Seoyeon had long departed.
“Yawn…”
Even after she had left, the man remained seated, lost in thought.
Suddenly, the faint sound of someone approaching came from behind him.
Soon, a woman appeared, clad only in a thin gown.
“I’m so tired… My throat’s completely shot…”
Her exceptional beauty matched her sweet and alluring voice.
“I just don’t get why humans are so obsessed with singing or whatever. Is it because they’re still under-evolved? I mean, it’s somewhat entertaining, but still…”
She perched lazily on the sofa, voicing her mild complaints, completely unfazed even in the presence of the absolute ruler of Paechun.
After grumbling for some time, she addressed Baek Ilyong.
“Hey, do you have any more of those apples or whatever? That sweet thing was pretty tasty.”
“I’ll instruct the servants to prepare some.”
The man answered without even flinching.
“More importantly, have you confirmed the situation with Hae Wolhwa?”
“Ugh, I told you, she’s really dead.”
The woman stretched out languidly as she replied.
“Sadalmelik even resorted to self-destructing. For any organic life form to survive within that radius… it’s practically impossible.”
She then murmured in a voice tinged with exaggerated pity.
“Poor Sadalmelik. If only the nest had been completed, resurrection might’ve been possible. But right before that, of all times…”
“Enough with the self-praise. Mimicking emotions you don’t even feel is nothing but filthy.”
“Oh my, caught me, didn’t you?”
The woman widened her eyes in mock surprise, covering her mouth with a playful smile.
“My, how embarrassing…”
“What’s the progress on Cradle?”
“…Proceeding smoothly.”
As the man shifted the topic with a dry tone, the woman shrugged her shoulders.
“After all, with Regulus personally overseeing it, there’s no way it could fail.”
She then muttered indifferently once more.
“Poor Spica. She should’ve handled things with more wits, like me. That way, she wouldn’t have ended up losing even her body to Regulus…”
This time, she turned to the man with a faint smile.
“Really… It’s fascinating.”
In her empty eyes, the only discernible emotion was a thirst for the unknown.
“Lifeforms willing to kill their own kind without any hesitation…”
“…”
“Even in a crisis situation like this. They even seek the help of wolves who would devour them…”
The corner of her mouth twisted into a grotesque grin.
“Well, at this point, who’s the human, and who’s the monster, huh?”
“What this nation needs is a single, strong leader. Not a rabble that disbands and reconvenes repeatedly. And now is the perfect time to establish that system.”
The man stood and directed his sharp words at the woman.
“On the contrary, it’s a choice only humans can make. Creatures like you would never understand it, even in death.”
“Yes, yes, as you say~”
The woman covered her ears as if she were tired of his nagging.
The man walked over to the display cabinet in the corner.
He silently gazed at a bloodstained badge inside before speaking to the woman who was sprawled on the sofa.
“You haven’t forgotten our agreement, have you?”
“You gain power, and I satisfy my curiosity.”
The woman responded without hesitation.
“Don’t worry; I haven’t forgotten. Like I said, I see things a little differently than the leader… Regulus, that is.”
She then approached the window side and looked down.
Observing the bustling crowds in the city center below, a faint smile spread across her face.
“…It’ll take at least several decades to completely submerge this land. But if we wipe out all the entertainment, that would leave me twiddling my thumbs until it’s time to hibernate again.”
Stretching her arms as if waking from a nap, she continued.
“Leaving at least one around isn’t a bad idea, don’t you think? Watching them struggle to survive might be quite entertaining.”
“You underestimate humans too much. This is coming from a species that already suffered defeat 15 years ago.”
“Ugh, I told you, we’re fundamentally different from our sisters.”
The woman shook her head as if dismissing such a notion.
“With each passing generation, we grow several times stronger. We’re the perfect creatures, you could say. How could you, still under-evolved, possibly defeat us?”
Her tone suggested she believed it to be an undeniable truth of the world.
“Their numbers dwindle by the day… The great enemies are no longer what they used to be… Internal confusion runs rampant… Oh, unless Polaris is actually alive? And then loses her mind and betrays us to side with you? Maybe then, just maybe, but even that’s an impossible scenario…”
Muttering incomprehensible thoughts to herself, the woman suddenly seemed to recall something and asked a question.
“But… are you sure it’s okay?”
“What are you referring to?”
“That girl earlier.”
She was referring to Baek Seoyeon.
“Your daughter, right? The one attending Cradle Academy.”
“And?”
“The core overload will be complete in no more than two days. But by then, your daughter will still be there. Shouldn’t you tell her? Though, judging by the fact she doesn’t even know of my existence…”
The woman smiled knowingly. In response, Baek Ilyong closed his eyes.
Her exceptional beauty, proficient social skills, unparalleled magic skills.
A powerful desire for power, born from a life of constant alienation, and a sense of obedience to the one person who could fulfill her desires—her father.
Baek Seoyeon was, without a doubt, the perfect successor he had been searching for.
Fifteen years had passed since the humiliation inflicted by Heukryeon.
After countless failed products, a successful product had finally emerged.
He was certain of it.
To the point where he doubted his own discerning eye for having left such a masterpiece in obscurity.
But he shook his head.
“…No.”
Baek Seoyeon had failed to overcome a single step.
Blinded by the hollow fever called love.
And worse, she had the audacity to lie, placing it above the family’s glory.
In the end, she too was a defective product.
Delivering the summoning order to the Northern Army would be Baek Seoyeon’s final task in this life. Afterward, she would be remembered as a martyr who died in a tragic accident, serving as Baek Ilyong’s justification for overthrowing incompetent powers.
“Children can always be had again.”
“Hmm…”
Baek Ilyong spoke dismissively. The woman smirked, her lips twisting into a grotesque grin.
“See? So interesting.”
***
Returning to the dormitory, Baek Seoyeon paused as she was about to take off her shoes.
The mostly empty space was unusually filled with the faint presence of someone.
A small, familiar presence.
“Munch… Munch…”
Soon, she saw a small girl lying on her stomach on the living room floor, munching on snacks while looking at a book.
The girl seemed to be about four years old, her hair and features resembling Seoyeon’s, but her pale eyes were unmistakably Lee Hyun’s.
“Kong?”
“Mommy!”
The moment she noticed her, the little girl sprang up and ran toward her.
She clung tightly to Seoyeon’s leg, rubbing her face against it.
“Sigh… Didn’t I tell you not to disappear without a word? Hmm?”
Seoyeon sighed as she picked a leaf out of the girl’s hair.
“Where did you go?”
“For a walk!”
A few weeks’ worth of walks? She wanted to scold her harshly, but she already knew it was a pointless act. She had tried it countless times before.
Considering the identity of the child… it felt almost like a natural behavior.
“Kong, were you studying?”
Completely unaware of Seoyeon’s feelings, Ddangkong proudly shouted.
“What were you studying?”
“This!”
Ddangkong ran over, grabbed a book, and showed it to her. It was a children’s fairy tale book themed around various expressions of emotions.
“Kong learned how to smile now. Look!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ddangkong beamed radiantly. A bright smile that melted away all worries and concerns without a trace.
Thinking back to the days when she couldn’t even grasp the concept of a smile and distorted her face grotesquely, it was indeed remarkable progress.
“…You’re doing well.”
“Hehe…”
At the compliment that made her feel good, Ddangkong trembled with excitement and then eagerly asked Seoyeon.
“Then, can Kong go see Daddy with this look now?”
“…”
A flicker of faintness passed through Seoyeon’s eyes. However, she soon calmed her mind and smiled as she spoke.
“…Well. You’ll still need more practice to hide your ears and tail completely.”
“Huh?”
At that, Ddangkong fumbled around her head in a fluster.
Before she knew it, two fluffy cat ears had perked up on top of her head.
Touching them, Ddangkong made a tearful face.
“No, that’s not right… I was definitely hiding them well… Sniff…”
“Let’s practice just a little more. Alright?”
“Okay…”
Ddangkong nodded. She was fundamentally stubborn, but when it came to matters related to Lee Hyun, she was strangely obedient.
Suddenly, Seoyeon recalled her past with the being in front of her.
Finding a dying kitten had been a coincidence, but bringing it to Lee Hyun was a calculated act.
It had been a kitten with no hope of survival at first glance. It was merely a tool to evoke his sympathy and subtly highlight her own humanity to him.
But somehow, the frail kitten had revived and become lively overnight.
And naturally, taking care of it became her responsibility.
What started as a trickery unexpectedly turned into a bothersome attachment.
The kitten would always appear like a ghost and wedge itself between her and Lee Hyun whenever she tried to spend time alone with him.
Even locking it in a room with a secure lock had been utterly useless, which was nothing short of exasperating.
Since Lee Hyun cherished the kitten so much, she couldn’t bring herself to kill it.
So, they spent time together.
During the pleasant days she had with Lee Hyun.
On that dreadful day when she thought she had lost him forever.
Even after that.
And then, exactly a year ago, just as she was about to enter the academy, the unbelievable happened—the kitten transformed into a human form.
Its true nature was still a mystery.
Was it a mutant cat, or some unknown magical beast disguised as a cat?
There was only a vague speculation that it might have become that way by consuming both her and Lee Hyun’s blood equally.
Normally, she should have reported it to the Purification Unit. Or dealt with it herself.
The closer a magical beast resembled a human, the exponentially greater the danger.
But Seoyeon didn’t do that.
Or rather, she couldn’t.
When she had lost Lee Hyun, the kitten had been one of the few mediums connecting her to him.
Seeing it transformed into a child resembling both of them had made her heart race uncontrollably.
Perhaps it was because she thought it looked more like her.
The child, despite its brilliant brain, struggled immensely to understand abstract concepts like emotions.
Much like she had been before meeting Lee Hyun.
“Mommy?”
Ddangkong tilted her head, noticing Seoyeon lost in her loneliness.
“…It’s nothing.”
Seoyeon smiled as if it were no big deal and gently stroked Ddangkong’s head.
There had been times when she dreamed of spending happy time together as a family of three after confirming his survival.
But…
“Shall we have dinner together tonight? Mommy will cook some meat dishes for you.”
“Meat? Kong loves meat…!”
Ddangkong enthusiastically nodded her head up and down.
As Seoyeon entered the bedroom to change, Ddangkong, left alone, returned to her spot in front of the fairy tale book.
However, she soon lost interest, closed the book, and began to think of someone.
“…Kong misses Daddy.”
The little girl puffed her cheeks and mumbled wistfully.
“No, no. Kong is angry right now.”
But she quickly shook her head vehemently.
“Daddy is a fool. He always comes back hurt… I told him he might really die one day… Sniff…”
Then, with a face mixed with both sadness and anger, she huffed and puffed.
“Every time Kong kisses him, he gets better… but Daddy doesn’t even know that…”
Ddangkong was secretly running away from home, avoiding her stepmother and father. She hoped he would realize her preciousness.
As she imagined her father, likely searching for her with a tear-streaked face, she chuckled softly.
But before long, her ears drooped sullenly.
“Still… Kong should be there… What if Daddy gets hurt again…?”
Ddangkong glanced alternately at the bedroom Seoyeon had just entered and the window.
Then, mumbling in a voice full of troubles, she hesitated.
“Just… just once… Should I sneak a peek…?”