NOVEL WEB Chapter 323
Chapter 324
I locked eyes with Nea sitting across from me, her face flushing as she quickly looked away. So cute.
Claire, smiling with a pleased expression as she watched Nea, had a not-so-simple smile on her face.
“Having fun while getting scolded, huh? You’re living the good life!”
“No, I’m not.”
As Claire’s voice turned cold yet caring, Yeon-woo immediately averted his gaze. Hmm, the dining table is really clean. Who wiped it down so thoroughly?
As I shifted my gaze, I saw Min-ji lifting a cloth beside the table. I see…. Thanks for the heads-up, Min-ji….
“…There’s no need to scold any further, so I’ll end it here. But you’re responsible for restoring the mountain. Understood?”
“Understood….”
“Got it….”
“Then it’s settled. Since it’s a special day, we should celebrate. Just wait a little; I’ll get everything ready soon. Ugh, if only I had a little heads-up, I could’ve prepared earlier.”
Hearing Nea and Yeon-woo respond with dejected voices, Claire grumbled as she stood up and headed towards the kitchen. It seemed she intended to prepare for the party now.
“Um, shall we head out for the time being?”
“Y-yeah, that sounds good.”
In the awkward atmosphere, Nea and Yeon-woo stepped outside the building. “There should be a bench by the playground,” Nea said as she walked ahead. Yeon-woo felt a complex mix of emotions watching her.
She seemed like a completely different person, yet she was still Nea. He couldn’t find the right words to express how he felt.
It felt like just yesterday they completed the new building, but now signs of use were already showing in the playground. Not only the orphans but also neighborhood children visited to play.
Even if it wasn’t school, if the children were able to make friends, Yeon-woo would feel nothing but joy.
“…It’s the first time in my life I’m unsure what to say.”
“That can happen. It’s a relief you haven’t forgotten how to speak, right?”
“Um, I was too busy cursing the thief who stole my egg to forget.”
Nea lightly retorted to Yeon-woo’s teasing. It was a rather heavy remark. A dragon cursed me…?? Is that even possible??
Seeing Yeon-woo’s suddenly serious expression, Nea burst into laughter.
“Even so, it’s unlikely for a curse to transcend dimensions. So don’t worry too much. Hehe.”
“Well, that’s true. Could you maybe try not to laugh so much??”
“What do you expect? You’re making such funny faces! Hehehe.”
Even as she said that, seeing Nea stifling her laughter, Yeon-woo managed to feel a bit of relief. The previously awkward atmosphere felt a lot softer.
“So, um….”
“You’re wondering about the doppelganger, right?”
Seeing Yeon-woo struggling to choose his words, Nea nodded as if she understood. She knew precisely what Yeon-woo wanted to ask. Yeon-woo couldn’t help but nod back.
“It’s hard to believe it was merely a doppelganger; it has grown immensely. Things that would have been treated as simple information have now grown almost to half of what they originally were.”
“That means… it’s extremely important, right?”
“No, it’s beyond that level. How can I put it…. It’s as if part of its personality has been imprinted onto it, making it easier to understand.”
“Whoa, just hearing that sounds incredible.”
“It really is. Originally, it wasn’t designed to be this advanced. It broke free from the limits I set and expanded on its own.”
“…Haha.”
He didn’t fully understand what she was saying. While Yeon-woo was capable of creating doppelgangers using deception like Louis, Nea’s method was different.
One deceives the world, while Nea’s felt closer to physically splitting a body.
Still, it was certainly impressive enough to earn a smirk. He understood that someone had transcended their limits and achieved more than expected.
“I see. So, it wasn’t a waste of time.”
“…Of course. It certainly was not.”
Tears glistened in Nea’s eyes. Sitting beside her, she wiped away her tears with her sleeve. No, she shouldn’t be crying, but the tears just wouldn’t stop.
“Yes, it would be a farewell for you all. I’m sorry for making you part this way.”
Farewells are like a jagged scar on the heart. They may seem trivial but can flood out like torrents at any moment.
Losing someone truly wrenching the heart. Even Yeon-woo, who had become accustomed to parting ways with many before his regression, couldn’t help but tear up; it was like a thorn embedded deep within, the pain of farewell.
Nea moved closer to Yeon-woo. Wrapping her arm around him, she continued to wipe away his tears with her sleeves. The bittersweet expression on her face was perhaps unavoidable.
‘Who would have thought I’d end up feeling jealous of a doppelganger?’
You’ve carved your name into this enormous wound, haven’t you? That’s how he felt.
*
“Mom. Mom?”
Shar, bouncing toward Nea, hugged her waist and looked up, calling for her. But Nea simply turned her head away from Shar.
It was truly strange. Wasn’t she the one furious when Shar went missing? Then why, now that she has her child back, is she behaving as if she’s shunning her?
As I thought that, using my instant movement to dart over to Nea’s face, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Her face was bright red, with her pupils quaking in confusion.
“Gah, gah…!!”
“What are you laughing at!?”
“Mom, mom…! Huhuh.”
It was obvious. Nea had never imagined seeing her child right after birth. After all, her own mother passed away before she hatched.
Yet, seeing her child, whom she had only envisioned in her dreams, cradled in her arms, it must have caused a heart strain, I guess?
In other words, Nea was so overwhelmed by how cute Shar was that she didn’t know what to do.
If there was a problem, it was that Shar, unaware of Nea’s reaction, looked like she was about to cry from being ignored by her mother.
Nea, struggling with her own bewilderment, was made even more flustered by Shar’s cries.
“What are you doing? You need to hug her!”
“H-hug!? How am I supposed to hug her? What if I break her!?”
“What do you think she is, some fragile pottery? She’s a dragon too, you know? Just without hesitation, give her a big, tight hug with all the love you’ve been wanting to give!”
“Uwaaa….”
“C-come on…!!”
Startled by Shar’s cry, Nea let out a strange battle cry and wrapped her arms around her. Shar paused in shock, holding her breath.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you…!!”
With her face flushed red, Nea buried her face in Shar’s shoulder, speaking with a quivering voice. Upon hearing that, Shar’s crying abruptly stopped.
Watching from beside Yeon-woo, Tae-oh, who was sucking his thumb, opened his arms toward Nea.
“Hmm!”
“O-oh… Tae-oh, is that you wanting a hug…?”
“Hmm-hmm!!”
Feeling Tae-oh’s unspoken determination, Nea carefully picked him up for a hug. Thank goodness. Although Shar truly is her daughter, given that Tae-oh is technically the child out of wedlock, it might be harder to accept him readily.
That must also be due to Nea’s influence. Tae-oh’s confidence and Nea’s memories implanted in him might be making it easier for her to accept him involuntarily. That was a bit scary. It felt a bit like the Matrix.
“Hehe, Mom. I’m so happy to see you again.”
“That’s right. I’m so happy too!”
“Yes, that’s right. Mom thinks so too.”
As Nea and the two children enjoyed their reunion, down in the corner, Dawn tugged on Yeon-woo’s sleeve.
“…Wow, why are you so shy? Just do what you usually do with me, man.”
“Stop it! There’s no way I can be like that with my brother!”
“Then why can you with me, huh?”
Amidst Yeon-woo’s confusion at Dawn’s strange behavior, he scooped them up. Dawn squeaked in surprise, letting out a high-pitched scream.
“Nea, this is Dawn. They’re actually a god! Though they don’t seem to have any strength at all.”
“Ah, that child…. Um, I was warned about them with the doppelganger. They told me to look out for Dawn. Ugh, it sounded almost parental at times.”
“I see….”
Feeling touched by Nea’s words, Dawn’s expression became sentimental. It seemed Nea had really cared for Dawn. They probably worried that the treatment would change now that Nea had integrated with them.
“So, Dawn, do you want a hug too? I suppose I can’t do that without thinking at all. How is it that just looking at their face fills me with love?”
“Uwaaa…. Is it really okay?”
“Of course! Right, Tae-oh, Shar?”
“Yup, Dawn’s basically family!”
“Absolutely! No need to be modest, Dawn!”
Hesitant at first, with the encouragement of the two children, Dawn transitioned from Yeon-woo’s arms to Nea’s embrace.
It was amazing that Nea could support all three of them with her slender arms. Considering that Shar alone could probably lift their whole family, it made sense.
‘What a sight.’
Though it all unfolded a lot smoother than expected, it certainly looked good. Wondering what one usually does in such moments, Yeon-woo manipulated Relin’s Warehouse to pull out a camera.
“Alright, everyone! Look over here and smile! Kimchi~”
At Yeon-woo’s words, the children turned their heads, their eyes meeting his as the shutter clicked. He thought to develop it later and frame it.
Looking at the happy family photo, Yeon-woo thought to himself. Just then, Shar surprisingly shouted out.
“Dad has to be in the picture too!!”
That’s right. From an outside perspective, it already looked like a completed family. As he pondered that, he noticed Min-ji with her eyes wide open, raising her hand.
“Min-ji!! I want to join too!!”
“O-oh, sure….”
When did she sneak up on us…? To have such stealth skills, it was somewhat alarming…
That’s how Min-ji’s excited hand led to the creation of a family photo. The kids smiled widely, while Yeon-woo and Nea awkwardly stood with their arms crossed, both of their faces turning red.
(To be continued in the next chapter)