Seo-yoon no longer had a headache.
However, she felt a bit dizzy. It was due to suddenly learning an astonishing fact.
“Three kids, huh…”
It was none other than Si-woo, her brother, who had appeared as the parent of three children.
And he had even given birth to them himself. Not as a dad, but as a mom.
In fact, just the fact that he had a husband was enough to surprise her.
It seemed that not only his appearance but also his heart had transformed into something other than “brother.”
“Well, he did say he lived for twenty years.”
Twenty whole years.
It was a long time for one’s identity and mindset to completely change.
Even knowing this full well, her feelings of shock refused to settle.
It was probably because the scene before her eyes was so unfamiliar.
“Then let me introduce you.”
Si-woo… Eluke, who was sitting in the middle of the sofa, spoke politely.
She was sitting on the sofa along with her family.
In the center, there was a mother holding a baby, with twin daughters on either side. And the dad sat at the end of the sofa.
“First, over there is my husband, Liam Erams. Feel free to call him Liam.”
Eluke pointed at her slightly slouched husband.
Then, her husband, Liam, waved his hand as if he were catching a football. He also blurted out some strangely pronounced words.
“□□□ □□□□□ □□□□? □□□.”
What on earth was he saying?
It seemed to be a language from that world.
Naturally, she couldn’t understand it at all, but it was definitely not something appropriate to say on a first meeting.
“…….”
Eluke’s face, which had been gentle until now, slightly contorted. She began to glare coldly at her husband.
In response, the relaxed Liam averted his gaze, turning his head to the side, like a cat faced with a tiger.
Watching the silent exchange between the two, Seo-yoon began to grasp how the couple normally interacted.
“They must have gone through a lot.”
Her husband, Liam, had objectively and subjectively good looks.
Bright blonde hair and shining blue eyes.
A sharp nose and lips filled with a relaxed smile.
He looked like an American actor who lived off his looks rather than acting skills.
Honestly, he was handsome. At first, Seo-yoon even stared at him in a daze.
But there was something about him that seemed untrustworthy.
It wasn’t a thought based on clear evidence. It was just a feeling.
If she had to present evidence, she could only resort to unscientific logic.
“He looks like he’d go crazy over women.”
A guy who looks like that usually has a habit of hitting on every other woman. Even when he has a wife, he might not change that lifestyle.
Of course, physiognomy isn’t science.
But does that mean there’s a need to steadfastly believe in science that can’t even properly explain the ‘possessed’ phenomenon?
While Seo-yoon was doubting her newly met brother-in-law, Eluke continued.
“Liam isn’t the most diligent character. Don’t expect him to live up to his looks. He’s just a guy who loves to have fun.”
“So, he was unemployed?”
“Yes.”
Even the word ‘unemployed’ got corrected? The standards were stricter than expected.
“Were you unemployed in that world too?”
“One could say that. While I worked hard as a pope, he was just goofing around every day.”
Oh, I see.
Seo-yoon nodded absentmindedly but suddenly halted.
Something important had just flitted by.
“…Pope?”
“Oh, I hadn’t mentioned that yet.”
Eluke slightly frowned before adding on, as if it was so trivial that she had just remembered.
“I’m the pope. Before I became the pope, I was a saint.”
“………”
Suddenly, she felt a sense of distance.
Not just an ordinary clergy, but a pope?
Next, Eluke glanced at her husband.
“And Liam was a hero. We were part of the same hero party.”
“…A hero? Him?”
Even Seo-yoon, living in modern society, knew well the symbolism and reputation a “hero” held.
They fight against the Demon King by pooling their strength with their allies—it’s a profession requiring noble dedication and strong fighting skills.
In Seo-yoon’s mind, heroes were serious and compassionate individuals. Not someone who looked laid-back like this.
Could he be a stage actor playing the role of a hero? She thought of such silly notions when Eluke burst into laughter.
“I understand that feeling. In fact, I also couldn’t believe it at first and had to file a complaint with the Goddess. Just looking at him makes it seem like he’s some neighborhood punk.”
For some reason, there was an odd aggression hidden between her polite tones.
The term ‘punk’ seemed like a corrected expression. In reality, she probably said something more vulgar.
Words that seemed a bit rough for a pope. Seo-yoon began to get a sense of why Eluke was under automatic speech correction.
“Even if you look refined, the inner self remains the same?”
She chuckled subtly while looking at her former brother, now sister’s calm eyes.
To be honest, it had felt awkward all this time, but it wasn’t any longer. The Seo-yoon she knew was not gone.
She had just changed a little… well, quite a lot.
*
Seo-yoon’s stiff expression relaxed a bit.
Although she didn’t show it, she seemed to feel a slight distance. That was normal, really.
She never thought they could be as close as before right from the start.
There was no need to rush.
Step by step, slowly, they could regain their previous bond.
Of course, it wouldn’t be completely like before. They had gone from a sister-brother relationship to more like siblings.
“Then let me continue with the introductions.”
Before moving on, I cast a glance at the troublesome one.
“…….”
Liam was looking out the window as if he felt my gaze. It seemed my warning to behave had gotten through to him.
However, I still couldn’t feel relieved.
He was more of a walking bundle of problems than a hero.
A hassle that could cause trouble anywhere, anytime. Frankly, my five-year-old twins listened better than he did. No offense, that was just the truth.
It was surprising that he seemed to be more mature at least once. Why did I fall in love with such a guy?
[“Please stay still. Don’t embarrass me again.”]
I warned Liam in the language of that world once again.
After that, I introduced my two daughters, who were clinging closely to me, to Seo-yoon.
“As I mentioned earlier, these are my twin daughters. The first is Erina, and the second is Ibailla.”
Maybe they realized they were being talked about. Both daughters looked up at me at the same time.
One had sparkling eyes, while the other had a nonchalant gaze. Their expressions were different, but their delicate and beautiful looks were nearly identical.
That was irresistibly heartwarming.
‘They’re too… cute.’
Though they were my daughters, honestly, they were both incredibly adorable. I especially loved their pink hair and eyes that resembled mine.
I wanted to ruffle their hair and rub their cheeks but held back. No matter what, I was the pope. I needed to maintain my dignity.
I’d save the cuteness for when no one was watching.
“Um… sister? Which one is Erina and which one is Ibailla?”
At that moment, Seo-yoon asked the inevitable question that everyone asks when meeting twins for the first time.
It was a question I was prepared for, so answering it wasn’t difficult.
“It’s simple. The one burying her face in my side is Erina, and the one with the blank stare is Ibailla.”
“……?”
Seeing her look completely confused, I decided to show her directly.
[“Erina, Ibailla. Pay attention.”]
How ironic that I had to use honorifics with my daughters. I savored the bittersweetness of that thought.
[“Both of you, say hello to your aunt. Do it politely as I taught you.”]
The twins followed my instructions well. Thankfully, they didn’t inherit even a little of Liam’s personality.
Erina and Ibailla immediately bowed to Seo-yoon.
The greeting we had taught them before coming to this world. They remembered well, even incorporating the cute gesture of placing their hands in front of them.
Could my daughters be geniuses?
Their ability to grasp two things when only one was taught made me smile broadly.
Anyway, after finishing their greeting, the twins displayed different reactions.
[“Mom…”]
Shy Erina buried her face into me, feeling embarrassed.
“…….”
Perpetually cynical Ibailla simply stared blankly.
I stroked Ibailla’s head and smiled.
“Seo-yoon, how about it? Is it clear now?”
“Yeah…”
She seemed to be getting the hang of it. If I were in her position, I would still be frozen in confusion.
“Then, it’s the last one.”
I gently lifted my son, who was snugly asleep in my arms, for her to see.
“This is our third child, my son, Rohan.”
“Rohan… so cute. He looks like his dad?”
“That’s right.”
Though Rohan was still young, he already had the delicate features of his dad.
He would likely grow into a handsome young man who would make many women swoon. I just hoped he wouldn’t inherit his father’s personality.
“Could I hold him?”
Seo-yoon seemed enchanted by our son’s soft and adorable charm. This was a common occurrence.
“Of course.”
I carefully handed Rohan over to Seo-yoon.
She embraced him with a warm smile, so I couldn’t help but laugh along.
Every time moments like this happened, I realized once again that I had become a mother.
To be honest, I was still in a daze. Who would have thought I would feel maternal love instead of paternal love?
If I had told my previous self this, I would have chased them off saying they were talking nonsense. It felt that unreal.
“This is our family of five.”
“Our Si-woo brother… has been doing well.”
Seo-yoon’s beaming smile suddenly turned bittersweet.
“I felt sad every time I thought of my brother. I regretted not treating him better while he was alive.”
“…….”
“But I’m glad he’s doing well. It’s still surprising that he has three kids.”
The truth is, I was still struggling to adjust. How did I end up with three kids?
With my busy schedule as a pope, it’s surprising I got pregnant twice, all because of “that guy.”
“I find it amazing too. Even though I was thoroughly cautious, things still escalated.”
“…Escalated?”
Seo-yoon seemed to have already caught on, looking back and forth between me and Liam.
“Yes, what you’re thinking is correct. I’ll skip the detailed explanation. If I outright say it, it’ll get corrected.”
“…….”
I avoided looking at her in disbelief while absentmindedly placing my hands on my daughters’ heads.
Then, in a low voice, I said,
“It’s time to change the subject.”
“Seo-yoon, to be honest, since abruptly crossing over to this world, the future seems bleak. I have nowhere to go except here.”
In simpler terms, we were a beautiful-looking family with essentially nothing.
“I’ve been wanting to say this but held back out of guilt. Could you allow us to stay here for a while? I will find a way to earn living expenses. I may look like this, but I’m the pope, you know.”
“…….”
Seo-yoon stared at me with narrowed eyes, neither granting permission nor rejecting it.
She seemed to have a lot she wanted to say but couldn’t get them out, her gaze clouded with unspoken thoughts. It was similar to how I looked at that troublesome husband of mine.
Could it be that she didn’t trust me?
It was completely understandable. Seo-yoon was familiar with my former self.
She was probably already worried about whether I could adapt to society and wouldn’t be lost again like I used to be.
That worry was unnecessary.
“Seo-yoon, there’s someone very close to me who lives by this motto.”
I raised the corners of my mouth pleasantly.
“When you charge headlong into something, the answers will come.”
By physically confronting and advancing, a bright future would eventually dawn.
That was the lesson I had learned by living as “Clitia Eluke.”
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