From what Seraph told me, the process of an angel becoming pregnant and giving birth shares some similarities with humans, but there are clear differences as well.
First, the duration.
While it takes humans about ten months to give birth, for angels it’s only two months—remarkably fast.
Second, the process itself.
This is a broad term, but for angels, about a month after conception, they don’t give birth to a baby directly—they lay an egg.
Then, after another month passes, the baby angel breaks out of the egg on its own.
To be more precise, the first month is when Seraph, as the mother, imparts her experience and knowledge to the egg.
The following month is when the baby absorbs what it’s been taught and matures.
In other words, baby angels are born already possessing a certain level of intelligence.
They recognize their parents immediately and can even express themselves.
From what I heard, it’s like a more advanced version of how fairies give birth—highly efficient.
But if I’m honest, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed.
It seems like the joy of raising a child as a parent is somewhat diminished.
Still, it’s an unchangeable law set since the beginning of time, and I have no intention of trying to alter it.
No matter how they’re born, they’re still my child.
So, after these two months since Seraph conceived my child, we finally stood on the brink of the long-awaited hatching.
I’d heard there could be about a week’s margin of error, but this happened exactly one month after Seraph laid the egg.
“It’s moving again.”
We were on the rooftop, the sun shining down in full strength.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the pure white egg cradled in Seraph’s arms, sheltered beneath her angelic wings.
The egg swayed gently from side to side, measuring about 25 centimeters wide and 50 centimeters long.
That’s roughly twice the size of an ostrich egg.
Of course, it hadn’t been this large when it was first laid.
It had grown gradually over the month since it came into the world, and Seraph assured me not to worry—that the growth was proof the baby was absorbing knowledge well.
But how could I not worry?
I glanced up at the sun hanging high in the sky.
It felt like two hours had passed since the first signs of hatching appeared.
An hour ago, the movements had been quite vigorous, but as time went on, the shaking lessened noticeably.
Like a candle’s flame slowly dying out after its wick has burned down.
That made it all the more heartbreaking.
The baby seemed to be struggling desperately to come out, but the shell was just too hard.
If only there was a way to crack even a small hole, it might be easier for the baby to emerge…
“Suhyun.”
Just as I instinctively reached out, my hand was caught by a delicate one.
Seraph slowly shook her head.
She didn’t say anything, but I understood what she meant.
We had to let the baby break free on its own.
I swallowed my frustration and scratched my head.
Seraph withdrew her hand and gently hugged the egg again.
She brought her face close to its surface and whispered in a small, beautiful voice.
“Stay strong, Silaph. I, your father, and everyone waiting below are all eagerly awaiting your healthy arrival.”
Then something incredible happened.
The egg’s movement paused briefly at her whisper.
Then, with a loud cracking sound, the shell began to break apart.
The noise came from the top of the egg.
Though it was just a tiny crack, no bigger than a fingernail, it was unmistakably a fracture.
Seraph’s eyes widened as she noticed it.
Then, realizing something, she turned to me.
“Suhyun!”
“What is it? Did something go wrong?”
“No. Could you please go downstairs and bring just one person?”
“…Just one person?”
That was strange.
There were only the two of us on the rooftop.
Seraph’s request was to bring only one person so the newborn wouldn’t get confused about who its parents were.
Even though the baby was born intelligent, there’s a big difference between knowing something and seeing it firsthand.
I agreed with her reasoning and had already ordered the rooftop off-limits.
But now, suddenly, she wanted me to bring someone?
“Who?”
Seraph smiled gently and named the person.
Meanwhile, the crack in the egg was slowly widening, so I immediately turned and flung open the rooftop door.
I sprinted down the stairs at full speed and found the clan members gathered on the first floor.
They looked surprised to see me rushing down like that.
I quickly put on a very urgent expression, then tried to compose myself.
Ansol, who had been sitting in a rocking chair, rubbing her belly, grabbed her staff and stood up hurriedly.
She looked ready to cast a miracle spell at any moment.
Shinsang even pulled out elixirs and various potions.
“No, no, it’s nothing bad. I’m just here to get someone to come with me.”
As soon as I said that, everyone stopped what they were doing.
“Brother! Is everything okay?”
“Absolutely. No need to worry.”
Ansol let out a relieved sigh.
“Phew… I thought something else was happening. But you’re here to get someone?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I’ll explain later.”
I looked around, searching.
It wasn’t hard to find.
Among the mercenary clan, there was only one person with hair the same color as Seraph’s, looking about middle school age.
In fact, there was only one.
“Let’s go.”
“Uh… F-father…?”
I grabbed her roughly, and though startled, the girl came along.
Holding Mar’s hand tightly, I ran back up the stairs.
When I opened the rooftop door again, Seraph was still focused on the egg in her arms.
It hadn’t even been a minute since I left, but the crack had spread dramatically.
It now covered about half the surface.
If I’d been any later, I might have missed the birth.
“Oh my… S-Seraph.”
Mar covered her mouth awkwardly, trying to say something else.
Seraph smiled softly and bowed her head slightly.
“Welcome back. It’s fortunate you’re here. It’s not too late.”
“But! If I stay here…?”
Suddenly—
Crack!
Just as Seraph shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, the top half of the egg shifted slightly from the bottom with a rustling sound.
The cracked shell began to split apart, pieces falling away in a shower.
Moments later, from the broken egg emerged something small and stubby.
“Ah!”
Mar let out a short cry and hurriedly hid behind me.
Seraph’s smile deepened as she looked at the broken egg.
I stared blankly at the tiny figure that had popped out.
The first thing that caught my eye was the dazzling silver hair reflecting the sunlight.
Its upper body was about fifteen centimeters long.
A pair of small, white wings sprouted from its pure white back—no bigger than a palm, cute but unmistakably angelic.
And its face.
Soft, plump cheeks as white as freshly fallen snow, a delicate but defined nose, lips as pale pink as cherries, and most strikingly, sacred and loving pale green eyes that looked just like Seraph’s.
In other words…
That baby angel was my…
“Ugh.”
The baby shook its head gently, brushing away the shell fragments stuck to its crown.
Its bright eyes blinked a couple of times.
Then it looked up at Seraph, who was holding it, and smiled brightly.
“Hello, Mother.”
Whose child speaks so clearly right after birth?
Wait, did it just speak?
It was just born!
I’d heard they were born intelligent and could express themselves, but I never imagined it would be like this.
Yet Seraph accepted the greeting as if it were perfectly natural.
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you, Silaph.”
“Silaph… Thank you for giving me such a beautiful name, Mother.”
“My name is Seraph. You did well coming out. Truly, you worked hard.”
“Yes. It was really tough… but I heard your voices, Father and Mother, in the middle. I missed you so much…”
A peaceful conversation between mother and baby angel.
Was I the only one feeling confused?
I glanced back and saw Mar, hands clasped tightly, staring at Seraph and Silaph in awe.
If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of envy on her face.
Come to think of it…
After a moment, Seraph slipped her hand under Silaph’s armpits.
Carefully lifting her up, she looked at me.
“Suhyun. It’s a daughter.”
“A daughter?”
“Silaph? Say hello. This is your father.”
“Wow!”
Silaph’s eyes sparkled.
She flapped her tiny wings energetically, stretched out her little hands toward me, and flew into my arms.
“Father!”
“Uh, uh?”
I caught her instinctively as she snuggled into me.
Looking down, I saw the baby angel pressed against my chest, smiling brightly.
The soft, wriggling sensation was both strange and warm.
“Me? Me?”
“Yes! Father!”
Silaph spoke happily, as if it were the most natural thing.
“Oh, you recognize me?”
“Of course! I can definitely feel it. Every time you sleep, you always stroke me, and you say you want to see me soon with such kindness.”
That was true.
So even when she was still an egg, she remembered what I did and said.
“I see…”
Silaph beamed, rubbing her face happily.
Not knowing what else to do, I just gently patted her soft back.
But soon I realized there was no need to be flustered.
After all, Silaph is a child with angelic blood running through her veins.
There was no way to put her on the same level as an ordinary human child.
Besides, even Suna had sighed the moment she was born when she saw me.
Seraph was the noble one here.
It was then.
Seraph, who had quietly approached my side, reached her hand behind me.
Curious about what she was doing, I saw her grab Mar, who had been hiding behind me ever since we got to the rooftop.
“It’s alright. You can come out now.”
“Uh… but…”
Hesitant, Mar was pulled out and, seeing Seraph cradling Silaph in my arms, swallowed hard.
Silaph looked at Mar with wide eyes and tilted her head in confusion.
Looking at them side by side, they really did look like sisters.
“So pretty…”
“Mm… Mother, who is this beautiful lady?”
Their voices were similar too.
Perhaps thinking the same, Seraph smiled gracefully.
Then she said,
“Silaph, say hello. She’s my daughter.”
“What!?”
Startled by the sudden introduction, Mar jumped up.
Her thirteen pairs of iridescent fairy wings fluttered wildly.
Given Mar’s usual personality and behavior, showing such emotion so openly was rare.
Silaph spoke up.
“Sis… you’re my sister?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wow, really?”
“Uh, m-mother, no, wait!”
Mar looked between me and Seraph, unsure what to do, just like I had earlier.
Reflexively, I offered Silaph to Mar.
Though visibly flustered, Mar didn’t reject Silaph.
Instead, she accepted her as if holding a precious treasure, her eyes filled with a hint of worry.
It almost seemed like she was afraid of being rejected.
“What if she says no…?”
“Hello! Sis.”
But the anxious expression vanished the moment Silaph cheerfully greeted her.
Mar’s eyes widened.
Her trembling lips parted slightly, and her eyes glistened with tears.
It was a look that could only be described as a mix of awe and surprise.
Ignoring everything else, Silaph continued brightly.
“I’m so happy to have such a pretty sister.”
“Ah…”
“Sis, sis, please take good care of me from now on, okay?”
“Ah… ah…!”
Mar, who had been gasping in disbelief the whole time, suddenly sank to the ground.
Was her heart overwhelmed?
Her shoulders trembled as she hugged Silaph tightly.
“Thank you…”
“Huh? Sis? Are you crying?”
“Thank you… thank you so much… m-mother…”
“Sis…?”
Mar whispered softly, her voice breaking.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say more.
…Ah, I see.
So that’s why Seraph asked me to bring Mar here.
Now I finally understand what she meant earlier.
Seraph sent the clearest message to Mar at the most important moment.
She defined their relationship precisely.
“…Just now…”
“Repeating it once more,” Seraph added, slowly kneeling down.
Then she pulled both Mar, who had bowed her head, and Silaph, who was wiping Mar’s eyes with her tiny hands, into a gentle embrace.
Her large wings spread wide from her back, softly enveloping the three of them.
I quietly took a step back.
For some reason, it didn’t feel like my place to interfere right now.
The sky was clear, without a single cloud.
The blazing sun stretched across the heavens, casting warm sunlight over the rooftop like a blessing.
The three silver-haired figures, standing close together, shimmered even more brilliantly in the sunlight.
“……”
I stood still, endlessly watching the three mothers and daughters caring for each other.
I never grew tired of it; I could have watched forever.
It was a peaceful, comforting scene that made me feel better than ever before.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Kim Soo-hyun Omnibus, now beginning. (__)