Side Story 6. Suna’s Outburst
It was a clear, quiet morning, with sunlight streaming in like liquid gold.
Three months had passed since the last of the nine babies, Cha So-rim, was born.
During that time, Mercenary Castle had been busy getting used to its new little residents.
At first, they looked like tiny, red monkeys fresh from birth, but as the weeks went by, their features began to take shape.
Now, nearly three months later, each of the nine children was showing off their own unique charm, capturing the full attention and affection of everyone at Mercenary Castle.
…Well, not everyone.
As with anything, there were exceptions—people who didn’t exactly welcome the babies with open arms.
Among them, Suna was probably the most obvious example.
“Oh, my little smarty. Look at you blinking your eyes. Tired from playing with Daddy? Mommy chased you off well, didn’t she?”
“Uuuuh.”
“I see. Our smarty’s sleepy now? Shall we wipe your nose?”
“Mm…”
Inside one of the rooms in the castle, Jeong Ha-yeon smiled gently as she carefully laid the baby she’d been soothing into the cradle.
Watching the child sleep peacefully, she turned her head to the side.
“How is it? Feeling any better?”
From a corner, Kim Han-byul, who was nursing another baby, let out a long sigh.
Straightening her clothes, she laid her child down in the adjacent cradle and shook her head.
“No, not really.”
“Still the same? Not enough milk?”
“I don’t know. But I think the baby’s not satisfied either. Just now, he kept sucking on empty milk and then fell asleep… It’s my fault for having small breasts. I envy Hanna unnie.”
“Oh, no. The amount of breast milk isn’t related to breast size at all. It’s more about the milk ducts.”
Jeong Ha-yeon’s comforting words were suddenly interrupted as her eyes widened.
She had just noticed someone standing outside the door, their gaze sharp and piercing.
A little girl, maybe three or four years old, with thick, lava-colored hair tied stylishly into twin tails, large round eyes glowing like rubies, and small, pretty red lips.
Her eyebrows arched like tails as she glared into the room.
Was something bothering her?
“Ugh.”
The moment Kim Han-byul saw Suna, she frowned deeply—almost exaggeratedly.
She moved to block the cradle with her body, clearly ready to defend her child at all costs.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Jeong Ha-yeon stepped forward with a wry smile.
“Oh, Suna’s here? Now that you’re a big sister, you came to see your siblings?”
“…Hmph.”
Normally, Suna might have snapped back with “Who’s the big sister here?!” or “Don’t talk to me like that!” but instead, she just let out a short, derisive laugh.
Her eyes held a genuine sneer.
That was proof enough that she was in a foul mood.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, and without another glance, Suna turned and stomped away.
The two women exchanged relieved looks as they heard her increasingly agitated footsteps fading down the hall.
“Why’d you have to be so obvious about it? Showing your dislike like that?”
Jeong Ha-yeon scolded gently, but Kim Han-byul didn’t relax her furrowed brow.
“She’s strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“At first, I tried to be friendly, but she wouldn’t even look at me. I mean, it’s her choice if she doesn’t want to see the babies, but sometimes she glares at them like she wants to kill them. It’s scary.”
“Hmm…”
Jeong Ha-yeon hesitated, sensing there was more to it, and didn’t speak rashly.
After a long pause, she nodded gravely.
“True. She must feel pretty awful, going from being the center of his attention to suddenly being left out.”
“It’s not just one or two babies—there are nine now. Of course, the attention’s divided.”
“I don’t know. He’ll figure it out. Anyway, the babies are asleep now. Shall we go downstairs for some coffee?”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Having been up all night tending to the babies, Kim Han-byul quickly got up.
A moment later, the door closed quietly behind them.
……
As Jeong Ha-yeon had expected, Suna’s mood was at an all-time low.
Since Marga had grown into the ‘Heavenly Queen,’ Suna was the only one left in her daughter’s position.
She had been the sole focus of Kim Soo-hyun’s affection, but suddenly, a flood of new lives arrived, and his attention was cut off.
Strictly speaking, he hadn’t completely ignored her, but compared to before, it was a clear drop.
It was no wonder Suna felt hurt.
The problem was, her feelings went beyond mere disappointment.
“Who do you think you are?”
Suna’s tiny fists clenched tightly.
When Suna’s user profile was analyzed, her condition was confirmed as ‘Electra Complex’—the sense of loss she felt recently was overwhelming.
And that loss naturally turned into blame.
“If it weren’t for you…!”
Her stomping footsteps abruptly stopped.
She spun around sharply, her eyes shooting a fierce glare upstairs.
For several seconds, she stood there.
Then, suddenly, she stormed back up the stairs and flung open the door she had been watching earlier.
Coincidentally, a servant coming down from the floor above noticed Suna peeking in and tilted their head in curiosity as they passed by.
Suna’s narrowed eyes slowly scanned the room.
The women were nowhere to be seen.
Only two babies lay sleeping soundly in their cradles.
“…This is really bothering me. I need to check properly.”
Though no one was there, she spoke as if she had no choice, then strode into the room.
For Suna, this was the first time in three months she was truly facing the new family members.
She suddenly jumped up and looked down into the cradle.
“!”
In an instant, her body twitched.
The babies, full from nursing, slept peacefully, their faces calm and free of worry.
Their expressions were simply serene.
And since both were boys, they bore some resemblance to Kim Soo-hyun, which caught Suna’s gaze unexpectedly.
Her eyes flickered as she studied every detail of the babies.
“…Ah.”
Suna snapped back to reality when her finger, creeping forward like freshly baked white bread, poked one baby’s cheek.
“What… what did I just do?”
Rarely flustered, she hurriedly pulled her hand back.
“D-damn little humans! You barely even look like me! Just because you’re a bit squishy doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you!”
She even raised her voice in anger, though she didn’t quite understand why.
“Uuuh.”
Startled by the loud noise, the chubby baby who had been poked scrunched his eyes, then finally opened them.
“Uuuuh… Maa…”
Disturbed from his sweet slumber, he pouted and his eyes welled up with tears.
But soon, he stopped crying and blinked up at the small red thing above the cradle.
“Kyaa!”
Mistaking it for a mobile, he slowly reached out and grabbed one of the long, flowing red strands of hair.
“Eek! Let go!”
Suna panicked and tried to pull away, but the baby’s hand clung stubbornly to her sleeve.
“Eek! How dare you touch me! Not letting go? You wanna try that again?”
The baby just smiled brightly, seemingly unaware of Suna’s trembling.
“You little…!”
Unable to finish her sentence, Suna swallowed hard, her cheeks flushing bright red.
The more she locked eyes with the baby, the heavier her breathing and trembling jaw became.
“Hmph, hmph!”
But, of course, Suna was still Suna.
Like a true royal-born child, she gracefully shook off the baby’s grip and regained her composure.
“Hmph! Hmph! What’s so cute about these little humans anyway?”
After double-checking that no one else was in the room, she muttered to herself and turned away.
But before she could fully turn, the baby’s hand once again caught a fiery red strand of hair.
That was the last straw.
“I…!”
Clenching her teeth, flames seemed to spark in Suna’s eyes.
Thwack!
A solid sound echoed through the room.
Gehenna, who had closed her eyes briefly and then opened them, stared ahead in stunned silence.
In her line of sight were the baby holding a spoon against her forehead with a mischievous grin, and beside them, Go Yeon-ju wearing a helpless expression.
Next to them, Vivian was pointing and giggling.
“Hyun-ju, you can’t do that.”
Go Yeon-ju spoke gently, trying to reason with the little girl, but Hyun-ju just laughed and swung the spoon again.
Smack!
This time, the blow was even harder.
“Oh ho.”
Gehenna, who had just been struck twice unexpectedly on the forehead, suddenly smiled confidently.
“For a little blob less than a hundred days old, your hand skills are impressive.”
“U-unnie? She’s still a baby.”
“No. Since she’s challenging me, it’s only right I face her head-on.”
“Waaah.”
With that, Gehenna snatched the spoon away, and the startled Hyun-ju burst into tears.
Gehenna sneered with a look of amusement.
“Hah, to challenge me with such a pitiful spirit… You’re a hundred, no—a thousand years too early.”
“Seriously, try joking like it’s a joke. I thought my heart was going to drop.”
Ko Yeon-ju muttered under her breath.
At that, Gehenna’s stern expression softened, and she chuckled softly as she handed the spoon back.
When Hyun-ju pouted, light laughter bubbled up from all around.
“Hoho. Surely, Gehenna was just joking too.”
“Coffee’s here~.”
Jeong Ha-yeon and Kim Han-byeol emerged from the kitchen, setting down steaming cups on the table.
Gehenna shrugged.
“Hmm. Maybe I was a bit harsh?”
“No, not at all. Honestly, if Soona were like you, Gehenna, I wouldn’t ask for anything more.”
Jeong Ha-yeon said casually, watching Vivian gulp down her coffee like a woman possessed.
She glanced around cautiously, but Gehenna didn’t seem offended—in fact, there was a trace of bitterness in her expression.
Well, if even her own mother treated her like a stranger, it was no surprise others did the same.
Soona was like a rose covered in thorns.
An anomaly, yes, but the reality was that most clan members, worn down by Kim Soo-hyun’s constant antics, could only respond with forced smiles.
“Indeed… she’s dangerous. I’ve already warned the king about her.”
Jeong Ha-yeon’s face darkened when she heard the confirmation.
Given who they were dealing with, it wasn’t just idle talk.
“She’s still young, though. Maybe with proper guidance…”
“Nonsense.”
Gehenna cut her off firmly.
“She was born bearing the fate of a king. Do you think that’s the same as what you’re dealing with?”
“……”
“Soona judges everything by her own standards. And those standards are the discerning eye of a monarch.”
“Then what should we do? Maybe it’s just my worry, but sometimes I get really uneasy…”
What she meant was that they couldn’t judge her by human standards.
When the conversation turned to such fundamental matters, Gehenna hesitated to answer.
Jeong Ha-yeon felt a burning anxiety.
Suddenly, she recalled a paper she’d written back in modern times about psychopaths.
She wasn’t saying Soona was one, but the way she treated people like insects was undeniably dangerous.
Especially when those “insects” posed a threat to her own life.
“Well… you may dismiss her as just a human, but that’s not the case. There’s always the possibility that Soona could be a threat.”
She was referring to the baby.
And the implication was…
“I think so too. It’s actually common for the first child to resent the second.”
Jeong Ha-yeon toyed quietly with her teacup, misinterpreting Gehenna’s words.
She had no idea how wrong she was.
“There’s no helping it. I hate to say it, but for now, it’s best to keep that little bundle out of Soona’s sight as much as possible. No need to show her on purpose, either.”
“Do we really have to go that far?”
Ko Yeon-ju asked, clearly reluctant.
She didn’t understand just how severe Soona’s Electra complex was.
How could she explain the situation?
Gehenna was deep in thought.
“Excuse me for interrupting.”
Suddenly, a servant who had been about to enter the kitchen stopped and spoke, her face pale with worry.
“If it’s Soona, she just went into her room…”
“Room?”
“Yes. The room where you put the children to sleep…”
“What?”
Gehenna sprang up from her chair.
“I saw it with my own eyes…”
“You fool!”
With a sharp rebuke, Gehenna vanished like the wind.
The four women left behind stared at each other in stunned silence before suddenly springing to their feet as if struck by lightning.
Kim Han-byeol and Jeong Ha-yeon, especially, who had just put the children to bed, nearly ran out of the dining room in tears.
Their hearts pounding wildly, they found Gehenna standing in front of the door, utterly stunned.
One by one, Ko Yeon-ju, Kim Han-byeol, Jeong Ha-yeon, and Vivian arrived, all stopping abruptly like Gehenna.
They all wore the same dazed expression.
The door was… open.
And inside…
“Hehe, uhhehehe.”
Soona was crouched on the cradle.
Grinning from ear to ear.
“Kyaa, kyaa!”
“Oh? Is that so? How cute~ Such a good child~”
“Giggling.”
“Are you laughing? Laughing at your sister? You’re so pretty~”
She was enjoying herself with a kindness no one had ever seen before.
Soona smiling warmly at anyone other than Kim Soo-hyun?
Unbelievable.
Even as both sides took turns tugging at her pigtails, Soona’s mouth stretched into a huge grin.
“Oh, dear. No fighting. There’s only one sister, you know.”
“Aaahhh.”
“Oh well. She’s just as stubborn as our father. You’re frustrated too, huh? Then how about we go play outside together? Hmm? How’s that?”
“Kyaaaa!”
When met with such an enthusiastic response, Soona giggled and scooped up the child.
Then, just as she turned around humming happily—
“!”
Soona visibly flinched.
Her half-turned head snapped upright.
An awkward silence fell.
“……”
Quiet.
“……”
Stillness.
“……”
Dead silence.
“……”
Mute.
In the suddenly tense atmosphere, only the child tilted its head and clung tightly.
After a moment, Soona began to creak open the door and leave as if nothing had happened.
The only strange thing was that she still had her back to everyone outside the door.
…In truth, everyone standing there felt it.
Whether it was murderous intent or sheer pressure, they couldn’t say.
But if anyone spoke a word now, they’d die.
Absolutely die.
Even the dullest among them could sense it.
And with Gehenna bowing her head quietly, who else could dare?
But as with all things, there was always an exception.
More precisely, there was one woman completely oblivious to the mood.
“Puhahahahahaha!”
A loud, boisterous laugh burst out.
No one needed to guess—it was Vivian’s unmistakable voice.
She pointed fingers and laughed so hard she was practically dying.
“Wow! Look at that little one! Pretending not to care, but totally playing it cool! Uhehehe, uhehehe!”
“Vivian! Vivian!”
“Oh my, I’m dying! This is hilarious! Hey, everyone in the neighborhood~ Look here! Soona, can you believe it…!”
“Vi-Vivian…”
Soona slowly lifted her head.
Her flushed face was so red it looked ready to explode at the slightest touch.
Her tightly pressed lips and eyes twisted in embarrassment held a fierce anger and hostility.
Horrrrrrrrrr!
Just as the sound of something burning echoed from somewhere, Jeong Ha-yeon squeezed her eyes shut.
Of course, she didn’t forget to silently pray for Vivian’s soul.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Haha.
Of course, I’m prepared for the hardships and inconveniences of living alone.
Honestly, I’m a little worried.
On the outside, I may seem wild, fierce, and full of untamed energy—a physically robust man—but inside, I’m surprisingly timid.
Still, many of you readers probably live alone, and there are countless others around the world, so why can’t I give it a try?
With that spirit, I’m going to take on the challenge.
That said, I have another worry.
Because I got permission so late…
The new semester is about to start, and I’m not sure if there’ll be any rooms left.
Ah, and if anyone felt something strange in this chapter, just chalk it up to that.
Before the side story ends, I wanted to give Kim Soo-hyun a moment to shine. :)