worry about the strangest things. As if I’d get angry over something like that.”

Honestly, I’m not in such bad shape that I need porridge.

But since she put in the effort, I should finish it all.

…You know those character tropes, right?

Where a character who seems perfect has one unexpected flaw.

And in these scenarios, they’re usually terrible at cooking—beyond terrible, even.

I took a spoonful of porridge and took a deep breath.

If it tastes bad, I absolutely won’t show it. I’ll eat it with enthusiasm.

Rina Lee told me that I’m not good at controlling my expressions.

Poker face, right? Let’s not disappoint Soohyun here. Finish strong.

“Oh.”

Wait, this is actually good? It’s not undercooked, bland, or salty.

She didn’t just use rice either. Looking at it, she finely chopped various vegetables and added them.

At this level, she’s not bad at cooking—she’s actually quite good.

“How is it?”

Soohyun’s lips curled up slightly as she asked while holding the tray.

In one way, she seemed worried it might not taste good.

In another way, she looked like a girl eagerly awaiting praise.

That look as she fidgeted with her fingers waiting for my response was like…

‘Like a puppy.’

Yes, a puppy. A cute puppy wagging its tail, waiting to be adored.

Clatter, clatter—

For someone who cooks, the most enjoyable sight is watching someone eat their food with pleasure.

Knowing this well, I quickly cleaned my bowl.

“Perfect.”

When I gave her a thumbs up, a bright smile bloomed on Soohyun’s face.

Seeing her smile like that made me want to do something nice for her too.

“Wait a bit. Let me shower quickly and I’ll make something for you too.”

“What? No! You should rest more, Sole Arbiter! It’s the weekend!”

“It’s the weekend for you too. Soohyun, you haven’t had breakfast yet after preparing all this, have you?”

I must have hit the mark because she couldn’t answer and just looked sheepish.

Anyone would think she’d committed some terrible mistake!

“Don’t tell me you don’t want breakfast made by me?”

“What?! N-no!! Absolutely not!”

“Then just wait a little. Though… it probably won’t be as good as what you made.”

The breakfast prepared by none other than “The Crimson Witch” was better than expected.

Perhaps this was a sight no one else had ever received or witnessed before.

As someone who prided myself on being a professional at living alone, eating breakfast made by someone else stung my pride a bit, so I unconsciously put in extra effort.

“D-did you make all this?”

Homemade potato soup, tomato and egg stir-fry, bacon, toast, and milk.

To be honest, I don’t eat breakfast like this every day either.

I usually just eat whatever side dishes I have or sometimes just a bit of cereal.

I only put in special effort today because my guest was none other than Soohyun.

“Eat up. You must be tired after getting up early to make porridge.”

At that, Soohyun showed intense determination to finish everything without leaving a single bite.

When I told her there was no need to force herself, as it might look like I was making her eat…

“No! You prepared all this for me, so leaving anything would be unthinkable!”

And she really started eating enthusiastically.

Almost like someone who hadn’t eaten for three days.

…Hmm. I hope I didn’t mess up the seasoning?

I’m fairly confident in my cooking, but seeing her eat like that makes me nervous.

If I made a mistake and the food turned out terrible,

I’d be some new kind of pervert who makes awful breakfasts and forces people to eat them.

Even if she’s pretending to enjoy it, nothing is more miserable than thinking “This is torture!” inside.

Buzz— Buzz!—

My phone in the living room vibrated, indicating an incoming call.

Glancing at the screen, I saw the saved name: Chairman Minseong Kang.

He rarely contacts me first, but today he’s calling in the morning.

Is he calling because he knows his granddaughter stayed out all night?

Is he filled with inevitable rage toward the man who took his precious granddaughter?

But when we spoke last time, he seemed to anticipate how things might turn out.

He’s a bit old-fashioned, but not the type to make a fuss about it now.

It’s possible he’s calling about something unrelated to Soohyun.

“Yes, Chairman.”

I might as well answer and find out.

The first words from Minseong Kang through the phone were…

[Are you awake? It’s a lovely weekend, grandson-in-law.]

…Thank goodness I wasn’t drinking or eating anything, or I would’ve choked for sure.

I probably would have coughed heavily the moment I heard those words.

“Ch-Chairman?”

[Why so surprised? Aren’t you with Soohyun right now?]

When I responded with silence as confirmation, Minseong Kang burst into laughter.

I can guess why he’s laughing. He’s probably thinking, why is a grown man being so shy?

I can imagine it. If he were in front of me, I would have been overwhelmed with embarrassment.

[I wonder if I’m going too far, but in a way, this is only natural. Even though people’s thinking has changed a lot these days, it would be stranger if there were no relationship after spending the night together. Don’t you agree?]

He’s right. Even if not as much as before, that social perception still exists.

The idea that one gives everything because they’ve promised a future together.

From Minseong Kang’s perspective, it’s perfectly fine to call me his grandson-in-law.

[Why aren’t you answering? Do you dislike being called grandson-in-law?]

“No, that’s not it… It’s just, well, a bit embarrassing.”

[Nonsense. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. This is cause for celebration. It’s a step closer to becoming ‘family.’]

After that, Minseong Kang continued chatting cheerfully about various things.

If we had been talking face to face instead of over the phone, he probably would have patted my shoulder too.

[Let’s have a meal with our family members soon. As it happens, Soohyun’s father just returned home from abroad early this morning. Seojin Baek, you should meet him.]

Come to think of it, Soohyun only lost her mother, not her father.

However, their relationship was distant due to the nature of her father’s job.

Most of his work involved traveling abroad to interact with various companies and foreign clans.

Because of this, he spent less time with his family compared to others.

When Soohyun’s mother died in battle, he was abroad and only heard the news later.

‘But that doesn’t mean the couple’s relationship was bad.’

Though it started as an arranged marriage, they had a good relationship.

But from Soohyun’s perspective, it was easy to misunderstand that her father neglected the family.

Eventually, the brainwashed villain version of her would directly kill her father.

Fortunately, that kind of filial impiety won’t happen this time.

Soohyun became The Crimson Witch, a superpower user, not a villain.

How dare a child kill their parent in Confucian-Taliban South Korea!

“I understand. As soon as possible…”

[In that spirit, how about this evening?]

As expected of the head of the Kang family. Look at that decisiveness. So straightforward.

Is it because he wields a sword? He pushes forward so directly.

It almost reminds me of how fiercely Soohyun came at me yesterday.

[Stay with Soohyun until then and come together at the appointed time.]

Then he laughed again with a “Ho ho ho!” that strongly felt like he was teasing me.

Even though we weren’t face to face and were just talking on the phone.

My face burned as if I were sitting in front of a hot fire.

‘More than that, family, huh.’

The moment I heard that word, my hand trembled involuntarily.

It was probably not my mind but this body reacting.

The influence of having lived so lonely until I possessed it.

It’s not bad. Rather, family is always a welcome word.

What worries me isn’t Soohyun, Minseong Kang, or the Kang family.

It’s the woman who, like Soohyun, took another wish token.

‘What am I going to do about Rina Lee?’

If only she had done something truly hateful so I could push her out of my mind.

But she keeps saying and doing things that draw my attention, making me concerned.

Above all, she’s actively expressing her feelings just as much as Soohyun is.

Buzz—

[What are you doing, Seojin oppa?]

Speak of the devil—she’s sending messages with uncanny timing.

No wonder I can only sigh and feel my head throb.

Today of all days, why do I envy those fantasy worlds where harems are possible? Damn it.