Ch.38I Will Live Together with the Princess

Princess Kurumi, seemingly relieved from tension, fell asleep right in Shinwoo’s arms.

Shinwoo carried the princess on his back and followed Jin-ah’s guidance to the recovery room located on the middle floor of the Hunter Association.

After placing the sleeping Princess Kurumi on a soft bed, he soon heard the explanation.

“Princess Kurumi’s mental and physical state has weakened considerably from this attack. If we leave her alone like this, she might make unfortunate choices due to extreme stress.”

“…! Is it that serious?”

“Yes. She’s someone with a Beast Hunter constitution who’s had to live her entire life in a foreign land. It’s actually remarkable she’s endured this long.”

Jin-ah looked down at Shinwoo, who was sitting right next to the princess’s bed, with an extremely serious expression.

Then, as if the real conversation was just beginning, she continued.

“So I’d like to make a proposal to you, Shinwoo.”

“A proposal…?”

“Yes. Would you be willing to ‘live together’ with Princess Kurumi for a while until her mental and physical state recovers?”

“Of course! That’s impossible!”

However, the one who answered wasn’t Shinwoo, naturally.

“Sophia!”

Sophia had followed Shinwoo straight into the recovery room.

She was already halfway losing her rationality at the mere mention of Shinwoo living together with a woman.

“L-living together with the princess for a while! W-what if something happens…”

“I’m sorry, Sophia, but this is a proposal ‘I’ made to ‘Shinwoo.’ You shouldn’t interfere, even if you’re family.”

“T-that’s…!”

“Aren’t you being a bit too harsh, Jin-ah?”

It was then.

Sophia was hesitating, feeling like she might definitely lose Shinwoo at this rate.

Perhaps to give her daughter a push of support?

“Ma’am!”

“Mom!”

“Rolling…”

Rolling, who had followed her children, waved cheerfully to them as she was the last to enter the recovery room.

Jin-ah clicked her tongue as if annoyed that someone troublesome had arrived.

“I clearly agreed to let my son be a companion for the lonely princess, nothing more.”

“…So what are you trying to say?”

“Living together crosses a line, don’t you think? If they were just friends who see each other occasionally, that would be one thing, but beyond that… it’s honestly a ‘burden.'”

“……”

With the Deputy Branch Director of the Korean Branch, who was also a parent, so firmly opposed, well…

‘This could have been a chance to breed a child with Korean bloodline into one of the 10 Great Families…’

It was truly regrettable.

It was truly regrettable, but Jin-ah couldn’t think of any way to persuade them further, so she had no choice but to…

“Um, ma’am.”

“Yes?”

…She was about to give up, but then.

“I’ll stay at the princess’s mansion for a while then.”

“W-what?!”

“W-what are you saying?! Han Shinwoo!”

Suddenly, a blessing rolled in.

Everyone in the recovery room, including Jin-ah, turned to look at Shinwoo, wondering if these two were actually in love.

“Princess Kurumi seems to be having a hard time. She needs someone to talk to, doesn’t she?”

Han Shinwoo, whose eyes were shining with pure genuine desire to help.

More precisely, it was for the happy ending of this world, but everyone could feel his determination to definitely “live together.”

“H-Han Shinwoo… you’re r-really going to live with that woman… I mean, princess…?”

“Yeah. Of course, we’ll sleep in separate rooms and all that.”

“B-but even so… M-Mom!”

“…Is this what you really want, Shinwoo?”

“Yes! Of course it is, ma’am.”

Sophia, unable to contain herself, called out to Rolling for help.

But seeing her son answer so firmly, even a mother…

“…Alright, do as you wish.”

“M-Mom?!”

…had no way to intervene.

A gloomy shadow fell over Sophia’s face, while Jin-ah smiled brightly, judging that breeding was definitely possible.

***

“L-live together?!”

“Haha, yes… somehow it turned out that way.”

“A-are you sure it’s okay?! Living with someone like me…”

“…? Shouldn’t I be the one asking that? Living with someone like me…”

“I’d be delighted! …Ah, s-sorry…”

A week had passed since then.

During that time, according to the game scenario, there was a second major attack targeting Princess Kurumi.

“Hand her over, you bastards!”

“Give us the Japanese woman!”

The attackers in this second week were none other than North Korean spies.

Originally, like in the first week, they should have been enemies to face in a siege-like battle at the mansion.

But fortunately, Princess Kurumi had been staying at the Korean Branch of the Hunter Association for temporary accommodation while her mansion was being repaired.

“Hello? Red friends.”

“Uh… huh?!”

“A-aaaaaaah!!”

The North Korean spies who boldly invaded the headquarters of Korean Hunter forces were completely annihilated in just a few minutes that day, overwhelmed by superior numbers and Jin-ah’s personal command.

I met Princess Kurumi again the very next day.

“They really fixed the mansion in just a week…”

“I heard they reinforced it to be even stronger than before, using powerful barriers and specially crafted timber.”

“Oh, is that so?”

I was surprised to see that the mansion, which had been reduced to an empty field without a trace, had been restored to exactly how it looked when I first saw it.

Even the surrounding concrete buildings that had been turned into a ghost town to hide the mansion had all been completely restored.

‘What kind of beings are the construction workers in this world…’

I suddenly feel like worshiping them.

Anyway, I was about to lead Princess Kurumi into the mansion…

“Ahem!”

…but before entering, I decided to first thank the three Hunters who volunteered for mansion security despite what had happened.

“I sincerely thank the Hunters who volunteered to guard Princess Kurumi’s mansion despite the major incident that occurred previously.”

“Oh! Gratitude? I accept it gladly!”

“Don’t worry about us. Please take good care of Princess Kurumi, Shinwoo!”

“…Hmph!”

On the day of the first attack on Princess Kurumi.

The Hunters who had failed to protect the princess due to the rampage of the Russian National Authority-Level Hunter, who was now imprisoned in the basement of the Korean Branch, had all voluntarily stepped down from their positions.

Jin-ah briefly had a headache when she saw Hunters resigning en masse, as if they felt they weren’t worthy.

“Does this mean I have to stand guard myself…?”

“Branch Director! I volunteer!”

“Me too, senior!”

The Monster of Jamsil.

Thanks to its appearance, when news spread that Princess Kurumi’s protection had been successful, there were those who immediately volunteered.

“C-Rank Hunter Yoo Cheran! I’ve come to volunteer for Princess Kurumi’s guard duty!”

One was Yoo Cheran, who despite being overshadowed by Sophia, was considered something of a genius in the original work—a fake heroine.

“Leave it to me, senior!”

The other was none other than A-Rank Hunter Joo Sangho, who had not only encountered the Monster of Jamsil but had also been hit so hard his bones were broken, yet survived and was still continuing his Hunter career with his “deliberately uncontrolled anger.”

“Then for Princess Kurumi’s protection, these two will…”

“Branch Director, I’d like to volunteer too.”

And finally, there was someone else who still insisted on guarding the princess.

She was the capable B-Rank Hunter from America who, despite failing the first guard duty due to facing a formidable opponent, had shown brilliant performance at the time.

It was Sophia herself.

And so, returning to the present.

“……”

Sophia was still looking at me with a sullen expression.

It had been like this since I said I would live with the princess.

Whether at home or outside, she had been constantly giving me that “how could you…” kind of look.

“Haha…”

I guess she thinks I’ve been taken away by someone.

But this cohabitation was absolutely necessary for the happy ending of the world, and I had not even a speck of impure intentions.

And eventually, when the time comes for me to get married, we would have to part ways even as family.

‘I wish she could think of it as… a rehearsal.’

Well, what can you do about Beast Hunter constitution?

With that thought in mind.

Pat, pat.

“…!”

“Don’t worry. I’m just protecting the princess from close by for a while.”

“…Okay.”

I patted Sophia’s head to tell her to stop being angry.

Her mood seemed to improve a little as she turned her gaze away, though she still answered properly.

“Just protecting…”

“…? Princess, did you say something just now?”

“What?! N-no, nothing…”

Anyway, we passed by the three people currently in charge of guarding and entered the mansion.

I thought we would first check out the guest room, but…

“Huh? Aren’t we going in there anymore?”

“No. We’re now ‘living together,’ so we don’t need to enter such rooms anymore.”

Princess Kurumi breezed right past the guest room without even a glance.

The first room we entered was the tatami room where I would be staying for the time being.

“Shinwoo, you’ll be sleeping here from now on.”

“Um… i-isn’t it too spacious?”

“…? Is it? I was actually going to apologize for it being the size of a doghouse…”

What kind of doghouse is the size of a room that could comfortably accommodate an entire soccer team?

Is this the class of the 10 Great Families, also known as world nobility?

Anyway, since it was my room, I put down the luggage I had brought with me.

After that.

“Now let’s go see Princess Kurumi’s room.”

“W-what?! My room…?”

“Yes. I need to know where the princess sleeps so I can help if necessary.”

More precisely, in my monster form.

The reason I was living with her was solely for the princess’s safety.

And knowing the subject’s usual location was a crucial point for protection.

“Where does Princess Kurumi stay?”

I perked up my ears and listened attentively.

“Um… w-well…”

The princess seemed very uncomfortable just revealing her room location?

Worried that she might have chosen an unfavorable position, I watched as she approached the wall of my tatami room.

Slide.

“…Huh?”

“It’s… here…”

Wait, that wasn’t just decoration?

As Princess Kurumi timidly opened the sliding door on the wall that I thought was just an ornament, her bedroom came into full view.