Lee Ha-yul was bowing his head low, embarrassed that he was a step too late.
Those watching him felt a warmth in their hearts, as if they were floating.
Everyone knew about Lee Ha-yul’s trauma.
During the first semester’s entrance party, many noticed as he stiffened up whenever alcohol was offered.
Even those pretending to offer him a drink quietly withdrew.
That’s just how Lee Ha-yul was.
No detailed stories from his childhood were shared, but he had a severe trauma related to alcohol and smoking.
He caught a glimpse of a subtle… barely noticeable trace that anyone else might overlook on Atra’s body, and he vomited and fainted.
“I brought this for everyone to drink.”
“So you can have it with your meal…”
It was Lee Ha-yul who directly brought and offered the alcohol himself.
His gesture was awkward and stiff as he shook the bottle slightly.
One couldn’t help but feel a swirl of complicated emotions.
What could it be compared to?
The awe of a puppy that was once hurt by its previous owner and growled in suspicion, suddenly approaching and rubbing itself against you, seeking affection?
What was clear was that it was a sign that he trusted the people here enough to push away his trauma related to alcohol.
Could anyone not be touched by that?
“Oh! This is from Terra Grand!”
Riana, who was giving off a warm and touching gaze, suddenly raised her voice.
The infamous heavy drinker Riana’s eyes were fixed on the label of the bottle on the table.
“…You really…”
Next to her, Atra grimaced.
They had been in a sweet and warm atmosphere, but the heavy-drinking girl sitting next to her shattered it.
While Atra squinted and glared, Riana excitedly pointed at the bottle.
“Terra Grand! This is a drink you can’t even find in the market!”
“Terra Grand…? Isn’t that the city that has been ruined for ages?”
“It’s a city that fell at least 40 years ago. It was completely destroyed in a second-rate dungeon surge. That place just happened to be where they produced superhuman-grade alcohol. Since then, it’s been hard to find any listings for it…!”
“Oh… really?”
“I just heard it was honey wine, so I brought it.”
‘Terra Grand? Was there such a power?’
Lee Ha-yul tilted his head. He tried to recall but couldn’t remember Terra Grand as a faction.
What to bring out for dinner?
Lee Ha-yul, who knew nothing about alcohol, just picked it up because the word ‘honey’ caught his attention.
“Can we really, really drink this…?”
His eyes sparkled at the rare sight of a bottle, but he now subtly glanced at Lee Ha-yul, inquiring.
“Yes, it’s totally fine.”
“Professor is fine with it.”
Lee Ha-yul smiled gently. His face was shining so brightly that it nearly lit up the surroundings.
Immediately, as before, space cracked open, and the winged clothing effortlessly fetched glasses suitable for the number of people.
There were six glasses. Neither Lee Ha-yul nor Seo-yul got a share.
Of course, Seo-yul couldn’t, and Lee Ha-yul hadn’t even had the courage to taste it yet.
“Wow, wow…!”
Riana’s eyes glinted with expectation.
Her throat was constantly bobbing, and saliva gathered in her mouth.
Superhumans are naturally robust, meaning they don’t get drunk.
Thus, there are alcoholic beverages uniquely brewed for superhumans, marketed as premium goods.
Riana was known as a heavy drinker.
She drank well without getting drunk, which meant she enjoyed drinking to a great degree.
When she drinks properly, it’s almost as if she consumes alcohol instead of water.
But Riana hadn’t touched a drink for several months.
No! She hadn’t even approached the vicinity of a bar lately!
This was all because of Lee Ha-yul!
The kid she personally took responsibility for, to whom the vice president directly asked her to look after, disliked alcohol.
This innocent kid she developed a fondness for showed a feeling of disgust when catching the scent of alcohol clinging to her body.
Though she pretended otherwise, it shocked her deeply inside.
Knowing that, she simply couldn’t bring herself to indulge in drinking.
Because of that, Riana, who was famous for her drinking prowess, had been holding back tears and avoiding alcohol until now.
And now, being offered a drink by none other than the very source of her forced sobriety was something beyond mere direct permission; it turned Riana’s eyes wild with excitement.
“Here.”
Lee Ha-yul placed the glasses down before each person, then gently lifted the bottle.
Though he had never hosted a drinking party before, he understood that it was his duty to pour drinks.
The cold and smooth feel of the bottle in his grasp.
It was clearly just a cold glass bottle, even though engraved with preservation magic and made from an exotic material from this world.
Yet, the very idea of alcohol created an odd sense of rejection.
– Pop!
The bottle was sealed with a cork.
He knew a tool existed to open it, but Lee Ha-yul’s strength didn’t require one.
With a gentle grip, he puts a bit of force into the cork, and with a happy sound and feeling, it popped out.
‘Ah…’
The sound faded away. The scent was not noticeable.
But for some reason, an intense feeling of rejection pricked his nose and made his shoulders shrink.
His head spun momentarily.
‘It’s okay…’
But the fear didn’t go beyond that.
Everyone here was someone he could trust.
He had faith that drinking and getting drunk wouldn’t change who they were.
Even if he let his body succumb to drunkenness, he believed it wouldn’t turn against him.
‘It’s okay.’
Recalling that thought made his stiff body loosen up. His bent back found its place again, and the wildly racing heartbeat returned to normal.
– Hoo, Hoo…
He took a deep breath and steeled himself.
Then, cautiously tilting the bottle over to the glasses…
‘…Not just one glass?’
His motion to pour was abruptly halted. He blinked at the sight of multiple glasses reaching out to him.
To his surprise, there were six glasses. Everyone wanting to drink was holding out theirs.
In the midst of it, Ji-yeon, not wanting to be left out, also slyly offered her own glass, looking a bit funny.
Nonetheless, the gazes directed at him were filled with anticipation.
As if everyone was asking, “Are you going to pour first?”
‘……’
Amidst those eager looks, Lee Ha-yul slowly opened space.
The clothing he wore reached inside and came out, precisely holding five identical bottles.
“Ah.”
Someone muttered absentmindedly.
– Shlurp…
Immediately, honey wine was poured into all six glasses at once.
The timing, volume, and speed of the pouring were all synchronized.
With the power of observation involved in the precise calculations, someone wore an expression of disbelief.
.
.
.
Like Lee Ha-yul’s hopes, the dinner continued rather harmoniously.
And it was easy to see why. It was challenging to find discomfort in this gathering.
The food spread out on the table was truly diverse and delicious enough to elicit praise.
It wasn’t just plentiful and tasty.
“Oh, the sauce here is…”
Elia, who casually picked up a bagel, widened her eyes in surprise.
The flavor in her mouth felt exceedingly familiar.
[That’s made according to the recipe you shared, Elia.]
Seo-yul replied while cutting a piece of meat and feeding it to her.
[You said you enjoyed eating that back home…]
“Oh my… This tastes better than what I made! And I’m sorry. I should have helped you wrap up quickly.”
[What are you talking about?]
[I’m just glad you’re enjoying it.]
The food on the table was prepared to suit the tastes of those seated at the dinner.
Though Lee Ha-yul had a terrible sense of taste, he possessed the power of observation.
He could monitor every cooking process down to the smallest detail and control it.
Moreover, thanks to the incredible chef skill accumulated over time, the culinary results were more than satisfactory.
The combination of all these elements ensured that the food was inedible.
Additionally, the food was crafted specifically for each person at the table.
While others may find it delicious, it was perfectly tailored to the preferences of the individual.
Also, the alcohol Lee Ha-yul casually brought out was all premium grade.
All he has done was pick up whatever looked decent and sweet, but they ended up being rare drinks that were hard to find even in a market.
As food delighted the palate and the drinks supplemented it, one could hardly complain about the meal.
Whenever they felt something was lacking, Lee Ha-yul swiftly arrived to resolve any issues, eliminating all trouble.
“……”
“……”
Of course, there were those at the table that sparked tension.
The most evident duo… well, just Hong Yeon-hwa and Atra, to be honest.
Even after trading blows, they had exhausted most of their emotions; an awkward atmosphere still lingered.
They were merely holding back due to being in front of Lee Ha-yul.
‘…What’s going on?’
While everyone savored the food and enjoyed the precious drink,
Ji-yeon, diligently toying with her spoon, glanced down.
The gratin in its special container.
It had been dug into several times, distorting the shape, but it still looked delicious enough to salivate over.
‘It’s tasty…’
Ji-yeon toyed absently with her spoon. The flavor exploding in her mouth made her corners of her lips involuntarily tremble.
The sweet taste of sweet potato mingled with the nutty flavor of the potato combined on her tongue.
Further, the popping corn added a trigger, making the overall experience rich.
The ingredients and flavor, this was exactly Ji-yeon’s favorite style.
‘How does he know I like gratin? No, is it just a coincidence? Yet everyone else seems to enjoy it too…’
Even now, it was so delicious that she played with her spoon absentmindedly.
It’s a guilty pleasure to say that it tastes much better than what the main house’s chef made…
Regardless of that, her conflicting feelings couldn’t be helped; it matched her tastes perfectly…
– Gulp.
Additionally, the honey wine they kept pouring fit Ji-yeon’s preference.
She heard it was honey wine made from a faction that had already perished, right?
The sweetness was beyond imagining. It didn’t overwhelm her, going down smoothly, and the delicate sweetness lingered pleasantly after swallowing.
Ji-yeon always liked honey.
When feeling bloated, she would sometimes mix honey with water and drink it, and as a child, she had entered her family’s beekeeping facility to sneak some honey.
Interestingly, that wasn’t revealed information in the original work.
So, while Lee Ha-yul hadn’t done it intentionally, the meal felt like it was crafted just for Ji-yeon.
Delicious food and delightful drinks filled the dining table.
And… the alluring scent of honey wafting in the air was intoxicating. It was enough to cloud her mind, which had solidified like Taesan.
The source wasn’t the alcoholic drink.
“Cough, cough…”
Ji-yeon secretly swallowed down her saliva and turned her gaze toward where the honey scent was emanating from.
At this gathering, it wasn’t unusual.
After all, most people there had their eyes directed toward that spot.
[Seo-yul, is it tasty?]
“Yes! Food made by Dad is the best!”
[Hehe…]
[Thank you…]
[Here, another bite.]
“Ahh…”
The core of attraction, Lee Ha-yul, wore a bashful smile.
Such a rare sight was hard to find lately.
Unbeknownst to him, several desires began to stir in the hearts of some people as he continued to beam.
His milk-white face was now tinged with a flush due to the alcohol.
A single drop of sweat slipped down from beneath his neck.
To anyone’s eyes, he appeared drunk.
Although he hadn’t even had a drop to drink, the intoxication was evident.
Lee Ha-yul was weak against alcohol.
While he’d deny it, that was simply the truth.
And he wasn’t just weak in a regular way.
His bizarre body, which housed a disembodied spirit, was conditionally weak to alcohol.
If he maintained a high level of tension, most superhumans could fend off drunkenness without issue.
Conversely, if he completely let down his guard, he’d become sensitive to it.
Even the mere aroma wafting in would be enough to get him tipsy.
[Oh, look at Seo-yul eating well, huh?]
[He’s so nice~]
At this moment, Lee Ha-yul had no defenses up. Thus, he would get tipsy easily, quickly, and intensely…yet he still maintained some semblance of consciousness.
One reason for that.
His lap was occupied by Seo-yul.
Although he thought poorly of himself, he carried the self-awareness of being Seo-yul’s guardian.
Thus, in front of Seo-yul, he felt the need to avoid any shameful display.
This sentiment was pushing back the intoxication that was rising within him.
“…Hmph.”
Seo-yul understood that too.
She could sense the threatening and lascivious gazes surrounding them.
They were all looks from some ruffians shamelessly eyeing her father.
Therefore, since the meal commenced, Seo-yul made sure to remain glued to her father’s side to protect him from such scoundrels.
Despite knowing they were just lowlifes, any parent wouldn’t abandon their child in front of potential threats.
‘How dare they.’
With that resolution, she was determined to stay close until the meal wrapped up.
‘Wait, why are my eyes…?’
With firm determination, Seo-yul strained her eyes, but suddenly her vision became blurry.
Everything felt like it was underwater, and her consciousness gradually faded.
‘Ah.’
Caught off guard, Seo-yul opened her mouth.
Lately, she had been eating plenty and sleeping tremendously well.
This had come from the growth spurt she was undergoing.
And right now was no different.
Lee Ha-yul was ensuring she was filled and kept at the perfect temperature while he fed her.
The moment to sleep slowly crept closer. Drowsiness began to weave its way into her consciousness.
Seo-yul’s eyes were wide open. She couldn’t sleep here, as she had to protect Daddy…
‘Ah, just a moment… this isn’t the time…’
With that determination to stay awake, Seo-yul clung tighter to her consciousness, but reality was harsh.
‘Eek…’
Regardless of her strong will, her awareness gradually faded.
Seo-yul’s eyelids slowly closed.
Everything became a blur before her.
Just within her hazy vision, she spotted Lee Ha-yul leaning against Hong Yeon-hwa and the hand of a ruffian sneaking down below the waist.
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