Chapter 77: Concerns (4)

Time had flown by to the dead of night.

“Tch, disgustingly many.”

“Wow. If we hadn’t stepped in, they might have taken over the whole country?”

After parting with the children, Guild Master Lee Sunghwan and Guild Master Jang Jin-yu were returning from demolishing a nearby cult branch, finishing the meeting they couldn’t complete that morning.

They never imagined the Samgak District Chief would be a cult member.

Though the major crackdown hadn’t begun, this was a precaution for the children’s safety.

“That’s what I told you. No matter how much you help people, in the end only trash benefits.”

But Lee Sunghwan didn’t agree with Jang Jin-yu’s cynical view.

Though helping people had resulted in the cult’s rise despite wearing himself down…

It had led to meeting Gyeonwoo and Pureumi.

If anything, he only regretted not being able to save their parents.

“If you’re done, go home and check on your sibling.”

“Hmph, stating the obvious.”

After ending the call with the constantly sarcastic Jang Jin-yu.

He arrived at the hotel front desk just before midnight.

“Ah! Guild Master Lee Sunghwan.”

A woman in formal attire rushed out from behind the softly lit front desk to speak with him.

What’s this, wanting an autograph?

People usually found it difficult to approach him, so this was a first.

He silently reached for the fountain pen in his front pocket, but.

“Your two daughters went up to the penthouse about four hours ago.”

“Hmm?”

The manager’s words were more surprising than he’d expected.

Daughters? Do I have daughters?

As he frowned in thought, the manager’s face turned pale at his intimidating expression.

“P-perhaps there was some misunderstanding? They had your keycard so we let them in…”

Though the biometric card couldn’t be stolen or lost, nothing was ever 100% certain.

Oh god, how will I survive if I get fired? I’ll have to pay for the card too!

As the manager trembled with worry…

“Daughters… Yes, they are my daughters.”

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan showed a rare smile.

“Oh…”

It was such a handsome smile that even the manager, who dealt with famous actors and singers, unconsciously blushed.

If they had his keycard, it meant Gyeonwoo and Pureumi had come.

And Gyeonwoo and Pureumi were indeed his daughters.

He never knew having others acknowledge that relationship could feel so good.

“Please prepare some snacks the children might like around 7 AM.”

“Ah, yes! Of course!”

“Price doesn’t matter, and this is your tip.”

Whatever brought them here, he couldn’t greet Gyeonwoo and Pureumi empty-handed.

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan opened his wallet and pulled out a blank check and a thick white envelope.

It was a bonus envelope he kept ready to boost employee morale.

“Oh! I-I’ll have the pastry chefs ready!”

Peeking inside revealed a bundle of crisp 50,000 won bills.

Even a quick glance showed over a million won – and he called this a tip!

“Very well.”

Though the manager kept bowing with a bright smile, Lee Sunghwan was in a hurry.

They should be sleeping by now, but he wanted to see them quickly.

Gyeonwoo, who smiled like an angel in her sleep despite her troubled past, without a care in the world.

Just as he imagined that happy scene and urgently opened the penthouse door…

“Gyeonwoo!”

Gyeonwoo lay collapsed motionless right in front of the elevator.

Water splashed around his feet with each step, forming puddles.

Had the cult members invaded already? But there were no signs the security team had responded.

“Waaah! Mama! Wake up…!!”

Thank goodness Pureumi seemed unharmed.

Her tears poured like water from a broken faucet as she wailed.

The puddles on the floor appeared to be from Pureumi’s tears.

Good heavens. How long had she been crying?

“Come here.”

Times like these required staying calm.

Panicking and getting emotional would only make things worse.

After confirming Gyeonwoo was still breathing properly, Guild Master Lee Sunghwan picked up the trembling Pureumi and used an emergency diagnostic kit for Awakened.

Blue light from the kit began scanning Gyeonwoo’s body thoroughly.

Though it only took a few seconds, his heart raced wildly.

Ready to pull out potions and elixirs from his inventory in case anything was wrong.

He realized this small child had become so precious to him that he could no longer imagine life without Gyeonwoo.

Beep!

“Haah…”

Thankfully it wasn’t critical.

The cause was anemia.

With Gyeonwoo’s healing and regeneration abilities, a good night’s sleep should restore her.

But while that was fine…

The question was why she’d collapsed like this.

“Uuu… Mama…”

“Gyeonwoo will be fine. She’s just sleeping, she’ll wake up like normal tomorrow.”

“Really…? She’ll be okay…?”

“Yes. Now tell me what happened.”

He learned the full story from Pureumi.

Though interpreting a child’s perspective and words took some effort, it was enough to piece together the situation.

“Haah…”

Who’d have thought she’d run away because Han Dayeon and Han Yuyeon were squabbling.

Since Gyeonwoo’s ability worked through equivalent exchange, she must have used a lot of blood for teleporting.

Thank goodness she wasn’t hurt by others, but…

It pained him that she still didn’t value her own body.

“Let’s go. It’s not early… but we should sleep to see Gyeonwoo in the morning.”

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan lifted the limp Gyeonwoo while holding Pureumi’s hand.

“Is bad.”

“Hmm?”

Just as he was carefully laying Gyeonwoo on the huge bed…

“Did sisters do something wrong?”

Pureumi puffed her cheeks and stamped her feet angrily.

Her aura was quite threatening.

When Gyeonwoo collapsed with a death cry.

Though connected by contract, Pureumi had been too panicked to even remember that fact.

Mama… you’re not dying like this, right…?

Are you leaving me alone again…?

For Pureumi, it was like nearly losing her only remaining family member again.

So if the sisters were responsible, she was determined to punish them.

Pureumi snorted steam from her nose.

Though she was clearly angry to anyone watching, Guild Master Lee Sunghwan answered honestly:

“No. This isn’t anyone’s fault.”

There was no need to lie.

“Really?”

“You’ll understand when you’re older, now go to sleep.”

Who was at fault?

Siblings bickering and fighting was normal.

If anything, it might be a form of bonding only possible between family members, between those closest to each other.

These sisters hadn’t even formed relationships with others until meeting Gyeonwoo.

Such close friends wouldn’t fight seriously.

Though he didn’t know the exact situation, they probably meant to play a prank that went wrong.

The problem was that Gyeonwoo was involved.

“Uncle, sing me a lullaby.”

“…Alright.”

Gyeonwoo was a child who lost her parents and family very young, before she could mature.

“Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye. Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye.”

“Uncle, don’t you know the rest?”

“…Should I put on YouTube?”

“No. That’s cheating.”

She had only just found a new family with the monks and others.

So when that hard-won family fought and hurt each other…

Of course she’d be truly hurt, even if it was a misunderstanding.

In the end… there was only one solution.

Han Dayeon and Han Yuyeon needed to understand Gyeonwoo’s feelings and sincerely apologize.

And Gyeonwoo needed to understand their feelings and accept that apology.

“Snooore…”

Until then, there was nothing he could do, no matter how long it took.

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan silently stroked Pureumi’s head while watching Gyeonwoo, who had rolled over showing her pale back.

She seemed unable to fall into deep sleep, tossing and turning from the day’s exhaustion.

Her lips moved as if eating in her dreams.

When drool trickled down, she wiped it with her sleeve like a cat grooming itself.

“Mmng.”

She groped around blindly until finding Pureumi, then curled up against her like a shrimp.

“…I’m on your side, so do what you want.”

He was so grateful that when she ran away, she came to his home rather than the monks.

Though he knew it was ugly jealousy, that’s exactly why there were things he could do.

Rustle-

Guild Master Lee Sunghwan thought as he pulled up the thick blanket to cover Gyeonwoo and Pureumi.

Since things had come to this, he should introduce Gyeonwoo to the other Guild Masters.

Though Jang Jin-yu was immature enough to curse his own parents, he was a genius who’d built a solid guild while heading a major corporation.

As for Kang Hari… she was skilled with people, enough to point out things he’d missed, so she might give good advice about this situation.

Next Chapter