Chapter 36: The Adopted Daughter

Knock, knock.

This was different from yesterday.

I was no longer calling to her from behind the reinforced glass of the counseling room. I stood before the door to her room and knocked myself.

I had already told her I would be visiting at this time.

She was probably awake.

“Lady Seol Yu-wol, may I come in?” I asked carefully through the door.

…

There was no answer. But from just beyond the door, I heard the rustle of clothes and sensed a presence.

It seemed she was right there…

I waited a little longer.

When the door still didn’t open, I tilted my head in confusion.

Then, I heard a tiny, whimpering sound from inside.

“This… I don’t know how to open it…”

Ah.

“Ah, I’ll open it.”

Beep.

I held my key card to the door lock.

To think they hadn’t even explained something so basic.

She might not be used to the fixtures of the modern world. Or, it was entirely possible no one had actually told her.

The door swung smoothly outward.

And in that very instant.

“…!”

Something soft bumped against my chest.

When I looked down, I saw the familiar crown of black and white hair.

Seol Yu-wol, who had been standing right by the door, had walked straight into me.

She immediately scrambled back.

Her face flushed bright red, but I pretended not to notice.

I stepped inside nonchalantly and offered a casual morning greeting.

“Did you rest well last night?”

Seol Yu-wol kept her eyes fixed on the floor and answered in a small voice.

“The bedding was soft… and the room was quiet. It was fine.”

She likes quiet and soft things.

Noted.

I naturally moved on to the next question.

“Did anyone disturb you during the night? An unexpected visitor, for example.”

Since I had requested that all access to Seol Yu-wol be restricted, it was unlikely the Association had sent anyone.

This was to confirm whether the Azure Sky Alliance Leader had made a move.

But Seol Yu-wol simply shook her head.

“No. No one… came.”

That was a relief.

It seemed the fence I’d put up was quite sturdy.

I led her past the living room and into the kitchen.

There, on the dining table, I found a bento box, its lid still on, sitting cold and untouched.

“You haven’t… eaten yet.”

Seol Yu-wol nodded.

“…Because I didn’t know the source of the food.”

Right. I understood.

I nodded as well.

The foundation of counseling is putting the client in a stable state of mind.

My last, best memory with her was, of course… the tanghulu.

This time, however, I would take a similar approach, but with a new twist.

I had anticipated that Seol Yu-wol wouldn’t have eaten breakfast.

She would never eat food provided by others, especially when she couldn’t verify how it was made.

So, I had come prepared.

‘Mooncake.’

A round pastry resembling the full moon, filled with sweet red bean paste—a food that also existed in her world.

But making an authentic mooncake from scratch was practically impossible.

Therefore, I took out the next best thing: the food from this world that looked most similar to a mooncake.

‘Pulppang.’

It might seem a bit crude, but it was the best I could do. It was a sweet food with a shape that would be as familiar to her as possible.

I took a portable pulppang maker out of my bag.

Seol Yu-wol’s eyes widened at the sight of the strange metal contraption, the likes of which she had never seen before.

I expertly plugged in the machine and took out the batter and red bean paste I had brought.

Sizzle.

As the white batter was poured onto the heated mold, a savory aroma filled the air along with the sound of it cooking.

I placed a spoonful of sweet red bean paste on top, then covered it with more batter.

Once I closed the lid, the sweet smell of baking bread began to fill the room.

Seol Yu-wol watched the entire process in a silent, captivated trance.

A small flicker of curiosity bloomed in her blue eyes.

“It looks… just like a small mooncake.”

“Yes, I’m glad you recognize it. Think of it as this world’s version of a mooncake.”

Ding.

With a cheerful chime, I opened the lid.

The pulppang, shaped like a full moon or perhaps a blooming chrysanthemum, was revealed.

I carefully took one out, stuck a fork in it, and held it out to her.

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

I then went to the kitchen, poured milk into a glass, and placed it in a warmer.

Eating only the pulppang would make her thirsty, and cold milk wasn’t good for an empty stomach anyway.

I placed the cup of warm milk in front of her.

Then I pulled out a chair, sat down, and smiled gently.

“Shall we… talk while we eat?”

Seol Yu-wol hesitated for a moment before giving a tiny nod.

“I’m not sure if it will suit your taste.”

Like a baby bird, she cautiously took a bite of the pulppang.

For a moment, her eyes widened. Then, she began to munch on the pastry, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed.

It was probably far more delicious than the mooncakes of her world.

Modern technology demonstrated its prowess in the culinary arts as well.

‘What should I start with?’

Most clients come to me to unburden themselves of the emotional baggage they carry.

They are aware of their own problems and are the first to confess their pain.

But Seol Yu-wol was different.

I was the one who had discovered her problem first.

There was a high probability that she wasn’t even aware of what was wrong with her.

The wound was clearly there, but she didn’t even know it was a wound.

I had to make her look directly at that wound.

This didn’t mean I was going to induce PTSD.

It was about helping her reawaken, one by one, to the senses she had been living without.

It was time to take the first step in what would be a long conversation.

Watching her nibble on the pulppang, I spoke gently.

“From now on, instead of Lady Seol Yu-wol, I’ll call you Yu-wol-ssi.”

She looked at me, surprised, and I added with a smile.

“In this world, that form of address is much more natural than ‘Lady.’ Please think of it as a small bit of practice for your life ahead.”

I left the choice to her.

“You can call me whatever you’re comfortable with, Yu-wol-ssi. Physician is fine, and Counselor is fine, too. You are free to decide.”

Freedom.

I put emphasis on that word.

“Freely. We’re going to hold on to that word from now on.”

After confirming her quiet nod, I got to the main point.

“Now, I’ll begin with the first question.”

[Seol Yu-wol]

[Main Stance]

[The thing that looks like a mooncake was delicious enough to make my eyes widen, but I am also curious about what story the physician before me is about to begin.]

[Optimal Response] [Satisfaction Compatibility 80%]
[What was your reason for refusing to see your mother?]

[Optimal Response] [Satisfaction Compatibility ???%]
[Wol-a, your hair is a mess again. Come here and sit on my lap. Father will brush it for you.]

My ability presented the same options I had expected.

Though I didn’t quite understand the other one.

Not even Yu-wol-a, but Wol-a. Anyone would think I was her real father.

That research paper came to mind, so I had no intention of going down that path. No, even if I did, it wouldn’t be with that line.

In any case.

‘Why?’

Why did she refuse the meeting with Lee Seo-ryeong?

That would be the first step to looking into her emotions.

I waited for her to finish chewing and swallowing the pulppang.

Then I asked softly.

“Yu-wol-ssi.”

“Yesterday, you said you did not wish to see your mother.”

As soon as the word ‘mother’ was spoken, Seol Yu-wol’s pupils began to tremble.

But this was not the time to back down.

“If so, could you please tell me why you refused?”

I met her blue eyes gently.

She desperately tried to avoid my gaze.

But my eyes were waiting for hers, no matter where she tried to look.

Finally, as if she had given up on everything, Seol Yu-wol’s trembling lips parted.

“…Because I felt… sorry…”

“What about it made you feel so sorry?”

“For not… meeting my mother’s expectations…”

Expectations.

I repeated the word in my head.

For an ordinary parent, what would be their greatest expectation for a child they were reuniting with after years of separation?

‘The child’s well-being.’

That would be what all parents would hope for most.

Wouldn’t they be grateful just to see their child alive, embracing them with tears in their eyes?

There probably weren’t many parents in the world who would blame their child for not living up to their expectations.

And yet, she was reluctant to meet her parent for that very reason.

It meant the pressure of failing to meet expectations was overwhelming the joy of seeing her parent.

‘A little more.’

I needed more information.

“I see. Thank you for answering.”

So as not to make her withdraw, I decided to shift the topic slightly.

Instead of asking about the past, I decided to try and paint a picture of the life she had lived.

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me a little more about yourself, Yu-wol-ssi? Anything, no matter how trivial, is fine. Things you like, things you want to do, or where you’re from. Anything at all.”

At my question, Seol Yu-wol looked at me for a moment.

Then, as if she were in a job interview, she began to answer in a dry, orderly fashion.

“There is nothing… I like.”

“What I want to do… is become the next Alliance Leader.”

“As for my origins… I am the only… daughter of the Martial Alliance Leader.”

I listened to her answers without a word.

She answered only what I had asked, precisely following the examples I gave.

But I had gained something.

The second answer.

‘To become the next Alliance Leader.’

I smiled gently and repeated her words.

“The next Alliance Leader… that sounds like a wonderful goal. Was that your goal, Yu-wol-ssi?”

“Yes. I must become the Martial Alliance Leader.”

She answered my question without a single moment of hesitation.

Quickly, devoid of emotion, as if reciting something she had memorized.

I didn’t miss the dissonance.

Seol Yu-wol had said that becoming the Martial Alliance Leader was her goal.

When her mother, Lee Seo-ryeong, came to this world, the position of Martial Alliance Leader would have become vacant.

In that case, did she achieve her goal?

‘No.’

I began to piece together the fragmented clues in my head.

And I arrived at a single answer.

First, she said she was sorry for not meeting her mother’s expectations.

Second, her goal was the now-vacant seat of the Alliance Leader.

These two propositions led to a single conclusion.

‘Seol Yu-wol failed to ascend to the empty throne.’

That was the reality of the failure she spoke of.

Normally, when people fail at a goal they set for themselves, they feel disappointed and frustrated.

But Seol Yu-wol said she was sorry. As if she had failed to carry out an order.

The goal she had recited like a machine had never been hers to begin with.

From the very start, it was only Lee Seo-ryeong’s goal, spoken through Seol Yu-wol’s mouth.

I nodded slowly and said to her.

“You said you were an only daughter, Yu-wol-ssi. Her one and only precious child, a treasure that couldn’t be traded for anything in the world.”

“Would your mother really be disappointed in such a daughter, just because she fell a little short of her expectations?”

At my question, Seol Yu-wol’s blue eyes became lost again.

But this time, her gaze wasn’t just wandering. Her blue eyes seemed to sink.

A moment later, she opened her mouth, her voice remarkably calm.

“She would be disappointed.”

“That’s not…”

“Because my mother… is not my birth mother.”

“……”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

Paying me no mind, Seol Yu-wol began to recite slowly.

“When I was young, I was an orphan who begged on the streets. Without a name, without a home.”

“My mother was the one who recognized my talent and took me in.”

“My mother gave me the name Seol Yu-wol and raised me to become the person I am today.”

She concluded as if stating a self-evident truth of the world.

“Therefore, it is only right that I repay her kindness.”

That was her sole reason for being.

“I… must prove my worth to my mother.”

Just then, her status appeared before me.

[Seol Yu-wol]

[Main Stance]

[Everything my mother told me is right. The path my mother showed me is my path. I must follow it and achieve it perfectly.]

That was what Seol Yu-wol was saying.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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