Chapter 624: Born Woman (1)

“It’s been a while, Lulusia.”

“Taekyung~! It’s been a while~!”

It had been nearly two months since that incident in the abandoned village before I met the Saintess, Lulusia, again.

Despite meeting her after so long, her still unreserved personality instantly made my own heart feel refreshed.

Lulusia, leaning slightly towards me as she approached, offered greetings as if genuinely glad to see me after so long.

“This is the first time since we met at the abandoned village, right? Have you been well~?”

“Yes. As I mentioned on KakaoTalk, I’ve been doing well.”

“You definitely told me you’d show me around Seoul soon, so I didn’t expect you’d make me wait two whole months~?”

“I apologize. Back then, I didn’t know I’d get this busy.”

“Ahah, I was just kidding~! I knew how busy you must have been, Taekyung~!”

Well, judging by her expression, I figured she wasn’t entirely serious. Who in the world would pout and complain about being made to wait with such a bright smile? If anything, I figured anyone who did manage to genuinely anger Lulusia must have done something seriously wrong themselves. She truly felt like a walking dispenser of natural endorphins, fitting for a Saintess. Even after meeting her again after so long, she was still the very picture of a Saintess. Including her Saintess-like attire, which was unmistakable to anyone who saw it.

“Speaking of which, Lulusia, your casual clothes don’t seem much different from the outfit I saw you in inside the dungeon.”

“These aren’t casual clothes~! Although I did debate whether to wear casual clothes or my clerical attire~!”

“Huh? Then why are you wearing your clerical attire today?”

“Because if I wore casual clothes, my overwhelming beauty would captivate absolutely everyone around me~!”

“…….”

“That’s why I usually go out wearing my clerical attire and a veil~! This thin veil can slightly conceal my beautiful face, you see~!”

“…….”

“Ah, ahaha….”

Even after saying it herself, Lulusia seemed a bit embarrassed, trying to brush it off with a cute smile. It was an audacious statement that might have made others think she had a ‘princess complex,’ but for some reason, Lulusia being embarrassed after saying it just made her seem even cuter. I decided to play along with her teasing and humor her a bit more.

“Yes. Honestly, if you weren’t veiled like this, Lulusia, your beauty might cause quite a stir.”

“Ughat?!”

“From my perspective as a man, Lulusia, you are quite the beauty. Thanks to that, today’s date should be quite enjoyable.”

“N-no, it’s not… I-I was just kidding… Hahaha….”

“But it felt true to me, so that’s all that matters.”

“I-I see…. Th-thank you for the compliment, T-Taekyung~! T-Taekyung, you look very h-handsome today too….”

Perhaps not expecting such a reaction, Lulusia, her face flushed crimson, subtly averted her gaze from me. This was only our second meeting, but somehow, I felt like I already knew a lot about her. Perhaps it was because we’d faced life-and-death situations together right from our first meeting, making me feel closer to her. In any case, if it weren’t for meeting her that day, I wouldn’t have ended up on the path to defeating the Three-Headed Basilisk.

“S-so, where are you taking me today, Taekyung~? It’s my first time having a proper tour of Seoul, so I’m so excited~!”

“Well. Originally, I planned to go to Bukchon Hanok Village with you first….”

“Hanok~! You mean like old Korean houses, right~? That sounds like fun~!”

“Actually, before heading there, I intended for us to change into Hanbok at a rental shop. …Though it seems a bit difficult now.”

“W-why?! I wanted to try wearing Hanbok too~! Is the rental shop perhaps closed today~?”

“No, the shop is open and operating normally.”

“Th-then why is it difficult~?!”

“Because if you change into Hanbok, you’d have to change out of your clerical attire, and your overwhelming beauty would instantly capture everyone’s attention.”

“Uhhet?!”

“If that happens, we wouldn’t be able to properly sightsee with the crowds flocking to see you, Lulusia. So, changing into Hanbok would have to be skipped. If even this thin veil can’t hide your beauty, you’ll stand out anywhere.”

In reality, even without changing, her distinctive clerical attire would probably draw attention on its own. Realizing I was teasing her, Lulusia’s face flushed red once more. Having her own audacious joke thrown back at her, she couldn’t hide her embarrassment and bewilderment as she playfully lunged at me with a cute protest.

“D-don’t be mean~! Taekyung~!”

“Kuhuhk, my apologies. The rental shop is just outside Exit 3, so let’s start our date there today.”

“A d-date…. I see. Since you’re a man, Taekyung, not a woman, th-this really is becoming a date today….”

Lulusia, realizing anew that today’s outing was indeed a date, blushed furiously again. Well, at least I had a hunch it wouldn’t be a boring day.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

After changing into matching couple Hanbok at a rental shop near Gyeongbokgung Station, we immediately started walking along the promenade course of the Hanok Village. On the way up the course, we didn’t forget to hold hands tightly, just like a couple would. Holding hands right from the first date isn’t common even for established couples, and honestly, Lulusia and I weren’t exactly in a romantic relationship. Since neither of us was the type to fuss over such details, we started our date holding hands without any awkwardness. Lulusia, momentarily forgetting I was a man, ended up grabbing my hand, and I held onto it tightly without letting go. With our hands clasped, we enjoyed our private stroll. After holding hands, Lulusia, whose face had been red for a moment, soon began darting around the Hanok Village like a busy hamster, her pink skirt fluttering, perfectly matching her demeanor.

“Taekyung~! Look over there, over there~! There’s a huge house!”

“According to the guidebook, it’s a house that’s been here for nearly a hundred years. They say it’s open until evening, so it might be nice to go inside.”

“Yes~!”

Lulusia continued to enjoy the sights with light steps, still holding my hand tightly. Seeing her genuinely enjoying the date with me brought an involuntary smile to my lips more than once, even in just a short moment. In this world, it’s customary for the woman, not the man, to plan the date itinerary. In fact, most of my past dates involved me mostly following along rather than taking the lead. For instance, dates with Sihee were entirely planned by her and Eunbyul, covering everything from meals to leisure activities. Excluding casual dates like visiting cafes or movie theaters, this was practically my first time planning a date focused on genuine sightseeing. Thus, seeing Lulusia enjoy herself brought me a peculiar sense of joy. Moreover, Lulusia in Hanbok was charming in a completely different way than when she wore her clerical attire, to the point where I found myself staring blankly at her frequently. While her usual clerical robes were tailored to fit snugly, accentuating Lulusia’s voluptuous figure, the flowing Hanbok she wore now felt more aligned with her personality. Lively, innocent, and cute – Lulusia kept catching my eye, almost as if beckoning me.

“Look at this, Taekyung~! Isn’t this really cute?”

“Yes, Lulusia is cute.”

“N-no, not me~! This~! The Hanok figurine is really cute, isn’t it~!”

“Yes, Lulusia holding the Hanok figurine is cute.”

“Ah, ahh~! How long are you going to tease me just because I joked around~?!”

After complimenting Lulusia a few times as she beamed, holding the Hanok figurine in the souvenir shop, she playfully tapped my chest with her reddened face, expressing her shyness. Indeed, the date with her was proving to be quite enjoyable, just as I’d expected. I thought I’d met quite a few women up until now, but a woman like Lulusia was truly a first. In this world, ‘femininity’ was often measured by one’s capability as a head of household and how well they could protect their man. Being born in Vatican City, where the population is predominantly female, and possessing a ‘recovery-type’ awakening ability-which doesn’t directly impact combat-likely contributed to her gentle disposition. I didn’t mind that aspect at all. Lulusia having her own unique, mysterious charm meant I could fall for that charm while spending time with her.

“Doesn’t this doll wearing Hanbok look a bit like you, Taekyung~?”

“Yes, I suppose it does. And the one next to it kind of looks like Lulusia.”

“Then, shall we each take one~? Since you guided me around so much today, Taekyung~, I’ll give this to you as a gift~!”

“If you’re giving it, I’ll gladly accept.”

Becoming gradually closer to her, with all her mysterious charms, was naturally pleasant. However, at the same time, a strange sense of regret was budding in my heart. The fact that I couldn’t hold such a charming and beautiful woman in my arms at night left a peculiar bitterness in my heart. I didn’t care about not forming relationships with women who weren’t interested in me from the start. I had no desire to waste my time forcing intimacy with them. But it was unavoidable to feel regret about not being able to become ‘a little closer’ with Lulusia, who clearly showed me favor and affection. Her stunning beauty, which she herself was confident about, certainly played a part too. Of course, this was something I had to give up. Taking the virginity of a Vatican Saintess would mean losing far too much. At the very least, it would push me one step further away from my dream of creating an environment where Hunters don’t die at the hands of monsters. And while Lulusia clearly favored me, she wouldn’t want to be intimate with me at the cost of losing her awakening ability. Of course, being a woman, she’d likely be interested in sex just like other women her age, but maintaining her purity until retirement was her destined duty to preserve her awakening ability. Embracing a man for mere momentary pleasure would likely be quite a burden for Lulusia too.

‘It’s a shame, but I guess we just have to maintain our current relationship.’

Shaking off the lingering sense of regret as I watched her back, I continued the date without showing it.

…It wasn’t until some time later that I realized Lulusia had had another motive for our date from the very beginning.