The scenery on Christmas Eve is always special.
The streets are vibrant with more energy than usual.
The happiness reflected in the faces of the people gathered in groups.
With carols and the sound of Salvation Army bells ringing together, it really felt like Santa Claus had come.
“Grandma, how much do I owe for all these bean sprouts and everything here?”
“Oh dear, are you really going to buy all this, young man? It’s 20,000 won…”
In the cold enough to see white breath, I handed a 50,000 won note to the grandma selling vegetables right next to the subway station.
I didn’t need any change.
“Hurry up and sell your stuff so you can go home. It’s cold out here.”
“Thank you. You’re such a nice young man.”
The bags in my hands were heavy. My practice in swordsmanship in another world came in handy during times like this.
“Oh, and I’m not a young man.”
I corrected her while helping the grandma tidy up her stand.
After all, with two kids, I had long lost the title of ‘young man.’ Who would have thought I’d get married this soon?
“You’re going to be blessed, young man.”
“…Please be careful getting home, grandma.”
Each breath I exhaled turned into a white fog swirling in the air. My footsteps towards home felt as light as a feather.
I had prepared gifts for my precious son and daughter, and I also had tonight’s dinner ingredients in hand.
I could sneak into their room wearing a Santa Claus costume this early morning.
After all, it’s the job of adults to protect children’s innocent hearts.
Bzzzzzz.
As I arrived at the alley in front of my house, my smartphone vibrated and rang.
─【Beloved, my dear♡】
A somewhat embarrassing contact with a heart stuck at the end of the name.
They said if I didn’t do this, some other woman might try to woo me or something.
The ring on my finger, which I wore since the wedding day, was like a barrier against any troubles from others.
Seems like I need to add some kiss marks to the scars left on my shoulder every day.
“Pina, I’m almost home. I’m sorry for being late.”
As my trip home got delayed, the heroine of this tale, Pina Grancia, called me out of concern.
─ Su-hyun, are you out there playing with other girls?
─ Of course not.
On workdays, I’d cross over into the real world to spend time with her.
On my days off, I’d jump into the gaming world.
We were swapping between reality and fantasy at our leisure.
─ The scent seems faint… Wait, did you meet a girl…?
─ I bought some vegetables on my way. Sorry about that.
I confessed the truth quickly.
Ever since we had a child, Pina’s intuition had become sharper.
─ Daddy! Mommy is super mad because you’re late!
─ No matter what, you really shouldn’t be late today.
I could hear the voices of my children over the phone.
Sei Grancia and Eve Grancia.
They were cute kids with black hair and brown eyes, resembling both me and Pina.
I had definitely heard that the Inrang Tribe struggled to bear children with humans.
Yet we had Sei as a honeymoon baby and then right after, Eve.
‘What a blessed life.’
Becoming the father of two kids is heavy yet immensely proud.
At work, I made excuses that my wife is a foreigner and was invited to the birthday party in her place.
My close colleague, Assistant Manager Kim, congratulated me on marrying well.
He was worried it might turn into a love triangle, as many female coworkers secretly liked me.
Just like a hedgehog fearing people, I put my prickly defenses up to keep anyone’s touch at bay.
Because of past traumas, I didn’t even realize that my face belonged to the ‘handsome’ category.
Whenever company dinners ended early, I’d rush home.
Even during crunch time, I never missed seeing Pina.
I had grown up from the kid I used to be, now feeling like the old photos in the album.
It was more bittersweet than nostalgic.
Now, I had to fill that emptiness with happiness.
“I’m home—”
“Welcome back!”
As soon as I entered the house, Pina hugged me tightly.
Gwaak, her arms tightened around mine.
With her tail wagging and her ears collapsing backwards, she resembled nothing less than a puppy.
Had she been waiting at the door the whole time?
She pulled me inside while slowly backing up.
“Ah… the smell of Su-hyun. I had a hard time waiting.”
She sniffed around and rubbed against me, welcoming me in a way that felt like we were still newlyweds, even after several years of marriage.
“Do you want to eat first? Or take a bath? Or maybe….”
She slyly slid the shoulder strap of her apron down.
“Wanna make some cute grey wolves together?”
Her pouch, fuller than before, felt almost sinful as the shadow formed between her chest was highly suggestive.
As the strap slipped down one shoulder, her fair skin brushed against my chest, making my mind spin.
This doesn’t seem good for the kids’ education.
Even after becoming a mother, Pina was still Pina.
“Where did you learn that phrase?”
“Hehe, I know all sorts of things.”
She confirmed I didn’t meet another girl, flashing a proud smile.
“Daddy!”
“Daddy! Why were you so late?!”
Eve, unable to hide her wolf ears well, and Sei, respectfully speaking while wanting to be like me, rushed to greet me.
Seeing my little ones come running over to greet with their adorable faces always warmed my heart.
I gently patted their heads and set down the bags.
“I was late because I bought some vegetables. But I’m not late for dinner, right?”
The space that was once empty started to fill with the colors known as family.
Photos from my wedding with Pina.
Boxes filled with toys for the kids.
A queen-size bed that expanded from being just for one to two.
“Woof! Arf!”
Hayan, resembling a white Samoyed, and Kkamang, a fluffy black Pomeranian.
Should I say it was foresight?
The grey wolf Pina always wanted had appeared between us.
Now, I was no longer a single bachelor, but a husband of a whole household.
“Thanks for the meal!”
We sat cozily around the steaming warm dinner spread.
The number of side dishes seemed enough to break the table leg.
The dining table was adorned with lavish dishes like large roasted turkey, beef stew, and steak.
“Eve, don’t be picky and eat well.”
“Mom’s cooking is only good for the stew!”
“……”
Pina still hadn’t cured her chef’s knack for cooking, huh?
I would have sworn she had lost her skills due to the Demon King, but it turned out she was never good at it.
In her quest to make delicious food for me, she had searched high and low to learn how to cook.
But it seemed she could only manage beef stew.
And even then, it had turned into a valuable experiment subject.
How could a kimchi stew with tuna end up turning purple?
“Daddy, I want to eat this too!”
“No way. Eve, this is Daddy’s.”
My daughter Eve, wagging her wolf ears, expressed interest in the food around me.
Grilled eel, garlic, oysters, asparagus.
It was a blatantly nourishing set of food that could be called a stamina recovery set in a game.
“Thanks for your hard work today, dear..♡”
As Pina poured the prepared raspberry wine, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
Even someone as oblivious as me couldn’t miss the subtle hints.
“Oh, right, there was a letter for Daddy earlier, by the way?”
In the middle of dinner, Sei handed me a letter.
The purple envelope was adorned with golden thread on its surface.
Small angel wings were sealed with wax, securely closing the letter.
It looked more expensive than I’d ever seen, lacking a better word to describe it.
─ [Academy's Pure Love Black Knight Support Message].
There were 14 pages, each written in different handwriting.
From questions about how Ariel and Kainel were doing to cute obsessions to know about our parenting stories.
I hope for the next installment of your work.
I’ll support you.
Thank you.
So many people sent their gratitude in that letter for the stories of Pina and me.
I should be the one thanking them.
“Must be a relative of Santa!”
“Santa Claus….”
“Yep! From a huge bag, tons of gold coins popped out!”
They even mentioned he comes to give gifts to good kids on Christmas.
It was just like Santa Claus coming to visit us on Christmas Eve.
Thank you for protecting the innocent hearts of our children.
“Oh?”
At the end of the letter was a strange phrase.
─ I was glad to learn about the love story of my father-in-law and mother-in-law.
Who could have written this?
There was only one person around me who could write a line like that.
The daughter of the Hero couple, Rosaria.
With hair as golden as perfectly ripened rice ears like Kainel and ruby-red eyes like Ariel, she was a half-elf.
Shy by nature, she had only been close to our kids since long ago.
“Sei, do you really not have a relationship with Rosaria? I’ve heard rumors going around in the Academy!”
“It’s nothing like that. We’re just friends—”
Eve was trying to coax Sei by secretly peeking at the letter I was reading.
While I should admit, Eve took after me in being completely oblivious.
“Are kids today also sharing kisses?”
“Hey!”
Hearing that almost made me bring out my Mind Sword.
So this is how Rock must have felt.
The love of the Inrang Tribe is dangerously pure.
I wish I could support their love, but as a father of two, my emotions were in disarray.
With half a warning and half-seriousness, I advised Sei.
“Son, just don’t act too obliviously. Don’t think about dating all alone.”
Let’s not misunderstand some beautiful princess as a boy or forget the Saintess was just in front of him.
“Dad, it’s not like that! She was being all forward about it!”
“Alright, I totally understand your feelings.”
Rosaria had always been watching Sei practice his swordsmanship secretly.
Maybe that’s when she fell for him.
“It’s because I lost a bet and had a penalty! It’s different from what Mom did to Dad when she was younger!”
My son shouted with a red face, embarrassed.
“Were you saying I was like I was back then? Hold on, Sei, what do you mean by that?”
“Mom said not to talk about the time-traveling. Oh no, big trouble!”
“…Sei.”
Time travel, huh?
With both the powers of the Demon God and the Saintess, it wasn’t impossible for Pina.
Feeling a little nervous, I glanced at Pina, who was unable to meet my eyes.
“I played with Mom and Dad when they were both young… yeah.”
As soon as I heard that, memories began to resurface in my mind like mist clearing.
Playing with the girl who had white hair and the kids with black hair.
Even having disrupted the photos taken in kindergarten, they said they watched me and Pina during our dating days from start to finish.
“W-wait..! I was just feeling a little jealous seeing you in the photos with those other girls!”
The jealous wolf never lets go of its prey once set.
*
The clock hands pointed to midnight; the day had come to an end.
A little past Christmas.
“When she sleeps, she’s truly like an angel.”
“Hehe, right? Just like Su-hyun.”
Wearing a Santa Claus outfit, I placed gifts beside the sleeping Sei and Eve.
For Sei, a sheath engraved with the royal emblem.
For Eve, a large Fox Slime doll and accessories that could be attached to her hat or clothes.
I secretly gave her what she had always sung about wanting, she would be surprised when she woke up in the morning.
With that, I had protected the illusion of Santa Claus in their innocent hearts once again.
“Eve isn’t a Fox Slime doll, dear.”
“What..? I wandered around the subway station to buy this…”
I clearly remembered it being a doll.
“It changed yesterday.”
Click.
I heard the sound of a doorknob locking.
Suddenly, Pina locked the door and began slipping off layers of clothing.
“She said as a Christmas gift, she wished for a little sibling.”
Pina approached me step by step while revealing her highly exposed Santa outfit, her eyes gleaming.
No wonder the dinner menu was so suspicious.
Her body was carved like a meticulously crafted statue, beautiful enough to leave my mouth slightly agape with her strong allure.
We shouldn’t be doing this as family.
I shouldn’t go doing this with my mother-in-law’s daughter.
This not how it should be with someone who was once a rival in the Academy.
“Pina, wait a moment… I have work tomorrow, or there’s something urgent today…”
“You’re my official husband now.”
Having become the husband to the Empress, I had no way to run from this situation.
“……”
No matter how much time passes, my love for Pina ignites fiercely like an unquenchable fire.
It held an unwavering warmth and glow, shining upon the dark world like a lantern of love.
“…I love you, Su-hyun.”
“I love you too, Pina.”
Two lovers, drawn into love’s little flame, drift freely through the night sky.
No matter how dark the night, dawn will come someday.
As long as you don’t give up, the day of success will surely arrive.
Any word like nature, fate, hope, even if that’s all fine.
Our story isn’t over yet.
Our story is just beginning.
“Thank you for making me happy.”
“Likewise.”
We would continue to speak of love in the future.
“Getting to know you, meeting you, and loving you makes me happy.”
─ [Academy's Pure Love Black Knight] Supporting Thanks Extra <完>
