Ch.292292. The Fully Grown Nine-Tailed Fox

“Ha, just one more! Please give me one more chance! Please!”

Goven wept bitterly as he was dragged away by the soldiers. His childish tantrum contained a desperation that was difficult to watch.

“Illuania! That’s not what I meant! I really wanted to make you and Sebia happy! Us who lived in the back alleys! Us who lived in the shadows! I just wanted us to live a life that wasn’t envious of others!”

“Goven…”

Illuania’s expression twisted. The fact that he had committed crimes for her sake was causing her tremendous pain.

Thud.

Finally, Goven was dragged out.

In the silent dining hall, everyone’s gaze turned to Illuania and Sebia.

I carefully approach them.

I know that no words can provide comfort, but I still had a responsibility to be there for her.

“I wondered,” she said.

Her eyes were moist with melancholy.

Illuania held her child preciously as she poured out her current feelings.

“Could I really… have a normal family.”

“…”

“Could someone who truly loves Sebia come along, besides me.”

“…”

“Could this child have a father.”

Tears rolled down her cheeks and gathered at her chin. A woman who had suddenly made a man both victim and perpetrator.

She continued speaking, forcibly holding back her sobs.

“I wanted Sebia to live without envying others. I wanted this child to receive parental love like ordinary children, to boast about her father to others, to be scolded, to build memories…”

Her bitter emotions recalled memories that might have been.

“When Sebia grew a bit, I wanted to go on outings. We’d go flower viewing and eat packed lunches together. When she grew older and went to kindergarten, we’d attend parent events together to watch her dance enthusiastically. Afterward, we’d take her to a nice restaurant.”

Surely.

It would have been possible.

“I thought she wouldn’t be afraid to stand in front of others. I thought she could live feeling secure just by having a father figure.”

There was no reason for her not to hold her head high.

I wanted to tell her that, but I knew it wouldn’t be much comfort.

“I know I’m not a clean woman. I didn’t love Goven but tried to use him, believing everything would be fine as long as Sebia grew up well.”

“…”

“If this is punishment for my selfishness, I’ll accept it willingly.”

Illuania buried her face against Sebia whom she was holding. Despite sobbing, she embraced Sebia preciously.

“This child is innocent, isn’t she? Wanting a father… that’s only natural, right?”

One by one, people turned their eyes away from the painful scene.

“I wanted her to grow up in a good environment. I wanted to make her happy that way.”

A natural desire as a parent.

Along with the helplessness of not being able to fulfill it came self-reproach.

“If my child gets hurt later because she doesn’t have a father, I…!”

As Illuania was being crushed by apology and self-loathing toward her child.

“What does that matter?!”

The girl’s appearance was truly unexpected as she entered through the door Goven had been taken out of.

The tail on her bottom had transformed into nine splendid flower-like petals.

She looked almost like a sage or guardian spirit descended to offer guidance.

Soho, who was emitting a soft glow, walked steadily forward and stood in front of Illuania.

I had called her because I believed the current Soho could say what Illuania needed to hear.

“About not having a father! Are you going to cry that much? Is that child the only one without a dad?!”

“…”

Did I make a mistake?

That thought suddenly struck me, and Deia and Darius also looked at me as if asking if this was okay.

Illuania looked up at Soho with a stunned expression.

“My parents were monsters! Not just my parents, the entire world I lived in was full of nothing but monsters!”

A past full of wounds.

The girl who couldn’t overcome it herself was now directly speaking about the reality that had surrounded her.

Soho’s finger pointed at me.

“This person annihilated them all, and I lost everything. Family, friends, acquaintances, all of them.”

I didn’t react much to her bold declaration.

“Because. Because…”

Soho clenched her fists and hung her head low. Like someone who had eaten something that wouldn’t go down, she struggled to speak, but.

Eventually.

“They were all man-eating ghouls who devoured humans.”

She accepted the truth.

“And I was a human they were raising… They probably planned to eat me someday.”

Illuania’s eyes trembled slightly. Her mouth opened slightly as if she was beginning to understand what Soho was trying to say.

“In the end, I couldn’t grow up as a proper human. I was just livestock being raised for food.”

“…”

“But you know.”

Eyes wet with tears.

“But you know what.”

Soho continued, trying hard to steady her trembling voice.

“I, I’m going to live well.”

Her voice contained a sob.

Though her bitter past was still painfully sharp.

Nevertheless, the girl moved forward.

“Even someone like me who grew up in such a cursed environment, I’m going to grow into someone everyone envies and calls amazing.”

Because.

For the child in front of her.

Because she didn’t want to think that Sebia’s future would be ruined just because of the absence of a father, even if it came with pain.

“Not having a dad? Having bad people as parents? Whenever you feel guilty about that, look at me.”

Soho’s tails bloomed fully.

A nine-tailed fox, a gumiho.

“Even though I was raised as food for monsters and believed false relationships to be true.”

There are many legends about gumiho.

That they eat livers, bewitch people, or absorb life force.

Because it’s such a famous monster, there are many similar creative works and folktales about it.

Among them, one impressive one is that.

The gumiho.

Was a monster that wanted to become human.

“Nevertheless.”

With tears dripping down, Soho confidently pointed at herself with her thumb.

“Look at the splendid adult I’ll become.”

The soft glow from Soho’s tails and ears gradually began to disappear, becoming particles of light.

“So…”

The girl rises above her wounds and pain. Because she couldn’t do it alone, she found a reason to endure and rise up in the small baby, as if standing back to back.

A relationship of mutual existence.

That’s how the girl grew into a complete monster and.

“Believe me, even without such an unworthy father, Sebia will grow up happy and excellent.”

Became human.

* * *

“I’ll be going now.”

The morning after Goven’s arrest.

Early in the morning, Soho put on her bag and smiled boldly.

The fox ears that had been on her head and the nine tails that had wrapped around her back were already gone.

Only a young girl stood tall.

“You could stay a bit longer.”

Deia said, perhaps feeling indebted, but Soho shook her head.

“No, it’s a long way. I have a lot to do when I get back.”

The girl who had been falling apart now stood firmly. I felt strangely proud seeing her like that.

Similarly, her gaze was fixed on me, her lips fumbling before she finally bowed her head deeply.

“Thank you.”

“…”

“Thanks to you, I learned and understood a lot.”

Gratitude from a girl who had once declared she would kill me. The memory of that situation crossed my mind, bringing a faint smile to my face.

“You did it yourself. The change, the growth. So have confidence.”

You can certainly continue to succeed.

When I said that, Soho quickly raised her head and smiled brightly.

“Yes!”

After the greeting, Illuania stepped forward. She was holding Sebia in her arms, and Soho carefully approached them.

“May I hold her once?”

At Soho’s question, Illuania silently held out Sebia.

Kyaaah!

Sebia, held by Soho, giggled with delight.

“The meaning of her name… was ‘savior,’ right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It’s really, really well-named.”

Soho’s existence was telling that Sebia’s future would not be dark, and.

Sebia’s existence became the reason why Soho should not collapse while living.

Though not a long acquaintance, they had a deep relationship. That’s why they were especially special to each other.

Hoping Soho would smile at the end, I brought up information I had heard from Deia.

“I hear babies will imitate you if you stick out your tongue.”

“What?”

“Like this.”

I slightly stuck out my tongue in front of Sebia. I thought the baby imitating by sticking out her tongue would surely be cute, but.

Kyaaaah!

Sebia just squealed with delight without showing any reaction.

But the reaction came from behind me.

“Puhak! Hey, he really did it!”

“Is our master just so innocent and cute? Would a baby do that?!”

Gulp.

I almost bit my tongue from clenching my teeth too hard.

“Run away!”

“You’re terrible at taking jokes!”

When I glared at Deia and Findenai with a sharp gaze, they immediately turned and ran away.

“Huu, pretend you didn’t hear that.”

I tried to compose my expression as I spoke to Soho and Illuania, but.

Their lips were already full of smiles.

“You have unexpected sides.”

“That was cute.”

“That’s enough.”

Anyway, the initial goal was achieved. The atmosphere had lightened, and the three parted with smiles on their faces.

Finally.

Before leaving the main gate of the Verdi family.

Soho bowed deeply several times toward the mansion, then left.

* * *

“Wow, look at all this dust.”

Some time later.

Returning to Lanlan Restaurant, Soho clicked her tongue at the dust accumulated in the store.

It wasn’t just dust; the items were disorganized and trash was everywhere.

It seemed local hooligans had used it as a hideout and abandoned it when it got too dirty.

“Goodness.”

After thoroughly washing rags at the water’s edge, Soho began cleaning.

It took longer than expected, with most of the time spent on kitchen hygiene.

Just as she thought she was almost done and straightened her back.

Suddenly, a calendar hanging in the kitchen caught her eye.

It was already several months old, with a small mark on one of the dates.

Since she hadn’t been allowed in the kitchen much before, she had missed the ominous words written on the mark.

– Day to kill the child.

Seeing that, Soho gave a bitter smile.

“What a sick taste.”

Because that day was her birthday.

A birthday and date already passed.

Soho realized again that today’s time wouldn’t have been possible for her, but.

Riiip.

She tears the calendar.

The past is gone, and the present has arrived.

For Soho, and for Lanlan Restaurant.

Several years later.

Lanlan Restaurant became a popular eatery with many regulars and a constant stream of customers.

Though the young proprietress could have relocated or expanded the business, she always shook her head.

Saying this place was good.

Saying this way she wouldn’t forget.

Despite many years passing.

This place always remained the same.

Today too, customers come to eat the signature dish, Shinu fried rice.

Customers entering Lanlan Restaurant could always see it when they stepped inside.

The proprietress’s smile, as if asking someone, “Are you watching?”