“Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm…”
The faint sound of a small amount of liquid slipping down a narrow throat reached my ears.
It was So-hyun drinking milk.
Whether it was because it tasted so good or because she was hungry, she was feeding with such earnestness.
Han So-young watched the baby clinging to her breast with a barely-there smile.
After a while, she gently pulled So-hyun away from her breast, soothing her with a soft, “There, there.”
So-hyun kicked her short little legs, clearly wanting more, but she couldn’t resist her mother’s strength and was lifted away.
Watching Han So-young tenderly stroke the baby’s back, I spoke up.
“Have you already finished feeding her?”
“There’s plenty of milk left.”
“She still looks hungry… wouldn’t it be better to feed her more?”
“No, she’s had enough of both foremilk and hindmilk. If we leave her to it, she’ll just keep eating and end up throwing up again.”
Her voice was firm and decisive.
As I kept watching So-hyun, Han So-young suddenly looked at me and smiled.
“And we have to save some for Daddy, too.”
“No way.”
I knew she was joking, but I refused outright.
“We pump the extra milk. So-hyun gets hungry again pretty quickly.”
I caught a surprised look from her.
“What’s gotten into you, little milk monster…” I heard her mutter under her breath just as a loud burp echoed.
Han So-young handed the baby over to me, and I carefully took So-hyun into my arms.
“Abuah!”
Maybe because she’d just eaten, So-hyun seemed happy.
She babbled softly, stretching out her chubby little hands.
When I gently lowered my head, her small, soft hands brushed over my face.
“Abu, abuuu, mm, mm!”
“That’s right, that’s right. Daddy’s right here.”
“Uuuuh!”
“So-hyun only gets lively when she’s with Daddy.”
Her voice sounded playfully hurt.
But Han So-young, resting her chin on her hand, looked at the baby with loving eyes, just like I had earlier.
I hugged the giggling So-hyun tightly, feeling her wriggling, ticklish movements.
The warmth of this little life pressed against my chest was something else entirely.
There was a heat that could melt bones.
Suddenly, my eyes stung, and without realizing it, I closed them.
“Abuuu…?”
Was I really this prone to tears?
Just a year or two ago, this would have been unthinkable.
But since having a child, something inside me had changed.
Yes, I had definitely changed.
It’s hard to put into words, but this feeling wrapping around my heart right now…
“Aah.”
“Mm, hmm?”
What was that?
Was it just a coincidence?
So-hyun’s hand, which had been flailing about, slowly brushed across my eye.
As if she was wiping away my tears.
“Did you… wipe my tears? So Daddy won’t cry?”
“Uuung…”
So-hyun stared at me intently.
Caught in that gaze, I was left speechless.
Children grow so smoothly.
If she just keeps growing like this, I couldn’t ask for more.
…But if there was one thing that worried me, it was their emotional and mental development.
So-hyun was barely four months old.
Normally, this would be the time she’d start forming attachment to her parents and show some stranger anxiety.
But sometimes, I felt like So-hyun already recognized me.
Not only that, but she was incredibly sensitive to reactions and emotional expressions.
Maybe I was overthinking, but it felt like she understood what I was saying.
“…”
I felt conflicted.
What should I do? How should I handle this?
Should I activate the Third Eye just this once?
But I had promised myself never to use it again.
Using the EX-rank ability wasn’t something to take lightly, unlike when I was S-rank.
The Third Eye had been the biggest obstacle to regaining my humanity.
Having structured information streamed into my mind in real time was torture beyond words.
But if it’s my own child…
“So-hyun.”
I called softly, and So-hyun, who had stopped smiling, blinked her clear, innocent eyes.
Looking into those pure eyes, a smile naturally spread across my face.
“Can Daddy give you a kiss?”
So-hyun kept meeting my gaze, her tiny lips moving slightly.
At that moment, I made up my mind.
I activated the Third Eye.
<Player Information (Player Status)>
[Strength ???] [Endurance ???] [Agility ???] [Stamina ???] [Magic Power ???] [Luck ???]
“What?”
The unfamiliar information filled my vision, and I couldn’t help but shout.
Wait, hold on.
Quarter God?
Demigod?
Requires careful parenting?
What does all this mean?
“Baaah.”
I stared blankly down at her.
So-hyun, breathing heavily, her eyes sparkling.
Then she closed her eyes gently, tilted her chin up, and puckered her tiny lips forward…
…Huh?
“So, So-hyun?”
The next moment, Han So-young’s face twisted in shock as she hurriedly snatched the baby away.
But So-hyun’s reaction was something else.
She furrowed her brows deeply and started struggling as if trying to break free from her mother’s arms.
She even flailed her arms and kicked her legs wildly.
“Let’s stay with Mommy now, okay?”
“Uuuh! Buuuh!”
“If you keep throwing tantrums like this, it won’t work. Daddy belongs to Mommy. Not to So-hyun.”
“Waaah.”
Eventually, she burst into tears.
Han So-young, unsure what to do, glanced at me before standing up.
She quickly left the room as if fleeing.
The sound of her crying faded into the distance, and I unconsciously buried my head in my hands.
What had Han So-young sensed with her extrasensory perception just now?
I stared endlessly at the message floating in the air.
“Ta-da! Special Army-Style Budae Jjigae by Lee Yoo-jung is ready!”
Meanwhile, in the dining room, three or four women were chatting away.
Although mealtime had passed, they were busy preparing food, with Lee Yoo-jung being the most active.
Well, it was only natural.
How wonderful it was to be able to eat whatever you wanted without restraint.
Having given birth and finished postpartum care, what was there to fear now?
Thud.
Lee Yoo-jung placed a large pot on the table, rubbing her palms together while drooling.
“Ahh~ I’ve been craving this so badly~.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
Kim Han-byul nodded enthusiastically, her face dazed.
Seraph watched the two with a gentle smile.
“Well, Su-hyun did interfere quite a bit. You both worked hard.”
“Yeah, really worked hard… But Seraph, why do you talk like it’s someone else’s problem?”
Lee Yoo-jung, spoon in mouth, let out a strange chuckle.
Seraph tilted her head.
“Excuse me? What do you mean by that…?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You had quite the showdown this morning, didn’t you? You’ll find out soon enough.”
Only then did Seraph understand and blush.
She said, “If you’re talking about pregnancy… unfortunately, that’s impossible.”
Her words were sudden and shocking.
Even Vivian, who had been hiding under the table and sneaking out, froze in place.
Kim Han-byul spoke quietly.
“But Seraph, you said before that you wanted to bear my brother’s child.”
“That was my wish, yes. And I still hope for it… but,” she trailed off and gave a bitter smile, “Su-hyun and I are fundamentally different beings. Like humans can’t conceive animal offspring.”
“Eh… so there’s absolutely no way?”
“Unless a miracle happens, it’s impossible.”
“Oh, then if we ask Ansol to perform a miracle…”
“Unni!” Kim Han-byul sharply cut off Lee Yoo-jung’s careless chatter.
Seraph smiled as if to say it was fine.
“Miracles are indeed amazing, but they’re limited to this world. It’s out of the question to meddle with laws governing higher dimensions.”
She paused, thinking.
“Hmm. Well… unless Su-hyun transcends humanity, I doubt it.”
Her words were basically a polite way of saying it was impossible, and the two women’s faces darkened quickly.
Kim Han-byul glared at Lee Yoo-jung as if blaming her for bringing it up.
Embarrassed, Lee Yoo-jung just kicked Vivian’s still-crouching backside for no reason.
Noticing the mood had dropped, Seraph bowed politely.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that…”
“Oh, no, it’s not your fault, Seraph. It’s my sister’s mouth that’s the problem.”
“On a slightly different note, our angels’ pregnancy process is very different from humans’. Morning sickness and belly swelling are similar, but it lasts at most two months.”
“Wow, that’s incredibly enviable.”
“Yes. It’s more like fairies. They stay dormant in egg form inside the womb for a month, then come out and spend about another month organizing the knowledge I’ve given them.”
“So that’s why it’s two months.”
Sensing an attempt to change the subject, Kim Hanbyul smiled brightly and responded.
Meanwhile, Lee Yujeong handed a bowl filled generously with food to Seraph.
“Come on, enough about that. This is so delicious, you could eat it together and not even notice if one of you dropped dead.”
“Ugh, just look at all that oil floating on top…”
“Don’t eat it.”
“Who said I wouldn’t?”
Watching the two women bickering again with a fond smile, Seraph took the bowl.
The strong spicy aroma made him hesitate, so he scooped up a bit of the broth with his spoon.
Just as he was about to bring it to his mouth—
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, Seraph gagged.
Kim Hanbyul smirked, as if to say, “See? I told you she eats too spicy.”
“Ah… did I put in too much chili paste?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. If it’s too much, you don’t have to force yourself.”
Her voice sounded a little annoyed, so Seraph quickly scooped up some broth again.
He tried to take it in once more, but—
“Ugh, ughhh!”
He gagged again, this time twice as violently.
The two women stared blankly as he reflexively covered his mouth with his hand.
“W-what is this…?”
Seraph’s face showed clear confusion, as if he didn’t understand what was happening to him.
“Seraph… could it be…?”
Before Kim Hanbyul could finish her sentence, Vivian, who had been quietly crawling out from under the table, suddenly spoke up.
“Why do you keep gagging like that? You sound like you’re pregnant or something.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I managed to update faster than usual today.
Starting from the next chapter, the omnibus series featuring Ansol will begin.
If I want to finish it by February, I’ll have to wrap it up within three or four chapters… ㅜ.ㅠ