“Haah…”
Elia, who was scrubbing her hands in cold water, let out a deep sigh from the frustration rising within her.
As she slightly raised her head, her reflection in the mirror displayed a face clouded with complexity, unlike her usual cheerful demeanor.
“Hmm…”
Glaring at the complicated expression reflected back at her, she let out a quiet hum.
When a sudden thought crossed her mind, she pouted her lips, causing her reflection to change. The frown on her face felt both strange and oddly familiar.
In her childhood, such expressions weren’t uncommon. It was a face she often wore back then.
Elia’s hometown was what one would typically call a peaceful countryside.
While there were sights of laborers relying on summoned beasts instead of machines, it was ultimately a life focused on primary industries.
Moreover, Elia’s hometown, despite being rural, was not far from a big city, so the threats of dungeons and monsters were nearly nonexistent.
Thanks to that, Elia could freely showcase the vibrant energy characteristic of her young age, turning the entire village into her playground.
In the process, she caused various small mishaps.
—”Yikes! The, the fence…! Ah! You guys can’t go out!”
Like the time she demolished a dairy farm’s fence, causing a mass escape of cows.
—”How on earth did I break this hunk of iron… No, I crashed the very spell itself!”
Or when she accidentally broke agricultural machinery while trying to manipulate her mana in her awakening.
—”Oh my gosh…”
Somehow, she even toppled the ancient tree that stood tall in the center of the village…
As a result, she earned the infamous title of “Living Disaster” among the townsfolk, but those experiences remained fond memories for Elia.
However, those days were fleeting.
As Elia slowly matured, both in body and mind, she began attending the academy, discovering a broader world.
Her parents had been happily giving birth to younger siblings, prompting her to grow up in many ways.
Eventually, she took on the role of a responsible eldest sister and settled into her current self.
But right now, the childlike expression had resurfaced.
The cause, without a doubt, was Lee Ha-yul.
“Tch… I was the one who asked first…”
In truth, Elia was feeling a little sulky.
On the morning of the birth celebration, she had definitely asked Lee Ha-yul to be attentive. “I’ll be expecting great things from you.”
Lee Ha-yul had, without a doubt, acknowledged her request with embarrassment.
“Ugh…”
Yet, not even a day had passed when she felt cut off right in front of her. Underneath the fireworks, in a oh-so-romantic setting!
What’s worse, he had spent the night drinking and hadn’t even come out of his room for breakfast or lunch!
Shivering, Elia wiped the water off her hands.
“Eh.”
But she soon sighed again as her grip relaxed.
While she was sulky, she wasn’t actually that angry.
Lee Ha-yul… from the very first encounter, he had piqued her interest in ways she couldn’t explain — a small child who had simply needed a little help.
And as the days passed living together, all she could see were his admirable traits, making him the savior who rescued her precious little brother from calamity.
How could she get mad at such a grateful and lovely child? This was practically just a minor complaint.
She could hardly muster up the energy to sulk when faced with his adorableness, which was making her melt away!
It was getting harder to keep up the act of being annoyed just to enjoy Lee Ha-yul’s cute antics.
“Hmm…”
Deep down, the reason for her behavior stemmed from a little insecurity.
Elia held deep affection for Lee Ha-yul.
He was cute and lovable both inside and out, and she wanted him by her side forever.
She wished to live together, sharing love and, though it was a bit of an odd thought, one day, she wanted to savor those sweet lips.
She had felt the attraction since their first meeting, but now she was certain.
For Elia, Lee Ha-yul was one of a kind.
There would never be another like him.
But.
Was Lee Ha-yul’s sentiment towards Elia singular?
That, Elia couldn’t be sure. She also entertained the thought that he might not think that way.
It wasn’t merely a case of having multiple wives. In this world transformed by the Great Upheaval, polygamy among superhumans wouldn’t be a significant issue.
The more fundamental reason loomed larger.
There might be no one like Lee Ha-yul in this world, but there were quite a few who resembled Elia.
With yellow hair and eyes, warm and gentle to others, curvy bodies…
The world was vast, and certainly, she wouldn’t struggle to find someone like him. Lee Ha-yul had ample ability to seek out such individuals, which left Elia a bit uneasy.
“…Honestly, this isn’t a big deal…”
However, Elia ultimately knew that this anxiety was pointless.
Lee Ha-yul had many secrets, but his other preferences and tendencies were clearly transparent.
Especially since starting their cohabitation, Elia had learned much more about the person known as Lee Ha-yul.
He couldn’t bring himself to push away anyone who crossed the line of his heart’s barriers.
Once they were in, it was basically game over. No matter how much he rolled around in embarrassment, he couldn’t do anything about it.
Elia had already settled right in the center of that barrier.
If… and this will never happen, but if Elia were to betray Lee Ha-yul, sticking a knife in his back, he might never hate her.
Thus, her anxiety was nothing but useless worry.
Once you’re in Lee Ha-yul’s heart, escaping was no longer an option even if Elia wanted out.
Hadn’t Lee Ha-yul’s display of possessiveness earlier been proof enough?
“Hmm.”
Recalling that moment made her feelings surge. The overwhelming affection and possessiveness embracing her felt so sweet…
Elia gently caressed the pendant hanging around her neck.
It was a beautiful pendant, crafted and gifted directly by Lee Ha-yul. Not just a decorative piece, it held intricate magic that was truly a remarkable magical tool.
While the magic was complex enough that Elia couldn’t decipher it, the moment her mana was infused, the securities released, making it easier to perceive the magic.
And, feeling the overwhelming protective spells woven into it, vowing never to let her come to harm, she experienced such profound emotions…
“Oh.”
Elia suddenly gasped. The happy memory made her remaining sulkiness melt away.
At this point, she couldn’t keep up the act. With a touch of regret, Elia stepped outside.
“Well, I was starting to think about wrapping it up anyway.”
Beside her, she savored watching Lee Ha-yul trying hard to be cute and sneak glances at her.
At this rate, she felt she had enjoyed more than ample time and was satisfied.
“Should I buy some snacks? Dinner isn’t far off…”
Lee Ha-yul and Adela should be waiting for her in the park.
Elia picked up some snacks from a nearby stall to sate her boredom.
After contemplating for a moment, she concluded that kids were meant to eat their fill, right? The weight could always be dealt with later on…
With a snack in one hand, she hummed her favorite tune as she headed for the park.
“What should I say?”
Actually, she wasn’t that angry. She was just complaining a bit. Things were okay now. Still, her promise was intact, so she looked forward to it? She bought some snacks to share. Well, they could always have dinner a little later…
If she said that roughly, Lee Ha-yul, who had been fidgeting, would surely smile widely and rush into Elia’s arms. She would lovingly embrace him and give him a bite of the snack.
Elia, quite confident about her mastery of the situation, was sure of that.
“?”
But upon arriving at the park, Elia stiffened, rigid as a statue, contrary to her plans.
[Ah, this… this really doesn’t feel right…]
With that expression, Lee Ha-yul, anxious, turned slightly to glance behind her. On the bench sat Adela.
With a look that seemed to ask if this was true, Lee Ha-yul nodded solemnly as Adela pointed at Elia’s frozen expression.
Elia’s eyes trembled. The background swirled into a hazy blur, narrowing her vision until only Lee Ha-yul stood out.
He was panicking. That much she had predicted.
Yet, coupled with that, his face was flushed red, body wriggling in embarrassment.
—Perk perk
In her wavering sight, she caught sight of his ears that couldn’t remain still, perked up and wiggling.
Fluffy and pure white fur drew her eyes, like the ears of a puppy.
Upon being graced with Elia’s gaze, his ears twitched slightly before laying flat against his head. It was an instinctive reaction, like a living creature.
[Uh…]
Lee Ha-yul, subtly pointing to his own ears with his hand, gradually withdrew it under Elia’s intense gaze.
Then, hesitantly, he tapped the necklace of confession around his neck.
[W-Woof…?]
The necklace clicked, mimicking a dog’s bark.
Seemingly transformed, the confession necklace sent out a mix of cuteness and unnecessary embarrassed emotions.
“C-Come on…”
Yeah, this really didn’t feel right.
Immediately, Lee Ha-yul regretted his choice.
No matter how many times he ran it through his mind, this felt undeniably wrong…
“……”
Elia’s silence only amplified that regret. He had made a poor choice. He shouldn’t have listened to Adela…
[Did I do well, Unnie?]
Meanwhile, bouncing off the bench, Adela approached, tapping on the snack package Elia held.
Stiff as a board, Elia gazed blankly at Lee Ha-yul and struggled to nod, gently ruffling Adela’s hair.
“…Yes, you did really well. Shall we start heading back now?”
[Yeah]
The unexpected turn of conversation startled Elia as she handed the snack package to Adela.
[Ah, I’ll… uh… I’ll carry it…]
Embarrassed, Lee Ha-yul, squirming with shame, instinctively reached for the snack package Adela held.
It felt uncomfortable to offload the burden onto the child, so he intended to grip it lightly or just drop it into an item box.
—SQUISH…
[Wh-What?]
But before that, Elia firmly grasped Lee Ha-yul’s nape.
In an instant, electricity seemed to spark through her fingertips, and his body grew limp.
Elia gently lifted him, cradling him in her arms.
Fluffy white ears perked up close to her face. The previous sounds echoed in her ears, making Elia gulp.
“Let’s hurry back.”
[Okay]
Prompted by Elia, Adela nodded, popping a candy from the snack bundle into her mouth.
With hastened steps, Elia set off.
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