episode_0165

‘What are these little kids up to?’

I was a bit taken aback by the sudden appearance of the children in front of me.

They seemed quite unfamiliar.

Of course, it wasn’t that strange for kids to be playing around on a day with such a grand event unfolding, but…

This was the Heavenly Realm.

And these friends were the first “children” I had encountered here.

“Who are you guys? Do you know me?”

In response to my question, a chubby-cheeked boy stepped forward, looked at me with a smile, and answered, “Yes! I know you! I’ve known you for quite a while now, you know? Actually, I came yesterday too, so I’m glad I made it today! I’m actually playing tag right now… hehe…”

“….”

They were truly peculiar little kids.

It seemed like those little ones knew me quite well, but what was odd was that they seemed to know me not as Hwiseon’s husband but as a hunter living in the mountains…

“….”

I quietly observed the kids, wondering if they were ones I had met before.

‘That smart-looking boy seems like an older brother… and the shy one hiding behind him must be his younger sister? She looks a bit sleepy, doesn’t she?’

But staring at them intently wouldn’t reveal anything new.

One thing was certain—they were kids I was seeing for the first time, right? And they were both incredibly cute siblings?

“Have we met before, and I just can’t remember? But wait, this is my first time here in the Heavenly Realm, so how would I know anyone from here… What’s going on? Have you two ever been to the mortal realm?”

Clatter.

Was my question a bit foolish?

The younger sister who had been hiding behind her brother popped her head out from behind him and burst into a clear, innocent laughter.

Perhaps because I was soon to become a father, the child’s bright laughter was so pleasant to hear that I found myself laughing too.

“Hahaha! How adorable… Why are you laughing, kiddo? Did I say something funny? Let’s laugh together, don’t keep it to yourself!”

“Oh! I’m sorry… Hyung…! Wasn’t that rude of me? She’s my little sister, she’s very shy but mischievous…”

“Huh? Oh…! I’m not scolding you, so don’t worry… I was just happy to hear a child’s laughter after so long.”

“Still… hehe… You? Quickly apologize to your brother…! If you laugh so carelessly in front of people, Mom might say you’re being rude, right? Didn’t she say that?”

“Eep… She did…”

The girl bowed deeply, apologizing to her brother with a pouty face, explaining, “I-I’m sorry, Orabi… I was just… we also came up from the mortal realm, so I asked if you had ever been down there, and it was funny…”

Huh? They weren’t human here?

That was astonishing.

I had believed I was the only one here who had come up from the mortal realm…

“Oh, you also came up from the mortal realm? Then—”

That’s when it happened.

“Excuse me for a moment, Madam… I apologize for interrupting.”

“Oh… yes…”

A lady stepped forward, blocking the space between the children and me.

‘She said her name was Geum…’

She appeared delicate and shy.

Beside her was Bi.

She seemed like a cute newcomer filled with pure enthusiasm.

However, Geum, who had been wearing a faint smile just moments ago, now had a stern expression on her face.

She seemed flustered and urgent.

Turning towards the kids, Geum knelt down in front of them, speaking softly as if pleading.

“Nice to meet you. Young master, miss. The girl is called Geum Dohee from the Doheedang family. Um… I don’t know why you have come all the way here, but please stop here. His Majesty may not be pleased. Moreover, it’s already nighttime. It’s quite unusual for you to abandon your duties and come out like this.”

“Oh? They knew the Dohee family?”

“…Yes.”

“Is that so? Who are they? It’s strange to see them after I arrived here. I heard that Heeseon is the youngest here, but I didn’t expect to see children… Oh! These friends came up from the mortal realm, so are they not considered heavenly beings? Haha…”

“I… apologize, madam. These individuals are undoubtedly affiliated with the heavenly realm… However, we cannot meddle further as it is merely a family matter.”

“Oh… Yes…”

Mixing a joke into the slightly tense atmosphere, I asked a question, but with Geum speaking so firmly, it seemed pointless to inquire further.

Their responses looked serious and somewhat regretful…

Above all, it seemed like there were things I shouldn’t know.

Even though I am the son-in-law of the Jade Emperor, I should distinguish between what I need to know and what I shouldn’t.

“I’m sorry, Geum Dohee! We’re just…!”

“I… apologize…”

Realizing their mistake, the children now wear apologetic expressions as they address Geum.

“It’s alright. However… I’m sorry, but please leave now. We will handle today’s affairs and report to the authorities.”

“But…!”

“You mustn’t insist. Even if you understand the young master and miss’s feelings, won’t His Majesty be displeased if he finds out? So, don’t be too disappointed. You will surely have the opportunity to meet the lady officially someday.”

“No…! Hng…! We know everything! We heard that the handsome young man will soon descend back to the mortal realm! That event—”

“Oh…! That’s not allowed. Miss…!”

“Ugh…! Hng…! I’m sorry…! I thought it was a secret…!”

“You fool…! What if you reveal that…! I-I’m sorry, Geum Dohee… I apologize, brother…! We’ll just leave now… Sorry for causing trouble… We just… wanted to thank the kind person who saved us and talk to them once.”

“Sigh… It’s okay, young master. Well then… Bee! Since I will take care of Lady Bu’s task, hand over the burden here and escort these individuals. It’s better to keep it discreet, as encountering esteemed elders may lead to reprimands.”

“Ah… Yes… Understood. Geum Mama.”

“Um… Excuse me… Just a moment…”

“Yes? Why do you hesitate, Lady Bu?”

Seeing that she might take the children away at any moment, I couldn’t let them go without addressing something… There were some words too difficult to pass by.

“May I speak with the children for a moment? I understand there are things I shouldn’t know, so I won’t ask in detail. I won’t talk for long. It seems like these children have come with great determination… Sending them off in tears like that also hurts my heart.”

“……Ah.”

Geum fell silent at my words, seemingly pondering for a while. However, it seemed she had to refuse after all, as she nodded slightly…

Twinkle, twinkle.

“Ugh…!”

Suddenly locking eyes with the children…

The bright kids seemed to realize that this was their last chance, gazing at Geum with big, sparkling eyes like a cat from a hometown animation.

“Uh… Alright… If you still think it’s dangerous, I’ll step in rudely and stop it immediately…!”

“Haha.. Sure. Thank you! I’ll try to ease the children’s minds so that such a thing won’t happen.”

“Sigh…”

She sighed once and then slightly moved aside.

Perhaps because she was someone who served Heeseon, all the people at Doheedang seemed to have hearts like angels.

‘Oh…. Since they’re from heaven, they must be like angelic people…’

With such a foolish thought in mind, I gave a slight smile of gratitude to Mrs. Geum and then approached the children without squatting down.

Twinkle twinkle

The children were looking at me with eyes just as cute as Mrs. Geum’s.

“Okay… Kids? Um.. I won’t ask who you are. Or why you’ve come. It’s true that if we meet like this, we might get scolded by His Majesty, right? So, did you sneak out to avoid getting scolded?”

“…Yes.”

“Yes…”

A somewhat disheartened response.

“Well, but isn’t His Majesty the one who prevents dangerous things from happening in the world? You guys know that too, right?”

Nods.

The children nodded with sullen faces.

Oh…. I didn’t mean to lecture them….

As I looked into their faces, I saw tears welling up in the cute eyes that had sparkled, as if they thought I was scolding them.

“Oh dear…. How could these tender-hearted kids come to meet His Majesty secretly? Hahaha.. I’m not scolding you, so don’t take it to heart too much! Kids. At your age, it can be scary to get scolded. Playing hooky once in a while is okay.”

“……”

“……”

“What I’m trying to say is, His Majesty isn’t as scary as you think. He won’t scold you just because he doesn’t like you.”

Smirks…

Realizing that I wasn’t scolding them, something different from what they expected, the sorrow disappeared from the children’s faces, replaced by curiosity, and they tilted their heads.

‘These rascals… so cute….’

They probably still don’t understand what I’m saying.

“In simpler terms… how about you come to see me properly with His Majesty’s permission? We can have this kind of conversation. Is it okay to say these things? Or should I not? Ask me. In my opinion… His Majesty would allow that much. If it’s hard for you to come find me, I can come to you separately. How about it?”

“Oh..! Ah..! That’s great..!”

“Wow..! Oraebi is smart..! What do you say, guys? Let’s go see His Majesty right now..!”

“Hey you idiot! If we go now, we’ll get scolded! Let’s go tomorrow! You can play hooky one more time until tomorrow..!”

Twinkle twinkle..!

The children’s eyes began to shine again.

‘Yes, kids should be bright and cheerful like that….’

It made me feel content seeing them like that.

“Well then, shall we go back now? Oh! And don’t worry too much about me leaving. I have plenty of time hahaha.. I won’t descend to the surface until we meet again. Is that okay?”

“Yes..! Yes..! Thank you.. brother…! As expected..! You did well coming to find us!”

“Exactly..! Didn’t I say? You’re a good oraebi..!”

“Oh dear..! Did that kid behind me just peek his head out?”

“I-I…! I’m embarrassed..!”

“Um… Young master..? Miss..? You need to leave now! Please follow me quickly!”

Our passionate new employee-like Mrs. Bi, sweating profusely, finally managed to take the children away as they bickered.

Before leaving, the children politely bowed, how adorable they were.

‘Ah! I should have at least given them some candy to send them off…’

I felt regretful.

To be honest….

Yes, I may have been a bit presumptuous.

Technically speaking, we are complete strangers.

But….

The young man who appeared to be an older brother figure mentioned that he came looking for me because he was curious if I was the one who would save them.

At that moment, I felt an indescribable thread of fate between those children and me.

Therefore, perhaps those children might be related to my mission just like the ones I had protected all along, and I couldn’t simply let them go like that.

“Sigh… It was a brief encounter, yet so intense. Sir Geum! Shall we leave now? With one more person, our luggage has increased. Let’s quickly buy the ingredients and head back. We can explore later; we should do it together when the time is right.”

“Yes… Understood, Lady Bu. I will follow.”

And so, we hastened our steps.