So…
There are days like this when you’re living life.
Suddenly, you feel a sense of discomfort around you, right?
It’s strange how the scenery feels awkward and there’s a bizarre sense of rejection that wells up at times.
And now, it’s one of those moments.
Chiiiiiik!
Looking down at the egg sizzling in the frying pan, I tilt my head.
“Feels like it’s been forever since this happened.”
As I scratch the back of my head, a warm sensation brushes against my calf. Glancing down, I see a little girl with black hair hanging on to me.
“Daddy!”
Daddy.
The word I never thought I’d get used to has now melted into my daily life.
I thought I’d never know what it felt like to be a doting dad, but this is it.
She’s so cute it’s killing me.
“Rina! My daughter! Are you hungry?”
“I didn’t wanna be with Mom!”
“…Why would you say that?”
I was taken aback. Is it possible that the mother-daughter relationship was breaking down without me knowing?
“Mom’s scary. And she told me not to come into her room when sleeping.”
“W-well, our daughter is old enough to sleep alone now. And you sleep with the other kids, right?”
“But I still don’t want to! I want to sleep with Dad! I wanna see you scold Mom!”
“Eh?”
Am I going to scold Rin?
What’s that supposed to mean?
It feels like scolding is a daily routine for me!
Especially since I scolded her quite a bit for running away to the Forest of the Demon Realm last time.
By the way, the reason it was discovered was that the Goddess of Time made a slip of the tongue.
The image of Kurika and the Dragon God cutting ties right away still lingers in my memory.
“Mom cries every night?!”
“…….”
“She cries! Last time I came out to the living room at night because I was thirsty and Mom…!”
“Alright. Let’s eat.”
Now that I think about it, I had disabled the soundproof magic last time because I learned that she couldn’t hear if I called from inside.
‘I should tell Rin to put the magic back again.’
That could be bad for the kids’ upbringing.
Getting sexual concepts too early might lose their innocence.
As I bring the food to the table, Rina trails behind me, still hanging on my leg.
It’s lunchtime, but the big dining table feels quite empty.
Rin seems to still be asleep, and the Goddess of Time went outside claiming she’s going to draw something.
Eris went to pick up another daughter who went to play soccer with some kids nearby.
As for Eve, May, and Sen, they’re currently away in another city for work, so normally it would just be me and Rina eating together.
But today, an unexpected guest was here.
“Hayun Aunty! Aren’t you hungry?”
Hayun Len.
She hit big in the clothing business, and now she’s the boss.
A young and talented entrepreneur who revived the falling Len family.
She was supposed to shine as an inspector, yet now she’s sitting at my dining table, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.
Even though she looked vastly different from her school days, sporting glasses because of her tired eyes from recent work.
But still, the atmosphere of her sword, Baekunryong, leaning against the wall has not changed at all.
Even busy with business, it seems she still wields a sword from time to time. Her figure remained fit and muscular.
“Every time I see Rina, she seems to be growing.”
As Hayun ruffles Rina’s hair, Rina puffs up with pride.
“I don’t sleep in like Mom! I don’t get scolded by Dad at night!”
Why is she feeling rivalrous against her mother recently? I have no idea.
“Rina, it’s not about Mom getting scolded…”
As I finally manage to say something, Rina suddenly exclaims in a bright voice.
“But Mom cried so much last night! That’s why she’s sleeping in late, right? I’m on Dad’s side!”
“Hm.”
Hayun’s gaze sharpens.
It’s piercing like she’s back in her inspector days.
Her senses aren’t dulled, huh?
“I clearly told you I was coming today.”
“Did you?”
I ask again while placing the food on the table. Did I really not know?
“Rin didn’t tell you?”
“…Ah!”
No wonder.
I was wondering why Rin and Eris were unusually clingy last night, but that explains it.
It’s made me feel so drained right now.
“I guess you knew I was coming and got all excited, huh? Hmm?”
“Le-le’s eat.”
“Waaah! Sausage!”
With Rina’s shout, the meal begins. I turn away, feeling guilty under Hayun’s gaze.
“Sigh, add today’s to the list. Next time, you come here. Got it?”
“I want to do that too.”
But since Rin and Eris hate going outside that much, I feel like I’m living half-captured.
I’m finally learning why dads feel trapped by their wives.
“Come visit. Rin and Eris won’t be able to complain if it’s about work. I’ll handle it.”
“Well, if you tell me, it would be great. I haven’t been to the city in a while.”
Running away to the Forest of the Demon Realm casts this as a kind of shackles for me. I thought it would blow over casually, but it seems to drag out longer than I thought.
It gives me a feeling that I might as well take this as an opportunity.
“Yeah, definitely come. I’ll be waiting.”
Hayun brings her mug to her lips, her face flushing red with embarrassment.
At that moment.
Clun.
“Hwaaaaaaaaah! Dad!”
The door swings open, and in comes our Ariel. The girl with golden hair and fair skin is sobbing as she enters.
And then…
“Hwaaaaaaaaah! Daniel!”
Following her in, crying, is the Goddess of Time.
Ignoring the Goddess of Time, I rush right over to Ariel and hug her.
“What’s wrong! What happened?!”
“They-the kids! They called me half-elf!”
“Daniel! I got stung by a bee while drawing!”
“What?!”
My expression contorts immediately.
I feel an overwhelming urge to rip apart whoever dared to bully my beautiful daughter.
“Where’s Mom?”
I thought Eris was with her, so why did she come alone?
“M-Mom said she’s going to talk to their parents!”
“Mom?!”
Even Eris, the former Guardian, has now become a mother of a child. The peace she once sought to protect in the Forest has vanished.
Now she’s safeguarding the peace of her daughter and household.
“Huff, where are you?”
Since I live with several women in our house, I knew the village looked down on us.
“Daniel! I’m dying!”
So even if there were unreasonable things, I just smiled and brushed it off since they were fellow villagers.
“Let me talk to them.”
It seems that might have been the cause of their contempt.
“Dad?”
“Yup, Dad.”
I’m sure my daughters don’t realize.
This dad has a history of saving the world.
Saving a daughter is nothing for me!
