Hong Yeon-hwa has gone through all sorts of bizarre happenings.
Most of it has been thanks to Lee Ha-yul, the little disaster.
There have been numerous instances where he has happily smashed her mental walls. Just as she barely puts the pieces back together, another mental whack comes crashing down…
She endured a lot of pain through him, but it also turned out to be a chance for mental growth.
If you really want to nitpick, it’s patience.
In the past, she wouldn’t have been able to hold back from throwing a punch, but now she can withstand it at least five times before considering a swing.
Once she confirmed that Lee Ha-yul was safe, she did not immediately rush to invade the lair of the blockheads.
Calmly, she assessed the situation with patience. Only after receiving permission did Hong Yeon-hwa enter the unicorn’s habitat.
“It doesn’t look all that special. Did they just divide the area?”
“I don’t know the exact numbers, but the magical density is high. It seems like they just maintain the environment and let them roam free.”
Elia and Baek Ahrin accompanied her.
They had also been present during the incident and had gotten permission together.
The habitat they entered was surrounded by a barrier that separated the inside from the outside.
Inside the barrier was a field filled with blue grass stretching beyond the horizon.
Generally a flat terrain with consistent elevation, occasionally small hills appeared in a row.
“What does the manager think we’re going to do here by not accompanying us?”
As they made their way towards the holographic marker, Baek Ahrin stroked her chin and tilted her head.
“Since they got permission from the administration, maybe they just let us go on our own?”
“Even if they have permission, they usually send at least an accomplice along with you. We did too. Accidents can happen even without malice… Either way, they’re monsters, so usually it’s for safety.”
“Does your clan raise monsters too?”
“Yes, yes. The area is so vast and rugged that we train them a lot for transportation purposes. I’ve been riding them quite a bit myself.”
The Changhae Clan also raises monsters. They have a lot for research purposes, but most are bred for transportation.
The insides of dungeons and magic realms are so harsh that even military transport vehicles have limited usability.
The chaos that is magical wave fluctuations isn’t a problem, and if the monsters are of a higher hierarchy, they can outpace conventional transport methods easily.
Additionally, the vast territories of the clan and the many rugged terrains make free transportation essential.
“Wow… I want to ride one too!”
“Come visit with Ha-yul later. I’ll gift you a couple. Just keep in mind it’s a rather chilly area.”
As they chatted while walking, they soon spotted a few unicorns in the distance.
They seemed cautious of the group while also appearing curious, but they didn’t look like they were considering a charge.
“Tsk… they were like that earlier too.”
Hong Yeon-hwa found them quite irritating. She clicked her tongue and shook her head in discontent.
They should have remained calmly in their habitat instead of suddenly attempting to bolt, biting someone and causing a ruckus!
If Lee Ha-yul had even a single scratch, she would have drawn her weapon immediately.
“Are you just imagining things?”
“What do you mean imagining?”
As she grumbled, Baek Ahrin, who was trailing beside Hong Yeon-hwa, interjected.
“You know, Ha-yul. Just based on magical properties, he might seem superior to unicorns. So maybe they mistook him for one of their own.”
“What kind of mistake is that? Even if they’re dumb beasts, they wouldn’t.”
Would they…?
Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head.
The changes in Lee Ha-yul’s magic lately.
The color had turned pure white, and the purity had significantly increased compared to before.
Honestly, it was hard to distinguish whether it was magic or a pure lump of something.
It’s exactly the kind of quality unicorns would rave about.
It wouldn’t be strange for them to think of him as one of their own. Even if not, it wouldn’t be odd for them to perceive him as a similar entity.
“… Could that be possible?”
“The energy is pure, and his nature is innocent. With a youthful body and purity, it might be justifiable for the unicorns to go wild and snatch him away.”
“That’s certainly true… what the hell is so pure about him?”
While Hong Yeon-hwa was pondering with a perplexed expression, she suddenly raised her head.
Baek Ahrin tilted her head.
“Why the sudden anger? What’s the problem now?”
“How could I know what you did or didn’t do, you jerk?”
“Huh? A body with pure magic is bound to be pure.”
“… Huh?”
“What on earth are you thinking? You don’t mean… what I think you mean?”
A mischievous smile formed on Baek Ahrin’s lips.
Mischief, playfulness, ‘you’ve stepped right into my trap’—the expression held such feelings that Hong Yeon-hwa slowly stepped back, realizing her blunder.
Before she could retreat further, Baek Ahrin’s tease struck home.
“What kind of lewd… your thoughts are running wild.”
“Ugh…”
Reeling from the blow to her psyche, Hong Yeon-hwa composed herself and resumed walking.
The unicorn’s habitat was pretty vast. It took a little while before nests resembling dragonfly habitats became visible.
Soon, a group of unicorns, gathered in a little bunch in the distance, caught her eye.
“Wow… just how many are those?”
“They really have formed a herd. It seems like there are way more unicorns here than the ones raised worldwide.”
“They’re over there.”
While muttering as she looked at the hologram, Hong Yeon-hwa noticed a red dot nearby. Lee Ha-yul was in that direction with the herd of unicorns.
‘Sigh…’
A sudden unicorn kidnapping crisis.
Though it felt like another blow to her mental fortitude, Lee Ha-yul wasn’t at fault this time… she hoped.
Probably.
– Vroom!
That’s when it happened.
From the direction of the unicorn herd, a cry was heard, and something white shot up into the sky.
“What the hell?”
Hong Yeon-hwa swallowed her surprise and moved her hand to her waist.
She grabbed the hilt of the sword from the spatial pocket clipped to her belt when her body suddenly froze.
Her eyes clearly recognized the white object.
It was a unicorn. But it was small.
An adult unicorn is usually three to four times larger than a regular horse, yet this one was about the size of a pony.
Its horn was much shorter and blunter than that of another unicorn, capable of piercing a human’s heat, indicating that it was a juvenile.
What stopped her in her tracks was the sight of Lee Ha-yul clinging onto the back of the young unicorn.
“… What the hell is that…”
Hong Yeon-hwa mumbled absentmindedly. Baek Ahrin and Elia blinked at the sight.
In a grove brimming with blue vitality, a young unicorn bouncing around with Lee Ha-yul clinging onto its back…
Even without a saddle or harness, he somehow managed to cling on.
Every time the unicorn jumped, the distance shrank rapidly.
Eventually, the unicorn, having stopped its leaps, moved closer with quick little steps.
Hong Yeon-hwa felt a jolt of reality snap back to her senses.
It was a scene that felt utterly surreal, yet there was Lee Ha-yul approaching gallantly atop a unicorn.
“… You seem to be having fun. Hmm… I have a lot to say, but let’s go back for now…”
As Hong Yeon-hwa started to speak calmly…
“Let’s… talk…?”
Lee Ha-yul made her words trail off.
Hong Yeon-hwa blinked in confusion.
She doubted her own eyes. No issues there.
Was there mental manipulation at work? She raised Gop-hwa to eliminate any tainted thoughts within her.
There was no mental manipulation.
After checking, Hong Yeon-hwa opened her tightly closed eyes.
Lee Ha-yul was glowing brightly. It was a vitality that spread like the rising sun.
The source of that radiant light was… the horn sprouting from his forehead.
‘What the hell is that?’
Hong Yeon-hwa’s thoughts splintered.
“Yeon-hwa!”
A voice full of happiness and joy.
That voice emerged from Lee Ha-yul’s mouth.
It felt awkward.
Though she hadn’t heard Lee Ha-yul’s voice in so long, she had never encountered one with such vibrant vigor.
Soon, Lee Ha-yul happily waved one hand in the air.
Those bright grey eyes shone brightly.
“Yeon-hwa!”
With a cute and lovely appearance, his energetic demeanor was more like that of a playful child…
“Cough.”
It was overwhelmingly stimulating for Hong Yeon-hwa. She clutched her chest and bent over.
Well…
She just felt good. There was no other way to explain it.
Lee Ha-yul tried to harmonize with the information provided by the unicorn’s horn, which led to a horn growing from his forehead.
It wasn’t intentional. The intention had been to mimic functions, not bodily organs.
But a horn grew. Something sprouted from his forehead in a strange fashion.
At that moment, the manifestation of a bodily organ also triggered a specific function.
Purity.
A transition into simple and innocent thought devoid of selfish or wicked thoughts.
Just before he could become aware, the purity that had been dormant in Lee Ha-yul surged up and engulfed his rationality.
Lee Ha-yul had no chance to resist.
After all, that purity was the essence of Lee Ha-yul.
He had been born with such a nature from the start.
But his unfortunate life had forcefully suppressed that essence. He merely remasked his nature with pessimistic and critical thoughts for survival.
However, due to the horn’s function, his original essence had been elevated.
[Joy!]
[Clouds floating by]
[Happiness!]
[Relief!]
[Delight!]
[Warmth!]
Lee Ha-yul became a state akin to an unfiltered child.
The necklace of confession clicked away, revealing the wearer’s inner thoughts without restraint.
A barrage of adorably childlike expressions.
Along with a pure smile devoid of worries, he rolled around in the grass with the baby unicorn, playing.
It was undoubtedly a bizarre sight.
Moreover… it looked incredibly enticing and lovable.
Hong Yeon-hwa couldn’t hold on and fell to the ground, leaving only two left.
“Ha-yul? Want to come here?”
Elia called out to him, erasing any strange expression on her face.
Lee Ha-yul perked up at the sound.
Having been tickling the baby unicorn, he suddenly looked up.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he dashed over to Elia.
Though his eyes were closed, he raised his head, showing his face to Elia, who crouched down in front of him.
Then she reached out and stroked Lee Ha-yul’s cheek.
He accepted Elia’s touch without any resistance.
In fact, he let out a comforting sound, pushing his cheek into her palm.
[Like the touch]
[Happy]
[Stroke me more]
[Rub me more]
[Warm]
[Soft]
The necklace clicked, continuously spilling Lee Ha-yul’s unfiltered happy feelings.
Elia’s eyes sparkled at his excessively cute reactions.
“What’s got my little one so excited?”
[Just love it!]
Lee Ha-yul replied with a big smile.
[Feeling good]
[I like Elia too!]
Lee Ha-yul poured out his answers and then leapt into Elia’s arms.
Catching him unexpectedly, Elia’s eyes widened in shock.
An instant warmth and ticklish sensation spread through her embrace.
Looking down at her chest, she saw Lee Ha-yul’s face buried in her bosom.
His horn poked her chest softly. Though it was blunt and tiny, it was still a horn. Curiously, it didn’t hurt at all.
“Oh my…”
Even without understanding why, it was delightful to see the kid who usually got so bashful willingly cling to her.
Elia’s expression melted. She tightly embraced Lee Ha-yul, who was burying his face in her chest.
[Wee!]
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did that hurt?”
[Ticklish]
[Feels tingly]
As she played with his horn, he snuggled and hefted his face into her bosom.
[Breasts?]
[So soft]
[Warm]
It was then.
Lee Ha-yul suddenly tilted his head and pressed his palm against Elia’s upper chest.
“Hee hee, that tickles.”
Elia giggled, wriggling in amusement. The soft hair tickled her skin, and his warm breath brushed across her chest.
[Big chest]
[Looks like a cow]
He said it looked like a cow.
It might sound inappropriate, but Elia didn’t mind, gently patting Lee Ha-yul’s back.
There was no hint of desire coming from him.
Just pure, childlike reactions.
The logic was simply about her having a larger chest, resembling a cow.
Elia smiled sweetly and placed her hand over Lee Ha-yul’s, playfully tapping the back of his hand.
“Well, cows produce milk, don’t they? But I’m not producing any milk yet. That doesn’t mean I’m a cow, right?”
[No milk yet?]
[Then I’m not a cow…]
[I like milk]
[It’s delicious!]
[But right now, it’s not tasty…]
“Huh? It’s not tasty anymore? That can’t be… I was planning on feeding you a lot later, and you can’t save leftovers then…”
Elia mumbled as she affectionately squished Lee Ha-yul’s cheeks.
“… Something’s off with your wording.”
Beside them, Baek Ahrin, who had been listening, shook her head lightly and patted Elia’s shoulder.
“Elia, Elia. I want to hug Ha-yul too.”
“You want Ha-yul?”
Elia blinked, glancing between Baek Ahrin and Lee Ha-yul.
“Umm…”
After a moment of hesitation, Elia gently removed Lee Ha-yul from her embrace.
[No!]
[I don’t want to fall!]
Lee Ha-yul protested vigorously.
He didn’t want to fall and clung to her, resulting in a brief tussle before Elia managed to lift him by his armpits.
[Poo…]
Hanging in the air like that, Lee Ha-yul gulped and puffed up his cheeks.
His blatant expression of being sulky made Elia’s lips twitch. She was tempted to squeeze those puffy cheeks.
“Ha-yul?”
[?]
Lee Ha-yul, expressing his discontent, turned to the voice calling him.
He saw Baek Ahrin with a strange smile spreading across her face.
“Come here for a moment?”
Baek Ahrin stretched out her arms widely. Her ample chest expanded outward, signaling her intention to embrace him.
Despite having happily clung on to Elia, Lee Ha-yul hesitated by the invitation.
[Cold]
[Chill]
[Chillness]
“Hmm?”
A gentle chill blew through the air.
Both observation and magical sensitivity confirmed the same feeling.
It felt as though blocking off the cold would freeze him solid.
There was a sort of rejection associated with it.
He absolutely despised being cold. The horror of his body temperature dropping was unbearable. He craved the warmth of a person.
He felt a sense of rejection from Baek Ahrin’s chill. Remembering the fear he had felt from her character in the original might’ve instilled some wariness.
But did he dislike the current Baek Ahrin?
Purely immersed in innocence, Lee Ha-yul processed this.
He rummaged through his memories after entering Shio-ram. Numerous instances where Baek Ahrin helped him came rushing forth.
So many of them.
– Whooooo…
The horn pulsed. A unique vibration emanated from it.
The unicorn’s horn instinctively perceives a counterpart’s emotional state and evaluates it arbitrarily.
“……”
After a moment of deliberation, Lee Ha-yul moved.
He approached quietly, directly embracing Baek Ahrin.
Though cold, her ample warmth pressed against his face.
With an unusual expression, Lee Ha-yul buried his face in the flesh.
“Oh?”
Baek Ahrin gasped as she awaited Lee Ha-yul’s choice.
It seemed they had reached the point where it came to hugging.
With a smiling face, Baek Ahrin placed a hand on Lee Ha-yul’s head.
…
[Does Arin not produce milk either?]
“Maybe it will eventually?”
…
*
“… Junior, is something going on?”
The bewilderment was evident in Choi Ji-yeon’s face as she acknowledged my appearance and asked, I desperately shook my head.
[No]
[I’m okay]
[Nothing happened]
[It’s fine]
[Really]
“Oh, okay… understood.”
Upon my vehement denial, Ji-yeon bobbed her head uncertainly.
Her expression clearly conveyed disbelief as she nodded but I forced the subject matter to change.
What’s happened?
I rubbed my forehead.
There was nothing. No traces at all.
I had never had horns. Not on a human… nor a fairy.
So nothing occurred.
– Ha-yul? Did you sleep well? Here, have a glass of milk.
Nothing must have happened…
– This? It’s premium milk. I’ll give you some rice cakes too, so enjoy it at lunch.
This memory could not be real…
– …Ha-yul, you can’t do that to others. So just wait a little. Got it?
With a pale expression, I bowed my head.
I despised this myself.
– Glorp…
I popped open the cap and let the content flow into my mouth.
The white liquid cascaded down.
It was warm.
*
[Player Guarantee System: Measurement]
▶ Mental State
｢Negativity｣
｢Self-loathing｣
｢Despair｣
｢Desire｣
｢Urge｣
｢Fear｣
…
[Player Correction System: Affection Level]
Lee Ha-yul → Elia Slade
●●●●●●●●○○(81▷82/100)
｢Affinity｣ ｢Gratitude｣ ｢Cow?｣ ｢Chick｣ ｢Apology｣ ｢Guilt｣
Lee Ha-yul → Baek Ahrin
●●●●●●●○○○(69/100)
｢Coldness｣ ｢Affection｣ ｢Confusion｣ ｢Chaos｣ ｢Cow?｣ ｢Guilt｣
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