The day Han Hee-jun was trapped in the isolated space.
Liam cautiously hid Seo-yoon behind him as a girl suddenly appeared.
“Step back, sis.”
“…Okay.”
Seo-yoon, who hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for almost a day, was already at her limit.
If that girl was in cahoots with the one who created this space, even the shockwaves from her attacks could seriously harm Seo-yoon.
If that happened, Seo-yoon might not be able to hang on and would breathe her last. After all, she was just an ordinary person with a little sacred power inside her.
Liam needed to protect her at all costs, even if it meant getting hurt himself, so he activated his sacred power and let it spread.
Soon, a hemispherical red barrier formed around Seo-yoon.
Sacred Spell, Sun Barrier.
It was a high-grade defensive spell that could block all attacks while simultaneously launching counterattacks.
Though it was less solid and stable than when Eluke used it, it could withstand considerable shocks.
“Don’t come out from there. Try not to worry too much.”
Meanwhile, while reassuring Seo-yoon one last time, Liam stepped forward.
At that moment, the girl, who had been silently observing them, clapped her hands.
“Wow, big brother, you know how to get things done! No wonder the Pope is smitten!”
“…….”
Liam didn’t respond. He wanted to exchange only straightforward facts with this suspicious girl rather than engage in social chit-chat.
With his hands shoved into his pockets, Liam glared at the girl with a slanted posture.
“What are you? Are you with her?”
If she answered yes, he would blow her up with explosive magic.
If she said no? He’d still send her flying with an appropriately strong blast since she still seemed suspicious.
A perfectly flawless plan for any situation.
Liam marveled at his own genius as he awaited the girl’s answer.
Dressed in entirely black, from her hat to her shoes, the girl bounced up to him with a bright smile.
Then, she made a sudden suggestion.
“Don’t you want to ditch the Pope and meet a pretty lady instead?”
“…What?”
Liam, who had let out a fleeting chuckle, quickly responded coldly.
“Kid, what kind of nonsense is that? Do you want to get crushed until you die?”
The former hero, without mercy or patience even for a child, glared at the girl approaching him.
He was prepared to use magic if necessary, slowly channeling his mana within.
Yet, despite the fierce aura of a demigod emanating from him, the girl didn’t seem scared at all.
Instead, she was humming a little tune, moving closer with light, bouncy steps.
This baffled Liam, bringing him back to a state of confusion he hadn’t felt in a while.
‘This kid is definitely not ordinary.’
Her energy and presence were below par, just about average for kids her age.
However, there was something unsettling about her.
She was a little girl dressed all in black.
Just a girl who looked a few years older than the twins.
Yet, an uneasy sense of dread kept rising from the depths of his heart.
Thus, Liam smiled slyly.
‘She’s hiding her true power.’
A trick of lurking around, concealing her real strength, making her enemies lower their guard.
If she revealed her true colors and ambushed him, no matter how strong they were, they would be helpless.
But Liam had already seen through the girl’s intentions, so he stayed vigilant.
In fact, he heightened his tension and prepared to go all out.
The very fact that he, a demigod, couldn’t gauge her true strength meant she was on a higher level than him.
The girl before him was stronger than a demigod.
This realization filled Liam’s mind with a wild tide of emotions he could hardly control.
“Hey, enough talk, let’s fight!”
Stronger than Haoran, a being he considered a deity.
Finally, he could relish a firm and challenging battle after so long.
Liam expressed the thrill and joy combat brings with a broad smile.
“Just so you know, I won’t spare the old, I’ll hit the women, and I won’t hold back against kids either. Stop with the games and reveal your identity.”
“Oh my. The hero is acting pretty nasty, huh?”
The girl let out a laugh, stopping in her tracks. She could easily look up at him from where she stood.
Then she tilted her head slightly and removed her wide-brimmed hat.
“Big brother, let me introduce myself first. I’m Icle. Not ‘Ikuri,’ just Icle.”
“I’m not interested in your name.”
“Come on, don’t be that way. Just greet me.”
“Get lost.”
“You’re so harsh!”
Icle shrugged her shoulders and dismissed Liam’s glare. It was an attitude hard to attribute to a child.
“…You’re not a kid, are you? Stop pretending and just come at me.”
“Why do you want to fight so much? Are you a savage, big brother? Or do you just get off on losing in battle and picking fights with anyone?”
“…….”
Liam was losing this verbal duel. How long had it been since that happened?
He typically overwhelmed those around him with his coarse manner of speaking, but now he found himself reflecting on his attitude for the first time in a while.
‘Have I really spoken this roughly?’
It was a moment of unnecessary self-reflection. But he had no intention of changing his speaking style.
Reassessing himself, he focused on Icle’s audacity and asked.
“Why did you show up if you don’t want to fight? Aren’t you in league with the one who trapped us here?”
“Not at all.”
Denying with almost a serious expression, Icle clicked her tongue and kicked a small stone on the ground.
“Please don’t associate me with the Great Demon. It makes me feel like I’m slumming it.”
“Great Demon? Was that guy a demon?”
“No. The one controlling him was a demon, and that demon was none other than Kim Yi-jeong, the head of external affairs for your Order.”
“……?”
Who was Kim Yi-jeong again?
Though a demigod’s memory was exceptional, he also easily forgot unimportant people’s names and faces in areas of little interest.
So, while Liam was baffled, Icle pointed at him in exasperation.
“Why don’t you know? The one who tried to stop you when you were flying off to the States!”
“Oh, that guy.”
“Ugh.”
Letting out a sigh, Icle started to ramble on with irritation.
“Anyway, the Great Demon is threatening the Pope. Looks like he’s planning to send his minions to capture him, but the Pope seems ready to fend them off, so you’ll have to deal with the Great Demon. Not too hard, is it? I’ll even give you the location….”
“Wait a second.”
Too much information flooded in suddenly, and Liam interrupted her.
“What now? Is there something you don’t understand?”
“No, I get it. But why are you helping me?”
This strange girl, disguising herself as a stranger, had told him to ditch his wife, and now she was trying to help him.
What was her motive? Even his demigod reasoning couldn’t grasp it.
“Helping you?”
Icle gave a strange expression, lifting one corner of her mouth.
“Just for fun. Isn’t that enough?”
“…….”
At that moment, Liam decided to give up on the conversation.
Instead of trying to gauge her true intentions, he waved his hands dismissively.
“Fine, just hurry up and tell me what I need to know and then leave.”
“…You’re really rude.”
“Don’t call me big brother. You’re probably older than me anyway.”
“…….”
Had he hit the nail on the head? Icle didn’t retort, avoiding his gaze.
Then, suddenly looking up at the sky, she murmured softly.
“You said you didn’t want to ditch the Pope, right?”
“Yeah.”
“What if I suggested taking my sister as a concubine instead?”
“…What?”
Liam could hardly contain his shock.
It was such a startling statement.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“No, no. Just listen. My sister is as beautiful as the Pope, not at all lacking in looks. In fact, they almost look the same. So you could take her as a concubine! If they look alike, it’s fine to have both as wives, right?”
“…….”
There was no logic in this irrational suggestion.
He could outright refuse it.
But.
For some reason,
Liam found himself inexplicably drawn to that proposal, even if just for a fleeting moment.
It made no sense.
‘…Why am I even considering this?’
Though he didn’t understand why, he felt tantalized for a brief instant.
Did she notice this change? Icle beamed at him.
“What do you think of my proposal? Not bad, right? I’ll come back to see you later, so make up your mind by then! Adios!”
With a triumphant laugh, Icle crossed her arms and suddenly disappeared.
Liam stared blankly at the spot where she had just vanished, biting his lip.
‘…Why was I even tempted? What the hell?’
In less than a second, his mind had gone blank.
Unless something incredibly bizarre was happening, it was incomprehensible behavior.
*
“Thus, while feeling uneasy, I searched for a way to break through that isolated space. Eventually, I succeeded and went to catch that Great Demon.”
Liam, having spilled the details of what had transpired, finally wore a relieved expression.
I softly caressed the cheek of my now more relaxed husband.
“Why didn’t you just say so earlier?”
I could finally understand why Liam had kept his mouth shut until now.
It turned out ‘Liam’s change of heart’ never existed initially; he simply felt confused by that strange girl’s proposal.
‘Having me take her sister as a concubine…’
I’d never heard such an odd request in my life. Even in a world where polygamy was somewhat accepted, it was a rare demand.
And yet, somehow being drawn in for an instant by that twisted request brought a sense of self-loathing.
If I were in the same situation, I would’ve spent time in turmoil, berating myself.
And I would’ve tried to find the cause and address it somehow.
Liam must have gone through the same thought process before arriving at the conclusion of ‘since I’m sorry, I won’t talk to my wife for a while.’
It was a not bad judgment, but he overlooked one thing.
“I must say what you said earlier too. What do you think of me? Do I look like the kind of person who would get angry over that?”
Even if he openly declared taking another woman as a concubine, I wouldn’t easily react with rage.
How could I get mad at someone who loved me unchanged after learning about my past life?
Liam’s affection for me was genuine. My feelings for him were no different.
“Sweetheart, didn’t you just get mad? Weren’t you warning Rohan not to become like me?”
“…That was annoyance, not anger.”
Anyway.
Liam should have openly talked to me about this. It’s better to share thoughts than to suffer alone in silence.
Of course, I understood why he hesitated to speak up. He probably feared that I would be furious.
But even so, keeping the truth hidden for days felt too overly cautious for Liam.
It nearly caused a rift between us.
“Liam. Next time something like this happens, make sure to tell me everything without hiding anything.”
“I understand. I’m sorry.”
“Just saying you’re sorry isn’t enough, is it? If you’re really sorry, what should you do?”
The once aloof husband didn’t do that this time.
Without uttering a word, he immediately pressed his lips against mine.
It was a kiss sweeter and more electrifying than usual.
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