SS #37 Kang Yujin (8)

“D-Dad!”

“I have a rough idea of what happened. So let’s deal with this first.”

Yuder spoke in a calm but still chilly voice, and Yuria flinched, her shoulders hunching as she nodded.

“Hoo.”

The chimera that had crashed headfirst into a tree and collapsed, and the clothes strewn about in front of the campfire.

The ground, soaked as if hit by a downpour.

This was more than enough.

Even without asking Yuria, Yuder could easily figure out what had transpired.

And so, Yuder looked back at Yuria, shaking his head at the sight of his daughter pursing her lips.

She really does take after me.

In more ways than one.

Truly.

Kang Yujin.

The son of Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yu-hee.

The child of destiny, fated to be with Yuria.

The boy sat there blindfolded and tense, his body slightly turned to shield Yuria, his right arm raised just a bit. Whether it was instinct or a flimsy attempt at strategy, Yuder couldn’t be sure.

“Haa.”

It must be instinct.

He was the child of Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yu-hee, after all.

And he especially resembled Hong Yu-hee.

Shaking his head once more, Yuder flicked his fingers, casting a spell.

In an instant, Yuria was dressed in a very modest-looking green dress that covered her up to her neck, while Yujin found himself in a beige training uniform.

“Huh? Wh-what?”

Though he couldn’t see because of the blindfold, Yujin could at least sense that his clothes had suddenly been changed.

As Yujin stammered in confusion, Yuder flicked his fingers again to remove the blindfold, then clicked his tongue.

He had just seen Yuria take Yujin’s hand, as if to reassure him that everything was fine.

It took us so long…

To hold hands.

Well, to be precise, they had held hands quickly, but interlocking their fingers had taken a long time.

Is this what it means to be young?

Though it seemed less about youth and more about just being children.

Yuder, his mind in turmoil over the fact that the daughter who was the apple of his eye had met her fated one, let out another sigh—he’d lost count of how many it had been today—and summoned a carriage pulled by Phantom Steeds.

“Get in.”

When Yuder gestured toward the carriage with his chin, Yuria’s eyes widened in surprise.

She had assumed they would use Space Leap magic to return immediately.

But a carriage?

Why take a carriage, which would take so much longer—

“Ah!”

As a look of realization dawned on Yuria’s face, Yuder’s expression soured. Yuria, however, gave a black-hearted—yet incredibly pure—smile and mouthed silently.

Dad’s the best.

I’m officially giving you two some time alone, so don’t run away. Got it?

If Maia and Dahlia had heard, they might have said, ‘Why didn’t you do that for us?’, but that was then, and this is now.

Yuria responded to Yuder’s gaze with a lovely smile. Yuder knew better than anyone that her answer was neither a yes nor a no, but instead of saying anything more, he climbed onto the carriage—or more precisely, into the driver’s seat.

“Oppa, hurry and get in.”

“Uh, okay.”

Guided by Yuria, Yujin climbed into the carriage, still looking bewildered.

The situation itself was confusing enough, but for Yujin, who was from Earth, a carriage that appeared out of nowhere and could fly was a marvel in itself.

No matter how many times he’d seen it in the game or knew in his head that such things were real, seeing it with his own eyes was a different experience entirely.

“Let’s go.”

After confirming that Yujin and Yuria were seated side-by-side in the carriage, Yuder narrowed his eyes again but held his tongue.

He didn’t want to be a nag.

No, to be precise, I don’t want Yuria to call me a nag.

Yuder suddenly understood why Lucas had been so dejected recently after Vivian had called him a preachy old man.

Anyway, let’s go.

Yujin and Yuria, holding hands tightly and smiling shyly at each other.

The two of them looked just like a certain couple from a decade ago.

I should be nicer to Maia and Dahlia.

Having made this sudden resolution, Yuder set the Phantom Steeds in motion.

“Oppa, I’ll see you again tomorrow. Okay?”

“Yeah, definitely tomorrow.”

Yujin replied reflexively to Yuria, who was holding both his hands, and at the same time, he steeled his resolve.

He could feel Yuder’s glare boring into him from the side.

Of course, Yujin failed to notice Cordelia glaring back at Yuder, her eyes telling him to cut it out, or Kang Jin-ho’s gaze, who was for some reason smiling with a “fuhut.”

“Hooo… I’m so sad to see you go. You feel the same way, right, Oppa?”

“Yeah, me too. Really.”

If Vivian had heard this, she would have shouted, “Hey, you’re staying in the same mansion! You’re just in different rooms!” But unfortunately, not only was she not here, she was also busy putting her younger siblings to bed.

In the Hresvelg household, the nine siblings often slept together on an enormous bed, and bedtime was always chaotic as they fought over who got to sleep next to Vivian.

In any case, regardless of the Hresvelg family’s situation, the adults began to intervene as Yujin and Yuria’s farewell dragged on and on.

To be precise, just as Yuder tried to grab Yujin by the scruff of his neck, Kang Jin-ho stopped him. At the same time, Cordelia placed a hand on Yuria’s shoulder, and Hong Yu-hee did the same to Yujin.

Let’s go to bed now.

And tell us all about what happened today.

At the look in Cordelia’s and Hong Yu-hee’s eyes, both Yujin and Yuria blushed. Seeing this, Yuder let out another sigh.

And Kang Jin-ho, once again, smiled a pleased “fuhuhut.”

And that night.

While Yuria and Regina stayed up all night talking about their fated partners, Yujin, too, was spending the night with his eyes wide open.

It was partly because of his fateful encounter with Yuria that day, but also because of the words Yuder had thrown directly into his mind just before they parted.

—Tomorrow morning, you will come with me to see my father. Be prepared.

The father of Yuria’s father, Yuder.

In other words, the Great Chase Count.

The true final boss of his future in-laws(?).

It’s okay. I’m not afraid.

For Yuria’s sake.

Yujin clenched his fists, hardening his resolve, and once again pictured Yuria’s face, wearing the rabbit headband.

The next morning.

Although Yujin had barely slept a wink, this was not a day he could afford to oversleep.

Waking with a jolt, Yujin washed up cleanly and, as soon as he finished breakfast, got Natasha’s help to get all dolled up.

“Auntie, thank you, as always.”

“Of course. If things go south, you can just marry your aunt, so don’t be too nervous. Got it?”

“Okay!”

Yujin replied with a bright smile to Natasha, who was waving a contract she had procured from who-knows-where. He then waited with Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yu-hee for Yuder to arrive.

“Are you ready?”

At Yuder’s question, who had appeared abruptly with Maia, Yujin shot up from his seat like a soldier asked to state his rank and name.

“I am ready!”

“Tsk. Fine. Let’s go, then.”

They were all staying in the same mansion anyway.

Count Chase was also staying in the same residence, so it would only take a few minutes to walk there.

Yuder led the way, with Maia following behind him.

Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yu-hee didn’t go with them, but they patted Yujin’s shoulder in encouragement. Yujin took a deep breath and took a step forward.

He walked on, step by step.

After some time had passed in silence…

“Don’t be too nervous. Count Chase is a good person. Just as good as our young master.”

Maia said in a calm voice, looking back at Yujin. Yujin couldn’t help but blush and nod.

It was because Maia was just too beautiful.

Though Yuria is the prettiest.

As if reading his thoughts, Maia covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. Yuder’s brow furrowed once more.

Maia, you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?

It just reminds me of the old days.

If Yujin had Natasha, Yuria had Maia.

Maia, who had heard the story of what happened yesterday several times from Yuria, let out another genuinely amused smile. Yuder, once again realizing what karma felt like, sighed heavily.

A few more minutes passed.

When they arrived at the large door of the main building where Count Chase was staying, they were greeted by Dahlia.

“He is waiting for you inside.”

At the words of Dahlia, who stood guard at the door with the stern expression of a knight, Maia stopped in her tracks with a barely perceptible smile. Yuder, still looking displeased, spoke to Yujin.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes, sir!”

Yujin replied, his face tense, and swallowed dryly for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

Maia and Dahlia exchanged glances and let out silent giggles.

And finally, they entered.

“Father, I’ve brought him.”

At Yuder’s low voice, the colossal man standing by the window slowly turned around.

Arthur Chase.

The Great Chase Count.

The Angel of the Red Storm, said to be the strongest among the angels of the Cordelia Church.

He was a mage, but he possessed a body larger and more robust than most warriors.

A towering height of nearly two meters, broad shoulders, and hard muscles that looked as if they had been forged in real combat.

“Hmph. You’re late.”

His voice was stern, with a hint of coldness.

Yuder offered no reply, instead quietly pushing Yujin’s back. Yujin, struggling to calm his ragged breath, approached Count Chase.

“I am Kang Yujin.”

He stated his name, bowing with the etiquette he had practiced so diligently before coming to Pleiades.

But Count Chase didn’t respond right away. He simply looked down at Yujin in silence.

As if he were grading him.

“I am Count Chase.”

A full minute after Yujin had bowed, Count Chase spoke heavily and gestured to a chair with his chin. Yujin, his face stiff, walked with rigid steps and sat down.

Then there was Count Chase and Yuder again.

Count Chase took the seat opposite Yujin, while Yuder remained standing behind him.

And so, the pincer formation of Count Chase and Yuder was complete.

Yujin felt like he would suffocate from the pressure bearing down on him from both front and back, but he gritted his teeth and focused his mind.

A few more seconds passed.

When what felt like an eternity had gone by…

“I heard what happened yesterday. Yuria jumped while holding you?”

“Th-… Yes. She did.”

“Tsk. Useless punk.”

Yujin gritted his teeth at Count Chase’s glare and tone.

He was partly ashamed of the fact that he had been held by Yuria instead of holding her, but it was also because Count Chase’s reaction was so incredibly cold.

It’s over.

I blew it from the very start.

But it was at that very moment.

“This is a fruit that enhances physical strength. It’s useless to me, since everyone around me is already overflowing with strength. Take it.”

What was this all of a sudden?

Yujin blinked, reflexively accepting the small box Count Chase offered. At the count’s gaze, which urged him to open it now, Yujin swallowed hard and opened the box.

A-A Fruit of Strength!

It was his first time seeing one in person, but it was an item he had seen dozens of times in the game.

A fruit that, just as its name suggested, permanently increased the strength of whoever ate it!

“And when the chimera appeared, Yuria was the one who protected you?”

Count Chase spoke again in a cold, stern voice, but Yujin wasn’t as intimidated as before.

Aside from the shame he felt at being protected instead of being the protector, a strange sense of anticipation had begun to bloom.

“You scrawny fellow. You remind me of someone from the old days.”

Clicking his tongue, Count Chase offered another small box. Yujin accepted it, his eyes filled with anticipation.

And Yuder…

The original son-in-law, who knew exactly what was about to happen…

Father…

He covered his face with both hands.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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